Music and Mumblings - 014 - Torture, Lard, Innuendo, Biscuits and Boris

May the fourth be with you!

It’s a Sunday afternoon in the middle of a long weekend, and I’m sitting here absolutely relishing the fact that I haven’t got to go to work tomorrow. So far, it’s been pretty good – Saturday and today has been spent toiling in the garden, but I spent Friday in London with a bunch of work friends over from the US. We did some good touristy things which, despite living less than thirty miles from London all my life I’ve never done before. We had a good look round the British Museum and a trip to the Tower of London. No surprise to hear that one of my favorite parts of the tower was the torture exhibition I guess…

On the subject of torture, I was chatting to my neighbor down the pub this week. Variously known as Lord Lard of Lardistan, Bob the Bastard and Ciderman, depending on what time of day it is; he happily informed me that he had been torturing the folks at his workplace that day by forcing them to listen to back-to-back episodes of this very podcast… He claims that’s seventy-odd people which, if its true, probably doubles my listener base at this point! As usual, Bob spent a considerable portion of the next day sending his drinking pals text messages complaining that they forced him to drink too much cider (two and a half pints) and that he was feeling poorly.

Well, Bob, this first track, which I found on the podsafe music network is for you. Rather appropriately, it’s called ‘Playing Dead’ and its by Spin - who come from Philadelphia. Find out all about them at http://www.spinrockssocks.com/

If you listened in to the last Mumu, you’ll know that I mentioned Humphrey Lyttleton and his Radio Show “I’m sorry, I haven’t a clue”. Well, I was talking to Codger Cogle about the very same thing last week, and I see that this week he has brought forth his own tribute to a very funny man by calling episode 215 of PC Podcast “I’m sorry, I haven’t a pod”. In this, he’s recreated quite a lot of the games and innuendo to be found in the radio show, one of which is based on charades. I remember once playing charades with Pete, where we had to mime the names of various indie bands to each other. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever forget the sight of the usually garrulous Codger trying to bring off Emily and the Orgasm Addicts without using his mouth.

Now, if that was too much sexual innuendo for you, you’re going to find this cheesy link too much to swallow. Here, for your aural pleasure, is “Spit for your shine”, from Looker.

Looker are from New York, and are described by the podsafe music network as the Shangri-La’s backed by the Pixies. You can find out more at http://seriousbusinessrecords.com/artists/show/13-Looker.

Consumer news time now. It seems that another one of America’s favourite things is invading the UK. Yup, Oreos are coming. These iconic cookies, or biscuits as we like to call them in the UK, are hugely popular in the US, but the jury is out as to whether they will be such a hit here. One of the worlds foremost experts in biscuits runs the peculiarly English website http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/ and he was quoted in the BBC news as saying he wasn’t too keen. Personally, I did find them not quite to my taste. Like custard creams with a difference, and, unsatisfactory, in fact. Here’s some blues with a difference – Moondogs Blues Party (From Spain) with “Unsatisfied Blues”.

That album, O Cadelo Lunatica, is available for download from Jamendo at http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/moondogs.blues.party - Give it a try, and tell them who sent you…

Momentous news this week in London, where the famous Red Ken – a Mayor named after a series of Salon Hair Care products has finally been thrown on the rubbish heap by Londoners who fancy a change. Now I’m not too much up on politics because, as Rowley Cutler said this week, whoever you vote for, the government will get in. On this occasion, though, the new Mayor, Boris Johnson, is a member of the conservative party. The electors have give the UKs governing New Labour party a good kicking, and the Conservatives were definitely displaying some Euphoria. Which just happens to be the name of an album by New York based Echo Screen, from which this track, Gloria, is taken.

Personal Computers, which have previously been banned under Fidel Castro’s regime, are finally available in Cuba. However, it might be a while before Cubans start getting in to podcasts – for one thing, there’s no private access to the internet in Cuba, and for another, a PC costing 400 quid is a little out of reach of the average person there, who earns less than ten pounds a week… Someone’s clearly Havana laugh… sorry.

Time for a bit of Reggae now. Another track culled from the podsafe music network , this is ‘Mossi’ from California, with “Make Love, Not War”.

Well, I’ve been a little more talkative than I was in the last episode, where I was suffering from Jetlag, and feeling decidedly jaded. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s offerings, and that you’ll be back for more next week. There’s no ‘Great Escape’ track this week, and in fact, I’m not going to do any more because in a couple of weeks both Pete Cogle and I will be bringing you a load of tracks from bands playing there, some of which we’ll have hopefully seen. So, I’m gonna play out with a little instrumental – short but sweet, here’s D-Alternative from Poland. Not a lot of info on them, and no working band website, but hop over to podsafe music network and search for the band name and you’ll find some info… Till next week, then, this is called 25-02.

I'm Sorry, I haven't a Clue

The Great Escape Festival
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