What with all the new music I keep finding through the Mothership and here, as well as on my own, it's easy to let a lot of old favourites slip to the bottom of the pile. So, while having a bit of a tidy lately, I put on some music I hadn't heard in a time period ranging from some months to some years. There were CDs I couldn't remember buying, others I couldn't remember my reason for buying, compilations and soundtracks, for example, bands I'd half forgotten, others I'd repressed, singles from bands I would never otherwise listen to, and so on. It was immensely pleasurable to rediscover great songs I hadn't heard in such a long period of time, especially when buried in a pile of unappealing stuff.
So, after all that Indiana Jonesing, below is a playlist of some of this music, songs I once loved, and am pleased to find I still do, and be warned, given any encouragement there may well be other (shorter) such playlists in the future, as I've really enjoyed myself while hearing these songs for the first time in so long. In the spirit of discovery, and because I thought it might be fun, I haven't listed the details, instead I thought I'd provide you with a lucky bag of songs, and of course, I'll give names and info to anyone who asks in the comments. Maybe we listened to the same music back in the day, before we all met, and maybe it'll be something you haven't heard in foreverlong either. I know it's a mammoth list, nearly two hours, so I don't expect anyone to listen to it all the way through, more to dip in (I haven't posted anything in ages, so thought I'd go straight from zero to overkill). It's a playlist meant to be more like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, though hopefully nothing like the Whizzo Quality Assortment:
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13 comments:
Given the contents of all the old compilation cds lying around the Nilpferd swamp it's not really surprising that it's the electronic or instrumental stuff which I liked most here, after a quick dip the Lali Puna and Seefeel made an instant impression, while my favourites would be Amon Tobin and Disco Inferno- really loved the latter, will definitely check more of their stuff out.
I tend to appreciate the soundscapes more than the lyrics or singing in these sorts of lists, I guess.
All new to me Catcher so thanks!
@Catcher - was expecting to recognise some of these, as I think you and I have quite a large overlap in the RR ven diagram, but the only one I knew was Texas/Method Man. Liked pretty much everything though - #21 was one that stood out particularly. Could we have a tracklisting?
Rcognised Red Box, so far. Will have a better listen over the weekend.
Cheers Catcher - should have some listening time. The break from RR has freed up some time.
So, here's where we are so far:
8: Lali Puna - Left Handed. From their album 'Faking The Books'. I lived in Derby for a few years, and there was an independent record shop there that was basically a money pit for me. Every time I walked in, they were playing something I ended up buying. This album was one such purchase, and although I bought their entire back catalogue as a result, 'Faking The Books' is still the album I'd recommend. As it turned out, they were a great live band too.
11: Red Box - Lean On Me. A song released when I was about 8, I was so happy to find a song from my childhood that I still loved. A little subsequent on Red Box has portrayed them as a mainstream McCarthy or similar. It's such a ridiculously catchy song, with its subversive message hidden, which, to me, makes it a perfect pop song.
14: Texas Featuring Wu-Tang Clan - Say What You Want (All Day Everyday) - I saw this performed on the Brits (back when I was naive enough to still be watching the ceremony), and was slack-jawed at how a band as anodyne as Texas could suddenly sound so great. A friend of mine who worked in a record shop shortly afterwards received a promo CD of the studio version, and this is it. It's still the only Texas song I own in any format.
16: Seefeel - Climactic Phase #3. The opening track on their first album 'Quique', recently rereleased in a deluxe edition. I had a tape recording of this album for years, after a friend played it for me and I became obsessed with it. I eventually sourced it on eBay, before the new edition came out. It's a perfect album for you, nilpferd, if soundscapes are what you like, and a perfect album to fall asleep to.
20: Amon Tobin - Slowly. From his 'Supermodified' album, which was obsessively played by myself and a group of like-minded friends when it first came out on Ninja Tunes. I'd liked his previous albums, but this one is the one.
21: Justin Bond And The Hungry March Band - In The End. From the soundtrack to the film 'Shortbus'. I really liked both the film and the soundtrack, and this song, in a slightly different form, played in its full duration over the film's, erm, climax.
