FAT FREDDY'S DROP; Wandering Eye

Awesome, cool 21^st century jazzy reggae from New Zealand. For review of album go to http://www.peppermintiguana.co.uk/SOUNDS/SONICREVIEWS/F.html#fatfredrev

Revolution by COLDCUT

Speaks for itself

Brought to our attention by Curtis Ian

BLACK BETTY: Spiderbait and the Ram Jam Band

After a brief break the daily video bulletin is back.

First track of the year is… BLACK BETTY by SPIDERBAIT

When we first heard this we started shouting at the resident teenage Iguana, how dare she play such noise? Black Betty, the version by one hit wonders the Ram Jam band, played an important part in our growing up when we were first getting into music properly and discovering life beyond the crap pushed by radio one. The track probably has a greater significance to us because of the timing, it helped open doors and send us off in search of music that today forms the back bone of the Iguana music collection, but back then, to impressionable teenagers getting their head around punk, adolescence and cider it was an eye opener.

On first listen we were outraged by the Spiderbait version, but once we got over the initial shock it has grown on us and we aim to find out more about this Australian bunch. Apparently this version has been used for the soundtracks to such films as Dukes of Hazard (a fact that we were blissfully unaware of having never seen the film).

The original version was first recoded in 1933 by James Baker and it has been covered by the likes of Leadbelly, Meatloaf, Nick Cave and even Tom Jones. You can read a history of the song here.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Betty

We could not possibly end this with out also giving you the Ram Jam Band version, so here be it..

SKETCHBEAT: My Mama Said

Interesting little outfit from London that caught our eye while surfing a while back. Look out for new album in near future

http://www.myspace.com/sketchbeat

DJ FARRAPO & YANEZ - Baiano vem Baiano Vai

We happened across this by accident, trying to track down something by Outbound and while surfing we fell off one wave only to be picked up by this little Italian gem. Just what you need to warm you up on a cold winters night
Check the man out at.. http://www.myspace.com/djfarrapo

DJ Qbert

If ya sat by your PC on a Saturday night, you MIGHT be thinking, “I wonder what all those people out having fun clubbing are up to”. Well, they MIGHT be watching DJ Qbert. We know very little about the guys doing this, but we got one hell of a scratcher and one hell of a human beat box. Love it or hate it, you cant help be impressed by it.

JUNGLE DRUMMER Vs DJ FU

Live drum and bass like you aint never seen before

Check out http://www.myspace.com/junglevsfu

SONNY J: Can't Stop Moving

Thanks to SAT for putting us on to this one. First release from cheeky Sonny J. and it is a belter. Move over Norman Cook, there is a scouser gonna nick ya crown.

For more info go to his myspace or his website.

Oh… and while we are giving SAT a plug, if you want slightly funkier Christmas, download his latest virtual chritmas mix tape on Boombox.

ANDY McKEE : Ebon Coast

This is just simply beautiful. Never heard of it till the other day when Bowlez bulletined it on my space (nice one) and blew us away. We don’t know much about the guy, but having sniffed around his website it looks like he has a few albums out and we will be tracking them down in the near future… watch out for a review!

STARING AT THE RUDE BOIS: Gallows featuring Lethal Bizzle.

Cover versions are part and parcel of music culture and there is no harm in doing your own rendition of somebody else’s song. Where would we be for instance without the Clash’s ‘Brand New Cadillac’, Hendrix’s version of ‘All Along The Watchtower’, Them’s version of ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ or Pronghorn’s version of ‘Ace of Spades’?

Some songs are to be messed with at your peril though. To do a version of the Ruts’ ‘Staring At the Rude Boys’ takes either a lot of bottle or a complete lack of respect. How have Gallows faired? Well, we think they have got away with it. It stands up on its own as a half decent record.

It is sometimes unfair to compare covers to the original but apart from making it a bit more shouty and chucking in some rap it has not wandered too far from the Ruts take on it… here on planet Iguana like the new version, but it has to be said the original still stands out as the best version.

What do you think? Stroke of genius? or should it be ten strokes of the whip?

For readers too young to remember ….

MARTIN HARLEY BAND: Carnival Girl

In contrast to yesterday’s noise fest, today’s video is more laid back, perfect for a Sunday morning. Martin Harley has been about a bit now, travelling the world and perfecting his talent. This was the Martin Harley Band’s first video and is taken from the album Money Don’t matter

Visit the M.H.B. on line

Check out a review of the M.H.B. debut album here..

ARCADIA: sick sick sick

Italian Bastard Core... 'Ardcore with a captial H

we wont be posting stuff as harcore as this very often... cos, to be honest, this is as hard as it gets!

Check out thier myspace

check out a peppermint iguana review of a gig they played in wales earlier this year.

THE DYNAMICS: SEVEN NATION ARMY

A wicked little reggae/soul outfit from France, they have a new album out but unfortunately it is only available in France. It will be hitting the shores of the UK in the coming weeks and we will be on the beach waiting for it!

They can be found at… http://www.myspace.com/thedynamicsound