Monochrome Set 'Forever Young'

Footage from the 30th anniversary gig at Dingwalls earlier this year on 08/10/08, featuring Andy Warren, Bid, Lester Square, Jennifer Denitto (drums), Sian Chaffer (keyboards) . Happy New Year to you all...

The great harmonica revival

Seems like everyone I talk to these days is talking about the harmonica. Not sure what this means but it could be that we might have a revival on our hands. Anyhoo here's a virtuoso piece for you to try out - Big Walter Horton's Little Boy Blue.

Smokestack Lightning

More Cadillac Records - this time Chester Burnett aka Howling Wolf. Not a bad facsimile in terms of visuals and sound maybe I can build up the courage to watch the whole movie. Hard to imagine the Chess story in isolation - there was a whole load of labels and artists but I suppose this is a movie not a book. Chicago Breakdown by Mike Rowe from 1973 is worth tracking down though it's long out of print - you'll need the library loan system but maybe it might get a reprint if people get interested in the Chicago Blues scene. Another book to have is Blues Records 1943-66 - a complete guide to 20 years of recorded blues by Leadbitter and Slaven. It tells all the session details, musicians, dates songs of all the post war classics. Maybe a bit trainspotterish but I found it useful.

ESG 'Moody'

Scene from a 1989 movie called the Vampire's Kiss depicting that great band in the background. It's a great way to be immortalised, being in a movie playing in the background, I wonder if there's enough for a short season of clips?

Adam and the Ants 'Press Darlings'

My sister bought us the Adam Ant autobiography on talking book so we've been enjoying - if that's the correct word - listening to him cataloguing his unusual life. It's a great opportunity to perfect the impression...

Psychotic Reaction

Before Susan starting singing and we became Animals and Men we were briefly a 3 piece called Psychotic Reaction doing a couple of covers like 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and a few self penned ones like 'I'm being Buried alive'.

Thought you might like a laugh and see Geoff me and Nigel (left) in our punk rock glory....check the strides....

Elvis 'Blue Christmas'

I am the least christmassy person in the universe so I am sort of the anti-christ-mas - santa is my satan - but here's my favourite festive song (after Toxic Sonic's I can't stand Christmas) as a way of wishing you a speedy return to normality. Dont forget to listen in to the Bad Detectives on Frome FM tonight

40 Days and 40 Nights

Here's a clip from the new movie Cadillac Records depicting Muddy and Little Walter recording. It's not how I imagined they would be dressed in that era but what do I know? Actually I'm sort of dreading watching this movie for some reason...

Vintage Bad Detectives photo

Image from Newton St Loe in about 79 - that's Charlie dancing...check the BDs out on the radio on Christmas Eve.

The Spirit trailer

The comic based film to see this season methinks

Faintheart

This is a new comedy movie about a Viking reenactor who loses his girlfriend and then has to win her back. Watch the trailer and see if you think it's any good.

70 Gwen Party 'The Power Elite'

Hooray! Someone has uploaded more 70 Gwen Party - we love this mid-90s band and Susan is gradually picking up their back catalogue on vinyl for silly prices on ebay - it seems really strange that such a great band is so unfashionable but we don't mind though - 99p for the Devil Wrapped and Ginsung buried' LP? Utter madness...

Bad Detectives on the radio tonight

Hopefully the Frome hit factory will be spinning their festive hit 'Cadillac under the Christmas tree' - text em email them and tell them hi from your corner of the world.

12-14-2008 22:30 at Frome FM

An internet only edition of The Bad Detectives Radio Show. Listen live at www.fromefm.co.uk from 10.30pm - midnight.

Cadillac Records

Geoff spotted this one and its my now must-see movie that's in theatres. It's simply the Chess story. Is that enough for you? It's got Beyonce in it (as Etta James) and characters like Little Walter, Muddy and the Wolf are represented in the movie. If that ain't enough for you then god save your miserable soul...wiki on the movie

Ike's Instrumentals

Maybe you're having a get-together this season and you don't know what to play... know what my suggestion is? Ike's Instrumentals by Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm on Ace - it's just the bees knees to get people moving and a grooving. I would kill to play like Ike with his spangly twanging and tremolo arm bending. The backing is top-notch too...sort of your ideal fantasy backing band. Few people can be considered geniuses in my book - it's a term too often used for plagiarists but Ike was one and we should thank Ace for delivering this perfect package for us to start popularising the cult of Ike.

animals and men in the garden

Found this old photo from about 80 - that's Geoff holding our kittens - what was going on with his hair? Navy barbers I suppose. Sue tries to duck out the photo...me looking stick thin - those were the days.

Radiators from Space 'Television Screen'

One of the great punk 45s this version from 2004 is slow enough so you can hear the lyrics, the original is much faster, I know cos I still play it on my stereo. Still excellent though.

The Residents 'I'm Not Crazy'

Our son is off to London this sunday to see the Residents - here's a sample of their live show from earlier this year - hope he has a good time.

magic hat

Our favourite Seattle radio show The World is a Drag "Tune in weekly Saturday mornings from 9-11 at rainydawg.org" sent this out image with a bulletin the other day - it's hilarious and I felt I had to share it with you lot...

Death of Odetta at 77

Someone who was synonimous with the beat generation and one who did the definitive version of the House of the Rising Sun has died. Watch her in 2005 performing it.

Rip Rig and Panic 'Go Go Go'

A sort of Bristol band - a spin off from the Pop Group they were sort of annoying and brilliant in equal parts. This features Neneh Cherry who became a big star in the late 80s. See what you think.

Ike and Tina 'Bold Soul Sister'

Lovely performance from 1970 - funny as the styles of the women are similar to what you sometimes see these days - or am I wrong? Watch them do Land of a Thousand Dances in 1969 here

'Cadillac under my Christmas tree'

Frome's own music factory The Bad Detectives have a Christmas track on the free album 'Black Christmas' available to download for free from Bizarre Mag. Also features Billy Childish and the Flaming Lips and many other people who are pretty famous and Jonathan King. Should get you in the festive spirit.