Record Store Day 2017

It's hard to believe that today is the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day. I think I might've missed the first one or two, then spent a number of years making unfeasibly early train trips to Rough Trade East, before South Records opened in Southend and became my local 'go-to' store.

This morning I arrived at around 6.20 a.m. and took the coveted 10th spot in the queue, with my purchase list in one hand and flask of coffee in the other. My good spot led to a few phone calls with friends to see if there was anything I could grab for them, which helped to pass the time and to distract from the fact that it had started to rain.

8 o'clock rolled round soon enough, and the entry to the shop was a much more civilized affair this year, with numbers in and out controlled to avoid a mad scramble of arms and legs at the record racks. So thanks to Richard and the team for doing a great job of looking after their customers.

My records were bagged in one of the special edition Fred Perry tote bags and I was soon back on my way home to start spinning the vinyl. Here's what I bought this year:

1. Polica - 'Lipstick Stains'; white vinyl 7"
2. British Sea Power - 'Keep On Trying / Bad Bohemian'; pink vinyl 7"
3. The The - 'We Can't Stop What's Coming'; etched 7"
4. Elbow - 'August & September (The The cover)'; etched 7"
5. Swet Shop Boys - 'Sufi La'; white vinyl 12"
6. Prince - 'Pop Life'; 12"
7. Prince - 'Sign O' The Times'; 12"
8. Follakzoid feat. J. Spaceman - 'London Sessions'; 12"
9. Primal Scream - 'Mixomatosis'; 12"
10. BP Fallon & David Holmes - 'Henry McCullough (Andrew Weatherall mix); white & brown splatter 12"
11. David Bowie - 'No Plan EP'; blue vinyl etched 12"
12. The Atomic Bomb Band - 'Plays The Music of William Onyeabor'; 12" album
13. Maximo Park - 'Risk To Exist'; red & yellow splatter vinyl 12" album
14. David Bowie - 'Cracked Actor'; triple vinyl 12" album
15. Various Artists: Oxfam Presents - 'Stand As One - Live at Glastonbury 2016'; one red & one green 12" vinyl album

I know some people are a bit snobby about Record Store Day and yes, it is commercialised to a degree, and people should support their local shops all year round, but if this gets new people into those shops I'm all for it. Long may it continue!

Track of the Day: 'Odd Fish' by KRTS

Taking from the forthcoming Project Mooncircle 15th Anniversary compilation this is a chiming, fluid track underpinned by some deep and dark bass. It's a bit like swimming over a reef which then drops away to reveal a bottomless chasm beneath you.

If you're a fan of vinyl releases you're going to love this compilation. Limited to 500 copies it contains 5 coloured LPs with over 35 tracks, in a box with a t-shirt, cd and download codes. I think I'll have to start saving up to get a copy! You can buy it here.

Remix of the Day: 'White Crow (Erol Alkan Rework)' by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve

This is a really interesting one, as Erol Alkan, one half (with Richard Norris) of the duo Beyond The Wizards Sleeve, reworks his own track. The result is this fantastic electronic version, which surely deserves to be on a movie soundtrack someday soon. Just picture this on the soundtrack to Drive and you'll understand where I'm coming from with this.



There's actually been a set of really good remixes from the album 'The Soft Bounce', each one of which has come on different colour vinyl. They're well worth getting - not only do they look great but they put a different spin on the record, which made it to number ten on my albums of the year list here. Here's my set:

Albums of the Year 2016: numbers 31-40

The annual yearly countdown is here! In true Top 40 form we have to start at the bottom, so here are numbers 31-40. The rest will follow each day this week.

31. Jagwar Ma - Every Now & Then
32. Skepta - Konichiwa
33. Oscar - Cut And Paste
34. Mark Pritchard - Under The Sun
35. Blood Orange - Freetown Sound
36. Bullion - Loop The Loop
37. Oddisee - The Odd Tape
38. The Gaslamp Killer - Instrumentalepathy
39. Wild Beasts - Boy King
40. Animal Collective - Painting With

Record Store Day 2016

Another Record Store Day is coming to a close. Despite saying a few weeks ago that I wasn't going. each time I looked at the list of records available I found something else to interest me. So this morning, like last year, I headed to South Records in Southend for an experience much like last year's. I got there about 6:40 and was 10th in the queue, which soon expanded.

Phil Jupitus arrived about an hour later carrying 2 boxes of records - he was DJing from 8-10, before going on to do 2 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang shows so he had a busy one!

