a pair of brown eyes

With a nod, perhaps, to Van; porcine, disagreeable bastard that he is (albeit quite excellent). If you’ve ever seen the video for this one you might recall Shane MacGowan scrabbling in a trench puddle for his eyes. Or is that just a figment of a whiskey fueled half life ? I can no longer remember.

i’m a man you don’t meet everyday

This is quite possibly my favourite Pogues song, culled certainly from my favourite Pogues’ album, a traditional arrangement delivered with stunning clarity and understatement not by Shane MacGowan on this occasion, but by the incredibly beautiful Caitlin O’ Riordan. This is forever a New Year’s Eve staple in my house. Beauty, of course, will burn

high tea with uncle vernon

Tom Waits: Farfisa organ, vocalsLarry Taylor: double bassStephen Arvizu Taylor Hodges: parade drumsMichael Blair: percussionWilliam Shimmel: accordionBob Funk: tromboneMarc Ribot: guitar ▼ TOM WAITS: CEMETERY POLKA from “Rain Dogs” LP (Island) 1985 (US)PURCHASE RAIN DOGS

i am damo suziki

Written by Mark E. Smith, Karl Burns, and the beautiful Brix Smith. ▼ THE FALL: I AM DAMO SUZUKI from “This Nation’s Saving Grace” LP (Beggars Banquet) 1985 (UK)PURCHASE THIS NATION’S SAVING GRACE

goin’ back to miami, part iii: moving to florida

is it in my eye ? Continuing our Florida Fantasy theme spread over the last couple of days, here’s Gibby Haynes and fellow upstarts stirring things up in the mid-eighties on their second studio EP. “The EP was originally released on Touch and Go. It was also included with CD editions of Rembrandt Pussyhorse in

william s. burroughs

paging dr. benway! Jon mentioned somewhere that Burroughs was on a list of beatniks he met. I can’t remember where, but drop in on his site Poetry Is For Assholes. It’s an interesting visit. The following track is from Gus Van Sant‘s 1985 release, “the Elvis of Letters”, produced shortly before he dropped music in