Autumn Sweater

Trust me #43
Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

It's time, if you haven't done so already, to dig out your Autumn sweaters. Your hoodies. Your cosy jackets. And, whether you know the song or not, why don't you listen to Yo La Tengo's beautiful Autumn Sweater from their 1997 album I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One.

It's one of my favourite songs by the New Jersey band who have released 16 albums since forming back in 1984. 

Autumn Sweater has a lovely dreamy and psychedelic feel to it. An organ sound underpins everything, allowing for a variety of beats and percussion over the top. This was the beginning of the band starting to experiment with electronica, doing so in a way that just felt very natural. They didn't lose their essence, they just added to it.

Is it too late to call this off?

We could slip away

Wouldn't that be better?

Me with nothing to say

And you in your Autumn sweater

Ira Kaplan's vocals are sublime, captured perfectly by Roger Moutenot who produced the album. And check the Kevin Shields remix as a bonus!

Autumn Sweater

Autumn Sweater (Kevin Shields remix)

A list of all previous songs I've blogged about in my Trust Me feature are listed below, along with links to each blog.

I've also collated them all into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

Never Ending Mixtape 13

Lou Barlow

Welcome to a second edition of the Never Ending Mixtape for September. I've been travelling by train quite a bit lately and this allows quality time to listen to music. So through August and the start of September I added more songs than normal to the Never Ending Mixtape playlist on Spotify.

There is a real indie-guitar vibe to a lot of the songs listed below. Lou Barlow is represented by Sebadoh and Folk Implosion, The White Stripes have 2 songs - the beautiful We're Going To Be Friends and the raw soulful and brilliantly titled Forever For Her (Is Over For Me), Yo La Tengo have 2, there is a cult fave by Camper Van Beethoven, Creation Records are represented, we have 3 from The Lemonheads, a beauty by The Go-Betweens, a rush of guitar pop brilliance by Sugar, some electro by Miaoux Miaoux and Happy Meals and some great new tunes I discovered by Girl Ray and The Courtneys (video at the end of the blog). Oh and Edwyn Collins is in there and Gerry Love's side project Lightships - and much, much more!

I hope you enjoy these songs. Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or click on the link HERE. Scroll down to discover these songs, or dive in anywhere.


Skull  - Sebadoh
Insinuation - Folk Implosion
We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes
Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) - The White Stripes
I Heard You Looking - Yo La Tengo
Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo
Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet
Low - Cracker
Take The Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven

Almost Prayed - The Weather Prophets
Cut Me Deep - The Jasmine Minks
Stove - The Lemonheads
Into Your Arms - The Lemonheads
Mallo Cup - The Lemonheads
Crazy Town - Velocity Girl
Spring Rain - The Go-Betweens
If I Can't Change Your Mind - Sugar

Cannonball - The Breeders
Pacer - The Amps
Don't Shilly Shally - Edwyn Collins
Stop The Clocks - Miaoux Miaoux
Altered Images - Happy Meals
Trouble - Girl Ray
Somebody - Dream Wife
Silver and Gold - Lightships
90210 - The Courtneys

Never Ending Mixtape Part 4

The Monkees kick off the 4th instalment of the Never Ending Mixtape with their psychedelic masterpiece Porpoise Song (Theme from Head). I remember reading about Head as a teenager - did The Monkees really make a crazed LSD inspired film co-written by Jack Nicholson?

YES - and it is even crazier than it sounds.

Moving on from The Monkees we also have some psychedelic tunes by the likes of the Polyphonic Spree (who have performed Porpoise Song with The Monkees), Flaming Lips, Ride and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

You'll need to go down to the 50th song to start this section of the Never Ending Playlist embedded below, or start from the beginning! Or you can play each individual song below.

Porpoise Song - The Monkees

Wanting to feel, to know what is real

Light and Day/Reach For The Sun - The Polyphonic Spree

Seeing The Polyphonic Spree live is a little like a religious experience for me. It's not just their robes that led to some people questioning if they're a cult; it's the sense of freedom in their songs, asking questions and searching for answers, being positive, being reflective, being true to themselves and seeing how far they could take it.

Race For The Prize (remix) - The Flaming Lips

The Soft Bulletin is an incredible album. This song used to (and may still) start Flaming Lips sets. I remember seeing them at the Barrowlands and Wayne and his band were their own roadies - true punks - they saved money when touring by sorting their own equipment. They burst on to the stage with fans dressed as animals, confetti, a light that Wayne swung above his head and played this glorious song. 

The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

OOH haven't listened to this in years, what a tune, what a groove. I love everything about it, the vocals are strained and soulful.

I'll Be Around - Yo La Tengo

Just sublime, what a gorgeous riff and feel to this song.

French Disko - Stereolab

Stereolab were beloved by John Peel and that is how I discovered them. Unique punk pop with a psychedelic (disco) edge. One of those bands that can transport you away from reality to get lost in their music, grooves, imagery and imagination.