Phil Jupitus, South Record Shop 16/4/16

The doors opened bang on 8 o'clock, and in an unfortunate repeat of last year, they proceeded to let the entire queue into the shop at once. I'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult to regulate the number of people in the shop like a lot of other records stores do on RSD. Anyway, I headed straight for the 12" section where I got most of the singles I wanted, then turned round and eased towards the albums. By the time I'd grabbed a few of those I was literally stuck in the middle, unable to move towards the till, or anywhere in fact. Some shuffling and persuading took place and I managed to reach the box of 7"s to grab a few and then ease my way forward to pay. Squishing aside, I still got mostly everything I went for, and the prices were certainly more reasonable than in places like Rough Trade. I was out of the shop by 8:30 and headed off to the seafront for a marathon training run. Here's a picture of what I bought.

I've listened to nearly all of these and the one that absolutely sounds the best is 'Private Life' by Grace Jones - the bass and drums in particular are amazing. The Public Service Broadcasting picture disc probably looks the best, but I'm not sure which is my favourite buy yet. I've got Xiu Xiu's Twin Peaks covers on at the moment, which is a strong contender, along with the Requiem For A Dream Soundtrack and Howard Marks doing Dylan Thomas. Here's the full list of what I got.

1. The Other Side - Public Service Broadcasting (7" picture disc)
2. Cool Out - Matthew E White & Natalie Prass (7")
3. Lightning Strikes The Postman - The Flaming Lips (CD & comic)
4. When A Woman Is Around - Unloved (12", red vinyl)
5. Mantra For A State of Mind - Primal Scream (12")
6. Private Life - Grace Jones (12")
7. The Great Confuso EP - Blanck Mass (12", mulberry vinyl)
8. Unreleased Versions & Remixes vol 1 - Django Django (12")
9. Where Are U Now - Skrillex & Diplo feat. Justin Bieber (12", yellow vinyl)
10. A Badman Sound / Heath Town / Inf Inf Inf Inf - Mark Pritchard / Bibio / Clark (12")
11. Do Not Go Gentle - Howard Marks reads Dylan Thomas (12", green vinyl)
12. Xiu Xiu plays the music of Twin Peaks - Xiu Xiu (double album, 1 red & 1 blue vinyl)
13. Requiem For A Dream OST - Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet (double album)

Albums of the Year 2015 - the top 40

It's been a pretty good year for albums I reckon. There's been some that smacked you right in the face the moment you first heard them, and others that have been slow-burners and slowly wormed their way into your brain throughout the year. Here's my thoughts on the Top Ten.

1. 'Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett 
Sassy, intelligent lyrics, brilliant tunes, and overall such a great attitude and joie de vivre that you can't help falling in love with Courtney. For me this was the album that proved that there's still a future for guitar-based music. Full review here.

2. 'To Pimp A Butterfly' by Kendrick Lamar
Probably the most talked about, analysed (over-analysed maybe) and generally dissected album of the year. Big hitting, powerful lyrics, jazz and funk-themed music and top-notch collaborators (Flying Lotus, George Clinton, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg) combined to make this an immense record that has definitely earned a place in the history of black music. See blog post here.

3. 'Foam Island' by Darkstar
An electronic reflection on life in northern England in 2015, the tracks feature interviews with the people of Huddersfield talking about their town, their hopes and their dreams. This is matched with a great selection of music as the band show their skills in writing great melodies. Full review here.

4. 'In Colour' by Jamie xx
A fantastic ride through the rainbow colours of British dance music in 2015. Mixing great samples with deft touches and cool guest vocals, it's the soundtrack to a night out you never want to end. Oh, and the vinyl set was beautiful to look at too. Full review here.

5. 'All We Need' by Raury
A warm, touching and uplifting album that mixes 60s flower-child mentality and 70s vibes with bang up to the minute raps. I've been going on about Raury for a couple of years now, and he's continued to prove my faith in him is justified. Still only 19, and global superstardom beckons. Full review here.

6. 'Projections' by Romare
Mostly instrumental, with snippets of samples deftly woven into a collage of emotions, this is a brilliant début album full of heart and history. Ninja Tune certainly know how to pick a winner, and I hope Romare goes on to make many more albums. Full review here.

7. 'The Epic' by Kamasi Washington
Epic by name and epic by nature, if you want to listen to this triple album all the way through you'll need to put three hours aside. It's worth it though - the best jazz album for years in my opinion, and with his role in Kendrick's album as well it's been a mega year for Kamasi Washington.

8. 'The Good Fight' by Oddisee
Consistently my favourite rapper both on record and live, the fact that Oddisee isn't more well known continues to astound me. Intelligent and intellectual lyrics matched with smooth, quality beats (that he produces himself) results in a record that's maybe just too good for the masses to appreciate. Full review here.

