Yummy Bingham - Black Radio (2005)

Following on from the recent post from Tha' Rayne, here is an album from Elizabeth T. Wyce "Yummy" Bingham, following the band's split. She was born on 7 January 1986 to R&B producer Dinky Bingham, and is the god-daughter of Chaka Khan and Aaron Hall. With a lineage like that it's no wonder she went into the music business, and in 2000, aged 14, she was recruited by producer KayGee to form the group Tha' Rayne, and signed to Arista Records. The group recorded an album, and appeared on a bunch of labelmates tracks, including Jaheim's 'Fabulous' that hit #1 on the US Billboard Adult R&B chart for three weeks from February 2003. Tha' Rayne released the single 'Didn't You Know', which peaked at #76 in September 2003 on the US Billboard R&B chart, but their debut album , 'Reign Supreme', never came out and the group disbanded in 2005. While a member of Tha' Rayne, Bingham was also getting a name for herself as the appointed vocalist of veteran hip-hop group De La Soul, being featured on various of their songs, and accompanying them on tour between 2000 and 2004. From 2003, Bingham started to collaborate with various artists, getting writing and/or vocal credits on songs from Patti LaBelle, P. Diddy, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Mýa and Monica. At age 18, Bingham became the youngest female CEO of a major-affiliated label, and the youngest female record executive, forming the label "Muzic Park" with Grammy award-winning beatmaker Rockwilder. 

She was the label's first signing, through a record deal with Motown in the US and Island Records in the UK, and released the singles 'Come Get It', 'Is It Good To You' and 'One More Chance', with her debut album 'The First Seed' appearing in the UK in October 2006. She continued writing and recording for other artists, and gave birth to her daughter Aviela in September 2007, after which she took some time out of the record industry to do Gospel/Inspirational music, but eventually returned to secular R&B in 2010 with a new song called 'Circles', that was featured in the movie 'King Of Paper Chasin'. In 2005 she had released a mixtape titled 'Black Radio', which was assembled as part of a planned promotional campaign for 'The First Seed', but due to the album generating a lukewarm single in 'Come Get It', that failed to catapult itself to the top of the Billboard charts, its US release was cancelled, and it was instead only released overseas, leaving 'Black Radio' indefinitely postponed. Many tracks and freestyles on 'Black Radio' do not appear on the album, or anywhere else but this mixtape, and with the addition of an out-take from the album, even fans who already own 'The First Seed' should definitely give this a listen. 

Track listing

01 Rockwilder Intro/It's My Life 
02 Queenz
03 Chaos (feat. K-OZ) 
04 I Know You Want It, Boy (feat. Redman & Rockwilder)
05 Come Get It (feat. Jadakiss)
06 Runnin' (feat. Dion Jenkins) 
07 You Should Be 
08 No Trouble (feat. Cory Gunz) 
09 Just Leave (Freestyle)
10 Just Leave (Lucifer Freestyle) 
11 Man Up (Demo for Amerie)
12 Give It To Ya
13 Never Happened
14 Freestyle/Rockwilder Outro 

John Foxx - A Kind Of Wave (1985)

Dennis Leigh, known professionally as John Foxx, was born on 26 September 1948 in Chorley, Lancashire, and attended Harris College of Art in Preston and then the Royal College of Art in London. During his youth in the 1960's he embraced the lifestyles of a mod and a hippy, while he formed his first band Woolly Fish in 1967 in Preston, although he later experimented with tape recorders and synthesisers whilst at the Royal College of Art. Prior to 1973, he was singing and playing a 12-string guitar and occasionally supported Stack Waddy in Manchester, moving to London in order to escape what he saw as a lack of musical stimulus. In April 1974, Leigh formed a band that would eventually be called Tiger Lily, composed of bassist Chris Allen and guitarist Stevie Shears, with Canadian drummer Warren Cann joining shortly afterwards. The band played their first gig at the Marquee Club in August 1974, after which Billy Currie was recruited as violinist a few months later. Tiger Lily released a single in 1975 on Gull Records, the A-side of which was a cover of the Fats Waller track 'Ain't Misbehavin'', while the flip was the group's own song 'Monkey Jive'. Tiger Lily played a few gigs in London pubs between 1974 and 1975, before changing their name to Ultravox!, having played briefly as Fire Of London, The Zips and The Damned. 

The group now fused punk, glam, electronic, reggae and new wave music, and it was at this time that Leigh adopted his stage name of John Foxx, while Chris Allen, who had briefly gone by the name Chris St. John, changed his name again, to Chris Cross. Once the band signed to Island Records, they released three albums during 1977–1978, with their eponymous debut being produced by Steve Lillywhite and the band, with assistance from Brian Eno. It was followed by their second album 'Ha! Ha! Ha!' in October 1977, which included the single 'ROckWrok', while for their third record they abandoned the exclamation mark in their name. 'Systems Of Romance' was co-produced by the legendary Conny Plank, and it featured new guitarist Robin Simon, who had replaced the recently departed Stevie Shears. At the end of 1978 Ultravox were dropped by their record label, following which the band undertook a self-financed tour of the United States in February, during which they performed three new songs, 'Touch And Go', 'He's A Liquid', 'Radio Beach'. At the end of the tour Foxx left the band to return to solo work, and he was replaced by Midge Ure, after which the revitalised Ultravox went on to have a very successful career. 

Foxx, meanwhile, signed to Virgin Records, and achieved two top 40 entries on the UK Singles Chart with his first solo singles, 'Underpass' 'No-One Driving', while their parent album 'Metamatic' was released on 17 January 1980, and peaked at No. 18 in the UK Albums Chart. One of the album's songs, 'Metal Beat', takes its name from a CR-78 drum machine sound used on the record, and Virgin used the name for their Metal Beat Records imprint, which was used for all Foxx releases on their label. The non-album single 'Burning Car' followed in July 1980, and was another top 40 hit in the UK, and Foxx then worked on dozens of tracks for two projected albums, with one of these tracks, 'My Face', being released on a flexi-disc given away with Smash Hits magazine in October 1980. His next album was 'The Garden', which was released in September 1981 and reached No. 24 in the UK Albums Chart. Musically it was a departure from the stark electropop of 'Metamatic', to a sound resembling his previous band's 'Systems Of Romance', and it even featured the song of the same name, which had been written during the sessions for Ultravox's third album, but which was never recorded. The lead single 'Europe After The Rain' became Foxx's fourth and last top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart, during a five-week chart run in August/September 1981. 

