Blast From The Past - Nic Jones

Tuesday evening. Not quite at the midway point of the week, but far enough away from Monday to flick the proverbial V sign and yell "get stuffed" to the post weekend blues.

Today is another Blast From The Past post. thegeneral was quite heartily blown away by a documentary that was on BBC4 on Friday night just gone (27th September). It featured a musician and singer by the name of Nic Jones. Someone who was and is much beloved on the folk scene since the 1960s and a founding member of folk band The Halliard.

He went on to perform with some of folk's greatest acts, people like Richard Thompson, June Tabor and Shirley Collins. In 1980 he released what was to become his most loved and strongest enduring album "Penguin Eggs". From the album, comes this beautiful song "Canadee-I-O"

There isn't a bad track on the whole record. At all. That's really all there is to say. It's a delight for folk fans (and hopefully anyone who just enjoys real, proper music).

Much has been spoken of the car accident that effectively halted his career in 1982, so that doesn't need to be gone over again. Suffice to say, the comeback concert he played in 2012 with his son Joe was probably one of the most moving gigs that's ever been committed to film. Joe is the image of his father in both style and sound. Seeing the two of them together really is a delight. 

Jones' style pitches him neatly in the same bracket as Messrs Martin Carthy and Bert Jansch. His guitar playing is adept, it's chippy and lilting. His voice is true, clear and strong. Like Carthy, he tuned his guitar slightly differently to the norm to give it a much more resonant and richer sound - and consequently make it harder for people who are trying to recreate their style to blatantly copy (you try looking for Martin Carthy guitar chords online. You won't find many...) if thegeneral remembers correctly, think the top and bottom strings should be tuned to D rather than E (though don't take my word as gospel, there's a reason why I only pick up and play intermittently and people like Nic Jones made a career out of it...)

Anyway. thegeneral recommends you all take a step back, find yourself a copy of "Penguin Eggs" - and visit http://www.nicjones.net/home to find out more about this wonderful man and his musical legacy. 

Arcs and Trauma - This Place That I Love

Happy Monday one and all. Actually, the words Happy and Monday should never feature in the same sentence should they? Let us verily screw that and move on. Anyway, it IS Monday and thegeneral hadn't thought to be posting again so soon. However, something brand new and oh so exciting came to pass and therefore an extra blog post was warranted.

You may remember (I bet you don't, though. You say you do, but I've seen the way you look at other blogs when you think my back is turned...) about twelve months ago, an introduction to a great group from the North East called Arcs and Trauma. You can read the previous post here and I recommend you do.

thegeneral really loves Arcs and Trauma a lot. They are fresh, inventive and full of spirit. They have just, in the last 24 hours, uploaded a new song and video to go with it onto the YouTubes. You can watch and listen below:

The song is called "This Place That I Love" and it's absofuckinglutely brilliant. It's energetic, gets under your skin and makes you feel proper alive. The video is nicely done, it's humorous, got a nice low-fi home-made feel to it which really matches the band's sound. Watch it right through to the end for a nice little out-take too. The song won't actually be released until December this year, but it's a great chance to listen to them and get to know their incredible talent. You can hear the new single here:

arcsandtrauma.bandcamp.com/album/this-place-that-i-love-lost-spirit

Once you've done that - hoik yourself over to their bandcamp page:

arcsandtrauma.bandcamp.com/

And familiarise yourself with their other EPs, which are equally awesome. Noisy, discordant, punky and yet at the same time, really endearing. They're a great band - thegeneral would really like you to give them some of your time. 

Rivals - I'm Not An Animal

It's the weekend. Or if you're in France, le weekend. Anyway, wherever you are, welcome to it and I hope it's been nice to you so far, brought you breakfast in bed and perhaps a little fondle under the duvet.

Today thegeneral would like to introduce to Rivals - and once again, it's another brilliant act who are releasing on Tiny Lights Recordings (tagline - yep, you've guessed it - DIY as fuck). Now then, this is another heads up. The single isn't actually out until 28th October, but you can mosey on over to the bandcamp page below and have a look:

tinylights.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-an-animal

Listen to the song while you're there, too. It's a metally-slightly grungey-rocky-powery-poppy-punky effort with great lyrics and an energetic vocal:

"Never forget that weakness is the thing that keeps us human"

Which to be honest, no matter how it's bellowed at you, speaks volumes - and as thegeneral is in a bit of a headfuck at the moment, there's never been a better time to remind yourself that this statement is very very true indeed. Gosh, if you ever need waking up or bringing to, then this is the record to do it (especially if you've been lucky enough to have a fondle under the duvet. HAVE YOU??? WELL HAVE YOU??? OWN UP...)

So head on over and give Rivals a listen. The 7 inch vinyl run of the single is limited to 350 copies only, so get in there quick sticks and pre-order if you know you want it, as the band's debut single "Wax" sold out super-duper fast when it came out earlier this year.

Dent May - Warm Blanket

Now then. Here's something to comfort and soothe you on this fractious Wednesday evening (and it's more fractious than a toddler without Kia-ora and no Tweenies on the telly). Dent May. thegeneral thinks very highly of Dent May. If you've never come across him before then now is the time to give his lovely music a try.

His new album "Warm Blanket" came out on 2nd September and if you'd like to give the whole thing a listen before you commit to buy, head on over to Spotify and stack it up.

You can also check out his website here: dentmay.com/ and have a look at his previous stuff. thegeneral highly recommends his tracks "Howard" and "God Loves You, Michael Chang".