Dream Baby Dream - Suicide

Suicide were on of those bands that loads of my favourite artists would mention - Bobby Gillespie, Norman Blake, Duglas T Stewart.... among others (later on James Murphy). I first heard this on a free CD given away with Mojo/Uncut many, many moons ago and instantly fell for it.

Keep that dream burning

Dream baby dream, forever

Touch - A Certain Ratio

Not a band I am very familiar with at all but I've just finished reading Peter Hook's Substance book and I wanted to take some time to check them out. This is funky as funk. The band would regularly venture to New York and the disco/club scene had a HUGE impact on them.They play Glasgow in February.

Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order

Have to include New Order as I've been listening to them a lot recently while reading Hooky's book. This and Temptation are my real favourites.

Lips Like Sugar - Echo and the Bunnymen

The Bunnymen's Songs To Learn And Sing is a sensational (compilation) album. The belief, ambition, arrogance and audacity of the Bunnymen transpired to songs like Lips Like Sugar - incredible.

Leave The All Behind - Ride

Ride were really young when they burst on to the scene with a string of EP's that led to their debut album Nowhere. It was only with the release of second album Going Blank Again that I discovered them. This just blew me away; over 8-minutes of blissed out guitar psychedelia.

Everything Flows Podcast 2

Thank you very much to those of you who listened to the first Everything Flows podcast and for your positive feedback.

I really enjoyed recording it and would like to record a few podcasts a month if time allows, so here we are on number 2 which you can listen to HERE.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch via email if you would like me to email this to you.

Good Vibrations - The Troggs
Altered Images - Happy Meals
Don't Fear The Reaper - Rose McDowall
Breakaway - The Frank Popp Ensemble
Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun Boy Three
Believe Me, I Know - The Pictish Trail and Jo Mango
Snow - Miaoux Miaoux
I Heard You Looking - Yo La Tengo

Top 10 Teenage Fanclub covers

Cover(s) of the month #5

Teenage Fanclub have never been shy in terms of wearing their influences on their sleeves. The band have released countless cover versions on b-sides or one-off singles and played them regularly at their shows.

I got into the band as a 15-year old, thirsty for discovering all kinds of music. I couldn't have picked a better band than the Fanclub to fall in love with - and they were from Bellshill, just up the road from Carluke! The Byrds, Dylan, Neil Young, Big Star, Alex Chilton, The Beatles, Madonna,  The Velvet Underground, Yo La Tengo, Sebadoh....all artists covered by TFC.

My favourite? - well it is either Free Again which they released on an extremely limited 7-inch (and I have one) or this - an absolute romp through The Byrds Feel A Whole Lot Better on the White Room.

I decided to compile my favourite ten cover versions performed by Teenage Fanclub. Here they are with links to the Fanclub version and also the original.

Unfortunately there were no links to their cover of Association by International Airport (details here) so that isn't included but it is well worth tracking down if you can.

Top 10 Teenage Fanclub covers

1. Feel A Whole Lot Better
Norman and Gerry take turns on lead vocals, the Fanclub at their joyous best. The Byrds released this as the b-side to Mr Tambourine Man - also covered by Teenage Fanclub.

2. Free Again
What a tune, a romp through the Alex Chilton song, an artist truly loved by the band.

Norman on stage with Alex

3. Don't Cry No Tears
A Neil Young song released on the b-side of the Everything Flows CD single. One of the first songs I ever learned to play on the guitar.

4. I Heard You Looking
Absolutely f**king beautiful. Almost 13-minutes of instrumental genius on this cover of a Yo La Tengo song. Released on the Neil Jung (alternate version) CD single.

5. Burned
Multi-format releases in the 90's was the perfect excuse for Teenage Fanclub to record a cover version or three. This, the original was by Buffalo Springfield, was on one of the Sparky's Dream CD's and Gerry Love just sounds like he is loving singing it.

Gerry Love - back in the day

6. He's Be A Diamond
This just flows superbly - perfect for Teenage Fanclub. Originally by The Bevis Frond.

7. Take The Skinheads Bowling
I used to have a couple of Fanclub cassette bootlegs, including a brilliant one from the Reading Festival when the band played this. A cover of a Camper Van Beethoven song. Just brilliant.

8. It's So Hard To Fall In Love
A brilliant Sebadoh song that the Fanclub covered on the bonus disc released with Thirteen. This disc also featured a cheeky romp through Goody Good Gumdrops by The 1910 Fruitgum Company.

9. Mr Tambourine Man
I loved the Reading Festival bootleg I had. Teenage Fanclub came on stage, played an instrumental and then introduced themselves by saying 'Hi we're called Teenage Fanclub and this is a song by The Byrds.' I bought The Byrds greatest hits that week and subsequently discovered Bob Dylan.

10.  Like A Virgin
Guitar pop punk rip through the Madonna classic - what's not to like?!