Guest blogger redux: Chris from England

Around this time last year, I featured a “guest blogger” post by my pal/faithful reader Chris in England, who regularly takes the time to make me fabulous and varied mix CDs which arrive in the mail at random intervals and never fail to brighten my day. I am a firm believer in the power of good music in your mailbox when you least expect it to make any day immeasurably better.

Chris and I have remarkably similar musical tastes (meaning his are also superb, obviously). In addition to the old-goodies he throws in, his mixes also serve as a much-appreciated barometer of what is new and interesting over in the UK and the Manchester area (often before it fully hits over here). It’s really one of the best things going in my mailbox.

Chris always sends along commentary with his mixes; he is a closet music blogger dying to get out. It would be criminal not to share all this goodness with you folks, so enjoy.

CHRIS FROM ENGLAND GUEST-BLOGS AGAIN
his comments in italics

Chelsea Dagger – The Fratellis
I am in love with the glorious stick-in-your-head nature of this song. I’d listened to The Fratellis before and wanted to write something, but nothing sums them up better than what Chris writes: “Watch out for the track from The Fratellis – a bit like Supergrass playing ’70s glam rock.” That is exactly spot-on what I hear when I listen to this -the most apt description I’ve heard yet for these boys from Glasgow- but could never articulate it so perfectly. So I’m just gonna let him introduce you to this infectiously fab tune.

No Matter What – Badfinger
“A very old song (one of the first songs I bought as a very very young child), Badfinger was signed by Paul McCartney to Apple and responsible for one of the saddest stories in rock history (two members of the group killed themselves in later life, etc). Anyway I think the song was ‘power pop’ well ahead of its time. You can feel the Beatles influence in the production.”

Silent Sigh – Badly Drawn Boy
Part of the three-song sequence of Manchester artists, Chris calls this “a wonderful singalong — the best Badly Drawn Boy song ever.” I find it surprisingly Prince-like (not a bad thing).

Emily – Stephen Fretwell
“Scarborough-born Fretwell: name-checked by Ryan Adams and a bit like Damien Rice.” Lovely and wistful and wonderful.

Dear readers, Chris and his services are available for rental if you need a great long-distance musical correspondent. Oh wait, actually he’s not — but I’ll pass along the goodness if he keeps sending me the goods.

Guest blogger: Chris from England

Being a music blogger is especially nifty when someone from your readership takes the time, after reading your post on mix tapes, to send you three mix CDs, full of aural delights.

Chris is from Tottington, England, which is in the Northwest and near Manchester (as Chris says, world famous for his beloved Manchester United soccer team, The Smiths, and Oasis).

Today (unbeknownst to him) I am letting him guest blog, with just a few of the many tracks he sent me, plus comments from the letter which accompanied the discs. I think he has a future as a music blogger!

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SOME SONGS AND COMMENTS FROM CHRIS

Six O’Clock On A Tube Stop – A
This sounds a little like Sting (when he was in The Police) fronting Green Day. I kid you not.

Back For Good – McAlmont & Butler
They are a guy who sounds like a girl and the former guitarist from Suede doing a version of a hit by an embarassing British boy band (Take That). On paper this does not sound promising. How come it’s fantastic?

Wires – Athlete
This was written about the singer’s experience of his son being born prematurely. If you know the background (as with ‘Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part’) I think it adds to the song – “first night of your life, curled up on your own.”

Oh No The Radio – Owsley
A friend said, “You like Weezer? Try this.” I did and I liked it a lot. The line about ‘singing in a hairbrush and giving Donny and Marie the bum’s rush’ cracks me up.

Mermaid Blues – Tom McRae
Critically acclaimed, zero sales, great song.

* * * * *
There’s lots of other great stuff from Chris that will surely find its way into the Fuel blog in future posts. Thank you sincerely Chris.

Chris also included a song from ‘Manchester’s finest’ (Oasis) on the mix (“The Importance of Being Idle“), and ends with a comment that he went to school with the original Oasis guitarist Paul Arthurs, known as ‘Bonehead.’

Now, I am no Oasis expert, or even a very huge fan, but of the handful of their songs that I like, one of my favorites is an extra vinyl track that a friend gave me called ‘Bonehead’s Bank Holiday.’ I love the drunken riff and sloppy singalong style. It’s just fun.

In your honor, Chris, here is that track about your former schoolmate chum.

Bonehead’s Bank Holiday (extra vinyl track) – Oasis