After School Special: Folk Right Off

Hello my dears. How are you all? Splendid, I trust. All things British and folky this week. Just the thing to warm the cockles on a wintry February day. Wrap your earholes round this...

After School Special: Week Five



1. Kate Rusby -- Here We Come a Wassailing (Sweet Bells 2008)
2. Bellowhead -- Whiskey Is The Life Of Man (Matachin 2008)
3. Lindisfarne -- Meet Me On The Corner (Fog on the Tyne 1972)
4. Nic Jones -- Canadee-I-O (Penguin Eggs 1980)
5. Eliza Carthy -- French Stroller (Definitive Collection 2003)
6. Julie Fowlis -- Hug air a' Bhonaid Mhoir (Cuilidh 2007)
7. Shelagh McDonald -- Let No Man Steal Your Thyme (Album 1970)
8. Fairport Convention -- Crazy Man Michael (Liege and Lief 1969)
9. Steeleye Span -- Hard Times Of Old England (All Around My Hat 1975)
10. Rachel Unthank & The Winterset -- Sea Song (The Bairns 2007)
11. Billy Bragg -- The World Turned Upside Down (Between the Wars EP 1985)

After School Special: Hip-Hop, Don't Stop

Guess who's back in the mother-flipping house... No After School Specials for the past two weeks, sadly. The ever reliable URF equipment clapped out again. Ah well, I hope this is worth the wait. A hour of quality rap tuneage, spanning 1987 to 2008 but focussing primarily on New York City. There's a little streaming glitch in the midst of my Jay-Z as David Beckham theorising: I was explaining how Jigga is like late-period Becks... Not necessarily the most talented or glamourous figure anymore, but someone who knows their limitations and who, with dogged determination, affable good humour and brilliant business cunning, is able to shine nonetheless. So now you know.

As per a previous request, I'm going to start adding helpful, informative tracklistings to these posts, so listen, read and enjoy...

After School Special: Week Four



1. Roots Manuva -- Witness (1 Hope) (Run Come Save Me 2001)
2. N.W.A. -- Express Yourself (Straight Outta Compton 1988)
3. Public Enemy -- Public Enemy No. 1 (Yo! Bum Rush the Show 1987)
4. KRS-One -- Sound of Da Police (Return of the Boom Bap 1993)
5. GZA -- Liquid Swords (Liquid Swords 1995)
6. Gravediggaz -- Unexplained (The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel 1997)
7. Camp Lo -- Luchini (AKA This Is It) (Uptown Saturday Night 1997)
8. Jay-Z -- Izzo (H.O.V.A) (The Blueprint 2001)
9. Dr. Octagon -- Blue Flowers (Dr. Octagonecologyst 1996)
10. Lil Wayne -- Let the Beat Build (Tha Carter III 2008)
11. Ken Ring -- Sthlm City (Äntligen Hemma 2007)