seemed to be about time to put this one up. There’s still a bit to go on the deadline, but enough discs have been out in the wild now that some of us may be ready to publish our reviews. Hopefully everybody enjoyed what they received, but if you didn’t, please be entertainingly disappointed! I’ll put the groups in as they were in the original thread, and please post beneath the relevant set of people.
2021 CD Swap – the reviews
by 178 Comments
@tinydemon / @rigid-digit / @craig42blue
@tinydemon @rigid-digit
Do you both want me to hide the names of songs/bands that I know in my reviews?
@craig42blue
My view is if you know them, then quote them. Might be interesting to see any guesses you have to the artist too.
Personally I don’t mind. As far as I remember from the time before people tended to do hint at, rather than state the ones they knew. Perhaps others in the group may have a view?
I think hints, broad as you like, are best until the CD has been reviewed by all recipients.
Yeah, good point.
I’ll climb down a bit. Hints and allusions (or even cryptic suggestions) may be a better way forward to stop any unconscious bias sweeping in.
Reviews so far go for hints rather than reveal so I’ll do the same (when I get round to it!!)
RigidDigit’s – “NEW”
There are many tracks on this compilation that I am familiar with; most of them appear to be from the 70s, 80s and 90s, which is my comfort zone. Maybe we are of a similar age Mr.S.L.F.?
(1) Vaguely familiar tune as this starts off this NEW fine compilation tape; oh yes, it’s all coming back to me; the Pyramid stage and headlining act at Glasto ‘92. [8]
(2) Wa-hey – some vinly next; needle drop? This reminds me of ‘The Jam’, but no it is’nae! Who can it be? This Mod(ern) band are heading in a “NEW 1D”. [7]
(3) I like this tune more as I age, solo version or not. The old NYC holds some attraction here; one of my favourites from the man’s excellent 4th album? Get In! [8]
(4) Aah, now, yes, mmm, see track (2); but this, with part of her, NEW strat band, could have been the lead track and the real heart of this compilation; this is the studio version of “*************”. [7]
(5) If this isn’t a former HHM’s ‘Muso’, I will eat my messy ARM for certain. Is it fairly NEW and called “W*** W* W*** ***? [7]
(6) “Neat, Neat, Neat”; no, no, no! This is not more NEW than that. [9]
(7) U.S. garage/punk band play NEW Generation X; maybe ‘Richard Hell’ or possibly ‘The Ramones’. I have no clue…. [7}
(8) The former priestess and not her Gadiva but in NEW glad rags? Titus, say no more… [7]
(9) Those heady early student days in 1981 starting my adult life not in Ilford but Salford – Many clubs in Manchester played Disco, others were more fashionable, after OMD. [7]
(10) Hooky bass line, so is it Ian’s crew? Nah! This must be a later line, but then I am probably wrong! Again not so new? [8]
(11) Starts a bit like ‘Porcupine Tree’ or vanilla ‘Steve Wilson’. However, this is a tad “heavier”. This could be “In a Brave New World” or “A Brave New World” or simply “Brave New World”. Do I know who it is by?
No Idea! NWOBHM?
A stab in the dark “Saxon”? [6]
(12) Not a scooby – good backing for the reports of the Brighton Press or East Sussex NEWs?? [5]
Rigid, sir, it was great to hear this journey through the years, featuring tracks and bands on the theme ‘NEW’.
Please note that track 8 review above should mention Titus and not Tito.
Now corrected; thanks to the mods.
Glad you liked it. Tried to be not to challenging and willfully obscure.
You’re not a million miles away with the guess on track 11 to be honest.
Just finishing my reviews – hopefully publish today (or tomorrow?)
Tiny Demons – “NEW”
Not only are there many tracks on this compilation that are NEW to me; most of them appear to be outside of my 70s, 80s and 90s comfort zone. All tracks bar one sound like they were recorded post-millennia!
(1) U.S style pop/punk. I have no idea who this is, but the title appears to be “New R*****e”. To be honest at over 4 minutes it was a minute too long! Could it possibly be someone like ‘Weezer’? [7]
(2) This sounds like quite like the ‘Kings of Convenience’ or some similar Nordic chilled vocal group?
Could it be called “E********* ** New”? [8]
(3) I have absolutely no idea who this is, could the song be named “New Day” or “Light Outside”? [7]
(4) Nu-Soul? Neo-Funk? From the U.S. – almost certainly? A bit like ‘Thundercat’, but then again, it is not his vocal or bass playing. Too hip/new for me! [7]
(5) Great atmospheric introduction, then some very well recorded and foreboding bass and drums, cooling down with a small orchestra. Sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a 2025 James Bond film! [9]
(6) The vocals are very familiar, and this sounds like a UK artist/group from the last 3 or 4 years, so pretty new? My guesses would end up doubling the length of this post. [8]
(7) New Orleans style piano, ‘Dr John’ – er no! Aah this must be west coast, e.g., LA.
Yeah, this is early ‘T** ****s’ with a “new Dulux finish”. [8]
(8) This hit song, has been covered countless times, but I do not recall this new version with a Psycho-billy intro. Poisonous brite NY spares probably liked it. [7]
(9) Could this be ‘Conor Oberst’, or his a.k.a. ‘Bright Eyes’, or another NEW epithet?
A guess at the title would be “They Go Wild”. [7]
(10) The staccato piano playing, ‘Supertramp’ style, this must surely be ‘The Feeling’? But then again, maybe their sting provides a “New Mistake”? [7]
(11) Titled “New York, I Love You” maybe, but I’ve no idea who is sharing their affection for the Big Apple? [7]
(12) Another foreboding introduction but without the drums/bass featured on track 5.
The intro at 3 to 4 minutes, suggest a much longer track, and so it is; 12 mins plus.
This eclectic epic could be anyone from ‘Chris Forsyth and the Solar Motel Band’ to ‘Godspeed You! Black Emperor’. [7]
Mr Demon. It was great to hear so many tracks that were new to my ears, and keeping me guessing.
Great to bring you some new music and gratified you enjoyed at least some of it. Some of your guesses were on the money. Should get my review out at the weekend.
I was going to add another cover version… Tasmin Archer’s take on “New Hamster Jam”.
Rigid Digits New
1) I know the title (which I think is a reference to a Simon and Garfunkel song) and I am sure I have heard it before but I am not familiar with this song. 90s? Greater starter but don’t know the group.
2) Upbeat soul bass and drum intro soon joined by Style council Hammond and Jo boxers boy gang backing vocals Would have considered Paul Weller’s second band but it is not him singing. I would guess it is from around the same era. I don’t know who it is but it very much hits the mark for me.
3) Okay know this well. Title is NYs original name (I think). Napoleon Dynamite’s voice must be one of the most distinctive in the business. Not one of my favourites of his but nice to hear.
4) A ballard. Another distinctive voice ( who I had expected in track 2). To be honest it took me a while to place the voice and, until I did , I had cast this song as the acoustic number on a metal album released as a single to pull in the unwary. Did not know this song. Its ok but prefer other songs of his.
5) Okay this is great. After a short keyboard arpeggio intro the voice and a descending bass line come in and everyone knows who it is. One of two surviving members of the biggest band ever singing about their early days. Lovely acapella coda. Really enjoyed this.
6) OK. First punk single. Nuff said.
7) Into the hard rock / metal zone. Not a genre I am familiar with but always up for a day trip in their territory! Chunking guitar. Whole band singing the chorus together.
The descending guitar figure at the end of the chorus reminds me of another song and it is doing my head in that I cant put my finger on it! Overall nice to try something different.
8) Don’t know this. Lite pop rock. Female singer. The steel that occasionally creeps into her voice makes me think of Sinead O’connor.
9) Single from famous synth pop track from Basildon released before wossname left to form a duo. Not my natural metier but nice to hear.
10) I would say that the sound is distinctive (if I have got it right). Big doomy reverbed drums. Fuzzed guitar line reminiscent of a slowed down shot by both sides. None too goth! If I am right this is from band with an, ill advised , nazi referencing moniker (the first of two!). I don’t know the song.
11) It starts fairly prog with echoey clean guitar arpeggios beneath the singer . But by the 1:30 mark it has declared its true colours with high classic heavy metal vocals segueing into face melting guitar solo. I am going to guess Iron Maiden as an indication of my rudimentary knowledge in this area. With songs like this I am happy to get my metal on (as it were) on occasion.
12) Ohh Ohh…. this was on my long list. One of the bands I have seen live most, particularly over the past 20 years. Unique. Essentially a litany of people that annoy them, and any right minded person, including “A roomful of drama teachers listening to Bjork”.
So all in all another great compilation. Songs and bands I am going to follow up on, reminders of songs I hadn’t listened to for a while and some enjoyable detours out of my comfort zone. Thanks Rigid Digit.
Lisa Riley!
I never really noticed that guitar figure on 7 til you mentioned it. Doing my head in now too.
Is Lisa Riley! your all-purpose exclamation of astonishment? Your updating of Gordon Bennett! perhaps?
@craig42blue
A pastiche of Neu album cover, and the word MEN on the other side
(maybe it’s NEW and I’m holding it upside down).
Let’s see what’s inside shall we:
1. Brian Mathew introduction, followed by thumping bass, 80s indie (Simple Minds, Orange Juice, that sort of thingy). Not so sure now, but I still think 80s (keyboard squiggles and dead beat drums) with Post-Punk sprinklings. Maybe it’s my ears, but it needs more of a hook – nice enough, but not dragging me in. There’s something in the voice that tells me I’ve heard some things from them before though. As to the author? Not a scooby …
2. Acoustic intro – folky stuff happening. Summery and restful. A bit Knopfler-y. I know it, I bloody know it (I think?). Nah, it’s gone. Will (probably) kick myself at reveal time.
3. Big strummed acoustic beginning. This has a 60s feel, until the chorus, and a mariachi horn section. It’s a fine thing though. Can’t even make a tenuous connection, but I’d like to hear more.
Don’t know what it is, but it is eminently hummable and earwormy.
4. Ominous opening, breathy female vocal. There’s a bit of funk going on too. And a nice squealy guitar solo. All good, no idea who they. Do I want more? I wouldn’t turn it off, but I don’t think I’d seek it out either.
5. Bit funky this one – maybe by delivery more than design. Oo, there’s a voice appearing later on sounding a bit Dan-ish, but as my Dan knowledge extends to a Best Of, Aja, and one Donald Fagen album (Kamakiriad, since you ask) I’m a bit stumped.
If it’s from one of those, I’m going to look like a right dicky-doo-dah.
Then again, if it’s not them, I’m going to look and ever bigger dicky-doo-dah.
Might go in deeper though
6. Is she really going out with him? A cover of New Rose – interesting, not heard this one (and I’ve heard a few). Got a bit of 60s Girl Group pop swing about it, mixed with a dash of Lene Lovich.
7. For one horrible moment I had the strains of Crash Test Dummies Mmm Mmm Mmm in my ears. And then it changed. Understated narrative verse opening into a big chorus – mid 90s Britpop (or hangers on perhaps). Voice on the big chorus and “Yeah Yeah Yeah” brings to mind New Radicals, but as I only know one track (surprisingly?) that’ll be my guess (and then I’m off to spotify to explore a bit). Inoffensively good. Worth having on the shelf (if I can find it for a quid)
8. Breathy Country lady. This is mighty soothing, relaxing and dreamy. Like it, but don’t love it..
9. Another cover – All Along The Watchtower. Vocal sounds like a male Tracey Chapman (it might even be Tracey Chapman) – know the song, but not the singer. Good version though.
10. Jazzy piano – big 60s Hair type production meets Motown meets Philly Soul. I bet this is a real classic of the genre, and I’ve never heard it.
Does make me want to break out my Isaac Hayes and George Clinton albums though (I think I’m in the same gene pool, but never encountered this one)
11. The voice is pretty unmistakeable. I’ve only got one compilation that goes to about 77 and this one’s not on it, so I’m guessing it’s from later than that. Still sounds great though
12. Another big acoustic intro, and horns kicking in – recognising this tune from somewhere.
It’s …. I’m no good at this. Brain fail! (see track 2 above. Expect cries of “Of course it is!”)
Thanks for sharing – not many I knew (which is I think the point of these things), but some others I will probably be investigating further (which is definitely the point – sharing passions, and caning other peoples wallets)
But, on the downside, there’s also a couple where I’ll not go deeper.
And even more annoying, there’s some stuff on there I really should know.
@rigid-digit
The cheap and nasty covers were indeed lifted from NEU! and MEW.
It opens with a few well chosen words from rock dj extraordinaire Brian Matthews and we are off…
1) Addicted to love drum intro, bass AND squelchy synth bass. Has an 80s art rock vibe. I keep getting distracted by the synth patch which sounds just like that on Karn evil 9 pt 3 (live version). Ends with some guitar wig out and extended “walking into the sea”. No real clue who it is but it is a good start.
2) Short acoustic guitar instrumental. I’m not able to nail a style. Its not classical but then again its not particularly celtic or bluegrass. Martin Simpson or one of such ilk? Not setting the pulse racing but then I suspect that was not the intent. Pleasant enough.
3) Acoustic guitar and trumpet both playing a 1 and3 rhythm giving a slightly world music flavour. And a trumpet solo! Warrants further exploration.
4) Okay. This is a great track. Muted guitar riff, bondesque organ pad. Female singer “its going to be good” oh yes it is!
5) I think I know this band built round brothers from Sunderland. I think I have even heard this track. Angular guitar riff, unison and harmony vocals. I am embarrassed I haven’t investigated their back catalogue further and listening to this is encouragement enough not to put it off further.
6) I do love a cover. This song was on both my CDs – the first punk single released (I think). Here it’s done by a female singer ?new wave. Could be blondie except it is patently not Debbie Harry singing. Pat Benatar (that’s my very long shot!!).
7) Started with a vague inkling I had heard this and it would have remained just that except the singers voice is so distinctive. This meant I was able to dig up my copy of the CD. One late 90s album with one massive single (which is a brilliant song) before disappearing into the back offices of the music industry. I have committed the sin of not giving the rest of the album a fair listen – except thanks to this it back into rotation. Really like this.
8) Laid back, close miked woozy female lead vocals, someone wailing on their sax in the backgound (actually more than one of them). Nicely mellow.
9) A cover of a dylan song. For me the problem is that there is a very well known cover of this song (no its not Mr Tambourine man, its the one with Dave Mason strumming through). This version is just acoustic and voice and, for me, it doesn’t do enough to come out from under the shadow of other versions. I want to say Tracy Chapman but I know you will tell me its some bloke.
10) Craig you have done it again!! Recognised this but couldn’t place. Dove into the enormous pile of CDs I have not listened to for years and there it is. Honestly don’t think I have heard it since soon after I bought it. NY ethnic soul fusion. Really nice.
11) This is gorgeous! I think we would all recognise this sweet voiced soul funk artist (but if not one of the backing singers helpfully calls out his name in the fade out). Again I am going to have to profess ignorance to all but the most well known of his songs. This makes me want to investigate further. Currently my favourite on the CD.
12) And again. Think I have heard this before.? Hang on…. its an instrumental version of track 3 with extra fuzzed guitar solo. Craig either wants to make sure we are paying attention, really loves this one or ran out of songs!! Whatever it rounds off a great compilation beautifully.
Thanks Craig. Really enjoyed listening to this. Has sent me exploring some CDs I have overlooked, and eagerly awaiting the reveal to follow up on those I have not recognised.
Are we, all three of us, ready for the big reveal?
@tinydemon
@rigid-digit
Or are we still one review short?
All in (I think) – I was going to throw mine here last night. Just go to finish the background notes
Should be ready to drop my reveal this weekend.
When I first played the disc, it had a spot of bother getting through Track 7. The disc had a crack in it, so the ripped version of Track 8 was particularly interesting.
Thankfully, Mr Demon supplied the full tracks by Dropbox, and well pleased he did.
1. US power pop stuff – I like this stuff, although not probably as deeply as I could/should. Having said that, I do actually own it – is it The Waterfalls Of Rooney?
2. This one’s not power pop. Decidedly mellow an acoustic. Almost Simon and Garfunkel (with a UK accent) – I’m gonna guess similar vintage. But no clue as to the faces involved (I doubt it’s Peter and Gordon)
3. Echoing drums, jangling guitars, and a voice I think recognise. Not sure now
4. That’s a high voice – a bit sub-Prince with a funkiness to boot. Not really my ting, but inoffensive. And there’s something there that says “Go on, have another listen”
5. Accordians and African drums? Bit like a circus meets Adam And The Ants. Moody backing and baritone (treated?) vocals. Builds slowly, but sort of stays on one level eventually. Like the half-spoken half-sung vocal bits. I just wanted it to go somewhere.
6. Soul Organ sounds – gospel feel. Dance feel, with voice to match. Not sure it’s a unique voice, but the song (although not to my taste) is listenable
(oh, the snobbery!)
7. Slow, jazzy, gruff voice – could it be Tom Waits. I really must listen to more Tom Waits. If it isn’t he, then I’ve just made a mental note to myself. If it is, then that was a good guess.
8. First thought – Arctic Monkeys without the accent. Oo, I recognise the song though. A rocked up version of a Britney Spears “classic”. I could google it and arrive at an answer via youtube, but that’s not in the spirit is it?
9. Is this a Pedal Steel I hear before me? Recognising the voice – forgive the comparison, but it’s a bit Al Stewart-y. I know who it is – his album was a toppermost selection a couple of years ago. But this aint him his own methinks. Loving this – must find more …
10. A sort of late 70s/early 80s AOR toon with James Dean Bradfield on the top. Actually … this one was one long (long) list – an underrated band with a short life, but many many great tunes.
11. Piano and vocal melancholy – cut from a similar cloth as that Conor bloke above (maybe not so brittle as the exploding anguish later in the song suggests).
Another on for the “tell me more, tell me more” list.
12. Slow build – just as I think it’s going nowhere (this can’t sustain for 10 and a half minutes can it?). Changes at about 2 and a half minutes, but the drone continues with haunting strings (is it from The Best Of Hammer Horror?). And another change around 4 minutes – plaintive and brittle. Atmosphere is still there though. Slowly builds to a crescendo, and then dies away again. No idea on that one sorry. Probably investigate further though.
Well, there’s going to a bit of exploring come reveal time. There are tracks here that I really did enjoy and need to know more. There’s also a couple I forgot about, and will have to fish out again soon.
Glad that some hit the mark. Aimed to mix it up a bit but I do so love power pop! Aiming for my reviews to be out for the weekend. Really enjoyed your review of Craig42s compilation which echoed some of my thoughts/guesses/insights.
@tinydemon / @craig42blue
The reveal:
I tried to keep it simple and just use songs with “New” in the title, try and include nothing obscure and oblique (OK, apart from Track 2 perhaps), and then make the thing flow a bit.
I think it worked together, and the generally positive feedback was good to hear.
1. Carter USM – The Only Living Boy In New Cross
By 1992 they’d signed to a major label, and with that signing seemed to end the excitement. 1992 The Love Album is not without it’s moments (this being a particular highlight), but not up there with 101 Damnations or 30 Something
2. The Gents – New Direction
The Mod Revival ran from 1979 to (maybe) 1983 after The Jam split. So who releases their debut Mod Revival album in 1985? The Gents did and across 2 albums they proved it was a good idea (even if no-one actually bought their music)
3. Elvis Costello – New Amsterdam
Get Happy is probably in my Top 3 Elvis albums – there is so much going on, and so much squeezed into very cramped grooves. This is a favourite – and the track that got me into Elvis (along with I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down)
4. Paul Weller – Brand New Start
Although I know different, I always think of this track as one of PWs early solo outings – almost like putting down a marker, and putting his past behind him. Actually written in 1998 for a Homeless Charity and first appearing on his (first) Greatest Hits album
5. Paul McCartney – New
2013s New is probably Maccas best of the 21st Century. There’s autobiography in many of the songs – he really does seem to be accepting his past, and even wanting to put right some stories. The lead track is just pure, glorious pop from one of it’s finest exponents
6. Damned – New Rose
First Punk Single, The Damned also released the First Punk Album, were the first to tour America, the first to release a second album, and the first to split up. By the same token they were also the first to reform.
7. The Professionals – New Generation
The Professionals was Cook and Jones post Pistols band. They managed to release an album and some well received singles, before falling apart on an American Tour. Paul Cook reconvened the band in 2015 (with Tom Spencer replacing Steve Jones). This track from 2017s What In The World
8. Sinaed O’Connor – Emperors New Clothes
Oft forgotten single from Sinaed’s past, only scarping into the Top 30 off the back of Nothing Compares 2 U. Autobiography and defiance in equal measure.
9. Depeche Mode – New Life
Straight outta Basildon with Synths set to pop. When Vince Clarke left after the first album, who would’ve believed that DM would still be going 40 years later.
10. Joy Division – New Dawn Fades
Cold, dark, brittle – Joy Division weren’t exactly a barrel of laughs on record (although if you read Hooky or Stephen Morris’s book, there was a lot of humour in the band). This from the debut Unknown Pleasures, which (although it took several years and several attempts to go in) is surely one of the finest, most accomplished debut albums
11. Iron Maiden – Brave New World
After a not altogether successful dalliance with Blaze Bayley on vocals, this album marked the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. There’s something alchemical about those two in the band, and the 2000 Album Brave New World was easily the best since they first left, and remained their 21st Century best until 2015s Book Of Souls.
12. Half Man Half Biscuit – Breaking News
Basically a list of annoying things in life – like much of HMHBs output, the lyrics will raise a smile (Lisa Riley) whilst also nodding sagely (call him Rupert – it’s a good name).
One day, Nigel Blackwell will be elevated to National Treasure status (or maybe Poet Laureate)
C42’s reveal :-
0 Intro to Be Bop Deluxe – in concert (edit) Brian Matthew
1 New Precision (live 1978 – edit) Be Bop Deluxe – just before Bill Nelson went ‘solo’ as Red Noise.
2 Country Poem (from ‘New Chautauqua’) Pat Metheny – 1979
3 Newby Street Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band (formerly Pale Fountains, The Strands, Shack… )
4 New Year’s Eve Eg and Alice 1991 Eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eg_White
Alice was the first female UK and European BMX champion; before she disappeared down a ‘rabbit hole’.
5 A New Town Field Music from their 2012 album Plumb.
6 New Rose Rachel Sweet – ex Stiff records teenager
7 Someday We’ll Know New Radicals (However I love the cover by Hall and Oates + Todd Rundgren).
8 New Bikini from ‘An Overview On Phenomenal Nature’ 2021 Cassandra Jenkins – you must hear her “Hard Drive”.
9 All Along the Watchtower Michael Hedges (yes he’s no Tracy C) Great guitar player but vocals aren’t his thing usually – from the New Age label – Windham Hill and his LP ‘Aerial Boundaries’.
10 Black Gold of the Sun Nuyorican Soul featuring the top vox of Jocelyn Brown
11 Back to Living Again (from ‘New World Order’) Curtis Mayfield – his final album released in 1996.
12 Newby Street (instr.) Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band – one of you spotted the familiarity 🙂 and one spotted the repetition 🙂
THANK YOU for your CDs and reviews! C42Blue
@craig42blue
Thanks for the track listing, I’m off to investigate further, but expect to be adding to the couple I’ve just bought
– New Radicals and Nuyorican Soul both gotten for a couple of quids.
– Pat Metheny is a name I’d only heard because of David Bowie *This Is Not America – sha-la-la-la”, or something). Spotify will be caned
– Track 5 is not Dan, but I must get some more Field Music (to add to my 1 album)
– And if Michael Head – Artorius Revisited ever becomes available on physical product, I’m having it (but not the one on Discogs for £81!)
“New” Reveal
1) New Routine – Fountains of Wayne.
Melodic power pop loveliness with kitchen sink lyrics and a smart return to the beginning at the end. The death of founding member Adam Schlesinger last year was a great loss.
2) Winning a battle, Losing the War – Kings Of Convenience.
The Norwegian Simon and Garfunkel! They were leading lights in the Quiet is the new loud (name of the album)/new acoustic movement. Intricate fingerpicking , harmonies , “everything is new”. What’s not to like.
3) Its getting light outside – Clearlake.
Great timpani / floor tom opening, choppy guitar middle 8. I rated this band highly and always felt they were overlooked.
4) From the day before we met Pt.2 – Lewis Taylor.
Now we are talking. Ok so he has gone all Garbo and scrubbed his internet presence but what he has left is joyous pop/soul/funk/rock. I cannot recommend highly enough.
5) We want war – These New Puritans.
Always being on the look out for anything odd and touted as new prog is how this fell in my lap. It’s a glorious journey of jittery synths, doomy drums and chanting that ends with a minutes worth of wind ensemble. I have no insights into how they went about writing this .
6) If I ever feel better – Phoenix.
Peerless gallic pop. (PS Phoenixes arise new from the ashes. Ok, medium sized shoehorn employed there).
7) New coat of paint – Tom Waits.
From his “on the road” beatnik jazz phase (as opposed to hobo Harry Partch).
8) Toxic – Hard Fi.
When the guitar kicks in with its batmanesque riff you think it sounds familiar. Half way through they let you know why by dropping in a verse of brand new Cadillac. So I get to put in my favourite Clash track in disguise (which takes care of the “new” brief) and a great Britney cover. But there is more… this is hard fi covering Britney inside of which they cover the clash who were covering Vince Taylor. That’s a cover version, inside a cover version, inside a cover version. This makes me very happy.
9) Old soul song (For the new world order) – Bright Eyes.
Was never a big Connor Oberst fan but the “we go wild refrain” is irresistible.
10) New Mistake – Jellyfish.
Power pop royalty. Supertramp / ELO / Queen. They take the best ingredients and add their own twist.
11) New York, I love you but you’re bringing me down – LCD Soundsystem.
I can’t pretend to be familiar with their (his) oeuvre but it tended towards electronica more than this ode to NY.
12) Moya (Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada – Godspeed You Black Emperor!
Okay I snuck in a long instrumental at the end. But if you liked prog back in the day then this is what it has become… mixed with minimalist classical music , noise rock and other odd bits and pieces. This is one of 2 tracks from an EP (I did consider putting them both on but feared it would be frowned on!) and is apparently based on/inspired by the Gorecki third symphony. Again would highly recommend further investigation / attendance at their concerts.
So … on the strength of 1 track, Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning is due for delivery on Monday, and I’m going through a YouTube and Spotify binge to see if there are more worth having.
LCD soundsystem and Clearlake also appearing in the above binge.
Thanks Craig. Compilation still getting a regular outing and plenty to explore further. And the version of “Someday we’ll know” featuring Todd has gone straight into my favourites playlist.
Another great compilation Rigid. Don’t know how “New Direction” was not a top 10, fondly remembered classic rather than by a band I have never heard of. I think my favourite was probably the Mcartney. I am somewhat patchy on his solo output ,which I plan to correct. Thanks!!
If you’re going to investigate The Gents, there is also Revenge – another one of those “How was this not a hit?” moments
@carl / @NigelT / @biggles
CD from @carl arrived this morning. Only 2 listens through thus far, and – as @NigelT not yet commented – just some thoughts/observations at the moment:
– like the overall/mostly folk-rock-country vibe
– I only know and have Tracks 1,2, 6, 8, 10 and 12. Not familiar with the others, though nice and easy to determine song titles
– Track 12, though perhaps a little incongruous when compared to the others, is a great song, from a tremendous 1981 LP and I cannot believe I didn’t think of it for my CD!
Thank you for this. I shall continue to enjoy it and, even better(!?!) can play it in the car next week when driving in the South-West with Mrs Biggles…
Have given the CD from @Carl 1 spin so far – certainly agree with @Biggles general comments on first listen. Certainly my sort of stuff, so it’s odd I don’t think I own any of it, although I certainly recognise several artists. Full review next week as we are away this weekend!
Thank you chaps.
I have received my disc from @NigelT.
Only one spin so far. The first few sounded as though I should know them, though my mind wasn’t totally focussed as I was trying to capture a mouse (to release it) that our cat brought in. God knows where the little bugger has disappeared to now.
Also received CD from @NigelT yesterday, and so to do some similar initial comments:
– a vibe not unlike the one from Carl – I fear my effort may not be to either/both of their tastes, therefore!
– tracks 2 to 5, 7 and 9 are known and loved by me (I even guessed who 4 would be after hearing 3) and I think I am familiar with the artists on 6 and 11, but not the songs
– another one to enjoy again in the car next week!!
And now to the CD from @NigelT :
1. Interesting start. No idea who/what this short piece is, but intriguing…
2. Although sounding like the Byrds, I am sure this is much more recent, and think I have heard this sound before. If so, they are British? Like.
3. Can’t beat a bit of AK! Lovely. I wonder if her Wolves-supporting friend is next…
4. Yes he is! Great track from Carry Fire
5. Emmylou Harris finishes off a hat-trick of mighty fine tunes…
6. Don’t know the song, but it sounds a bit like Bellowhead. Not a massive fan.
7. Posthumous Hendrix. Slight, but enjoyable. Don’t know which version – i.e. bracketed or not?
8. No idea at all. Interested to know who, though still not sure if I like it or not.
9. This is garbage! From eponymous mid-nineties LP. Not their best, but makes me want to listen to the album again. Always a good sign.
10. Again, no idea. Not sure I am missing much, though.
11. Don’t know the song, but is it one of the blokes from The Christians. To my surprise, I like this more each time I hear it.
12. Now, then. When playing the CD in the car, got to the end of this track – no idea who, by the way – and the disc automatically went back to track 1…
…Is this the same track as that, or a different version of same? I need to know!