9. 'The Delta' by Brolin
Another great début album, as the reclusive producer from Leeds crafts a sleek and soulful album. Influenced by the synaesthesia he experiences when making music, the record feels like a journey of discovery. I reckon there's a lot more to come from him. Full review here. 

10. '1989' by Ryan Adams
In which Adams completely reinvents Taylor Swift's pop masterclass, swapping the pop smarts for emotions, and in doing so makes the record he's secretly wanted to make for years. Cover version heaven. Full review here. 

And numbers 11-40...to be honest the ordering is fairly arbitrary, but you ought to be able to find something you like in here.

11. 'Music Complete' by New Order
12. 'The Race For Space' by Public Service Broadcasting
13. 'Perpetual Motion People by Ezra Furman
14. 'Golden Ticket' by Golden Rules
15. 'Born In The Echoes' by The Chemical Brothers
16. 'Algiers' by Algiers
17. 'Multi-Love' by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
18. 'Shedding Skin' by Ghostpoet
19. 'Lost Themes' by John Carpenter
20. 'Culture of Volume' by East India Youth
21. 'Inji' by LA Priest
22. 'Beauty Behind The Madness' by The Weeknd
23. 'La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful' by Petite Noir
24. 'Panda Bear vs, The Grim Reaper' by Panda Bear
25. 'Evangelist' by Gavin Clark & Toy Drum
26. 'Hinterland' by LoneLady
27. 'Bones' by Son Lux
28. 'EarthEE' by THEESatisfaction
29. 'Solo' by Nils Frahm
30. 'Get to Heaven' by Everything Everything
31. 'Music In Exile' by Songhoy Blues
32. 'Fold' by Fold
33. 'Return To The Moon' by El Vy
34. 'I Declare Nothing' by Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe
35. 'I Need New Eyes' by Larry Gus
36. 'White Men Are Black Men Too'by Young Fathers
37. 'Portraits' by Maribou State
38. 'Personal Computer' by Silicon
39. 'Magnifique' by Ratatat
40. 'The Most Important Place In The World' by Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat

Record Store Day 2015

After four or five years of heading up to Rough Trade in London I decided to keep it local for Record Store Day (that's kind of the point after all) and so I headed to South in Southend.

The queue at South, 7am this morning

The benefits of this decision were immediately apparent when a) I got an extra hour in bed and b) I was 4th in the queue when I arrived. The usual queue banter took place (seems record collectors are pretty much decent folk wherever you go) while we waited for the store to open, which happened at bang on 8 o'clock. Now, South isn't the largest shop in the world, which brings me to my only gripe of the day - once the doors were opened everyone poured in, leading to a bit of a scrum around the albums and making it impossible for me to get to the 7" singles once I'd finished at the 12"s. So maybe next year they could manage the volume of people in the shop a bit more - that's one thing that Rough Trade has managed to get right over the years.

My 2015 Record Store Day haul

Anyway, moan over. Aside for the Johnny Marr 7" that had gone by the time I reached the counter I got pretty much everything that was on my list, with a free book thrown in too. Here's the run down, listed in roughly the order in which I targeted them.

• Run The Jewels - Bust No Moves; clear 12"
• Jon Hopkins - I Remember (Nils Frahm remix); white vinyl 10"
• Hot Chip - Atomic Bomb (John Talabot remix); 12"
• Sinkane / The Charlatans - Emile; yellow vinyl 7"
• Serge Gainsbourg - Serge Gainsbourg et Le Cinema; 
• Foo Fighters - Songs From The Laundry Room; 10"
• Kode9 & The Spaceape - Ghost Town; gold vinyl 7"
• Courtney Barnett - Kim's Caravan; 12"
• Jay Z / Ghostface Killah - U Don't Know / Whip You With A Strap; 7"
• Gram Parsons / The Lemonheads - Brass Buttons; pink vinyl 7"
• Warpaint / Daughter - Feeling Alright / Winter; 12"
• Toy & Jane Weaver - Fell From The Sun 7"
• Free book: Strange Requests and Comic Tales from Record Shops by Graham Jones

Update: On the Monday after Record Store Day I went across to Rough Trade and picked up a couple more things, namely:

• Metronomy - Boy Racers; Ferrari Red 12"
• St Paul & The Broken Bones - Sing A Simple Song; Albama-shaped burgundy vinyl

Track of the Day: 'Strange Combinations' by Teleman

A new track from Teleman, which has been recorded and produced by Dan Carey for his Speedy Wunderground label. If you've not heard of the label before they do one-off releases that are recorded in a day and mixed the next day. The speed of recording is designed to, in Dan's words 'avoid over-cooking and faff'.

