When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music

Almost a month through 2025 already and although there's a lot of incoming new music to be excited about, I'm still immersing myself in the albums and singles that I bought last year.

Today's selection therefore is wall-to-wall 2024 and back-to-back female voices. So many to choose from, I did an entire selection as part of my end of year round up and here are 11 more.

I got the albums by Jane Weaver and Beth Gibbons relatively late in the day, so I'm continuing to discover more about them on each listen. Others, like Ibibio Sound Machine, Xan Tyler and Jo Bartlett, I've had for some while and played and played and played them.

Isobel Campbell delivered two for the price of one, with Bow To Love available on shiny disc with a French language counterpart, Place à l'Amour. I can't choose between them, I love them both.

Of the tons of great singles and EPs out last year, the Blueprints Revisited EP by Ammonite aka Amy Spencer was a welcome discovery via a remix she did for David Holmes. David reciprocates on the EP, though I've opted here for a lovely remix by South Korean duo Salamanda aka Uman (Jimin Sung) and Yetsuby (Yejin Jang).

Anzu by C.A.R. was already a favourite in both its original version and GLOK remix by Andy Bell. Then Sean Johnston came along and delivered a couple of Hardway Bros remixes that blew the bloody doors off.

There were also a couple of international musical pairings for one-off singles that grabbed my attention. Björk (Iceland) teamed up with Rosalía (Spain) for Oral, remixed by Olof Dreijer (Sweden). Meanwhile, Tanya Donelly (USA) collaborated with Gabi Lima (Brazil) on the rousing Golden Cut. 

I've been listening to a lot of Tanya's music since I posted about her last August, revisiting her back catalogue and catching up with her 21st century music. She really is an incredible songwriter and performer.

If any of these take your fancy, click on the album/single title and buy, buy, buy!

1) Motif: Jane Weaver (Love In Constant Spectacle)

2) When You Don't (Salamanda Remix): Ammonite (Blueprints Revisited EP)

3) Reste Calme, Suis Ta Voie: Isobel Campbell (Bow To Love/Place à l'Amour (ltd 2x CD))

4) Golden Cut: Tanya Donelly & Gabi Lima (Golden Cut EP)

5) She's Got The Music: Jo Bartlett (Ghost Tapes 1 To 9)

6) Ziggy: Xan Tyler (Holding Up Half The Sky)

7) Anzu (Hardway Bros Remix): C.A.R. (Anzu EP)

8) Dejalo: Charlotte & Reinhard (Guardian Of Sleep EP)

9) Oral (Olof Dreijer Remix): Björk ft. Rosalía (Oral EP)

10) Touch The Ceiling: Ibibio Sound Machine (Pull The Rope)

11) Lost Changes: Beth Gibbons (Lives Outgrown)

When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music (45:30) (KF) (Mega)

Life Is Written In You

Having been listening to Kristin Hersh, it was perhaps inevitable that I would also be drawn to the music of Tanya Donnelly, born a few weeks earlier on 14th July 1966. Belated happy birthday, Tanya!

Tanya and Kristin first met and became friends in the 1970s, around age 8. They became step-sisters in the 1980s, when Tanya's father married Kristin's mother. 

Another significant milestone was 1981, when Tanya and Kristin formed Throwing Muses. Tanya's gone on to have a remarkable career since, with The Breeders, Belly, and a impressive run of solo albums and EPs.

Mirroring yesterday's post, here's a short selection of Tanya's solo releases, although 'official videos' are much harder to find, beyond her first couple of albums on 4AD. I've omitted The Breeders as none featured Tanya on lead vocals, but I have included a couple of classics from Belly and Throwing Muses. 

 

Oh, and Tanya also had new music out in April this year, a new song called Golden Cut, written and recorded with Gabi Lima. It's a cracker.

 

I'd also highly recommend exploring Tanya's Bandcamp page, as you will find tonnes of music, including the entire Swan Song Series of EPs and 'lockdown' cover versions of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Yazoo and Pixies as name your price/free downloads.

The Bright Light (1997)

Keeping You (2001)

Mass Ave (Pandora Whiteboard Sessions) (2013)*

Three Little Birds (Cover of Bob): Tanya Donnelly ft. Grace Bee Fisher & Harriet Pearl Fisher (2020) **

Big Love Bends Time (Live @ The Town & City Festival, Lowell, Massachusetts): Tanya Donnelly & Friends (2022)

Gepetto: Belly (1992)

Not Too Soon: Throwing Muses (1990)

Golden Cut: Tanya Donnelly & Gabi LIma (2024)

An incredible and treasured talent.

 

* I found what appears to be an official video for Mass Ave on YouTube but the channel itself ("Brian") is unavailable, so I'm not sure if this link will work.  

** Grace and Harriet are Tanya's daughters, born 1999 and 2006 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hurt In My Heart

This one happened very quickly. PJ Harvey's song came up on a shuffle and suddenly I was following a thread from one song to the other. A dozen songs later, a Dubhed selection was born.

The less obvious connection between all of these choices is that I haven't listened to the source albums in quite a while, the various EPs even more so, a timely reminder that I need to dig them out for the full experience.

