Monday Mix-tape - 31.12.2012

And so, here we are. The final Monday Mix-tape of 2012. It's been quite a year in general, what with that sporting event in London, a non-existent Apocalypse, crazy American gun nutters, continuing unrest in the Arab nations and other stuff.

To go alongside all that, I have tried to guide you all through a musical minefield of what you should be listening to using themes ranging from TV theme songs to stuff I listened to on holiday in Austria. Hopefully you've taken some of it on board and your music collection is suitably enriched.

For this last edition of 2012, I'm going to look forward to 2013. I am featuring two artists who will hopefully be releasing a full album of material into the world, one who I've been enjoying for a while, and one I discovered as recently as the 22nd December this year. I shall leave it to you to work out which is which...

1) Jesus Won't Dance In My High Heels - Four Dead In Ohio
It's got a guitar riff to die for!

2) Utah - Four Dead In Ohio
A real slow burner!

3) Debbie's Whiskey Bar - Four Dead In Ohio
From their most recent EP release!

4) UFO - Four Dead In Ohio
No aliens, promise!

5) Peasants Prayer - Four Dead In Ohio
No mention of food or running water, or anything like that!

6) Emma - The Hummingbirds
Best use of a whistling for a long time!

7) Back In Liverpool - The Hummingbirds
Why would you want to leave?!

8) Break Your Heart - The Hummingbirds
Title track from latest EP!

9) Bankrupt Blues - The Hummingbirds
Bills need to be paid!

10) You - The Hummingbirds
Just go and buy the EPs!


Two different bands, two different sounds, but two bands well worth a listen folks!

Happy New Year from Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 24.12.2012

So, well, bloody hell. It's really Christmas. After all that anticipation and hassle over what to ask Santa Claus to bring you (wink, wink), in two sleeps time, he'll have been and left you a pile of gifts under your tree, drunk your brandy and eaten your mince pie. And left you with the difficult question to answer: "How did Santa come down the chimney when we've got a Gas fire, Mummy/Daddy?"

So, while you try and come up with ways to get out of that one, here's my Mix-tape list of ten festive tracks that simply have to be played at this time of year...

1) Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
It's Chriiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaass!

2) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Wizzard
Highly impractical!!

3) Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) - The Darkness
The best festive tune of recent times!

4) Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
A cheery old singalong - as all festive tunes ought to be!

5) Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Combining a message of peace with Christmas!

6) Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Not particularly a Christmas song!

7) Lonely This Christmas - Mud
More Seventies Christmas schmalz!

8) Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan
An unlikely source for a Christmas tune!

9) Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Ba-rum-pum-pum-pum!

10) Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
The King does Christmas!

A Short Message From Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls

So, on the day the world DIDN'T end, and a second American nutter with a gun took innocent lives exactly one week after the Newtown events, I would just like to say:

Americans, you are being let down by a minority of knobheads.

The National Rifle Association seem to me to be nothing more than a bunch of people too stupid to understand one simple fact of life - GUNS KILL. They have no other purpose than to end the life of whatever they are pointed at, be it bears, birds, or sadly, humans.

Do you really need to own a gun?! Really? I understand that there is a need to defend yourself, but hey, here's a thought for Barack and his buddies. If you stop people having a constitutional right to own a gun, then surely fewer people will have one. And to solve the problem of all those existing gun-owners, just hold a gun amnesty where for every five guns handed in, you get a free Big Mac Meal or something, you know, just to encourage them.

There were statistics banded about showing the number of gun-related deaths, and naturally, the US were miles ahead of places like the UK, Australia and France. I'd imagine things would look a little different if Mexico and Colombia were included, but that's not the point here!

I'm a parent of young children, and there are millions of parents of young children in the US and all over the world. And I would think we all have one thing in common: none of us ever want to be told our young ones have been murdered by a lunatic wielding a gun whilst at school. Nor do we want to have to comfort them having seen many of their friends and teachers murdered by the same lunatic.

So. Get. Rid. Of. The. Guns.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Monday Mix-tape - 17.12.2012

Yes, I'm back again. This is the last Monday Mix-tape before the mayhem of Christmas really begins. Unless you're one of those who leaves your shopping until the last minute, I'd expect you've done it all, wrapped it up and found a suitable hiding place somewhere in the house (but be warned: they will be looking at every opportunity!)

So, in this lull, I'm going to give you ten tracks to relax with. You can just sit and listen with a relaxing coffee, or glass of wine and a mince pie. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin...

1) Small World - Roddy Frame
One man and his guitar!

2) Calico Skies - Paul McCartney
An ex-Beatle and a guitar!

3) Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
Four men but no fruit!

4) Crystal - Mando Diao
Some Swedish men yet no cut glass in sight!

5) Drop In The Sea - Kula Shaker
Nineties band without a drop of water for miles!

6) Easy Like Sunday Morning - The Commodores
Simples!

7) How Does It Feel - Slade
Four hairy blokes from the Black Country!

8) I Got The Blues - The Rolling Stones
Don't feel too sad though!

9) Karma Police - Radiohead
Don't panic, not the real police!

10) Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
One man's voice!

And also, just as a tribute to the legendary Ravi Shankar, here's three pieces of his music to listen to and let all your troubles and tension drift away on the music...

a) Raga Ahir Bhairav
b) Dadra
c) Maru-Bihag

So that's all for now... the next edition will be a most festive offering for you to enjoy!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 10.12.2012

You'd think that after seven months, I'd start to run out of ideas for these little things, wouldn't you? But thankfully things just keep cropping up to help me maintain a steady flow of mix-tape helpings.

And this week is no different - my poor girlfriend is currently laid up with a bad case of Sciatica and so, this week, in her honour, it's songs with the word 'back' in the title!

1) I Want You Back - The Jackson 5

2) I'll Be Back - The Beatles

3) Coming Back Hard Again - The Fat Boys

4) Back In The USSR - The Beatles

5) The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy

6) Back To Life - Soul II Soul

7) Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-lot

8) Back Against The Wall - Cage The Elephant

9) Sing It Back - Moloko

10) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis

And with that, I say "Get Well Soon" Marisa!!