Mon, 13 October 2008  Ramblin' Man.... Happy Birthday.Listening to music makes me happy in some ways. Look, here I am listening to ... .. . good lord: Bauhaus of all things.... and I'm not in a bad mood. I actually remember Seattle '99, a studio with 5 friends. One of whom, Tom (mother' stills owes me for the phone bill) shooting coke and listening to this proto-industrial rumble. Good Times. If music was invented today they'd make it illegal. Music is an altered state in the same way that a deep conversation is mind fuck. I hear the Special's "Ghost Town" and I remember that roadtrip where I totally faked fanhood cause I hoped to get laid. How much of my current list is based off that premise? Shit, I may not be the best with the ladies, but all of them have turned me on to music which is in-arguably essential. The Pixies, The Talking Heads, Paul Oakenfold, Neutral Milk Hotel .. . I should make a list of the the sounds I got turned on to and who did it too me. Honestly, it would be a mixed bag, I should shelve that for a bit I guess. I'm pretty mixed up about all this stuff actually. Torn between celebrating and crying have I been reduced to that? I actually started to deal with deep buried emotional pain earlier this week, I might be getting to the point of maturity where I can spout masturbatory monologues of how life done me wrong and not actually be sarcastic anymore. Ah shit! Another round! Round the sun - open the bottle and let us listen to this music that I like ... . . I may never be Lester Bangs, I may yet be E. O. Wilson though. Fuck this life is getting on without me. I better lower that bar; I may never be myself but at least I won't be my dad. Danbert Nobacon - Nixon is my dentist I got my Obama shirt in the mail today. I do believe it is an omen. Got the Hope? Hank Williams III - Pills I TookThis was suggested by a certain "Mike Dunn". no no not the track - which is my own twisted sensibilty but the artist. Google on that man and I do hope you see me. BUKE & GASS - Rum for You (Edit)No thanks I'll have the wine. They Might Be Giants - The Shadow GovernmentGot their show at the Le Puisson Rouge. Man brings tears to my eyes. Cult of Sue Todd - Burn TampaTHE STAND OUT track - seriously not only do I find this in my heavy rotation but I also find myself absolutely floored over my own kick ass obscurity. Charlie Haden - Song Of The United FrontNow this cat is cutting country tracks now a days and that is fine for what it's worth. But he cut his teeth with the Liberation Music Orchestra and that is bonus in my book. Erin McKeown - BlackbirdsAlso a suggestion from Mike - now who would have thought that in my yearly return to Missoula the only hombre with an updated playlist of suggestions is a Freak Folk fan? Caesars - Jerk It OutHonest I didn't plan this. Of no bearing to this track, which is oversaturated 60's beach blanket bingo revivalism and nothing more, I must say that while in Missoula I had the chance to play a Dungeons and Dragons game with a group of Elementary Schoolers (let us just ball park the age as an average of 7) ... Carla Bruni - Those Dancing Days Are GoneNow that was exhausting and stupifiyng, good kids but they have the attention span of the cable news cycle. Now in returning to Brooklyn I may actually have the chance to play some 3.5 D&D with some local collegiate geeks. Feist - 1, 2, 3, 4If it happens it will be tough cause I know how distractions can do this to me where I lose focus on the important things and then wham 5 years later I'm wondering why I have a degree in Computer Science. Howard Hello - TelevisionWhich gets me thinking ... just how many CIS kids are where they are because of porn? I'm not saying that I wound up with this because of a brain wired in a pubescant formulation of priorities.. . . I'm just wondering. . . I don't see why it need be about me, right? Jeffery Lewis - The Last Time I Did Acid I Went InsaneWell sure ... yes yes that is the other half of the equation about how I got here, yes. Koufax - AnyMomentNowSee the important thing to remember is that is can all turn around right? That is why I've been working hard and going to school. To make this existence not merely about my mistakes but about my successes. The LK - Private Life of a CatI really think that is all I have to say about this - I mean music is important to me and to my context as a person but this is getting ridiculous I'm just wasting time and space writing down my string of consciousness figuring out the set list. Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo- Dances With WoodAlright alright alright - this is about the music then not about me or some greater 'truth' about myself. Coincedentally this sounds like trance made via organic instruments.... hmmm. Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ramblin ManNow do you see what a fine mess this is? I was supposed to be all somber when I was introducing this song. it is supposed to be a reflective consideration of my own compulsion to flee the emotional turmoils of my life -and how they are bound up in other people. How I both want to please BPA - Toejamthem so they don't leave me and also run from them so that I don't have to be responsible for them. Legendary Pink Dots - Torchsongbut really it is just a song, and it doesn't mean anything .. . and I'm just feeling messed up because of midterms and work and how my mom is doing ... she sasy that the physical therapy is coming along pretty ell and she may qualify to retire early. Which is kind of like happiness right? Pernice Brothers - Discover A Lovelier YouBut, actually, things are good. I mean sure they could be better, but that is always the case. If you take a large enough sample of the universe you find out that there is nothing permanent nor certain - and yet we still, by chance, exist. . . Talking Heads - Once In A LifetimeAnd along with us are other chances and people and purposes. And sometimes you find yourself in college and sometimes you find yourself selling your plasma to the Portland blood bank to make rent. The Be Good Tanyas-The Littlest Birds Is anything a surprise? Have I finally quit being crazy? Was all the fun I had when young just a fluke of chemicals and not actually an appreciation of Brooklyn Rider - Crosstownthe world as it really is? Yeah, actually I can pretty much believe that to be the case. I'd like to think that it is entertaining to third parties if I leave out the details that happened in between. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead Certainly it wasn't all just studio apartements and drugs? No. It was the kafkaesque moments of being escourted out of Amazon.com because after two weeks of coming to work and getting paid they realized I wasn't in their HR system. The Velvet Underground - Rock & RollIt was being fired from KFC for building a snowman, on off hours, in their parking lot ... The Dandy Warhols - Easythough admiteddly when it got smashed by that SUV and I threw the
disembodied head at the windshield and it turned out to be the regional
manager I couldn't particularly blame the store manager for his
decision. Really, imagine his position. Ezra Furman - We Should FightBut that is what makes it all the more astonishing! Things have changed - I've changed! This summer I was the lab assistant to a immersive molecular biology course . .. The Slits - Ping Pong Affairexcept it was at a community college. Paul Oakenfold - Ready Steady GoIs this it a string of anecdotes and misremembered memories? Didn't I use to have greater dreams? Do I taste the vomit of my body rebelling or is it the bile of my soul dying? The Clash - Capital Air with GinsbergIs that enough self important omphalous gazing or what? Do I have to have god damn soliquiy with cabeza here to get a MacArthur? Wynton Marsalis Septet-Juba And A O'Brown SquawThis music list is as authentically an accurate representation of my self as one can expect in our modern age. Or at least can be expected from me. image from: Berkely Breathed, "Opus" - hey I'm sure you get this all the time Mr. Breathed, but I really was influenced by your stuff when I was young and I've found it to be a well spring of wisdom throughout my life. note to future self, you once lived with a girl, and every morning you woke up to find flowers at the foot of the bed. each of you thought the other had put them there. It turned out to be the cat though. POSTSCRIPT: The birthday day itself was absolutely incredible featuring Central Park, Thai Food, Tequila shoots and a Mathematical based tattoo from Greenwich village, a walk in on Banksy's Pet Store, a dine and dash of margaritas and churros, a creepy deep house experience at club LOVE, and then the two hour train ride. Top it all off with a roll out of bed and go to morning Sunday class moment. Thanks for everything Babe. I guess I was just having a stupid moment there taking life seriously. Comments[0] | |
Sat, 20 September 2008  09.19.08 Pitfalls of CompilationsLike every able minded wit in this new century's culture wars, I have a podcast. In all humility it is a simple affair, intended to be bi-weekly, it now struggles along at almost a monthly pace. The original intent, beyond the glorious wealth and epic fame of being a podcaster, was to create a feedback loop of finding new music, making it available as a piece, and then, of course, finding more. Little did know the amount of time needed to put together one hour of music. I bete musicians feel the same, only more so.. . Part of the issue is time spent listening to music. I had seriously underestimated the amount of time and attention that this requires. The basic necessity, to listen intently to a song, compounded by the ridiculous wealth in good music that our age best exemplifies, is basically absurd. Thanks to the internet, WFMU's Antique Phonograph show is as easily available as that Moxie Fruvous bootleg I got kicking around somewhere. By which I mean; the obscure areifacts are everywhere it just listening. And