 

Swansway is a gentler version of Siouxsie's debut solo single Into A Swan from 2007 and it's stunning. Likewise, the Tanya Donelly and Kristin Hersh songs, which subsequently appeared on the Lovesongs For Underdogs and Sky Motel albums respectively but which I only own due to the versions appearing on EP releases.

 

The Deep Field by Joan As Police Woman was lent to me by a friend and every listen reminds me what a great album it. As is i don’t know who needs to hear this..., the debut album from Sarah Tomberlin, a chance discovery when she supported Angel Olsen on tour a couple of years ago.

 

Rita Lynch has been a staple of the Bristol live music scene for decades and her albums have continued to capture her on-stage fire and lyrical bite, as evidenced by her eighth (I think) in 2022, Mrs. Lynch. Smile is taken from her 2010 album, What Am I?

 

Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen collaborated on a one-off single, the 80s power ballad-infused Like I Used To, so their pairing here seemed an obvious choice. I have pretty much everything that Angel has recorded; conversely relatively little by Sharon, which I need to address.

 

On a similar note, there were slim pickings in my collection for Julia Holter and Phoebe Bridgers. Both of these choices came from music magazine cover-mounted CDs and I've yet to buy the source albums in either case. Another reminder that I just don't have the time or money to keep up with all of the music that I'd like to explore more....

 

Lisa Germano first came to my attention via the Inconsiderate Bitch EP on 4AD, label boss Ivo Watts-Russell taking her debut album Happiness (at the time only released in the USA) and remixing several tracks to stunning effect before releasing it to a wider audience. Puppet is a prime example of this, the versions on the 4AD EP and album proving to be standout tracks on both releases. I got the original album many years later, which if nothing else proves that Puppet was a great song to begin with. So, what better way to wrap up this selection? 

 

1) Big Exit (Album Version): PJ Harvey (2000)

2) Les Jeux To You: Julia Holter (2018)

3) Swansway: Siouxsie (2007)

4) Smile: Rita Lynch (2010)

5) Chinese Satellite: Phoebe Bridgers (2020)

6) Nervous: Joan As Police Woman (2011)

7) Swoon: Tanya Donelly (1996)

8) collect caller: Tomberlin (2022)

9) Echo (Single Version): Kristin Hersh (1999)

10) You Shadow: Sharon Van Etten (2019)

11) Intern: Angel Olsen (2016)

12) Puppet (US Album Version): Lisa Germano (1993)

 

1993: Happiness (USA): 12

1996: Sliding And Diving EP: 7 

1999: Echo EP: 9

2000: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea: 1

2007: Into A Swan EP: 3

2010: What Am I?: 4 

2011: The Deep Field: 6

2016: My Woman: 11

2018: Aviary: 2

2019: Remind Me Tomorrow: 10

2020: Punisher: 5

2022: i don’t know who needs to hear this...: 8

The Hurt In My Heart (46:06) (KF) (Mega)

Wanted Too Much To Say No, No, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

One of the greatest pair of songs ever committed to 7" vinyl? Chris Bell's single, I Am The Cosmos b/w You And Your Sister, was released in 1978 and proved to be the only post-Big Star recordings issued in his lifetime. Tragically, by the end of the year, Chris lost his life in a car accident. A posthumous album called I Am The Cosmos, compiling these and other unreleased songs, came out in 1992. 

 

As a teenager in the 1980s, I didn't have a clue about any of this. My brother one day brought home a cassette called It'll End In Tears by This Mortal Coil. I was struck by the cover image and even more so by the music within, which in turn was my introduction to the music of Tim Buckley, Roy Harper and Big Star. 

 

I bought This Mortal Coil's second album, Filigree & Shadow, and pretty much thought that was it for 4AD founder Ivo-Watts Russell's collective. In 1991, I was walking past a record shop in Perth, Western Australia and was surprised to see This Mortal Coil's logo atop a striking image of cover star Pallas Citroen's face, eyes following me as I walked past. Of course, I had to go in and have a look.

 

I didn't buy the album until I was back home in England later that year but it included covers of both sides of Chris' single. I Am The Cosmos is recreated as a duet between Deirdre Rutkowski and Dominic Appleton.

 

It's good but, discovering the original I Am The Cosmos via a freebie CD with Uncut magazine the following year (to promote the posthumous album of the same name), Chris Bell's version is unbeatable.

I didn't hear Chris' version of You And Your Sister until a few years later. It's a beautifully simple yet nuanced performance, even more so with Alex Chilton's backing vocals. But...

 

Not just because I heard it first - and repeatedly over a relatively short period of time - but This Mortal Coil's version absolutely, unequivocally nails it. And it's all down to Kim Deal's heart-wrenching lead vocal, wonderfully supported by Tanya Donnelly's harmonies. It gets me every time. 

Others have tried - and failed - to capture the magic of You And Your Sister. Whale did a frankly awful version of the song in 1995, made even worse with a misplaced (and missed-the-point) rap from Leafnuts. Thankfully, this was relegated to a B-side. Not recommended but if you really must...

 

However, whilst it again doesn't match the sheer beauty of This Mortal Coil or Chris Bell's version, there is another cover that I like, which I'm sharing here in a live version from last December because... well, just because.