This new release from Teleman has an infectious electronic groove that may well have you dancing round your living room. Like all of the Speedy Wunderground releases it's limited to 250 copies on vinyl and you can order it here.

Albums of the Year 2014 - the top 20

As is compulsory for music bloggers (and music fans generally) I've spent the past couple of weeks pulling together the list of what I think are the best albums of this year. It's been tough to get this into any sort of static order, as I think there's been a lot of good stuff around this year, but there comes a time when you just have to press stop and see how they fall. Drum roll please...

1. 'Everyday Robots' by Damon Albarn

Featuring undoubtedly the best, most consistent writing of Albarn's career, this is a heartfelt, confessional album that shows Damon to be at peace with himself and middle age. Produced by Richard Russell, featuring contributions from Brian Eno and Natasha Khan, and with song subjects ranging from drug use to baby elephants, it shows that he needs neither cartoons or real bandmates any more to create brilliant material. Moving and ultimately uplifting. Full review here.


2. 'St. Vincent' by St. Vincent

Whether it was working with David Byrne, or whether she's just 'found herself', this is the sound of the real St. Vincent, free to be herself and say what she wants. Musically it's powerful and spiky, with punchy electronics and roaring guitars, while lyrically it's one of the most subversive records you'll hear all year. This is probably in my all-time top 5 albums by female artists - that's how good it is. And don't get me started on how good her live show is or we'll be here all night.


3. 'Dead' by Young Fathers

First mentioned on this blog back in March 2013, Young Fathers have continued to garner critical acclaim culminating in their Mercury Prize win for 'Dead'. It's hip-hop like you've never heard it before - not surprising as they're the only Scottish /Nigerian / Liberian act I can think of. The music is a melting pot of influences, the lyrics are powerful, and the whole thing is imbued with an amazing energy. Plus they're absolutely incredible live. Full review here.


4. 'Liminal' by The Acid

Atmospheric and moody, with brilliant production and some speaker-rumbling bass, this is the closest thing you'll find to 21st century trip-hop. The trio of Ry X, Steve Nalepa and Adam Freeland have created a real late-night burner of a record. It's sparse but not bleak, fragile but not broken, electronic but not cold, and I absolutely love it. If you've never heard of them I urge you to check it out.


5. 'Our Love' by Caribou

Maybe not quite as great as I was expecting, but a good Caribou album is still well worth having. There are some tracks on here that are gonna sound immense live ('Our Love' and 'Mars' for example), not to mention my favourite track of the year, 'Can't Do Without You'. If only I didn't dislike 'Julia Brightly' so much this would probably have been even higher up the list. There have already been some killer remixes off here and I'm sure there's more to come. You'll be hearing this throughout the festival season next year.



6. 'Shaker Notes' by Paul White

Like Albarn's album, this is a very personal affair from Paul White. He's ditched his previous sample-heavy material and instead plays all the instruments on here and even sings on a few tracks. The music is an eclectic mix, part hip-hop, part film soundtrack, part swamp-blues, but it always retains a sense of intimacy. On top of that the red vinyl copy I've got looks great as it spins on my turntable. Full review here.


7. 'You're Dead' by Flying Lotus

By no means an easy listen, this is surely FlyLo's masterpiece and the record that he's been working towards for all of his career. It's committed, unflinching, uncommercial and the product of a highly creative mind really setting himself free. The guest spot from Kendrick Lamar is a highlight, but there's so much good stuff in here that you could spend a week talking about it. The lavish boxset was beautifully put together too. Full review here.



8. 'Run The Jewels 2' by Run The Jewels
The plaudits for this album are coming in so fast it's hard to keep up with them. It's a rabble-rousing call for social equality masquerading as a knockabout hip-hop record. Hard beats, hard rhymes, maybe one too many vagina references, but overall a fucking powerful record. The fact that I met them on my trip to New York just before they went stratospheric was the icing on the cake. Full review here.


9. 'Close To The Glass' by The Notwist

As far as I'm concerned this is The Notwist's debut album. I know they've had 5 out before but a) this was the first one I've heard and b) it's so chock-full of ideas and energy it's got the same vibe as the 1st album put out by a bunch of 20 year olds. If you're partial to an electronic-indie hybrid with the odd bit of lo-fi acousticness thrown in then give this a spin. The sound of people doing whatt hey do really well. Full review here.



