Countrymusicdisco

I missed the release of Jeb Loy Nichol's latest long player, 'Parish Bar', but I'm making up for lost time. You should too.

He's one of those artists who just keep cropping up. It started with Country Got Soul, put out by Jeb & Ross Allen on Casual Records, their label. And then, in a field in a summer, I went to watch the Country Got Soul Revue which was unfortunately cancelled so we got an hour of Jeb and his guitar. Then someone told me he was in Underwolves too. A covermount CD included his incredible bouncy folky rootsy dubby cover of Johnny Cash's 'Worried Man'.

And then he DJed at my friends Calum & Anna's wedding, becuase he lives near them in mid-Wales. As you'd least expect from someone born in Wyoming, brought up on jazz, country and punk in Texas and there for the birth of hip-hop in New York.

If this leaves you scratching your head as to what the music sounds like, then have a listen to the free MP3 he has posted on his site. The title is a clue, "Countrymusicdisco", but if you really wanted to define his unique sound, you'd a lot more letters than that.

Jeb Loy Nichols - Countrymusicdisco

Buy the new album - Parish Bar

My dad's bigger than your dad

You've got to love this cheeky cover of 'Straight To Hell' from Lily Allen.

The way I see it, she's seen MIA smash it worldwide with a brilliant lift from The Clash and some very cool percussive sound design. And, provocatively, decided to point out that it's not far short of a cover version.

Oh, and roped in her family friends. Which, when your old man was best pals with Joe Strummer can go a long way. Listen out for Mick Jones on backing vocals.


Lily Allen - Straight To Hell

Make sure you buy the Warchild record.