once you start you realize how endless it all is. I spend more time now "culling the herd" than finding the selections. My average show starts at around three hours long - then I spend a few days listening and removing and adding on, until I've gotten to that CD-R sweet spot of 80 min. Usually another couple of days are spent juggling the order of tracks until their sequence is coherent. Another dat tweaking levels and getting the fades right, and often a last minute substitution or two. Fianlly the set list is compiled, and depending on time constraints I may link to the artists and I may write comments. In the olden days of "leisure time" I'd even record spoken bits to intro and seqway songs and sections. this is unlikely to happen now. In the interests of saying something, here are the rationalizations for track inclusion and highlights for the mix I have here: 01 - Amon Tobin - Get Your Snack On The heavy textures and repititive moments of this are given a lighter and jazzier feel by the diverse organic sounding palatte of samples. 02 - Matmos - Zealous Order of Candied KnightsFollowing on from that orgainc sound is Matmos who has made some of the most insightfult inroads of producing along thematic lines. This is from their Civil War album. 03 - People Like Us - My Son Jim (excerpt)04 - Hifana - Wamono PV 05 - The Books - It Never Changes to Stop 06 - Kid Koala - Fender Bender Probably on of the most skilled turntabilists of this generation. This is one of the more expansive tracks from his first album - it features a large variety of well meshed vinyl. 07 - Cex - OD'd on First Base08 - Dj Food & DK - Let's Play Drums From thier "Now, Listen!" album this "track" is not the best - but it has a very good beat, yes? 09 - Kid606 - MP3 Killed The CD StarOne of the more accessible tracks from this laptop artist, here edited to a more managable size. 10 - Mum - Abakvid Tvaer Hædir,,,,sundlau11 - Dj Vadim - Dig Yourself Baby 12 - Prefuse 73 & the Books - Pagina Cuatro 13 - Dj Z-Trip & Dj P - Uneasy Listening Track 4 Off of their freely downloadable album of the same name. 14 - Amon Tobin - Foley RoomA studio heavy music concrete with a largely IDM influenced percussion the track is a step away from his earlier jazzy sound. 15 - Dj Shadow - Building Steam with a Grain of Salt (excerpt)16 - Proem - Negativ - Bolt Action A17 - Proem - Negativ - Bolt Action A 17 - Skalpel - Tension 18 - Plastiq Phantom - Experimentation on Foreign Light 19 - Negativland - What's Music (excerpt) 20 - Radio Soulwax - paul simon - ladytron - (guitarsolo) 21 - Volcano The Bear - Five Hundred Boy Piano (excerpt) 22 - Richard Devine - block, variation 23 -Kid Koala - Basin Street Blues 24 - Squarepusher & MC Twin Tub - Full Rinse 25 - The Art Of Noise - How To Kill 26 - Man or Astroman - A Simple Text File A wonderful printer piece, true electronica image from: Nietzsche Family Circus Coincidentally this is from a music diary for the Brooklyn College cc1.3 class. The mix itself was done in the vein of finding electronic music of a certain odd caliber after a discussion of the matter with the professor. For those curious, yes, college is going well, thanks for asking. I may not be making these show too often anymore but it is a nice break from the studies - and in this case fits in well besides them. Comments[0] | |
Fri, 11 July 2008  Oh there ain't a cloud in heaven which has got more than a single silver lining. the lucky days do come and go but is it just my life that is being lost in this town? or someone else's life? or something else of mine? Does it seems like it's me changing - how do I know it isn't that I've found what someone else lost and since I've not got one of my own I have space to fill and fill it I will with whatever I find in this city specific sorrows. Like the anonymity is really starting to get to me lately, maybe, but who knew I needed definitions to be happy? Why the last thing I want to do is burn it down, but there is that list. The list of other things to try before I burn it all down. I don't want poetry I want to punch someone in the throat. === I got accepted to Brooklyn College, but probably shouldn't go. === Sophie Tucker - School for Red Hot Mamas Benny Sings - Get There Fionn Regan - Hey Rabbit Smog - Four Hearts in a Can Drop nineteens - (plus fish) ABBA - You Owe Me One Modern Lovers - I'm Straight Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling into Piece Blind Boys of Alabama - Servant's Prayer Amen Dustin's Bar Mitzvah - Artrocker (Feat. Dan Treacy) Books - Read, Eat, Sleep cLOUDDEAD - Physics of a Unicycle Devo - Speed Racer Black Moth Super Rainbow - The Afternoon Turns Pink Robin Thicke - I'm A Be Alright Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake Solomon Burke - Baby I Wanna Be Loved Kung Babar Elefant Spoon - Believing is Art The Sea and the Cake - Polio Damon Albarn - Closet Romantic Matt Costa - Trying to Loose my Mind Josh Ritter - Mind's Eye The Guess Who - Rain Dance Gaelic Storm - Nancy Whisky The Mountain Goats - Blood Royal The Sparrows - Wofee Woyaa He Ni (bra-dipo beat ga) [From Voodoo Funk welcome to town hope the show goes well] atans rieger blakc metul 666 teh bark ov teh tevil vnd barg biekernis DER SECOND SONG FROM TEH EVOL ALBAM! - DER TRUE BLAKC ME=== Image From: Big Fat Whale's The Classy Dozen Comments[4] | |