10. 'Total Strife Forever' by East India Youth

This was actually the first album I bought this year, way back at the start of January. It's a great mix of wistful pop songs, euphoric dance moments and atmospheric instrumentals that all combine to show the breadth of Will Doyle's talents. Beautifully crafted and full of class, this is one to savour. Full review here.






11. 'Morning Phase' by Beck. A masterclass in how to make a grown-up, mature record. Hard to believe he once made a track called 'MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack'

12. 'Lazaretto' by Jack White. The perfect summation of all the preceeding part's of White's career, all wrapped up in one (ridiculously over-engineered) piece of vinyl.

13. 'The Light Brigade' by Daedelus. Like the soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist, The only album this year inspired by the 1853-56 Crimean War (!). Full review here.

14. 'LP1' by FKA Twigs. A powerfully strong album from this independent-minded girl. The sort of role model our daughters need.

15. 'New Gods' by Withered Hand. Classic heart-on-your-sleeve singer-songwriting from one of Scotland's finest. Full review here.

16. 'Whelm' by Douglas Dare. Sweeping melodies, a fantastic voice, soaring emotions and moments of calm. Full review here.

17. 'The Take Off and Landing Of Everything' by Elbow. A real return to form for the lads, featuring some of Garvey's best lyrics for years and some really hummable tunes.

18. 'Mean Love' by Sinkane. A brilliantly stylish album that switches effortlessly from Afrobeat to funk to soul and back again. Full review here.

19. 'Black Hours' by Hamilton Leithauser. Like a record that's slipped through a musical wormhole from the late '50s or early '60s. Full review here.

20. 'Built On Glass' by Chet Faker. There seems to have been a lot of what I call 'white boy soul' records out this year. This is by far the best.

Honourable mention: 'The Long Goodbye' by LCD Soundsystem. a lovingly crafted boxset that was a fitting way to mark the end of one of my favourite ever bands.

Ten that nearly made it (in no particular order):

'Familiars' by The Antlers
'Ghosts of Then and Now' by Illum Sphere
'Frozen By Sight' by Paul Smith & Peter Brewis
'The Inevitable End' by Royksopp
'Stateless' by Dirty Beaches
'Annabel Dream Reader' by The Wytches
'Wonder Where We Land' by SBTRKT
'Tomorrow's Modern Boxes' by Thom Yorke
'Lese Majesty' by Shabazz Palaces
'Divine Ecstacy' by Supreme Cuts

Recommended music: 'Cosmic Logic' by Peaking Lights

If the music you release is an good indication of how things are going in your life, then all must be pretty good in the Peaking Lights camp right now. Husband and wife team Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis have made an upbeat electro-pop-dub record that's surely designed for sunshine and good times, rather than their previous releases which were more made for late nights, weed and relaxing. I guess having two kids can make your life change like that.

The murky, scratchy, lo-fi dub of old had been replaced with bright and crisp electronics that in places almost veers towards eurobeat. The one constant is Indra's floaty voice, which swoops and wafts over the backing. Album opener 'Infinite Trips' is a bit of a red herring - it's not trippy, and it's also not very much like the rest of the tracks on the album. 'Telephone Call', which is next up, is a much better indication of things to come, in which Indra signs about phone calls from space and seems to be more than a bit influenced by The Space Lady. Later on, 'Everyone and Us' has a bassline that really reminds me of 'Giant' by The The, although it's probably highly unlikely that they (or even you dear reader) will have heard that. 'Eyes To Sea' (I love that title) is built around a hypnotically repetitive electronic loop, and is followed by 'Bad With The Good', which seems to have stolen all of its keyboard and drum settings straight from the 80s - like a lot of the songs on here it's refreshingly simple and uncomplicated.

'New Grrls' is lyrically the best song on the album, telling how Indra tries to balance being a mum and a wife with being in a band, before listing role models like Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, Yoko Ono and Lydia Lunch. Even if it does sound a bit like Ace of Base 'Breakdown' is a brilliantly catchy tune, and 'Tell Me Your Song' then closes the standard version of the album with a whirligig waltz.

I bought the vinyl version which comes with an extra 12" with remixes of 'Breakdown' and 'Bad With The Good', both of which are excellent. Overall this is probably their most consistently good album and one which is well worth your hard earned pounds or dollars.

Recommended music: 'Shaker Notes' by Paul White

"I try not to think in genres at all, I think music is music!" - Paul White, 2014

Following on from a spell producing hip-hop records for the likes of Danny Brown and Homeboy Sandman, White's third album (the first for R and S Records) is a very different proposition. Putting the samples to one side, he plays pretty much all of the music on here himself, and sings as well. There are guest appearances from friends and even family (his uncle plays the violin on 'Sitting In Circles') but really this is White opening himself up for all to see.

