Hotchpotch by KiDD

I first came across Stuart Kidd when he started playing drums with BMX Bandits at a very young age. Since then he has gone on to play with Euros Childs and Linden, whilst creating music with The Wellgreen, personal faves Dr Cosmos Tape Lab and solo under the name of KiDD.

The small label The Barne Society have thoughtfully collected the best of KiDD's solo work into an album entitled Hotchpotch that is available to stream or buy HERE

KiDD can melt hearts, Little Lucy is an ode to a friends baby girl and he sings about love being on her side. If Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub ever records a solo album then I expect it to contain something like this. Melodic, thoughtful and beautiful.

Most of the songs have a lovely laid back feeling and groove to them. The vocals are gorgeous - melodic, pure and true.

Listening to Waiting for Springtime on a cold, wet and miserable day in Glasgow was like escapism. A lofi drumbeat, gorgeous melodies and a hushed and dreamy vocal...

7am, another tired Tuesday

I'd much rather be, hiding beneath the duvet

If KiDD reminded me of Norman Blake earlier on in the album, Waiting for Springtime is the kind of song Gerry Love would....well, love!

We've been so long, waiting for springtime

It's been so long, I can't recall the last time

We felt the sun

Royal Jelly is a wibbly, wobbly, sugary instrumental that is great fun, Leave Me Here I'm Sleeping is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard this year, while Ring the Belle is more dreamy, acoustic, gorgeousness wrapped up in just over 3-minutes

The compilation closes with What Do You Think, melodica over a lazily strummed acoustic guitar and

Where do you think I'd be if something went wrong

You'd open your eyes to see I've been here all along

I'm a little late in posting the blog, so the limited yellow cassettes have sold out, but you can name your price for a download - make it a good one :-)

Beyond The Silver Sea

Disappointing Todd Rundgren gigs, Tascam 4 track cassette recorders, animal oddities, 

The Monkees, cider, children's TV shows from the 80's and sci-fi movies (good and bad)

 are all ingredients to the sounds of Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab.

Jeez - if that description doesn't encourage you to step inside Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab then I don't know what will, maybe this blog will help!

The bands debut album Ever Evolving Lounge was a favourite of mine last year; jam packed with McCartney style melodies, a lysergic take on guitar pop, a nod to the Beta Band and a glorious feeling of 'we couldn't give one flying f**k what other people are doing - this is the kind of music we love and create.'

Needless to say I have been looking forward to their follow up for a while...it doesn't disappoint.

Beyond The Silver Sea is available on silver (naturally) vinyl via Sugarbush Records and comes with artwork, a badge and also immediate download. You can also get it on CD or just opt for boring old download.

Anyway, on to the album....

It builds on everything I enjoyed about Ever Evolving Lounge and adds a little more; each song is proceeded by a narrative about our hero Max in a kind of Small Faces Odgen's Nut Gone Flake way - done in a nice nutty Glaswegian manner.

The songs are exceptional; Joe Kane and Stuart Kidd are extremely talented musicians creating some majestic moments, particularly on The Mirror's Reflection and The Star's My Destination and the closing trilogy. If their debut was perhaps a collection of songs by friends seeing what they could do, this is definitely an album.

We are introduced to Max before harmonies, beat, walking bass and a sense of urgency bring in City and the Stars that closes with classic Beatles-y backing vocals and a raucous guitar solo followed by a glorious breakdown.


The Mirror's Reflection is absolutely stunning melodic pop rock; The Beatles and Macca are in there for sure, the songwriting, playing, vocals, structure and production are exquisite. This is currently my favourite song of 2015 - genius.

The twist towards the end of Face Of Another is pure Exile Stones, raw harmonies with a country twang.

You can cry in the heart of the morning

You can cry 'til your eyes are blue

You can cry in the middle of nowhere, my dear

You can't stand tears not falling over you

The way Time Enough For Love develops and then flows beautifully is a joy, as is the dinky piano solo, while the guitar solo on The Painted Birds positively fizzles.

Meanwhile, in the narratives, Max has found a time-machine and travelled back in time to Camden in 1966; Pie, Mash and Liquor is a mash (pardon the pun) of Chas n Dave, Blur, Lovely Rita and Gorillaz.

Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab come up with eccentric ideas for songs and then use them as platforms to show off their outrageous musical talent; Storehouse Of Fools being a prime example with some superb electric guitar lifted straight from 1966.

