Words from The Groove Consortium

Being a series of passionately and feverishly misplaced discussions attempting to define the intrinsic laws and torn fabrics of our artistic linen basket. Benign scruples within music and film are tackled via a middle-aged man trying to understand a digital world through analogue eyes.

[thegrooveconsortium]

Sneak review for The Last Bandits In The World COMPLETE.

Long out-of-print folk-punk swooner gets a re-polish.

By good fortune, I've snagged a pre-release copy of Seventeen Records' lush double LP of The Last Bandits In The World (Complete). It's not out until RSD later this month and it's a thing of great beauty, containing music unreleased for three decades. The first LP is the original LBITW album by Simon Carmody, Nikki Sudden & Johnny Fean (a romantic, stripped down acoustic record; showcasing three amazing songwriters playing together... it has the feel of Exile On Main Street's laid-back balladry through its honest, rock n' roll abandon). The second record pulls together the super-rare 12" singles by LBITW, including the stunning Christmas Morning and a polished, sheer version of Sudden's The Angel's Are Calling (perhaps the most heart-rending piece of Celtic rock ever put to wax). I can't recommend this release enough, and it bridges a gap between Nikki Sudden's classic Jacobites LPs and his Creation Records sonic insanity. Chris Coleman and John Purcell have worked on getting this out for four years.... It is beautifully packaged and remastered and was WELL worth the wait.

[thegrooveconsortium]

New Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox mixcloud account (with new additions)!!

An ace new site with all the PHJ mixes in one place with guaranteed working free download links.

Get your streaming from here.

Download the entire catalogue of all-vinyl mixes from here.

Check below for the new stuff available via Mixcloud/Google Drive.

Tropical Hot-Dog Night: STREAM or DOWNLOAD.

GUMBO: STREAM or DOWNLOAD.

Braziliant!: STREAM or DOWNLOAD.

In The Ethiopian Groove: STREAM or DOWNLOAD.

[thegrooveconsortium]

The Groove Consortium presents: Bubblegum 60s Christmas with Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox.

Another free Christmas gift, courtesy of good ol’ GC...

It's the third annual themed Christmas mix from The Groove Consortium! Over an hours worth of kitsch, sugar-coated pop, rock, surf and soul from the 1960s, lovingly stitched together by Paulo's Hoodoo Jukebox.

Stream the broadcast here.

Download for free here.

Introduction - The Groove Consortium (00:00:00) I Want a Girl for Christmas - The Knickerbockers (00:00:32) Frosty The Snowman - The Ventures (00:03:05) All I Want for Christmas - Huey Piano Smith & The Clowns (00:05:15) Snowman, Snowman, Sweet Potato Nose - The Jaynetts (00:08:07) Coldest Night of the Year - Twice As Much & Vashti (00:10:42) Dear Mr. Claus - Paul Revere & The Raiders (00:14:16) Hooray For Santa Claus - Milton Delugg (00:16:22) Yulesville USA - Rockin’ Stockings (Billy Lee Riley) (00:18:52) Twinkle Toes - Lenny LaCour (00:21:30) Christmas Everyday - The Miracles (00:24:12) She's Coming Home - The Wailers (00:26:35) Santa Claus, The Original Hippie - Homer & Jethro (00:29:40) Christmas Is My Time of Year - The Christmas Spirit (The Turtles) (00:32:23) I've Fallen In Love With A Snowman - Millie Small (00:36:00) Children's Christmas Song - The Supremes (00:38:19) Reindeer Ride - Roger LaVern & The Microns (00:40:58) Dancin' With Santa - The Trashmen (00:43:54) The Wildest Christmas - The Boys Next Door (00:46:20) Winter Wonderland - The Funk Brothers (00:48:20) Christmas Day - The Beach Boys (00:50:52) Ain't Getting Nothing For Christmas - Sonny Freeze (00:52:34) Frosty the Snowman - Jan & Dean (00:55:28) Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - The Galaxies (00:57:33) Christmas Calling - Valerie Masters (01:00:25) Christmas Trumpets / We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Ray Anthony (01:02:44)

[thegrooveconsortium]

The Groove Consortium presents Alt. Disko.