22: Disco Inferno - It's A Kid's World. Considering this song is from 1994, its level of sonic inventiveness is really amazing. D.I. are definitely a band worth investigating, nilpferd, but I think this song was their crowning glory.
nilpferd: There are a few other bands on this playlist I would encourage you to listen to, from what you say about soundscapes. I'll post the full details on Sunday, for now, I think it's fun to present the playlist as a lucky bag.
tincanman: You're more than welcome, I hope you liked at least a few of them!
barbryn: I've given the details for 21 above, and I'll post the full listing over the weekend, when this post has slipped a little further down the page! Also, I still think it might be fun to see if anyone recognises anything else posted (there's a few there that I'd be stunned if no one remembers them from first time around).
That was great!! Didn't recognise too many (Seefeel, Nice, New Model Army, Huggy Bear) as most of these were from the music lite years (kids, proper job/career etc., not much time for new stuff, hence the namedeblog -- am still playing catchup on this era). & that all goes to make this playlist all the more welcome.
You should do this more often you know.
As a Steve Reich fan I loved #16, sounded like someone had sampled him and then added to it.
There is a terrific Reich remix album, GF. Can drop it if anyone is interested?
Shoegazer, thanks for the kind words of encouragement, I'm so glad you found some songs to enjoy. Coming soon - Songs From The Back Of The Shelf, Volume 2 (maybe)!
9: Nice - Circuit Diagram. Nice were Randall Lee's interim band between The Cannanes and Ashtray Boy, both also fine bands in their own right. I was already a fan of Ashtray Boy when I bought this, but had no idea of the link. It was very cheap, and on Feel Good All Over, a label from which I'd enjoyed everything I'd heard, so I took a punt on it. There's something about the reverby production on this that leaves me unsure if the notes I'm hearing are actually being played, or my mind's just filling them in.
15: Huggy Bear - Aqua Girl Star. Despite being an avid reader of Melody Maker and NME back in the day, I could always tell when they were fabricating a scene. Riot Grrrl seemed different though, there seemed to be more of a purpose to it, and it felt like it would have happened regardless of the music press' interest. I still remember seeing Huggy Bear on 'The Word', and being thrilled by how out of place they were with it's mindless agenda. Anyway, this is from the split LP they did with Bikini Kill, and is all the argument needed whenever anyone dismisses these bands and others of their times as noise recorded by people who couldn't play their instruments.
19: New Model Army - Living In The Rose. A band I can't abide (apologies to any fans reading). Even the rest of the 12" single from which this comes is awful to me, but this song is great. First heard on MTV (yes, kids, MTV once used to play music . . . that dates it, doesn't it?), I think I only watched it because the presenter said the video was directed by Jennifer 'daughter of David' Lynch, which caught my attention. Then the song did, a great, brooding thing.
Shoey, I wouldn't mind hearing some of that Reich remix album, if possible.
This post will probably disappear from the front page as on-topic playlists are posted over the weekend, so here's the full tracklisting. Thanks for your comments, glad it was enjoyed.
1.Seventeen Evergreen - Music Is The Wine.
2.Amiina - Ammaelis.
3.Linda Scott - I've Told Ev'ry Little Star.
4.Hum - Why I Like The Robins.
5.Ecstasy Of St. Theresa - Trance (Between The Stars).
6.Lois - Evening In Paris.
7.It's OK - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You).
8.Lali Puna - Left Handed.
9.Nice - Circuit Diagram.
10.Sophia - I Can't Believe The Things I Can't Believe.
11.Red Box - Lean On Me.
12.Girls Against Boys - Kill The Sexplayer.
13.Capitol K - Pillow.
14.Texas Featuring The Wu-Tang Clan - Say What You Want (All Day Everyday).
15.Huggy Bear - Aqua Girl Star.
16.Seefeel - Climactic Phase #3.
17.The Mission - Tower Of Strength.
18.Bis - Kandy Pop.
19.New Model Army - Living In The Rose.
20.Amon Tobin - Slowly.
21.Justin Bond And The Hungry March Band - In The End.
22.Disco Inferno - It's A Kid's World.
23.The Magnetic Fields - Plant White Roses.
24.The Plague Monkeys - The Plague Monkeys.
25.Cynthia Dall - Aaron Matthew.
nilpferd, if you're still reading, I'd recommend Capitol K to you, and if you can find it online (as I think it's long been deleted), the first Ecstasy Of St. Theresa album, 'Free-D (Original Soundtrack), I think you might like that too.
Ta all.
Reich is in the box btw, grab before Tinny rearranges the furniture.
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