At Heatongrad! A Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott playlist

Among the amazing gigs and events scheduled for the next months, there's one that occupies a pretty special place in the heart of this humble blogger: the Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott gig coming this Saturday, as part of the 'Blues i Ritmes' Festival taking place in Badalona (ouch!). Finally, after so many years being a fan, I'm going to see them live. It's sort of the closing of a pending music chapter for me. You know, like that moment when you are about to strike out one of those looong-time things remainig to do in your due-to-list. But bigger, because I really thought I wasn't going to have the chance. So, I'm sure you understand my excitement. The wait is finally over... after... 19 years!

I'm counting back from early 1997, when I grabbed my copy of 'Carry On Up the Charts', my first The Beautiful South record, quickly followed by Housemartins' 'Now That's What I Call Quite Good'. On those years, this huge R.E.M. and Crowded House fan, found his third "music" pillar, haunted by the knack for melodies, the joyful vibe (some ace and somber ballads too) hiding Heaton's not just witty but masterful lyrics, a true social chronicler with a true socialist heart (beat that!) and the discovery of one of my favourite vocalist ever, Jacqui Abbott. One of my most desired music wishes is that 'The Later With Jools Holland Special' gets a proper release. I had three VHS copies of the edited version (roughly 30 minutes) shown by Catalonian program Sputnik that now are completely wasted after watching it zillion times. If, after watching Jacqui singing 'You've Done Nothing Wrong', you don't get moved, I won't believe you're human, sorry.    

But, at least to my knowledge, TBS never made it to Barcelona, Jacqui left (no offense to the previous & later female singers, but she's incomparable and irrepleceable) and later the band called it a day. Being honest, I remember my interest on the band sort of vanishing although, funnily enough, The Housemartins, in particular 'Caravan of Love', became the soundtrack of some crucial years in my life (longs, slightly surreal story related with my then job, I'm saving it for another day), and despite keeping track of Paul's solo career ('Fat Chance' has many tunes to celebrate) I couldn't make it when he visited Barcelona a few years ago (I was in the States). Besides, there was, clearly, "something" missing. Until 2013, when I found (and wrote about enthusiastically here) the reunion of Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott was a reality. Now, with two lovely albums as a result of that comeback the opportunity to see them live has arrived. Heatongrad arrives to the city!

Here's a playlist with, arguably (it's very hard to choose so few), my favourite 19 + 1 (one for every year being a fan) tunes of their career. See you on Saturday!

These Go to 11: interviewing The Luxembourg Signal

It's been a little while without our interview series at the Blog. But what a comeback you are about to read! A gifted, experimented musician and (not kidding) a paranormal activity finder: Beth Arzy from the legendary Aberdeen & Trembling Blue Stars, and more recently, part of the great Charlie Big Time and The Luxembourg Signal. So, let's talk about music, supernatural phenomena and guilty pleasures. These Go to 11!

Beth Arzy, The Luxembourg Signal

Beth Arzy, lady of indiepop
& paranormal activities

What a curriculum our guest has! A Sarah Records MUST-LISTEN and criminally underrated band? Check. She was the lead singer of Aberdeen. A wonderful cult group? Check. She was a core member of Trembling Blue Stars. A charming indiepop project, featured in our "discoverer series"? Check. Charlie Big Time. And a exciting, not to miss 2014 new adventure, also praised at Bloodbuzzed, with a flamboyant self-titled album courtesy of our dear friends at Shelflife Records about to see the light of day. Check, check, check. She is part of The Luxembourg Signal. Indiepop, dreampop, shoegaze... plus an investigator & team secretary at the Ghost Finder Paranormal Society, a professional organization reporting poltergeists and supernatural phenomena across the UK. Here we go!

Bowie does Jerry Lee Lewis

1. First record that you bought (be honest)
Well, I guess technically it would be a Leif Garrett best of, 8 track tape that I won at the fair. I paid 10 cents to throw a ping pong ball into a fish bowl so I got the fish and Leif Garrett. The first time I bought records with my pocket money, I bought 3 singles at the mall: 'Queen of Hearts' by Juice Newton, 'Modern Love' by David Bowie and 'Sail On' by The Commodores.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

First concert I went to (my Father took me) to a little festival in Florida to see The Monkees (1985-6?). My last concert was seeing the German band To Rococco Rot here in London. It was AWESOME.