In 1982, Foxx set up his own recording studio, designed by Andy Munro, also called The Garden, which was housed in an artists' collective in Shoreditch, East London. In 1983 he provided some music for the soundtrack to Michelangelo Antonioni's film 'Identification Of A Woman', and in September that year he relased his third solo record 'The Golden Section'. Foxx described it as a development of 'The Garden', and a "roots check" of his earliest musical influences, including The Beatles and English psychedelic music. In 1985 he released 'In Mysterious Ways', which was less of a commercial succes than his previous records, as it was not considered a significant advance on the sound of his previous work. After 'In Mysterious Ways', Foxx temporarily left his career in pop music, selling his recording studio and returning to his earlier career as a graphic artist, working under his real name of Dennis Leigh. In the early 1990's he began to find inspiration in the underground house and acid music scenes in Detroit and London, and with Nation 12 he released two 12-inch singles, 'Remember' in 1990, and 'Electrofear' the following year. The first was a collaboration with Tim Simenon, best known for his Bomb the Bass project, and he also worked with LFO, and made the music video for their eponymous debut single. 

On 24 March 1997, Foxx made a return to the music scene with the simultaneous release of two albums, 'Shifting City' and 'Cathedral Oceans', both on Metamatic Records, and 'Shifting City' was Foxx's first collaboration with Manchester musician Louis Gordon, with whom he formed a long-time partnership. On 11 October 1997, Foxx played his first public gig since 1983 at The Astoria, London, and a limited-edition of 1,000 numbered copies of a twelve-track CD entitled 'Subterranean Omnidelic Exotour' was available for purchase by ticketholders. Foxx and Gordon continued to work together, and in September 2001 they released a second album 'The Pleasures Of Electricity', followed two years later by 'Crash And Burn'. In late 2006 the pair released three collaborative albums: October saw 'Live From A Room (As Big As A City)', which was a 'live' studio album from the 2003 tour, the studio album 'From Trash' appeared in November, and a further album, 'Sideways', from the same sessions a few weeks later during the accompanying mini-tour. Foxx has continued to record and release music, and his latest album, 'Wherever You Are' appeared this year, but for fans like me, his classic period was before that first hiatus, from 1979 to 1985, and so this post collects all of his non-album singles and b-sides, plus a few out-takes, from those years.  

Track listing 

Disc I - 1979-1980
01 Young Love (unreleased single 1979)
02 Like A Miracle (unreleased single 1980)
03 Film One (b-side of 'Underpass' 1980)
04 Glimmer (b-side of 'No-One Driving' 1980)
05 This City (b-side of 'No-One Driving' 1980)
06 Mr. No (b-side of 'No-One Driving' 1980)
07 Burning Car (single 1980)
08 20th Century (b-side of 'Burning Car')
09 To Be With You (out-take 1980)
10 Cinemascope (out-take 1980)

Disc II - 1980-1981
01 My Face (free flexi-disc with 'Smash Hits' magazine 1980)
02 Miles Away (single 1980)
03 A Long Time (b-side of 'Miles Away')
04 This Jungle (b-side of 'Europe After The Rain' 1981)
05 Swimmer I (b-side of 'Dancing Like A Gun' 1981) 
06 Swimmer II (b-side of 'Dancing Like A Gun' 1981) 
07 Swimmer III (previously unreleased 1981)
08 Swimmer IV (previously unreleased 1981)
09 Fog (out-take 1981)

Disc III - 1983-1985
01 Dance With Me (b-side of 'Endlessly' 1983)
02 A Kind Of Wave (b-side of 'Endlessly' 1983)
03 A Woman On A Stairway (b-side of 'Your Dress' 1983) 
04 The Lifting Sky (b-side of 'Your Dress' 1983) 
05 Annexe (b-side of 'Your Dress' 1983) 
06 Wings And A Wind (b-side of 'Like A Miracle' 1983)
07 City Of Light (b-side of 'Stars On Fire' 1985)
08 Lumen De Lumine (b-side of 'Stars On Fire' 1985)
09 Stairway (b-side of 'Enter The Angel' 1985)

John Tams - Music From Don Quixote (1990)

John Tams was a member of the Albion Band, and also its offshoot Home Service, but as well as that he was very much involved in theatre, with Home Service first coming together to soundtrack Bill Bryden's National Theatre productions in the 1980's. In 1982 he was asked to supply the music to Bryden's adaptation of 'Don Quixote', starting Paul Schofield, and even managed to blag a role as "leading galley slave" in the production. In 1990 he was interviewed on BBC radio about the play, and this programme included many snippets of music, and geofmcm has edited these to remove vocal over-talking, and then faded them in and out, as well as repeating sections to extend the pieces to listenable lengths. Finally he has remixed the original mono recording into stereo by splitting out the stems, and then EQ'd the whole thing, while I've tidied up a couple of endings, and re-named the six untitled instrumentals after chapter headings from the book. As there never was a soundtrack released for this play, this is a unique version from geofmcm, so thanks for this. 

Track listing

01 Don Quixote De La Mancha
01 The Windmills
01 Don Quixote And The Goatherds
01 Mambrino's Helmet
05 Senor
06 Spanish Guitar
97 Soldat
08 Old Man's Song
09 Pride
10 The Enchanted Bark
11 Life Of A Man
12 Epilogue

Home Service - A Little Night Music (1981)

Home Service is a British folk rock group, formed in late 1980 from a nucleus of musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band, and who had participated in recording 'Rise Up Like The Sun' in 1978. Their establishment was partly out of the confusion caused by line-up changes when the Albion Band were playing as the house band in Bill Bryden's National Theatre productions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including 'Lark Rise to Candleford'. Members of the group took part in an adaptation of Michael Herr's 'Dispatches' without band leader Ashley Hutchings, and in late 1980, eight members began to rehearse together in Southwark, London and had soon splintered off from the parent band. The original line-up was: John Tams (vocals, melodeon), Bill Caddick (vocals, guitar, dobro), Graeme Taylor (vocals, guitar), Michael Gregory (drums), Roger Williams (trombone, tuba), Howard Evans (trumpet), Colin Rae (trumpet) and Malcolm Bennett (bass), but the large group was somewhat unwieldy and complicated by other projects, including the fact that both Evans and Williams were also members of Brass Monkey. Rae soon left and the remaining members initially chose the name 'The First Eleven' and then switched to Home Service, which had both associations of Britishness/Englishness and of a bygone world in the defunct BBC Home Service radio station. In 1981, two tracks from what was initially intended as a demo session were released as a single, with 'Doing The Inglish', and its b-side 'Bramsley', designed to accompany the group's appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival, and their transmission on the BBC TV programme 'A Little Night Music'. Bass player Malcolm Bennett then left the band, and was replaced by Jon Davie, following which they returned to the National Theatre as a supporting band. Courtesy of geofmcm, here is the soundtrack to 'A Little Night Music', remixed into stereo, and featuring all the songs broadcast in 1981. Videos can be found on Youtube, which even contain a very rare paper tearing solo, and as this is quite a short album, there's a special bonus post coming up next.   

