Anyone heard anything about this?!

According to this story, which was mentioned yesterday at NME, Orange Juice are reforming.

Does anyone know anything about this? Couldn't find out anything at Edwyn's site, but it would be great. Be interesting to know which members would be rejoining. Edwyn obviously, but what about Malcolm, Zeke, James...?

Orange Juice -'Blue Boy.' mp3

Great Scottish-set films

Finally saw Hallam Foe yesterday, an excellent film set in Edinburgh.

It's quite fun, sitting down watching films and recognising your (adopted) home town in places recognising many of the sights. And as usual, a story that is very different from your own life. Dark in places, but very funny in others. Very much worth checking out. And if you didn't want to see it, just because the last time you saw Jamie Bell he was in Billy Elliott, then shame on you!

An excellent soundtrack, not all scottish indie, but three fantastic tracks that I think everyone should hear:

Orange Juice - 'Blue Boy.' mp3

Franz Ferdinand -'Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow.' mp3

Sons & Daughters -'Broken Bones.' mp3

Other great scottish set films would include: Restless Natives, Sweet Sixteen, Local Hero, Gregory's Girl, Shallow Grave, Trainspotting...oh and I've never seen Brigadoon or Greyfriar's Bobby.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend...

Orange Juice-You Can't Hide Your Love Forever

For today, I would like to focus on what is my second favourite scottish album of all time, behind the Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy, and one of the best debut albums ever.
This album was released in 1982, and was Orange Juice's official debut, although many of the songs had been intended for a debut album on the seminal, legendary Postcard label that would not appear until 1992 as Ostrich Churchyard. With their influence noticeable on many Glasgow bands of now, such as Wake The President and Bricolage it would be great to hope that people would go and investigate and buy the album...if they could get their hands on it.

Unfortunately, this absolute classic of an album is not currently available on any format in the UK, neither CD nor vinyl, nor is it downloadable at iTunes or eMusic. In all seriousness, I think Polydor (or whichever soft drinks company it's part of now) should make this album available to buy again. It's like the insanity that prevents many seminal works being out of print be they music, film or the written word. Why? For the meantime, I will post it here for the next two weeks. To me this is a work of art, beautiful songs and something that lovers of 'indie' music (and I mean that in as many senses of the word as possible) should hear.

The influence of this album can be heard in The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian, The Delgados, Franz Ferdinand...and the Smiths.

Never heard it? Well, now's your chance, if you don't have the money to buy a hugely expensive import copy: I have used my USB turntable to transfer it into mp3 format. The vinyl's in pretty good nick, though there may be the odd crackle here and there. As John Peel used to say 'life's got surface noise.'

'Orange Juice - Falling And Laughing.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Untitled Melody.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Wan Light.' mp3

Orange Juice - Tender Object.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Dying Day.' mp3

Orange Juice -'L.O.V.E. Love.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Intuition Told Me (Part 1).' mp3

Orange Juice -'Upwards And Onwards.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Satellite City.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Three Cheers For Our Side.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Consolation Prize.' mp3

Orange Juice -'Felicity.' mp3

Orange Juice -'In A Nutshell.' mp3

DISCLAIMER: I freely state here and now that I do not own the copyright to this recording, so if you download this in a country WHERE YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BUY IT, THEN SHAME ON YOU. If you download this and like it, please buy the album if it becomes available again.

UPDATE: Since I did this post, JC over at the Vinyl Villain has put together a post which has the opportunity to acquire everything Orange Juice ever did, pretty much, with money going to charity. You have therefore, twenty four hours to get the mp3s off here without giving any money, but I'd rather you went to this post and found out how you can help.

Ed, March 2, 2008

Links now removed -get thee to the Vinyl Villain's blogspot!

Ed, March 3, 2008

Scots indie! Part 2

The Vaselines

Just a quick post, but felt like posting some classic eighties scottish indie.

From Perhaps, which may be the most underrated scottish record of the eighties.

Associates -'Breakfast 12".' mp3

The Fire Engines were a big influence on many scots bands, perhaps most notably Franz Ferdinand. I will post the split single that both bands did here at some point...

Fire Engines -'Candyskin.' mp3

OK so Psychocandy is the definitive scottish record of the eighties, but let's not forget that there were some fantastic records afterwards too.

Jesus and Mary Chain -'April Skies.' mp3

I've posted this before, but it had to be part of this post. Just sheer class. Post-punk meets indie. Oh yes, oh yay...

Josef K -'Sorry For Laughing.' mp3

Their second single on the legendary Postcard label, and my favourite song of Edwyn Collins' ultra-cool scottish heroes.

Orange Juice -'Blue Boy.' mp3

Later covered by Teenage Fanclub, the Pastels, still going in 2007, are fantastic. I met Stephen Pastel earlier this year, the most down to earth and shy musician I have ever met.

The Pastels -'Nothing To Be Done.' mp3

A huge influence on Nirvana, who covered this and two of their other songs, the Vaselines might well be Scotland's answer to the Velvet Underground.
The Vaselines -'Son Of A Gun.' mp3

If you like these tracks, seek 'em out, goddamit!

150th post!

Hi there.

well, it's continuing to be a journey as I get my head around the technology, but I thought I would give you ten great tracks from five great bands, to celebrate my 150th post here at 17 Seconds.

First of all, what better way to start than the song that gave this blog its title and the first hit for my favourite ever group The Cure

The Cure-'Seventeen Seconds.' mp3

The Cure-'A Forest.' mp3

Buy Seventeen Seconds here

Next up, rumours have been flying across the blogs that these guys might reform. Having missed them thr first time round, it would be kinda cool... The first track is from their debut ep Ride, and the second is from their debut album Nowhere. The coda on Vapour Trail is just gorgeous.

Ride-'Drive Blind.' mp3

Ride-'Vapour Trail.' mp3

Buy OX4-the Best Of Ride here

These guys have gone from squat punks to post-punk visionaries to new pop to hip-hop to...still bloody amazing. This is their first single, from 1978 and their excellent 1981 single, which features the keyboards of one Robert Wyatt. bear in mind, if you haven't heard any Scritti pre-'Wood Beez' you may be takken aback.

Scritti Politti -'Skank Bloc Bologna.' mp3

Scritti Politti-'The 'Sweetest Girl.'.' mp3

Buy Early by Scritti Politti here

You can never have too much Scottish indie (certainly not as far as this block's concerned!), so the next brace is the first two Orange Juice singles, released on the seminal Postcard label:

Orange Juice-'Falling And Laughing.' mp3

Orange Juice-'Blue Boy.' mp3

buy The Glasgow School here

Finally, one recent purchase was the first two, re-issued Ian McCulloch albums, now re-issued on CD with bonus tracks. The first track here is the album Candleland's first single, and the second is a re-recording featuring none other than Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. Enjoy!

Ian McCulloch-'Proud To Fall.' mp3

Ian McCulloch featuring Elizabeth Fraser -'Candleland (The Second Coming).' mp3

Buy Candleland here

As always, support the artists involved. These links will be up for one week only. Cake, anyone?