Mme. St. Onge

Judging by the subject material, this French-Canadian album by one Mme. St. Onge, may have been cut around 1967. On it are French renditions of popular hits from the time, such as The Beatles’ Help (re-titled “Il”) performed by a woman with no interest in tonality.

I say “woman”… the mysterious Mme. St. Onge appears an elusive character, with a strained falsetto, no other known works, and only one (rather masculine) photograph to her name. Some may posit that it is, in fact, a man doing this. If this is the case then the album has just been lifted from a mere wonder to something fucking amazing.

Evidence however seems to imply that Mme St Onge had a proper singing career in earlier times. Her real name was Francine Laplante, although she also recorded a couple of singles under the name of Maryse Marshall. It is possible that this album was done with the humour intentional to cash in the Mrs. Miller craze (St. Onge is a very common last name in Francophone Canada. Calling somebody Mme St. Onge in Canada would be similar to calling somebody Mrs. Miller in the United States).

Whatever the case regarding the provenance, the songs speak for themselves. Throughout the ten tracks Mme. St. Onge bleats her way through, supported by a competent backing band.

For fans of music to suffer by, this is a must.

Just listen to the first thirty seconds of Prends-moi (Try Me) if you need any convincing. Trust me on this.

01 Il (Help) (2:33)
02 Et maintenant (3:05)
03 C'est le Freddy (2:16)
04 Tant de choses a dire (3:10)
05 Prends-moi (Try Me) (2:53)
06 Demain (3:02)
07 C'est si triste que je voudrais pleurer (I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry) (2:05)
08 Les marionnettes (2:31)
09 La fille d'Ipanema (One Note Samba) (1:29)
10 Chez moi (Call Me) (2:50)

Download HERE(42mb)

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

A question & answer with Hunter S. Thompson at Boulder University in 1977. He mentions that Tom Wolfe thinks that Thompson is turning into "a brain damaged geek" and at times he might not be far off. Then again, it truly is confusing when you have someone speaking into a microphone and the speaker is on the other side of the room. The "lecture" is fascinating, in a slightly baffling way, as Thompson repeatedly cycles from jackass to genius to zoo attraction, though it is hard to tell at some points just who is antagonising and who is being made a joke of.

Download HERE (101MB)

Agnes Bernelle

Agnes Bernelle (7 March 1923 - 15 February 1999) was a Berlin-born (though soon England-based) actress and singer, famous (alongside being an international cabaret performer) for being codename “Vicki” – an OSS wartime 'Black Propaganda' radio announcer who demoralised a U-Boat Captain into surrendering via one of her targeted broadcasts. Other accolades include being the first non-stationary nude on a British stage, working with Orson Welles on the radio, collaborator with Tom Waits, being the proprietor of Ireland’s first disco…

In the 80s, Bernelle released two phenomenally titled albums. Father's Lying Dead on the Ironing Board and Mother, The Wardrobe is full of Infantrymen featuring cabaret songs that Bernelle had collected throughout her career including her own translations from German of Joachim Ringelnatz’s works. Father… is more traditional material, with obscure 1930s playwrights often supplying the lyrics, whereas Mother… features songs in the same style penned by the likes of Tom Waits, Peter Maxwell Davies and Marc Almond. The albums are camp at times, occasionally suffer from the fact that they were made in the land of 80s production, and a sixty-something Bernelle presents a voice more in keeping with Lotte Lenya than Ute Lemper (read: her range is not great and she intentionally does not try and overstretch her vocal talents, rather aims for the more theatrical delivery) but there are some real gems on these two albums. At times it is reminiscent of your grandmother disgracing herself at Christmas, but songs such as Chansonette, In Amsterdam, The Road To Marseilles, and Go To The Wall really stand up for themselves.

A little eccentric at times, but more wheat than chaff. If you’re a fan of Kurt Weill, Marianne Faithful, Gavin Friday, The Dresden Dolls, or French chansons you’d do well to check these two albums out.

