Shawn Phillips

Sue Thomas just twittered

longhaired girl in black wetsuit skateboards down the middle of my empty suburban street holding the lead of a dog running along beside her

I remarked that it read like the beginning of a poem or the title of a Shawn Phillips song. Sue agreed on the poem, but asked "Who is Shawn Phillips?" This prompted me to share a little about him here, since many of you seem to share my taste in music, if you haven't heard of him before, he might prove an enjoyable discovery.

Wikipedia describes Phillips as "virtually forgotten except by his cadre of loyal fans". I guess I must be one of those, then!

I first discovered his music when my best friend at college accidentally bought his Second Contribution album, thinking it was something else. We both fell heavily in love with it and I, for one, have never recovered.

Here he is singing the most ridiculously named song in the whole world, which is my favourite (the title notwithstanding!): She Was Waiting For Her Mother At the Station in Torino and You know I Love You Baby But It's Getting Too Heavy To Laugh.

There is a load more of his stuff on YouTube. Check it out.