Another overall enjoyable compilation in a fairly similar style to the one from @carl
Mrs Biggles now driving the car, and it is still in the CD player!
“Proper” review of the CD from @carl :
1. Ah – Steve Miller Band – same title as a track on Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds. Great psychedelic start…
2. Same(ish) title, though not as good to me. No idea who the singer is. Modern Country?
3. More country/Americana. Again, no idea who this is. Pleasant, and not in a pejorative way.
4. We now hit what I assume to be early-seventies folk/rock. Californian-influenced, but British? Rather like this!
5. Schwing! Not bad. No idea who this is, but I am guessing it is Norah Jones-ish.
6. Clearly Mr William Bloke. Late-eighties vintage. Big fan.
7. Perfectly fine, though nothing special. Yet again, absolutely no idea who.
8. A mid-eighties commotion(s)! I think this may have accounted for 50% of his Top 20 “hits”. Still sounds great.
9. Female country singer. S’alright. Not a scooby here either. Seems I have a gap in my music knowledge!
10. From his tribute(?) album to Townes van Zandt, this is cracking alt.country/blues.
11. More alt. country, I think, but again not familiar at all to me. Very good, and another one to investigate further when the reveal comes.
12. Gloriously incongruous from what went before! Adrian Borland’s post-punk outfit and from From The Lion’s Mouth. Splendid way to end!
Looking forward to learning who all the ones I don’t know are.
Went down well with Mrs Biggles on recent car journeys too!
I’ve had a bit longer to listen to the comp from @Carl, so here’s my review…!
Overall first impression was of familiarity – not that I owned any of the tracks (I don’t think!), but I certainly recognised several artists who I either like or enjoy when they come on the radio and so on. There was nothing much here, perhaps with a couple of exceptions, that would be out of place in my collection, so it was a comfortable listen and most enjoyable!
Track 1. A dramatic opening, and then I realised I knew this as a friend owned the album many years ago. An early track very unlike their 70s more popular phase, and very psyche 60s. Good stuff 7/10
Track 2. I have grown to like this a lot. Country/Americana singer/songwriter (I’m guessing) who put me in mind of Lucinda Williams. Very rhythmic drumming behind acoustic guitars and an accordion picking out the melody in the breaks. The title is fairly obvious (and similar to track 1). Love it and will explore more. 9/10
Track 3. God, this reminds me of something but I can’t place it – Police Dog Hogan I think, but I don’t think it’s them, also has a touch of Jackson Browne, but again it ain’t him. Male singer – more folky, but definite Americana touches again. Nice tune – intrigued to know more. 8/10
Track 4. This has more of a West Coast/CSNY sort of vibe – the harmonies are very reminiscent of them. Mainly acoustic, with an electric guitar figure weaving through the background. Lovely chorus. It is quite a long track and after about 3.50 it sort of changes (again very CSNY style) into quite a different track with rhythmic drums behind some guitar noodling. Is it actually the same track, or have two been joined together? Again I like it a lot (especially the first half), but puzzled by the ending. 8/10
Track 5. A complete handbrake turn – we are now in jazzy/big band easy listening territory. A female voice, I keep imaging this as a scene in a film recreating a 40s New York nightclub. Perfectly acceptable and enjoyable in that context (where you would get the lovely visuals as well), but not something I would listen to at home. 4/10
Track 6. Ah, unmistakably the bard of Barking. Typical song which I can’t remember hearing before. Touch of sitar in the middle 8..! My problem with him is that his voice sort of makes everything sound the same – the great songs cut through that issue for me, but this probably isn’t one of those. Perfectly acceptable, but not a fave. 6/10
Track 7. A bit more pop than previous tracks, but we are still in country/Americana territory. A female voice that I think I know?! Very ‘produced’ and smooth to these old ears. Perfectly listenable, but not particularly memorable. 5/10
Track 8. Very familiar. Great track and nice to hear this gem again. I don’t own anything by this artist, but I should really explore deeper cuts I think. 8/10
Track 9. Back to the Americana (sorry to keep using that word, seems a bit lazy!) – again a highly produced track with a female voice, this is an archetypal country song in terms of subject matter – broken hearts and dreams…what is it with this genre and relationships?! It’s OK, but a bit too syrupy for me. 6/10
Track 10. Bluesy acoustic guitar picking opening. Reminds me of some of James Taylor’s songs, but I do know who this is as I have some of his stuff. Very underrated songwriter. Obviously included because of the title/subject, but absolutely fine. Lovely simple country blues. 8/10
Track 11. Now this I like a lot. Slow, moody, smokey female vocal over an understated backing, it builds beautifully through the middle and new instruments slowly get introduced. It has me impatiently waiting for that hook line to come round again. I’m totally captivated by this and will explore further. 10/10
Track 12. And now for something completely different. Percussive intro – this just must be an 80s track from the sound and production. Reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode, but I haven’t a clue. Very post punk and synthy with angry slashing guitar figures and angsty male vocals. It’s grown on me after several listens – always good to hear something different. 6/10
So, a great listen and another big thank you to both of my swap mates for taking the time and trouble to put these together!
Thanks @NigelT, I will reveal what’s what very soon.
I thought the artist on track 11 had given up music as she hadn’t released anything since 2011, but she is apparently currently working on a new album.
Apologies this has taken longer than intended to post, but I have had some IT issues! Anyway, here’s my review of the @Biggles comp…!
I’m certain I do not own any of the tracks here, which is always nice, but there are a few familiar songs. Overall this was an interesting listen, and in one case a stunning track!
Track 1. A short spoken word track over a growing electronic background. I haven’t any idea who this might be, and I suspect I won’t know the artist(s) even when revealed. Interesting, but I haven’t a clue what it’s about even after many listens (probably me being a bit dense to be honest!). 6/10
Track 2. I know this of course. Not really my cup of tea – obviously it is a classic, but I would never listen to this from choice. Stylistically, soft soul is not for me, but you can’t fault it as so many will love it, so it’s hard to mark. 7/10
Track 3. Again, of course I know the song. Imagine the best known Joy Division song being sung by Francois Hardy and you won’t be far off. A latin rhythm underpins the breathy vocals, with a bit of ambient sound towards the end. Not sure this really works for me – you can’t unhear the original, and there have been better covers of it. 5/10
Track 4. Sort of post punk/ New wave guitar sound and a flat vocal, then it gets more interesting with a synthy theme coming in. A loping rhythm throughout, but I’m not really liking the vocal style. It really only gets interesting when the synth arrives now and again. Bet it’s a well known 80s band or something..? Feels a longer track than it actually is – maybe because it doesn’t really go anywhere..? 7/10
Track 5. Slow build with some guitar over an electronic background, then we get a rap vocal – something about brown paper (well, I suppose that is important to some). Sorry, I really don’t get on with this at all. Probably someone famous, but I wouldn’t know! Totally outside of my usual listening – if this came up on, say, the Glastonbury TV coverage then I’d switch channels. Again, seems to go on forever, but is actually less than 5 mins. 1/10
Track 6. Now, this is a long track! Drum rhythm builds over an electronic backing – quite metronomic and mesmerising. After about 3 mins, it get heavier and the pace builds, and it stays interesting by varying the electronica whilst maintaining the drum pattern. It has to be some German electronica band as it sounds very Kraftwerk to these ears (who doesn’t own any of this genre at all!). No vocals at all – ends with the sound of the sea on the shore for some reason. It is interesting, and I get why some may really like this. 8/10.
Track 7. Blimey, proper grown up music. I recognise it and can guess what it is from the theme to this swap. Again, I have to say that I don’t listen to this genre from choice – this is big orchestral music – but I like the drama, and I found myself listening several times all the way through. 7/10.
Track 8. Ooo…now what do we have here? Again, the song is very familiar, and even the vocalist, but it isn’t the original. A slow build with ambient sound and a piano figure at the start, you have no idea what is coming, but suddenly that piano plays a familiar theme and we are into a terrific version of a Numan classic. I love this and you don’t want it to end. 10/10
Track 9. A well known Simon & Garfunkle song, this is so close to the original that you wonder why they bothered, if you see what I mean. It is a lovely song though. 8/10
Track 10. Ha ha! I see what you did here! A slow intro suddenly explodes into a sort of fast new wave rhythm and a shouty vocal. Not too keen really. 4/10
Track 11. More fast thrash and shouty vocals. Sorry, this sounds like a pub punk band trying far too hard. Mercifully short. 2/10
Track 12. Very early Floyd, but I’m fairly sure it isn’t them as I know their stuff. Very spacey electronica – could be a film soundtrack I suppose..?…it is entirely instrumental. Not bad at all. 8/10
Track 13. Yes…more than the 12 track rule! Biggles likes his electronic music..! This more ambient – it has to be German again surely! There is a vocal that arrives quite late in the track, but it seems to be for the sound rather than any lyric? Interesting. 7/10
Track 14. A short track – all instrumental again. Is this an excerpt from something much longer? It isn’t hardly a track at all at 47sec, so difficult to assess. 3/10.
I feel a lot of this should have been heard in a darkened room! From my comments, I’m sure it is obvious that most of this is quite outside of my usual listening at home. None the worse for that, of course, as it is the fun of these swaps to be presented with just that, so thanks @ Biggles !
Thank you for the review @NigelT
I shall post track details once @Carl has reviewed too.
Only 12 songs – simply bookended by an intro and an outro…
Back home tomorrow, and so will endeavour to do both of my reviews by the end of the week.
Yes, I should have amended the review regarding the number of tracks…I drafted the outline before detailed repeated listens and that got left in somehow. Apols @Biggles !
Sorry @NigelT and @Biggles, I have been (unexpectedly) really busy for the last few weeks.
Things have calmed down and I will get the reviews posted soon.
Once again, I apologise for the delay.
Oh dear, almost a month after the first reviews were posted, here are mine for the collections by @biggles and @NigelT.
Gentlemen, I prostrate myself before you and crave your forgiveness for my tardiness.
Biggles – Shock Of the New
1 – I can’t recall who recorded this but it’s a song that really depends on my mood because if I’m in the right frame of mind I think the falsetto is great. But I know there are times when I find it intensely irritating. For the times I have listened it has been a positive and I have enjoyed it.
2 – A bossa nova version of Love Will Tear Us apart – is it that the version is in the bossa nova style that fits the “new’ theme or perhaps the band name. Totally surprising version and very, very good. I like it a lot.
3 – Hooky’s bass is unmistakeable. From the very first note. Given how limited the bass range is, it’s amazing how he achieved such an idiosyncratic sound. Off the top of my head only Miles Davis has such an identifiable tone. Having said that, not the best New Order song.
4 – I don’t know this song. It starts like a 1980s band before metamorphosing into a rap track. It’s not my usual thing, but I don’t feel compelled to fast forward
5 – This sounds underproduced to me. Everything should leap out of the speakers with more force, but it sounds like it was recorded in a different room to where the band was playing. It picks up a bit more force later on, around three minutes but then falls back into a torpor around five minutes and it all seems a bit inconsequential and it overstays its welcome. It comes over as a Hawkwind’s kid brother.
6 – Coming in on a totally unexpected trajectory is a bit of classical – an extract from Dvorák’s New World Symphony I am guessing. It sounds familiar, but I don’t know my classical well enough to be categoric. After the previous track, this is very enjoyable.
7 – And from the sublime to a track that had me stumped for a bit – how did this fit in with the theme? Until it hit me. Numan!! Duh! There is too much emotion tied up with the unpleasant end of a relationship tied in with this for me to make any rational assessment of it.
8 – Followed by EBTG’s version of Only Living Boy. This has a totally opposite effect emotionally to the previous. I introduced my wife to EBTG and their gigs became a fixture in our calendar. Love it.
9 – A third song in a row that is emotionally resonant and a neat segue as my youngest brother was a Carter fan and also lived in New Cross for a while (I don’t think the two things were in any way connected). Good stuff.
10 – I am guessing New Model Army. The only thing I knew of theirs was their version of Streets Of London, which was popular in a flat I lived in back in the mid 80s. Of its time, but I quite like it.
11 – Synths a-go-go. I don’t know who it is and I’m not overly taken with it. Random noises arranged into a quasi-tune.
12 – Is it Gavin Bryars or Phillip Glass? No idea really and no idea how it fits in with the theme (as with the previous track). Perhaps though distorted lyrics explain it. I can’t make out what they say at all. However unlike the previous track it has an immersive quality and I enjoyed it.
Nice intros and outros too.
A mixed bag with many more thumbs up than down.
NigelT New!
1 – A song I know from somewhere, but I don’t recall who it is or the title. Very short but fine for all that.
2 – Another song I know and I am sure I have this, (or used to have it). Lovely Byrds hommage. Once I know who it is, I will dig the album out, assuming I still have it.
3 – The sublime Alison Krauss. Such a beautiful song. Of the 24 songs presented by Nigel and Biggles this is my (old) favourite. Gorgeous. What a voice. I haven’t played her for years. I will have to rectify that situation.
4 – Then followed by Robert Plant. I took some time to twig who it was Again, on first listen it was that problem of “I know this, but who is it?” A mother positive response from me to this one.
5 – The splendid New Orleans by Emmylou. I love it. To go off at tangent, after this album came out we went to see Ron Sexsmith and he had resurrected Hard Bargain as part of his set. He said he’s discarded it, but given that Emmylou had used it as the title track of her album he said “Well she knows a good tune, doesn’t she”.
6 – A bit too much squiddly-diddly folk vibe for me. Not one to linger over.
7 – On first listen I thought it was Spirit, but then I thought it must be Hendrix. It’s nice if not essential.
8 – Was this a chart hit in the 80s? I know it (once again) but can’t recall who it is. I’m not particularly fond of the slightly strangled quality of the vocals.
9 – Unlike many of the tracks I don’t know this at all. I am pretty sure thirty years ago I would have followed this band, though not so much my thing today. It’s got a lot of appeal for me.
10 – This on the other hand is a bit of a cacophony. Violins, drums, indecipherable vocals. It’s bit of a mess.
11 – Which this track contrasts very well with. I don’t know who it is, but he’s got a decent voice. I like the arrangement and I could imagine listening to more of him.
12 – This collection finishes with yet another song that I know from somewhere. I’m not doing well in the memory. Another memory from Top Of The Pops in the 1980s, I think.
It’s a pleasant ending to a collection that contains excellent choices and a couple of songs I don’t mind if I don’t hear again.
Here for @NigelT and @Biggles are the identities of my dozen songs.
1 – Steve Miller Band – Brave New World from the album of the same name
2 – Kim Richey – Cowards In A Brave New World from her album Rise
3 – Blue Rodeo – New Morning Sun from the album In Our Nature
4 – Bronco – New Day Avenue; originally released on the album Ace Of Sunlight, but this is the remastered version from the set Hidden Masters: the Jess Roden Anthology
5 – Suzy Bogguss – It’s Always New To Me from her album Swing (which was a diversion from her normal country based material)
6 – Billy Bragg – She’s Got A New Spell taken from Worker’s Playtime
7 – Shawn Colvin – the title track from her album A Whole New You
8 – Lloyd Cole and The Commotions – Brand New Friend, originally from the album Easy Pieces, though this version is from The Singles collection
9 – Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters – Brand New Start. From their eponymous album, though there had been four earlier albums just under the name The Honeycutters
10 – Townes van Zandt – Brand New Companion from the album Delta Momma Blues
11 – Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter – Grow A New Heart from the album Oh, My Girl
12 – The Sound – New Dark Age, a track from their second album From The Lion’s Mouth
You both liked Jesse Sykes, whom I thought had retired from music after almost 10 years inactivity, but I am pleased to find that she is recording a new album.
@Biggles and @Carl had a good stab at getting a lot of my tracks! Here is the official confirmation….
Track 1. A New Beginning (Prelude) – The 4 Seasons. This and Track 12 are from the album Chameleon and bookend side 1 of that record (and this is taken from my LP bought in the 70s!). This was the only album they made for Mowest and features The Night, which was a big UK hit of course. Worth a listen.
Track 2. Have You Heard The News Today? – Cosmic Rough Riders. From Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine – a favourite of mine. I was going to weave in a snatch of A Day in the Life here, but thought better of it.
Track 3. New Favourite – Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Track 4. New World – Robert Plant. From the brilliant Carry Fire album.
Track 5. New Orleans – Emmylou Harris. From Hard Bargain.
Track 6. New York Girls – Bellowhead. One of the best live bands I have ever seen, but never made an entirely satisfactory album. This is from Hedonism.
Track 7. The New Rising Sun – Jimi Hendrix. This is the version from Voodoo Soup. I know, sacrilege.
Track 8. Kinda New – Spektrum
Track 9. Dog New Tricks – Garbage
Track 10. If The News Makes You Sad Don’t Watch It – Broken Records
Track 11. Grey’s the New Blonde – Henry Priestman
Track 12. A New Beginning – The 4 Seasons.
Here is my “big reveal” for @carl and @NigelT :
(intro) The NEW Colossus – Emma Lazarus. A short poem, I think, on the importance and positives of immigration.
01. You Make Me Feel Brand NEW – The Stylistics. A No. 2 hit in both the UK and US, 1974.
02. Love Will Tear Us Apart – NOUVELLE Vague. Bossa nova version of the Joy Division classic.
03. Lonesome Tonight – NEW Order. B-side of Thieves Like Us. Bass!
04. Brown Paper Bag – Roni Size & Represent. From the 1997 Mercury Music award-winning LP NEW Forms.
05. Fur Immer – NEU! From NEU! 2, released in 1973. Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, produced by Conny Plank.
06. Symphony No. 9 (From The NEW World), Movement 4 – Dvorak. As listened to by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission.
07. Are “Friends” Electric – Gary NUman. Recorded in 2013(?) as part of the AllSaints Basement Sessions. Fantastic Version.
08. The Only Living Boy In NEW York – Everything But The Girl.
09. The Only Living Boy In NEW Cross – Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.
10. NEW Day Rising – Husker Du. Title track from Bob Mould’s old band’s third LP.
11. Liquid Sky – NEUland. Neuland are Paul Haslinger and Peter Baumann, both past members (at different times) of Tangerine Dream. From eponymous debut LP, released a couple of years ago.
12. Lament – Einsturzende NEUbauten. Title track of 2014 LP. Blixa Bargeld still at the helm.
(outro) The Shock Of The NEW – Peter Howell (BBC Radiophonic Workshop). Short theme from a 1980 documentary series, written and presented by Robert Hughes.
@fatima-Xberg / @SteveT / @lemonhope
A Normal Afternoon listening to the mix from @lemonhope
Van sits on a salmon-coloured leather sofa. His feet don’t touch the ground. It’s early in the afternoon, and he’s bored. He picks up his phone. »Hey Georgie, it’s Van.« A long pause. He can hear a distant TV at the other end. »Listen, let me tell you a joke…« He knows he doesn’t sound very enthusiastic so he immediately hangs up. He stares at the framed photo of John Lee Hooker on the wall. Van hops off the leather sofa and goes to the CD player. Someone has sent him a CD with new music. He switches the player on and the Yo La Tengo disc from last night slides out. He puts the new one in, presses a button on the controller and paces up and down as the music starts.
||||||| TRACK 1: But – the disc starts with a spoken word intro that sounds like a late-sixties self-motivation lecture. With a Walt Disney soundtrack. »The backside of modern life« (Van tries to memorise it for use as a future songtitle). The actual song sounds like a Vampire Weekend/Death Cab For Cutie mash-up. Nice, rising instrumental passages give it a real cinematic scope.
||||||| TRACK 2: A fey singer ill-advisedly thinks he’s Roger Daltrey and sings a song that he considers more melodramatic than it actually is. Most of the time he sounds like a complaining child. Clattering, ringing guitars make a jolly noise though.
Someone’s ringing at the gate. Van peeks out the window. »Fucking hell!« It’s the intern from Sony in his silly electric car, probably with more records to sign. We’ll take care of that, Van, no worries… they had promised, and then it all backfired. His phone is going crazy, but he pretends he’s not in. When the car finally leaves the driver makes an obscene gesture with his hand. Van lights up a Camel and smiles.
||||||| TRACK 3: The first few seconds sound like »Rubber Bullets«! And is that an old-fashioned Moog grooving in between the verses? Is this what’s nowadays called Yacht rock? Or Welsh easy listening Prog? Sounds a lot like some half-finished Al Stewart/Alan Parsons outtake. Shuffles along quite nicely in a not too annoying way.
||||||| TRACK 4: Cinemascope music in a wholly different way. Mysterious, restrained and with a dark undertone. Not unlike a modern version of Julee Cruise. Spooky bird sounds are always a good option (coming from the garden, actually, not from the disc).
Van fires up the internet on his laptop. 28 people have unfriended him on Facebook, including the person he was in a relationship with. Someone has posted the video from the Last Waltz concert (again!), but it’s now neatly synchronized to a Hitler speech. This is actually proper funny. Still smiling he deletes a few people, among them Mark Ellen, and one of those annoying hipsters from Sony’s office. That’ll teach ‘em. Next he cues up the Hymns To Silence fan forum; maybe he can stir something up. He enters his user name (Ivan The Engine) but can’t remember his log-in. Back to the CD then.
||||||| TRACK 5: Another young lad who’s trying his best to sound world-weary. Fine arrangement with sneaking fiddle tumbling to and fro in the background! Halfway through they get bored and wander over to another song completely.
||||||| TRACK 6: More fiddling sounds – steel guitar, as it turns out –, but more atmospheric and dramatic. We’re back in the mysterious wilderness, with echo and bongos in the dark.
Van’s mind begins to wander. There are still two crates with LPs by the window. He has promised to sign them by tomorrow, but he tries not to think about it. Van goes over to the kitchen and puts a lasagne in the oven to bake. He googles the brand on his phone and makes sure he picks the correct temperature. On his way back to the sofa he tries to kick the air just like in the Last Waltz video, and he shouts »Sieg Heil!!« He almost collapses with laughter.
||||||| TRACK 7: It’s all the fault of This Mortal Coil. More echoes, humming in the dark, and slow-motion rhythms floating underneath an earnest song. Did Mark E. Smith die in vain?
||||||| TRACK 8: The male equivalent of the »Young girl in a summer dress with an acoustic guitar« cliché. He’s probably wearing shorts from GAP. The lengthy, meandering passages in the middle are almost ambient. And they’re really great.
Van checks his phone. Dylan has sent him a selfie with a welder’s full face protection. And a blow torch in his hand. Van scrolls down the pictures on his phone until he finds the one he took last week in the village – a green sticker on a family car proclaiming »Irish Grandad on board«. He forwards it to Bob. No other messages or calls. Van feels slightly sorry for himself.
||||||| TRACK 9: Hurray – a proper song. About drinking, lying women, foolish men, and barrooms, what’s not to like?
||||||| TRACK 10: What again sounds like ill-advised vocal mannerisms at the start quickly turns into a snappy, interesting song, not unlike the weird little tunes that Tunng used to make. A winner.
Van thinks about Slim Harpo. Maybe he should look into the cupboard in his music room if he has a decent photo of him. Someone in the village could make a nice frame, and he could put it where John Lee is hanging right now. John Lee Hooker is too obvious. Even twenty-year-olds know ol’ John Lee.
||||||| TRACK 11: Here we have the Girl In A Summer Dress. A long dress, and she’s at the piano, nonetheless. Whining rather uplifting about a new day. Would be interesting to hear what a proper singer (like, well, Van…) would make out of this.
||||||| TRACK 12: Yay!! Van hops off the sofa and struts the room, holding an invisible mic. Flutes! We need more flutes nowadays! Suddenly it occurs to Van that he must check his iTunes later – just to make sure it isn’t a cover of one of his own. When the brass comes in at the end he paces the room as if he was on stage at the Lyceum.
The phone starts ringing. Unknown caller. Could this be the person he was in a relationship with? Van picks it up. »Yes?«
»Van!«
»Chris…« Van makes a face to himself. Sieg heil, he thinks.
»Van! I’ve just had a fantastic idea!«
»Go on.«
»We should do a duet album.«
»Didn’t we already?«
»Not a full album…« Van notices a good moment to get out of this.
»Fucking hell Chris, something’s burning; I put a lasagne in the oven!«
Van hangs up the phone. He hurries over to the kitchen. There are a lot of red lights blinkin’ on the oven. He opens the door and a cloud of black smoke goes into Van’s face.
»Fucking hell!« Van says.
Fantastic review, much better than my compilation deserved [to be sure]. I feel my efforts were worth it for the image of Ivan, ‘On his way back to the sofa he tries to kick the air just like in the Last Waltz video, and he shouts »Sieg Heil!!’
Thanks – your mix still gets a play at least once a day – so it’s not that bad…
When I wrote the review I was playing it with the windows open (it was indeed a lazy afternoon) and the birds outside were inspired to chirp and tweet to some songs. I actually had to double check if they were real or part of the track.
This post deserves some sort of award. Amazing!
😉
I’m still coming back to this one. The sitcom with ‘Ivan the Engine’ is obviously the greatest thing ever, but some of the comments, especially track 2, are pure gold as well.
Afterword NEW CD Swap @fatima-Xberg
Track 01 – 52 seconds of spoken word – news reports/This is a familiar track and then we have the first track proper – Afterword favourites from 21 years ago. Melodic, man.
Track 02 – Next up we have a cover of a Bowie instrumental. What this track loses in gravy, it makes up for with meat & potatoes. But to be fair, the original is pretty run of the mill.
Track 03 – The separation here puts us squarely in the 70’s [or is it just a pastiche] jazz/folk/rock with a strong female vocal. It’s grower. I like it more with each play.
Track 04 – A nice segue from the last track, to this which sounds a lot like Wilco, but not a track I’m familiar with [which will probably turn out to be one I own, to my shame] I like this a lot. It’s odd, in a good way. If it’s not Wilco I might even be happier, as this lot deserve investigation.
Track 05 – Another spoken word news report leads us into Rock! Sounds like Jimi, but the vocal has me doubting myself. Lovely flute [stand down, Moose] Not one I’ve heard before, but another winner.
Track 06 – Well done blending the previous track into this! Ah! This was on my long list but was cut as I had used one of there tracks on an earlier swap disc. This is possibly my favourite track of theirs and it’s off my favourite album of theirs. All of the elements sound like they’re from different songs, but the whole works brilliantly.
Track 07 – This sounds like a never released track by the previous band – or more like their second incarnation when they reformed under a different name – until the vocal comes in. I like it, but it’s a bit too long.
Track 08 – [More news] – A long intro and then we have a motoric beat and noodle guitar. Stylistically similar to the last track, but with more Oomph. Mostly instrumental and definitely too long. A pretty boring way to spend what felt like an hour.
Track 09 – Then an even longer intro and into 7 minutes of bleeps and blobs, a bit of drumming and spacey effects. Another one to skip.
Track 10- I know this one. It’s hailed as some kind of benchmark/watershed of the genre and it’s undoubtedly clever, but it’s also a pretty unpleasant track. Using news reports of the assassination of JFK to punctuate the hip hop beats. Musical death porn with no purpose or redeeming features.
Track 11- A straight ahead pop/rock track with a catchy chorus. I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on the radio. A grower.
Track 12 – Screech! A handbrake turn and now we have a slow, gentle choon. Another one that sounds like it’s old or a clever assimilation of the past into the present. A pleasing sound & another grower. So, that’s it, 12 tracks and done… but wait, there’s more.
Track 13 – Sounds like ENO to finish – but wait, there’s more
Track 14 – A very nice funky chilled track to end on… oh, wait, there’s still more than 7 minutes to go…
Track 15 – A classical intro, then spoken word, singing and then it morphs into a trip hop ish track. Decent, but when is this going to be over?
Track 16 – Well, this is an unexpected joy. A calypso strum and a vocal about reading the news. And now that’s it. Clearly the intention of the bonus tracks was to fill up the disc. Naughty, but 3 decent tracks which I would have preferred to some others that made the A list.
A pretty good hit rate at 9/12. Thanks Fatima
All is revealed here: https://www.mixcloud.com/fatimaXberg/afterword-mix-4-news/
And if you don’t want to listen to it (again), the tracks from my mix are:
— Moon News from the Apollo Mission Control Center
01 Cosmic Rough Riders ||| Have You Heard The News Today
02 Disappears ||| A New Career In A New Town
(from a live concert where they covered the complete “Low” album)
03 Julie Driscoll ||| New Awakening
04 Wilco ||| This Is New
(from the Wilco book)
— Newspaper reading about the crime that they blamed on Babbacombe Lee
05 Jethro Tull ||| A New Day Yesterday
06 Japan ||| My New Career
07 Can ||| Like A New Child
— Cruisin’ news from 1961
08 Porcupine Tree ||| Hallogallo
(cover version of a track from Neu! – both of whom used to be in Kraftwerk for a few months. They recorded just one track which in turn is covered by the next band:)
09 Dead Sea Apes ||| Rückstoss Gondoliere
10 Steinski & Mass Media ||| The Motorcade Sped On
(from a free single that came with NME – scared the hell out of me when I was a teen…)
11 Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub ||| It’s Not Punk Anymore (It’s Now New Wave)
(probably the only pop song from Germany that mentions Upstairs At Ronnie’s. And Cock Sparrer.)
12 Phish ||| Billy Breathes
My compilation was not designed that way, but I rather like the numbering that the kind reviewers ( @SteveT & @lemonhope ) came up with. So here’s the postscript:
13 David Sylvian & Holger Czukay ||| Mutability (A New Beginning)
— News about Apollo 13
14 The Paul Weller Movement ||| Another New Day
15 Matthias Arfmann vs. Herbert von Karajan ||| Dvorak’s From The New World Recomposed
16 Lord Caresser ||| Weekend News
(In 1948 the BBC actually had a weekly spot in their special programs for immigrants from the Caribbean – Calypso legend Lord Caresser each week improvised a song about, yes, the weekly news.)