In keeping with the quote at the top of the page there's an array of styles on display here, from the more hip-hop flavoured tracks like 'All We Know', to the Balearic house stylings of 'Where You Gonna Go?' and on to the swampy electro-blues of 'Honey Cats' (and that's just the first three tracks!). Elsewhere there's a hint of Thom Yorke on 'Wait & See', a drums and sax pairing on 'Fighting To Dance' and a dub feel on 'Is It Up To Us?'. 'Sitting In Circles' sounds like a lost 60s film theme, while 'Numbers of Change' is the most electronic thing on here and in part conjures up the ghost of John Carpenter. Closer 'Shaker Notes' is a suitably eclectic and slightly melancholic way to end the record, which wraps up the musical themes that have been explored before it.

Something about this record feels really intimate and personal, it's almost like in ditching the samples and picking up instruments he's managed to communicate a message from his soul. You can stream the whole album below, and after you've listened to it I urge you to buy it for yourself (you can get it direct from his Bandcamp page here). I'm really looking forward to my red vinyl copy arriving in the post but in the meantime I'll be shaking along to the download!

Record Store Day 2014 - A Tale of Two Cities

The annual vinyl fest that is Record Store Day presented me with a conundrum this year - a new record shop opened up fairly locally a couple of months ago; should I go to that and support the local trader or make my usual trip to London. I had to weigh up the fact that there would be less people in the queue at Southend against the knowledge that they would would have a smaller selection than Rough Trade East in Shoreditch. The solution? Go to both of course!

The alarm was duly set for 4:45 am (!) and I got to Rough Trade just after 6, seconds after my Crocuh End-dwelling shopping companion. A quick tally down the queue showed that there were already about 100 people ahead of us at that ungodly hour. Fortunately MJC had brought a flask of strong java to keep us going. Doors opened bang on 8 am, with the usual well-managed queue meaning that we were inside just after 8:30. The friendly chat while we'd waited had discovered that both I and the guy in front of me were after the LCD Soundsystem box set - he was in the shop ahead of me and kindly grabbed 2 off the shelf, handing me one before I'd even spotted where they were (people who like records are, as a rule, nice people aren't they?). Although some of the rarest stuff had already gone (I missed out on Liars and Damon Albarn) pretty much everything else I wanted was still there. I worked out the total, gulped, put a few of the non-essential items back (standard practice on RSD) but was happy with my final selection.

The Rails of the first leg of their trans-Atlantic journey, London 19/4/14

Although the live music at Rough Trade usually starts later in the day, we got a chance to see The Rails as they were on at 9:30, which was an early-morning treat. The early start was to allow them to play, in true Phil Collins Live Aid style, on both sides of the Atlantic in one day - after their appearance at Rough Trade East they were heading for a flight to New York, where they'll be on at Rough Trade NYC tonight.

Live set watched, I headed round to Liverpool Street Station for the train back to Southend, hopped on and from where I'm currently writing this. Here's a list of what I bought in London:

1. LCD Soundsystem - The Long Goodbye (5 x vinyl lp boxset)
2. William Onyeabor - What?! (2 x 12")
3. Gil Scott-Heron - Nothing New (lp)
4. Various - XFM X-posure Sessions (lp)
5. Clint Mansell - In The Wall OST (brown and red splatter vinyl lp)
6. The Wedding Present - EP4 (clear vinyl 10" - in Welsh!)
7. The Notwist - Run Run Run (double groove 12")
8. Temples / Jagwar Ma - split 12" picture disc
9. The The - Giant (12")
10. Various - The Space Project (6 x 7" boxset)
11. Public Service Broadcasting - Elfstedentocht (white vinyl 7")
12. Villagers - Occupy Your Mind (clear vinyl 7")

An hour later and I'm off the train and walking down Southend High Street to my second store of the day. A much smaller affair than Rough Trade obviously, but it was nice to have a chat with the staff (although I always feel a bit self-conscious looking through the racks when the staff are right bedside you). Luckily they had a couple of bits that I couldn't get in London so it was worth the visit - I grabbed these three:

1. Liars - Mess On A Mission (clear vinyl 12" with wool inside it)
2. Django Django - Porpoise Song (grey vinyl 7")
3. Africa Express - Maison Des Jeunes (double blue vinyl lp)

My purchases for 2014

Recommended music: 'New Gods' by Withered Hand

It's been a long wait (nearly 5 years) for this new Withered Hand album, and while both he and we might be a bit older and a bit wiser since 'Good News', Dan Willson's talent for writing great tunes with wry lyrics has certainly not depreciated.

