Late last year Yo La Tengo released a single ostensibly as a war protest. They covered the Sun Ra track "Nuclear War" with serveral different versions. A thing I really like about the single was that they captured Sun Ra's percussive tendencies. As one Sun Ra album states "As all Marines are riflemen, all members of the Arkestra are percussionists." The most interesting version is the one where Yo La Tengo are joined by a group of children who join in the chanting: "It's a motherfucker. Don't you know. When they push that button, your ass gotta go. It'll blast you so high in the sky. You can kiss your ass goodbye.", Please also check out the original Sun Ra album Nuclear War, which was reissued last year, and keep an eye out for a new Yo La Tengo album shortly.

Pretty much on Edgar's advice I bought Terry Gibbs' Plays Jewish Melodies In Jazztime. Terry Gibb's plays the most maligned of jazz instruments, the vibraphone. The album pretty much does what its title suggests, being a swanky blend of jazz and klezmer. This album is also noted for it being Alice Coltrane's (then Alice McLeod) recording debut; although her name is spelt as Alice Hagood in the credits and as Alice McCord in the liner notes. For a more radical project along this jazz meets folk/world, check out Chalie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. The vibraphone is also not as daggy as its reputation has it. Listen to Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch for its use in a more avant-garde setting and on one of the greatest jazz album ever.

Some recent purchases: Yo La Tengo Nuclear War, John Fahey Red Cross, Cul de Sac Death of the Sun, Cult of Luna The Beyond, Bucket Full of Teeth I, II, III, James Chance Irresistible Impulse, John Coltrane Bye Bye Blackbird and The Paris Concert, Sonny Rollins Saxaphone Colossus, and Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies In Jazztime.

Looking forward to: Terry Callier live

...and so I join Pete and Bek as Missing Link bloggers. You can check here for music I dig, and probably some that peeves me. I'll most likely harp on about old and new jazz, old (and some new) punk, a bit of country, folk and singer–songwriter stuff, some pop/rock-oriented releases, and maybe even some electronica. Um... that does sounds too eclectic, but the older I get, the broader my musical tastes grow. I'll also write some things about technology and music, music and politics, and technology and politics. I'm interested in computing technology and the increased digitisation of the world. Who knows, I might even give a rant on why I hating blogging.;-)

I look after the Missing Link web site, which is in its infancy. Even so, I hope to see it undergo quite rapid growth over the next few months. Feel free to let me of problems you encounter while using the site.

So, Icons of Filth have got a brand new album, which was a big shock to me. I really dig their work from the early 80s. They don't vary it up much; however, their uncomplicated crusty punk style is all right by me. Besides, their music may not be too arty, but those releases in the 80s had some of the best punk artwork around, I reckon. The band seems to have the same singer and guitarist in Stiggy Smeg and Daffy respectively. The new album retains a similar feel to the earlier work, i.e. mid-tempo crust. The singing is a bit more adventurous, but there aren't really any attempts to make the band sound contemporary. Overall, though, I would go for the older material, but its good to see new material from one of the best of British punk.

While Icons have stuck to their punk roots, the members of the Dirty Three have drifted a long way from where they were in the 80s. In fact, the Dirty Three have drifted a fair way from where they were in 1992, when the band first formed. The new album sees them continue on from the Ocean Songs tone with gorgeous, evolving tunes. They don't reach the ecstatic heights of earlier work (Horse Stories, for instance), but the rewards of their music now seem less cheap. I'll freely admit I love them.

Recent purchaces: Icons of Filth Nostradamnedus, Dirty Three She Has No Strings Apollo, William Parker ...And William Danced, Jackie-O Motherfucker Change and Liberation, Boris Heavy Rocks and Amplifier Worship, Still Life From Angry Heads With Skyward Eyes, Alice Coltrane Universal Consciousness and Jemeel Moodoc Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys.

Release I'm looking forward to: John Fahey, Cul de Sac