No.15 is a belter – I am going to seek it out.
Arfmann is sort of a German Massive Attack (he began in the 80s as “Castrated Philosophers” and as a dub/hip hop producer) – he was invited by Deutsche Grammophon to “recompose” some of their famous recordings. He then did the same reggae/dub/world overhaul for the Decca Classical label (as “Ballet Jeunesse”).
Afterword ‘New’ CD Swap @SteveT
01 – I have this one. The connection is in the name of the band what recorded it first. It’s an ok track, at least they [he?] turn this into a song that could be one of their own.
02 – Coming on like Afrocelts, this then morphs into a loose [yet tight] jazzy/folk epic that stretches out over 7 minutes. In parts it sounds like they’re freeform jamming around Scarborough Fair [or another old, old folk song, perhaps??] I like this track more with every play. Winner
03 – A fairly plodding version of an old blues/rock n roll track. The vocal isn’t bad but the backing sounds like something you would hear in the Pheonix Club.
04 – Oh so wacky, awful muso we’re-so-good-we-can-play-like-we’re-shit nonsense. Is this Zappa? Intense dislike.
05 – Well, I give them marks for covering a great song and doing their own thing with it, but this strips out all of the sadness and sorrow of the original, ironically by turning it from a jaunty song with sad lyrics into a funeral march.
06 – My ability to describe Jazz begins and ends with saying ‘this is jazz’. However that doesn’t mean that I don’t like it, au contraire. I like this very much.
07 – You can’t go wrong with this guy. I don’t own a lot of his stuff, but I enjoy it when I hear it.
08 – Pleasant country intro. Referencing Lucinda Williams tracks, who then joins in with the vocal, it becomes clear this is a tribute track to someone. Can’t grasp the connection to the theme here though, but this is good, I like it.
09 – One of his best known [after his really well known tracks] I always thought that this would be better without the Pearl & Dean style intro. Minor quibble aside, this is an enjoyable 3 minutes or so.
10 – Next up we have a meandering folk instrumental. 5 minutes of slightly dull music followed by 1 minute of applause/outro and a very bad joke.
11 – Now, this is more like it. Full of life and vitality, this always brings a smile to my face. Great playing all round, but a special mention for the pianist. Wonderful.
12 – Another track full of life. One of his best, also. A good way to end.
Overall, more hits than misses and only one track that I hated. Only one track that I want to add to my collection though, as the rest of the songs I liked the most I already have. I suspect our record/CD collections would have a lot of crossover. Thanks, Steve.
Now that the reviews are in, here is the track list for my disc.
Track 01 – The New, New Thing/I Got The News – The Darcys – [Aja]
The intro is taken from a YouTube audiobook that I cut up to fit the music, which is the Theme from Six Feet Under by Thomas Newman. Followed by… A Steely Dan cover and I’m very happy that no-one spotted that. They covered the whole of ‘Aja’, track for track, and gave it away online.
Track 02 – In The New Year – The Walkmen – [You & Me]
Version one of the disc was even more one paced than this incarnation, so I added this to liven it up a bit.
Track 03 – Loan Your Loneliness – Gruff Rhys – [Seeking New Gods]
A late addition. Once I had heard this a few times on the radio I knew I had to include it and it’s positioned here to compliment the previous track and give the beginning of the disc a bit of pace. Great track from his new album.
[That’s enough up tempo songs…]
Track 04 – When There Is No Sun – Rozi Plain – [cover of Sun Ra from the album New Steps]
Rozi is the bass player in This Is The Kit and her solo work is excellent. This is from her most recent album ‘What A Boost’
Track 05 – Blame It On The Tetons – Modest Mouse – [Good News for People Who Love Bad News]
It fit well with the mood I wanted for this disc. And it has New in the [album] title, twice.
Track 06 – New Light Of Tomorrow – Husky Rescue – [Country Falls]
I don’t know an awful lot about this band, but I have three of their albums and I like them a lot. They are Finnish.
Track 07 – New Water – C Duncan – [Architect]
I downloaded this from eMusic in 2015 to use up my credits and grew to love it.
Track 08 – The New Cobweb Summer – Lambchop – [Is A Woman]
A chilled epic from Lambchop.
Track 09 – Broken Hearted People – Robert Forster [I Had A New York Girlfriend]
The great Robert Forster with a cover [from his 1994 album of covers] of a Guy Clark song.
Track 10 – Adventures In Solitude – The New Pornographers – [Challengers]
This has been on the shortlist for every disc swap so far [it’s amazing what you can crowbar in if you really try] but always got cut. Until now.
[Time to pick up the pace a little…]
Track 11 – Anew Day – Mary Margaret O’Hara – [Miss America]
Great song, from a classic album. She only made one ‘proper’ album, then kind of disappeared.
Track 12 – Something New – Nicolai Dunger – [Soul Rush] I don’t remember how I know this guy, but I have two of his albums. As mentioned by both of my swap team mates, this is very Van like.
The New Cobweb Summer is a beautiful song. As is the whole album. I love his lyrics on that album. They remind me a bit of Paddy McAloon’s in their quirkiness.
“Once i had a friend
Who had the knack of tossing
His mind around geography
Boy you think you have problems”
@Lemonhope that Rozi Plain track completely threw me. I love This is the kit but dont have this album (actually didnt know about it). I have heard the track before and thought it was in my collection but am totally wrong
It’s a really good album and she is great live if you ever have the chance to see her
@Lemonhope that Rozi Plain album just been added to my collection.
That’s what I call a result.
I am eagerly awaiting your track list reveal @SteveT
But wait – here’s what I heard on the disc from @SteveT
It’s Sunday morning. Van sits at the table by the window and puts his signature on a stack of albums. There are three crates with LPs by the window, all waiting to be signed. Van is slightly worried and feels sorry for himself. He has put his felt-tip scrawl on nearly twenty copies when he realizes that he has forgotten to remove the shrink-wrap from every one of them. »Fucking hell!« He throws the pen across the room and shuffles over to the hi-fi. Someone has sent him a CD and he pushes Play.
||||||| TRACK 1: A nice little acoustic story-telling folk song, which of course originally was an electro-disco smasher from Manchester. Very sympathetic singing from a rather soulful voice.
||||||| TRACK 2: This instrumental probably comes from one of those Real World albums with sessions of musicians from all over the world. This has everything from banjo to slap bass.
Van needs something to eat and goes to the kitchen to cook his celebrated puffy omelett. The music is blaring from the connected speakers, and every time the chorus comes around Van sings along and makes a heroic gesture with his spatula. The omelett is quite a success, and he remembers that he got the recipe from a harmonica player at the Crawfish & Zydeco Festival, in Crawley, Louisiana, »Rice Capital Of The World«.
||||||| TRACK 3: A Fats Domino cover, great, with brass section, guitar solo and sax – as you would expect.
||||||| TRACK 4: Either a slightly ill-advised Tom Waits parody, or a Primus outtake. It even mentions Jesus! And heart surgery.
Van checks his phone – no messages, not from the person he was in a relationship with, nor from the Sony offices. Didn’t they plan to collect the signed items this evening? He checks Twitter, and he’s suddenly up for some mischief. He informs his followers that he knows from »a reliable source« that governments worldwide will delete the internet on July 17. Van immediately gets 31 retweets. He feels better now.
||||||| TRACK 5: Another cover version, this time a one-hit wonder from the seventies. Like track one, this puts it where it really belongs; in this case it’s now a weighty ballad with a wonderful melancholy not unlike John Grant’s.
||||||| TRACK 6: A lone trumpet does what trumpets usually do. This is obviously The Jazz Track. I only hope it’s not something that »everybody« knows, from one of those five jazz albums that always get mentioned.
Van thinks about last night’s visit to the supermarket halfway down the road to the village. »Milkshake« by Kelis was playing in the background while he put four bottles of mineral water in his cart. He queued behind a drunk man who was buying a pastry thing. Van could overhear an elderly couple in the next queue. »He’s in the Dubliners, isn’t he?« – »Well I think I saw him on the telly with that short bloke from U2.« – »No dear, that was Ten Pound, the fat Italian singer…«
The music in the supermarket changed to »Why Must I Always Explain«, and Van felt awkward. The bloke behind the counter gave him a strange look, and Van hurried back to his car.
||||||| TRACK 7: One of those tracks that probably look good on paper, and everything is probably right and correct, from the lyrics to the quiet/loud shifts. But in the end it just sounds like a track from one of those free CDs that came with The Word.
||||||| TRACK 8: Americana by numbers, but actually quite good. But who in their right mind would describe the smoky & raspy, damaged singing voice of the female singer as a »sweet voice«? Is that Chip Taylor?
Van is lying on his salmon-coloured leather sofa and thinks about Lucinda Williams. He could listen to her voice all day, maybe with a drink and a fag, sat in an easy chair that would ideally be smoothly elevated up and down, like floating on air. Then Van has an idea, sits up straight, and reaches for his phone. Van googles »stair-lift«. He also opens Twitter by mistake and all hell breaks loose. »Fucking hell!« Van says as he checks the retweets.
||||||| TRACK 9: Proper timeless modern music from the guy who had a beer named after him in Germany.
||||||| TRACK 10: Another folk tune, maybe a real one this time. Turns out it’s a live recording, too.
Van hears a noise. He turns down the music – his phone is ringing. He picks up the call which is not from the person he was in a relationship with.
»Van!«
It’s the famous guitar player from up the road.
»Van. Everything OK? It’s cards night tomorrow.«
»How could I forget.«
»You’re not too busy with… (a long pause) …signing things?«
Van is pretty sure that the famous guitar player is biting his lip to stop himself from laughing into the phone.
»Nope«, says Van. »See you tomorrow“, and hangs up.
He reaches for the remote control and turn up the music to full volume.
||||||| TRACK 11: A piano instrumental from the Afro-Cuban Working Mens Club. Splendid!
||||||| TRACK 12: Before we drift away into dreamland comes a snappy rocker with faint New Wave-overtones. Tired of the old shit, let the new shit begin. Fantastic.
Van suddenly »gets« the pun about the Italian tenor from the supermarket last night. He smiles and is very pleased with himself. Van looks at his phone and scrolls through the numbers until he finds the name of his manager. He phones his manager. When he picks up, Van immediately says »You’re fired«, and ends the call. I’ll call back later on, Van thinks, and tell him I was joking. He sits at his table, smokes a Camel and looks at the unsigned albums. He begins to worry again.
^ this post is absolutely awesome.
Cheers. After two of these »recollections« I’m almost certain I could probably write Ivan’s diary. Hur hur.
May 3rd.
Let goldfish go. Craic was good.
So now we know why Van mass produced his signature. Fantastic review @fatima-Xberg – I will reveal the list later.
Accept my humble etc’s
@metal-mickey / @bamber / @ron-cucumber
Here’s my review of @metal-mickey ‘s disk.
1. Sounds a little like This Is The Kit, but I think it’s a bit too polished for her. The strings sound familiar, but I can’t place this artist or track. I do love it a lot though, especially the jazzy aspects, so will be checking them/her out once revealed. Good start.
2. Onto some jangly guitar pop. Nice track, but the sort of tune I enjoy at the time but won’t remember 10 mins later. No idea who or why.
3. Starts off and I’m thinking ELO, but vocals deffo not Mr Lynne, much more sneery 70’s USA punk doing his best Jagger impression. The “Hell on wheels” chorus certainly a bit of an ear worm. Hated it first time, but it’s growing on me after a few plays. No idea who it is or whether it’s from the 70s or something “new”.
4. Like track one, there’s something familiar about it, but can’t place it. It’s got the sort of modern-take on classic 70s soul feel to it. Love this, another one to investigate further.
5. Moving into the discothèque now. “This is body language”. My first thought was the breathy ‘male’ voice sounds like Neil Tennant. But on closer listens, I’m not sure it’s him (or even male). Bound to be him now I’ve said that! Good track though.
6. Jazzy hip hop. I do like a lot of what used to get lumped into the term ‘trip hop’, though this track is a bit bland and ‘clean’ sounding for my taste. Happily listen to it on the radio, but wouldn’t buy it. No idea, could it be someone like Morcheeba?
7. Spacey pop, with a fun wig-out ending. My first thought is Jane Weaver – I’ve not got her new album yet, but it sounds a bit like her recent singles I’ve heard on 6Music. Similar Goldfrapp/Broadcast sort of vibes, ice-cold vocals, retro and new at the same time. Nice track though.
8. Clean, modern, new(?) production sounds, singing in (what I’m guessing is) French, funky, dubby pop. Cool track, a keeper. As usual, no idea who or why etc…!
9. Reminds me a little of Metronomy though I don’t know much of their stuff so that might be well-off the mark.
10. This has a bit of a 70’s Beach Boys feel about it. But it sounds modern, which takes me on a train of thought to the High Llamas. I do like it. Another one to check out later!
11. Nice change of pace and atmosphere from the poppy feel so far. His voice… it’s… surely must be him out of Suede? Doing a bit Scott Walker thing. I’ve found this a real grower. Lovely instrumentation.
12. Who doesn’t love a bit of whistling? Perfect ending. (And it goes without saying (he says), I have no idea who it is).
In conclusion, I have no idea who any of the tracks are, or what connects them to the theme. That said, every one of these is new to me, so on that score you’ve totally nailed the theme! But it’s great mixtape, the tracks work well together, and there’s a load of tracks I will investigate further once revealed, especially 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12.
Thanks, Mickey!
So glad you enjoyed the CD, @ron-cucumber, I definitely consider 8/12 tracks worthy of further investigation to be a “win”! I’ll save my reactions for the “reveal” of course, but your comments are really interesting…
Here’s my review of @bamber ‘s disk.
1. Ah-ha! I recognise this one. Don’t know much about these lot except the bits I’ve heard on 6music, including this track. They’re a very 6music sort of band, if you know what I mean? I guess the cliche is that they’re quite clever musically, but perhaps don’t cut through in terms of emotion? Chorus of “I keep thinking about a new thing” is presumably the ‘new’ link. Drums sound massive. Wow, I’ve recognised a song and a theme connection already!
2. Singer sounds a bit “Wonder Stuff”. I guess but could be them? As it’s not Size of a Cow or Dizzy, I wouldn’t know. Bops along nicely and doesn’t outstay its welcome.
3. Squelchy synth bass… First thought is that this sounds like Kamassi Washington or Thundercat. Then with the vocals it goes a bit Red Hot Chilli Peppers (not necessarily a good thing, though don’t tell my 15 year old self that). I like it when the horns come in and it goes more jazzy. I enjoyed listening to it in the mix, probably wouldn’t go back to this track, though I will check them out further once revealed.
4. I know this song in both original and this cover version, and so I can confidently state that the band must be the ‘New’ (or should that be ‘Nouvelle’?) connection. I like this version, as indeed I do many of their covers.
5. Electro pop. “New kind of man”. It’s that early 80s electronic pop sound that could also be from the early 2000’s when this sort of thing came back again around the time of Nathan Barley and East London hipsters. Not for me this.
6. Quirky pop, strong ‘Bontempi preset’ vibes to start with. Male voice is a bit Marmite. For me it gets interesting when the girls kick in. Song seems to be about various female singers, but not sure what the new connection might be. Fits in well with the mix and adds variety, though not a keeper for me.
7. Good gear change and different mood. Don’t recognise anything here. Reminds me a bit of Villagers, but the voice seems different, higher. The melodica? and skittering drums give it a very slight dubby feel. Nice track, I like it. Interested to see who this is.
8. Very ‘indie’ sounding, if you know what I mean? Pleasant enough. I like the way it feels tense for ages like at some point it’s going to go all loud/anthemic, but it doesn’t, up to the point you think maybe it won’t after all… and then it does.
9. We’re heavily into Acid Jazz country here. I don’t know this track, but I’ve got a strong hunch that ‘new’ is in the band name, and that they’re not just new, but ‘very’ new if you catch my meaning (despite them being around in the 90’s!).
10. This is interesting. I like it. Sort of hip hop, but could more likely be 70’s beat poetry. Love the drum sound. Engaging vocals. It makes me go back to it and listen more carefully. Super-curious about this track.
11. Modern indie sound, slightly disinterested female vocals, highly polished production. Can imagine this fitting in on 6music in the daytime. Passes me by a bit except I like the part in the middle where the drums drop out and they mix it up a bit, that’s great and lifts it. Random guess, could be someone like Wolf Alice?
12. Singer sounds a lot like the Bluetones, though the song seems a bit more loping country twang than the Roses-esq jangle I think of from the Bluetones. Don’t know their stuff enough to rule it out though, so maybe this is them. Good track to end on as it has a ‘walking into the sunset as the credits roll’ feel about it. Nice.
13. Bonus track by… err.. the singing bush?! Pretty sure that’s Steve Martin’s voice? Follows on perfectly from the last track.
A really interesting mix, well thought out (and road tested!) with lots of variety. I enjoyed it, thanks Bamber.
Okay I’ve lived with the disc for a few weeks so here’s my review of @metal-mickey ‘s collection. Before getting into the individual tracks, I should say that these are all “new”, to me. I didn’t definitively recognise any of them although I’ll try a few guesses.
(1) I was intrigued by this. A very strong intro and probably my favourite track on the disc. My initial impressions were like Roisin Murphy trying on a late Talk Talk vibe – both very positive things in my opinion. My best guess would be someone like Laura Veirs if she was the stern looking woman with a shit-hot band I saw on Later once. I’ll definitely investigate further. No clue on the New.
(2) This is odd. I’ll assume this is a weak male lead vocal rather than a strange female vocal. It radiates early 90s to me but I could be way out. It has a Scandinavian vibe or Canadian sound to it (that doesn’t even make sense to me). It’s nice but I doubt I could enjoy sustained exposure to that voice. Again no clue on the New.
(3) This has a real Steinman vibe to it and more than a whiff of musical theatre. There are some ropey Dylan and Lou Reed impersonations in the second half of it. It’s kooky and enjoyable. I’m going to have a guess that some member of the Dolls is involved in this project as thye New connection.
(4) I found it very hard to date this. It seems out of time. 70’s production but drum and bass patterns that seem more late 90’s. I like the arrangement especially the strings and that recurring guitar/bass hook. The harmonies are nice too. I’m interested.
(5) This one became an earworm. First impressions are that it’s a slab of early 80’s New York (gay) disco featuring breathy vocal contributions by someone who sounds like Grace Jones. Further speculation has me wondering whether Arthur Russell ever went for the Studio 54 market as it’s quite experimental. So9me of the bleeps sound remarkably like Martin Hannett’s production job on the first New Order album. Could it be Factory?
(6) I’m going to guess that this is Martina Topley-Bird whose voice I know from Tricky’s Maxinquaye album. It has that post Roni Size Reprazents trip- hop meets drum and bass vibe. It’s okay without being particularly stand-out. I wouldn’t skip it but I probably won’t remember it either.
(7) Hard to get where this fits. It follows on well from the previous track but has a lot more going on in terms of urgency and kitchen-sinkery. It reminds me of stuff I’ve heard recently. While it’s somewhere between Lykke Li, Jane Weaver and Lonelady to my ears, I think it’s none of them. I’ll do a bit of digging when I find out who it is.
(8) This followed on well from the previous track and the instrumentation placed it firmly in the early 80’s for me. I was slightly thrown by the non-English vocal. I’m thinking North Africa, anywhere from Morocco to Saudi. I love a bit of exotic pop and this was a highlight for me. My girls; four and six loved it too, declaring it their favourite in a car journey and asking for a replay. More from them later. A hit!
(9) This puzzled me too. It reminded me of the stuff I’d hear in Chapters bookshops on occasional trips to California in the 90’s. The vocal had a real Karen Carpenter feel to it but I doubt this is a Carpenters deep-cut. My best guess would be early output from AS Girl Called Eddie. No idea of the New connection – see all of the above!
(10) I like the feel of this one. It reminded me of the vibe that the High Llamas always strived for. Another weedy male vocal. It feels 70’s, not Laurel Canyon but probably American. As with (2) above, I’m not sure that I could sit through much exposure to the voice but this is likeable…
(11)…as opposed to this. This was the sole skipper on the compilation. My four year old from the back seat told me that “it sounds evil”, not a word she bandies about lightly. I recognise the song but the arrangement, especially the agonised vocals amount to a dreadful cover version. I couldn’t get over the impression that this is Brett Anderson of Suede murdering the original. If it is, it’s his worst vocal ever and I can’t stand him. Is the New connection NME?
(12) This is a delightful end to the compilation . A very chilled out slice of Latin instrumental (Is it Bossa NOVA?) I tend to end my compilations with a lullaby and this is perfect .I have no idea who it is.
All in all this was an enjoyable collection of all New material with a broad range and barely an absolute dud. In previous swaps one correspondent suggested that there would usually be four you really like, four you really hate and four in the middle. I think the middle section is the biggest slice of this collection with a few highlights and just the one dud. Thanks Metallic Michael for taking the trouble. I will open your tracklisting as soon as I press post on this.
Hi @bamber, glad you (mostly) enjoyed the CD – only one absolute duffer isn’t a bad strike rate, and I’ll have to consider that my natural DJ audience might actually be 4 and 6 year-old girls 🙂
Very interesting comments, too – I’ll post my full reveal on Tuesday and respond accordingly – cheers!
Track 1 seems to have struck a chord or two!
And having only just joined the dots with your name Mickey, I’ll be amazed it 11 doesn’t turn out to be Suede. Though it appears from @bamber ‘s comments that it’s a cover.
I did wonder if track 5 could be Electronic, and again from Bamber’s comments about New Order/Factory, mmm… Looking forward to the reveal…
@ron-cucumber If you can’t wait, just look in the envelope he sent, there’s a full tracklist in the form of some nicely done CD inserts – a lovely touch by @metal-mickey
Nope, I’m resisting temptation to sneak a peek.
Thanks for your generous review of my compilation @ron-cucumber Having lived with your CD for a while now, I feel qualified to give you my feedback. Here goes…
(1) Hmmm? An energetic but inauspicious start with a very familiar seminal punk track that, in common with track (7), I had reached the point of having heard enough for one lifetime somewhere in the 80s. Weirdly enough, I think this featured in another compilation I’ve received as an Afterword swap. It must be held in higher regard by others. I can see the New connection obviously.
(2) I immediately thought that I had this pegged as the beat and bassline were surely leading into the Nu-Shooz (New!) novelty hit from the 80s but no vocals appeared and the ever-so-catchy Fairlight hook never materialised either. I take it then that this is a groove based on building blocks from that song, probably done more recently and it has an uplifting effect without ever really taking off. I liked it.
(3) First thoughts here were that it sounded like early Simple Minds so it might be them but I’m aware that they were heavily influenced by the motorik rhythms and synth stylings of the Krautrock movement (can we still say Krautrock?). Could it be that this is where the NEW connection comes in? I like it and, as an occasional dabbler in keyboard composition, I enjoyed the overlapping sounds and textures. It’s not quite ambient.
(4) Ah! The unmistakeable laid-back style of the famed Scottish sobriety-dodger (unless I’m mistaken and that’s not an especially small category). I have only skimmed the surface of his stuff so this was new to me and it’s a lovely track. Perfect after-dark folky chillout. I’ll be adding this to a playlist or two and checking out whatever album it came from.
(5) This is an odd one in that it comes across structurally as a club-or-chart-friendly rave/dance track but it seems to be done on acoustic instruments; real piano and saxophone. Is Rave Unplugged a genre I’ve just not come across yet? It sounds early 90s to me but I have no idea who it is. It’s alright without lodging in the memory to any degree.
(6) This has a total AC/DC feel to it although, instead of the usual guitars, keyboards are doing the chord work. It’s very early 80s soft rock – AC/DC-lite. There’s a gear change halfway through in which the keyboards go a bit Genesis and then fade out. I may be doing them a terrible disservice but this is what I always imagined Rush sounding like. I don’t think it’s them as their drummer is supposed to be really good. I hated this kind of stuff back in the day and time has not mellowed my responses.
(7) See (1) above. I really didn’t like this when it came out. The guitar always sounded to me, as an indie kid, as the guitar equivalent of a drum machine – programmed and without any feel. Hearing this made me recall the unfortunate incident involving one of their guitarists and a large fish hook while shark-fishing. Ouch! tragedy plus time equals comedy!
(8) I like a bit of Afro-funk. This is quite a kitchen-sinker with plenty of percussion and brass thrown into the mix. It’s a good groove without any strong melodic theme. The vocals are mixed way down and heavily treated. I’ve no idea who this is or what the New connection is but I like it and will delve deeper into whoever it turns out to be’s back catalogue.
(9) The Purple Popster himself. This isn’t a track I know and it sounds mid 80s to me, probably my favourite era of his long career. I don’t think it sounds like the NPG so the title is the New connection. I liked this one. Short and sweet like the man himself.
(10) This starts off with heavy church style organ and once the vocals come in, the title lets us know why. An Afterword compilation is not complete without a paddle in the waters of Prog. My knowledge of prog rock is limited to a few King Crimson albums so this is unknown territory to me. It really takes off around hallway through when the guitar solo kicks in with the brass coming in to join it and then taking over. I really enjoyed this second half as an instrumental. The saxophone reminds me of Mel Collins work on King Crimson’s Red album but I have no idea who this is. A late friend of mine would have identified this straight away. This was totally his kind of music. This was one of the highlights for me. I’m interested to know who this is.
(11) Well the New is obvious in this slice of late-80s gangster rap. The uptempo groove to this one is really good. To my ears it sounds like the artist formerly known as Tracy, someone who has carved out quite a career for himself. I used to listen to stuff like this back in the day, usually second or third generation cassette recordings. This would send me back into the archives. I really enjoyed this one.
(12) The collection concludes with a melancholic and bitter slice of 70s(?) folk featuring flamboyant flute embellishment but I don’t think it’s the Tull. The voice reminds me of Gerry Rafferty at times and Gruff Rhys at others. I don’t think it’s either. Everything suggests this is an English act except the lyrics which have an American leaning so maybe a Big-Over-There artist. I’ve no idea who it is and, being honest, I won’t be hunting them down on the basis of this. It kind of fades out at the end – a bit of a downbeat note to finish.
Looking back at the notes above, there were more hits than misses with very few in the middle ground. I’d deduce that there might not be a huge overlap in our music collections but that’s the beauty of these exchanges. There are some that I will definitely follow up and you covered a broader range than I did with mine. Thanks for putting this together. I enjoyed it.
Re: 2, I hadn’t made that Nu Shooz connection but, after a bit of investigation, it’s not sampled from there but goes further back to the 70’s and ‘Funkanova’ by Wood Brass & Steel (go to about 1min 45). Never heard of these guys before, but what a tune! You’ve made my day Bamber!
Re: 11… I put this on as a little sweet treat… lots of layers…
Having had both reviews from my swap-mates @bamber and @ron-cucumber, here’s my “reveal” of my CD… I took the “New” theme at its word, and these are all “New” tracks from the past year, most of them actually from 2021, as simple as that! The fact that many of the tracks specifically seem to evoke the 70s, 80s and 90s either says something about my musical tastes or about the current music scene, who knows…? Let’s go!
1. THE WEATHER STATION – Robber – This was a winner with both my swap-mates, and quite right too! I saw Tamara Lindeman (for it is she) supporting Ryley Walker a few years back and though she clearly had “something”, I wasn’t hugely impressed with her strangely structure-less songs, so I was delighted to hear how much she’s improved on the “Ignorance” album, my favourite of the year so far; if you like this track, you’ll like the whole album.
2. ANOTHER MICHAEL – Shaky Cam – I’m surprised this didn’t get more love, as “New Music And Big Pop” might be the most Afterword-friendly record I’ve heard this year, somewhere in that Fleet Foxes/Vampire Weekend/Midlake venn diagram to these ears… maybe this track works better with the rest of the album? (And Bamber, it’s a male singer!)
3. THE LEMON TWIGS – Hell On Wheels – None more 70s, and the New York Dolls was a good comparison point from Bamber. Powerpop remains “the genre that dare not speak its name”, but the D’Addario brothers play it up to the glam hilt. I’ve a horrible feeling their moment might have been and gone, but this track from their latest album is perfect for kids like you and me…
4. THE MOONS – Today (Le Superhomard Mix) – I’m glad both of you liked this. I acknowledge criticisms that The Moons are basically The Coral with the edges smoothed down, more Cast than The La’s, but their album is a good old-fashioned tunefest I’ve really been enjoying this year, and this fantastic remix from the French psych-pop mavens adds a little “oomph” that does them no harm whatsoever…
5. ANORAAK – Body Language – I took a chance with this track, so I’m pleased it went down well with both of you. I’m a sucker for these kinds of retro-sounding nu-disco tracks with that infectious house piano sound to the fore… and he’s French, bien sûr!
6. GREENTEA PENG – Nah, It Ain’t The Same – Ms. Peng was born in 1994, so she hadn’t even been born when the trip-hop and drum & bass/jungle records she’s referencing here were first around, and not for the first time I can’t help wondering how youngsters of today, with an endless smorgasbord of music so freely available, alight on their favourite genres from the past… anyway, this track instantly takes me back to my mid-1990s in Bristol so I love it, but accept it might seem somewhat generic of its type…
7. CRUMB – Balloon – Interesting that you both went to Jane Weaver as a possible artist for this dose of frantic electro alt-pop… Crumb are from New York, inevitably from Brooklyn, and of course they’re achingly young and hip. Slight warning, this track is a bit atypical of the rest of the album, try before you buy…
8. ALTIN GÜN – Yüce Dağ Başında – the sound of young Turkey! Glad this went down well with you both. Pop music from other countries can have a strange off-centre charm I enjoy dipping into (as does Bamber by the sound of it), and this is a great example – like an 80s pop tune that’s been deconstructed and put back together in the wrong order. (PS Their name means Golden Day, the track title translates as “On the High Mountain”.)
