Dogstar

They're doing some dates in August in the UK. The two reissues they've put out this year are great - I'd forgotton how good Hollywood Town Hall was.

Good News. I'm going to see them at the NEC next Wednesday.

They are indeed. I think there's only two of the original members, the drummer and the singer, plus five other guys. Also rather cheekily for an early evening band played a slightly shorter set so they could come on for an encore without going over their time limit.

Went to the 'Mostly Jazz Festival' in Birmingham over the weekend. Really nice little festival in a local park in Birmingham. Lineup was Led Bib - very good (bit like Red era King Crimson) Polar Bear - too noodly for me. Although did get to see a bloke playing a balloon do a duet with a saxophone And the drummer has got the maddest hair ever. Quantic - latin dance music Sun Ra Arkestra - fantastic Cymande II - really got the crowd going and got the sun to come out on Sunday Portico Quartet - really chilled and very good (bit like the ambient bits of Kid A) Courtney Pine - really good and a great way to close the festival. Ended up doing the conga through the audience at the end. Overall a great weekend and got to see lots of things I wouldn't normally go and see.

I have every one of his albums bar one (see below) plus a few vinyl bootlegs (including an acoustic one from Amsterdam around the time of Tianamen Square which is fantastic) but I absolutely refuse to buy the SHOCKING PINKS album. What was he thinking. Unfortunately I haven't been allowed to buy a playstation so the Archives are on hold. As a side note went to see Band of Horses on Monday night in Wolverhampton and they were fantastic. More worryingly another very high beard quotient - 80% plus.

Drive by Truckers - The Big to Do Fantastic album. A sort of southern boogie/Crazy horse/Neil Young type thing. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Recently Ali and Toumani - Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate Song Cycle - Van Dyke Parks Have one on me - Joanna Newsom Plastic Beach - Gorillaz 2 - Retribution Gospel Choir

Free download of Mr Scruff's DJ set from his gig in Birmingham last Friday. Six hours of reggae, soul, hip hop, afro-beat and leg wobbling tunes. Really admire the way Mr Scruff operates. Gives out free download vouchers to all the people at the gigs, gives out t-shirts to the stewards, runs a tea shop at the venue and hangs around after to talk to people. Plus he plays all night (six hours) and makes sure everyone has a good time.

Went to see Midlake last night. Very good once the soundman switched the mud button on the mixing desk off. On the CD Player Peter Gabriel - Scratch my back Some of this works and some doesn't. The best versions are My Body is a Cage by Arcade Fire and The Book of Love by Magnetic Fields (which I passed me by on 69 Love Songs). Quite looking forward to I'll Scratch Yours, especially intrigued to see what Neil Young does.

Can't recommend Midlake highly enough. The album this came from was my favourite album of 2008. New album out on Monday which is supposed to sound like Fairport Convention. I'm currently listening to Gonna Take a Miracle - Laura Nyro and Labelle Shouldn't work but it does and I think its going to become one of my all time favourites. Basically an album of unbelievably good covers.

Last night Francois K - Essential Mix This morning Cluster - Zuckerzeit

I've just realised I'm wearing odd socks.

Engineers - Clean Coloured Wire Rest of the album is a bit shoegazy but this is fantactic (play loud).

Tonight I shall mainly be listening to Neil Young and his electric band in Nottingham.

That Sir is fighting talk.

Bruce Springsteen - Charlotteville May 2009 (Audience recording) Neil Young - Fork in the Road Doing my homework for later this month.

Green on Red were a great band. I once saw them in 1985 at Warwick Uni on the same bill as REM and Jonathan Richmond. Dan Stuart was too drunk to play when they turned up and Pete Buck had to play guitar - I was right at the front and you could hear the band calling out the chord changes. Also highly recommended are the Replacements and American Music Club if you like this sort of stuff.

Booker T (with Drive by Truckers & Neil Young) - Potato Hole My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges