I don’t have anything very specific to say today, but nevertheless I’ve got a few minutes to spare, so let’s see what we can come up with….

Just about my favourite new album at the moment is by Tunng, and it’s called ‘Mothers Daughter and other Songs’, and it’s available on Static Caravan records. It’s an understated home-made masterpiece which takes beguiling, distinctly Wicker Man-esque, folk songs interspersing timeless romantic imagery with off-kilter contemporary references, and mixes them with equally beguiling, distinctly Richard D. James Album-esque, skittering glitch patterns. And it’s totally lovely and brilliant. That’s about all you need to know really – if the above sounds like your idea of a good time, I’d advise you to check it out.

It has sad historical significance for me too, as probably the last great record I’ll ever buy as a direct result of hearing it on John Peel, on one of the last of his programmes I listened to.

Also pleasing my ears is the RTX album ‘Transmaniacon’ (Drag City). Despite the group’s name, it’s a great attempt by Jennifer Herrema to build a post-Royal Trux identity for herself, and it immediately proves it’s more than just her politics that are conservative – all of the Trux artier, noisier, druggier elements are kicked out in favour of totally unreformed rock classicism of the highest order. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, this shit sounds like Blue Oyster Cult and Kiss! Only louder and dirtier! Hell yeah!! But Jennifer and her new pals are true Children of the Rock, and anybody who thinks there’s even the slightest hint of pastiche or kitsch here clearly can’t see the wood for the trees, and should probably ditch the self-analytical hipster shit and spend some quality time in the countryside with a good stack of ‘70s vinyl. It’s a very ‘studio’-sounding album – the vocals keep getting covered in echo and stereo panning – just because it’s cool! - while the drums are big and boomy and the guitars churn past in an almost machine-like spiral of artful riffology. Surprisingly, this slickness works really well, blasting out of the speakers fresh and true in our age of sloppy garage-noise supremacy. Basically, this is elegant, mountain-hewn, bad-ass heavy rock with the growling lady from Royal Trux on vocals and… WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? GET IT!

One of the people who has been getting a lot of play on my stereo over the dark winter evenings is the late Townes Van Zandt. I picked up a two CD retrospective of his career just before Christmas after hearing his song ‘Waiting Round to Die’ on a mix tape last year, and those of you familiar with his work will know what I mean when I say I’m too staggered by it’s singular quality to find anything to say about it. To call him ‘the Leonard Cohen of Country’ would be a pretty dimwitted comparison, but nevertheless it’s the one that keeps springing to mind. The fact that maybe about a quarter of his songs are fairly insubstantial throwaway c’n’w numbers may put some off, but the other three quarters are absolutely stunning in their foreboding beauty and plain old “THAT’S how you write a fucking SONG!” workmanship. His standing as a country cult hero may be well established, but the legacy of his songs and performances should entitle him to a much, much bigger part of the cultural landscape than that which he’s currently assigned. Or maybe not. Maybe it’s best if music of this quality isn’t dragged back from the dead and shoved in our faces every time we open a weekend paper or go to HMV? Maybe it’s best if we leave these things for the people who really care to stumble upon or seek out at their leisure? Discuss.

It would take a thousand Conor Obersts a thousand years of caterwauling to produce the equivalent of the impact of a single Van Zandt song. That’s not a diss, that’s just plain fact, but nevertheless I had a chance to hear the new Bright Eyes record (the not-electro one) the other day and, hmm, it’s none too bad – he’s still got an ear for a good tune, but he’s also a lot less angsty and melodramatic than he used to be – the songs seem more thoughtful, less self-obsessed.. there’s a slight early Dylan feel to the proceedings – a pleasant surprise.

It was one of Leicester’s regular big, awesome Record Fairs last weekend. So primarily, another chance to furtively load up on illicitly trafficked promo CDs for £2 apiece. Yes kids, it’s just as unethical as file-sharing, but more expensive, more time-consuming and with much less choice! It’s not big, it’s not clever, but it still beats the hell out of a visit to HMV.
Find-of-the-Fair award goes to Pete, who somehow managed to score Slayer’s ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ for only £1! Dude! I got some fine vinyl from the Fuzztones, the Scientists and Loop for a total of £6, which is OK I reckon. Loop are fucking cool.