9. MARINA ALLEN – Oh Louise – Now heading to LA, another track I thought would go down better, but I guess there’s plenty of summery strummy girl alt-pop around… this is from the mini-album “Candlepower” which I really like, especially her voice, and yes Bamber, there’s definitely a bit of Karen Carpenter about her, never a bad thing for me…
10. JIM McCULLOCH – When I Mean What I Say – from Michael Head’s ever-reliable Violette label, the ex-Soup Dragon conjures up a lovely gentle guitar pop ballad you’ll be whistling all day. Kudos to you both for the High Llamas comparison, which I hadn’t thought of, but is right on the money…
11. BRETT ANDERSON & PARAORCHESTRA – Nightporter – ah, the most divisive track on the CD! When I was working on themes for this mix, at one point I was considering a CD of covers (“New” versions, geddit?), and this is a leftover from that, a live version of the Japan classic from the Gwyl virtual festival in March, which I think suits Brett’s voice really well, though Bamber would say otherwise! (And bonus points to Ron for spotting the link between this track, Suede and my Afterword handle!)
12. MOLLY LEWIS – Oceanic Feeling – And finally, if any of these songs might throw listeners off the track as to the theme of this mix, it’s this uncannily 1950s-style track from this young Australian whistler (and “human theremin”), a lovely throwback to the Exotica sounds of Les Baxter and Martin Denny. Is this the start of a new Exotica movement? Probably not, but she certainly has the market to herself right now… glad you both appreciated it!
Thanks for all your thoughtful comments, gentlemen, I’m glad you both seemed to enjoy the CD and I had fun putting it together. Thanks for your disks too, I’m hoping to post my reviews of your CDs by the end of the week – cheers!
Ahh, The Moons… I know ‘of’ them because, as you probably know yourself, some of them make up Weller’s band these days, though I’ve never heard them before. I really like the melody of this track a lot, will investigate further.
I’ve heard and seen the name Greentea Peng loads lately, but not knowingly heard any actual music. I was assuming she was more edgy/grime/diy-on-a-laptop so was quite surprised to hear how clean and ‘generically 90’s trip hop’ it sounds! As you rightly say, it’s so easy to dig in the past now (whereas we had to really graft away at the coal face – kids today, eh? Don’t know know they’re born.)
The Weather Station I have never heard of, but will be making their/her acquaintance soonly. Big thanks for bringing that track into the mix. Same for many others on this list – I will be going down a rabbit hole soon. Good idea to make it all ‘properly’ new. Kind of like… one of those Word magazine cover CDs…!
Sorry these reviews are a bit late, life got in the way somewhat over the past few days! Anyway, I promise my two reviews are totally “blind”, and I haven’t Shazam’ed any tracks, googled any titles, or even looked at each other’s reviews… but as those other reviews have now been posted, I’ll identify any artists & tracks I recognise, which I hope is in the spirit of things!
Firstly, @ron-cucumber ‘s CD:
01. “Is she really going out with him?” I can’t believe there’s any Afterworder who wouldn’t recognise The Damned’s “NEW Rose” . Still great of course, though 45 years later, I’m struck by how pop-py it sounds, bearing in mind it represented the end of civilization as we knew it back in 1976… nice and clear “New” reference, too!
02. No idea what this might be – an upbeat, avant-jazz-funk near-instrumental (“Black science got it going on,” apparently) which might be one of the new breed of British jazzers, though it very much has an 80s feel to these ears… happy to hear more of this, though.
03. Another mystery to me, but I like it – another instrumental, so no clues as to the identity of the band, but it’s quite intense and features treated guitars & electronics, maybe it’s from a soundtrack? Possibly the gentler side of Mogwai?
04. It’s either John Martyn or someone very like him – my JM knowledge is restricted to Solid Air and a live album, so I can’t place the track, but I did enjoy it.
05. This starts somewhat sedately before getting into a very sax-heavy dance groove, a female vocal (the title may be “You Got The Feeling”?), and a very close cousin to the classic Ce Ce Rogers “Someday” house piano riff… I’d like this a lot more with a little less sax, which is rather overpowering everything else here.
06. So as we reach the halfway point, that’s as good a place as any to find my favourite track on the CD! A repeated keyboard figure evolves into very 70s-style pop-prog-rock, multi-parted, and with a big Brian May style guitar solo, though something about it makes me think it’s quite recent, maybe called “New Lids”?! It’s what I imagine Foxygen to sound like based on their reviews…
07. Another one I know (as will everyone else) – INXS’ “NEW Sensation” . For full disclosure, I hated this track when it was first out, but I think that was down to sheer overplay, as hearing it at random like this (and for the first time in years) was actually completely fine, though I don’t see myself buying a “Best of INXS” anytime soon…
08. Another near-instrumental, probably a 70s African funk workout, with plenty of wakka-wakka guitar, trumpet & piano, nice!
09. Another familiar track – Prince’s “NEW Position”, from Parade, and therefore his Imperial Phase when he could do no wrong…this is him in lubricious funk mode, but good to hear out of its usual context on the Parade LP.
10. This track is obviously called “NEW Religion” , though it’s unfamiliar to me… essentially prog-rock, I’d guess it’s from the early 70s, possibly even late-60s, I’ll be investigating this further.
11. And then we have a whiplash turn into some old-school hip-hop – obviously called “NEW Jack Hustler” , though my rap knowledge doesn’t go far enough to be confident about the artist, though I suspect it’s Ice-T…?
12. The mix comes to a close with some gentle 70s rock, which ramps up halfway through, with some lovely harmonies… A very nice finish, though not in my usual wheelhouse – happy to hear more though!
This was a nice mix, very varied (a compliment!), and the “New” theme seems to be based on the song titles… thanks a lot Ron! I’ll certainly be looking forward to digging deeper with tracks 3, 6, 10 & 12
Track 6 is indeed fairly recent. I’ve always thought of AC/DC with this one, but get what you mean about proggy-pop. It’s a banger, as da kidz might say.
Track 10 seems to have worked for you both. I’m not up with this band except this track, but yes, 70s.
Track 12 however threw you both way off… more recent… 2013…though clearly aiming for a 70s CSNY vibe (two of whom play on the album) so I get why you’d guess an older vintage. Lyrics are by Roy Harper… he’s currently playing in Roger Waters’ touring band…
RE: 2… mid-90s. If you like this, after Bamber’s comments I found the original tune this track samples and is a cracker (see YouTube link in comments up there somewhere).
INXS not gone down well with either of you though! I thought they may be due a reprise, but clearly not (yet). Varied is always my aim with mixtapes, so glad that came through. I’ll post the tracklisting now.
And now for @bamber ‘s selection!
01. A brazen opener which I’m sure I recognise, but can’t place… I may even own it! Has the vibe of an American XTC, but I want to say Field Music, from that recent album Prince told them he liked, but I’m prepared to be wrong…
02. Short & sweet powerpop with the “na-na na-na na-na na-na” tempo of the TV Batman theme… may be called “The Way It Used To Be”, and something about it makes me think it’s Australian, but that’s just a gut feel… feels slightly generic of its type, but ideal as part of a compilation.
03. I know this! It’s Jamie Lidell, but I can’t remember the track name (though it’s probably “Get Myself Together”), from the Multiply album… I saw him live at the Warpworks show at the Royal Festival Hall, where he did an excellent and apparently totally improvised 30 minute set using a laptop and various loops on the fly… I’m not getting a “new” connection, though…
04. I know this too! A cover of NEW Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” by Frente, which is lovely, and makes me wonder why there aren’t more New Order cover versions. It’s also in Bossa Nova time I think, another ”New” connection perhaps?
05. Well this is definitely John Foxx (or maybe Foxx-era Ultravox, though I think it’s a solo track), called “NEW Kind Of Man” – this kind of late-70s/early-80s electronics is right up my alley, and might well prompt me to (finally) buy the “Metamatic” album, so thanks for this!
06. Comedy tracks can be a slow-acting poison, but after a bunch of listens I’m still chuckling at this rinky-dink tale of girlfriends and breakups of the past, so that’s a good sign. My instant reference point would be Flight Of The Conchords, but it’s definitely not FOTC – I’ll be interested in whoever it is though…
07. I never think of Roddy Frame as having an especially distinctive voice, but I knew this was him from the very first few syllables… I’m pretty sure this is a solo song (“Western Skies”, maybe from the Seven Dials album?) rather than Aztec Camera, but I’m not quite familiar enough with his discography to be sure… the ”New” connection isn’t apparent to me either…
08. This is slow burn US alt-rock with a long intro that gradually builds and builds, but without actually having the big climax I was semi-expecting… the vocals made me think of a subdued Jon Bon Jovi, which I’m sure will sound ridiculous when I’m told who this is… if this isn’t their best-ever track I’ll want to hear some more.
09. My written notes actually say “soul funk… upbeat… 80s jazz-funk… maybe pre-IOU Freeez? Brand New Heavies?” at which point I remembered the theme and so I’m now convinced it’s Brand NEW Heavies, with (probably) “Dream Come True”… as with INXS on Ron’s CD, I wasn’t a fan of BNH at the time, thinking them rather generic, but here in isolation I really enjoyed this….
10. This is great! Almost certainly early-70s black-consciousness-female-empowerment spoken word rap over a shuffling drumbeat, handclaps and cheers – the only problem with it is that it’s too short… it’s my favourite track on this mix, I will certainly be looking for more of this!
11. This track is very much at the pop end of the Shoegaze spectrum, with a female vocal, and probably called “Walk So Slowly”, and could just as easily be from the early 90s as early this year. Will be interested to hear more of these.
12. And we end with some ultra-Americana, complete with a riding-the-range rhythm, Jew’s harp, whistling and even coconut shell horse’s hooves! There’s a thin line between parody and homage, and this track is skating right on the edge… might this actually be a British band/artist?
13. Bonus track! It’s the singing bush scene from “Three Amigos”, which makes me smile, though I don’t see anything “New” about it (If there is anything), or might there be a connection with Track 12? Hmmm…
Thanks for this, Bamber – an enjoyably eclectic mix with plenty worthy of further investigation, especially tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, 10 & 11. As for the linking theme, I’m at a bit of a loss – some obvious “New” artists & titles, but others are a mystery, you cryptic devil!
Here for the benefit of Messrs. @metal-mickey and @ron-cucumber is the great reveal for my compilation. I played fast and loose with the New theme as my notes below will illustrate. The twelve tracks that I ended up with are more of a reflection of stuff that I actually listen to than these collections would usually reflect. I’m glad you both found some delights among the bunch as I did with yours. Here goes…
(1) As you both identified, this was Field Music with (I Keep Thinking About) A NEW Thing. I like to start with a strong intro and I think the opening chords to this track meant that it was always going to be my opener. I’m a big fan of these lads. They don’t get played very often on Irish radio so I hadn’t regarded it as a track that was going to be so familiar. Sounds like Radio 6 might be my kind of station. It didn’t exist in my London days.
(2) This is I Need Your Love the Way it Used to be by the Undertones with their “NEW”, singer Paul McLoone. He’s been with them for years but I’m sure he’s new to you two. I though about doing a compilation of tracks featuring the new singers of well known bands but it was hard to find enough good examples. I think this track is a great throwback to the classic riffage of the O’Neill Brothers golden era. Mr. McLoone’s long-running and much loved radio show was axed from Today FM during the making of this disc. I’ll miss him. He’s a very funny and charming deejay and quite the frontman too. They’re still a brilliant band live.
(3) This track is NEWme by Jamie Liddell correctly identified by Metal Mickey. I also saw him live and was very impressed by the variety of his range. His band were top notch too. I’m surprised he never had a hit with something like Multiply as he seemed to be very marketable. I’ve always liked the over-the-top nature and inventiveness of this slice of modern funk.
(4) You were so close with this one Metal Mickey. It is obviously a bossa NOVA cover version of a NEW Order track but it’s NOUVELLE Vague not Frente. The Frente one almost made the cut but I went for the triple NEW score option instead. I probably prefer it to the Frente version and would also have always looked forward to this song when New Order play live, the synths at the chorus were almost magical combined with the laser show when I first heard them play it in the SFX Dublin sometime in the mid 80s.
(5) Yes it’s John Foxx with A NEW Kind of Man from his classic Metamatic album. Truly he was John the Baptist to Gary NUman’s Messiah and back then I was mad about this album but indifferent to this track. Hearing it in the context of this collection I’ve grown to really like it now. It does of course feature the staggeringly bad rhyme “an underwater kind of silence, Humming of electric pylons”, but maybe Mr. Foxx had more of a sense of humour than he radiated at the time.
(6) Sorry to break the news Metal Mickey but this is Flight of the Conchords with Carol Brown. It’s from their lesser known and less funny second series and is best enjoyed in video form (directed by Michel Gondry). Most comedy songs don’t bear much repeating but I think this is really strong musically and the lyrics are clever and witty with a clear reference to 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover for us Afterword heads. They have always referred to themselves as “NEW Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo”. I love them and their last live tour was a great evening out.
(7) Any excuse to crowbar in my mancrush Roddy Frame with his track Western Skies from the album of the same name. There’s a dubby clubby version of this by an artist called Lazyboy but it wasn’t nearly as good as the original. I absolutely love this track and the mere mention of the word NEW in the lyrics was justification enough. To be honest one of the last tracks I axed featured the word KNEW but I had to draw the line somewhere.
(8) This track is Love and the Truth by Grand Drive and it also qualifies simply by virtue of featuring the word NEW in the lyrics. Like many an Afterword reader I’m sure, Uncut magazine and I went our separate ways when they seemed to become a channel for endless “Americana”, acts that became barely distinguishable from one another. I think it was seeing a string of them underwhelm in the live setting that turned me off ultimately. Having said that I have never tired of this song and Metal Mickey there is at least one other song as good on the album, Lady of Mine (West Pier2003). Who knows, you might love everything they do.
(9) I knew this would be quite easily identifiable as Dream Come True by the Brand NEW Heavies. I pretty much couldn’t stand the Acid Jazz scene but that didn’t stop me going to see lots of the bands in the hope that they could convert me through the gift of live performance. They didn’t. Most of them were too serious even sincere about the authenticity of their funky credentials but rarely generated much joy. This track always stuck out for me as daft fun and great to dance to. The lyrics are awful but I love how they were so desperate for a hit that the last few minutes genre-hop all over the shop trying to please everyone. As a dance track based on a simple enough guitar riff I would see this as a precursor of Moloko’s mega-hits in a way (unless Moloko did it first of course – maybe I should Google).
(10) The big hit for both of you is this one Ego Trippin’ by African American poet Nikki Giovanni. There are a number of versions available but this one recorded with the NEW York Community Choir is probably the best. It also features the word NEW in the wonderful lyrics. It’s uplifting and powerful while also knowingly over the top and ridiculous. Her delivery is so full of positivity, confidence and attitude. I had it recorded from the radio when Donal Dineen another great DJ axed by Today FM used to play it on his late night delight of a show. I’d say it’s hard to find. The Roots or a similar band did a version that I can’t find either but it wasn’t nearly as good.
(11) My token actual NEW song is by an Irish band called NEWDad and it’s called Slowly. It’s very much indie by numbers but not without charm. I added it to my long list but it stayed the course. I know nothing about them and since the above-mentioned Mr. McLoone doesn’t have his show any more, I’m not likely to hear much of them either.
(12) and (13) should have been one track but my effort to splice them together fell foul of my primitive recording methods. The track is Blue Shadows (on the Trail) from the movie the Three Amigos but sung, on this occasion, by Britpop contenders the Bluetones (bonus point to Mr. Cucumber!). On the soundtrack album that I have on the original vinyl from way back, it segues into the composer Randy NEWman himself performing as the Singing Bush (13). I knew the band back in London and thanks to an exchange of Three Amigo quotes in a pub one evening, one of them said they were recording this track and asked if I might contribute to the BumbaBumBum backing vocals. We all sobered up and they ended up recording in Wales or somewhere so I never got my fifteen minutes of fame. It’s the lullaby I’ve sung to my children most nights since they were born so it’s a very special song to me.
…and on that sentimental note, I’ll sign off, not least because child number two has just woken up. Time to deploy another lullaby.
Gentlemen it has been a pleasure.
Thanks Gents for your comments and thoughts, so here’s my tracklist.
In footballing terms I went very much ‘route-one’ with the theme in this mix.
I won’t spoil it though, see if you can work it out..?
1. New Rose – The Damned
2. New Jersey Deep – Black Science Orchestra
3. New Seeds – Boards of Canada
4. New Day – John & Beverley Martyn
5. New Orleans – Naxxos
6. New Lands – Justice
7. New Sensation – INXS
8. New Bell – Manu Dibango
9. New Position – Prince
10. New Religion – Trifle
11. New Jack Hustler – Ice-T
12. New Mexico – Jonathan Wilson
You both showed an interest in John Martyn beyond Solid Air… any album up to 1980 is worth trying. Anyone who can collaborate with Lee Perry AND Phil Collins must be interesting at the very least? Saw him live a few years ago on what turned out to be his final tour. Even at the end of a ‘full’ life he could still captivate an audience with just voice, guitar and his effects. Nearly as good as Ed Sheeran!
I’ve got a feeling Mickey might like more of Boards of Canada, too…
@eyesteel / @the-handsome-witty-and-urbane-kid-dynamite / @StellarX / @wilson-wilson
Hmmm. Seems like some ringer has hacked our group list! 😉 Still – it’s my pleasure to kick off this whole review/feedback shebang…
Here beginneth my sage and wordly feedback on the Afterword CD mixes received from my splendid matchees, revealed in the order they were received. This time I have adopted a marks out of ten score for each track. 5 and over and you’re on safe ground with me. 3 and under and it’s unlikely ever to darken my door again.
First off we have the offering from @Kid Dynamite.
Cover Art: A simple but effective words-only design.
Kid’s interpretation of the them of ‘New’ is straightforward but not at all unwelcome: all twelve tracks being ‘new’ to himself, having been encountered for only the first time this very year. I found this personally ironic, as for the last few years I have made a habit of seeking out new music on a regular basis, gaining exposure via various podcasts or surfing youtube – and even ending each year with my own ‘Festive Fifty’ on Facebook in meagre homage to the great JP. Thus in any previous year, had the theme of ‘New’ arisen, I surely would have adopted the same approach as Kid D. However for some reason, possibly Covid Blues, my eternal yen to seek out new tunes abandoned me during 2020 so I had nothing ‘new’ of that ilk to offer this time around. I was therefore very keen to hear some of what I have been missing out on over recent months. I can safely say that I have almost no idea who any of the artists are.
Track 1: 5/10
An epic Bond-esque movie overture morphs into a female vocal rap number. I struggle with rap generally as the genre doesn’t float my boat (in fact, quite the opposite). Whilst I can appreciate its merits (frequently clever, powerful and passionate lyrics taking on weighty subject matter), to my ear it is more street poetry spoken over a backing track than actual ‘songs’. However, the music itself is half decent on this track and the sung chorus is pretty good, putting me immediately in mind of acts such as Destiny’s Child. So while the track is nothing I would ever write home about, you worked the trick of including a rap track that did not trigger an immediate reaction to ‘skip’.
Track 2: 7/10
A cheery little folky/acoustic jazz influenced ditty; humorous lyrics recounting the life of our singer/narrator (Mathias). The musicianship reminds me very much of a fantastic ‘house band’ called Gadjo Manouche that regularly plays outside a street bar in Dubrovnik. You can’t beat a combo featuring guitar, double bass and fiddle. Vocals put me in mind of Bill Botting’s mob but the musical style suggests otherwise.
Track 3: 8/10
Up-beat mainstream pop-rock number about “stupid boys with broken hearts”. Bounces along rather cheerfully for the duration. I liked this one a lot and will be interested to learn the name of the artist(s), which I anticipate being a girl band of some ilk.
Track 4: 7/10
Another up-beat sounding number – of the happy summer variety. Another rap track but – astoundingly – another one I can happily tolerate and would likely listen to again. You’re twisting my melon man. Stop it.
Track 5: 8/10
Another (and possibly the) highlight of the mix – guitar-driven Indy rock with a female vocal lead (@Deviant808 would approve). The lyrics suspect someone doesn’t want to go into space, so it’s clearly not a subversive commentary about Branson or Musk. A great track that will no doubt receive regular future plays. Nice one.
Track 6: 6/10
A quiet but atmospheric intro suggests a North African or Arabic origin, which is confirmed when the track proper commences. An impressive rocky number, heavy on the lead guitar, backed by atmospheric chanting. Think Orchestra Baobab meets Santana. Groovy, with a frantic, speeding-up crescendo. I suspect this will be a grower that I will revisit from time to time. Always nice to be surprised.
Track 07: 8/10
An extremely accomplished lounge-jazz ‘easy listening’ rendition of a familiar swing tune. Very Jaques Loussier / Vince Guaraldi. This, we like.
Track 08: 4/10
Another African rocky number that sadly doesn’t reach anywhere near the heights of the earlier track. Somebody had a African Rock compilation CD for Christmas! 😉 A tad repetitive and interspersed with weird ululation. Not awful – but not for me.
Track 09: 6/10
Laid-back antipodean introspection. But for the accent, I could be listening to Tindersticks, which is no bad thing.
Track 10: 1/10 (and generous, at that)
Spoken Japanese (?) vocal. An annoying single note is struck repetitively, over and over. One might be grateful for this section ending but for the risible cacophony that follows. The lead vocalist must be a stunner as she can’t sing for shit. Terrible.
Track 11: 4/10
A decent, chilled, lo-fi beat is frustratingly plagued by what can only be described as someone trying to re-tune a shortwave radio over the top of it. The breathy, mournful vocals are an attempt at redemption but it takes forever to go anywhere. Clearly a stoner’s paradise. The chorus, when it eventually deigns to make an appearance, it is a blessed (if temporary) relief. Sadly, all a bit ‘meh’. There’s probably a half decent tune hiding in there somewhere.
Track 12: 5/10
Spoken intro, then slow, jazz sax backs up female spoken lyrics (presumably American as she mentions her ‘President’). As the instruments are introduced, it builds and builds but never really delivers. Not unpleasant but not one I’d really seek out again.
Overall this was a very enjoyable mix. To have seven of twelve scoring 6 or above is no mean achievement, assessed by my own intolerant, pedestrian, hyper-critical ear. It’s also a blessed relief to receive an Afterword mix CD where there but a single track I’d happily consign to Room 101. When the big reveal comes, I look forward to following up on a number of these artists, so thanks for sharing! 🙂
Next I submit my assessment of @eyesteel‘s choices:
Cover art: AWOL – but then there’s never any obligation! 😉
Track 1: 5/10
A harpsichord and flute intro burst into a vibrant late 60s art house sounding instrumental. Could well be ripped from a film montage sequence of our hero & heroine getting to know one another to save the scriptwriter the trouble of actually penning dialogue. Then the middle section is over and we’re back where we started. Okay but a bit ‘meh’.
Track 2: 5/10
Summer-sounding, boppy, bossanova lounge-jazz. As with track 1, this also has a laidback 60s vibe to it – at least until the discordant, repetitive ‘no, no, no’ and ‘new new new’ interlude sections (presumably the link to the theme). If it weren’t for those bits I could well like this track, hence the middle of the road score.
Track 03: 2/10
Oh dear. A poorly-produced punk recounting of someone’s run-in with the law. I could care more. Pretty bad.
Track 04: 2/10
I’ll hazard a guess this is called ‘New Tone’. Late Punk or New Wave sounding female vocal & guitar. Not much of a tune at all and the lead singer can’t sing for toffee. Another dud, I’m afraid.
Track 05: 6/10
Analogue crackles suggest perhaps a vinyl rip? Sirens in the distance herald a male spoken intro. The song appears to be entitled ‘New York Itself’ and I suspect the artist hails from that side of the pond; vocally, the bastard son of Dean Friedman and Steve Marriott. Now there’s a combo.
Track 06: 8/10
For me, the highlight of the mix. Lovely lilting, waif-like vocal over acoustic guiter. Wistful and relaxing.
Track 07: 5/10
Portuguese lounge music bossanova; another 60s vibe. Okay but nothing special.
Track 08: 5/10
Slow reverberating electric piano, over news barkers trapped in an echo chamber. A gentle and atmospheric intro to an instrumental offering with weird 70s-style sci-fi synth keyboard over the top. Inoffensive but never really delivers.
Track 09: 6/10
West Coast US sounding harmony pop. Pleasant enough album filler fodder.
Track 10: 7/10
Aha! an artist/track that I recognise. First stumbled onto her via ‘Poison Ivy’ which I included on an old Velvet CD mix (the theme was Batman related). Haunting and melancholy vocal over acoustic guitar and keyboard. Another highlight.
Track 11: 1/10
Eek! Ominous/menacing drumbeat intro and discordant chanting. Well over a minute of this terrible spaff until some bloke with a weedy, wailing voice increases the cacophony. Jesus, this is bad; the worst kind of prog excess.
Track 12: 5/10
And we end with another track I recognize. All very clever but not one of their best. A would-be 1920s music hall ditty adorned with Donald Duck playground sound effects from everyone’s favourite whacky popular beat combo. Completely out of keeping with anything that’s gone before, so an eyebrow raising closer at the very least.
On the whole the mix was ‘okay’ but nothing special. I didn’t get on with the two punky tracks and absolutely detested Track 11 – but Tracks 8 and 10 offer no small redemption, so all’s not lost. 😉 Only three of the twelve enter my virtual Room 101, so on balance my view of the CD remains a positive one. Whilst I may not be gushing in my feedback, I still very much appreciate the care and thought that went into selecting the tracks and for the shared experience. Cheers!
Finally, I offer my musings on the final CD received from @wilson-wilson. Brace yourselves:
Cover Art: Simple but clever/amusing take on an exceptionally well-known series of CDs. Certainly made ME laugh!
Track 01: 2/10
A pleasant, chilled beat intro and… there we go – the rap spoiler over the top. Nothing to hear here, move along. I refer you to my comments to Kid Dynamite’s Track 1 for my views on rap.
Track 02: 5/10
West coast distorted guitar shoegaze – with knobs on. Inoffensive but before long I found myself thinking, “Get on with it for God’s sake”. 😉
Track 03: 5/10
A steel drum (?) intro. But then it’s all intro and thus all instrumental. Again, okay without ever really delivering.
Track 04: 5/10
A track I recognize and actually own – but never really play – so I wonder why I ever invested? I seem to recall being impressed when I first came across this act, hence the purchase. But on reflection after listening a few times it all seems a bit “emperor’s new clothes”. Hey – maybe that’s the link? 😉
Track 05: 1/10
Oh shit – one second in and I can tell its another rap track. Sigh. Tiresome in the extreme. Plenty of decent potty mouth though, so it must be authentic. Utterly terrible.
Track 06: 1/10
Christ, what a racket. Awful Japanese nonsense. Let’s just bash a drum and thrash a guitar over any remote semblance of a tune shall we? Jesus.
Track 07: 2/10
Synth & drum long intro; uber repetitive. Ah it’s all instrumental. Poor. Makes even The Stepkids sound good. Must be home produced as no record company in their right mind would surely invest.
Track 08: 4/10
Finally – something that resembles an actual song, even if he can’t sing for shit. He needs a new heart. I need a melody… from somewhere… anywhere…
Track 09: 0/10
Sinister synth intro. Oh God it’s more rap. Christonabike. Plenty of proper swearing to make it real though. Terrible.
Track 10: 4/10
Decent rhythmic intro with an interesting background tune going on. But sadly, that’s effectively ‘it’ for five minutes plus.
Track 11: 0/10
W T actual F? Monotone shouty vocal and wailing shouty chanting over what is effectively two notes alternating for nearly four minutes. Awful.
Track 12: 5/10
Indy pop guitar/base intro. More shoegazeiness. Not unpleasant but again, never really goes anywhere.
It won’t take a Sherlock Holmes to deduce I really did not get on with this mix. My highest scores were generous 5s for the tracks that I could tolerate – but there are so many more that I really dislike. @Deviant808 will tell you that I’m only really happy with a catchy melody and some harmonies so perhaps no surprise there, then. Still if we were all the same the word would be a boring place – and it’s all subjective anyway. I can assure you that despite my comments, I manfully ploughed through the entire mix on three separate occasions before delivering any judgement. Though I can’t imagine myself ever reacquainting myself with any of these tracks, I still very much appreciate the thought and effort to produce the mix – and hey – I liked the cover! I await your revenge, served arctic… 😉
Haha! Oh dear. Well at least you liked the cover! Thanks for taking the time to listen and for being so honest with your feedback. It could’ve been worse – for some reason, this theme threw up lots of hip hop, so there was almost even more on there!
Thanks for taking in in such good spirit – you’re a credit to the CD mix community! 🙂
Ha – this made me smile! I knew a few of these tracks might “divide” the audience, but that’s the fun of it, right? You’ll perhaps be surprised/amused by the reveal for track 12…
Absolutely! It’s not about whether the music is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ (there’s no right or wrong to be found there!) -it’s about the process, the experience and the fun banter – and I’ve really enjoyed this latest swap. 🙂
Track #5 – I recognise that from the lyric and – as you guessed – I do approve of it. 🙂
Here we go then, first up, @KidDynamite – Neu/w
1 Portentous orchestral riffing; urgent-sounding female urban/London “state of the nation” rapping, after which a chorus, choirs and an RP-voiced lady uttering gnomic statements are thrown into the mix. Kitchen sink probably in there too. So, a lot going on; it’s intriguing and quite impressive – but what does it all mean?
