Dancing Mattress Productions: Mental Nomad Podcast 161: Let Us (Again) Praise Infamous Scotsmen

The spotlight today is on Gordon Bell (aka the Artist Formerly Known as Gustav Bertha), whose new album The Lost Art of Penance should already be in your music library; we'll feature a couple of songs from this album, plus a couple of previously unplayed tunes from his Gustav Bertha days. (And his birthday's Saturday!)

Here's what you'll hear today (right-click to download MP3 or to stream in a new tab or window):

Gustav Bertha: "Yesterday's Man" (from Small Adventures In the Great Domestic Wilderness)
Gordon Bell: "Chemicals and Sex"
Rilo Kiley: "The Execution of All Things" (see the the 2002 album and 2003 EP by the same name)
Nina Nastasia: "What's Out There" (from Outlaster)
Eddie Walters (see note below): "Makin' Whoopee!" (from Personalities of the 1920s, dedicated to Anji Bee)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy: "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" (from Guilt By Association)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: "Bring It On" (from Nocturama)
Raquel Bitton: "Il Ne Faut Pas Briser Un Reve" (from Paris Blues)
Noam Weinstein: "The Fence"
Noam Weinstein: "Some Escape"
Gordon Bell: "16 Candles"
Rilo Kiley: "Science Vs. Romance" (from Take Offs and Landings)
Gustav Bertha: "Jackboot" (from My Life as a Dog)
Nina Nastasia: "You're a Holy Man" (from Outlaster)

(Total play time: 1:12:18)

The 1920s recording of "Makin' Whoopee" is credited here to Eddie Walters, but that could be a mistake on behalf of the label (Van Up Records, of whom I can find little information online other than the fact they seem to specialize in recordings from before WWII) and/or Promonet ... the song was first recorded in 1928 by Eddie Cantor, and to my ear it sounds like it could be Cantor on this track, having also listened to a couple of performances of that tune by Cantor at YouTube.

"The Fence" and "Some Escape" were released as a virtual single and B-side (remember those?) at Noam's Web site. The title of today's show is a reference to episode 42, which honored Gordon (then recording as Gustav) on his birthday a few years ago. His Web site has all his albums available for sale, plus some freebies and the Way Past Bedtime podcast mentioned in today's show.

Tracks 4, 5, 8 and 14 came from the IODA Promonet and may be downloaded for free below as long as their promotions remain active; the remainder came from Music Alley or, in the case of Gordon Bell's work, are played with his permission.