Dent's music is so warm, so friendly and so easy to listen to. One of his previous songs from an album called "Do Things" is called "Best Friend" and you feel, in listening to him you ARE making a new friend.

But back to the new album. 

If you like laid back, chilled out pop with just a smidge of pathos, then this is the album for you. If you don't, then fuck off and find something else. "Born Too Late" is a complete delight and is the stand-out track. "Born too late to tell you I love you, baby, but I want you to know I've been thinking about you lately", it's upbeat, yet wistful and sentimental without being vomit inducing. The same can be said of "Ready To Be Old" too. It's got a really good feel to it, slow and warming. 

It's rare you can say you have an album and there isn't a duff track on it. This is one of those rare occasions. Dent May will make you feel happy and content. That's all you need to know. 

Saint Max and the Fanatics - Saint Max is Missing and the Fanatics are Dead

Welcome to the weekend you craven sluts - no, don't bother moving from your slovenly pit on my account, though you could have hoovered round a bit before I turned up...

It's Saturday and today thegeneral is going to introduce you to a band that are very special indeed. Saint Max and the Fanatics.

Oh my, Saint Max and the Fanatics. OH MY.

This post is really a heads up in anticipation of the group's debut album "Saint Max is Missing and the Fanatics are Dead", to be released at the end of October through the frankly delicious Armellodie Records. However, if you go to their bandcamp page: (link below)

saintmax.bandcamp.com/releases

You will be able to hear two of the songs from it (Soul Surrender and She Sings a Lovely Lullaby) well before release date. The album also contains tracks from last year's frankly awesome eponymously titled EP, too - which you can find by looking on the abovementioned site. Also, before you read any further, clicketh ye the YouTube clip below and have a look at them in action:

So, why should you include Saint Max in your record collection? Quite a few reasons. You know when a band instantly make you happy? That moment when you hear an opening riff, or the lead singer merely opens their mouth, an exciting sound comes out and it makes you smile and instantly want to move yo' butt?  Saint Max and the Fanatics will do that. Last year's wonderful "A Life Worth Living" and "Let 'em Have It Sunshine" are testament to this - infectious, beautifully written and performed and just a fuckawesome sound. They're punky, they're ska-ish, they're poppy, they're indie but they're never dull or boring. It would be a crime if these guys didn't make it big - there's a genuine charisma and star quality to the band and gosh, oh gosh thegeneral loves them so. Please go and pre-order their album and give them and Armellodie Records your support. That's a giant great big cocking order, OK?

Blank Maps - Lucky Dip

Alright? Yeah, course you are, it's nice to see you looking so well. I LOVE what you've done to your hair. It's Tuesday and time to introduce to you yet another brilliant band. Today it's the turn of Blank Maps.

This is their latest EP type thing and it's going to be released properly on October 14th through the frankly brilliant Tiny Lights Recordings (tagline: DIY as fuck...).

Lucky Dip is just wonderful. It's chippy, tingly and it makes you want to move. It's beautifully multi-layered and there's a real feeling of space juxtaposed with tightness in the song. Vocalist Thom Piddock has a really great feel to his voice and his slightly falsetto style seems to marry perfectly with the staccato nature of the beat.

Here's a little look at one of their previous efforts. The sparkly Everything Ends

As always I direct you to their bandcamp page to have a look at this EP and their other stuff. Previous releases are the aforementioned Everything Ends and Blank Maps. I urge you to give them a listen. thegeneral really rather likes them a lot and hopes you do too.

blankmaps.bandcamp.com/

Blast From The Past: Ron Geesin

Off we go with another BFTP. Normally we go backwards, but today we're going sideways first, then so far back that we end up in motherfudging Narnia.

Those of you of a certain age (like thegeneral) will remember the privilege of watching school's programmes on TV as part of the curriculum. You'd all be ushered into the hall, seventeen big lads and a wheelbarrow would haul the Ferguson TV in (and the Videostar if you were lucky) and you'd all be transfixed by watching something educational, on a screen that was bigger than a giant's undercrackers. This was before the age of interactive whiteboards and no discipline, by the way. Some of you may be familiar with this type of thing:

 

This unusual electronic music that seemed to be so beloved of every school's programme of the 80s was composed by Ron Geesin - and he's the subject of this BTFP.

You may actually not be very familiar with Ron, but you've probably heard more of him than you think - especially if you are a Pink Floyd fan, for it was Ron who made a heavy contribution to the group's fifth album "Atom Heart Mother". 

It isn't a massively easy listen, I'll admit. But y'know, fill your boots with the link. 

It's virtually impossible to describe Ron's style without inserting the words "he's fucking crazy" at some point in a sentence. So anyway, he's fucking crazy and he's done so much over the course of his career and still remained relatively unknown. An absolute synth/electronica pioneer to be quite frank but one who never gets the recognition he deserves. Sometimes, he's like a Glaswegian Vivian Stanshall, shouting, babbling and spouting into the mic. Other times he's the most assured pianist and keyboard player. Sometimes, he's just quirky. There is this wee gem...

...called Ambling Antics. It's not available to download anywhere, but it's two minutes of unbridled joy. Once you hear it, it gets lodged in your brain and you can't shift it. It's probably one of his most accessible pieces in all honesty, but it's one every electronica fan should try and get to know.

Anyone who has read this and thought, "Yeah, I'll give him a go" should hie themselves over to either Spotify or Cherry Red Records and make a purchase thereof of his 1994 album "Hystery". It's a delightful overview of quite a lot of his work and should help you make your mind up whether you love or loathe him (hopefully love, but thegeneral cannot promise...). Ron is 70 this year and still top notch. Give him a go.