2 Serio-comic philosophical musings wrapped in klezmer-tinged folk-jazz from a deep-voiced gent apparently called Matthias. Reasonably diverting.
3. Contemporary-sounding… what? Slightly punky pop, maybe? With the emphasis on pop… Not my usual fare, but I like this a lot – a fun, well-produced record with sassy lyrics, nice backing vocals and a good chorus. And doesn’t outstay its welcome. Intrigued to know who this is…
4. Hip-hop/rap with a jazzy backing – the sort of thing they like to play on the 6music breakfast show. Something about legalising weed in LA but, truth to tell, with a lot of this sort of thing I struggle to keep my attention focused on what the words are all about. They go by so fast, y’know…
5. Indie rock with smart-aleck lyrics about a reluctant spaceman (?) sung by what sounds like an Aussie female. The wry tone means I’d be tempted to guess at Courtney Barnett, but the chorus sounds more full-on than I remember her stuff being. Pretty cool – nice wobbly synth motif too.
6. Based on minimal knowledge, I’d guess this has a north African flavour – it’s what I imagine that band Tinariwen might sound like. Some great widdly guitar going on – especially after 4:30 when it all notches up a gear – and over its seven-and-a-half minutes it builds up speed like a runaway train. Points deducted for the terrible synth-tom overdubs. The production is oddly clean and bland too.
7. Classic-sounding piano jazz trio do an extended workout on Autumn Leaves. Very nice and tastefully done throughout. Wouldn’t be surprised if this turned out to be Dave Brubeck.
8. Middle-Eastern vibes with a rock approach. This has a great, insistent groove that then shifts nicely into a cool 6/8 pattern. Excellent track!
9. Spoken-word tale – I’m assuming the singer/narrator is “in character” – with alt-countryish backing, of (If I’ve got the gist of it) an Aussie policeman who’s wound up in a small town somewhere in the Outback and become “king of his world”. He’s kind of a redneck-ish character, and whether one views him with sympathy or mild contempt is up to the listener, I guess. Interesting but maybe not something that has a lot of repeat-play potential; at least not without some broader context. Is it part of a bigger work?
10. At first I was convinced the singer was Japanese but as the track progressed I became less sure… Over nearly nine minutes there are plenty of dynamic shifts to keep things reasonably interesting. It’s fine but I’m struggling to think of anything illuminating to say about this, other than I can’t guess what era it’s from.
11. Another long track! Some sort of folk-with-glitchy-beats thing with vaguely fey, indie-ish vocals. It’s quite nicely done but not sure it goes anywhere sufficiently interesting to justify nearly seven minutes of it.
12. Is this Laurie Anderson? Surely it couldn’t be anyone else? Whoever it is, it’s a compelling piece, and one of the few tracks of any of these CDs where I felt sufficiently engaged by the words to listen to them closely, cryptic though they are. Backing track drives it all along well too.
Overall, a nice varied comp with a few tracks I really enjoyed – can’t argue with that. Looking forward to the reveal.
Second up, @StellarX…
1. Here’s a rum go – sounds like the theme to some dystopian/sci-fi concept album à la War of the Worlds (in fact, that opening orchestral motif sounds somewhat “familiar”…), only instead of Richard Burton as narrator we have a David Essex-alike (perhaps it’s even him) who pronounces “bad” in an odd way… Then suddenly we’re into the BBC news theme! Is this a sample from that or was it the other way round? The interestingness tails off for me after a couple of minutes; left me wanting a bit more context.
2. The “news” theme continues with this groovy slice of socially conscious psych-soul – clearly late-60s/early 70s vintage. Sounds like a heavier-than-usual Temptations, or maybe someone like the Chambers Brothers… Anyway, plenty of wiggy guitar and wah-wah makes this a winner in my book.
3. Laid back groove with a nice synth riff and heavily autotuned vocals. Struggling to image what sort of band/artist this might be – it’s listenable without being especially enthralling.
4. Sassy 60s soul – this lady has new shoes in which she’s gon’ walk out that door. You go, girl! The voice is naggingly familiar but I can’t quite place it.
5. OK I know this, so I won’t give the game away (although I’d be surprised if anyone doesn’t know it) – it’s from one of those albums I played loads when it came out but not listened to in a while, and it was good to revisit. For me, one of the defining records of the 90s; never been that fussed by his subsequent work though…
6. Pulsing beats and distantly echoing vocals dominate here. I’m wondering if it’s PiL… I kinda like it but it goes on a bit without really developing.
7. Sounds like one of those bands like Little Feat – great musicians playing tasteful stuff – who loads of people adore but leave me a bit cold. It’s fine, but a bit busy and I’m not a huge fan of parping saxes.
8. I know this one too. Not a band for whom I have much affection; not heard this for… decades probably, so happy to hear it again. Once.
9. This is one of the first records I remember hearing a lot when I first got into “pop” music. Always liked it, but this song helped cement her “kooky” image and she’s somehow missed the “psych-folk” tag that would make her more celebrated. Therefore her original albums can invariably be found cheap – Stoneground Words is a good one.
10. Without having heard it, I know what this is. Bit of a one-joke affair, and the vocals become more irritating as matters progress. (This last statement might seem A Bit Rich in context with the final track on my own comp!)
11. From the ridiculous to the sublime… I’m pretty comfortable with this type of US college-rock whiny-indie vocal, from Grandaddy to whoever. The prominent piano makes me wonder if it’s Ben Folds. I’d like to know who this is – enjoyed it a lot.
12. Thought at first this was a Marissa Nadler track I’d not heard, but when the main vocal came in it was clear that such wasn’t the case. My love of winsome female vocals is considerable; this strays dangerously close to the line marked “a bit too fey and wispy even for me” but it’s sweet and pretty enough.
Some ups, some downs, a couple of old favourites, and old non-favourite… but overall pretty enjoyable!
Cheers for the review. 🙂 Glad there were at least a couple in there you found agreeable – and apologies for the rest! Track 1 is a bit ‘cheeky’ of me but I’ll save it for the reveal. Am relieved you emerged relatively unscarred by the experience to ‘mix’ another day. 🙂
P.S. WRT Track 11 – if you enjoyed the song – wait until you see the video – I guarantee it will further endear the track to you! 😉
And not to be forgotten, @Wilson-Wilson…
1. Moody hip-hop beats with a rapper lisping on about something-or-other. I’m enjoying the backing with its curlicues of backwards guitar, but it takes a lot for lyrics to catch my attention, and in this case that didn’t really happen.
2. US indie-rock with a drone-y quality that reminds me of Band of Horses and their ilk. Very listenable – they’ve nailed a pleasing snare sound that’s pretty much the thing that drives this song along.
3. Arpeggios played by something that sounds midway between a harp and steel drums over a skittering beat inform this instrumental. Some kind of exotic percussion effect perks things up for a bit halfway through, but basically this feels like a five-second musical phrase repeated again and again for over 5 minutes. There just wasn’t enough to hold my interest.
4. With its heavy, distorted groove, this starts off sounding like it’s going to be a slice of (sheet of?) rap, but turns out to be a Tame Impala-ish piece (that might or might not actually be TI AFAIK). I like it though, and the shift that happens around 3:10 is welcome; always appreciate a song that takes a left turn.
5. OK, so THIS is a slice/sheet of rap. It’s not a genre with which I’m that familiar but there doesn’t seem to be much here to set this apart from the usual tropes of the genre.
6. Yes! Here’s some fun – a burst of squally guitar leads into a fab punk/sunshine pop hybrid. This band clearly loves both Dinosaur Jr and MBV, but the harmonies and pop sensibilities are dialled up some way. Would readily hear more by this lot, whoever they are.
7. Eighties-style synth riffing and sampled drum loops… then it shifts following a found vocal snippet into a slightly more melodic section that makes me think of Boards of Canada with less of the woozy, hauntological trappings. It’s OK without going anywhere hugely original.
8. Kind of a shambling acoustic folkabilly thing with a singer singing about some relationship stuff. When it comes to the chorus he seems keen for us to feel he just can’t summon up the effort to sing it in tune, but the effect is perhaps less ingratiating than intended.
9. More rapping – unlike the last one, though, this is quite musically interesting with an appealing vocal chorus (presumably a sample but I might be wrong). But again, the lyrical content isn’t something I’m especially focused on (this goes for probably 90% of the music I listen to).
10. This builds nicely… chugging guitars and a vaguely menacing rhythm. But it goes so far and then doesn’t really develop from there – and given that the track is nearly 6 minutes long, that seems a shame. Or perhaps I just have a very low attention span.
11. This is more like it – a bit of grit added to the mix. Liking the sinister groove and the commitment of the vocalist. Great refrain. Not my usual thing, but this is good stuff! Would be perfect on the soundtrack of a horror film.
12. Sounds like we’re back in indie-rock territory again… to be honest, I don’t love this; it just seems a bit plodding, and it’s over 6 minutes long – although to be fair it does liven up a bit at the end.
So, a mixed bag with a few palpable hits and some intriguing sounds. Notable lack of female voices though.
Cheers eyesteel! Glad you enjoyed some of it. I was aware of the lack of female voices, too (apart from the chorus on track 9). There was more on my long list but for whatever reasons they didn’t make it…
okay, time for my thoughts on @StellarX‘s disc….
Have to say I guessed at track numbers due to the one track nature of this disc, which is some excellent mixing effort, and you will see by the time you’re reading my comments on track 13 that I miscounted….anyway, on with the show!
1. New beginnings here, with somebody enthusiastically selling a new life underground over some overture-y type music. Not sure if this is actually the first track or just an intro, but it’s a suitable kick off
2. and then we’re into some electronica, which I’m finding quite hard to place in time. It’s got bit of a Public Service Broadcasting vibe, but I don’t recognise the tune. Because I am clever and done got an English GCSE I do know the samples are to do with Brave New World, but no idea if they are intrinsic to the song or something you’ve dubbed on yourself…anyway, coupled with the intro, it’s a good anthemic opener (or track two, depending on your state of cosmic awareness)
3. Sounds like we’ve gone back in time a couple of decades now. This news report is definitely funkier than I ever remember Reginald Bosanquet being. Very welcome.
4. Nice plangent minor piano and synth bits here. Something melancholic is always going to go down well with me, as I am one big miseryguts. Not quite so sold on the vocals, but I do like this one
5. Heading back to the sunlit uplands of upbeat soul. Not too hard to pick up the connection to the theme here, is it? It’s not my go-to genre, but I do love records of this ilk with some choppy guitar and big horn riffs, and this satisfies on both counts
6. One I know. Possibly a bit obvious, but overfamiliarity cannot deny its essential bangerness.
7. Stretched out, slow, percussive, throbbing. No idea who it might be, but I like this one a lot, might be my favourite so far….
8. …but then we’re crashing back down to earth with this one. Don’t like it all, I’m afraid, a horrible trebly mess and smug affected vocals. Definitely the low point of the mix.
9. Strong new wave kind of vibes here. The song itself is nothing special, but the energy is undeniable and carries it through
10. Well, it’s not as good as the Wurzels, is it?
11. So this started with a familiar slowed down riff, and I thought “huh, sounds like [REDACTED] doing the Dead Kennedys”, and then the vocals came in and it turns out it IS [REDACTED] doing the Dead Kennedys! Love the original, love the cover.
12.The next one is another I recognise. Not a band I love unreservedly, but when they’re on, they’re really on, and this is one of the highpoints of their output, I reckon. Great expression of world weariness, and ties in with the melancholic thing I mentioned a few songs back.
13. So I guess that first track did just count as an intro…. New York You’re Bringing Me Down would have been an excellent ending, but there’s another track, and it’s a goody. Sparse and hymnal, but also intimate, this is the last candle burning as the night swallows everything. Great closer.
So there you go. Only one real stinker, and at least three new to me tunes that I’ll be looking out for the reveals of, which is a more than acceptable hit rate in my book. Thanks!
Merci, young mister Dynamite! 🙂 The intro bit is to be considered part of Track 1, which when I reveal my track list you will groan at my temerity including it. This intro, the instrumental tack itself and the spoken lines from Huxley’s Brave New World were all mixed together by myself to try and give you all a familiar-ish but at the same time disconcertingly unfamiliar opener. Glad you liked/tolerated (delete as applicable) as much as you did – and apols for pulling the rug out from under you with Track 8 (7!). 🙂
and now our grizzled pundit turns to @eyesteel‘s mix….
1. moody opening that suddenly blossoms about two minutes in and becomes something rather likeable
2. lounge bossa nova that sounded lovely when it was really hot last week. Unfortunately, I’m relistening and typing on a grey wet June day….still nice though
3. fairly sure this one was inspired by the old Sniffin’ Glue “here’s a chord….” mantra. Very DIY, very basic, and also pleasingly eccentric. I might not ever listen to it again an awful lot, but I’m glad it exists.
4. the first (and only, it turns out) one I know. A band I’ve never loved as much as those who maintain the canon do, but still enjoyable. Possibly would have been even more enjoyable as an instrumental, mind you….
5. if Mercury Rev had started in the seventies I reckon they might have sounded like this. This has a lovely air of urban enchantment, and I like it. That guitar line that comes in at forty seconds is really bugging me, because it reminds me of something else and I can’t think what.
6. a girl with an acoustic guitar is never going to be my favourite genre, but this starts very nicely. I did feel that, even at just under four minutes, it overstayed its welcome a bit, but there’s something there
7. more summery Latin stuff, and it’s still raining outside….big production that ends up throwing everything into the record. Not great, but considering it’s only two and a half minutes I’m not grumbling.
8. a spooky instrumental, with some nice hauntological synths. Has that pleasing quality of sounding like it could have soundtracked a 70s kids drama about mysterious and ancient goings on up on the moor, so a thumbs up here.
9. bit bland this one. Not actively unpleasant, but nothing going on that sticks in my ears
10. same with this one, really.
11. ooh, some more spookiness. Like the chanting and the ominous drums at the beginning, but wish it had cut loose into some lovely slow and fuzzy doom metal instead of the vaguely folky proggy sound we do get. Could have been a begowned and bejewelled seductress straight out of Dennis Wheatley offering us a taste from a forbidden chalice, but is actually more like Tom from Reggie Perrin talking about his nettle wine.
12. Looney Toons-tastic! An, ahem, unexpected ending. Never underestimate the power of a childish silly noise to amuse me.
To sum up, nothing I really hated, but also nothing I’ve absolutely fallen for either, although 1, 5 and 8 are the ones I’ll be looking out for on the reveal. Perhaps that sounds a bit lukewarm? It’s not meant to be, because I still had fun listening to some completely unknown stuff and deciding whether I liked it or not. For me the value of these things is in that process, and the amount of new favourites I end up with or not is almost a byproduct. So thanks for helping me spend an enjoyable few hours!
Much obliged to you for your review, @KidDynamite – sorry there were no “keepers” in there, but your open-minded approach is greatly appreciated 🙂
ah, like I say I think the review came across more lukewarm than it should have. I really will be looking out for those three tracks I mentioned!
First up from me, @StellarX!
1. Starts with (I think) David Essex from a classic concept album that I used to love but haven’t listened to all the way through in at least a decade, then we’re into the BBC news theme with some vocal samples overlaid – not sure if this is something you’ve put together yourself or if it’s an existing track but I like it, in a very Public Service Broadcasting way.
2. This, not so much. Funky 70s rock. Lots of wah-wah while a raspy-voiced man sings about the news. I like it when the horns come in on the chorus. Not terrible, but not anything I’ll be in a rush to listen to again.
3. Something familiar about the vocal here, Indie-ish vocals over laid back, electronic music. Not bad.
4. Classic-sounding soul. Optimistic, upbeat. Hard not to like this kind of thing, I like the call-and-response with the backing vocals.
5. Hello Mr Hanson! I had this on my long-list. It’s a classic. The album this comes from has apparently just turned 25, and is long overdue another listen chez Wilson.
6. Not sure what to make of this one. Some fairly tuneless wailing over and 80s sounding electronic backing and doomy piano chords. Quite atmospheric though., it’s grown on me!
7. More funky horns, this time over frantically strummed acoustic guitar. I Find the vocals quite annoying and mannered. This one’s not doing much for me.
8. I think I know who this is, breakneck punk-pop. Sounds very much of its time but I quite like it. Funny to hear ‘she’s so 1970s!’ as an example of something being so modern.
9. This is one of those novelty hits that’s so familiar it’s hard to concentrate on it! Jaunty folk pop.
10. Ah, yes, this band doing what they do, sweary 80s punk lyrics over a bossa nova beat. I hadn’t heard this particular track before, it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome but again, I’m not sure how many more times I’d want to listen it.
11. Another one that was on my longlist! Mr Murphy eulogising his hometown, sounding suitably weary. One of their more downbeat numbers but none the worse for that.
12. Acoustic guitars- and sighing vocals. Lovely voice but it doesn’t really go anywhere, does it? Maybe if I heard it at the right time it’d grab me more but not so far.
All in all, not too bad – mostly stuff I was happy to listen to a couple of times but wouldn’t go back to, a couple of tracks I know and like, a couple I want to investigate only a couple I actively disliked. And enough to suggest we maybe have more in common than my compilation would suggest! Also, kudos for the blank tracklist on the back of your cover – that’s a great idea. I have dozens of tracks from these swaps in my itunes unlabelled and I keep meaning to sort it out!
Cheers for the review, WW! 🙂 I shall reveal my tracklist shortly, so you can scribble-in the relevant info. I sense a fair consensus of opinion among my matchees this time around, bar one or two exceptions. I had a humungous list and excluded several that I now wish I had used instead of a couple of tracks – but it’s always a delicate balancing game trying to match the theme, come up with something you thing the recipients haven’t heard before, guessing what genres they are in to, yet still cobbling together something one likes oneself. You’ve been very kind in your feedback (far moreso than myself!). I’ve really had a blast with the swaps this time around so thanks to you, Eyesteel and Kid D for the ride! 🙂
Here we go @eyesteel!
1. Very pastoral and atmospheric, starts with just a harpsichord and flute, before going a bit more psychedelic and upbeat. It’s very cinematic, makes me think of some 70s folk-horror movie before things start to go wrong. Good stuff.
2. Reminds me of Foux de Fa Fa by Flight of the Cochords to start with! Bright, jazzy 60s bossanova with just enough going on to keep it interesting.
3. This is proper basic punk, and it sounds pretty terrible. Just a clean guitar, drums that sound like someone hitting a cardboard box and yelped vocals. But I like the lyrics! A list of your rights and what to do if you’ve been arrested. That just about saved it for me but it does sound horrible.
4. This is from a similar era I’d guess, but much better. Sparse, dubby (post?) punk. Spindly guitars, little flurries of piano and all manner of noises along with the yelping vocals. I quite like this.
5. Big, ambitious 70s folk pop, feels like a couple of different songs mashed together, and crams a lot into just over 4 minutes. Not normally my kind of thing but there’s so much going on, I like it.
6. Pretty acoustic guitars and pretty vocals, didn’t do much for me initially but was a bit of a grower. It builds nicely and heads off somewhere different after 3 minutes or so.
7. Sounds like something from a 60s spy caper film. More bossanova, with plenty of brass and handclaps. Bright and breezy and fun for a couple of minutes but nothing special.
8. This is my pick of the bunch. Very atmospheric, 80s keyboards and a violin, some found sound and not much else. I’m keen to find out who this is.
9. This reminds me of John Grant, although I guess it’s the other way about and this is the type of thing that influenced him. 70s singer-songwriter stuff. I quite liked this at the start but it just feels like it never picks up or goes anywhere. Pleasant but a bit bland.
10. Spacey keyboards and guitars and a mysterious voice. Kind of washed over me a bit. Gets quite lush towards the end.
11. Another very atmospheric track, I particularly like the first minute or so with the weird, chanted vocals. If track 1 was the pastoral start of a folk horror, then this is where things start to go very wrong. It has a strange, lurching rhythm when it properly kicks in that keeps it interesting.
12. An old music hall style comedy number about a flatulent fruit seller, complete with sound effects. Quite a contrast after the last track, and not something I imagine I’ll listen to much when this swap is over.
Of the 3 CDs I received this is probably the one with the least crossover with my own musical taste but I enjoyed hearing different things for the most part, and there are definitely a couple of tracks I’m keen to follow up on, especially track 8.
Many thanks for your enjoyable feedback WW – your comment on track 9 is interesting for reasons I will reveal in my… reveal (coming soon)!
And finally, @kid-dynamite!
1. An epic opener! Starts like Ravel’s Bolero, then goes all cinematic with strings and brass and a choir, then we get Radiohead guitars before the vocal comes in – British rap, state-of-the-nation lyrics, with more soulful backing vocals. There’s even some spoken word before the end. A great start.
2. A nice Canadian man called Matthias introduces himself to us. A jaunty bluegrass number, I enjoyed this but it’s nothing that makes me want to explore the artist further. Bonus points for the line ‘kiss my aforementioned kissable lips’ which made me smile.
3. I love this. A big catchy pop song with call and response vocals during the verse and a big singalong chorus, I can imagine this being all over radio.
4. A breezy, summery slice of hip hop. Again, happy to listen to it on this mix but nothing I’ll be exploring further.
5. Indie guitar stuff. I like the ‘sci-fi as a metaphor for a failing relationship’ lyrics, and I like her voice. Prefer the quieter verses to the chorus where it gets a bit heavier, but in general I like this.
6. Reminds me of Tinariwen, desert blues, settles into a nice groove then speeds up halfway through and gets nicely spacey and fuzzy towards the end.
7. Jazz. As usual I don’t really know what to say about jazz but I like this, piano led, classic sounding, familiar tune I but can’t place it.
8. Similar sound to track 6, that same guitar tone. This is a bit funkier ,and there’s lot going on – lots of percussion and vocals in there, and it shifts around and builds towards the end. Good stuff.
9. Another keeper. Reminds me of an Aussie Slint, all simmering tension in the guitars with a menacing, quietly spoken vocal, and the lyrics are like the set up for some outback noir, the corrupt cop in a small town who’ll protect his interests at any cost. Looking forward to finding out who this is.
10. The vocals are the weak link here for me, but musically I love this. Starts minimally but the guitars gradually come in and with each section of the song I was more on board. The last couple of minutes where it really takes off are brilliant. Oh, and nice mix between track 9 and this!
11. I’m a sucker for this stuff – acoustic guitars set against glitchy electronics with shards of violin and brass bursting in occasionally. The vocals aren’t the strongest but I don’t mind that. Reminds me of Hood or Epic45, whoever it is I probably own some of their music already.
12. I know this one, I think there was even a thread about it on here a couple of months ago. (I just checked and it was you that started the thread!) Spoken word over chiming guitars, shuffling drums and piano chords while a sax drifts about in the background. Lightly jazzy and somehow more than the sum of its parts. Reminds me a bit of those first couple of Stina Nordenstam albums. It’s lovely and I should probably check out the album.
This was probably the mix that was closest to my tastes, so much so that the first time I put it on I zoned out and forgot I was meant to be reviewing it! Nothing here I hated, and tracks 3, 9 and 12 are the highlights but I enjoyed it as a whole.
As he’s had his proper feedback, a few bonus thoughts on the mix from @StellarX, though probably not too many as most of what I wrote down has already been covered!
1) As with everyone else, couldn’t quite work out where the edges of this one were, and how much was home-mixed. David Essex mix ‘n’ matched with the BBC news theme? Strong opening.
2) Muscular funky workout about the TV news. Nice
3) Ambient thing that didn’t leave too much of an impression either way. Reminded me of Howard Jones at times. Who had a song called “New Song”. But it’s not him.
4) Funky female praising her new shoes. Groovy.
5) Know this, good stuff.
6) I’ve written “Decent shuffling percussive workout” for this, which is as good as anything.
7) Vocals reminded me a bit of that Jagger chap.
8) Know this too. I used this link to the theme too.
9) Novelty, someone used this in our group too.
10) Lounge-style cover of a punk classic? It’s them isn’t it?
11) Know this too, v.cool.
12) Harp-based thing that’s OK for what it is, where what it is is Not My Kind Of Thing.
Pretty decent overall, nothing I hated, just a couple that passed by without troubling the scorers and a couple I already knew. Decent effort, thanks!
Too kind. No… really! 😉 Kid D alluded to it but I was SO tempted to use the Wurzels instead of Track 9. I’m a riot at parties. RE: Track 10 (oui, naturelement). Am waiting for you to receive your official feedback before delivering my own – but I shall just tease by mentioning it was on the whole I thought it was a stonking mix. Who’da thunkit? 😉
Indeed. Some mainly positive comments in my first official review too, looks like putting this one together (relatively) quickly without over-thinking it was the way to go!
In world record time I have received all my reviews. This makes me happy. Consequently, I present my big ‘reveal’…
Should any other swapees be remotely interested in my latest mix, here is a google drive link for all the goodness/badness:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/103WHMP71Nl7j3m86wDs4UD5Ur7bAL1Ac?usp=sharing
Track 1: David Lowe – News 24 Three Minute Release 06 (Edited)
Yes, this is the official BBC News Intro music and a bit of a ‘cheat’ opener. I like to kick off my mixes with something quirky, so took the liberty of merging-in a couple of extra snippets to keep it more ‘on theme’. The track opens with the intro from ‘Brave New World’ (from Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ double album) featuring dialogue spoken
by David Essex. After the main track kicks-in there are additional snippets of dialogue, this time provided by Michael York, narrating the opening lines of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’. I anticipate unanimous derision for the sheer temerity of it.
Track 02: The Bar-Kays – Six O’clock News Report
A second successive track using the ‘news’ link for the theme. The reference to Vietnam in the lyrics should give away the era of its release.
Track 03: The Album Leaf – New Soul
I was first exposed to The Album Leaf via The Anfield Wrap’s now sadly defunct Friday music review podcast, ‘The Rider’. For a number of years this show introduced me to a plethora of fabulous new musical talent. And no small helping of risible spaff. Song title = link.
Track 04: Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings – New Shoes
Solid gold soul perfection. Does what is says on the tin. Song title = link.
Track 05: Beck – New Pollution
The original (brief) intro to this track has been clipped and replaced by a line from Max Headroom that has me in pleats every time I hear it. With apologies to listeners of a Vegan/Vegetarian persuasion. No animals were harmed in the recording of this joke. Song title = link.
Track 06: Pink Panther Club – Lake Evolution
‘Evolution’ representing mutation into a new species variant, at least to non-creationists.
Track 07: Audience – Nancy
A bit of a stretch shoe-horning this one into the mix. The band’s genre is ‘Prog Rock’. ‘Prog’ = progressive = advocating reform = a NEW perspective. I’ll get my coat…
Track 08: The Boomtown Rats – She’s So Modern
‘Modern’ in this instance equating to NEW. Funny to listen to this 40+ years on; to think 20th Century and 1970s once seemed ‘modern’. Back then 2021 seemed a far flung future wherein we’d all wear personal jet-packs to get to work and subsist on blue cubes of compressed protein. I want my jet pack.
Track 09: Melanie – Brand New Key
I seriously toyed with substituting in the Wurzels’ adaptation of this track as a truly wizard prank, however on second thoughts it seemed I had likely inflicted enough horror on you already so stuck with the original. Song title = link.
Track 10: Nouvelle Vague – Too Drunk To Fuck
Splendid abridged cover of the Dead Kennedys infamous ditty; the band name being the link. Apologies for the potty-mouth title and lyrics to those of a sensitive disposition or any who may have unwittingly played this to the kids in the car on the school run.
Track 11: LCD Soundsystem – New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down
The video for this is superb, performed by ‘Kermit The Frog’ – a lovely touch of self-deprecation by the amphibian-sounding Mr. Murphy. Song title = link.
YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eohHwsplvY
Track 12: Zoe Bestel – Peace Of Rock
Another stretch for the theme – but I like to finish with a mellow number and especially one with lyrics the end with – er… – ‘The End’. A haunting cover of Mike Krabbers’ emotive original, the performer longs for one more go around the Sun (i.e. a NEW Year). Though I like it a lot, I agree the performance is excruciatingly fey and breathy.
As usual, I tried to vary genres and styles of music to make each successive track a surprise. Listeners will be the judges of my level of success therein. Everything is from my own music collection except the opening track which was obtained from YouTube before subsequent adulteration. I found the theme a tad tricky – mostly because when compiling 2019’s ACD on the theme of ‘Change’, I had already used up a lot of tracks by interpreting ‘Change’ as ‘Revolution’ or a ‘New’ start (etc). Hopefully the next theme will be further removed from any that have gone before. 😉
Ah, the Album Leaf, I thought that track sounded familiar! I have a couple of their earlier albums but will have a listen to this one. And I thought track 8 was the Buzzcocks!
Looks like it’s time for the big reveal! I don’t feel I’ve converted any of you to my odd musical tastes, but I’m glad a few of the tracks found some willing ears. A couple of the selections I was aware could invoke strong “anti” reactions, but that seemed all part of the fun…
Anyway, notes as follows:
1. Basil Kirchin – Prelude/Dawn. From Abstractions of the Industrial North – cult soundtrack/library/jazz/avant garde composer much beloved by Jonny Trunk. I love his chord progressions!
2. Komeda – New New No. ’90s Swedish (from Umea) indie popsters, named after Roman Polanski’s soundtrack composer of choice.
