Well a bit of week for your selector this past week. Hideously boring, that never changes, instead I had a few changes put before me such as a change of position, office and team at work. Yeah that, and I decided to throw on top a couple of my own for good measure, such as giving up the ciggies, and other fun habits that make life more interesting (though needed to go).

"I'm not a nobleman, I am a rastaman, I am the righteous one..." Glorious glorious reggae stylings on the upload today. A fresh add to my music knowledge base, and I've been jamming this one the TSID soundsystem for a good while since. Doubt I'll ever be able to fully explain what this music does to me, and just does to the soul. But for all the reggae fans out there, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Sorry people. I've not had much on the player, or on the car stereo this week, and haven't really been feeling very musical at all! Still I do have a good old list of music ready for posting, though I thought I put 'em on the back-burner for a little while longer and instead smash things up with a bloody massive crowd pleaser instead.

And so it's back to 1972 that we go with this stunning 8min 46sec trip down into a psychedelic wonderland of much musical merriment. Normally I'd tend to avoid anything associated with the psychedelic label, though this one really is quite special and so fully deserves the short bit of your time required to really let the track work it's magic. Awesome guitar, great vocals, top drumming and an organ combing to great effect.  As good as it gets really...

I was browsing for an ideal Valentines Day track, and seeing ELO's "Dont Bring Me Down," immediately had me thinking that this was the right choice for me. It's all in the title! I think that this may well be my 8th consecutive year wherein I've had no lady friend to see the day in with. Oh well there's always nnnnnnnnext year. Famous last words. Too all of those with their special one today - all the best!

Got no link at all with tonights tune of choice. I was just in the feeling for some Punk, and so after a good trawl through what I could offer, I then settled on this tale of first time sex from UK rockers - The Boys. Actually, as I think of it, I did share a great conversation with a mate about his first time this weekend just gone, so there you go. Bushes, mud, dirty jeans... A true romantic. Top job! Enjoy.

Man am I enjoying Cowboys International! Certainly the big buzz band 'round my manor right now, thats for sure. Of course as usual this is for me a 2009 discovery, which is a pretty massive 30yrs after the release of their debut record back in 1979. So no memories, no special moments (as yet), and so no stories to tell. All I can say is cheers to Optimo for the band heads up.

Bird is the word! Well it is today at least with this little funk record by 50's-70's era Sun/Stax label man Rufus Thomas. Yes that and also my surname is Bird, and so I've kind of adopted the tune in as one of my own official anthems. The same can also be said for the legendary Trashmen track that I briefly namechecked in my opening sentence, and video linked below!

A pretty damn terrific little sort of Soul type jam from Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff today. All thanks to my need for a "Venti Cappacino to go," that I ordered from a Starbucks across the road from Columbia University a couple of days ago.  You see they had this playing over the tannoy while I was standing in line to make my order, and the job was done. Love at first listen! 

How very very excited I am to be posting this today! I was turned on to these Japanese rockers via a Youtube link that I was mailed a couple or so months back, and what a result that turned out to be. Those readers regular to these pages will know that it's all too common for me to eulogise at length about almost every track I post, and this time around I really could go into one... but I wont. Just try this tripped out psychedelic beauty on for size, and see how you go.

Hey Jim, Jim, just a minute y'all. I want to ask you somethin' I want you to spell somethin' for me Jim. Can you do that? Sure John. But I want you to spell for me New York. John, why you ask me to do that? I just want you to spell New York, Jim. Well alright, I'm gonna go ahead man. N-E-W Y-O-R-K, that's New York man. No Jim, you've made a mistake, Jim I'm gonna teach you the right way. And the proper way to spell New York.

Quite a lovely day in an around London Town these past two days. Not exactly the warmest, though sunshines a definite. Reason enough for me to sign, seal and deliver this fitting tune by Afro-Caribbean (via Britian) funksters Osibisa. Feel good music right here people, so dont let the World Music title scare you, as it might have done for me. TSID hoping never to let you down!

You know I almost missed (well did miss actually) the 1yr birthday of this fine music blog that we all know and love : This Scene Is Dead! Yes peeps, the 27th of September 2008 saw things kick off for the very first time, and now one year later we've crossed a bit of a milestone really. So yeah a day late, but not too late in my opinion to big up the occasion.

