Rip it up and start again and again and again.

So it is now officially the 'fall'. The leaves are turning brown; I'm hooked on ESPN America and the post- season; and Mrs. Den is due to start her maternity. I'm hot off an e-bay frenzy and some pick ups from Rare & Racy- including the great 'Aberystwyth Mon Amor'. There were no obvious hot tracks this week so I've scratched around for some of my recent faves, including a welcome return to Earl 'Who is Dave and why has he stolen my voice' Okin.

I got this on a cheapo Kent LP (sans sleeve) back in '98 on a night where I wore an ill-advised suit and ended up bringing up my lunch all over a stranger's bathroom floor. That aside this is a nice slice of blue-eyed pop/soul in a mid-tempo. Always brings back memories of that evening in Doncaster 12 years ago. I now nowt about this dude other than his brief period under the lights in Wigan during the pop- craze..

Jay Traynor- Up and over

I snarfed this one up t'other week in Chorlton alongside a slew of other good Decca R n B. I'll be spinning this tomoz down the Washy. Nice to hear some Fem UK R n B for a change. Great pipes on Kim on this B from c '64.

Kim Davis- Feeling blue

And my final choice is another delve into past posts with one of Den's favourite lunch time guests: Earl Okin. Whilst this man can talk, he talks the talk and walks the walk and dresses like a King. Here is Earl's own take on that dweeboid noughties 'classic'. All together now....'Her boyfriend's a DICK'...

Earl Okin- Teenage dirtbag

And so at the mo I'm making my way through the surprisingly good and not at all cack 'Aberystwyth mon amor' which mixes an alt. universe (which is always good in Den's book) with a Chandleresque noir. This combined with a recent v/o attempt has Den coming over all noir this week. Check it out folks- I'm told there's another 4 in the series!

The shivering fits

So another visit to Den's Den...I was down at The Lyceum to see the fantastic Ida Barr burlesque show on Sunday night which gave me not only the shits and giggles but plenty of material for this here blog. We've got tracks, we've got girls and we've got magic. What more do you want?!

This guy flips my wig. Not only did he write the previously pimped on this blog "Stop and you'll become aware" by Helen Shapiro but he's a peachy-keen cabaret geetar player with a fine line of patter for the ladies. This guy looks like that arch-Tory Maurice Saatchi but don't let that give you the heeby-jeebs: he's as smooth as a baby's ass with a voice to match! There's nothing on offer here to download but if you search for him on Itunes there are free downloads of the Earl Okin show, capiche! Do it! Search the web for the equally fab "Bessie". All-together now..."Get that FAT arm offa me!

Earl Okin- My room

I don't care what people say about Tom Waits- he sounds like Dylan after eating a bowl of barbed wire, he tries too hard, he's pretentious etc...this guy can pull off the white blues trick pretty well...and we all know how tricky that can be. Wig out to this prime slab from '85.

Tom Waits- Union Square

And so on to The Puppini Sisters, sisters they ain't but they sure can play. Yup, they murder a few modern tracks on the two LP's they've churned out but this is one of their own and should point the way forward. What kind of a schlub would jilt these dolls?

The Puppini Sisters- Jilted

So Den watch the above-average Judd Apatow flick "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (surely they could come up with a better title than that stinker...) last night and you can forget about the blondie from "Heroes" and tune your peepers into the receptionist Mila Kunis. Maybe it's cos Den is holidaying in Hawaii but she gave me the shivering fits...not a bad flick but it's a shame all receptionists are slick-back haired polyester-suit wearing desk-jockeys instead of this Russian delight!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall trailer

So there was this Ida Barr thing on at The Lyceum and there was plenty o' good stuff with Den took up in the front row but he was particularly taken with the fantastic Ursula Martinez. Now Den ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer and he though actual 'magic' was taking place when apparently it's down to a large fake thumb...can you spot it? This women's got balls!

Ursula Martinez- Hanky routine!