Sat, 14 June 2008  As always and ever it is my great joy to snatch from the hands of time the moment of life unmeasured.This month has been fairly erratic - I've gotten a position as a fancy lab assistant at school which, I humbly must admit, I doubt I am qualified for. Of course there are many things I'm not qualified for which I do anyways, or which people pay me to do. It really is a great thing when people believe we live in a meritocracy and the playing field is uneven. I blame the liberals for the former and the conservatives for the latter, just so you know my stance on these things. The situation makes it so that for each inequality you can leverage in your favor the more open people are to thinking you the rightful holder to that which by error, accident, hook and crook you've been able to obtain. All this leads up to the notion that by attaining something I'm unqualified for I've actually shown how qualified I am. Which makes me feel remarkably good about myself while also putting me in a position where I recognize the pointlessness of my situation. On that note, let's listen to some music. Twilight Hotel - Viva La Vinyl Ralph Gean - star trekkin' rock n' roll cowboy Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle - sugar baby Gorillasuit - Everybody at the beach Hal Blaine - Trippin' Out (June) Bull Moose Jackson - Big Ten Inch Record Nylon Rythm Machine - Been through so much together Islands - 08 Volcanoes Luigi and Antonio Russolo - Corale Arrah and the Ferns- Skylark Nellie McKay - Identity Theft Conor Oberst - 12 I Don't Want To Die In The Hospital American Breed - partridge weiners spot The Seeds - mr. farmer Noonday Underground - boy like a timebomb April Aloisio - Duid Deed Faith no More - something for the girl with everything (with sparks) Ernest Ranglin - Memories of Baber Mack Laibach - NSK Salty Pirates - Black minds and white lies Jorge ben - amor de carnaval Ennoi Morricone - L'estasi Dell'oro (The Ecstasy Of Gold) Cinematic Titanic - Piece of Eights Los Campesinos You Me Dancing COIN-OP - Karl killed Nicholas Scientific Cricket - barbarashop cricket Crystal Castles - Alice Practice Flaming Lips - One Shot Archie Shepp - Scag Mice Parade - Guitars for plants Image from: Teaching Baby Paranoia Comments[0] | |
Thu, 22 May 2008  Hey everyone - it has been too long yes? Surely it has but so it goes. This one goes out to the madness of the city, the full time school, the real job, the paid tutor position, the honors project, the 1 month roommate (lots of respect to you bud), the co-worker who went west and went missing, the armory show i caught, the 10,000 shows I missed, the brief light of our lives wasted away on frivolous noise. And, of course my, babe. To put it all in a pot and boiling it all down we find ... what do we find? In no particular order (well a little I did try) Horse Latitudes_sounds of the canyons 00 - 12-moby - slipping away - 2005 The E.L.F. - cockroaches Batrider_PinkGuitars 02 satellite 07 Walking On Clouds 12 Europop 12 Wavy Gravy Zoogo-Crazy_vbr palotai-break_session_070307 09_The_Whip_-_Muzzle_No.1_black_ghosts_remix Cosmosis - 09 - Down At The Crossroads Nevereverdid-YACHT-Remix ThievesLikeUs-DrugsInMyBody 06_DJ_Mehdi_-_Signatune_thomas_bangalters_more_kick_edit 8PM @ Deep Sounds episode 031 Andain - Beautiful Things _Megan_DJ Tiesto feat. Jan Astral_Matrix-Angelic_Rush unknown OctoProject_Blackmoth Super Rainbow-Psychic Swelling Enigma - Essence 07_Brice_Lee_-_Spam_yuksek_remix Xiu_Xiu-Fabulous_Muscles-Kid_606_128 Bananarama - Look on the floor 02_Bloc_Party_-_I_Still_Remember_sebastian_remix Banco de Gaia - Obsidian HEARTSRevolution - CYOA New_Young_Pony_Club-Ice_Cream The LK - Private Life of a Cat Bon Iver - 06 Creature Fear henri_texier_and_strada_sextet--reggae_deau Family fodder film_music Bent - Always BLUE cafe del mar vol 4 - chicane - offshore ambient mix Clark - Break-In Dj Doboy - The Vocal Edition Volume 25 Betty_Hutton_-_It_s_Oh_So_Quiet unknown Dan Deacon - Big Big Big Big Big dj tiesto - suburban train White_Denim-ShakeShakeShake DJ Turbine - Drifting Towards Daylight Paul Oakenfold _Diving Face gigi dagostino - ill fly wi What Have You Done For Me Lately (Heavyfeets Get Stupid On The Dancefloor Dub) kansai - remember this night (chilled mix) Headstrong Feat Tiff Lacey - Show Me The Love (Judge Jules Edit) Odessi - Over again (Original club mix) White Williams - New Violence orbital - halcyon on and on Paul Oakenfold - paul oakenfold - password paul oakenfold - purple eric prydz - vinyl - call on me Paul Oakenfold - Swordfish Way Out West - Muthafucka (Hernan Cattaneo Mix) Perpetual Feat Fisher - Innocent Manvel Ter (Pogosyan Remix) Way Out West - Mindcircus _ royksopp - remind me Royksopp - What Else Is There (thin_white_duke_mix) Michael Woods - Solex (dogzilla vs michael woods rmx) Signalrunners - Corrupted (Original Mix) Sky Falls Down Styx - Mr Roboto The Prince of Piano - In My Dream THE_CYNI Tom Grant - 2-30 AM image courtesy of a certain babes flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_leigh/ Comments[0] | |
