Wednesday 7 December 2011

Andy Miller's Top 10 Tracks from 2011 (Dodgy Advent Calender)

Here's a list from Dodgy guitarist Andy Miller on what tunes have rocked his boat in 2011, somethings old, somethings new, somethings borrowed and somethings sounding pretty damn fine - over to you Andy...

01. THE WEIGHT – The Band
The Band were and are in many ways 'the band' and have rediscovered this song on the road with Dodgy this year, it's a lovely song and is always one of the inspirations for me to pick up a guitar and play along.

02. HONEY ALL OVER - Gruff Rhys
The first time I heard Honey All Over by Gruff Rhys earlier this year, I thought 'What a great tune, why don't I put this on a playlist if anyone asks' and here it is. Top marks for this video as well...

03. THEME FROM THE PERSUADERS – John Barry
You cant' beat a good instrumental and John Barry certainly knew how to put together an instrumental, he sadly passed away at the beginning of the year but won't be forgotten while his tunes like this are around.

04. DEVIL TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN - Band Of Skulls
Band Of Skulls proving that the south coast of England (Southampton) can produce rock and roll that's dark and dirty, just how I like it. This is  a great tune and the first single apparently from their new album due next year, recorded at Rockfield Studios, where Dodgy have been known to lay down a few tunes in the past, most notably when The Stone Roses were in the studio next door...

05. COST OF LOVING – Dogs
Recently discovered and got hooked on Dogs (the band ;-) - great band shoulda been bigger! A crime of this music industry! Me doth protest.

06. CHAMPAGNE AND REEFER – Muddy Waters
This year, last year, next year, Champagne and Reefer is always welcome. Grooving, no need for a middle eight - why bother? Found this video though - were there no bouncers to stop the skinny chap stage invasion?

07. FREEDOM – Jimi Hendrix (Live at the Isle of Wight)
This Jimi Hendrix record was one of the first I had in my collection at 15 years old. Could not stop playing it then and still keeps blowing me away today - there's been a lot of talk about the Isle Of Wight Festival recently and of course *ahem* if asked, Dodgy would love to play in 2012 alongside Bruce, Noel, Petty Tom and ... The Christians.

08. YOU SAID SOMETHING - PJ Harvey
This particular track reminds me of living in Nantes in France with my ex-band Hey Gravity (M.A.S.S.). Great time lovely friends there. PJ won the Mercury prize this year for Let England Shake - by all accounts it's a mighty piece of work and a deserved winner, it's on my Christmas list but haven't heard it yet, perhaps when I have one of the tunes will make my list next year.

09. REVENGE – Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse feat. Wayne Coyne
Another great tune discovered this year - apparently, my friends in the know tell me, to get a single in the upper reaches of the UK single charts these days you have to 'feature' someone who's not in the band but rarely do collaborations come off as good as this - had to be included.
Dangermouse has also produced the new Black Keys album 'El Camino' that has come out in the past few weeks and interested in hearing that too #andyschristmaslist

10. DOWN ON THE CORNER - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Oh, last tune already? Well it's a peach. There's rumours that CCR might be reuniting for a tour next year but in the meantime John Fogerty has very much returned after years of bitterness and record company rangles. Best just get out there and play the music eh? Mind you, this vid is from 1969 and it looks as if the record company weren't exactly providing a budget for equipment and stage clothes even then...


Enjoy my playlist as much as I've enjoyed putting it together and ... a happy Christmas and new year to all you adventers from me
Andy

1 comment:

  1. I remember seeing Dogs play a small gig in Nottingham around the time they were getting loads of air play on 6 Music. They'd got the whole Jam/Who thing going and turned in a fast and ferocious set. Like The Len Price 3 are doing now.

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