A revised, remastered and extended journey through post-punk’s varied topography... Free of course.

Delving into the alternative and darker-side of your usual 70s/80s disco fayre; Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox has served you up an all-vinyl turntable platter of New Wave, Krautrock, proto-Hip-Hop, Electro, Synth-Pop, Post-Punk and No Wave.

Your Alternative Disko lasts just under three hours and is spread across three parts; so plan your moves well and occupy your chosen dancefloor… be it in kitchen, lounge or headphones.

Stream here.

Download for free here.

Part1:

Cluster & Eno – Broken Head [00:00:00]

Laurie Anderson – From The Air [00:03:04]

Mantronix – Bassline [00:07:33]

Suicide – Radiation [00:12:45]

David Bowie – Breaking Glass [00:15:42]

Liquid Liquid – Groupmegroup [00:17:20]

23 Skidoo – IY [00:20:37]

Bramsam – Move Your Body [00:24:59]

Can – I Want More [00:29:25]

Shriekback – My Spine (Is The Bassline) [00:32:41]

The B-52s – Mesopotamia [00:36:22]

James White & The Blacks – Almost Black (part 2) [00:39:55]

Pulsallama – The Devil Lives In My Husbands Body [00:43:00]

Tones On Tail – Go! [00:46:14]

Part2:

Pete Shelley – Homosapien [00:00:00]

Devo – Freedom Of Choice [00:04:18]

New Order – Face Up [00:07:31]

Malcolm McLaren – Double Dutch (12” version) [00:12:26]

Mistafide – Equity Funk [00:16:29]

Defunkt – Melvin’s Tune [00:21:44]

The Fall – Totally Wired [00:24:16]

Bush Tetras – Can’t Be Funky [00:27:32]

ESG – The Beat [00:30:12]

Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Sports Spootnicks [00:33:04]

Tom Tom Club – L’Elephant [00:36:50]

Gang Of Four – Not Great Men [00:41:26]

Echo & Bunnymen – With A Hip [00:44:20]

Buzzcocks – Late For The Train [00:47:18]

Iggy Pop – Dum Dum Boys [00:49:52]

Public Image Ltd. – The Order Of Death [00:54:40]

Part3:

Grandmixer D. ST. – Mean Machine (Dub) [00:00:00]

Lou Reed – Disco Mystic [00:03:46]

The Clash – The Magnificent Dance [00:07:36]

The Jellies – Jive Baby On A Saturday Night (Radio Edit) [00:12:42]

Love Bug, Star-Ski & The Harlem World Crew – Positive Life [00:15:42]

Konk – Percussion Jam [00:20:50]

Dinosaur L – Clean On Your Bean [00:24:09]

Talking Heads – The Great Curve [00:28:57]

The Beat – Too Nice To Talk To (12” Version) [00:33:10]

Black Bird & Kevsi – On The Go [00:37:52]

Dominatrix – Dominatrix Sleeps Tonite [00:42:57]

Cabaret Voltaire – Breathe Deep [00:47:27]

The Normal – T.V.O.D [00:51:27]

Pere Ubu – Final Solution [00:54:07]

[thegrooveconsortium]

Telepathy in The Midlands

The Groove Consortium & Mighty Fuzz’s Sonic Saturday discussed (gig photos by Gregory Muldoon).

After several years of being a crowd-side pundit, I finally managed to help put a Thee Telepaths gig on.

It's something I'd been keen on orchestrating for some time, but daddy-shackles and other life hindrances always persisted that I be left in the punter position rather than being able to hold my head up and say "I had something to do with the fact that all you audience people are left grinning and partially deaf".

Being a big romantic of gig aesthetics, I ended up spreading myself too thin on the night. I’d planned in my head that it would be great to see them do their show locally for the first time in ages; as well as cover the DJ duties and come out of 6-string retirement to assist the support act… Birmingham’s ever-excellent A Noble Ghost. It made total sense to book Mat Storer’s amplified guitar set alongside Thee Telepaths’ sonic cocktail, so I make no regrets. Mat was also accompanied by a cracking rhythm section in the form of The Anteloids’ Ben and Tom Jennings (who also book and decorate an unfathomable number of local rock shows). The Brothers-in-Anteloid, along with the Thee Telepaths' projections, helped to convert Rugby's West Indian Association into The UFO Club circa 1967.