Fri, 21 March 2008  The quickest little things often take so much time. For instance at the moment I am posting this are an seemingly endless number of things I rather ought to be doing instead - alas - these are the tepid fruits of my sorely constrained time. This podcast itself has in fact haunted my drive for nearly 3 weeks and is only now being released into the wild - not for a lack of quality but a lack of time. However given the matter of music or edification I have to say that the time I have spent on the latter is well worth it as things are proceeding exceedingly well. For the case of the record I now have definitive evidence that a certain lab materials company is selling Barfoed's Reagent that is in a sad state of reacting. Their Benedict's Reagent is quite fine though. Chad Vangaalen - Flower Gardens Pastel Vespa - The Boys are Back in Town Tomorrow - Am I Glad to see you 1900s - When I Say Go Boom Bip - Third Stream Choclate watchband - misty lane Elliot Smith - Ballad of Big Nothing Giant Drag - Slayer Dee Dee Sharp - Baby Cakes Leadbelly - Pigmeat Tom Waits - Sea of Love The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World The Spinners - One of a Kind Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Make It Good To Me Belle & Sebastian - Dress Up In You M.Craft - Love Knows How To Fight Marvin Gaye - My Mistake (Was To Love You) (feat. Diana Ross) Bill Wyman - Si Si Je Suis Un Rock Star Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time Hospital Bombers - The Devil's Music Chubby Checker - The Twist Barbara Lewis - Pushin' A Good Thing Too Far Bjrn Svin - Mer Strm 2 Peter's Faces - I Don't Care Unknown Artist - Sherburne (From World of Music Compilation) Image from: The excellent and inimitable http://katebeaton.com Comments[0] | |
Thu, 14 February 2008  This is more about the Contrast Podcast Cd Swap then Valentines Day . When the Final Selection is made by Andrew from Circles of Concrete -- I'll update the page an throw a link to the other contributers selections . Until then enjoy - and ask yourself which would I pick?Mojo Nixon - Rockin' Religion Led Zepplin - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp The Pixies - Subbacultcha Village Stomper - washington square The Bonzo Dog Band - Humanoid Boogie Diesler - Cotton Wool Badly Drawn Boy - Bewilderbeast Ralph Gean - Kill for a Cigarette Tiga - Far From Home Huggy Bear - Herjazz Atari Teenage Riot - Destroy 2000 Years of Culture Fatback Band - Got to Learn How to Dance Future Kings of Nowhere - Ten Simple Murders Strip Squad - Pervert Expert Beat the Devil - Plea Bargain Bitch and Animal - Best Cock on the Block Dj Food & DK - Square Off - Mirror in the Bathroom Professor Longhair - Big Chief The Bees - No One Better Than You KRS one - The Bridge is Over Man or Astroman - Evert 1 Pipkin Shocking Blue - Ink Pot B.B. King - I Like To Live The Love Murray Attaway - Allegory image from - www.pspealman.com ( a sticker I made just for the CD Swap Congratulation Andrew on getting the Sticker!) Comments[2] | |
Sun, 10 February 2008  now what happens...Daft punk - Something About Us The Indelicates- Julia, We Don't Live In The '60s The Modern Jazz Quartet - For Someone I Love (Live) The Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died Brendan Benson And The Wellfed Boys - Alternative To Love Bishop Allen - Things Are What You Make Of Them Monty Python - Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life Comments[0] | |
Thu, 31 January 2008  Time is getting short once more and you know what that means. A sudden decrease in the quality of the posts. Now now.. . follow me here into this backroom for I've a shady secret to share - see here, I only have time to do so much. We both know how that is. I want to maximize the music I share not create a thickness of links and tangents, digressions, and filler. Things that provide my identity - that personal touch to the selection - must take a back seat now. But it is a fine line - this detachment puts me within range of that absentee dj which factory radio craps out. Certainly nothing I'd like to have in my life. But harsh times call for harsh hash biscuits with a side of resignation gravy (a little light please - the doctor, you know, says I need to watch my diet). This loss of voice is a problem I acknowledge and will work against - but some slippage is bound to occur. So here I'll post with the notion that this could be done better, ought to be done better, by time and life are short and the main motive is, as it always has been, to kick out the jams.