The record mixes pacey numbers like 'Black Tambourine' with quieter, more introspective ones like 'Love Over Desire' and 'California', and he manages to pull it all off with aplomb. One of Willson's chief skills is in writing lyrics that the listener is able to dive right into and inhabit - at times funny, and at others heartbreaking, he never fails to deliver something that it utterly believable.

Overall the album is a more polished and mature record than 'Good News'. Perhaps the most telling sign of this new-found maturity is the title of 'Love Over Desire' - while there are still references to sex ("I was thinking of sex, you were dreaming of ruin" on 'Between True Love and Ruin', or the mention of 'travel pussy', which Dan has helpfully pointed out is a male sex toy you can buy from vending machines in European service stations), he seems to be driven more by the pull of his heart than the thrust of his groin these days.

The record ends with the perfectly uplifting 'Not Alone' - if you're not moved by the trumpets, and if you can manage to resist singing along with its 'na na na' chorus, then you're stronger willed than I am. In summary, this is a brilliantly crafted and immaculately executed album from one of the (hidden) treasures of our time. Listening to Dan Willson's songs is guaranteed to make you a better person. There's a couple from the album below to get you started.

PS Do it properly, go old school and buy it on gold vinyl.

Single of the Month: January - 'A Selfish Man / Tsunami Blues ('Cause of Me) by Francis Lung

In a new series of blog posts, designed to bring back the halcyon days of record releases, each month I'll be selecting a single worthy of honouring with the 'Single of the Month' award. The rules for consideration as pretty simple - it has to have been released during the month, and there has to have been a physical release; 7", 12", cassette, it doesn't matter which, but you have to be able to hold it in your hands.

January's award goes to the début single by Francis Lung (ex of Wu Lyf) for the stunning beautiful pair of tracks contained within this old-fashioned slice of black plastic. Released on the French label Atelier Ciseaux and carefully packaged and posted from Paris, this is the sort of quality, mature songwriting that you might be forgiven for thinking had all but evaporated from today's music industry. 'A Selfish Man' clearly tells the tale of the Wu Lyf break-up over a fairly upbeat backing and some precisely picked guitars, while 'Tsunami Blues' is a mournful, acoustic number with some fantastically subtle slide guitar. Lyrically this one ponders whether one man could be the cause of some destruction and chaos - another allegorical reference to the end of the band perhaps?

Bonus points are awarded for the fact that the single came with an inserted lyric sheet, not to mention the hand cut heart of thanks (see photo below).

You can listen to both sides of the single below. To order it from Atelier Ciseaux click here - but be quick as there aren't many left!

Independent Label Market - London, 30/12/13

The Independent Label Market started a couple of years ago in response to Record Store Day, as a chance for labels to gather together and sell their own wares direct to their customers - a bit like a hipsters' farmers market but without the mud and faint whiff of cow shit. It's now settled in at Spitalfields Old Market in London where twice a year you can find enthusiastic label bosses old and young emerging from dank offices and dark venues to engage with enthusiastic punters.

On balance I think I probably preferred this to Record Store Day this year - you don't have to get up ridiculously early, it's less busy, there's not as many pointless re-issues to buy, and it's great to get a chance to talk to the label owners and even some of the acts themselves. This year it had the added bonus of a brewers market as well, so you could sample the brews of various London breweries as you wandered round - I had a nice Christmassy ale from the Windsor & Eton Brewery to quench my thirst.

So who did I visit and what did I buy? Here's are the highlights:

• First stop was Stolen Records where I bought the new East India Youth 10" from the man himself
• Then round to Modular for Erol Alkan's Rework of Tame Impala's 'Be Above It'
• To Bella Union for the 'Peace Sword' EP by The Flaming Lips
• A chat with Darren Hayman before handing him a fiver for his 'Blue House' EP
• A brilliant sales job by the guy on the Because / Phantasy stall, who talked me into buying 'Cosmic Machine - A voyage across French cosmic & electronic avantgarde (1970-1980)', which meant that I got a free copy of the handprinted new Metronomy 12"
• 3 cds for £20 from Late Night Tales, including the new Bonobo mix and Late Night Tales At The Movies, which is the first cd for a long time that Mrs Cull has asked me to turn up rather than down. These came with a free mix cd of most of the cover versions that have appeared on the Late Night Tales cds.

So overall it was a great trip - put it in your diaries for next year!