3. Desperate Bicycles – Advice on Arrest. Legendary pioneers of putting out your own records, this was from their 1978 3rd release, a six-track 7in called New Cross New Cross (“pay no more than 70p”). A very useful song. The amateurishness is pretty much the point. (Fun fact: the band name came from J B Priestley’s wonderful novel Angel Pavement.)
4. The Slits – Newtown. From the Cut album. Viv Albertine’s memoir includes a nice passage about the recording of this, in which the producer Dennis Bovell arranges matches, coins etc by the mic to be shaken/struck/dropped etc at certain moments.
5. Tony Kosinec – New York Itself. TK was actually born in the UK and settled in Canada – this is from his 1974 Consider The Heart album; something of a lost masterpiece and by far the best thing he ever did.
6. Johanna Warren – Less Traveled. From her album Nūmūn. She’s way more than just a “pretty voice with an acoustic guitar” singer-songwriter – an all-round amazing musician.
7. Geraldo Vandré – Hora de Lutar. I wanted to pick a bossa nova track and chose this one, from a Soul Jazz comp, almost at random, as I liked the shifts in rhythm and the trombone solo.
8. The Hardy Tree – Newport Market. THT is the alias of Frances Castle, who runs and does the artwork for Clay Pipe Music (which, *ahem* has just put out my latest). This is from the album Through Passages of Time.
9. Jimmie Spheeris – Seeds of Spring. From the album Isle of View – a big favourite of Tim Smith out of Midlake, and apparently the sonic template for John Grant’s Queen of Denmark album (which Midlake played on).
10. Rose Elinor Dougall – Something Real. From her album A New Illusion: one of my favourite records of 2019.
11. This Heat – A New Kind of Water. A unique, uncompromising band that were kind of a link between prog and post punk. Fuelled by the incredible drumming of Charles Hayward (who had previously been part of Quiet Sun). I get that some people might not love this on first listen…
12. Jack Hodges (The Raspberry King) – Everything is Fresh Today. From the compilation “Songs We Taught the Bonzos”. I probably never need to hear this again.
Cheers Eyesteel, I’ll definitely be checking out The Hardy Tree. This Heat and The Slits are both familiar names but I’ve never actually heard any of their stuff, so I’ll be investigating them too. (Also, a Soul Jazz Bossa Nova compilation sound like just the thing for summer!)
Phew, glad I was keen on track 8! Very impressed you have a record out on Clay Pipe. I have a few of their records in my collection already, perhaps I will add another – are you D Rothon?
This is a low, unsportsmanlike* tactic – including your own music on swap CDs in order to get some market research done. Fie I say and… what a brilliant idea.
(*Although it’s been established that being sportsmanlike is boring, civilian and poofy)
I think it’s just a record on the same label as his, not his actual record….
That’s what he wants you to think….
PS. Being a bystander in this is, counterintuitively, great. I refuse to believe that the music is half as much fun as the reviews.
Kid D is correct in his assumption; I would never stoop to posting my own music – that would be a lowdown, dirty shame indeed! But I’m not above posting that of my label boss…
I am indeed D of that ilk.
well, all my reviews are in so I guess it’s time for a reveal! Thank you for the nice words, and even if some of the songs didn’t land, thanks you for taking the time to listen to them!
1. Introvert – Little Simz. This is so new that the album isn’t even out yet (due in September). Her last one (Grey Area) was one of the best UK hip-hop albums of recent years, and from songs like this, it seems like she’s upped the ante for this new one. Very excited for it
2. My Name Is Mathias – The Burning Hell. This is here because it made me laugh, simple as that. Very much enjoyed the wordplay here.
3. Stupid Boys – Bleached. So glad this went down well with everyone because I absolutely flipped for it the first time I heard it. It’s clever and dumb at the same time like only the best three minute pop songs can be.
4. Weed In LA – The Koreatown Oddity. Hiphop on Stones Throw, good goofy fun with a serious subtext about America’s carceral mania.
5. I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space – Fightmilk. This was the lead single off what has turned out to be a great punky pop record, full of big tunes and clever insights. Good to know @deviant808 also approves.
6. Afrique Victime – M’Dou Moctar. Tuareg guitarist from the generation coming up after Tinariwen. As everyone said, turns into a fullon freakout! This is the title track of his current album, which is well worth your time
7. Autumn Leaves – Ryo Fukui. The oldest ‘new’ track here, from the late 70s, this Japanese pianist puts in an excellent take on a standard.
8. Gnawa Beat – Bab L’Bluz, about which their label said “Moroccan-French power quartet, Bab L’ Bluz, reclaim the blues for North Africa. Fronted by an African-Moroccan woman in a traditionally male role, Bab L’ Bluz are devoted to a revolution in attitude which dovetails with Morocco’s ‘nayda’ youth movement – a new wave of artists and musicians taking their cues from local heritage, singing words of freedom in the Moroccan-Arabic dialect of darija.”
9. Constable – The Peep Tempel. Australian, obviously. For me, this has the quality of a great short story, something about the words and the vocal performance really snagged my attention. It feels like there’s a genuine undercurrent of violence and unpleasantness that could burst out at any moment. And I love the way he shouts “this big old endless sky”halfway through.
10. Daily March – Hiperson. Well, this one was divisive, eh? They’re a Chinese act, from Chengdu. For me, this one is all about the build, and the final few minutes are very special
11. Any Hopeful Thoughts Arrive – Hood. Well spotted, @Wilson-Wilson! Top woozy stuff that is like lying in a field on a hot summer day
12. Hard Drive – Cassandra Jenkins The standout track from my AOTY so far. Just booked to see her in November, could it be my first post-lockdown gig?
Thanks again to all for your attention, and I will endeavour to get my last review (for WW) up very soon!
Ooh, interesting reveal – for me this was pick of the mixes and I’ll be following up some of these tunes. Intrigued to hear more Little Simz now in context of that one they play on 6music a lot – seems to be a lot there. And can’t believe track 12 isn’t L Anderson!
Plenty to dig into here, I’ve been enjoying Bleached and The Peep Tempel this morning!
and at last, my thoughts on @wilson-wilson‘s mix. Apologies for the delay in reviewing this one, partly down to a damaged disc, partly down to life suddenly getting busy over the last couple of weeks, but here we go. Seeing as I’m last up and there’s no risk of influencing anyone I’m going to be free and easy with the guesses, which may or may not be right…
1. Sometimes when I listen to this I’m convinced it’s Ghostpoet, other times I think it sounds nothing like him. Either it’s some good crepuscular hiphop, nice and moody
2. I like the guitar and bass sound a lot here, reminds me of the perpetuallly underrated Early Day Miners, but not so keen on the vocals – the old hiding a weak voice in reverb trick, plus the New Jersey ain’t the whole world hook isn’t as good or catchy as it feels it should be.
3. Thought this had bit of a Four Tet vibe, then I remembered he had an album called New Energy…I’ve cracked it haven’t i? Very much like the blissful aquatic percussion, but the tune could do with developing a bit more over its duration.
4. Got a good squelch to it, this one, but again cursed with airy vocals and by the end it’s bit too proggy for me. Can’t beat the previous guess of Tame Impala, could well be them
5. Solid hip hop with a late 80s / early 90s flavour. Not an outstanding example of the genre but pretty pleasant. I’m going to say Ultramagnetic MCs, but only because one of them said the U-word. Nice transition into
6. Fizzing guitars that are just a bit too frantic to qualify as shoegaze, although they’re definitely in the same postcode. No idea who it is, but I reckon they’re Japanese. Very energetic, very day-glo, I approve.
7. Interesting one this. The synths and melodies are pretty and melancholic, and could easily fit in with the woozy vibe of the Hood track on my mix, but at the same time the drums are punchy and in your face enough to stop it becoming that kind of reverie. It’s a good contrast, like it.
8. Not into this one at all, I’m afraid. Vocals sound a little like Julian Cope, but that wayward genius’ touch with melody is sorely lacking here.
9. Like the way the repetition of the piano sample here creates tension, and the way the chorus goes somewhere between Nouvelle Vague and Stereolab is unexpected, no idea ho it is but I’m quite keen.
10. nice, but about twice as long as it needs to be…
11. This is the first track I recognised. Link is obviously in the name of the act. Scratchy psychedelic spaghetti western hiphop, well overdue a reappraisal.
12. and the second one I knew! Classic early 2000s indie rock, with just enough goth to keep me hooked. Hearing this one has sent me back to that debut album a few times this week, thanks for the reminder!
thanks for playing everyone, I reckon this is the swap I’ve enjoyed most out of all the ones we’ve done!
Finally remember to post my tracklist! Pretty straightforward on the theme from me – with just one exception every track has ‘New’ either in the title, the band name or the album the track came from.
1. Movements – Roots Manuva. From the album Brand New Second Hand. Sparse, moody British hip hop.
2. New Jersey – Red House Painters. It’s very 90s, isn’t it? Reminds me of being an earnest teenager.
3. Lush – Four Tet. Like Kid Dynamite says, from the album New Energy. I think it’s well named, happy to let it wash over me for 5 minutes.
4. New Person, Same Old Mistakes – Tame Impala. Spotted by @eyesteel. I prefer the more guitar led earlier albums, but I love how squelchy and spacey this.
5. Ain’t Sayin’ Nothin’ New – The Roots. Laidback, funky 90s hip hop.
6. Cornelius – New Music Machine: I like the mix between sugary harmonies and noisy guitars and just the energy of it. One of the more straightforward songs on his album Fantasma.
7. U R Here – Boom Bip. The most tenuous connection to the theme – there are a couple of songs on his album Seed to Sun with New in the title, but none as good as this. (@kid-dynamite, it’s not a big leap to get from Boom Bip to Hood – he did an album with Doseone who appeared on Hood’s album Cold House)
8. I Think I need a New Heart – The Magnetic Fields. I’m surprised there was no love at all for Stephen Merritt. Oh well.
9. New Wave – Common feat Laetitia Sadier. From the sprawling, psychedelic album ‘Electric Circus’, with Laetitia from Stereolab.
10. New Seeds – Boards of Canada. I love the way this has a couple of different rhythms chugging away at the same time.
11. Unicorns Were Horses – New Kingdom. ‘Scratchy psychedelic spaghetti western hiphop’ as KD says, seems to sum it up pretty well. The album ‘Paradise Don’t Come Cheap’ is well worth a listen.
12. The New – Interpol. I still love those first two albums.
Thanks all for the mixes and the feedback!
@bogart / @Mike_H / @moseleymoles
Finally I can kick this group off..
Stuntman and the Proper Jazzer: A Film by @Mike_H .
What Mike has actually sent – not strictly in the rules – is the script and soundtrack to an unrealised film script, set in Hollywood itself. Much like Tarantino, he clearly started with the soundtrack and then crafted a tale of stunt driving and Star Is Born drama around it. Here is my summary of his script.
One
Opening credits over a long comic car chase in VW Beetles somewhere in Italy with ladies being wolf-whistled as the cars go past, and is that some more cardboard boxes sent tumbling? Whoops there go the watermelons from that roadside cart. All over now. The Beetles are in the river. From one climbs our protagonist: the Stuntdriver Clark.
Is this from an Austin Powers movie? It should be as it’s groovetastic and possibly even shagadelic. No idea baby. Instrumentals are of course much harder to place. Very sixties, on the jazz side. But that’s it. Soundtrack music, so it’s there without eliciting a strong emotion either way for me. Six minutes?
Two
Business is suddenly slow in the stuntman/car chase for hire business. Clark sits in a traffic jam listening to the radio after another fruitless day trawling the studios.
A certain comedian’s muso daughter vibes here, quite excitable and yelpy. Horns, latin rhythms, lots going on. Probably fantastic live midway through a Glastonbury sunny day.
Three
Finally! Clark is hired for another car chase. He’s driving a mini-moke this time pretending to be Tom Cruise in the shot. Cruise actually pops up (the real Cruise) in the back of the mini-moke playing air guitar when the solo hits. The exasperated director throws his hat on the ground and yells CUT! The mini-moke spins out of control, the real Cruise goes flying and breaks his leg. Our hero is fired and will never drive stuntcar in this town again.
More sixties shagadelia, touch of jazz and LOTS of organ so having to go with the Chicken Shack guy or Big John. Noice, liking this.
Four
Doleful night-time scene. Clark is down on his luck walking those mean streets.
Is this from Latin America. Sounds like it. Yes again this is a strong entry and no car chase vibes.
Five
Cut to Clark’s sidehustle as a pianist in a Latin dance band. While the dancers shake large flamingo feathers, he is clearly unfulfilled bashing out basic chords.
More latin, slightly more downbeat. No strong feelings about this one either.
Six
Clark’s best friend, a rapper, urges him because ‘now is the time’ to forget stunt driving. He must ‘let go of the nonsense’ ‘all that you hear’ (the bossa nova, and instead realise his ambition of playing Proper Jazz. Hey who is that session man playing the piano solo – none other than crusty old geezer Oscar who is a Proper Jazzer from back in the day. Clark is awestruck and points excitedly to a Blue Note record cover with Oscar on smoking and looking cool.
Conscious rap – possibly from the mid-90s. Not unpleasant and curious to know who it is.
Seven
After falling on hard times Oscar is reduced to playing requests in a hotel bar. Unbeknownst to him Clark is in the audience, and we see him silently shaking his head and looking distressed at the cover versions the old maestro is forced to play. Don’t they understand his pivotal role in jazz history? Clark does.
Actually, it’s not that bad. But does the world need a jazz version of this tune. I am not sure.
Eight
Training Montage! We see Clark and Oscar side by side, initially Oscar shuts the piano lid on Oscar’s fingers, Oscar shakes his head in frustration and goes home, Clark sits playing until his fingers bleed. Cut shot to Oscar who nods approvingly – the kid’s got it!
No seriously the music would be a great training montage backer. Rocky-esque vibes.
Nine
Getting the gang together! Clark chooses a really difficult piece of jazz to recruit his new band – but the bass player is up to anything Clark throws at him. The drummer just lays down the beat steady.
I really like this piece of cool jazz.
Ten
Spinning-newspaper montage ends in ‘New jazz band sensation to play Carnegie Hall’ and in a reversal of scene seven Clark and his band play with cuts to wild applause and nodding heads. The scene ends with Clark dedicating this very EST slice of Eurojazz to his inspiration. At the back of the hall there’s a seat with ‘Reserved for Oscar’ on it – it’s empty.
Like this – is it EST as sure sounds like it.
Eleven
Dream sequence. Oscar appears to Clark in a dream. The Blue Note record logo spins in the background before Oscar rips it up. Dollar signs flash on and off before Clark disappears down a hole around which the words ‘Appearance on Parky’ are written. What can it all mean….
Clark wakes up sweating.
Not a clue – but sure as hell could soundtrack my dreams. Busy.
Twelve
Sad music plays. Graveside with Clark throwing dirt on Oscar’s grave. Cut to the gravestone inscription ‘Oscar: a true jazzman. Not like all the whiteys’
Final shot is Clark onstage with the band – they throw out all the EST type stuff that has got them famous and unveil a nu-metal direction.
Music – like this a lot, ambient, progressive, builds nicely. Again, more than a touch of the film theme here.
What’s New? / New Sounds by @bogart
Basic clip art front and back.
“….16 for a reason….” it says here.
1) Acoustic guitar intro reminiscent of Steve Howe but it’s not.
A ’70s prog ballad. I thought I recognised the voiceof a British singer, but then the use of an electric steel-sounding guitar and a rather American arrangement made me wonder if I was mistaken. Presumably the singer, whose first name begins with G, is playing both acoustic and electric guitars as well as his bass because the rather early ’70s synth sound confirmed that I was right with the voice recognition. A nice tune well-played but rather banal lyrics. Very much of it’s time. It’s O.K.
2) Female voices on a pretty ambitious prog-folk mini-epic. Main voice could only be a Scottish singer who I like very much. Good instrumentation and a spoken passage. Lovely.
Looking forward to the reveal of this.
3) Cracked, broken American female voice. Could only be one of two I’m familiar with. Nice accordion & fiddle waltz backing means it chugs along just right. Another hit.
4) Recognised the singer’s voice instantly. I didn’t like this at all on first listen but it’s grown on me since. Lovely, quite long instrumental coda comes when you’d imagine it was ending, mainly piano with a touch of vibraphone. Lyrically a bit iffy but a Good one.
5) Starts with a Welsh-sounding male voice choir giving it plenty of welly and then a dramatic voice singing in fluent French (but with a trace of a Brit accent, I think). A big dose of Metal is introduced with some Brian May-alike guitar flourishes, more choir, more Français vocal histrionics. Totally bonkers. Loved it!
6) Rather generic ’90s-sounding indie smartarsery over a tribal beat. All basics of what you can do with that beat are used up pretty quickly, so they tack on a bit of Sly Stone “Dance To The Music” vocal harmonising and some squeaky-voice Jagger impressions, add a lot of yeahs and oohs over the tribal beat and stretch it out to about twice the length that it merits. Uninteresting crap, really.
7) Some white-boy punky rap from New York, I’m guessing, as they appear to be eulogising the place throughout. Decent bracing stuff. A good palate-cleanser after the previous one.
8) I have never liked this band. This is better than most stuff of theirs I’ve previously heard, but the sneery attitude that puts my back up is still there. Next!!
9) Husky-voiced female sings R&B/Soul-jazz track. Fairly generic, musically with unadventurous vocal harmonies. No idea what it’s about as nothing suggested the lyrics were worthy of attention. A lot of missed notes hiding among the standard melismatising. Harmless. 4/10.
10) UK, if I’m not mistaken, Reggae with a UB40-ish sound. Seems to be from the POV of a soldier fighting abroad. A bit over-earnest. Unremarkable until near the end when we hear the chorus repeated over some fine, fine trombone playing. Love a bit of trombone, me, and that makes it a touch better than OK.
11) White American female, good voice, sings about suburban complacency and taking a stable married relationship for granted. Horrible crash-bang drum track is very irritating and the rather un-memorable song’s not really saying anything we didn’t know already. A waste of a good voice. Not for me.
12) Incoherent crap American punkery. If this was made since 1990 someone should tell them PUNK IS DEAD! One and a half listens was quite enough, I skipped it on subsequent plays without a trace of regret. Only 90 seconds long but seemed 3 times that at least.
13) Punky R&B with good Stax-alike brass charts. Bounces along quite nicely. Another timely palate-cleanser.
14) A beautiful song and musical arrangement. Dreadful singing, frequently flat. I presume it’s the song’s author who’s singing but he’s in the wrong key for his voice, which is a real shame. The song and the melody are so good I still think it’s an 8/10.
15) Gratuitous shite version of “Sun Arise”, presumably chosen because of fitting with the last lyrics of the previous song. Dragged out way beyond my level of tolerance, too. Another one skipped on subsequent plays without regret.
16) A short reprise of track 3. I’m pretty sure I know who this is, now.
So. A few clunkers but some really good stuff in there too. Particularly track 5.
I look forward to the reveal when all our set of reviews are in.
@Mike_H
14) A beautiful song and musical arrangement. Dreadful singing, frequently flat. I presume it’s the song’s author who’s singing but he’s in the wrong key for his voice, which is a real shame. The song and the melody are so good I still think it’s an 8/10
I believe this was one of the last songs he recorded before his untimely death from cancer, his voice when singing ‘normally’ is a thing of sheer beauty. As for the vocal on this whether it’s a result of his illness and failing body or if he chose to sing it in such a way I’m not sure. While I can see were you are coming from, especially if you don’t know his ‘normal’ voice, but for me it’s like the later Cash songs despite his voice having deteriorated it works. On this track, for me the vocal provides pathos, beauty, humanity, depth, weariness, hope and makes us realise how much we miss the owd bugger.
@Mike_H
Track 1) Oh dear, this encompasses so much of what I dislike about jazz a it’s just long, tedious and repetitive, it’s like the old fella in the bar telling who tells the same joke over and over again, granted it’s a funny joke but to repeat it ad nauseam with the only difference being the comic accent is changed each time. With this tune, there is a very enjoyable riff(?) loop, few notes of a tune whatever you would want t call it at the very start but then it is just the same thing rehashed by different instruments, and yes I know I’m on dodgy ground here as that could describe most popular music. But here all I hear is bombastic, self-pleasuring, tedious smug “look at me and how proficient I am, show offs. Basically it’s the jazz version of a dreaded prog rock song were each band member is introduced and then proceeds wheedle out a solo based on the middle eight of their best known tune.
As Joe Strummer once said “it’s bloody long in-it”
2 Now this is more interesting. Identifying music genres not my strong point, but instrumentally I’d say it’s a sort of African tinged jazz-funk, vocally it reminds somewhat of The Slits, The Raincoats. If pushed to name a name, and also so I appear to be hip and down with the kids I’d say Sault. Like this a lot. Be interesting to see who it is.
3) Starts with a scatty guitar riff (is that thing?) before the entry of what sounds like a Hammond organ, sounds very 60s TV background music, the kind of thing that would be playing when John Steed, Emma Peel or Simon Templer would walk into a ‘happening club’. Around 2.30 there is de rigueur gurning excruciating awful guitar solo which bring s nothing to the party . Without the guitar solo this was palatable, admittedly it wouldn’t demand of me that I listen to it again or seek out the band or anything of theirs but neither would it have me yelling “next”
As for who it is, seeing the theme is new, did Graham Bond ever reform his organisation as the New Graham Bond Organisation.
4) More of the African-jazz vibe, this astounding deduction being a result of the vocal collective. Just for sake of trying and I know I have more chance of my lottery numbers coming up than getting the artist correct I’d say simply because it has a trumpet on it that it is something by Fali Kuti or Miles Davies . On the whole it’s enjoyable, but when the jazzy trumpet noodling’s begin around 2.50 minutes my attention started to waver and I started thinking of hitting the next button, but with these swaps you have to sometimes suffer, thankfully the singers reappear and once again make the song once more enjoyable, especially with the re-introduction of the darn fine piano.
5) Another 60s jazz sounding telly programme intro, then moves into something that I’d expect to hear from the Kenny G stable of uninteresting jazz for those who don’t like jazz. I’ll pass on this.
6) Don’t know what to say about this apart from I enjoyed it. So, I enjoyed it.
Be interesting to know who it is and maybe have a listen to more of them/him.
7) Ahhhh I know this, I’ve heard this cover before, it was dreadful then and it’s dreadful now. I’m not a great fan of the original track, always thought it a wee bit twee and syrupy, but this version takes it into new levels puerility.
.
8) Strings, a sort of synthy type keyboard, synthy- harpsichord, strings this could easily be a theme from John Barry to an early 70s TV show similar to The Persuaders or The Prisoner. Again doesn’t demand or give anything, it just sort of exists.
9) I guess falls under the umbrella of jazz, but it’s fine I won’t hold that against it as it keeps me engaged. Initially it sort of inherits the same space as duelling banjo’s except instead of banjos it’s the piano duelling with firstly drums then bass, before settling into a more recognisable lounge style jazzy performance. Then it’s of at tangent as we get brief but enjoyable a sort of silent movies moment, a short Cowboy style moment before it once again settles into the accepted sound of a ‘jazz’ record before the coda playfully flirts again with the silent movie genre and some almost ambient piano-ing. I liked it.
10) Now the player is no doubt highly accomplished in tinkling the ivories but for me this does absolutely nothing, it doesn’t excite, it doesn’t annoy, it just exists which is not good as music should extract some sort of reaction. Bland.
11) Almost ethereal opening, a Harp (?) is plucked and strummed, bass and drums keep the beat as the harpist does there stuff. Interesting track, enjoyed it.
Of the top of my head the only Harpists I can think of are Simon from Harp and a Monkey which it’s definitely not and, if this is correct it will also nail the theme, and if it is right it’s a bloody cracking (devious) way of referencing theme, is it Joanna NEWsome?
12) Listening to this track the word celestial comes to mind, I’d not be surprised to hear that it was taken from Carl Sagens Comos series or something similar. And that’s were it could be enjoyed, sat in a cinema or a planetarium watching the planets and stars flying past as we are taken on a journey though space. Would I choose to play it by choice in the house or on a car trip, no, but in the pictures, with the dolby sound system ‘flying through the universe’ it would be ideal.
And that was that.
Not what I’d have predicted from a After-worder and that it’s self is a bonus, being ‘forced’ to listen to things outside your comfort zone is always a good thing. I probably will seek out more of the artist(s) on track 2, maybe have a listen to the purveyors of track 4 unless it’s going to be trumpet-centric, in which case I’ll pass. 6 may well earn a further coat of looking at. 9 I really enjoyed, but get the feeling that you sometimes get that it wouldn’t be a wise thing to seek out anything further of the artist as it would be doubtful that they would live up to expectations .
Thanks Mike
I couldn’t detect an overarching theme in your selection. Maybe I’ve become a bit dim. I am officially a codger, after all. Got a bus pass and a pension to prove it.
As regards my selection, I cheated and took the easiest route possible with the theme. All of the tracks were new to me this year and all were recorded within the last few years. Two from 2018, six from last year and four from this year.
Free bus pass, rub it it why don’t you, I’ve another 6 years to wait for that treat by which time no doubt our already limited bus service will have ceased all together. I did think of doing a ‘new ’to me in 2021, be they 2021 releases or oldies that I’d bought for the first time. Decided in the end to just concentrate on the ‘new’ and pick things that were in the main (hopefully) stylishly different to each.
It’s time to knuckle down and get my other review out.
Neu!! by @moseleymoles comes in plain white cover with scrawled title and author.
1) A lengthy spaced-out neo-classical instrumental piece, starting with outer-space bleeping and a very-slowly building string/synth drone with some piano tinkling, blending into choral vocalising. Quite beautiful but strangely out of place, given the rest of this CD’s contents. Probably could not be put anywhere else but at the beginning.
2) A jarring contrast as we are subjected to an incoherent shouted-vocal two and a half minute guitar thrash. Something about a New Horizon. Barely-competent drums and no musicianship beyond keeping in time with each other demonstrated. Crap.
3) Very ’90s crisp, clear well-recorded production. Indie guitar pop. A good structure to the song. Decent unremarkable vocals. This is not my genre of music at all so I won’t be buying it, but I’m sure it’s very appealing to those who like this stuff. Pretty good.
4) Sounds like 8-bit game music to start. Cheap plastic organ repeats a simplistic riff. Mixture of real drums and percussion samples. A rather stupid song sung adequately “Brand New Colony”. String samples after annoying plastic organ sounds stop. Vocal harmonies on chorus/middle eight. This has been done already and so much better by others. Does nothing for me but irritate, I’m afraid. Never have taken to this strain of smartarse pop. Next!
5) Heavy mellotron-like synth strings over programmed percussion. A decent song with a hooky chorus but the production is just horrible to my ears. Totally in-your-face with no air in it at all. Even on most of the supposedly quiet bits the drums are hammering at you. If I was in a place that played this sort of stuff all night, I would move on elsewhere. No thanks.
6) Very ’80s Noo-Wave tight leather-trouser vocals. Has that heavily treated drum sound and heavyweight synth strings. Not a very good song structure. Full of bluster. Grinding guitars on the chorus. “First Time Caller”.
Awfully generic stuff, it reminds me of yer Spands or Simple Minds. As above, if Mr Deejay was playing this all night, I’d have one drink and move on.
7) Glitchy percussion and string/keyboard samples. Reminiscent of Japan’s moody stuff but the singer is not as good. Percussion reminiscent of clicking pool balls. Some real strings at about the 3 minute mark, but cut up strings before and after. Something about First Fire.
Doesn’t do it for me. Rather miserablist fare with not enough structure for pop, not interesting enough for “weird”.
8) Starts with solo electric guitar and female voice. Decent voice, crap song and poor arrangement. Too long. Either it’s two women talking about a blerk or a women talking to herself about said blerk. “Heaven Help The New Girl”. Inconsequential whiny rubbish. Nothing there, really.
9) I recognise the voice. Didn’t know they’d done guitar boogies. It’s a rather poor song and poorly-played too. Dreadful drums. They did much better stuff than this. Maybe it was very early in their rather short career. Disposable.
10) Horrible jarring distorted guitar sound to start. Perhaps they were trying to be annoying, in which case they succeeded. Basic keyboard chord progression with scratchy rhythm guitar and thump thump drums. Awful earache and the “singer” can’t. No idea what they are singing about (“Everything Is Anything New” ?WTF?) and I don’t care at all. Worst track so far. Bloody long too. I’ve now heard it 4 times and I hope to never have it soil my ears again.
11) Guitar chug and moaning vocal about losing his woman and it’s effect on his faith in God. He’s turned to drink, it seems, Quelle Surprise! Pretty stupid stuff. “The Good News In My Heart”. Bad news in my ears but not the worst ever.
12) Another ’80s throwback band, by the sound of it. Kettle drums under a dirgey beginning and then a fast chugging bit “Here It Comes, The New Dark Age”. Back to kettle drums and a nasty guitar sound. This seems to me like two half songs cobbled together. Angst and drama about nothing much, probably. Lyrics pretty banal but the singer tries his hardest to invest them with drama. That ol’ cheap plastic organ sound again, then more horrible-sounding guitar torture. Repeat and repeat and repeat. About twice as long as it merited.
Sorry to be a bit negative there. Only a couple of real stinkers. One well-crafted janglepop hit and one rather beautiful one.
@moseleymoles
I always assumed when you retired you would have more free time, boy was I wrong, so apologies for delay in finishing this review of your disc.
And now it’s Mos-time.
1) The opening seconds did make me wonder if this was a leftover from the ‘Space’ theme from a swap or to ago, it starts with a very errrrr spacey longish droning note before the piano enters, slowly building, heavenly choired vocal, very ambient-ish or contemporary classical, goodness knows what if forced you would pigeon hole it as, but I like it very much. For sake of guessing, could be Olafur Aranlds? No, thought not.