Track listing

01 Napoleon's Grand March Etc
02 Barmaid Song
03 Auntie Vera
04 Bramsley
05 Doin' The Inglish
06 Conniston Chaconne

Thanks to geofmcm for the idea and music.

Feeder - Living In Polaroid (2008)

In 1992 vocalist and guitarist Grant Nicholas, drummer Jon Lee and bassist Simon Blight, three of the four members of Raindancer, formed Reel, following the departure of that band's other member, guitarist John Canham. However, Blight left Reel later in 1992, and the band played with many session bassists before hiring Taka Hirose in 1994 and re-establishing themselves as Feeder. In 1994 the band sent a demo tape to The Echo Records label, and after sending an employee to see the band play live, they offered the group a record contract. In 1995, Feeder recorded their first EP, 'Two Colours', which was limited to 1,500 CDs and 1,000 7" vinyl singles, and the band sold copies at gigs. In February 1996 Kerrang! and Edge gave away a promo tape the band made with producer Chris Sheldon, called 'Two Tracker', featuring two songs destined for Feeder's debut album. In July, they released their first commercially available release, 'Swim', and following their first appearance at the Reading festival in August, they released their first single, 'Stereo World' two months later. Feeder's debut album, 'Polythene', was released in May 1997, and it was acclaimed by critics, including Metal Hammer and Kerrang!, who placed the album at first and sixth in their respective end-of-year lists. They would go on to release three further singles from 'Polythene', with 'High' becoming their breakthrough single, charting at No. 24. 

In March 1999, Feeder returned with a new single, 'Day In Day Out', which charted at No. 31, while 'Insomnia' hit No. 22 and earned them an appearance on Top of the Pops. Their second album, 'Yesterday Went Too Soon', was released in August 1999, charting at an unexpected No. 8 in the UK Albums chart. The UK music press warmed to the record, making Melody Maker's Album of the Week, and in November, they released a final single from it, with a re-recorded version of 'Paperfaces'. Feeder spent most of 2000 writing and recording for their next album, previewing new material at festivals around the country, and the 'Buck Rogers' single would become the band's first top 5 entry in the singles chart. After a sell-out tour of two legs ending at the London Astoria, the album 'Echo Park' entered at number five in the UK album charts, although the response it received on a critical level was mixed. The album saw the band adopt a more 'commercial' sound, also incorporating synthesizers, and lyrically it contains both a comedic approach, as with 'Seven Days In The Sun', and dark emotions, such as those shown on 'Turn', 'Oxygen', and 'Satellite News'. In July 2001, Feeder's EP 'Swim' was re-released with extra tracks, being a selection of b-sides from their earlier singles, alongside the videos for the Polythene singles 'Crash' and 'Cement'. 

In January 2002 tragedy hit the band when Jon Lee died at home in Miami, and the band kept out of the public eye for most of the year. It was during this time that lead-singer Grant Nicholas wrote a series of songs relating to their emotions and reactions to Lee's death, which formed their fourth album 'Comfort In Sound'. The album focused mainly on themes such as loss, depression, grief and positivity, while dedicating 'Quickfade' to Lee, and it was released in October 2002, to widespread critical acclaim in the British music press. Musically, 'Comfort In Sound' is mellower than Feeder's previous albums, with the use of a string orchestra on 'Forget About Tomorrow', while other tracks also used an accordion, trumpet, and a piano played by their manager Matt Page. The band were later invited to support Coldplay on their UK and Europeean tour, due to their frontman Chris Martin often saying how much he liked the 'Comfort In Sound' album and their live shows. Feeder received their only nomination to date at The BRIT Awards in 2004, in which they appeared in the "Best British Rock" category, before making their only appearance in the charts that year as part of Bob Geldof's Band Aid 20 charity ensemble. Feeder returned to the studio to record their fifth album 'Pushing The Senses', which Nicholas described as an extension to 'Comfort In Sound', as it focused on the same lyrical themes and musical styles. 

When it was released in 2004 it became the band's highest-charting release, reaching number two on the UK album chart, but again the press response was mixed, with Kerrang! being brutal towards the band for all of their review. After a headline slot at 2005's Download Festival, they supported U2 for a brief period on their Vertigo Tour, then played at the Live 8 concert in Edinburgh. However, on 3 December 2005 they were forced to postpone a winter tour, after Nicholas picked up bleeds on his vocal cords the night before during a gig in Brighton, causing the show to be abandoned. After he'd recovered, Feeder returned to the studio to record three new tracks to appear on their then forthcoming singles collection, which came out in 2006. They spent most of 2007 recording, with the resulting album 'Silent Cry' being released on 16 June 2008, and 'Miss You' from the album was given away by the band's official website as a free download in April, gaining over 8,000 downloads on its first day of release. Shortly after the album was released, the band recorded a cover of Public Image Ltd's 1978 self-titled single 'Public Image', for the 'Independents Day'  compilation, celebrating independently released music. The second single from 'Silent Cry' was Feeder's first download-only single, consisting of 'Tracing Lines' and the album's title track, but this failed to make the charts, and it was from this point that the band stopped adding otherwise unavailable tracks to their singles, as they had no 'b-side'. 

In October 2008 the band's bus caught fire on the M62 motorway whilst travelling between Glasgow and Lincoln, destroying it and the crew's personal items. It was also announced by Chrysalis later on in the year, that Echo had been restructured into a copyright exploitation company, in which its main duty is maintaining the copyright on existing releases, while no longer releasing any new records or signing any more artists. As a result, Feeder no longer had a record contract in their own country, while still being signed to their Japanese label Victor and Play it Again Sam as their European label. After ending their tour at the Portsmouth Pyramids Centre, a six track EP titled 'Seven Sleepers' was released in Japan, which included a collection of b-sides from the 'Silent Cry' album. Over the next 15 years Feeder released a further six albums, mostly on their new label Big Teeth Music Ltd, and their most recent release was 'Black/Red' album, their first double album, which came out on 5 April 2024. Between 1997 and 2012, Feeder accumulated 25 top 75 singles, and they've headlined many of the UK's major venues, such as Wembley Arena, Birmingham National Indoor Arena, Birmingham LG Arena, Bournemouth International Centre and the Cardiff International Arena. They are also one of Wales' most popular rock bands, and so for fans who might have missed some of their more hard to find recordings, here is a 5-disc set of all their non-album b-sides and EP tracks up to the time when streaming and downloads took over. 