This blog has regularly held testament to the fact that I’ve loved all of their releases; but the last two Thee Telepaths records have expertly represented their live show… and they ARE one of the most incendiary live acts in the UK.

And what a show they put on that night…

Thanks to their infinite set of filth knobs, Tom and Tim Telepath created a corrosive set of guitar sounds held equal to when Swell Maps locked themselves in their folks' Solihull garage for years-on-end in preparation to unleash their noise-craft.

Vocalist, Dean, was hitting either high-octave new-wave screams, or transmitting Mark E Smiths' socialist gig-poetry during the thumping ‘Apocalypse Blues’; perfectly assisted by Vinnie’s ‘Bill Ward’ tempo changes, or four-to-the-floor Yardbirds-izm during ‘White Thighs’.

The crowd were most entertained… be they out of town fan or local CV21 muso (with the potential to walk out if sonic mustard was not cut). Everyone stayed put and all were rightly slayed by the joyousness of the cosmic rock mayhem.

Don’t ever say there’s nothing to do in Rugby.

[thegrooveconsortium]

The Groove Consortium presents Thee Telepaths/A Noble Ghost; LIVE!

After a few months of dormancy, The GC hosts another evening of social ear-throbbery.

The Groove Consortium gets back in the rock show saddle for the first time in 2017.

Sat 20th May brings two incendiary rock outfits to Rugby's West Indian Club.

Top billing is held by Kettering’s Thee Telepaths, who display the stage chops held by all great UK ‘alternative society’ acts; from early Sabbath, through Hawkwind and right up to The Bunnymen and Julian Cope. Explorers of heavy nuggets, their shows are a mixture of originality and fond familiarity merged into a melodically brutal technicolour punch. Their third EP is a stonker and at points it’s so sonically unhinged that it left the producer thinking they might all be fruit-cases! Buy it soon on CD or 12” coloured vinyl.

Thee Telepaths’ work has been praised on high via this blog before, but things have gone from great-to-greater-to-greater still during the last couple of years. The new EP and accompanying live show are just killer. Too fun to be ‘prog’; too smart to be just ‘rock’... Thee Telepaths latest stuff belongs alongside the works of Vertigo Records for its gusto and intelligence.

Riding shotgun is Birmingham’s ‘A Noble Ghost’. Band main man, Mat Storer often hops between acoustic and plugged-in album output, but tonight’s show will be rocking out all the way. Head-bobbing riffs will keep the casual audience happy, but the trademark NG smart lyricism and dulcet melodies are there for anyone looking past the filth. So, expect a noise not dissimilar to the 80’s-90’s golden-era of Creation Records, where the catchiest of tunes can be picked out behind reams of fuzz and feedback. The Noble Ghost rock outfit includes members of Rugby’s The Anteloids, which will help CV21 natives understand the live pedigree of this support act; raucous and tight and loose at the same time. Combine this rhythm section with Mat’s existential lyricism and Nikki Sudden/Jeffrey Lee Pierce hero-worship, and it’s sure to be a rock n’ roll grenade that’s sure to go off!

Merchandise for both acts will be available at the event in vinyl, CD and t-shirt form.

All vibrations will be accompanied by a light show and film projections. Records will be spun by The Groove Consortium’s Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox. Funk, jazz, rock, psych, soul and garage sides will be rotated on the fairest of the formats… worth interrupting your fag break for?!?

The poster is a fully functioning 3D brain-scape from The Groove Consortium’s twisted, pop-art mind. Dig out those old red n’ cyan peepers that you keep in your copy of ‘Off The Bone’ and get the full effect of this multilayered head twister of a flyer!

[thegrooveconsortium]

VINYL DIARIES #6: PHJ’s favourite 2nd albums.

Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox’s 20 favourite sophomore LPs.

[thegrooveconsortium]

VINYL DIARIES #5: PHJ’s favourite first albums.

Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox’s 20 favourite debut LPs...

[thegrooveconsortium]

The Groove Consortium presents a heavy dub/roots showcase...

Available for free stream/download courtesy of Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox!

Dust off the dub plates and rack up for some roots reggae... it's well over an hours worth of deep, vinyl reggae grooves from the Hoodoo Jukebox stack o' wax!

Disco mixes and deep versions can be found in this musical journey through the more contemplative side of Jamaican Head Music.

Earl Cunningham – I’ll Never Give Up (Dub) [00:00:00] Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus - None A Jah Jah Children [00:03:19] Psalms – Hell Up In A Harlem (Dub) [00:06:28] Mikey Dread – Operations Choice [00:09:55] Lee Perry & The Upsetters – Enter The Dragon [00:14:20] The Congos – Congoman [00:16:30] Dennis Brown/Dillinger – Jah Is Watching [00:21:51] Sly & The Revolutionaries – Acapulco Gold [00:25:49] Dillinger – Mind Your Own Business [00:28:49] Augustus Pablo – Shake Down [00:33:12] Burning Spear – I And I Survive (‘Slavery Days’ Dub) [00:35:47] Devon Irons – Jerusalem [00:39:31] The Heptones – Book Of Rules [00:42:26] Pablo Gad – Oh Jah [00:45:29] Brent Dowe – Down Here In Babylon [00:49:34] The Ethiopian – Empty Belly [00:53:06] Jah Thomas – Please Mr. Officer [00:55:06] King Tubby – A Closer Dub [00:58:03] Black Uhuru – Carbine [01:01:25] Lloyd Robinson – Cuss Cuss [01:06:43]

[thegrooveconsortium]

African 70s-80s vinyl mix-up!

Another free Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox download...

We all came from Africa, so it's time to celebrate the fact.

Thanks to the exceptional global crate-digging of Honest Johns Records, Analogue Africa, Soundway and Normal Records; Paulo's Hoodoo Jukebox has stitched together well over an hours worth of African-derived funk, psych, rock, latin and disco tunes from 60s-80's... all in another live turntable throw down.

Stream it here or download here... either way, it's free!!

King Somalie – Le Mongui [00:00:00] Fany Harvest – That Day [00:03:17] Gablo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo – It’s A Vanity [00:08:10] Mono Mono – Kenimania [00:12:26] Orchestra OK Jazz – A Moins Que Namikosa [00:16:56] Blo – Time To Face The Sun [00:21:05] Le Super Borgou De Parakou – Congoloaise Benin Ye [00:25:03] Joāo Cirilo – Po D’ Terra [00:27:59] Crecenio Camacho – Santana En Salsa [00:33:29] Orchestre N’ Gwewel – Mi Guajico [00:39:36] Americo Brito – Sinatado Na Prarinha [00:43:44] Les Volcans De La Capital – Dye Ka Jojo [00:46:28] Original Wings – Igba Alusi [00:51:59] Abel Lima – Corre Riba, Corre Baxo [00:58:57] Myrian Makenwha – Amampondo [01:00:56] Roger Damawuzan – Wait For Me [01:05:00] Ofege – Gbe Mi Lo [01:08:10] Question Mark – Freaking Out [01:12:19] Tidjani Kone & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo – Dfanja Magni [01:16:24]

[thegrooveconsortium]

VINYL DIARIES #4: Lizzy Mercier Descloux.

LMD is only just getting the attention she deserved, thanks to Soul Jazz Records’ New York Noise series and the Light In The Attic re-releases. Her debut LP ‘Press Color’ is a slice of French disco filtered through the New York ‘No Wave’ scene she’d inhabited. ‘Mambo Nassau’ on the other hand is one of the best sophomore albums on the planet: A more angular take on the africanised post-punk sound than being achieved by Talking Heads et-al.

Two killer releases by a much missed alternative music superstar.

[thegrooveconsortium]

DJ Mix dust-off #2: ‘Vintage Christmas’.

Continuing the divvying out of unearthed PHJ mixes from a few years back, here’s a Christmas Cracker for you all to mark the start of December...