The most beautiful (and shared)
guilty pleasure

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

At the moment, Bobby is saying 'The Beautiful South' to me, but I’m not really embarrassed about any of the bands I love. People make fun of me for liking The Wonderstuff and Pop Will Eat Itself and Jesus Jones, but I tell you what… I went to see them (all 3) last year, by myself, and had a whale of a time!! I love Helen Reddy and I love Skinny Puppy. No pleasure is guilty, just pleasure.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
That’s easy. I have a maraca signed by Mickey Dolenz! Bobby played them on his new record! I’ve never let a single soul touch them before.

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

“And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time.” (From 'Wichita Lineman' by Glen Campbell)

Mr. Tweedy, the "coffee guy"

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)

I think I’ve met most of my favourites (some good, some BAD). I’d have to say Jeff Tweedy, as he’s such a great songwriter and seems like a good guy to have a coffee with. If we’re talking dead… I’d love to meet Florian Fricke. WHAT a talent. OH GOD… David Bowie. Nearly forgot. I would DIE, but not before snogging his face off.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Oingo Boingo’s 'Only a Lad' EP. It’s one of the Louis Wain cats. I’d love to have it as a tattoo but that’s a lot of scraping.

Sebald's on Saturn

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
Depends on the mood. I just saw 'Boyhood', which was great, but I’m reading Sebald’s 'The Rings of Saturn' at the moment, which I’m enjoying very much. I’m normally reading books on high strangeness but need to break away from that every once in a while.

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
I’d have to say the Robert Hampson remix of 'The Light Outside' by Trembling Blue Stars. It’s a remix of a TBS song called 'Half-Light' and an instrumental called 'Outside'. He deconstructed the actual song and put it back together with Hampson aplomb. Every sound/note he used, he took from our original track, but put his stamp all over it when he put it back together. It’s beautiful. I cried the first time I played it. He told me “it’s like Big Star in space”. I’m so proud to have something out there that he’s touched.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
I suppose I think of independent labels. Small labels like Touch Records that do everything themselves and have never sold up to a major.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Living in Shetland. Surrounded by sheep and sea and quiet.

Zillion thanks Beth!

These Go to 11: interviewing The Swapsies

This day had to arrive! After meeting them at Indietracks (one of the highlights of the Festival without a doubt), Huw & Andrew, main composers of The Swapsies, one of the Blog favourite bands, take part in our questionnaire series. As expected, here's one of the funniest and charming These Go to 11 we ever had!

Huw Spink & Andrew Warhurst, The Swapsies

Best spoonball squad ever. Period

Hailing from Liverpool, the band started around 2011, releasing debut single 'You’re My Maillot Jaune/ Hey There You' that summer. But 2013 was the real "Swapsies year". First, with the August release, in conjunction with our dear friends from February Records, of their sophomore single 'Another Game on Saturday/ A Fleeting Summer' that, aside from its glorious two pop gems, got a lovely soccer-obsessed physical release. And before closing the year, it was followed by their first EP, 'Sparrows', four irresistible tunes, again preciously packed with a mini-fanzine and an illustration. While we await for new songs, and after enjoying them live for the first time, we can assure you this: your small & shy indiepop heart will be forever grateful if you hear The Swapsies. Music full of charm, harmonies, handclapping and genuine passion. Graceful, joyful, everlasting pop. Here we go!