Mother is HERE (75mb) and Father is HERE (48mb)

Whilst I’m pimping, I should mention that the modern-day musician most in keeping with Agnes Bernelle’s music (and I mean that in a very good way) is the manic, beautiful ukulele-toting chanteuse Patti Plinko. With a raw, captivating voice, seemingly demure appearance and disturbingly dark love songs delivered with a visceral intensity, Patti is the sound of the French Resistance in war torn Paris; all whisky, murder and high heel shoes. Check her songs out on Myspace and catch her up at Edinburgh Festival this August. You’ll be mesmerised.

www.myspace.com/pattiplinkoandherboy

Oh, and she wrote a song about me and it’s fucking ace.

Gothic Americana

Imagine a backwoods Pentecostal preacher on a bender, with a whisky bottle in one fist and a bible in the other and you’ve got the general idea of what the genre of “Gothic Americana” is about. Mixing generous helpings of spaghetti Western tremeloed guitar, country & western, hillbilly, bluegrass, and even klezmer into gospelized rock & roll, these bands walk hand in hand with the devil and Jesus, seemingly unsure of which they're most comfortable with. Themes of redemption and damnation sit side by side here. Banjo, harmonium, pedal steel, auto harp, fiddle, and accordion are standard. Howls, pants, even yodels are to be found as the frontmen (and occasional frontwoman) sing odes of sin and salvation as if hellhounds are nipping on their trail. Waltz time dirges alternate with double-time barn burners. Think Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, Carson McCullers and Cormac McCarthy stories in song form.

This is not so much a playlist as it is a proportional representation of a genre you may not be overly familiar with. I’m terrible with making mixtapes, so just consider this a cross-section of the genre with more weight given to the major players (whilst subjective, I’d say Slim Cessna’s Auto Club are the daddies, if solely for the fact that they seem to be the hub of the network). I have also included a couple of songs from The Denver Gentlemen (listen), whom were one of the first bands to be recognised as within this genre; and Murder By Death (listen), whom are a rock band who display hallmarks of the genre. Also of trivial note is that many of the bands have at some point shared the same musicians. Reverend Glasseye (listen) and Jay Munly are both alumni of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club (listen), who in turn had a hand in The Denver Gentlemen of whom David Edwards (later of 16 Horsepower and even later of Woven Hand) was also a member. Furthermore, John Rumley of gaucho Argentinean band Tarantella was another member of the Auto Club. You’ve got the past two decades of Denver, Colorado’s music scene to thank for this.

If you like any of the stuff on this sampler, then I do urge you to track down the albums (and pay for them). Several of these bands are still fairly small and still active and if they’re passing through your area then do go and lend your applause. Especially if it’s the Auto Club. Seeing Slim Cessna’s Auto Club live is one of the most amazing experiences you’ll ever have in a dark, sweaty room. Seriously.

Murder By Death - Coming Home
The Denver Gentlemen - Fixin' To Die
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - This Is How We Do Things In The Country
Reverend Glasseye - Seven Little Girls
16 Horsepower - Outlaw Song
Strawfoot - Seven Ways
Tarantella - Dark Horse
Murder By Death - Brother
Reverend Glasseye - King of Men
Jay Munly - A Gentleman's Jihad
Woven Hand - Sparrow Falls
Warren Jackson Hearne & His Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers - She Wouldn't Look At Me As She Wept
The Denver Gentlemen - That Certain Kind Of Woman
O'Death - Home
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - This Land Is Our Land Redux
16 Horsepower - Black Soul Choir
Reverend Glasseye - Mother Is A Carpegian
Tarantella - Elder Tree
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Magalina Hagalina Boom Boom
Reverend Glasseye - Midnight Cabaret
Jay Munly - Old Service Road
The Denver Gentlemen - Vulture Girl
16 Horsepower - Scrawled In Sap
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - All About The Bullfrog In Three Verses
Warren Jackson Hearne & His Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers - The Clove Queen
Reverend Glasseye - Black River Falls

Download HERE (124MB)

Ann-Margret

Ann-Margret - actress, singer, dancer, and what angels probably look like - is caught here in the act of being the world's angriest sandwich maker (from the motion picture Viva Las Vegas):

All one take!

And up for grabs is AM's first album from 1961, titled And Here She Is, a super-loungey ultra-smooth selection of songs perfect for every bachelor's high fidelity soundsystem. Because what bachelor wouldn't want Ann-Margret singing jazzy love songs to them? Not all tracks are so smooth you can only imagine them being background music to a cocktail party. On tracks such as Lovie Joe, homegirl shows she's actually got some decent pipes.