Track listing

Disc I - 1995-1997
01 Chicken On A Bone (from the 'Two Colours' EP 1995)
02 Pictures Of Pain (from the 'Two Colours' EP 1995)
03 Change (b-side of 'Stereo World' 1996)
04 World Asleep (b-side of 'Stereo World' 1996)
05 Swim (single 1996)
06 Sweet 16 (b-side of 'Swim')
07 W.I.T. (b-side of 'Swim')
08 Shade (b-side of 'Swim')
09 TV Me (b-side of 'Tangerine' 1997)
10 Elegy (b-side of 'Tangerine' 1997)
11 Rhubard (b-side of 'Tangerine' 1997)
12 Rain (b-side of 'Tangerine' 1997)
13 Forgiven (b-side of 'Cement' 1997)
14 Rush (live) (b-side of 'Cement' 1997)

Disc II - 1997-1999
01 Here In The Bubble (b-side of 'Crash' 1997)
02 Undivided (b-side of 'Crash' 1997)
03 High (single 1997)
04 Wishing For The Sun (b-side of 'High')
05 Women In Towels (b-side of 'High')
06 Eclipse (b-side of 'Suffocate' 1998) 
07 Cockroach (b-side of 'Suffocate' 1998) 
08 Spill (b-side of 'Suffocate' 1998) 
09 I Need A Buzz (b-side of 'Day In Day Out' 1999)
10 Don't Bring Me Down (b-side of 'Day In Day Out' 1999)
11 Can't Dance To Disco (b-side of 'Day In Day Out' 1999)
12 Honeyfuzz (b-side of 'Day In Day Out' 1999)
13 Space Age Hero (b-side of 'Insomnia' 1999)
14 Living In Polaroid (b-side of 'Insomnia' 1999)
15 Divebomb (b-side of 'Insomnia' 1999)
16 Fly (b-side of 'Insomnia' 1999)

Disc III - 1999-2001
01 Getting To Know You Well (b-side of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' 1999)
02 Tomorrow Shine (b-side of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' 1999)
03 Rubberband (b-side of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' 1999)
04 Slider (b-side of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' 1999)
05 Oxidize (b-side of 'Yesterday Went Too Soon' 1999)
06 Whooey (b-side of 'Paperfaces' 1999)
07 Crash Mat (b-side of 'Paperfaces' 1999)
08 Purple (b-side of 'Buck Rogers' 2001)
09 Heads (b-side of 'Buck Rogers' 2001)
10 We The Electronic (b-side of 'Buck Rogers' 2001)
11 21st Century Meltdown (b-side of 'Buck Rogers' 2001)
12 Reminders (b-side of 'Seven Days In The Sun' 2001)
13 Forever Glow (b-side of 'Seven Days In The Sun' 2001)
14 Home For Summer (b-side of 'Seven Days In The Sun' 2001)

Disc IV - 2001-2003
01 Come Back Around (b-side of 'Turn' 2001)
02 Bring It Home (b-side of 'Turn' 2001)
03 Bad Hair Day (b-side of 'Turn' 2001)
04 Just A Day (single 2001)
05 Emily (b-side of 'Just A Day')
06 Slowburn (b-side of 'Just A Day')
07 Can't Stand Losing You (b-side of 'Just A Day')
08 Feel It Again (b-side of 'Come Back Around' 2002)
09 Bullet (b-side of 'Come Back Around' 2002)
10 Opaque (b-side of 'Come Back Around' 2002)
11 Broken (b-side of 'Just The Way I'm Feeling' 2003)
12 The Power Of Love (b-side of 'Just The Way I'm Feeling' 2003)
13 Redemption (b-side of 'Just The Way I'm Feeling' 2003)
14 Lose The Fear (b-side pf 'Forget About Tomorrow' 2003)
15 Bring It Together (b-side pf 'Forget About Tomorrow' 2003)
16 Remember The Silence (b-side of 'Find The Colour' 2003)
17 Circles (b-side of 'Find The Colour' 2003)

Disc V - 2005-2008
01 Shatter (b-side of 'Tumble And Fall' 2005)
02 Victoria (b-side of 'Tumble And Fall' 2005)
03 Bruised (b-side of 'Feeling A Moment' 2005)
04 Murmer (b-side of 'Feeling A Moment' 2005)
05 I For You (b-side of 'Pushing The Senses' 2005)
06 Crowd Of Stars (b-side of 'Pushing The Senses' 2005)
07 Feel It Again (b-side of 'Pushing The Senses' 2005)
08 Eclipse (b-side of 'Pushing The Senses' 2005)
09 Shatter (New Version) (single 2005)
10 Everybody Hurts (b-side of 'Shatter (New Version)')
11 Lost And Found (single 2006)
12 High 5 (b-side of 'Lost And Found')
13 Save Us (single 2006)
14 Purify (b-side of 'Save Us')
15 Calling Out For Days (b-side of 'We Are The People' 2008) 
16 Somewhere To Call Your Own (b-side of 'We Are The People' 2008) 
17 Public Image (from the 'Independents Day' compilation 2008)

Dora Flood - Phoenix Rising - The Best Of Dora Flood (2007)

Dora Flood formed in 1983, and were originally called Belladonna, but following a name change inspired by the madam of a brothel in John Steinbeck's classic novel 'Cannery Row', this San Franciscan quintet changed have produced music which is a homage to classic British pop and psychedelic rock. In 1995, they released their debut EP on American Standard Recordings, entitled '1301', named after the strange place they lived in San Francisco, at 1301 Leavenworth. They continued performing around San Francisco and the Pacific Coast, and in 1999 they released their first full-length effort, 'Walk A Lightyear Mile', on Double Play Records. Touring in support of the record saw them playing in Europe, the continental United States, and Canada, despite the fact their tour manager ended up in jail. The band received widespread acclaim for 'Lost On Earth' in 2000, also on Double Play, and by 2002 the group had enhanced its vision and creativity with the sprawling-yet-lovable 'Welcome', an album with influences from the Beatles and the Stone Roses to even Velvet Crush. The fuzzed-out 'Highlands' followed in 2004 with 'We Live Now' landing three years later. Their final release was 'Dream Out Your Window', on their own Dora Flood Recordings in 2008, and then the band was no more. Over the course of their six LPs and one EP, Dora Flood has produced some of the most notable shoegazing dream pop to come out of the United States. Their last effort for Elephant Stone Records, 'We Live Now', is perhaps the group’s heaviest sounding release to date, with nods to late '60s and early '70s interstellar boogie rock spliced into the heady mix. With praise coming from discerning music magazines like The Big Takeover, Skyscraper, Losing Today and Ptolemaic Terrascope, it is no wonder that audiences left Dora Flood's shows feeling that they witnessed something of a secret, psychedelic phenomenon. For anyone unfamiliar with this well-kept secret, here is a collection of some of their best work, in order to ease you gently into the psyche-pop world of Dora Flood.  