This selection is a 60min sleigh ride through 50s/60s seasonal sides of doo-wop, rockabilly, exotica, R&B and novelty songs.

Have a pre-mixed yuletide rock n’ roll cocktail on me, folks! x

Click here to download.

[thegrooveconsortium]

The Groove Consortium presents: ‘Christmas in Jamaica’ by Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox...

Another free Christmas themed DJ set to download...? IRATION!!

The Groove Consortium wishes you an irie Christmas and a cool Kwanza with another free Christmas DJ mix courtesy of Paulo's Hoodoo Jukebox.

Have a Natty-Nativity with 67mins of Christmas culture strictly in the vein of reggae, ska & dub; downloaded for the price of just a couple of clicks of your mouse.

The running order is:

Merry Christmas - Winston Groovy Ding Dong Bell - The Ethiopians Christmas Time Is Here - The Heptones Silent Night / White Christmas - The Cimarons Winter Wonderland Reggay - Kashief Lindo Happy Christmas - Toots and the Maytals/Byron Lee & The Dragonaires Sound The Trumpet - The Wailers Santa Claus Is Ska-ing to Town - Trojan Artists Christmas Feeling Ska - Toots & The Maytals Santa Claus - Wain Nelson White Christmas - Byron Lee & The Dragonaires Reggae Christmas (edit) - Gable Hall School Choir Away In a Manger / Jingle Bells - Honey Boy Martin Irie Christmas (Extended Mix) - Freddie McGregor Christmas Time - Sugar Minott Merry Christmas, Happy New Year - Lee "Scratch" Perry & Sandra Robinson Deck the Halls (feat. Ray I & Inner Circle) - Jacob Miller Christmas Stylee - Johnny Osbourne After Christmas (Dub) - Jackie Mittoo

For your free download of this broadcast, click here. 

To stream, click here.

[thegrooveconsortium]

VINYL DIARIES #3: Django Django strike again!!

Due to my constant plundering of the past, I rarely keep as much of an eye on modern acts as I could. Django Django crossed my path when I heard them on the radio and thought DEVO had reformed... Django Django could just about ‘out-DEVO’ DEVO with their wonky new-wave ethos. They’re a real record collectors band as influences are clear without being a straight-up re-hash. New wave pop, twanging rockabilly guitars, afro-centric beats, bubbling synths and dystopian harmonies make them a joy to experience. Here’s a gushing praise I put up on their Facebook page when they released their second album... and I received positive response for it too (the clicked ‘like’): 

“Right then… I'd have been satisfied with another dose of new-wave, Devo-esque, twanging dystopian electro-pop. However, I was not prepared for a thirteen track, high-concept pop tapestry of songwriting brilliance! A far more challenging experience, yet way more rewarding. This is the record that will hopefully show the music press that modern indie bands are not just formulaic acts who mine the post-punk archives for ideas with little translation of their own; for this album celebrates the past while simultaneously interpreting unique ideas within its grooves. While I heard elements of Lizzy Mercier Descloux​ and Silver Apples​, there were many concepts that I have no comparison to whatsoever (without ever appearing snobby or over-conceptual). And at the same time I could still wig out to the tribal-house beats, twangy 'Link Wray' guitars, Sheffield 80's synth-era harmonies and off-the-chain Moog'lings (the sax was most welcome also). Thanks gents… x”.

[thegrooveconsortium]

DJ Mix dust-off #1

I’ve unearthed a bunch of old PHJ mixes from a few years back. I’m putting them all up for your listening or downloading pleasure... free of course.

Paulo's Hoodoo Jukebox delivers another all live, all vinyl DJ mix of frantic sixties R&B from wild teen groups on either side of the Atlantic.

Raucous, raw and always IN THE RED!

Click here to stream.

Click here for a free download.

[thegrooveconsortium]

Coming soon... another free Christmas broadcast from The Groove Consortium & Paulo’s Hoodoo Jukebox. Guess the theme this year (DUH!)

[thegrooveconsortium]

Cars..; the second biggest muse after women? Here’s 20 pieces of evidence to put our case across!