Download HERE (33mb)

And as an extra treat, here's AM doing what she does best in the surreal, unforgettable Champagne scene from Tommy:

Exquisite.

Coplas!

I love vintage freestyle battles. Especially when they involve moustaches and fancy neckwear, let alone sombreros (sombreri?).

Just Be Thankful Things Like This Exist

It's Tom Waits sung in Polish.
I don't know what else you expect me to say.
Eighteen tracks. The titles are mainly in Polish (apparently they don't have a word for "underground"?) and I have omitted the English titles because half the fun is working out just what the fuck you are listening to.

Download HERE (69mb)

Oh Yeah!

French garage rock from 1966!



Antoine et Les Problèmes - Un Éléphant Me Regarde



Antoine et Les Problèmes - Les Élucubrations

Antoine sure knew how to be in awesome music videos. Best use of a junk yard in a music video ever, I'm positive.

Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

Here is Alex North’s haunting and dreamlike score from the film Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, based on the play of the same name by homeboy Edward Albee. Replete with dialogue excerpts! Some of the cues never actually made it to film, such as the beautiful harpsichord entr’acte which was discarded because, well, the film doesn’t have an intermission.

The score swings from ethereal to full on baroque with the centre tracks employing far more dissonance than the start and finish, yet having a timeless quality to it all. As the film is so dialogue-heavy, it is easy to imagine that the score (as an underscore to dialogue) would be sidelined but North has made a highlight of the genre. And it’s backed up by being performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

WARNING: the dialogue excerpts on some tracks inevitably hold MAJOR spoilers, so I’d highly recommend watching the film first. In general, I highly recommend watching the film. An extraordinary example of cinema, Taylor and Burton (married at the time!) give it their all in powerhouse performances; Taylor in particular, who chews the script and scenery up, unleashing all Hell as the venomous Martha. The definitive performance, and a rather faithful (save a trip in the car) adaptation of Albee’s stunning play.

The film was nominated for every eligible category going at the Academy Awards, and was the first film to have its entire cast nominated for awards. Only Taylor and Sandy Dennis (as the mousy Honey) won, for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Burton was robbed of Best Actor, thanks to A Man for All Seasons cleaning up that year, winning six awards to Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?'s five.

Download HERE

Intermission the First

Whilst I try to get Mediafire to stop being a pissy little bitch for me, enjoy this classic Lene Lovich track.

Django

No, not music from M. Reinhardt, but the soundtrack to one of my favourite spaghetti westerns. This bloody, macabre and surprisingly influential film by Sergio Corbucci (friend and rival to Leone) revolves around the eponymous gun runner and anti-hero, a shell-shocked veteran of the civil war. He has no horse, and drags a coffin through fields of mud. Inside the coffin is a machine gun that he hopes to trade for gold. He fetches up in a ghost town dominated by two rival gangs: Mexican bandidos and southern racists. Hilarity ensues. And by "Hilarity", I mean "A deluge of bloodshed and ear-eating". This is, after all, an Italian film from the 60s.

Over 30 (some say the count is closer to 100) unofficial sequels were filmed in the years following, thanks to Italian copyright laws being fucking absurd. Furthermore, Django has found homages being paid to it from the likes of Danzig, Joe Strummer, Rancid, Takashi Miike (whose recent film Sukiyaki Western Django is a quasi-prequel) and most famously Quentin Tarantino, who apes the controversial ear-cutting scene from Django for his Reservoir Dogs. Django, being a film verging on demented, goes further than Tarantino dared, and had the ear being fed to the victim. Oh, and the victim was a priest. Who then gets shot by his captors. Right. Yes, this got past the censors in 1966. How? After the censors requested its removal, Corbucci decided to "forget" to cut it from the film.

The music is by Luis Bacalov, Academy Award-nominated Argentine composer (you'll have heard some of his stuff if you've watched Kill Bill), and is exactly what you expect (and want) from a Spaghetti Western score, but on top of the general dramatics and atmospherics it also has a kitch and super-catchy melodramatic title track sung by Rocky Roberts (R.I.P.) to boot!