Track listing

01 Welcome (from 'Welcome' 2002)
02 Phoenix Rising (from 'We Live Now' 2007)
03 Stargazing (from 'Highlands' 2004) 
04 Black Widow Walking (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999) 
05 Lost On Earth (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
06 Eraser (from 'Welcome' 2002) 
07 Life's Ironic State (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999)
08 Home (from 'Highlands' 2004) 
09 Wanderlust (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
10 Starflower (from 'Welcome' 2002)
11 Light (from 'We Live Now' 2007)
12 Down Again (from 'Welcome' 2002)
13 Love Is Brave (from 'Lost On Earth' 2000)
14 A Violent Pair (from 'Walk A Lightyear Mile' 1999) 

Lush - Outside World (2016)

Lush was formed in 1987 in London, and initially named the Baby Machines (after a line in the Siouxsie and the Banshees song 'Arabian Knights'), with a line-up of Meriel Barham (vocals), Emma Anderson (guitar, vocals), Miki Berenyi (guitar, vocals), Steve Rippon (bass guitar) and Chris Acland (drums). Their influences were diverse, being inspired by Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the garage rock scene of the Nuggets series. Anderson and Berenyi had been school friends, having known each other since the early 1980's, and together published the Alphabet Soup fanzine, and in 1986, Anderson joined the Rover Girls as bass guitarist and Berenyi joined the Bugs, also as a bass guitar player. Neither band lasted long, and in 1987, they joined Barham and Acland in the Baby Machines. Rippon joined shortly thereafter and the band members decided on a change of name to Lush, making their live debut at the Camden Falcon on 6 March 1988. When Barham left the band to join Pale Saints, Berenyi took over on lead vocals, and in 1989 the band signed to 4AD Records and released their first recording, 'Scar', a six-track mini-album. Critical praise for 'Scar' and a popular live show established Lush as one of the most written-about groups of the late 80's/early 90's UK indie scene, and not long after, the British music press tagged them with the "shoegazing" label. 

The following year, the EPs 'Mad Love' (produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins) and 'Sweetness And Light' (produced by Tim Friese-Greene) were released, with all three EPs later being combined into the 'Gala' compilation album, which was produced mainly for the US and Japanese markets. The band recorded a live session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1990, and contributed a cover version of 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' later that year to the anti-poll tax album 'Alvin Lives (In Leeds)'. The band's profile was raised by extensive touring, including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1990 and tours of Japan in late 1990 and the US (with Ride) in the spring of 1991, with the 'Black Spring' EP appearing later that year. Their first full-length album of completely new material, 'Spooky', was released in January 1992, again produced by Guthrie, and it featured a sound very similar to Guthrie's band Cocteau Twins, with walls of sound and a great deal of guitar effects. Reviews were mixed and critics of the album held that Guthrie's production brought the sound away from the band's original creative vision, although it sold well, reaching No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart. Rippon left the band after recording the 'For Love' EP to concentrate on writing, though his book Cold Turkey Sandwich — a fictionalised chronicle of his time touring — was rejected by publishers, and he was replaced by Phil King. 

The band approached Bob Mould to produce their second album, but he was reportedly too busy to produce them, so 'Split' was recorded by Mike Hedges at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Hedges and the band then mixed the recordings, first at Abbey Road Studios, and then at Hedges' studio in Domfront, France, but neither the band nor 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell 4AD were satisfied with the sound, and  eventually Alan Moulder was hired to remix it. Unusually, the band released two EPs from the album, with 'Hypocrite' and 'Desire Lines' both appearing on 30 May 1994, but neither single broke into the UK Top 40, and when 'Split' was released on 13 June 1994, it was less successful than 'Spooky'. On the advice of their management the band concentrated on the American market, but failed to make a breakthrough, and a third EP from 'Split', to have featured 'Lovelife' as the lead track along with a version of 'The Childcatcher' recorded during the 'Split' sessions, was shelved. 'Lovelife', the band's fourth album, was released in March 1996, and was produced by Pete Bartlett, the band's live engineer. This album represented a change in production, with less reliance on heavy guitar effects, and it became the biggest seller of their career, possibly as it was more in step with the contemporary Britpop style. Instead of capitalising on their success in the UK, the band's management sent them on an ill-conceived American tour with the Gin Blossoms, and with the band members feeling pressured and tired, Anderson discussed leaving, although Berenyi, in particular, was keen to keep the band together. 

In September 1996, the band played their last performance, prior to reuniting, in Japan, but a month later, tragedy struck the band when drummer Acland died by hanging himself in his parents' garden on 17 October. Following this the band effectively went on an extended hiatus, officially announcing their break-up on 23 February 1998. Berenyi went on to work as a production editor at two major magazine publishers, and Anderson formed a new group, Sing-Sing, with singer Lisa O'Neill, but then in September 2015, the music press suggested a reunion might be planned after Anderson posted a cryptic message on social media, and an official band website appeared. On 28 September, Lush announced their reunion on their Facebook page, with the reunited band consisting of Anderson, Berenyi and King with the addition of Justin Welch (ex-Elastica) on drums, who was an old friend of Chris Acland's. They announced a show at the Roundhouse in London on 6 May 2016, and later added a second date, 7 May 2016, after the first show sold out in six hours. On 15 April 2016, the band announced the release of the 'Blind Spot' EP, the band's first new material since 1996, but bassist King left soon afterwards, with Michael Conroy of Modern English playing bass for the final show at Manchester Academy, and they also confirmed that the band would split after the show. As a reminder of one of my favourite bands of the 90's, here's a collection of their non-album EP tracks and b-sides. 