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

Andy and Ned Flanders' choice

Huw: Almost definitely 'Any Dream Will Do’ by Jason Donovan. I still really like that song. I tried to persuade The Swapsies to perform it. Alas to no avail!
Andy: Ha! My Mum and Dad had the Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat LP so after I went to see the musical I asked them to put it on a tape for me. I'm pretty sure I could sing it now but I'm not convinced it'd suit us! I remember when I knew I was getting my first CD player I went out and bought two singles. 'Free Me' by Cast and 'Blackbird on the Wire' by The Beautiful South. The first cassette I remember getting is 'Things Can Only Get Better' by D:Ream when I was about 7. The first record I remember feeling any sort of ownership of was a 7” of 'We Didn’t Start The Fire' by Billy Joel which I used to ask my Mum to put on for me to dance around to.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

Huw: First was Paul McCartney in Earls Court in London in 1993. It was mind-blowingly exciting! Even if I was sat about a million miles away from him. Last was The Hidden Cameras at Indietracks. Life-affirmingly wonderful.
Andy: First: Idlewild at the Students’ Union in Liverpool in 2002. It set me off on a lifelong love affair with Scottish music! Last: Indietracks!

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

Huw: Very hard to answer! Apart from the aforementioned ‘Any Dream Will Do’? Ok then - 'Asajere' by Las Ketchup then. Love that song! Tremendous. No idea what they are singing about, which might help my enjoyment somewhat! [Blogger's note, it's 'Aserejé', and easily ranks among the worst songs ever, but we love The Swapsies too much to take it against them...]

Proof that genius pop composers
chat to each other

Andy: It’s definitely not a very cool answer but I really like the hymns of John Bell. I don’t go to church a lot anymore but my Mum’s a vicar and I grew up singing songs in church. I think a lot of my love for a catchy tune comes from that! A few years ago I went with my Mum to see him sing some songs and talk about songwriting and during the interval he came and had a chat with me. We talked about Glasgow and Belle and Sebastian and he drew me a little map showing me how to find the record shops when I was going to visit. (As a coda to this, I messaged Stuart Murdoch about our conversation through the B&S website and he replied saying that he’s a fan too)

Mount Beatles!

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Huw: Very hard to choose just one! Probably a model of Mount Rushmore but with The Beatles instead of Presidents. It’s quite classy in its own way.
Andy: My original vinyl soundtracks of the first three Muppet Movies! (should that be the guilty pleasure?)

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

Huw: “The temptation to take the precious things we have apart to see how they work must be resisted for they never fit together again”, from ‘Must I Paint You A Picture’ by Billy Bragg. Or maybe “I know it’s kinda hard but I’m glad that it is” from ‘Desperation Made A Fool Of Me’ by Belle and Sebastian.
Andy: I love so many of the lines in Belle and Sebastian’s 'Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying'. “Nobody writes them like they used to so it might as well be me” is such a wonderful philosophy for a song writer to live by.
“Think of it this way/ You could either be successful or be us/ With our winning smiles, and us/ With our catchy tunes, and us/ Now we're photogenic/ You know, we don't stand a chance”

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)

Henson & family

Broadside balladeer

Huw: Phil Ochs. He is my hero. A great lost songwriter of the 1960s. I’d love to have had the chance to tell him how much his songs mean to me (having already made a fool of myself telling Billy Bragg & Stuart Murdoch)
Andy: Would Jim Henson count? He had a lovely singing voice and an ear for a harmony but didn’t write any of the songs. I’d love to have met him. I'd also like to sit round a cafe table with Stuart Murdoch and Lee Mavers.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Huw: The Beatles’ ‘For Sale’ LP. A lovely photo of four lovely men. What more do you need?
Andy: Kraftwerk’s Tour De France artwork takes some beating for me

'Motherless Brooklyn'

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
Huw: My favourite film is ‘Bridesmaids’. It has genuinely cheers me up everytime I have watched it. I really like the novels of Jim Thompson – though they are not terribly cheerful. They are all great (they are also all rather similar – which is fine by me!).
Andy: I wouldn’t want to choose one over the other! Our friend Kristin (co-runner of February Records) recommended reading 'Motherless Brooklyn' by Jonathan Lethem so I did and it was great. I’m reading another of his books now so I’ll pass on Kristin’s recommendation! For a film to recommend, I recently watched a documentary called ‘Just Like Being There’ which is about screen printing gig posters. It’s super-inspiring! Since I’ve watched it I’ve been recommending it to everyone!