Download HERE

William S. Burroughs

Two albums from a man who doesn't really need an introduction. Spare Ass Annie contains recitations by Burroughs of pieces from a variety of his works, including the novels Nova Express and Naked Lunch, set to a mish-mash of hip-hop, musique concrète, orchestral schmaltz, and Christmas carols... an obvious attempt at musically recreating Burroughs' "cut-up" style of surreal, obscene stream of consciousness writings. And for the most part, it works really well. Plus, hearing Burroughs' arid, monotone wheeze of a voice is always a treat. And this album really is a treat to lay back and listen to. Great bedtime music... if you don't mind listening to a geriatric heroin addict ask you, "did I ever tell you about the man that taught his asshole to talk?"

Break Through In Grey Room is a collection of Burroughs' speeches and cut-up recordings performed and recorded between 1960 and 1976. The album comprises of two things. One is simply discussions on the pieces. The other is Burroughs recordings, cut up and remixed, done analogue. What it entailed was a tape recorder recording a different player whilst randomly speeding up, slowing down, reversing, and advancing the second player. What resulted was a blubbery and blurry mess of words that surprisingly creates new sentences and phrases. Here Burroughs claims, "When you cut into the present the future leaks out." There are also a handful of field recordings mixed into the tracklist, such as "Jojouka," featuring Ornette Coleman playing in the hills of Morocco. A great little record by one of the greatest provocateurs of 20th century avant-garde literature.

Download HERE et HERE

Exploring New Sounds In Stereo/Strings Aflame

Juan García Esquivel - Mexican bandleader, pianist and composer – was the king of what has come to be known as “Space Age Bachelor Pad Music”. On this, his fourth American released LP (here bundled alongside his fifth release), he does exactly what it says on the tin. Crafting sophisticated instrumental lounge music with jazz and Latin influences was his forte, but on this record he stretches his already varied and intelligent arrangements to include theramin, harpsichord and buzzimba (amongst others) to play alongside his usual brass section, Latin percussion, lush strings, mixed choir and virtuoso piano skills. Furthermore, it is interesting to note (for those of you unfamiliar with Esquivel) the use of voice on this album; whilst mainly instrumental, many songs do feature vocalists and choirs, but for the most part they are being used as percussion and non-lyric melodies, illustrated masterfully on a cha-cha-chá infused version of Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, replete with his signature zu-zus and ba-da-bas.

The whole album is incredibly varied, stretching from the theramin-led Spellbound (from the film of the same name), to a swinging harpsichord version of the theme from The Third Man, to fairly faithful interpretations of Greek folk tune Misirlou and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance #5. Throughout, the album is marked by fantastically creative arrangements and a constantly changing atmosphere, whilst retaining a cohesive, 60s lounge feeling.

It’s a bit redundant to say it these days, but it’s well worth listening to this in stereo. The album’s title wasn’t for nothing.

Twenty-two tracks of space age pop for your next cocktail party HERE (57mb)

Answer me Ravinsky!

American radio-evangelist Bob Larson battles "The Keeper", attempting a live, on-air, over-the-phone exorcism. God bless the gullible and the deluded.

Bob Larson battles The Keeper

I Left My Heart In Rubacava

Because computer games can have great soundtracks, too.

Selections from Grim Fandango, one of the greatest games of all time. You are Manuel Calavera, skeletal travel agent to the recently deceased. Intrigue awaits you in the Land of the Dead, a world influenced by Art Deco, Mexican folklore and Film Noir.

Casino Calavera
Swanky Maximino
Hi-Tone Fandango
Blue Hector
Gambling Glottis
Companeros
Manny & Meche

If you like what you hear, you can download the full 32-track OST here, as well as (if you really like what you hear...) every single piece of incidental and ambient music from the game.

Remembrance of Things Past #004

Saccharine, painful, infectious and utter, utter bliss.

Barbara Cartland's Album of Love Songs.

I'll Follow My Heart
Desert Song
A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square
How Deep Is The Ocean
If You Were The Only Girl
I'll See You Again
Mr Wonderful
Dream Lover
Love Is My Reason
Always
If You Are But A Dream
Goodnight Sweetheart

Remembrance of Things Past #003

Not to be outdone by Cambodia, Thailand produced some brilliant tunes during the same period.

