Michael J Sheehy

Michael J Sheehy - Ghost On The Motorway (2007 - Red Eye Music)

Sheehy started his music life as the front man to criminally underlooked sleaze rock band Dream City Film Club (named by an Soho adult movie house which burned down, killing the assumedly engorged patrons inside). The ending of that band was a bitter affair; I know this because I was (un)fortunate enough to see him play live on the exact day the band broke up, being greeted by the words "The band broke up today so it's just me. I'm not bitter or anything."

Since their departure from this aural coil, Sheehy has struggled against unfame and the less than forthcoming generosity of various record labels to make a number of solo albums that are consistently great.

His music would not sound out of place at The Roadhouse in David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks' or any number of backwater saloon bars where men rest their Stetsons on the jukebox to quaff copious amounts of whiskey and ogle at the grainy animal porn playing on the faux-wood-finished TV in the corner, which is odd considering his Anglo origins. But don't let a lack of authenticity dissuade you, his façade is good enough to get a song played on 'Deadwood'.

His latest release has lost some urgency and replaced it with a greater focus of americana style, withdrawing wholeheartedly from his post-punk leanings in previous albums and drawing even more influence from bluegrass and country, running alongside his ever eloquent tales of depravity, melancholy and religious betrayal, reminiscent of 'boatman'-era Nick Cave in both lyrical content and competency of arrangement, albeit with a smoother, more seductive aesthetic, particularly in Sheehy's breathy, almost slutty vocals. But despite a slightly more happy-go-lucky approach here, here's also a few touches of an angrier The The influence in a few songs, like this scuzzy little number:

Michael J Sheehy - Crawling Back To Church (mp3)

Doo Rag

One of the most bizarre Peel Sessions I ever heard was by Doo Rag, from Arizona. An unholy blues-derived racket featuring little in the way of melody, rhythm or even blues.

Doo Rag were a stunning apocalyptic-blues duo comprising the magnificently named Bob Log III on guitar and vocals (sung through a film projector), and Thermos Malling on percussion (usually pots, pans, boxes etc.) Their Peel Session was apparently recorded over the telephone. They toured with a mobile pirate radio station which led to a prosecution in Germany for broadcasting their gig over the frequency of the leading German radio station.

Rectifier is an astounding example of their art. Taken from their Peel Session, this is a loud blues stomp, that almost enters a trance like state with the occasional guitar lick or percussive glitch. Most of their songs were shorter, but this is their anthem.

Bob Log III now performs solo, playing guitar, drums and singing into a telephone handset welded into a motorcycle helmet. His songs are all about playing guitar and drinking whisky. Oh, and tits.

Sophe Lux

Sophe Lux are a sort of sonambulist's soundtrack, the kind of music you listen to whilst sleepwalking through a field towards the cliffs of Dover. Ah but Gloucester, wait, that's not Dover, 'tis merely a small hollow in the fields. Which is good because after your conniving children have poked your eyes out - the last thing you really want is to walk off the real Cliffs of Dover, especially as the King has gone right off it. Come back Cordelia, all is forgiven - but alas...

So what is the ideal soundtrack to nocturnal freakish shakespearean self-loathing - tinged by pre-war Cabaret kitsch?

I don't know either - sometimes your music collection just doesn't have a track that says I'm tired of the Cabaret Life I want to contemplate Nietsche, Shakespeare and the endless cycle of life, sex, death and rebirth.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon. Sophe Lux are a band who have just released their second album, Waking the Mystics on Zarathustra Records.

I've been trying to guage how successful the band is and how successful they are likely to be... the omens are mixed. One the plus side some famous people have been involved in the making of this album - (Decemberists engineers and Green Day producers - that sort of thing) on the other hand the record label's website has been suspended for non-payment. On one hand BBC says, "There are no results for "sophe lux" on the BBC website." whilst myspace says over 40,000 friends - It's hard to say. What is easy to say though is that the music is fantastic.

• Sophe Lux - Target Market MP3

More tracks available on www.myspace.com/sophelux

Pop Shopping

Pop Shopping is a compilation from the classic label Crippled Dick Hot Wax. This compilation of German TV commercial jingles from the 60s and 70s celebrates forgotten music. Its English language equivalent would feature the Shake And Vac theme.

Amongst the pop nuggets on here are a bizarre calypso (in German of course) for Nescafe coffee, a rocking tune for Grand Prix racing at the Nurburgring, and various ditties for hand cream, chocolates, cars, blenders and all other manner of mod cons.

Swinging Nordwest is the funkiest track on this album, a rather groovy number for Nordwest Shoes. You can almost imagine the advert to this great track (I was thinking go-go dancers in miniskirts while the camera zooms in and out rapidly). There is also an instrumental version on the album.

Explosions in the Sky

I guess it's rather predictable for me to include a track from the new Explosions in the Sky album, but predictable just has to be done sometimes ... Maybe that's appropriate as many who have heard the whole album, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, have accused it of being predictable too. Perhaps this is rather unfair as the album sees them gradually refining their exquisite sound, not reinventing it. What is certain is that the band have again captured the more joyous side of post-rock, with soaring and swooping melodies combining to make a soundtrack to some long forgotten post-dawn walk back home after a night out.

For those who haven't come across Explosions in the Sky yet, they are a four piece formed in the suburbs of Austin, Texas in 1999. After a series of local gigs, they were signed to Temporary Residence on the recommendation of the American Analog Set who submitted a brief note with the demo simply saying "This totally f***ing destroys".

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is their fourth album and is released this weekend. Welcome Ghosts features Explosions' trademark intertwining guitar leads, soaring melodies and pummelling drums.

Explosions in the Sky - Welcome Ghosts on Temporary Residence

Patchwork On The Blues

WARNING! This music contains nothing original whatsoever! This is utterly derivative blues, through and through. No blues cliché is left unused (one song even begins "woke up this morning") So far, so bad, but what this band does bring is great musicianship, a great lo-fi basement club recording, and an immense sense of fun.

Patchwork On The Blues are a German blues band that evidently love the music they play, but are simultaneously aware of the hoary clichés at every turn - the songs are verging on parody, with band members bent double over their instruments with laughter. The result is a great blues stomp that is utterly familiar and none the worse for it.

Good Ol' Shoe gives a feeling for the ramshackle, improvised nature of the material. Three full albums are available for free download, and this is from Sessions.

Blondie

Maybe there's someone in the universe who has never heard Blondie's Heart of Glass. Actually there's probably millions, but let me have the cliched exaggeration. I'm sure there's also a few of those of have heard it that don't know anything about Blondie. Probably wandering around asking for that glass hearts song by Dinah Washington or someone you know from the olden days.

But I'm going to assume that you do know all about Blondie and that you know all about the fact that Heart Of Glass started life as Once I Had a Love and that it was originally recorded in 1975 and that it features a sloppy guitar solo, minimal arrangement and most importantly Debbie Harry's voice bang up in the middle, singing lyrics which do not feature any glass hearts.


Once I had a Love It was a gas,

soon turned out to be a thing of the past.

And I'm going to assume that you know this version and that you actually prefer it to the original. AND I'm going to assume that you don't need me to post this track up for your listening pleasure, because you got your Blondie box set out last night and listened to it. - however if I'm wrong have a listen to this:

Blondie - Once I had a Love (AKA the disco song) [1975 Version]