Image From: Backing Tracks: Portishead - Requiem for Anna (un jour comme un autre - Anna) Psapp - My Fair Lady Pyramids - Brain Monster Miles Davis - I Don't Wanna Be Kissed (Medely) Soul Station - This I Dig of You Comments[0] | |
Sat, 12 January 2008  Brevity this day my loyal readers. A busted keyboard and little to prattle on about means that original text is at a premium and I shan't bother with the niceties. So welcome to 2008 and enjoy two hours of some selected tracks. Like a very special after school special I hope that we can all learn a very important lesson from what just happened. And so, drugs are bad (or at least expensive), you don't need friends like that, and, of course, time is precious. Oh so precious - I wouldn't read this verbiage I spew grab the tracks and go do something for christ's sake. Lets get started. 1) Sargasso Trio - Heels on Fire 2) The Field - Fall From A Height (Remix) Tied and Tickled Trio - Aelita 1 The much ballyhooed Swedes in rough mix with the post jazz of the trio. 3) B.C. Camplight - Soy Tonto! 4) Lisa Portelli - A Mon Meuble I don't know French but I know what I like. 5 ) Chromeo - Fancy Footwork The best electro-pop funk educated 2 step duo since the 80's. 6) Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma And their back for a second track. Less Paul Simon more lerft field. 7) The Magnetic Fields - Three-Way The opening track on their new album is this stellar piece of heavy drenched erotic propulsuion. buy 8) Enon - Mirror on You 9) The Shermans - Dumbhead Let's bring it down with this jangle pop series of insults. 10) David Vandervelde - Nothin’ No And let's bring in the fuzz with some psychedelic retrospective on the pressing interests of love. 11) The Whitsundays - Sorry James Let us know put that to the task of age. 12) Dr. Dog - Ain’t It Strange To close this set let's get a bit of Beatles-esque revival. Oh that is nice - a balm on the frazzled soul it is. 13) Tunng - Bullets Is it a narrative, a survivalist trope on the dangers of forgetting and trying? A rumination on loss and life? A spectacular folksie sing along? yes 14) Steve Dawson - Fun Machine One Get up and jig now. An open plain and ample night clothe this track and bring the guitar a quality of lyrical fire. 15) Miss Li - I’m Sorry, He’s Mine "And it started like love should. I tole him from my best friend." Doesn't get any straighter than that. 16) Patrick and Eugene - Postcard From Summerisle Oh that is nice piece of weird right there. Electronica can't do no wrong. 17) Midnight Juggernauts - Dragonette's I Get Around (Remix) A solid bass bin kick is elemental to any good groove. The vocal samples with additional reworking takes the head bop and hand dance into pure pop infection territory. 18) DJ Logic feat. Miri Ben-Ari A very ambient track of Logic working with the instrumental hip hop violinist Ben-Ari. 19) Mandragora - La Cumparsita (Tango Christ Superstar) A re-working (orgaicmash-up, jazz riff, etc) of the Cumparsita with Jesus Christ Superstar's bassline. Encore! 20) Hungry Marching Band - Gde Si Bre This lively outfit just did a show that I missed. My greatest regret of the year so far. Coincidentally how cool is the album name: "Portable Soundtracks for Temporary Utopias"? 21) Lou Reed - Perfect Day Mr. Reed just keeps getting better and by the gods of if this track hasn't aged half as well as the rest than the geometrical growth of goodness shall soon outstrip the entire catalog of crooning whelps of the present day. Saccharine pop bullshit and all. 22) Kerkko Koskinen - Sparkling Arsenic A whirlwind orchestral set of the ex-Ultra Bra-ist with the Umo Jazz Orchestra. Sounds like Yoko Kanno with a spy movie OST. 23) Mariee Sioux - Wizard Flurry Home Haunting and hurt - chills all around. But the warm instrumentation and rhythmic lyricism saves it from being a melancholic dirge or sap fest all to common in these tropes. 24) Mekons - Dickie, Chalky and Nobby oh I needed this. 25) George Bush - Imagine 26) Grails - Silk rd And this PDX track to give me a little room to breath before I go claustrophobic shit for brains insane on the closed in breathing that I feel when I think of the next 366 days. 27) Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra - Who killed the D.J. Alas the song is too solid for the fog of memory to be contained in only by the original release and has spawned from the first the denizens of strange continents interjoined by oddity and inspiration. 28) MC5 - Kick out the Jams Just what I needed to get the old blood sloshing around these old collapsed and bruised tubes to half aspirated ventricles and world weary capillaries. Join me now for the head long rush into what is bound to be a spectacular year. image from: Backing tracks: Band Of Horses - Is there a ghost Be Mine (Ocelot Mthrfckrs Remix) Pratique - Death for Blushing Rogue mini mix nine Digitalism - Idealism Xiu Xiu - I Do What I Want When I Want Blur - Country House Comments[0] | |
Sun, 23 December 2007  For the more perceptive of you - you may have noticed an interesting spelling of name than the common hum drum consonant-vowel-consonant type. For the more Dutch of you you may have not thought anything of it. And if your are as perceptive and Dutch as I am you'd be completely confused about nearly anything - especially this bit. I'll cut right to the quick - I share my name with the Santa's black friends. The helpful and kind, and once enslaved, but now just friends, assistants to Saint Nick. I could pillage this Sedaris piece for cheap laughs but I've got a classy angle here to up hold so I'll spare the sallacious back story of pseudo-sobriquets for another occasion when I'm feeling even more like boring everyone with a ham-fisted intro. So here is David Sedaris and his "Six to Eight Black Men" from his Live at Carnegie Hall performance. Enjoy and Happy Holidays from all of me to all of you. Image from: Subterranean Homepage News Comments[0] | |