2) Do you remember the good old days when Bob, Grant and Greg made music together. Strangely the day before you disc arrived a friend had posted on Facebook one of those 3am drunken moment questions, should he play this album or should he play Copper Blue….. the answer of course is Copper Blue. Theme – New Day Rising.
3) Bloody heck I was just about to write a rant of how New Order lost there way big time and ended up becoming a pastiche of themselves and how you can date their demise by Barney’s increasingly banal attempts to be a crooner. But instead I’ll have to leave it to to Moz to denigrate his old mate. Obviously the time spent in Electronic rubbed off, the vocal and NO light tune, if this had been NO it would have been disappointing, NO by rote, but as it’s not them the ‘could have done better feeling isn’t there, so as it it is, it’s fine, it’s pleasant but do you need Oasis when you can listen to a Beatles records?
4) Initially it sound like something by the Modified Toy Orchestra until the vocal comes in, then it becomes something akin Belle and Sebastian and their polite vocalisation. If they are the house band in their brand new colony at least they will provide pleasant pop for the masses.
5) I’m guessing this was a chart hit, sounds as though it could be one of the ‘girl’ bands Pussycat Dolls maybe, For what it is, it’s inoffensive, it’s clever, well put together but soulless. I wouldn’t buy it or seek it out but then again I wouldn’t stick my fingers in my ears if it came on, the one play would be plenty, thanks. As for the theme, a first date?
6) Simple Minds is the first thing that comes to mind. That big 80’s earnest sound, synths-a go-g, wishy-washy vocal, the big fuzzy-buzzy guitar. The story of somebody phoning into a radio show(?) for the first time. It got me to thinking for the first time in many a year of Golden Earring and their song Lonesome DJ, thought you may like to know that. A miss.
7) Starts blandly, continues to be bland, ends blandly. By heck it’s bland. First fire.
8) I’m sure I should know this singer. If the later career Billy Bragg was a female this is what she would sound like,. It’s very good, I like it. Theme, pity for his (new) latest flame.
9) I’ve this very day I posted on a music group the early Warsaw version of this, showed what Hannett brought to the party. To think that they chose to ‘throw it away’ as b-side. Theme, what happens when it’s no longer new and fresh.
10) A not unpleasant start, fuzzy guitar, synth, enter the riff man, boom-boom drum, then it all goes array as a feeble vocal joins and the whole song goes of the rails and becomes a dreadful woe is me gothy-poppy 80’s sounding single that would have peaked at number 14 single to even making it to the coveted number 13. Is anything new the singer asks, not in this song, old chap.
11) Chugging song, not unpleasant, could be Albarn and co. If so one of their better efforts, not something that would persuade further investigation, which I’d guess isn’t the good, good news they are looking for.
12) Another from the Now What I call The 80’s Men Dressed in Black collection or so it sounds, a gothy-poppy hybrid, the synth’s were very much of the day, could have cut the last couple of minutes and nobody would have been disappointed. It reminds me somewhat of U2 (sorry to whoever you are) but not to damn it by association, it’s OK, it not something I’d choose to play even on a Tuesday night when the jukebox is free in the New Dark Age public house.
All in all not to shabby, ignoring the tracks I own.
1 and 8 have peaked an interest to investigate further once the reveal occurs, 3, 4 and 11 may be followed up at some point if I remember to do so more out of idle curiosity than any great desire.
However my favourite moment came not from the music but from the spell checker when it wanted to change Olafur Aranlds to Flavour Armbands, now that would be someone worth looking up!
Ta.
So last one – @bogart who has not entirely played by the rules and snuck in an extra four tracks…but we can forgive him.
One
Sunny seventies acoustic track that I think keeps wanting to evolve into a heavy rock wig-out but never does. The vocalist is very familiar. There’s an agreeable Jean-Jacques Perry squelchy analogue synth solo towards the end.
Two
Ooh serious faces all round. Very beautiful in a severe folk way. Spoken word bits reminds me of Gold Rush Brides by 10,000 Maniacs
Three
More folk, not so keen on this which as the accordion kicks in makes me think unavoidably of Where Do You Go To My Lovely?
Four
Well who is this son of Sheffield? Another artist no stranger to the spoken word interpolation. Yes quite like this. One of his more song
It’s all been a bit sedate so far…
Five
So bring on the Red Army Choir, who I sincerely hope this is, but alas they appear to be a massed backing for a French chanteur. Kitchen sink doesn’t even begin to describe this – as if someone had said ‘You know John Miles’s Music? It’s really understaed and needs turning up to twice the excess, but in French.’ I would never buy this in a million years but enjoying it giving my speakers a good work out.
Six
I freakin’ love this. Surely 80s to the core, with that dry funk guitar and Vocals Like Jagger. One of the best discoveries on any mix CD I’ve had, so looking forward to it being someone I think I really hate and eating humble pie.
Seven
Also know these NY namechecking rap trio. Good track. Less of a discovery.
Eight. Two in a row. Like instrumentals, perhaps one comedy song per mix is allowed. I know who these indie japesters are and it certainly adds to the mix.
Nine.
Poppy R and B soul. Perfectly pleasant but not one to have me rushing to the checkout. Very ‘after soul 2 soul’ vibes.
Ten.
Again, one cover per mix. Always a test of a songs bones if it comes across well in a reggae cover. One of my favourite songs in its original incarnation, and stands up well here. Particularly like how they do the chorus.
Eleven
American female songwriter, a nice melody, but its a bit meat and potatoes in the arrangement.
12.
American punks. Short and not particularly sweet for me. Surely the mix ends her on a bit of a downer…but no inspired by our Tory overlords it seems here that rules are for other people and we go on.
13
Shockingly familiar horn riff. Scuzzy guitars, sneery vocals. Like this a lot and probably even have it deep in itunes.
14
Passed me by, this kind of stuff does very little for me.
15
Very late 70s/early 80s – sounds like something that Generation X, early Adam and the Ants or someone of that ilk might have knocked off in the hope of a novelty hit from the second album. The sun is setting on this mix…
16.
Very very short accapella. Would itunes still charge 99p for it I wonder?
So, very keen to hear who six and thirteen were. Most were likeable and listenable with only 3 and 12 being no thanks. The last three brought your average down a bit, but lots to like elsewhere. And that French production, quite something.
@moseleymoles
“Three More folk, not so keen on this which as the accordion kicks in makes me think unavoidably of Where Do You Go To My Lovely?”
Whenever I play this now, all I will hear is Peter Sarstedt….. whose middle name so Wiki tells me is Eardley, surely the only Eardley to have a No1 single?
It does have a similarly Parisian sound with the prominent accordion.
That’s all our reviews in now, so I’ll go for my reveal next.
Sorry @bogart so sorry.
Here’s the New! Improved! track reveal:
1) The Stank, by Gary Bartz & Maisha, from their Night Dreamer Direct-To-Disc Sessions 2020 album.
2) Tittle Tattle, by Nubiyan Twist feat. Cherise, from their Freedom Fables 2021 album.
3) Aces, by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, from their I Told You So 2021 album.
4) Ke Nako, by Bokani Dyer, from the Indaba Is 2020 compilation.
5) Não Tem Nado Não, by Kaidi & NK-OK & Blue Lab Beats, from the Sounds Of Afrotronica 2020 compilation.
6) Etcetera, by Steam Down & Afronaut Zu, from the Blue Note Re:Imagined 2020 compilation.
7) Golden Brown, from The Take Vibe E.P., S.T. 2020.
8) L’Odysée, by Fred Pallem & Le Sacre Du Tympan, from their L’Odysée 2018 album.
9) Future Stride, by Emmet Cohen, from his Future Stride 2021 album.
10) Cairn, by Fergus McCreadie, from his Cairn 2021 album.
11) Annoying Semitones, by Alina Bzhezhinska, from her Inspiration 2018 album.
12) Aura, by Ambient Jazz Ensemble, from their Aura 2020 album.
If anyone else is interested, here’s a Spotify playlist.
@Mike_H @moseleymoles
No excuses, this was ready the day after the disc’s were burnt, a odd edit in the meantime and then I simply forgot to put it up, well remembered when I wasn’t near the PC and when I was on the PC I forgot. I shall listen to Smooth Radio for an hour as punishment.
New…… 16 for a reason
1) From The Beginning – Emerson Lake and Palmer – Trilogy
No apologies, yes it’s ELP, the much maligned Emerson Lake and Palmer. I never ‘got’ prog, found it boring, self indulgent and all the usual clichés which probably makes it harder to appreciate why I ‘got’ ELP. Before punk, ELP along with Alice Cooper they were my music of choice, even during punk and everything that followed I still found time to enjoy them.
2) A Benediction Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy. – A Pocket of Wind Resistance
Two or possibly three boxes ticked for the new box on this, Firstly it’ the last ‘new’ music I found, somebody introduced me to the album a couple of weeks before the swap. Secondly the narrator is due t give birth, a new life. Thirdly the narrators husband creates a new crib for the forth coming child from an old tree stump.
3)The Foundling – Mary Gauthier – The Foundling
This started as the opening track, got bumped to 2 and when Kathrine came along was almost dropped until I found a tenuous way to include some extra tracks. And it kind of links in with track 2 being an expectant Mother and then this is about a new born. child
A new born baby
4) Bombshell – Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzales – Room 29
Jean Harlow married film producer Paul Bern, they started their new life together by honeymoon in Room 29 of the Chateau Marmont. To end the story he committed suicide not long afterwards.
5) Rouge – Fredericks Goldman and Jones (featuring The Alexandrov Ensemble) – Rouge
I bought this in France in 1993 simply because it has a aluminium
sleeve, the album was no1 in France for 7 weeks, I don’t think I’ve ever played the whole album, but this track is just so kitsch it’s really enjoyable . This track is about a a new and and better world.
6 Mother We Just Can’t Get Enough – New Radicals – Ever Get The Feeling You’ve Been Brainwashed
Two great singles, one wonderful album and then, that’s your lot. Manic Street Preachers take note.
Mike_H “To The Music” vocal harmonising and some squeaky-voice Jagger impressions, add a lot of yeahs and oohs over the tribal beat and stretch it out to about twice the length that it merits. Uninteresting crap, really.”
I wanted something upbeat at this point, I could have gone for the big hit but thought that would have been to obvious and these swaps hopefully introduce some new sounds to the listener. Chose this partly because it is over the top, it wears it’s influences on it’s sleeve and yes fair comment, it could have been should have made shorter.
7) An Open Letter to NYC – The Beastie Boys To The 5 Boroughs
The Beasties pay homage to New York
8) New York Skiffle – Half Man Half Biscuit – And Some Fell On Stoney Ground
Always have to make some room for Biscuits
9) Window Seat – Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
I’d picked this up for free when I was working, probably played it once and in truth it would probably have never been played again if it hadn’t been for ‘new’ theme. But as the idea is to listen to music that you’d never normally come across I thought I’d give it space on the disc. It’s now back on the shelf possibly never to be spun again.
10 ) Love Vigilantes – Edward II – Manchester’s Improving Daily
Cover of New Order’s cracker
From their own website :- Edward II, are an English roots band that uniquely blend the rhythms of the Caribbean with traditional songs from the British Isles
11) He Thinks He’ll Keep Her – Mary Chapin- Carpenter – Come On Come On
Countrified pop, the narrator of the song throws out her long time husband in order to start a new life. Recall it being on continuous rotation on CMT many years ago when CMT was the only music channel we had access to.
12) Untutored Youth – The Hives – Your New Favourite Band
Not American but Swedish.
Harmless, brainless fun. Rarely played.
13) Know Your Product – The Saints – Eternally Yours
Advertising, is all about selling something new , selling a brand new brand of smokes
Arguably the best thing musically to have come from Australia, their first tree albums should be in all good (and bad) collections.
14) To Live and Die In Levenland – Jackie Leven & Michael Cosgrove – Wayside Shrines and the Code of the Travelling Man
Every compilation has to have some Jackie. There’s the line “new shoots sprout from the long tail vine” and there’s also “the sun came out and bathed me in Williams Blake’s Eternity “
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy
He who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise
One of the the last, if not the last thing Jackie recorded before his death, MM commented on the flat vocals, whether this is due to Jackie’s illness or by choice, a sort of homage to Johnny Cash’s final vocal delivery I don’t know. What I do know is that for me it works, it adds a ambience, a deep and meaningful feeling to the song and if Jackie was happy with it, who am I to argue.
15) Sunarise – Alice Cooper – Love It To Death
A new day every-every-every-every day…
Mike_H “Gratuitous shite version of “Sun Arise”,
Not a good idea to diss a man who has his own guillotine!
16) The Foundling – Mary Gauthier
16 for a reason….
In astrology …
16 is the number of ‘new’
‘New Age’ interests the 16’s mind and they will have many psychic experiences during their lifetime.
The number 16 denotes one who seeks wisdom in the attempt to learn enough to both teach and help others.
@Mike_H @bogart
Feel First Life – Jon Hopkins
Love a brooding building synthy into from a ridiculously talented composer, though this from his latest album Singularity represents a slight drop in form. Here it drops into…
New Day Rising – Husker Du
This was the album that got me into the Du. Their pivot album: before it stands noise, after it is melody. Here, as in this track, its all in perfect balance.
New Town Velocity – Johnny Marr
Not the hardest guitar sound to spot, but did you get it was from his first ‘proper’ solo album. The best track from it.
Brand New Colony – The Postal Service
I had another track on my shortlist from Death Cab For Cutie, but Ben Gibbard has such a distinctive voice it couldn’t be. So this won out.
New In Town – Little Boots
Its a shame that none of the 80s synth revivalists of the noughties – Boots, La Roux, Ladyhawke – really kicked on, as here they knocked out bangers for tuppence.
First Time Caller – White Lies
This is a big wide ballad also nodding to the 80s, by a band I am perhaps too fond of as I saw them on a memorable NME New bands tour which included a certain Florence at the bottom of the bill.
First Fires – Bonobo
An artist who makes, like Jon Hopkins, subtle and emotional music out of very simple building blocks.
Heaven Help The New Girl – The Long Blondes
I will be surprised if people get this. Perhaps the track that’s in here most for its lyrics and its somewhat spiky feel, as the rest of my mix apart from the Du turned out surprisingly mellow.
Novelty – Joy Division
Surely we’re allowed one track just, well because it is awesome. In my defence the B-side of Transmission, so hardly one of their best known.
Anything New – Digitalism
Again, a group I like more than maybe their me-too Daft Punkisms deserve. Again, purveyors of bangers.
The Good News – Bloc Party
A really strong track from late era album The Good News. Again, Kele has a very distinctive voice.
New Dark Age – The Sound
We exit into darkness. It’s over… or is it. No there’s something hidden from this mighty closer from second album From The Lion’s Mouth. Hothouse, 1982 rare single.
New Radicals eh? Disliked that ‘Get What You Give single and categorised them as from that awful mid-90s period of ‘alternative’ US pop rock that spawned, let us not forget, Smashmouth. Will play that album.
As will the Saints.
And lord above I have that Hives album. Maybe it should be Oxfam’d.
Thanks for the reveals, chaps.
Thanks @bogart for Karine Polwart & Pippa Murphy, Mary Gauthier (my guess was right), Fredericks Goldman & Jones (accountants to the stars?), The Saints and Jackie Leven of course (I still gave it 8/10 despite misgivings re: his voice).
Thanks @moseleymoles for Jon Hopkins and Johnny Marr.
@deviant808 / @retropath2 / @vulpes-vulpes
OK, we’re getting left behind a bit here, so let’s get things moving with some thoughts on Retropath’s mix.
First up, apologies if this comes across a bit negative, which it probably will do as a certain amount of it is! No fault on your part, but it did unfortunately miss hitting many of my areas of preference, and strayed into a few areas that’re definitely not my thing.
1) First thought was that these sounded an awful lot like [REDACTED], then I realised that it actually was them. Clearly I haven’t played their colossally youthful album recently enough 😉 Great opening.
2) Plaintive emotive piano piece. Not my sort of thing.
3) Big funky blues number about a “Big Brand New Religion”. Loads of soulful energy, really enjoyed this one.
4) Slightly ponderous piano-inflected Americana ballad thing. Again, really not my sort of thing and it rather washed over me without making any impression.
5) Nice bit of spritely reggae as a contrast, rather enjoyed this.
6) Uptempo stab of bouncy new-wavey power-pop about a brand new book. A little bit of an early Elvis Costello feel to it, clearly not him but maybe a late seventies contemporary? Liked it from the first play, and it was a bit of grower from there. Best track on the first half.
7) Bluesy rock. Slightly lumpen and plodding, though with a nice recurring guitar twang that kept my interest until we got to the noodly soloing around halfway that really is anathema to me. Probably a good example of this sort of thing, but – for me – nothing particularly special and not really something to follow up on.
8) Odd Cover Version Corner, or a “New” take on an old “classic”. Wheezing musical backdrop to a pleasantly unhinged vocal, sounded pretty good the first couple of times but the joke wore off a bit from then on. Happy to have heard it, but not one to play regularly 🙂
9) More piano, but considerably more smokey and bluesy as someone talks about her new pair of shoes. Nice voice and Wild West Bar-room feel. Decent stuff.
10) This is sounded a bit Dylan-esque at the start with the cracked vocals. I’m not too familiar with his stuff, so there’s a chance it’s him, but I don’t think so, unless it’s from a time before his voice gave out too much. A bit of a grower, and has some distinctive memorable bits, in comparison to 7, which didn’t.
11) Impressive gospel soul belter. No idea who it is, but liked it rather a lot (despite the odd line that went a bit Randy Crawford) so someone to check out.
12) Jaunty Country and Western song about having a Brand New Plan. Nice old timey twanging going on, upbeat finish, decent.
So, only one song I recognised. Tracks 11, 5 and 3 were good, and 6 was probably my favourite New Thing. Worth the time in giving it a few listens, and a couple of things to follow up on, which is far from the worst strike rate I’ve had on these things! Thanks.
More late than never…..
r2 on @deviant808
Before second guessing the content, may I say how struck I was by Deviant’s obvious love for an untutored voice, especially of a female variety, the sassier the better. That and music of a garage band belter vibe, having me imagine him, early hours, at a wobbly kitchen table, leather of jacket and stubbly of chin. A hat possibly, as we all have hairlines to hide, copiously shortlisting, 2HB in hand, after a braw night out in the fleshpots of Fife’s finest. With the outcome that this has been perhaps the most enjoyable selection of songs I have encountered yet, in these aural love letters to strangers we so fondly compile….
1.Track I after a brief word of sponsorship for the sacrilegious, is a delightful burst of retro synth disco-pop, sweetly sung by a thin tonsilled damsel. I am suspecting the singer may have, in her last band, had a tight sweater? Music, it’s such a new thing, apparently
2. More frothy electronica follows and, again, can I recognise those naif tones? I thought I had their two records, so maybe they did more. The song even sounds a little like their cover of the Bard of Barking’s song about the saint of weather. (Can’t pick out owt new, yet, mind, in either of these.
3. Deffo ‘A Brand New Day’ is the next pick, a barrelhouse tailend of the 60s rock’n’soul roister. But who the singer? A skinny black girl with straightened here is likely, but I’m not getting anything the further. Annoying, as I bet I have this on some Demon/Proper compilation….
4. Distorted twang chords suggest a trashy garage band from the US, snarfing in some Beatley influence into their rudimentary. Root note bass, gloriously inept lead and tubthumping drums lurk behind a surly lead vocal, male for a change, and some let’s try harmony vocals for a change harmonies. Probably the Del-Lords, the V-Rays or some such wonderful abomination. Enjoyable, tho’.
5. Here come the new boys, it says, churning guitars and bass on the high strings suggest a hefty pot-punk origin, with even some starting whistle in the back ground. Semi-spoken vocals, a bloke. Early Wire, before they became valued old statesmen and were just sardonic observers of our times and mores? I dunno.
6. The thinnest girly vocal yet. The only singer I can think of hitting this bill would be that Sarah something and St. Etienne. Preciously limp, or is it limply precious. Or precocious, even. A quality dip in the programming to these jaundiced ears.
7. At last, one I know, Edinburgh’s finest tackling an old Sheena hit. Edinburgh’s finest being the group named after a visual feast of the city, available at the head of the Mile, near the Castle. I thought them broken up, but see they have new product coming soon.
8. Another set of spunky sisters from the 1960s, Noo Yawk, I’d say, with a lovely bass line over brass and clattering drums. Ba-de-bubba-ba, indeed, but don’t know it. Like most of the songs, not a clue as to the name or link to the theme.
9. Same city, the mid to late 70s, girls who want to move to Berlin. The vocal style is not unlike the Roches, but I don’t think they were this punky. Good fun that I want to be part of, but would be too shy, however uncool they believe themselves to be. Which is also a Roche’s recurring theme.
10. Back to scrubbed guitars and high bass, Brand New somewhere in the lyrics sung by one of those singers who is as keen to swallow his words as sing. Trashy keyboard welcomes in some background brass, which, purely because of the country of this selection’s originator, makes me think the Redskins or the Fire Engines.
11. More dated synths and, surely, if it isn’t old Bernie A, it’s someone influenced by him. But the synths are too pop musicy. Which has me thinking, could it be Robin Wotsit? I only ever heard the single. Y’know, I’m going to go with that, the one between L and N is my guess, hoping it does, in fact, stop here any more.
12. Finally, some worldly instrumental wackiness, the sort of thing that might have become ethno-trance fusion, had they all never discovered programming and sequencers and ditched their guitars. So, basically a slim guitar melody with foreign drums and a touch too much reverb. If it’s new, I’m bloody ancient.
I out of 12, confirming @deviant808 s view we groove to different grooves. Better than my snarky comments suggest.
Thanks for the ride.
Thanks for that, I took my lead from the opening “this has been perhaps the most enjoyable selection of songs I have encountered yet” comment (which was very nice to hear) so didn’t take anything that followed as snarky. You’re right that a lot of the stuff I like most features singers who can’t actually sing 🙂 Will always prefer the likes of David Gedge or Kim Deal over [INSERT NAME HERE].
A few teaser comments…
1&2 – interesting hints and not a million miles away (if I interpret them correctly) but neither is quite right.
4 sounds American, but they’re a UK act, and this song is older than I am.
10 is Scottish and of the same vintage as the acts you mentioned.
11 right vintage again, not quite there on the act, but good guesses.
12 is 40+ years old, so not a New Thing. Link is the name of the act..
Arf, love the line about 11 going a bit Randy Crawford! Might surprise you what the song was, or not.
6 has spent most of his post 76 career cursing Costello comparisons……
Your comments about your number 10 make me wonder if Dunfermline’s finest ever embraced brass. Or, contrived remark incoming, do I need to get a “job, son”?
Heh, sorry but I’ll have to put the skids under that latest guess at #10 🙂
I don’t know much about the act TBH, it’s lifted from the excellent Cherry Red “Big Gold Dreams” compilation. The singer went on to later join/found The Kaisers if that helps…
And here we go, into round 2 and the disc from @vulpes-vulpes , with packaging and presentation that puts myself, and yes, @deviant808 to shame. Entitle Exciting New Range, it is “by” British Antarctic Survey: Baking Division. With an appropriately frosty ECM style sleeve, it comes with an intriguing backstory, the snippet of a found document, a letter to Jimmy from his uncle, who presumably perished in said expedition, their final days marred by a radio glitch in which all they could receive were strange songs and snatches of conversation, these recorded in the posterity of this dis. Bravo!
1. After a melange of unrelated speech excerpts, we are in with some choral chanting, organ and beats, over which some studied vocal emerges. A bit wishy-washy for me, sort of what the Moody Blues might do if they were filed under electronica.
2. I think I know this, it’s that big boned flavour of the moment saxman, KL, the giveaway being all the infernal choral screeching, behind which some perfectly decent jazz lasts. Uncertain who is the trumpet Parker may be, but it is wonderful.
3. Flutey acoustic whimsy, until, yes, it must be, the late one-legged Weegie from Surrey, slurring his way through a duet, I’ll guess with then wife, Bev. I don’t know the song, but feel I ought and will now investigate. (Haven’t caught the ‘New’ link to any of these, I should say at this stage.)
4. Harp and fiddle, or is it harps? Has me thinking the duo of harpists , either themselves as S****s, or when they became part of the P*****s. I like it.
5. Well, I certainly have the meter of this, a rare vocal outing for N’Awlins most metronomic. I love the drummers name. New will clearly be Orleans.
6. A late 60s sound, a bit like the Band with extra brass, which is very dated in a Blood, Sweat and Tears way. Brand New Day the song, and it isn’t sung well.
7. Knowing the Fox’s love of a certain mexican guitarist, this sounds as if it ought to be from one of his 1990s jazzier outings, but I waited in vain for the entry of a single searing note to give the game away. In fact, no obvious guitar anywhere. Still like it, mind.
8. More pastoral acoustica that goes right up my street. Unfamiliar, but lovely mix of guitar, mandolin and fiddle. Must be one of a ton of talented youngsters hailing from down west, in Foxy’s neck of the woods. I’d get this.
9. A controlled fusion frenzy, with more brass than usual, it usually being a battle between keyboards and guitar, which, of course, still ensues. I can take it or leave it, generally the latter. Too clever for my ears.
10. Another jib I like the cut of, it touching some nerve of familiarity. A bit like the We Are Family hitmakers in the vocal, and tune for that matter. Is it?
11. If it is who I think it is, I’ll be cross, as I don’t like her, but I like this. But, again, if it is, her Sunday radio show has good songs, so she has more tasteful than songs about sc-fi shows, as with her old band, would have me think. Good song.
12. Confess I lost the plot here as to what was added Antarctic ephemera and what was the track. A little dull; sorry.
Overall some cracking tracking and some tacky cack, if you will forgive my preference for a play with words than careful and precise description. 4, 8, 11 will need my credit card on this exposure.
Second review here for @ vulpe-vulpes.
Has taken me a while to get my head around everything going on in this selection of songs, unlike the packaging which was extremely impressive, and I think feedback probably comes off worse than I intended. All the same though, it’s mostly based on the subjects / styles heavy on the jazzy improv side of things, which is something I can listen to and appreciate, just that I wouldn’t choose to for long or often!
1) Has a bit of a “Moments In Love” vibe to it in places, it’s not the Art of Noise though.
2) Stabs of mournful jazzy brass, and liberal dose of some funky underpinnings. Could imagine this in a film, soundtracking a late night taxi ride through a rain soaked American city as our hero contemplates the femme fatale that he loved and lost. Goes a bit screechy towards the last minute or so, maybe the taxi went off the side of a bridge or something?
3) Flute-afflicted folky number. Nothing special, doesn’t really go anywhere or do anything memorable. Jethro Tull maybe?
4) Spritely spirited jig/reel (not sure of my terminology here!). Very pleasant and jaunty.
5) Aha, one I know, fantastic stuff. Connection is New Orleans clearly.
6) Snatch of sixties spy film dialogue, then a bit of Something In The Air style strumming before hitting a groove of sorts. Then the lyrics came in and I recognised “Brand New Day” from my own mix. Goes completely OTT towards the end. Musically extremely Of It’s Time (which definitely wasn’t “New”) but I liked it for the curiousity factor of a different take on the song. Not keen on the vocals though, especially as it progressed, which is probably a bit harsh as it’s probably by AK who I know – from the sleevenotes for “my” version – wrote it.
7) Very funky number, sounds like something from a Blaxploitation film or a seventies cop show. Gets jazzier as it goes along, which becomes wearing after a while as it gets less structured. Like the recurring brassy riff.
8) Lightweight acoustic instrumental thing, didn’t leave much of an impression to be honest.
9) A long jazzy option. Lots going on, at times I did like it, other times it sounded a bit random.
10) Aha, a second one I recognise dimly, though I’ve not played this album in ages. Not that it’s a bad one, but it’s not a patch on their debut. Sorry, can’t think of a clever hint to demonstrate that cryptically 🙂
11) Very distinctive voice, used to rather like a lot of the stuff from her former band, her radio show is usually entertaining, though not always for the music. Wasn’t aware she’d done a solo album though, and this doesn’t sound quite like I’d have imagined it. Not bad.
12) Spar(s)e and angular, reminiscent of Talk Talk or These New Puritans while making them seem quite spritely by comparison. Minimal music I can take, but there doesn’t seem to even be much of a skeleton of a song here? Likely that I’ll give the album a go (providing there is one!) after the big reveal.
13) Sneaking extra track! time. That’s new 😉 A modern(ish) jazzy outing, with some nice brass bits to break up the minimalism. Probably decent enough to those of you who appreciate these things, albeit without being world-beating.
So, clearly largely Not My Thing, but it was a bit of journey down the musical road less travelling from these parts, so was a worthwhile listen to hear something different. Thanks!
Ok, so I was not officially ‘partnered’ with @Deviant808 this time around – but as observers will know, he and I have been close friends in ‘the real world’ for decades, so we always have an illicit side-swap and comment accordingly. With apologies to official ‘swappee’ @vulpes-vulpes whose feedback remains pending – but I just cannot hold this in any longer… 😉
Track 01:
Great opener – I know who/what this is, have it in my own collection and for the life of me am kicking myself I did not include it in my own mix. Unmistakable vocals will give it away to anyone familiar with the band. Bloody love them and love this. Britpop-era-spawned accessible pop electronica; top tune. The theme link is ‘New’ as in ‘New Thing’.