Track listing

Disc I - 1990-1994
01 De-Luxe (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
02 Leaves Me Cold (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
03 Downer (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
04 Sweetness And Light (single 1990)
05 Sunbathing (b-side of 'Sweetness And Light')
06 Breeze (b-side of 'Sweetness And Light')
07 Fallin' In Love (from the 'Black Spring' EP 1991)
08 God's Gift (from the 'Black Spring' EP 1991)
09 Outdoor Miner (b-side of 'For Love' 1991)
10 Astronaut (b-side of 'For Love' 1991)
11 Rupert The Bear (b-side of the 'Lit Up' flexi-disc 1993)
12 Love At First Sight (b-side of 'Hypocrite' 1994)
13 Cat's Chorus (b-side of 'Hypocrite' 1994)

Disc II - 1994-1996
01 White Wood (b-side of 'Desire Lines' 1994)
02 Girl's World (b-side of 'Desire Lines' 1994)
03 Tinkerbell (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
04 Outside World (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
05 Cul De Sac (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
06 Pudding (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
07 Demystification (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
08 Shut Up (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
09 Sweetie (b-side of 'Single Girl' 7" 1995)
10 I Have The Moon (b-side of '500 (Shake Baby Shake)' 1996)
11 Piledriver (b-side of '500 (Shake Baby Shake)' 1996)

Disc III - 1996-2016
01 Matador (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
02 Ex (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
03 Dear Me (Demo) (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)

04 Heavenly (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
05 Carmen (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
06 Plums And Oranges (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
07 I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 7" 1996)
08 Out Of Control (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
09 Lost Boy (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
10 Burnham Beeches (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
11 Rosebud (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)

Mila J - Split Personality (2006)

Jamila Akiko Aba Chilombo was born on 18 November 1982 in Los Angeles, California, and her sister is singer Jhené Aiko. At the start of her career, she joined an up-and-coming dance group, bringing her to the attention of Chris Stokes, and through him she auditioned for and starred as a dancer in Prince's 'Diamonds and Pearls' video, released in 1991, when she was just 9 years old. Stokes had begun managing Jamila and her sister Miyoko and eventually led them to form the American R&B group Gyrl, along with third member Paulette Maxwell. The three girls were also back-up dancers under the name Innocence, and they appeared in numerous music videos, such as 'Da Munchies', 'Constantly', and 'I Don't Mind'. In 1995, Silas Records released Gyrl's official debut single, 'Play Another Slow Jam', which peaked at number 74 on the US Hot R&B Singles, staying on the chart for over six weeks, but didn't chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, and after the release of the single, Maxwell left the group. It was not until 1997 that she was replaced by Glorika "Jeanae" Briley and Tai-Amber Hoo, and this new line-up released the single 'Get Your Groove On', featured in the movie 'B*A*P*S'. This single peaked at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 30 on the US Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for over 14 weeks, and becoming their highest chart appearance at that time. However, despite this success, the group disbanded shortly afterwards, and after a brief appearance in the girl group Dame Four in 2005, Mila took a hiatus from the music industry, saying that due to having been in a variety of girl groups, she did not know who she was as an artist. Upon returning to the music business, she signed with Universal Motown in 2006, and after appearing on tracks by RaRa, IMx, and Omarion, her Chris Stokes-produced debut album, 'Split Personality', was set for a summer 2006 release. That date came and went, and eventually the album was forgotten, and it was not until 2012 that Jamila redefined herself, changing her name and appearance from the soft feminine Mila J to the rough-around-the-edges Japallonia, before reverting back to Mila J for the 'Smoke, Drink, Break-Up' single in 2014. On the shelved album Mila's voice as sweet and young sounding, but it's never flashy or overly demonstrative, and Stokes' production is as solid and complementary as on his previous projects. It's light, endearing R&B that might take a few listens to sink in, but it's strong enough to keep your attention, and so is worth a listen. 

Track listing

01 Wait A Minute
02 No More Complaining
03 Go Public
04 Better
05 Tell Me Where I'd Be
06 Good Lookin' Out (feat. Marques Houston)
07 I've Been Hustled
08 Back In The Day (feat. Young Rome)
09 Things You Do (Long Enough)
10 Are You Happy Now
11 Complete
12 I'm Mi (feat. Omarion)

Earth - Warning (1969)

Before they became Black Sabbath, the band were known as Earth - a blues-driven powerhouse already making a name for themselves in the mid-'60s. A new album has just been released containing rare early recordings from that era, remastered from long-lost tapes and acetates, and featuring previously unheard tracks, demos and alternative takes. The collection captures Earth's evolution as they pushed toward the heavy metal sound that would soon change rock music forever, and the tapes were recorded during the foursome's early days in 1969 by promoter Jim Simpson, who went on to become Black Sabbath’s first manager. Simpson recorded the group at Zella Studio in Birmingham in 1969, but held back from releasing them as their style was evolving so quickly, but these recordings clearly demonstrate what fine music they produced right from the very beginning. Now, some 57 years later, the recordings assume a greater importance, illustrating how these four young men from Birmingham, barely out of their teens, were excellent musicians and a fine band, fully deserving of all the success that was to come their way. Under Simpson's management, Black Sabbath released their seminal self-titled debut album in February 1970, following up with 'Paranoid' in September of the same year, and although Simpson lost control of the band when the 'Paranoid' single was No. 2 and the album was No. 1, he still considers that he managed some of Black Sabbath's finest moments. One notable thing about this release is the fact that the blurb on the CD jacket studiously avoids using the phrase "Black Sabbath" or any of the band members' names, and so rumours abound that this is an unofficial release, either from Simpson, or by someone using his name, but who cares as long as we can finally hear these early recordings. However, on hearing them, geofmcm found them a little flat, so he ripped them to their stems and remixed them himself, taking the bass to the left, guitar to the right, spreading the drum sound a little, and adding reverb to the vocals, which hopefully improves the sound. He also added three other remixed demos to the end so that this includes all the music recorded by Earth, and for my part I combined the guitar and flute versions of 'Song For Jim' into one track featuring both instruments, and then just added the cover.   

Track listing

01 Blue Suede Shoes
02 Evenin'
03 Wee Wee Baby
04 Untitled
05 Free Man
06 Song For Jim 
07 Wicked (Demo)
08 Warning
9 When I Came Down
10 The Rebel
11 Thomas James

Thanks to geofmcm for his work on this post. 