Junk Garage

Side 2 of a mixtape recorded by my friend Stuart, circa August 1991.

There was an excellent post from JC (could it be anything else?) at The Vinyl Villain on Thursday, titled State Of The Blogging Nation, which provoked a great response from readers and fellow bloggers alike. Whether we read and comment, or write and post, it's the passion for music and the tangible sense of community that keeps bringing us back. I regularly read dozens of music blogs, some of which are updated daily, others weekly, others considerably less so. I try to comment as much as possible, but it's increasingly hard to keep up, especially since committing last year to posting on Dubhed every day for as long as I can keep being inspired.

A guaranteed daily visit is Charity Chic Music as I read with awe about Stevie's latest find for mere pennies in his never' ending search for charity shop gems. Friday's post featured Pere Ubu's 1990 album Worlds In Collision and one of the two songs he showcased was I Hear They Smoke The Barbecue. This was almost certainly the second Pere Ubu song I ever heard (after Waiting For Mary) and came courtesy of another trusty tape from my friend Stuart. We'd been apart for a year whilst I was working and travelling Australia, so this was a kind of "welcome home" mixtape, summing up what he had been listening to recently.

 

Renegade Soundwave are hugely underappreciated, in my opinion. Actually, I've just realised that this is their first appearance on this blog, so clearly by me too! Soundclash and RSW In Dub were incredible sonic slabs that demanded repeat listening and whilst it was a few years before their respective follow ups, they maintained a singular sound before their premature end. Murder Music is a great example and a perfect opener to Side 2.

 

Tracks 2 & 3 were lifted directly as the opening two songs on The Island Tape, a Select magazine freebie cassette, but Julian Cope's magnum opus Peggy Suicide was an immediate purchase on my return whilst - bizarrely, in retropect - it was a couple of years later with Bone Machine that I finally bought a Tom Waits album. I borrowed and taped Stuart's copy of Out Of Time but, of course, R.E.M. achieved global domination with this, so I was already familiar with most of the songs from constant radio and MTV rotation.

 

I was largely ignorant of Bob Dylan at this time (dismissive even, given his association with The Travelling Wilburys), so it was a bold move to an 11-minute epic on, but it paid off. Desolation Row remains one of my favourite Dylan songs. Despite being 3 decades older than most of the other songs, fits perfectly , sandwiched between one of This Mortal Coil's (& Kim Deal's) and R.E.M.'s finest moments.

 

We saw The Fat Lady Sings supporting The Psychedelic Furs in 1990 and in Stuart's opinion, they were the highlight of the night. He's followed them and subsequently singer/songwriter Nick Kelly's solo exploits ever since.

 

I've tweaked the playlist slightly, for practical reasons: I don't have the original album version of Aeroplane Blues, only the "LA Mix" from the Volume CD/magazine series. It sounds like a rougher, earlier mix to these untrained ears, but my box of Volume is buried in the attic somewhere so I can't check the detail.

 

I've also swapped the album version of Hang On St. Christopher from The Island Tape for the USA-only 12" version as (a) you may be less familiar with this one and (b) it bolsters the running time, which was running a bit short on the original tape.

Junk Garage (American pronunciation of the latter) is a phrase taken from R.E.M.'s Country Feedback. 

 

Junk Collage (do you see what I did there?) by me, ripped from various magazines and adverts. I can easily spot Buddy Holly and Christian Slater in there. I think the main picture was a toilet wall backdrop to a photo of a music artist, but I've forgotten who.

Some of the typeface has worn away, but you get a sneak preview of what will eventually pop up when I post Side 1. The reason I didn't go with that one today is that the tape opens with an expletive-ridden intro, but one which segues perfectly into a Neil Young & Crazy Horse track. I'm debating whether it stays, goes or is edited in some way before posting. Watch this space...it might be a while.

 

1) Murder Music (Album Version): Renegade Soundwave (1989)

2) Hang On St. Christopher (Extended Remixed Version By Tchad Blake): Tom Waits (1987)

3) Double Vegetation (Album Version): Julian Cope (1991)

4) You And Your Sister (Cover of Chris Bell): This Mortal Coil ft. Kim Deal & Tanya Donelly (1991)

5) Desolation Row: Bob Dylan (1965)

6) Country Feedback (Album Version): R.E.M. (1991)

7) Aeroplane Blues (LA Mix): The Blue Aeroplanes (1991)

8) Sexy Eiffel Towers: Bow Wow Wow (1980)

9) I Hear They Smoke The Barbecue: Pere Ubu (1990)

10) Twist (Album Version): The Fat Lady Sings (1991)

11) Safesurfer (Reprise): Julian Cope (1991)

 

1965: Highway 61 Revisited: 5 

1980: Your Cassette Pet: 8

1987: Hang On St. Christopher (USA 12"): 2

1989: Soundclash: 1

1990: Worlds In Collision: 9

1991: Blood: 4 

1991: Out Of Time: 6

1991: Peggy Suicide: 3, 11

1991: Twist: 10

1991: Volume Two: 7

 

Side Two (45:59) (Box) (Mega)