Inflatable Boy Clams - Inflatable Boy Clams (1981)

What a curious record. Inflatable Boy Clams was an all-female quasi-no wave band from San Francisco. Had they actually been in the scene at the time they would have fit in perfectly. It's a weird little EP, imagine a cuter and all-female version of the early Sun City Girls stuff, then you kinda get an idea for this album. It's really minimal, basically just spoken word for some of the tracks. The album has a real kind of distinctive candid and grim feeling to it. Really a fantastic album, definitely worth checking out.

See my grotesque grin
I smile for youuuUUUU

Archie Fisher - The Man With A Rhyme (1976)

Archie Fisher's The Man With A Rhyme has been a personal favorite record for about the course of a year now. Having grown up with the music of Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, I was first introduced to Fisher's contributions to some of their albums as a guitarist and producer. As a Makem/Clancy faithful and a sucker for anything on the Folk-Legacy label, I was not disappointed when I decided to pick this one up.

Archie Fisher is a renowned Scottish musician, with his catalog dating back to the early 1960s on some absolutely classic releases by Topic Records. Some of these including the monumental Far Over The Forth EP, recorded with his sister, Ray, and The Fisher Family: Traditional & New Songs from Scotland, a recording of a family get-together at the Fisher home. Fisher is a very inventive guitarist, perfectly accompanying his arrangements of traditional songs with beautiful counter-melodies and a certain dexterity that never becomes masturbatory in the slightest, unlike some of his contemporaries. Fisher is a very soft, tender and reserved vocalist, though he sings with a very strong sense of confidence. Fiddle, banjo, concertina, flute, dulcimer and cello compliment Fisher's relaxed performance.

In addition to accomplished musicianship, Fisher has a distinct knack for creating very vivid imagery in his own lyrics and is a truly awesome storyteller. A prime example of classic Fisher storytelling is The Witch of the West-Mer-Lands, an epic tale of witches and centaurs that draws heavily on traditional narrative and could very well be easily mistaken for something taken out of the Child Ballads. A personal favorite on this record is Jock Stewart, commonly known as I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day, because it makes me believe that Fisher is this larger than life character he sings about, all with his soft, welcoming delivery.

The Archie Fisher experience should leave you with a very warm and comforting feeling. In my opinion, this is one of the coziest records I have ever heard.

Be easy and free.

The Pennikurvers - The Pennikurvers (1995)

Fantastic 90's lofi emo. And when I say lofi I mean REALLY lofi. Whether or not you're a fan of emo you should definitely check this, it very well could change your mind about the genre altogether. The whole single has a very indie rock tint to it as well, but its still primarily an emo record. Superbly fuzzy and comfy, its a real shame these guys never released anything else. Either way this is and incredibly enjoyable single and definitely worth a listen in my opinion.

Link

Dome - Dome (1980)

Wonderful English post-punk band born from the ashes of Wire. When the group went on hiatus in 1980 Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis formed Dome. I kind of prefer Dome to Wire, Dome aren't really as lively but they have such a great texture and atmosphere. The whole album is very mellow for the most part, pretty minimal in fact. It's a great listen

All I could do was whistle
All I could do was whistle

Danny Gatton - In Concert 9/9/94

Now a virtual unknown, Danny Gatton was once considered a guitar God. His bouncing, playful style coupled with his stunning technical ability and liberal stage banter make this recording stellar. This is some absolutely essential rockabilly even if you're not into the stuff. Imagine if Steve Vai met Johnny Cash, this is what would come out. Gatton tears it up the whole night, and there's not a weak spot on the album as far as I'm concerned.

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