Since I ran a Blur concert the other week, and made mention of the fact that there was an intense popularity battle between them and Oasis (mostly press generated, one imagines), it was only natural I follow up with an Oasis concert to balance things out. Oasis were something of a huge worldwide phenomenon lasting a good ten years before dissolving into sibling bickering and fist fights between the Gallagher Brothers, who founded the band in the early 90's and eventually ended by not speaking to each other since 2009. While they were in their heyday they did manage to crank out a large amount of completely memorable (if not somewhat derivative of another huge worldwide phenomenon of another generation, The Beatles) songs and sellout venues in just about every corner of the globe.

In the odd event you missed them the first time around, or were otherwise preoccupied, here is a concert from that heyday period, given at Earl's Court in London on November 5, 1995.

The concert is complete and runs over 90 minutes. So, as is my custom to do with the Newstalgia Mid-Week Concerts on Wednesdays, I am splitting this one in half as well. With the first hour (give or take) on the top player, and the last 30-45 minutes on the bottom player.

The sound is absolutely wonderful and the band are in obvious fine form. You can't go wrong with that.

Enjoy.

If you haven't been over there, BBC 6 Music is celebrating their 10th anniversary. And if you don't already know, BBC 6 Music is one of the best, if not THE best radio outlets in the world.

So needless to say, they've been celebrating all week with a ton of live concerts, including this one from Florence + The Machine recorded live at Alexandra Palace in London just this past week (March 11th). It's the full 90 minute set without interruption and sounding amazing as most BBC 6 Music concerts tend to be.

Do yourself a favor and get over there and plug yourself into their streaming player.

In the meantime, here's Florence + The Machine to get you started on your weekend. Or at least keep it going.

A band whose name may not initially ring any bells, but certain key people involved do. The Tourists were a short-lived Punk/Post-Punk band featuring singer Annie Lennox and guitarist Dave Stewart. Together from 1977 until 1980 (just after this concert, by the way), The Tourists were moderately successful, but nowhere nearly as successful as The Eurythmics who emerged when the former band dissolved.

Here is one of their concerts, recorded by The BBC in 1980, and one of the last the band would perform together before splitting. The voice of Annie Lennox is unmistakable and it's interesting to hear in this early stage of her career.

The Tourists were a good band. Guided by the excellent and forward-thinking production of Conny Plank (whose work in the early 70's was closely associated with many of the ground-breaking German Progressive bands a the time), they were a cut above a lot of what was going on at the time and, in retrospect would be considered overlooked, had it not been for the remarkable success of Lennox and Stewart as the powerhouse Eurythmics in the early 1980's.

But that's another story. For now, it's The Tourists live in concert.

Only a slight departure this week from our usual diet of high-voltage, high-energy, high-volume Rock. Melanie is one of those artists who have bubbled under the radar for a number of years. Initially regarded as a kind of homage to Flower-Power, her music has withstood all sorts of flight-of-trend and has maintained its integrity throughout it all.

This weekend it's a concert recording made by the BBC in 1975, which ironically was her first appearance before their microphones, live at The Paris Theater.

Slowing the pace down a bit - quieting the noise from an otherwise really noisy weekend (you know what I'm talking about) and paying tribute to a Woman and her timeless art.

We do what we can.

I thought I'd offer a dose of Madchester tonight via a 1990 concert, recorded at Blackburn featuring the one and only Charlatans (or Charlatans UK if you don't want to confuse them with the pre-Dan Hicks 1967 band) by the BBC.

One of my favorite bands of the 90's who I remembered very well seeing in 1990 and realizing something interesting was brewing in the UK again.

They've gone through a number of personnel changes over the years but have weathered most of it pretty well with lead singer Tim Burgess still fronting the band. The latest word is they are planning on a tour in the Spring with confirmed dates in Tokyo and London. Fingers crossed they show up on the West Coast.

But in case you missed them the first time around, crank this one up and enjoy in the meantime.

The Boomtown Rats this weekend, recorded live at The Hammersmith Odeon in London, April 1982.

A high-energy set - and that's a hint to play it loud.

Enjoy the weekend. Keep it real.

Taking a break from Radio Transcriptions this week and offering commercial recordings instead. This one from Bela Bartok's longtime assistant and champion Tibor Serly, who conducts the New Symphony Orchestra of London is Bartok's Deux Images for Orchestra.

It was recorded at Kingsway Hall, London on August 1950 and was originally issued as an early lp (BRS-305)

The work is in two parts - "In Full Flower" and "Village Dance".

Back to 1977 this weekend with a live concert from the Paris Theater in London featuring The Jack Bruce Band. Recorded by the BBC in April 1977, this was the Jack Bruce Band from the How's Tricks period which featured Hughie Burns, Tony Hymas and Simon Philips and was part of the tour promoting that album.

Play loud and enjoy.

A taste of Soul tonight by way of London and the Queen of UK Soul, the amazing Beverley Knight. Recorded live at the BBC Radio Theatre in London this past Thursday night (July 14th), it's a great show by a wonderful artist backed by a kickass band.

Considering the kind of week it was, this is the perfect antidote to a nervous breakdown.

My suggestion (just sayin') is to turn this one up and get crazy. The neighbors won't mind. They may actually join you.

We're here, we survived Carmageddon (those of us in L.A. where it was a non-event) and we demand the right to party.

Back over to London this week for a concert recorded live at The Paris Theater by Badfinger from August 6, 1972.

One of the great and probably most chaos-ridden bands of the late 60's and 70's. One of the premier bands on the fledgling Apple Records label and certainly one of the bands given the blessing of The Beatles, they had all the earmarks to become an enduring and successful band in the annals of Rock. But bad timing, fortunes and horrific mis-management conspired to create one frustrating scenario after the next resulting in disillusionment, dispair and eventual suicide for two of Badfingers founding members.

But in 1972 they were riding the crest of a very high wave and this concert, recorded by the BBC, gives ample evidence of just how good they were and what they were capable of becoming.

If you've never heard them, now's your chance. If you have heard them, now's the time to get reacquainted.

Here's a rundown of songs performed:

Badfinger - Paris Theater, London - August 8, 1972
1. Better Days
2. Only You Know and I know
3. We're For The Dark
4. Sweet Tuesday Morning
5. Feelin' Alright
6. Take It All
7. Suitcase

Enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the show.