If a love of the Small Faces influences the narration between songs, then it is also displayed on songs like Dr Chester's Pleasure; total power pop.

Meanwhile The Star's My Destination sets controls for outer space and in under 4-minutes it takes you on a trip you won't want to end, just float away, feel alright......

Joe Kane and Stu Kidd - the genius talent behind Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab

I love the raw soulful feel that Dr Cosmo's can conjure; there is a pureness that a lot of modern bands could never obtain due to over production and the use of too many programmed instruments - including drums. And also due to the fact they just aren't as talented as Kane and Kidd.

The Long Sleep soon leads into Space Dream and it doesn't get much more dreamy; the harmonies are lush and we flow to the closer and title track Beyond The Silver Sea.

Another day is gone

And you're still holding on

To a dream tomorrow just won't bring

Beyond the silver sea

Dreams don't come for free

Don't it take much time

For your dreams to fall in line

It might cost you half your mind

We can try to find

Things we want to be

Beyond the silver sea (be yourself through everything)

Ever Evolving Lounge by Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab

Word of mouth. Remember that? People making recommendations over a beer, or playing you a song at their flat/house or in their car.

Well I am still very fond of word of mouth. Give me that over Twitter, Facebook or the Blogosphere any day of the week. Actual conversations with people you know and trust.

Two people I know and trust with their musical taste recommended that I check out Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab; knowing that I like a lot of bands beginning with 'B' - Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds to name a few.

So I ordered the album via the bands Bandcamp site and a few days later it popped through my door. I really enjoyed it and had a good few listens, then put it to the side and got on with life - as you do.

Then today I decided to stick my iPod on shuffle, a few tracks were played, a few were skipped and then I settled into listening to whatever came on.

A song came on that I couldn't place. What Beach Boys album was it on? Who was singing it? Was it Brian? Mike?

None of the above; the song in question was Trading Time by Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab. Time for a blog review of this album!

Let's start with this song, a lovely slow intro eases us in; a banjo, harmonica and glorious percussion. Then the vocals - ah the vocals - absolutely beautiful, soaked in lysergic Beach Boy influences. The outro is even more beautiful than the intro.

Think that's good? Well check out The Secret Of The Tibetan Grapefruit Is...? which is Revolver crossed with the Beta Band - yeah that is as good as it sounds.

It's all across the ocean

It's all across the world

Backwards guitar, funky beats, some nice phasing and noodling on some kind of organ/synth. I have yet to listen to this track once in isolation. I need to play it again and again.

This album was recorded on old fashioned 4-track - quite remarkable when you listen to the quality. Warm and refreshing at the same time.

(Return To) Nineteen Canteen is ripe with melodies and flows superbly - very McCartney-esque. Macca has been known to cut up songs and stick them together and Dr Cosmo's do this superbly on this song. I love the section;

The weekend is over too quickly these days

The rat race is run from the cot to the grave

And it's true

It's happening to you

And the bit 3 minutes and 8 seconds in;

The sun came up

With golden rays

And chased the blues oh so far away

How long will it last?

No-one can say

But for now everything is OK

We may be right

We can't be wrong

For all we know it's been here all along

It may be that we

We just couldn't see

But for now everything is OK

Total gem of a song. The Beatles references should be no surprise to anyone who knows either of the Tape Lab - Stu Kidd (The Wellgreen, BMX Bandits and loads more) and Joe Kane (in the increasingly popular Them Beatles tribute band).

These guys can write, sing and play and they show it in full effect throughout this album. You can also clearly tell how much they enjoyed themselves when making it; the evidence is all over tracks like A Sting In The Tale and Adopt A Rabbit that open the album. Animal Man steps away from the 'B' bands. Well, it maybe puts one foot into Kinks territory!

Joe Kane and Stu Kidd, Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab

It is the second half of the album that is my favourite. Well 6/10ths of the album, beginning with the instrumental Little Curly (Travel Gravel). The duo really explore their full range of talent and capabilities with their musicianship, instruments, vocals and songwriting. It is a really joyful listen and I find something new every time I check it out.

I've mentioned Trading Time, (Return To) Nineteen Canteen and ....Tibetan Grapefruit..

Broken Star is country tinged heartbreak on the highways and the byways of romance.

The closing number Alphabetter Boogie is another song I enjoy. The duo have great ears for melodies  and harmonies and are not afraid to experiment with them - adding humour at times, bringing in all kinds of instruments at others.

All in all this is an incredible album that is available for only £6. You can't go wrong with it - honest.