Lost soul: Jackie Moore

You’re right, Jackie Moore’s not lost – she’s got her own wiki entry; and the million-selling Precious, Precious remains an oldies radio classic – but US copies of her northern dancer, Both Ends Against The Middle, are now changing hands for £25 because of the b-side Clean Up Your Own Yard.



I picked up this single 15 years ago in Hanway Street for 25p – I knew the brilliant a-side from a compilation album, and thought the b-side might just have something going for it. And how: it’s a mini masterclass in Philly soul’s hallmark of balancing the tension between heartache and floorfilling anthem.

You can get Clean Up Your Own Yard and Both Ends on Jackie Moore’s 1973 album, Sweet Charlie Babe, for a whole lot cheaper than the US single of Both Ends is fetching: typically in the UK, it’s a £12-15 album and is worth every penny. To take one song as an example: Jackie covers The Elgins’ Darling Baby and while I wouldn’t want to say it’s better than that Motown classic, it runs it very close.
Clean Up Your Own Yard

Golden Grrrls

Golden Grrrls (neat name, ain’t it?) have in Date It made a pop record of fizzing noise set to a rocking riff that will make any fan of Kid Canaveral, Standard Fare and Brilliant Colors drop what they’re doing and secure their debut single right now. It may cause older folk to stroke their chins and smile in wistful remembrance of The Fizzbombs. Pedants may point out that the a-side is Beaches, but that goes down some art rock side turning, so it’s the b-side Date It and their equally great other pop hits (New Popz, The Red Sea) that rule the school. Pre-order it (out late Feb/early March). Date It by Golden Grrrls

Dignan Porch

Dignan Porch have a knack for writing pop songs that are short and odd and great (like Guided By Voices) of fucking around with compulsive noise (like Times New Viking) and sounding like they’re playing songs backward while moving forward (like Woods).

Last night they plugged in the songs from their excellent Tendrils album and set off on a course of psychedelic madness and pop magic.

If Dignan Porch raised the roof off the Windmill then headliners Weekend tore noise pop a new arsehole. They rattled the gates of hell, danced with the devil and were fucking phenomenal. You have to see this band. And if you haven’t already bought Sports, then you must and play it LOUD until the police are called.

DIGNAN PORCH // On A Ride from theartof agency on Vimeo.

Eux Autres

Broken Bow was the moment when Eux Autres got everything right on an album. Favourite track? There are so many! It could be Queen Turner for its wall of sound or Go Dancing, which is fabulously deep and dirty with a musical nod to The Vaselines’ Rory Rides Me Raw. I love all of the songs on this record. Today, though, You’re Alight – T-Rex play girls in the garage (dear Miss Coppola – take note and put Eux Autres on the soundtrack to your next film) – triumphs because a video’s been made for it ahead of their European tour.

Floyd Lawson: Roof Top Sugar

Floyd Lawson – a Motown alumnus who released the Stop The World: We Wanna Get Off album in 1970 – is back in business. Roof Top Sugar is a brand new single which brings the funk and for anyone with love for hammond organ and break beats (this is going to be sampled, no question) this presses all the right buttons.

I Ain’t Going Nowhere on the flip brings the pace down to midtempo and is just as strong. Hopefully, the title is a hint that Floyd Lawson is back for the duration. If there’s an album of material matching this quality, form an orderly queue behind me at the record shop.

La Sera and Dan Michaelson gig

La Sera (aka Katy Goodman or Ginger Vivian Girl if you will) hits the UK gig trail this month. Seeing how difficult it was to secure the Never Come Around 7" when it was released yesterday (first three shops I placed my order with had sold out by the time I checked out) the tickets won't stay around too long.

Support at the Lexington gig on 20 February comes from Dan Michaelson ex-Absentee - you remember: Schmotime was the best album of 2006 (according to my rule book, anyhow) - who's going to be playing in the acoustic styling, so the bill is a win-win.