Sodsai Chaengkij - Shake Baby Shake
Johnny's Guitar - Kratae
Cat - Hit The Road Jack
Paiboon - Yom Pha Barn Norn Pahwaa
Silver Band - Kaw-Liga
Cat - Do The Watusi
Son of P.M. - James Bond Theme
Payom Moogda - Loomsia
Sodsai Chaengkij - Lady Madonna
Sakarin Boonpit - Kotmorn Yoop Yap (All Shook Up)
Sodsai Chaengkij - The Boat That I Row
Reasons - Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop

Remembrance of Things Past #002

During the 1960s, Cambodia produced some pretty great surf rock. Check it.

Ros Sereysothea - Chnam oun Dop-Pram Muy "I'm 16"
Ros Sereysothea - Tngai Neas Kyom Yam Sra "Today I Drink Wine"
Pan Ron - Rom Jongvak Twist "Dance Twist"
Liev Tuk - Rom Sue Sue "Dance Soul Soul"
Ros Sereysothea + Seang Vanthy - Jam 5 Kai Thiet "Wait 5 More Months"
Ros Sereysothea + Seang Vanthy - Jah Bong Ju Aim "Old Sour & Sweet"
Ros Sereysothea - Kerh Snae Kyoum Thai
Pan Ron & In Yeng - Sralanh Srey Chnas "I love mean girl"

Exclusive #002

More abortions from the House of Hesketh.

Multi Purpose Space Vehicle
Drone For Douchebags

de rien.

Remembrance of Things Past #001

Past posts from a blog long gone.

First up? Anonymous amateur Christian song demos.

22 songs by unbelievable believers.

Enjoy.

In the parlour, call me Marla.

Consider these requests.
They might not be what you wanted.
But they're what you deserve.

The Ride Committee feat. Roxy - Love To Do It
Not The Nine O'Clock News - Oh England My Leotard
Ben Folds - The Bitch Went Nuts (fake version)

Heaven Have Mercy

Mahalia Jackson - I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song

Somebody help my identify this track, please?

Exclusive #001

A de Winter exclusive for you all, straight outta H-Town.

Britney Spores - Harmonizer

Expect more of these in the near future.

Ô Satan, prends pitié de ma longue misère!

Charles Williams - The Devil's Gallop
Unknown - God Give The Devil The Measles

Ihr Megt Gleybn Oder Neyn

Early Yiddish-American popular songs from NYC.

Russ Morgan And His Orchestra - Joseph, Joseph
Aaron Lebedeff - Roumania, Roumania (the classic)
Annie Lubin - Mayer!
Ted Lewis & His Orchestra - Egyptian Ella
Eddie Cantor - Palesteena
Mildred Bailey - A Bee Gezindt (As Long As You're Healthy)

The End Is Nigh

Neil Young - Like A Hurricane (live w/ pump organ)

La pendule fait tic-tac-tic-tic

Charles Trenet - Boum!

Rise with me...

Nicholas Stevenson - gentleman, scholar, killustrator - has released his latest album Dearest Monstrous, and for free no less.

"If you check out one new act this month, make it Nicholas Stevenson. His songs ooze with a sinister darkness Elliott Smith would have been proud of." - The Fly

"Sweetly crazed and unusual, sometimes chilling, and sometimes plain odd - a true (slightly worrying) treat." - ANewBandADay.com

Featuring odes to places he's never been to, fuck yous to artists he doesn't particularly like, unexpected murder ballads involving children, music composed for the theatre, and two thirds of a song-cycle about zombie horses.

Come now... you'd be a fool not to.

And don't forget to check him out on his myspace, so you can put a cute face to that cute name.

http://www.myspace.com/sirnicholasstevenson

Let's Go Classics!

This stuff is shit hot. From 1967, we have some original Japenese surf-rock interpretations of classical music, courtesy of Takeshi Terauchi & The Bunnys.

Theme From Symphony No. 6
In A Persian Market
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Sabre Dance
Theme From Unfinished Symphony
Hungarian Dance No. 5
For Elise

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

Due to my distance from my dear, little sister, I've been watching Whatever Happened To Baby Jane in the crepuscular periods. Here are a couple of rarities that came off the back of the success of the film - a clean version of I've Written A Letter To Daddy, plus a neat twist featuring the vocal stylings of Ms. Davis.

Debbie Burton - I've Written A Letter To Daddy (Single Version)
Debbie Burton feat. Bette Davis - Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?