9. Release (of yours) you are most proud of
Huw: Andy wrote it but our song ‘I Won’t Stand Idly By’ is the one I enjoy singing most. It’s a bit of a protest song, but it’s also about being a bit shy. In my mind it’s our nod to great protest singers like Phil Ochs without forgetting that we are not gregarious, rabble-rousing kind of people either.
Andy: I’m really proud of how 'Another Game on Saturday' turned out and it’s a lot of fun to play.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Huw: Indie to me just means doing it. Not waiting for perfection or hoping for fortune and glory but the act of creating music being in itself its own reward.
Andy: Yeah, it's the freedom if you think you’ve got something worthwhile to share to just do it yourself and get it out there. If we like the music we make then maybe someone else will too? There’s also a great community spirit where everyone helps each other out where they can without expecting anything much in return. I think blogs like Bloodbuzzed sum up that spirit and enthusiasm and are just as much a part of ‘indie’ as the people who make the music.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Huw : Celebrating the ten year anniversary of filling in this questionnaire (thanks Mitch Hedberg!)
Andy: Living in the West End of Glasgow in an independent Scotland (wishful thinking)

Zillion thanks Andy and Huw! Zillion thanks Swapsies!

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, welcome back!

Pop is back!

I couldn't resist. The temptation was too big. Time to officially celebrate: Jacqui Abbott & Paul Heaton are back together with a new, flamboyant album (dying to hear it), "What Have We Become", out May 19th . So, to salute the comeback as the occasion deserves, I've prepared a collection of videos (extremely hard to choose only 10)... just to tell you a bit of this two pop geniuses backgrounds... and a nice excuse to get nostalgic and listen to wonderful tunes! Welcome back Paul & Jacqui!



So, the story goes: this ridiculously talented guy



Found this incredibly gifted voice



And together, they created many pop wonders...



And now they are back!

A Dreamt Comeback, Jacqui Abbott returns!

Jacqui & Paul, mighty pop couple
 together again

Maybe you knew it already, but I'm just too excited not to make a post about it: one of my all-time favourite singers has returned! I just found out Jacqui Abbott is back singing, and seems a new album is on the works, probably out before the year ends!!

Here's a song from Paul Heaton's latest album to date, "The 8th" called "Envy" and performed by Jacqui (seems that they met again and solved their differences two years ago)

And here's "DIY" played past June at Mosborough Music Festival 2013. It's a new tune that seems could be included in the aforementioned forthcoming album
And three Beautiful South/Housemartins classics played at Ferrara, Italy, this July, to end the post with a HUGE SMILE!

Spanish Indie 12: suggesting the best national acts

More Spanish "alternative sounds" for your listening pleasure!

The Birkins. Can you mix British pop with French chanson, Americana and some experimentation and not being indigestible? Can you recall bands like The Beautiful South and Stereolab at the same time? This impressive quartet hailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria can, gracefully. Formed in 2008, after winning, in 2009, the nationwide Heineken Greenspace contest, they signed with our recurrent friends from El Genio Equivocado and released their S/T debut album in 2011. Now they are back with their sophomore release, "Châteaux en Espagne", out since Feburary. Classy and diverse indiepop. One final advice: don't miss the chance of seeing them live if you can.

Niño y Pistola. Veteran band from Baiona, Galizia, for our second proposal. After two demos (2003 & 2004) they released "Como un Maldito Guisante" in 2006, recorded fully live. Hailed by critics as the "Galizian from Liverpool", they returned with "Culebra" in 2008. Then came their band reinvention, releasing under a new alter ego "Niño y Pistola as Arthur & The Writers" in 2010. And out now we have "There's a Man With a Gun Over There" as Niño y Pistola again. A conceptual album that is a superb homage to all the American music heroes: Neil Young, The Band, Dylan, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield... FOLK-ROCK in big capital letters.

Les Atxes. Discovered at the Minifestival de Música Independent, this band from Barcelona was born in 2008, first as the shared project of guitarists and singers Marc A. and Marc M., and then as a powerful full group after recruiting three more members. After many gigs and rehearsing, in 2011 they came out with a self-titled mini-album, when they combine their passion for the 70s' NYC scene with the more primitive elements of garage, as well of little hints of post-punk and traces of Spanish folk-rock. An eclectic combination that turns out to be incredibly fun, particularly live.