Tue, 18 December 2007  My self proclaimed hiatus seems to have been declared in haste. Admittedly this has much to do with the matter of my being recently relieved of my scholastic concerns and let loose in those green pastures of leisure time. And like all things leisurely, such as strolls, it is a constitutional, a blam on the jaded nerves and jangled devices of self defense. Not to put too fine a point on it this is a bit of a mix up more leaning to the classics as would befit a peace of mind. Enough blather - oh but one thing, before I continue - be sure to take a tab and catch up on your folk's eye candy by checking out the adventures of Quasi. Still un-inspired? Catch the 1967 video for Pierre Henry's Psyché Rock. Astounding enough that it's machine evolution predates Kurzweil and more effective because of it. One last video, sure how about the entire 1929 movie from Communist Russia Man with Movie Camera. Your grandfather's jaw presumably dropped during the raw 'documenting the world as it is' scene. Alright enough of that. Lets listen to some music. Hombres - Let it Out (let it all hang out) Creaky Boards - Brooklyn This is, for me, right now, a definitive track. It is also very good and catchy too. They haven't made a big move in the world yet but they seem to have the chops for the pop indie boards and I for one highly anticipate watching their development. Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassabuy The Paul Simon afro beat inflected swing in this piece is adds the force necessary to get the song shaking a steady rhythm. I can only wish that I had played it sooner. Les Problemes - Je ne Vois RienThis French 60's psych song roughly translates as "I don't See Anything" - included here for the furious francophilia each of us have at heart. I don't have much information of these guys but apparently they got involved with the french peace lovers in the '60s and acquired the ire of the conservative types on the matter of the war. Olympic Runners - Just Funkin` Around buy My soul funk submission for the month (by contractual obligation) is this stand out freak out jazzed up track by the overlooked and underheard UK band. The Stranglers - Golden Brownbuy New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour Another modern miracle of catchy tunes about NYC. What luck! And yes it's a track that should have gone up long time back. Ian Dury - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Rollbuy
Actually much more clean cut than you would think - the outfit is from the UK and is currently on Graveface. It's a high cut of folkpop and worth a visit. Jimi Hendrix - 1983... (a Merman I Should Turn to be) (podcast cut)buy Pierre Henry - Psyché Rock Pierre was an exceedingly prolific 20th century composer. This track pairs him with a fellow composer, Michel Colombier, during the annus mirabilis of '67. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nationoriginal video buy The hot shit from PDX. I like to think that in a perfect world these guys would crush the pearly stylings of the Doug Fir in one awesome sonic histrionic session to kick off their careers and me shaking a busted fist and bloody maw at the front of the audience. But now their 'big time' - maybe now they can make it happen. Shit though that is a long way to go for a Doug Fir show. video buy Bram Tchaikovsky - New York Paranoia Not "Girl of My Dreams" good but at least it's more earnest. Panda Bear - Bros edit Look at that face - could you be less earnest about living in the 80s? buy I do hope everyone gets as much of a chilled out kick from this as I did. Damn near walked in to traffic. Damn near didn't care. Bill Justis - College Manbuy At the time I had to post this I could only find a mostly instrumental track. It's still got the 'Hate College' bit so I decide to run with it. But don't dismiss Bill. Here is some of the excised lyrics: Chandler Travis Philharmonic - Wireless
I got a real cool chick For myself, now too old for Teenage Kicks can at least keep satisfied with college kicks.That doesn't dig no square Gets college kicks With her honey anywhere buy To quote their site: Joe Turner & His Blues Kings - Shake, Rattle & Roll
 man at least throw a lens flare on that thing. buy Yeah it's so damn overplayed that I'm a frickin cliché to play it, right? Hell no - it's still good after the twentyth time round. Now you can pick this up on plenty of comps (and some originals if you invested well in the 90's) but I suggest this one: Andrew Sisters - Beer Barrel Polkabuy Curiously it seems that this got good distribution because the Nazis popularized it when they invaded Czechoslovakia. Caribou - Melody Dayhuh. Then it got big play from Benny Goodman, and Billie Holiday, and Liberace. huh. So the only folks of 'lesser races' who haven't reclaimed this song yet are the gypsies. I feel an online petition for Gogol Bordello coming on. My current favorite doctor of mathematics fronted Canadian band. The Raveonettes - Christmas SongAhh a christmas song that doesn't suck. How nice. Image From: Fun On Mars Backing tracks: Quasi at the Quackadero - opening track Uz Jsme Doma - Cod Liver Oil Bodies of Water - I Guess I'll Forget the Sound Bill Justis - Raunchy Roberto Carlos - Amigo Quasi at the Quackadero - The ooooh part Comments[0] | |
Mon, 17 December 2007  Thanks for searching out my page and I'm happy enough to supply the source of John Peel's Top Gear "Signature Tune" here's the blog that got to it first and even included a download of the full album. Category: general -- posted at: 12:13 PM Comments[0] | |
