Blog: The Riverboat Captain

.. and nigh on 40 years since his original recordings were made, Drag City puts out his album on vinyl and download. OK, that's the much abridged version. There is also the long and intriguing story but to trim that down a little for you, premier Maori guitar and sitar exponent Jerebine left New Zealand for London at the tail end of the swinging 60s in thrall to the sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Steve Winwood. Notably, he played some bass in the Jeff Beck Group, but more importantly laid down a collection of [...]

• Doug Jerebine - Ashes and Matches

One of the greatest pop songs played by one of the greatest modern American bands fronted by the Jesus of Cool himself, Nick Lowe. Brings a tear to the eye, don't it? Find it on the new Wilco iTunes Sessions album . Out now, pop pickers. Lest we forget, here's Nick with Billy, Dave and Terry the first time around .

Best thing I've heard in a long time. Bronson says it all in the closing paragraph of his review . Album coming soon. Find the Alabama Shakes EP here .

Best thing I've heard in a long time. Bronson says it all in the closing paragraph of his review . Album coming soon. Find the Alabama Shakes EP here .

..it looks like fun. Part 2 here .

Listening to new music in January is a struggle. The old year is gone and the temptation to sample anything and everything in the rush to be instantly impressed is too great.. inevitably a whole host of new releases fall flat. So we were fortunate to have an early 2012 visit from one of the finest guitar pop bands stalking the planet in the Dum Dum Girls , who summarily delivered a concise set of jangling sonic gems at the Kings Arms on Friday, and kickstarted my new year listening. Now, my love for the Girls has [...]

If you're missing a tune or two for tonight's NYE rave up, here's something to get the solitary party groovers mixing and moving. Cut Copy (the Aussie Duran Duran de nos jours ) had a frighteningly large amount of success this year with the electro-poppy Zonoscope . Meh. Go figure. But wait. Enter legendary DJ Andrew Weatherall, who did what he does best to the rambling overextended Sun God (from the abovementioned album). Nine minutes of perfectly produced bubbling blissed out Madchester (Madcunian?) groove. Download it courtesy of [...]

My Famous Five Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys It says a lot to me about my life. Lovely - watch Yuck - Yuck A big fizzy scuzzball of fun. Play loud - watch [...]

• Bon Iver - Holocene

Nashville songstress Caitlin Rose teamed up with Keegan DeWitt and made a touching gentle ditty with more than a few sharp barbs embedded in its snow-covered aural landscape. "You never come home for Christmas, and maybe it's better that way." Ouch! Download it free from RCRDLBL.com . Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys can always be relied upon for a warped outlook on life, and with seasonal song titles like 'Post Apocalypse Christmas' on his upcoming EP release, he certainly delivers. Stream it below, and buy it on his web [...]

Part 4 - Pure gold, and what might be described as Northern Soul's biggest ever 'find', Frank Wilson's Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) was originally released on Motown's subsidiary label Soul in 1965. Frank wanted to concentrate on producing, and Motown boss Berry Gordy would certainly have had him do that. The vocal line isn't quite as strong as you'd expect if Smokey or Marvin had cut the tune. Consequently the vast majority of the 250 demo discs were destroyed. There may be as many as five in existence, and if the unthinkable [...]

Part 3 - The daddy of all Northern Soul clubs was Wigan Casino, though, as this fine article by Chris Hunt says , it may not have been the coolest or the most innovative. If you wanted to dance, however, it was the place to go. And when you'd wrung yourself out on an all-nighter, the day was breaking, and it was finally time to go home, the crowd would always be treated to a signature ending from the DJ.. songs that became known as the 'three before eight': Jimmy Radcliffe's Long After Tonight Is [...]

We take a short break from Northern Soul to bring you the Christmas song of this (or any other) year.. Check out the seasonal four track EP from Aidan John Moffat over at Bandcamp.

Part 2 - a large part of the excitment of the underground Northern Soul scene was provided by the discovery of obscure records and the battles of one-upmanship between DJs. Find a record with that sound that no one else had, and play it at your particular venue? Pure gold. That venue may have been the only place where a punter could go to hear it and dance to it. Best not to let the collectors know too much about the record, either, or they'll be in the bargain bins and record fairs and rooting out copies [...]

No music genre more perfect than Northern Soul ? Mix a fanboy's dedication to unearthing obscure record releases, the regimentation of fashion, and a nonpareil club scene, each venue with its own distinctive politics and sound. Songs that were unheralded, failures by any commercial consideration, but songs that had a certain something, that were evocative of a time and a place, songs that felt like they were yours , like they were written just for you to dance to. And because of that atmosphere, that association, for the feelings they inspired in Northern [...]

19 years is a long time between record releases, but Mighty Lemon Drops maestro David Newton has been a busy chap since 1992, producing a stellar list of artists as long as your arm at his studio in Burbank. But he's found time and space this year to bash out a bright, breezy, hook-crammed five tracker as David Newton and Thee Mighty Angels , chock full of melodiferous and extremely hummable tunes. Out now, pop pickers! Grab title track Paint The Town here and zoom over to iTunes to get the rest [...]

It's been a good gigging year, but no band were more impressive than Portishead , who delivered a genuine been there, got blown away, got the t-shirt (and souvenir ceramic mug, from which I am drinking as I type) experience. Backed by a screen mixing pre-recorded and live action footage, it was an audio-visual event of monumental proportions, with a judicious selection from the band's oeuvre, expertly delivered. Superb. There are videos of the actual evening on YouTube, but this is one from the same tour - it's the best and [...]

We're coming up to the Best of the Year selection.. so soon? Doesn't seem like ten minutes since I was doing the last one. Looking through the runners and riders, it strikes me just how much reissued stuff I've been listening to throughout 2010. Am I getting old? Is popular music dead and buried, all originality gone? And do I give a stuff, as long as I'm enjoying the things I listen to? You tell me. Any road up, it's been a good year for a bunch of old lags who probably should have packed it [...]

Grunge rockers Iowa have a single release show over in fabulous Fitzroy (Melbourne, Australia) this coming weekend, ahead of a debut album release early next year. I wish I could make it, because that would mean I could also pop into the wonderful Union Club Hotel and the most excellent Napier for a few pre-gig slurps and shenanigans with some good friends. But I am consoled, because Iowa have been kind enough to give us free download of both sides of the aforementioned new single: Complete Control (kind [...]

I'm looking forward to seeing The Horrors at Laneway in January. Here's their nifty version of Suffragette City . They've been described as 'record-collection rock' (because they sound like your record collection).. Wham bam thankyou maam!

..with who else but The Cramps?