After School Special: Patio Songs

It finally got hot. So I recorded a musical guide to summer. On location on my patio, no less. You can practically feel the sunshine and happy vibes washing over you through your speakers. I imagine. Waves breaking on a beach, leather thudding off willow, tofu sizzling on a barbecue. All these sounds and more are evoked. This is my last radio missive for a while, so slip into something summery and get it while it's hot...

After School Special: Week Sixteen



1. The Fabulous Wailers -- Tall Cool One
2. The Undertones -- Here Comes the Summer
3. Nick Cave -- Here Comes the Sun
4. Dick Dale and his Deltones -- Shake 'n' Stomp
5. Ernest Ranglin -- Surfin'
6. The Duckworth Lewis Method -- Gentlemen and Players
7. James Yorkston -- Summer Song
8. Cam'ron -- I Hate My Job
9. Two Gallants -- Long Summer Day
10. Canned Heat -- Going Up the Country
11. Lou Christie -- Guitars and Bongos
12. Gorkys Zygotic Mynci -- Honeymoon with You
13. The Ramones -- California Sun
14. Nick Drake -- Saturday Sun

After School World Cup Special: Gooooaalllllll!

I've got World Cup Fever this week. Well, I say this week. Once more URF conspired against me last week, and cut off the stream to my show about a third of the way through. Dedicated broadcaster that I am, however, I returned yesterday to provide the remainder of the promised tunes and footy related ramblings. So, please enjoy a hour and a bit of disjointed World Cup chat and uniformly magnificent music from the tournament's host continent, Africa.

After School Special: Week Fifteen



1. The Bhundu Boys -- Chitaunhike
2. Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros -- Osalobua Rekpama
3. Mahotella Queens -- Unculo Kawupheli
4. The Mercury Dance Band -- Kai Wawa
5. The Four Brothers -- Uchandifunga
6. Udokotela Shange Namajaha -- Sobabamba
7. Irene And The Sweet Melodians -- Phelaviki
8. Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band -- Arraino
9. The Ogyatanaa Show Band -- You Monopolise Me
10. Umahlathini Nabo -- Qhude Manikiniki
11. Mgababa Queens -- Akulaiwa Esoweto

After School Special: Soul, Mate

Alright. Wall to wall sweet soul music for your listening pleasure today. Minimal chat -- minus a little read-aloud excerpt of Nelson George's classic black music treatise "The Death of Rhythm and Blues" -- and maximum tunes. Get on that shit.

After School Special: Week Fourteen



1. Albert King -- Breaking Up Somebody's Home
2. Bobby "Blue" Bland -- Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
3. Etta James -- Tell Mama
4. Tim Jacob -- Mercy Baby
5. Carla Thomas -- My Man Believes Me
6. The Carrolls -- Surrender Your Love
7. Chocolate Snow -- Inflation
8. Mel and Tim -- Starting All Over Again
9. William Bell -- I Forgot To Be Your Lover
10. Ann Peebles -- Can't Stand the Rain
11. Irma Thomas -- Long After Tonight Is Over
12. Johnny Adams -- I Wish It Would Rain
13. Stanley Winston -- No More Ghettos in America

After School Special: Cinerama

The After School Special goes to the movies this week, with special guest Will Morley -- the Monkey's Paw -- film blogger, music fan and all round wit. Soundtrack tunes, scores, theme songs etc. Quality music and fascinating insights. And quite a lot of giggling. Enjoy!

After School Special: Week Thirteen



1. Xavier Cugat -- Perfidia (2046)
2. The Slickers -- Johnny Too Bad (The Harder They Come)
3. Luis Enríquez Bacalov -- Django's Theme (Django)
4. Urge Overkill -- Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon (Pulp Fiction)
5. Wings Hauser -- Neon Slime (Vice Squad)
6. Goblin -- The Terror of Tenebre (Tenebre)
7. Glasscandy -- Digital Versicolour (Bronson)
8. Vangelis -- Love Theme (Blade Runner)
9. Paul Williams -- So You Wanna Be a Boxer (Bugsy Malone)
10. The Commodores -- Night Shift (35 Shots of Rum)
11. The Kinks -- Strangers (The Darjeeling Limited)

After School Special: Covers Uncovered (part two)

I'm back. With a working stream and everything. Covers, the return. Turned out not too shabby I reckon. Some brilliant tunes, including your new favourite band, The Great Republic of Rough and Ready. As always, thanks for listening...

After School Special: Week Twelve



1. Tindersticks -- Here (Pavement)
2. Futureheads -- Hounds of Love (Kate Bush)
3. The Last Town Chorus -- Modern Love (David Bowie)
4. Alan Price -- I Put a Spell on You (Screaming Jay Hawkins)
5. The Fall -- Victoria (The Kinks)
6. Guitar Wolf -- Summer Time Blues (Eddie Cochran)
7. Steeleye Span -- Rave On (Buddy Holly)
8. The Great Republic of Rough and Ready -- Candy Man (Reverend Gary Davis)
9. Billy Bragg -- Walk Away Renee (The Left Banke)
10. Betty Everett -- Hound Dog (Elvis Presley)
11. Dead Kennedys -- Viva Las Vegas (Elvis Presley)
12. Flying Burrito Brothers -- Dark End of the Street (James Carr)
13. The Ventures -- Perfidia (Alberto Dominguez)
14. Phyllis Dillon -- Perfidia (Alberto Dominguez)
15. Nat King Cole -- Perfidia (Alberto Dominguez)

After School Special: Covers Uncovered (part one)

Ey up me ducks. Fancy hearing an hour's worth of carefully selected cover versions complete with insightful commentary courtesy of your devoted DJ? Well, tough. The always reliable URF stream cut out after 45 minutes, so that's what you'll have to make do with, I'm afraid. Will return next week with covers part two, I guess. Ah well. Listen and enjoy anyway...

After School Special: Week Eleven



1. The Sonics -- Do You Love Me (Originally by The Contours)
2. The Horrors -- Jack the Ripper (Screaming Lord Sutch)
3. The White Stripes -- Jolene (Dolly Parton)
4. The Pogues -- I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day (traditional)
5. Mountain Goats -- The Sign (Ace of Base)
6. Scott Walker -- Jackie (Jacques Brel)
7. Eileen -- Cette Bottes Sont Fait Pour Marcher (Nancy Sinatra)
8. Detroit Cobras -- Last Nite (The Strokes)
9. Bad Livers -- Lust for Life (Iggy Pop)
10. Toots and the Maytals -- (Take Me Home) Country Roads (John Denver)
11. Tindersticks -- Here (Pavement)

After School Special: Big Fish, Little Fish...

Hello again. Sorry it's taken a while to get this one up. Dancey-electro tunes from Kraftwerk to Röyksopp via quite a lot of early '90s rave. Yeah! So put your dancing shoes and get to it. Sorry, no trainers.

After School Special: Week Ten



1. Kraftwerk -- Robots (1978)
2. The Orb -- Little Fluffy Clouds (1990)
3. Urban Hype -- A Trip to Trumpton (1992)
4. SL2 -- On a Ragga Tip (1992)
5. N-Trance -- Set You Free (1995)
6. Boards of Canada -- Roygbiv (1998)
7. Marc Smith Vs. Safe N Sound -- Identify the Beat (2001)
8. The Klaxons -- Atlantis to Interzone (Crystal Castles Remix) (2005)
9. The Presets -- I Go Hard I Go Home (2005)
10. LCD Soundsystem -- All My Friends (2007)
11. Burial -- Archangel (2007)
12. Röyksopp -- The Girl and the Robot (2009)