New music: 100 copies of 'The White Album' by The Beatles, all playing at once

A while ago artist Rutherford Chang started a project to purchase as many original vinyl copies of The White Album as he could. The project (called We Buy White Albums) is a labour of love which in particular explores how the minimalist artwork by Richard Hamilton for the record's sleeve has been affected by the vagaries of time. Each sleeve has been treated differently, carefully looked after or wilfully manhandled, and the vinyl inside has also suffered the same fate.

Chang has now recorded 100 of the albums playing and put them together to see what they sound like. The result is a woozy, trippy affair that starts in synch but gradually goes out of kilter as the various pressing and record players reveal their own idiosyncrasies. Have a listen below and see what you think - make sure you stay until the end as it gets weirder as it goes along.

Record Store Day 2013 - the podcast

OK, so I finally got round to making a podcast / cloudcast / mixtape / whatever of some of my favourite purchases from this year's Record Store Day (you can read my write-up of the day here). Just click on the rather large 'Play' button below to listen, the tracklist follows after the jump.

Record Store Day 2013 by Dj Cull on Mixcloud

1. Public Service Broadcasting - New Dimensions In Sound
2. The Wedding Present - 425 Fidelio (German version)
3. Moon Duo - Sleepwalker (Zombie Zombie Remix)
4. Elliott Smith - Angeles (alternate version)
5. Paul Weller - Flame-Out!
6. Moon Duo - I Been Gone (Life Coach Remix)
7. Public Service Broadcasting - Signal 30
8. Beak> - Welcome To The Machine
9. Sinkane - Jeeper Creeper (Benjamin Damage Remix)
10. Moon Duo - Trails (White Rainbow Remix)
11. Mercury Rev - Pick Up, If You're There (DJ Nickel 1998 Remix)
12. Moby & Mark Lanegan - The Lonely Night (Photek Remix)
13. Ghostpoet - Meltdown
14. Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute (Nicolas Jaar Remix)

Recommended music: 'Circles Remixed' by Moon Duo

From the moment that the needle touches the vinyl and an eerie space noise starts to emerge, you know that this is going to be a good record. Pressed especially for Record Store Day 2013 by Souterrain Transmissions and limited to 1,000 copies, the album features eight of the original nine tracks from 'Circles', each remixed by a different artist. And despite the fact that the mixes have been done in isolation and are pretty diverse in styles the album really works as one piece and gives a totally different perspective. Side 2 has definitely got the more experimental mixes on it  (from Sun Araw and Eric Copeland (Black Dice)) but there's nothing too 'challenging' on here.

If you can still find one in your local record emporium then snap it up quickly. It's definitely one of the best things I bought on Saturday (click here for my report on the day and full list of purchases) so grab it while you can. Here's the full tracklisting, after which you can download (for free!) possibly the best track on the album, the White Rainbow mix of 'Trails'.

1. Free Action - Tom Furse (of The Horrors) mix
2. Trails - White Rainbow Trail Blazer edition
3. Sleepwalker - Zombie Zombie mix
4. I Been Gone - Life Coach mix
5. I Can See - K-X-P live mix
6. Ville Cranian (Circles) - Sun Araw mix
7. Sparks - Eric Copeland mix
8. Rolling Out - Umberto mix

Recommended music: The Twilight Sad / Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat Record Store Day 2013 7"

The second single from Saturday to feature Scottish geniuses Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, this one was released on Fat Cat Records and features two cover versions. First off The Twilight Sad put their stamp on '(If You) Keep Me In Your Heart' from the excellent Wells & Moffat album 'Everything's Getting Older'. The in return Wells & Moffat do 'Alphabet'  from last year's Twilight Sad album 'No One Can Ever Know'. Like most Record Store Day releases the single was limited (to 500 copies) and Fat Cat get bonus points from me for individually numbering each copy (mine is #338).

If you missed out on all the fun on Saturday (you know, queueing at 6.30 in the morning, fighting your way to the racks only to find that the thing you REALLY wanted had already gone) then you can listen to the both sides of the single below.

Recommended music: Mogwai / Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat Record Store Day 2013 7"

This is definitely one of the best things that I bought on Saturday from Rough Trade East. Aidan Moffat (in his L.Pierre guise) remixes 'Special N' from Mogwai's current album, the soundtrack to the French TV show Les Revenants. In return Plasmatron from Mogwai casts his magic of 'The Copper Top', one of the best tracks from Wells & Moffat's 'Everything's Getting Older' album. It gets bonus points from me for being pressed on white vinyl too.

If you didn't join a queue outside a record shop on Saturday then it's unlikely that you'll be able to get one of these, but you can listen to the two tracks below, and if you haven't already then you should buy both of the albums that the originals came from.