Liz Brasher (pictured) | Baxter Dury | AIR CREDITS | Yazmin Lacey | Real Feels

Episode Four of 45rpm selections

1. The ‘Charm Offensive’ – Liz Brasher: “Body of Mine”

Overview:
I mean, it’s that drum intro. Do I really need to say anything else? Unfussy, dirty blues rock from North Carolina. In and out inside three minutes, too. Hot.

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2. The ‘Military Coup’ – Baxter Dury: “Miami (Dennis Bovell Dub)”

Overview:
I can’t really listen to this too much or it starts to awaken the serial killer fantasist parts of my psyche. That bass line is the most sinister thing I’ve heard since Bjork’s ‘Army of Me’ and the vocal delivery from Baxter – son of Ian of “… and the Blockheads” fame – Dury is cool as fuck too (witness opening lyric, “I don’t think you realize how successful I am”). But there’s tonnes of other cool stuff going on in there too – INXS guitar licks, drums that sound like they’re falling down a flight of stairs and a strings arrangement that sounds like a pit of writhing pythons. Nasty.

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3. The ‘Peaceful Protest’ – AIR CREDITS: “SAFE ROOM”

Overview:
Air Credits have created a concept album (Omega Virus) in which humanity has almost completely wiped itself out and, in this song, the protagonist is trying to stop someone he loves from leaving their ‘claustrophobic’ safe room for fear of the red mist outside the window. As a Dad, I’m starting to relate to the whole concept of protecting someone vulnerable who may not feel like they want protecting. And for that reason, despite the distorted, mechanized beats and vocals I find this song – and rapper, ShowYouSuck’s anxious pleading – surprisingly human and affecting. I can genuinely listen to this and feel love and fear in equal measure.

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4. ‘Guerilla Warfare’ – Yazmin Lacey: “Black Moon”

Overview:
This girl’s a favourite of Gilles Peterson, which makes me think she’s probably gonna be massive in the very near future. And it’s not hard to see why; she’s got a rhythm section that’s tighter that a crab’s arse, world and jazz inflections coming through the percussion and brass and a great pop voice to back it all up. Sassy.

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5. The ‘Quiet Riot’ – Real Feels: “Minor Silverstein”

Overview:
Although Spotify is saying this is from a musician called John Raymond, him and the two guys whom the song ‘features’ are actually a band called Real Feels and Minor Silverstein is a cut from a live album they dropped last year. I love the way they blend the acoustic and the electronic without ever being obvious about it. They’ve also got a great tone to each of the instruments individually and a sense of melody that can sometimes get lost in jazz music – particularly when performed live. Towards the end this could almost be mistaken for the Cinematic Orchestra. Praise indeed.

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The Outro:
And so we reach a cease-fire for this week. Click here to listen to the 45 RPM Spotify Playlist in full.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), feel free to engage in dialogue with me @45rpmPodcasts on Twitter.

The silence is broken again next week when I’ll return with five more selections for your consideration. Until then, thank you and go in peace.