Tha' Rayne - Reign Supreme (2002)

Tha' Rayne was a three-piece American R&B singing girl group that was formed in 2000 and consisted of two singing members and a DJ, with original members of the group being Yummy Bingham and Shaquana Elam (now known as Quana BelleVoix), who shared lead vocals on all of the group's recordings. The group was founded in 2000 by producer KayGee from Naughty by Nature, who recruited Elizabeth "Yummy" Bingham, Shaquana "Quana" Elam and Tina "Tina-J" Jenkins, with each of them assuming that they had a solo deal, before discovering that they were to be a girl group. The first and only recording where the three original members appear together is Jaheim and Lil' Mo's 2001 single 'Finders Keepers', where they performed vocal backup. After Tina-J left the group, Tha' Rayne remained a duet and signed with Arista Records's CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid in April 2001. They released 'Rock Wit Me' in April 2002, followed in July by 'No L.O.V.E.', which was later re-recorded by Jhené Aiko in 2003. While preparing their debut album, originally expected for an October 2002 release, Tha' Rayne collaborated with artists such as Boyz II Men, Jaheim, Queen Latifah, and Next. In August 2002, Kay Gee had the vision to create an R&B version of Salt-N-Pepa and added Michelle "DJ Myche Luv" Colon, a young female DJ to the group, and later that year they appeared on Jaheim's hit single 'Fabulous'. In January 2003, the group went through a change of lineup with the departure of DJ Myche Luv, who was replaced by Qiana "DJ Qi" Drew. Soon after, Tha' Rayne released 'Didn't You Know' (featuring Joe Budden and Lupe Fiasco), which was their first single to chart, reaching number 76 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. However, it didn't get the buzz expected by the label, and so their debut album 'Reign Supreme' was delayed. When Arista merged into Sony BMG in early 2004, and Antonio "L.A." Reid was fired, many of his artists were dropped, including Tha' Rayne, and so the group decided to split without their album ever seeing the light of day.

Track listing

01 Harmonize (Intro)
02 Can't Stop Tha' Rayne 
03 Didn't You Know (feat. Joe Budden & Lupe Fiasco) 
04 Rock Wit' Me
05 Luv Bug 
06 Kiss Me (feat. Lupe Fiasco)
07 Party Music
08 Mr. Postman
09 No L.O.V.E. (feat. Rob Jackson) 
10 Ghetto Love Song (feat. Jarron)
11 She's A Queen (feat. Queen Latifah)
12 Holla Back (Outro)

St. Vincent - At The Proms (2025)

As the lights went down at the Royal Albert Hall on 3 September 2025 you could have heard a pin drop. The formidable St. Vincent, née Annie Clark, was about to conclude the world tour for her album 'All Born Screaming' with her debut at the 2025 Proms. It was a fabulous piece of programming and would prove to be one of the live music highlights of the year. Jules Buckley and his Orchestra played 'We Put A Pearl In The Ground, providing an extra-terrestrial wash of sound as St. Vincent herself sashayed on stage, and then we were into 'Hell Is Near' and her idiosyncratically soulful vocals sat effortlessly within the electric density of the orchestration, and the star was so pleased she looked like she had to stop herself applauding the orchestra. 'Violent Times' was like the theme for a magnificently magisterial lost Bond film, and then she delivered 'I Prefer Your Love' with a heartfelt simplicity which didn’t so much cut through the lush orchestration as cut with it. The song was poetic and transcendent, creating simplicity through complexity, gracefully accentuated with a glockenspiel. Then the moment that had to come, and which we were all waiting for… St. Vincent strapped on her guitar, and the orchestra started playing 'The Strangers', which was deliriously like a Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson Broadway song for the 21st Century. 

The politely metronomic introduction in Rachel Eckroth and Peter Riley’s arrangement featured the bass drum sweeping the street clean for the approaching steam roller which was St. Vincent’s guitar solo. On 'Black Rainbow' the incisive intelligence of her lyrics were superbly served by the string section which adroitly underscored the emotional nuances, while the music climbed a mountain up to a cliff edge and then stepped off into silence. For 'Marrow', the staccato, ecstatic urgency of St. Vincent’s guitar was followed by an unbearably suspenseful setting by Peter Riley which had the orchestra tightening the ratchet of tension, until it was finally released in the gushing spurt of her ferocious guitar solo. The arrangement perfectly matched the technicolour surrealism of St. Vincent’s song-writing - terse and dense and rich, violent and beautiful. Jules Buckley’s arrangement for 'The Bed' transformed it into a piece of otherworldly exotica, a lullaby from a different dimension. The marimba gave a gamelan colouring and the string section provided a trampoline for the lyrics, lifting the song and perfectly enhancing it instead of overwhelming it. It was revelatory what a perfectly shared endeavour this was, St Vincent and her guitar in total collaboration with orchestra. Sam Gale’s arrangement gave 'Now, Now' an irresistibly building logic with its insistent Raymond Scott-style electronica, and the strings provided a swirling emphasis. 

'Live In the Dream' was an emergency room anecdote, related like a dreamy beach ballad in Tom Trapp’s arrangement, but it was a J.G. Ballard beach ballad, with the waves breaking on an apocalyptic Waikiki. St. Vincent played a solo which sounded like Hawaiian slack key guitar, lyrical and luxuriant, and it was wonderful the way the orchestra stayed out of her way while always supporting the sense of the song. Her guitar gently screamed, howled at the moon, crooned with ecstasy, while the orchestra was a gentle chaperone. On 'The Nowhere Inn' Rachel Eckroth and Peter Riley’s arrangement provided sounds like a Martian mariachi band. St. Vincent’s guitar pried open the doors of perception and the orchestra followed her through, trumpets calling valiantly as she intoned her hypnotic, shamanistic, incantatory vocals “We’re all at Nowhere and where are you now?”. The same arranging duo transformed 'Los Ageless' into a forlorn but defiant ballad for a film noir heroine with the string section charting the ECG ups and downs of an unravelling endeavour. 'New York' is one of St. Vincent’s best known songs and for this Jules Buckley arrangement she climbed down off the stage and walked among us...or at least among the lucky Prommers in the standing section. She had the whole hall clapping, and when she started jumping up and down she damn near had it pogoing. 'Paris Is Burning' closed the show, before rapturous applause encouraged her to come back for a couple of encores, ending a triumphant performance at the BBC Proms.   

Track listing

01 We Put A Pearl In The Ground (arr. Sam Gale)
02 Hell Is Near (arr. Sam Gale)
03 Reckless (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
04 Violent Times (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
05 I Prefer Your Love (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
06 The Strangers (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
07 Black Rainbow (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Jules Buckley)
08 Marrow (arr. Peter Riley)
09 The Bed (arr. Jules Buckley)
10 Smoking Section (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
11 Now, Now (arr. Sam Gale)
12 Live In The Dream (arr. Tom Trapp)
13 The Nowhere Inn (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
14 Digital Witness (arr. Tom Trapp)
15 Los Ageless (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
16 The Party (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
17 New York (arr. Jules Buckley)
18 Paris Is Burning (arr. Jochen Neuffer)

19 Candy Darling (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
20 Slow Disco (arr. Jules Buckley)

Concert review by Andrew Cartmel.