Now I hadn't actually planned on dropping this Mo-dettes post punk bomb on you this evening, though it was in searching for the release date of the track that I then stumbled upon this super rad Youtube video clip that you see linked below, and I just had to throw it up and share it with you all. Scuzzy 80's style DIY video in full effect. Lovely stuff.

Bit of bonus for you readers. TSID are running a two for one deal on Boney M singles this evening, as tonights subject actually seques into another hit Boney M single : Rasputin. 10min and 38secs of aural delights from 1978 for you. Me, I'm all about the Nightflight to Venus with it's next level drumming, that robotic voice, the space flight take-off sounds, the female lyrics, the light but effective power guitar chords and it's all there!

Re-affirming TSID as one of the best on the net with this 1976 Stiff Records rock and roller from Nick Lowe, who's basically telling the story of my life here with "Heart of The City." On the contrary it's a worthy round of big up's to site regular DeEbO who recently returned from a blinding New York trip having actually found exactly what the track describes. Top job son. Wish me well! Anyway all, do please enjoy todays upload which is aptly tagged with my Best of British tag.

Some more Optimo based goodness for you all today. It honestly took me soooooooooooooooooo long to find this 1979 release track. A real battle it was, though in the end the internet came correct with this mp3 copy that you'll be hearing today! The recording isn't that great, though is very much in keeping with the quality of the original product.

Wicked & wild, this is rastafari style... Stepping back in time 33yrs to 1976 with this product of Lee "Scratch" Perry's legendary Black Ark studios. I've actually got the album playing in the backround as I type this, and I have to say that it's a hard decision choosing a song from what is a start-to-finish set of quality recordings.

Wow I knew there was a lot to say about this legendary Italian, though I've admittedly been caught by surprise at by just how much he really has had a hand in. Besides his own brilliant works, as demonstrated for you here today, he has either produced, collaborated with, or soundtracked the following artists, musicians, films, events etc etc... Donna Summer, Sparks, Top Gun, Phil Oakey, Chaka Khan...

This is the 2nd of only two tracks I know from Magazine. The first being 1980's "A Song From Under The Floorboards," which is great, and of course todays premium ROCK! feature : Shot By Both Sides! The track was released in 1978 as the very first single by the band, who themselves had formed following lead singer Howard Devoto's departure from another equally ace band : The Buzzcocks!

Timely link upload! Mind you there's probably a number of other sites out there taking the easy road here, what with the planned G20 protest marches dotted in and about the City of London today. Getting home tonight and turning on the telly, I've not seen much exciting about todays events at all really. Seems like everything more or less went off peacefully, and though I dont support any of their causes I'd still like to have seen a little action on the box.

I got a great comment today against a post that I did a couple of months back covering the fantastic reggae tune "Black Star Liner," by Reggae Regular. What set this one apart from all the other comments received thus far was that this one came from the actual producer behind this 30yr old release. Kind of made my day that, as I was still sitting in late at work and thought I'd just check in on my site quick before packing up for the day.

UK readers may well recognise this 1970's classic as the backing to the Boots advertising campaign, that's been running for about the last 2 or so years now. It's thanks to the same campaign for bringing this beauty to my attention, and for that I am very grateful! And I guess the K-Doe family are also a little grateful, as it was off of the back of the ad's that "Here Come The Girls," got a UK re-release. Not bad going for 38yr old record. Burn K-Doe Burn!

Digging into the personal memories here today, and quite a deep set that this man's music has formed a part of at that. A nobody to most, is our man Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, but to a lot South Africans and Australians he is a genuine musical hero. His is the story that most definitely, and accurately, defines that classic term of "cult hero." And to find out why, I would like to suggest that you click this Wikipedia LINK to read more.

"Robert Plant would sometimes introduce this at concerts by saying: "This song is for our families and friends and people we've been close to. It's a song of love at its most innocent stages." " - well that's what I cribbed from another site this evening at least! And it made for a nice intro to what is a really great, and seemingly not all that well know, Led Zeppelin song.