Track 02:
Not one I’ve heard before but I like it – a lot. A modern production with a retro 60s boppy-poppy vibe. Follows on nicely from Track 1. Keen to discover who this is as it’s REALLY catchy and I love it. Clueless as to the link to the theme though.
Track 03:
Oh lovely – ‘cool’ on a stick. Faultless, classic Gospel soul. Another absolute belter. The link being what I think is the title ‘Brand New Day’ but I don’t recognize the soul diva. Another one to follow up on, pronto. You’re absolutely storming the mix thus far.
Track 04:
A marked switch of genres as we turn heavily into fab fringe 60s pop-rock. Another track my eclectic experience recognizes – the band name being the theme link. “How does it feel to feel?” Bloody great when you’re listening to stuff like this, even if you could be forgiven for thinking you’re listening to The Goodies. 😉 Groovy, Daddy-O.
Track 05:
Cool, sinister bass and drum intro heralds a punky, simplistic riff-laden discordant number. Not generally my bag but I found my foot tapping along firmly to this. Am utterly convinced this is genuine late 70s original punk material rather than latter-day wannabes – but I have never heard it before and have zero idea of the theme link.
Track 06:
Oh this is lovely. A Southern England accented waif treats us to a happy, summery Indypop TUUUUUUUUNE. Has a sense of ‘Lush’ about it, which is never a bad thing. Sadly once again clueless but eager to follow up.
Half-Time comment: At no time ever, in the history of my listening to your myriad mixes over the years, have I liked EVERY song in the first half. I need to sit down for a moment…
Track 07:
A modern shoegazy take on a biblically cheezy early 80s mainstream hit from a pop reality sensation (possibly the first ever). I presume ‘Modern’ is the them link. you won’t be surprised to discover I actually like the original – and like this every bit as much. This surely makes dear Esther Rantzen proud.
Track 08:
Oh you bugger – you know I’m a sucker for quality soul and boy is this QUALITY. Never heard it before but am damn well going to play the shit out of it henceforth. Brilliant soul diva stuff. Presume it’s called ‘Born Again’ hence the theme link? Eight winners in a row. Blimey.
Track 09:
Ah here we go – absolute stonewall classic Deviant808 fayre: fey female vocal, guitar driven, roughly-produced Indypop (an observation, not a judgement). My actual judgement is that I LOVE IT. No idea who it is but the chorus asks, “Why can’t I be cool enough to move to Berlin”, so either the theme link is the band name or the prospect of a new life in a new city. Either way, I am now getting VERY worried this consistent ‘hit’ rate is setting me up for some god-awful mix finale. “Brave heart, Tegan…”
Track 10:
An intro of speeding up drum beats heralds a very, very ‘Sports Team’ sounding number which I think is entitled “Baby’s got a brand new brain”? It’s NOT Sports Team as I am familiar with their output – but it is every bit as good if not better. A simple, rocky blues chord progression played with raw urgency results in a very cool number. LOVE IT.
Track 11:
And we switch to a very early 80s sounding new wave/new romantic genre. Think Bauhaus meets post-Buzzcocks Pete Shelley. Not unpleasant but nothing to write home about. Still, I’ll happily listen to it again so rather begrudgingly, I find myself having to label it another ‘hit’ rather than a ‘miss’. No bloody idea who it is or what the link is, mind.
Track 12:
Oh this is interesting – and atmospheric. An almost ‘dub’ sounding instrumental that feels less Caribbean and more – Afrique? Cool mood music and again, I like it. Theme link? Erm…
So – never, ever did I imagine receiving a mix from your good self and actually liking every goddamn track, you bastard. 😉 Seriously, hats off for sending me a CD that I shall be spinning regularly. Really keen to see the track listing as-and-when. Cheers! 🙂
Blimey, I never expect to put together something where anyone’s going to like every track, so I’ll take this as a major win 🙂 Glad it went down so well.
Right then. Given that I was the moaning Minnie who got this swap started, I’m sorry it took me so long to type up my reactions. I’ve got seven or eight possibly believable excuses for my tardy review delivery, but I’ll spare you the agony, and just get my notes and type ’em up below.
@retropath2
1) Simple beat and what sounds like a Rickenbacker damped and strummed. Girl singer delivers a simple 12 bar yarn, but I can’t make out enough of the lyrics to get a clue to its fit within the theme. Doesn’t really go anywhere, and there’s no way in if can’t hear the words and there’s no hook to the tune. Sorry, but this is just a bit ‘meh’ for me.
2) Nice piano intro here, with some interesting development. American female vocal. Lovely interlude with bvs and horns. I’m reminded somehow of Laura Nyro and Judy Tzuke. There’s a lovely Rain Parade / Mazzy star electric guitar part that floats over the tune. More gorgeous horns. Whoever arranged this did a splendid job. The song ends too soon! New to me, and I want to know who this is – it’s a real find. Played it three times on the first listen.
3) Here come old flat-top! I have this one – it’s from the only album of hers that I own, but I think the others are probably just as great. You can hear every word, loud and clear. A real voice with both power without effort, and with grace. A real sprit of fun throughout as well. Marvellous, shit-kicking stuff.
4) Oh dear. After the previous track this comes across as a right dirge, which technically is what it is. If I listen to this all the way through, I’ll have to put on Nilsson’s ‘Without You’ next and lock myself in a cupboard. Skip. Sorry.
5) Pop-a-top to the rescue. Another one I know. I have a battered JA copy of this that has somehow survived all kinds of poor treatment. It is probably made of recycled tractor tyres. The final track from his brilliant solo debut. Love it.
6) Ooh, that’s familiar too. Oh yes, I know who this chap is. Saw him supporting Dylan at The Picnic. This is not one of his very best, but still a workmanlike tune that follows his familiar style. Good lyric – as you’d expect – and a cracking band.
7) Don’t know this song, so it’s from one of his that I don’t own. It’s DA I believe. I have 3 or 4 of his, but he’s done loads of others. My favourite of the ones I have is the ‘King’ album. I suspect they are all a blast. Good stuff.
8) Ho, Ho! Here we have Eleanor’s string section over a Melanie song – Interesting! I nearly put the original on my own compilation, but thought it too risky to invite triggering horrific Wurzel flash-backs for my poor pals. If I’d known of this version I’d have used it. What a fascinating rendition – the roiling arrangement disguises the twee lyric and produces quite a different vibe. Need to know who did this! Great.
9) This girl can sing. And the song is a cracker. I’m not sure how old the song is – it’s good enough be a Tin Pan Alley classic – but the arrangement and recording are modern top-of-the-range. Absolutely love this one – I must find out who she/they are!
10) There’s a strong sense of Prine here, but it ain’t him. The man has a fantastic voice, purpose built for this sort of Dylanesque ballad. A song of resignation and wisdom; it’s lovely but it also tells of a truth that is brutal to acknowledge. The delivery is all at the service of the lyric; it’s truly something that could have come from the Zimmerman pen. I would like to know where this comes from. What a splendid pause for effect in the compilation.
11) Unmistakably a soul classic. No idea who is singing, but she sure has pipes. I’d imagine this is a 60’s recording in the stone soul pattern – the girl can sing and the band can swing. Do tell!
12) Twangtastic! Yee-Haw! There’s that pedal-steel. Be there in a second once I’ve parked the pick-up; get me a beer willya? Hot Damn! Etc. Chugga chugga. This lot would make a killing on the beer & fried chicken circuit I’d imagine. Maybe they did, or maybe they do. No clue, but it’s fun and simple. Great finish to a fine collection.
@deviant808
1) As anticipated from the compiler’s pseudonym, a big synth riff leads into a stomping dancefloor jobbie. Initially I think this is Will and Alison’s mob Goldfrapp, but the vocal is rather too prim for Alison. There’s some interesting musical development in the melody behind the vocals, but it’s essentially a dance thing, making its internal repetition subservient to the groove. Quite like this but don’t recognise the artist. Fades rather wimpily at the close. Lightweight but fun – not my cuppa really, as far as repeat playing is concerned.
2) Another jolly bounce-along with female vocals. This one is so featherweight its transparent, with a rather sickly lyric. Sounds to me like a 90s froth with a Legoland melody. Next! One verse is enough or I’ll need a dentist. No idea of artist.
3) Ah, this is more interesting! In fact, this is a song I put on my own confection! This isn’t the original (AFAIK) that I used, but a very decent cover. Actually, this female vocal is BETTER than the writer’s male original. I really like this song, so I’m very keen to find out who this is.
4) Starts like a Troggs blast through a cider hangover. ‘How does it feel?’ they ask. I’m sure I know this from my own collection, but I can’t recall the source – one of the ‘Nuggets’ (or similar compos) cuts perhaps? Great little guitar break over the simple rifftastic tune, and those unmistakably 60s vocals. The engineer is sparsely experimenting with phasing in the background too. Big grin stuff, and mercifully short. All rather inconsequential and of its time. Goof fun, but not a teenage symphony by any means.
5) Now we’re in the late 70s I think, in New Wave territory – British I think. They’ve listened to a lot of Costello, and they’re having fun in the studio. A girlfriend or someone has been asked to blow a ref’s whistle in the background a couple of times for some reason. No idea who this is, but it’s refreshingly honest simple nonsense. Snakebite at the start of an evening’s indulgence. Could be anyone of a dozen two-singles-and-an-EP bands whose names I have forgotten.
6) Another girl singing. Summery and charming, with well enunciated lyrics over a simple strum and drum. Unambitious guitar lines and basic bass and drums elevated by very pretty vocals. Again, I have no idea who this is, but this short, sweet track stays in the mind. This is probably the best unknown one so far for me.
7) There’s a strong pattern of female vocalists across this disc, and here we are again. The song is so familiar that it’s frustrating that I don’t know who’s singing it. Something tells me this is a slowed down, more sophisticated take on the song compared to the version I must have heard…. And then I know where I’ve heard it before! Cracking cover version that lets the song breathe. Very taken with this one.
8) Funky, funky, funky. Wow. This is even more like it. Could be from any time from the 70s to today. Horns, bass, backing vocals. This is absolute gold. Tell me who and where and when. I’m buying this one. Badass and brilliant.
9) A female version of Jonathan Richman. Self-deprecating tongue-in-cheek nonsense about moving to Berlin. Too well played to be the Slits, and too American anyway. Great funny lyric delivered by a woman who can barely hold a tune. Charming but once heard, once chuckled, but likely not played again soon. Sorry. But who is it, I’m intrigued?
10) Simple 12 bar chug, and baby’s got a brand new brain it seems. Punchy in a Costello/Jackson mode, straight from the eighties I’d guess. Again, this could be any one of many chancers in the new wave onslaught. Background music for the third or fourth pint before hitting a club. Sweaty and fast and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Good fun.
11) Is this Heaven 17? I only know Penthouse & Pavement, so it could be from another of theirs. It’s deffo an eighties sound. Cheap keyboards, gated drums. The vocal is familiar but I can’t place it. Bassline ripped off from 20 other 80s bouncers.
12) Clean On-U Sound dubby thing. Needs some good hash and a horizontal disposition for full appreciation I’ll warrant. Has to be a Sherwood jobby – but could have come from any of the Joe Gibbs ‘African’ albums, if it had had a lot more dirt. I know there’s oodles of these tunes out there, and I love them all even if I can’t tell the difference between a lot of them. Revolutionaries? Syndicate? Sherwood? Not sure, but epic all the same.
While I didn’t really click with quite a few, both discs served exceptionally well to make me sit up and listen to new stuff, which is always good news. There are quite a few from both discs that will leaven my wallet via Discogs. Thanks both!
I’ll put up the track listing for my CD tomorrow, promise!
That’s more positive feedback than I’d expected as we’re clearly coming from different start points taste-wise, glad you found some stuff you liked. Will put up details of tracklisting / commentary tonight hopefully.
Ahead of that though, 12 is an On-U sound production, Creation Rebel in particular.
3 is Della Reese and 8 is Marilyn Barbarin, both of them – in this case – lifted off compilations that I’ll name later!
@retropath2 and @deviant808 and @stellarx
Time to own up to the stuff I’ve put you through. Here’s my track listing:
1) This is ‘NEW Water’ by C Duncan from the album ‘Architect’ – this was his debut album, and was entirely home-produced. It’s a lush wallow in musical possibilities. I rather like the whole thing, and if you enjoy this I’d recommend you check it out.
2) The ineffable ‘Cristo Redentor’, this version from Donald Byrd’s album ‘NEW Perspective’. A glorious gentle mainstream 60s jazz take on the devotional standard. One of Blue Note’s gold quality hit LPs, this is the album with the E Type Jag on the front cover, an album which is credited to ‘donald byrd band and voices’.
3) ‘NEW Day’ from 1970’s ‘The Road To Ruin’ by John & Beverley Martyn. There’s Danny ‘Fucking’ Thompson – as per Riley Walker’s description – in the mix as well. John and Beverley’s voices work so well together on this song. It’s the calm before the storm.
4) Off to Canadee-i-o for Natalie MacMaster’s jolly rendition of ‘NEW York Jig’ – a Canadian Scottish palate cleanser from the splendid 1999 album ‘In My Hands’ to lift the pulse rate and raise the eyes to the windswept horizon. It’s actually three tunes in one take – The New York Jig/Mrs. Gordon Of Park/The Moll In The Wad – but you’d have to be a fiddler to know that (or someone with the album sleeve to read).
5) Time to shake yo’ ass. The Meters give us a short funkathon with their ‘Talkin’ ‘Bout NEW Orleans’ from the album ‘Fire On The Bayou’ in 1975. Hot damn.
6) From his 1970 double album ‘Easy Does It’ comes Al Kooper’s song ‘Brand NEW Day’. The whole album is awash with influences, including a hint of The Band on this track. There’s even a direct Eleanor Rigby quote dropped into the long version of Joe Williams’ classic ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ on side 2. Absolutely massive list of contributors to this album. A soup of music with lots to explore and enjoy.
7) Who loves ya, baby? This is the groovy funk of Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes, of course. This track, ‘Visions Of A NEW World’, is lifted from the 1975 epic album of the same name. Betcha Huggy Bear owned this album.
8) After that exhausting run through the mean streets with Lonnie, it’s time for a moment of quiet, calm reflection, so here we have an exquisite little instrumental called ‘Pastures NEW’, from Nickel Creek, it being the final track from their third, and eponymous, album from 2000. Hugely influential members of the progressive bluegrass movement, these three musicians have chops to spare, and this baroque little reverie allows them to softly demonstrate their mastery of tone and equilibrium.
9) OK, off we go on a different tack again, this time into relatively tricky British Jazz Rock from the 1970s. This is taken from the 1974 album called ‘Under The Sun’ from Nucleus, and the song is ‘NEW Life’. I know this isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it really does repay close listening, preferably with good headphones, to pick out the strands of the performance and how they meld together. There are distinctly different sections to this track, moving from guitar at first and then on to the trumpet of founder Ian Carr as the track progresses. It’s a glorious thing.
10) And breathe. No more difficult angular jazz rock, here’s a simple groove from Soul 11 Soul, the title track from the album ‘Vol. 11 – 1990 A NEW Decade)’. You can nod along to this one while your cerebral cortex recovers from the Nucleus blast.
11) And to penultimate the dozen, here’s Cerys with the song ‘Streets Of NEW York’, the opener in 2006 from her marvellous second album ‘Never Said Goodbye’. I love Cerys unashamedly, and this track shows off both her compositional skills, her imaginative arrangements, and that glorious Welsh voice.
12) I wanted to bring the dozen to a close with something darkly mysterious and out of left field. This is what I chose. It’s called ‘NEW Moon At Red Deer Wallow’, and it’s from a 1991 album called ‘Rain Tree Crow’, credited to the same name. It’s Japan of course, by another name. David Sylvian does his thing with all sorts of instruments and odd tangential jumps. It’s an interesting change from conventional songs, if nothing else, and generates its own quirky mood in a – surprisingly – rather calm and charming way.
13) Ah, yes. The baker’s dozen from the frozen south. So, here’s the track that hopes you’re not triskaidekaphobic. It’s called ‘NEWs From Verona’ and it’s by the Portico Quartet. They used to busk on The South Bank outside The National. The album – their 2007 debut – is called ‘Knee-Deep In The North Sea’ and I highly recommend you check it out. I hope you like it.
Tracklisting time!
1 New Thing // St Etienne
Some close guesses on this one, but clearly Sarah Cracknell’s voice isn’t quite as distinctive as I thought 🙂 It is little lightweight perhaps and might not have made the final edit if it wasn’t for that sample that I thought made a nice opener. It’s on their 2002 “Finisterre” album.
2 Don’t Falter // Mint Royale feat Lauren Laverne
A little surprised again that this didn’t turn out to be more recognisable, as I remember it being played a lot at the time. Quite glad – given that it turned out to be unknown to people – that I didn’t go for the Big Beat remix off the single, which is a bit of a stomper, but does excise most of Lauren’s vocals. Link is that something new is in “Mint” condition.
3 Brand New Day // Della Reece
This cover of a song by Al Kooper comes from her 1970 “Right Now” album, though I lifted it from one of those excellent themed compilations (“The State of the Union – The American Dream In Crisis 1967 – 1973”) that Bob Stanley (with Pete Wiggs this time) does for Ace Records. Her singing career started after being discovered by Mahalia Jackson, but she also was the first black American woman to have her own talk show, starred in a long-running TV drama (“Touched By An Angel”) and even played B.A’s mum in an episode of the A-Team!
4 How Does It Feel To Feel? // The Creation
I first heard the song after Ride covered it, but I think I prefer the original. This is the only song by them that I have, on a Mojo covermount (“Heavy Mod”). “Creation” is the act of making something new.
5 Modern Men // The Prams
The sleeve notes from the “Dreams To Fill The Vacuum – The Sound of Sheffield 77-88” compilation suggest that this 1979 single was the highpoint of The Prams’ career, getting played by John Peel and leading to them supporting the Adverts. Maximum rock ‘n’ roll.
6 Six Months // Fresh
This isn’t perhaps the most representative song from Fresh (whose name is the theme link, New things are Fresh) as they’re generally a bit more upbeat and pop-punky. But – as noted – it has a lovely lazy hazy summery vice and nice lyrics.
7 Modern Girl // Camera Obscura
Edinburgh jangle-popsters cover Sheena Easton, taken from the b-side of their excellent, “Let’s Get Out Of This Country” single.
8 Reborn // Marilyn Barbarin
This went down well didn’t it? It’s from volume one (“The Original Sound of New Orleans Funk 1960-75”) of the “Soul Jazz presents New Orleans Funk” series.
9 Why Can’t I Be Cool Enough To Move To Berlin? // Breakup Haircut
The unguessable theme-link for this one was that it’s a track on the newest album I’d bought at the time, volume 3 of the “Loud Women” compilation from the label of the same name.
10 Baby’s Got A Brand New Brain // The Styng Rites
This slice of – according to the sleeve notes from “Big Gold Dreams (The Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989” – “retro garage band psychobilly” is from their debut 1986 single. They don’t mention if there was ever a second single…
11 King of the Flies // Fad Gadget
This single is from his 1982 album “Incontinent”, so everyone got their dates fairly correct. Nearly went for “Collapsing New People”, which probably is a better song but obscures the link that something that’s a “Fad” is usually something new.
12 African Space // Creation Rebel
As mentioned, it’s an early On-U Sound production from Creation Rebel, who evolved into Dub Syndicate. I lifted this from one of the excellent “Adrian Sherwood presents the Master Recordings” compilations.
Here’s the obligatory Spotify playlist, fleshed out with a few that would’ve made the cut if the 12 track limit wasn’t in place, plus that Mint Royale remix I mentioned.
Well, here I go too. Thanks, chaps, for the exciting ride, @vulpes-vulpes and @deviant808
BRAND NEW BRAND/RETROPATHOLOGY IV
The usual due diligence precision methodology as applied previously: type “New” into my i-tunes search engine, duly plundering whatever my collection has to offer. Pretty darn good selection, IMHO, with enough choice to have made a second volume.
Brand-New-Life/Young Marble Giants: From, I admit, a compilation “best of”, YMG having slipped past me at the time, suggesting I had been wrong to have originally put off by their demeanour and haircuts. A cracking opener, echoes of Blondie, if they had begun in the Top Rank Suite in Cardiff rather than CBGBs. Originally from ‘Colossal Youth’, 1980
Brand New Spring/Mary Lorson & Saint Low: Anyone remember Madder Rose? ML was their singer, ahead of a couple of solo albums as Saint Low, this from the 2nd, and increasingly further piano based, moving away from the scuzzy guitars plus beats of her old band. From ‘Realistic’, 2006
Big Brand New Religion/Shemekia Copeland: Yup, it does sound a bit John Kongos but, clearly, it ain’t, being a bit of bluesy, blowsy testifying from Shemekia Copeland, daughter of Johnny, and who I am a bit of a fan of. From ‘Never Goin’ Back’, 2009
Brand New/Teddy Thompson: Richard & Linda’s boy, with a typical yearning tale of disguised woe. Always liked his work, this came out just last year, on ‘Heartbreaker Please.’ One day articles about Richard will refer to him as father of Teddy, rather than forever invoking the opposite.
Brand New Second Hand/Peter Tosh: One for Vulpes! If you didn’t get this one, all faith in the afterword will be lost. Triffic archetypal skank from ex-Wailer, Peter Tosh. I’d roll one if I ever did. 1976, amazingly, from the seminal sensilla of “Legalise It’.
A Brand New Book/Graham Parker: A fabulous post Rumour album was ‘Struck by Lightning’ in 1991, parker keeping his flame vibrant, waiting, patiently, for re-appraisal and a slight return to fortune with the old band.
Brand New Heart/Dave Alvin: early Alvin, now a go to presence for americana tinged songs of the old west, back at this time he was an earnest would-be Bruce, all blue collar emoting and hoarse holler rocking. From ‘Blue Boulevard’, another 1991 record.
Brand New Key/Rasputina: Of course you know the song, the version here by Russian steam-punk goth string quartet, Rasputina, who have a good track record for this sort of thing, as does their erstwhile cellist, Unwoman, who ploughs odd string led covers to this day.
Brand New Pair Of Shoes/Ana Cristina Cash: This comes from a Johnny Cash tribute, 2018’s ‘Forever Words’, wherein a selection of artists sing, to newly written tunes, various orphan lyrics and poems by the man in black. And yes, she is family, if by marriage, to son, John Carter Cash.
A Brand New Song/John Mellencamp: Sounding ever more like a dusty prophet of John Prine, Mellencamp has been ploughing away for years, with a bigger lasting reputation in his home than here. But I like him. From ‘Love, Hope and Freedom’, 2008.
Brand New Day/Esther Phillips with the Dixie Fliers: Veteran diva encompassing soul and jazz likes Van, and has done a number of covers. This was the A side of a 1970 single, with the Dixie Flowers, a canuck bluegrass band.
Brand New Plan/The Rockingbirds: Camden’s finest country-rockers never really fitted into any identifiable movement in the UK, a few years late and/or early to any of the brief enthusiasms for steel-hewed bar room weepies and roustabouts. But still they play on. From 2013’s ‘Return of the Rockingbirds’.
That Esther Phillips one was the song I described as “going a bit Randy Crawford” isn’t it? If you’re saying that it’s a Van Morrison cover (I’ve probably heard less than half a dozen of his songs, I did fall asleep with him in the background at Glastonbury one year though!) then I can see why you thought that was amusing.
I do remember Madder Rose BTW, a little surprised I didn’t recognise her voice.
@deviant808
Wow! I already have that Della Reece tune on the same compo, but hadn’t spotted it. What a pleasant surprise!
*digs for the disc in vast disorganised pile*
And I’ve ordered myself a copy of that N’Awlins Funk thang, as the Marilyn Barbarin track is a MONSTER.
@retropath2
Well, I’ve also bought Ana Cristina Cash’s album ‘Shine Shine’ via bandcamp (physical CD obvs), which has this track on board, as I very much like the sound of her jib.
I was surprised by the Teddy Thompson song, which Ii thought was awful. I exepcted more from him. Maybe he was nursing a bad hangover that day. God, it’s dreary.
Both of you kicked off with tracks I thought were humdrum at best! Everyone seems to rave about the Young Marble Giants, but I find them ditchwater dull I’m afraid. And St. Etienne have a long tradition of disappointing me whenever I hear them. Good job the standard went through the roof after the first tracks!
Many thanks to you both; as always, this exercise has been an (expensive) education, and great fun.
@retropath2
As for the Esther Phillips cover, I have the little ‘5 Classic Albums’ set of hers, but that’s not on it, so I’ll be looking out to get the Atlantic & Roulette multi-album set too – might as well go for broke, she’s great.
Rasputina – what a find! I’ve ordered a 2nd hand copy of ‘Thanks for The Ether’ via Discogs; I suspct it won’t be the last of theirs that I investigate. Marvellous stuff.
Oh, yeah, and I’ve splurged on the Mary Lorson & Saint Low album as well – that’s a cracker!
Heh. I did that exact same thing this week of hearing something good, sticking it into google to find where I could buy it, and finding that I already had it on a compilation!
It is nice surprise I agree, but also a slightly worrying suggestion that I might Have Too Much Music. Nah, maybe not 🙂
For the curious, it was this, which is also on a 53rd and 3rd label sampler.
@fatima-xberg
here is my review of your compilation which I mostly enjoyed very much.
1) opening piece is a spoken work US news report that the Beatles had broken up and that they had earned nearly half a billion $ in their short career. Substantially more than that now.
2) Byrdsian jangly pop – lovely female harmony – no idea who this is but I like it very much.
3)Opening repetitive bass and then indie comes in – a motorik groove – quite pleasant.
4)Gentle acoustic opening – female vocals come in – 60’s San Fran psychedelia – great guitar. Like this.
5)My favourite so far – hushed opening , slightly electronic, treated vocals with some strange noises behind them – would be happy to have this in my collection. Excellent.
6) News of a grizzly murder followed byt a heavy British rock riff – voicer is familiar but not this song – ah yes now I get it. The absence of flute early in song confused me but there it is. Have to say this sounds very dated – given some older songs have preceded it that is a bit odd.
7) Know this one – a slice of a British electronica – a good song with some saxophone fleshing out the finale. You can hear distinct Roxy influences in this one.
8) Nice driving opening – fits well with the preceding song – a lovely trumpet comes in as pace changes. Vocals are a bit odd but this is catchy.
9) Spooky opening, nice drumbeat with a groovy guitar riff. A second guitar overlay with tape loop. I feel I should know this but I dont. Whatever, it is right up my street – excellent.
10) Post rock in the vein of Mogwai/GYBE. Builds to a crescendo and then the come down. Very nice.
11)JFK Shot, hip hop background interspersed with news clippings, police sirens and a trumpet playing the Last Post – very well done
12) Pacy closer – dirty riff – love this – I googled the lyric and identified the band – never heard them before. Like this very much and a great end to the ‘legal’ 12.
Now for the naughty bits:
13) This is nice – great mandolin/banjo background and good vocal harmonies – strange Knopfler like guitar that throws it off kilter at the end.
14) Confusing – not sure if this is a new track or an extension of the last track – could be either.
15) Nice piece of funk
16) Orchestral opening – trippy beat and seductive female vocals – really catchy. Great – like something you would find on any of the Buddha Bar collections. My favourite on the compilation and I am glad you broke ze rules Fatima!!
17) Calypso song about the news – nonsense but a fitting end to a great collection.
11 is presumably The Motorcade Sped On. I first heard it when I was 13, didn’t know anything about the Kennedy assassination (or Honky Tonk Woman, ha ha) but I still thought it was cool.
@Lemonhope
Here goes – you got me guessing which one was the real one as you sent me two discs but I think I worked it out:
Also confusing is that the spoken word intro on my player is not counted as track one so I am hoping my review makes sense with the first piece of music being track one not track two.
Anyway the spoken word piece reminds me of something out of the Twilight zone.
1) Spacey – a high register voice behind a piano and bass background. Reminds me of the Shins but don’t think it is.Pleasant though and a nice increase in pace – the length of the piece means unlikely to be the Shins. Low? Yo la Tengo? Goes on a bit at the end.
2) I have heard this before – great instrumental backing for the chorus,keyboard refrain with great drumming.
3) I have this I am sure – lovely retro synths – I am going to say Tame Impala but I might be wrong. It’s in my collection somewhere.
4) Slow opening – female vocal comes in – I think I know this one but buggered if I can recall the artist.
5) Mostly acoustic – nice piano refrain – vocals sound like Grandaddy but I am not familiar with this.
6) An oddball track – nice vocals, synths. Again someone I think I should know.
7) Symphonic sounding – I like this one a lot.
8) Unmistakable voice from a band who can do know wrong in my book. i think one of their later songs.
9) Great song by a fantastic songwriter in the country genre.
10) I would say this is one of the New Country artists – male/female harmonies – nice violin and mandolin background. Wouldnt be surprised if one of the vocalists is guesting on the others album. A highlight of the compilation for me.
11) Double Bass opening – a peculiar female voice in the vein of Victoria Wiliams – Jaunty.
12) I really like this but am confused. It sounds like Van the Man in a higher register – not sure if it is but can definitely hear him in the song.
I have played this cd 3 times so far and do like it very much – I would guess that our record collections may contain many of the same artists – looking forward to the reveal on this one as there a couple of songs I am pretty sure I have but can’t place.
Cheers, Steve. Not sure how you ended up down here, but I have posted my review of your disc up there ^^^
Along with the reveal of my disc.
Also – the two discs had the same tracks, but one of them was mixed without gaps hence the title ‘The New Mix In One Go’ [my nod to Yello]
What a f—ing album that is. Absolute genius.
Preach!