Hope Of The States - The Workmiser Harmonies (2006)

Longtime friends Sam Herlihy (vocals/guitar), Anthony Theaker (guitar), and James Lawrence (guitar) grew up in the market town of Chichester in West Sussex, in the late '80s and early '90s, and to keep themselves entertained, the trio obsessed over the latest Brit pop phenomena. Paul Wilson joined the group on bass around their mid-teens, and this expanded their love for music. He and Herlihy landed a development deal with Parlophone during this time, but they lacked direction and knowledge when it came to crafting an original sound. This changed in 2000, when they formed Hope Of The States, taking their name from Albert Deutsch's 'The Shame Of The States', the controversial 1948 book that ridiculed the U.S.'s unimpressive mental health system. Their image was striking from the start, with the band dressing in military uniforms, symbolizing their strict bond as a band and as friends, while also a criticism of a man's lack of compassion for his fellow man. With the addition of Mike Siddell on violin and Simon Jones on drums, the six-piece continued to flesh out their post-Radiohead rock sound, and their limited edition 'Black Dollar Bills' single appeared in summer 2003, packaged in a hessian sleeve, each of which was hand-sewn by a band member, and it sold out immediately. The band landed spots on the coveted Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds festivals, and a deal with Sony followed in June, while the band's second single, 'Enemies/Friends', hit number 25 on the U.K. singles charts later that year. 

Everything seemed to moving along nicely for Hope Of The States, and they'd started to record material for their full-length debut with producer Ken Thomas, but in January 2004 Lawrence committed suicide, and the band had to decide whether to persevere. They did, and the magnetic storm that was 'The Lost Riots' was issued in October, to mostly enthusiastic critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the band's balance of intense post-rock bombast and anthemic post-Britpop dynamics, while criticism was directed at lead singer Samuel Herlihy's lack of vocal range and the band's dour sound. In April 2006 they released the limited-edition 'Blood Meridian' EP in a run of 2,000 vinyl copies, which quickly sold out, and this was followed by the band's ambitious second effort at a long player, with 'Left' appearing later that year. After standout festival performance at Carling Reading, and Leeds in summer 2006, Hope Of The States ended months of speculation by announcing their split in late August. Herlihy and Jones formed The Northwestern, who split in 2012, while the rest of the band formed Troubles, with Michael Hibbert leaving in 2007 to form Chapel Club, who split in 2013. On 8 July 2024, the band announced that they had reunited to play three gigs in December 2024 and were recording new material with producer Jolyon Thomas. It wasn't until I'd finished putting this album together that I discovered that the band had released a b-sides compilation to digital and streaming services in 2024, titled 'The Magic Kingdom (B-sides 2002-2006)', but perhaps the reason for this is that it was extremely hard to track down, and it's possible that even fans of the band didn't know it existed, so I decided to post this version anyway, even though it duplicates many of the tracks.  

Track listing

Disc I - 2003-2004
01 Black Dollar Bills (original single 2003)
02 Everything For Everyone (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
03 Sts'ikfl (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
04 Why'd I Let My Heart Come Last? (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
05 101st Lament (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
06 Static In The Cities (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
07 The Workmiser Harmonies (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
08 The Last Picture Show (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
09 Angels Over Kilburn (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)

10 Under The Wires (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
11 A Horse (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
12 Drinkers On The Dry (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)

Disc II - 2004-2006
01 This House Was Once A Home (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
02 Thee Seventies Song (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
03 A Heart Can Stop A Bullet (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
04 Hum (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
05 Morning Ghosts (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
06 My Son The Crow (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
07 A Rek (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
08 Silent In The Towerblocks (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
09 Boxes For Particle (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
10 Minifigures (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
11 End (b-side of 'Left' 2006)

Kelly Clarkson - A Little Bit Country (2022)

Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on 24 April 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas, grew up in Burleson, Texas and was educated at Pauline Hughes Middle School. In the seventh grade, the school's choir teacher, Cynthia Glenn, overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school choir, and she also performed in several musicals, such as 'Annie Get Your Gun', 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers', and 'Brigadoon'. After graduating from high school, she declined full scholarships to three universities, saying that she wanted to try and make it in the music business on her own. She worked several jobs to finance a demo, recording material and trying to market it to record labels, but received little response. She turned down two recording contracts from Jive Records and Interscope Records, afraid that they would have pigeonholed her as a bubblegum act, and in 2001 she travelled to Los Angeles, pursuing a career in music. Upon returning to Burleson, Clarkson was encouraged by her friends to audition for the first season of the reality television series 'American Idol: The Search For A Superstar' in May 2002, going on to win the competition on 4 September. Immediately after winning American Idol, Clarkson was signed to a record deal with RCA Records, 19 Recordings, and S Records by talent manager Simon Fuller, who created American Idol, and music mogul Clive Davis, who was slated to executive-produce her debut album. She released her chart-topping debut single, 'A Moment Like This', which became the best-selling single of the year in the US, and her R&B and gospel-influenced debut album, 'Thankful' was released in 2003, and entered the US Billboard 200 at number one. 

She shifted genres to pop rock for 'Breakaway' in 2004, which was one of the 21st century's best-selling albums, but after the lukewarm reception to 2007's 'My December', with its darker rock music, Clarkson returned to radio-friendly pop rock sounds with 'All I Ever Wanted' in 2009, and 'Stronger' in 2011, which each produced number-one singles, in 'My Life Would Suck Without You' and 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' respectively. She ventured into Christmas music with 'Wrapped In Red' in 2013, following that with the release of the number-one album 'Piece By Piece' in 2015, and she then signed with Atlantic Records, where she recorded three further albums. In 2018 she returned to television as a coach on 'The Voice' for nine seasons, and since 2019 she has hosted her own talk show, 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'. During the 'Kellyoke' section of her television show Clarkson often covered country songs, and she has even released a couple of duets with country singers as singles, but despite the various genres in which she has recorded, she has yet to make a country album. Fans are convinced that it's a genre that she would excel at, and so by using various singles, out-takes, demos, alternate takes, live recordings, and a few 'Kellyoke' offerings, I've put together Kelly Clarkson's very own country album. 

Track listing

01 Soap And Water
02 Because Of You (feat. Reba McEntire)
03 Feel It Coming On
04 Don't Rush (feat. Vince Gill)
05 Never Again, Again (Interlude) 
06 Mrs Right
07 Mr. Know It All
08 Why Haven't I Heard From You
09 Any Man Of Mine (Interlude)
10 Blue Bayou
11 Fancy
12 Don't You Wanna Stay
13 How Blue (Interlude)
14 I'm Movin' On (feat. Rascal Flatts)
15 You're Drunk Go Home (feat. Kelsea Ballerini & Carly Pearce)