Fri, 30 November 2007  Did you know I get first page ranking on Google for the search terms Tuba Vocal Podcast?Double Bonus! I also got first page for the same term in the image directory. It's like winning Noble prize of weird. Do I really have that many tuba songs with vocals? Have I - somehow mistakenly - cornered the market on an over looked subgenre of tuba backed tracks? Also a shout out to France, the UK and South Korea! I've never been to any of those places but they seem real nice. Thanks for the support guys. Category: general -- posted at: 10:46 PM Comments[0] | |
Fri, 30 November 2007  The Great Divide of the Weeklies and the Monthlies has fallen - and the podcast to prevent podfade must relinquish the hectic ground of the twice a month update to those whose endeavors are more seasoned for such epic things. Seasoned with garlic and time.So the contemporary crap will mix with golden oldies in a sonic stew unpalatable to anyone but the deaf. Somehow I'm sure you'll all struggle on. Also a 'hello' to everyone (all two of you) visiting me from Tim's Contrast Podcast! For those not in the know - he's done a democratic thing and had everyone vote on the best songs of 2007. Surely a smoking year and my opinions were long thought out and my reasons honed by the sweat of the ear tightly encased in headphones - but alas I thought to long and my votes were rejected because of deadlines being missed and what not. Still Tim was nice enough to let me introduce two fine sparkling tracks and I highly suggest you check out the rankings of everyone's submission. How is it that I get to be a representative without being able to vote? Well Tim's British and the democratic thing doesn't naturally so there is that. Or maybe he is trying to make things better in the British American rift (that whole secession thing lingers I've been told) by some strange inversion of the traditional processes. It very hard to tell, really. Al Duvall - The Squirrel Shucking Bee A promising piece of freak folk that endeavors to be both old timey backwoods revival without becoming a novelty - the results are mixed. Like the best revivalists Al's work succeeds when it is knowingly winking at the stereotypes of the form it covers. This song of handcrafted squirrel skinnings is of the latter and greater type. Sharon Jones & Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nightsbuy Not a knowing wink or tidy nod this isn't a revival but a coelacanth of the soulful funk of motown's golden era. Probably one of the best albums of the year. Jo Jo and the Fugitives - Chips Chicken Banana Splitbuy Of the compilation of Jamaica to Toronto is this dizzying piece of honest to goodness delight. While I can't find out about it's original release I did find that the compilation is stacked to brimming with other musical notables. Dark Meat - One More Tripbuy A little loud a little brassy a thirteen piece outfit from Athens cruises the coast in a bus destined for no good. Life In a Blender - Showers Lose the Girlbuy Taking a hardline stance against hygiene and romance Life reminds us of the reasons people have for smuggling heroin and inflating organs. Dj JD - Fallingbuy A rough segway to some rougher sounds. But do enjoy the spirit behind the sample. Dmitrij - Fuck MNML, Fuck Trance - We Wanna DANCE vol. 3The Czech's keep the party rocking with what is a great track of Bonde Do Role' Gasolina. (Unattributed) - Cold Cut Solid Steel 10-17-2007Find the whole mix here. Lifting tunes off the live radio feeds of Australia leaves one in lurch when the attributions of the tunes are not included nor published. I imagine that they are distributed on leaflets by wallabies throughout the red tinted sunburned land of criminals and jazzy djs. Bokusatsu Shoujo Koubou - 80's dream parasolCatch the show here. A recent visitor to NYC from Fukuoka Japan (no, I'm making that up, really there is a town in Japan called that. Yes, I know - it probably does mean something else in their language and this whole thing is rather sophomoric). We hope he had a good time - because we love the tourists. C64 Orchestra - Monty on the runAnd now for the glitches to be smoothed into pomo pomp (pomop?) and circumstance with an orchestral piece of 8 bit music. Like to stab out your ears with sharpened metronomes? Listen to the original. Clear Tigers - Boredom Middling to average I admit - but I like it. The soprano of the vocals are clear and the organic piano bits are great to boot. If they would have another round of shows here in town I'd probably pay them a visit. High Places - GoldenHere is something I could get behind, see Clear Tigers they do shows that I can attend. A tidy piece of whimsy. Seventeen Evergreen - Burn the Fruit This is a spectacular band that to my knowledge is getting very little attention despite some good gifts and high production values. But I do have a soft spot for male female duets with xylophone rhythm sections. The Rumblestrips - Alarm Clockbuy A band with a modicum of success overseas. Hopefully not due to the ska-ist inflections but the proto-punk jumpy rhythms and new wave breakdowns. Mountain Goats - Alpha Incipiensbuy Damn it they came to town again and under my radar they rocked in manner I imagine I would have kicked myself for missing - and having missed it I kick myself. Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television The Drug of the Nationofficial online live shows I've been watching Heroes and Flight of the Conchords a lot. I should stop but then again at least it's good stuff. Vitalic Remix - Cardboard LambStay Human! Another reason we all should support free use policies is because the groove needs to be made whether or not the original artist even likes it. That's right, recycling isn't just for paper and PETE products. Steve Hefter and Friends of Friends - Bullshitbuy A piece of peaceful piano and angry sentiments to clear off the abuses of a month Image from: Backing tracks: Jimmy McCracklin Falling - Dj JD Moby (feat. Kronos Qrt) - God Moving Over the Face of the Water Gene & The Esquires - Space Race Sam Cooke - Good Times Comments[0] | |
