December 2015 Reviews

Exchange mix CDs with each other.
User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

December 2015 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 30 Dec 2015, 14:19

Well I've had this long enough, so time to get things moving. Indeed TIME is the theme of this mix from Nick Danger.
The danger (No pun intended) of a themed mix like this is I suppose the temptation to "shoe horn" something in because it fits the theme. Thankfully the obvious example I knew all pass the quality threshhold (ALthough you lose points for not including possibly my favourite Tom Waits ballad)


1) I usually, on first listen come up with a couple of key words/phrases to file away for future reference and final review. The first word I came up with here was Allmanesque. The more I listened I decided there was a good reason for this in that it was The Allmans. I should know for sure as I do own some Allmans but haven’t played them in a long time. In any case a good start
2) CSN(Y) I love them of course but this wouldn’t necessarily be my track of choice
3) Zombies. I suppose this is great in its way but I prefer Blunstone on tracks like Rose For Emily, Brief Candles etc. Like 2 not my track of choice but I have no real problem with either.
4) This grew on me. Quite an oddity as it screams 60s but is almost two songs in one, dense psych meets sunshine pop. Like Jefferson Airplane jamming with the Mamas and Papas.
5) Appealing enough instrumental. Sounds in parts like one of those horrible new age pan pipe albums, but with oriental overtones in places. Sort of works though. This sounds like a film soundtrack piece.
6) Great bit of reggae. The style is like a kind of poppier uptempo lovers rock a la Sugar Minott.
7) Ronstadt like vocalist, strays slightly into the overblown territory but stays well clear of the worst excesses of some examples of this kind of thing. On balance I did quite like this.
8) Dreamy psych noodling with full on vocals. In a sense this is all over the place but it reminded me of Terry Reid in that regard, so ultimately gets a tick.
9) Jim Croce of course. Do I like it ? You know I can’t decide. I obviously have memories of liking this years ago, but tastes change. There is a kind of simple beauty here but at this remove it does sound a bit limp and fey. Jury’s out still but I’ll certainly give him a free pass for Big Bad Leroy Brown and You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.
10) Polished garage if such a thing exists.
11) Heavily produced multi tracked female harmony, but the main vocal line retains a wonderful simplicity. This is actually rather lovely.
12) Stones. As with earlier tracks wouldn’t be my track of choice bit given the constraints of the theme, it’s more than welcome here.
13) Female folky harmony. Simply gorgeous.
14) Odd mish mash again of 60s styles. Odd tempo changes that kind of help make this more interesting. Really can’t decide on this one yet.
15) I have a fairly high tolerance for odd voices, but I’m struggling a bit here. I like the song well enough but there is some weird “Melanie on helium” stuff here that I’m not saying I couldn’t get used to, but……
16) Booker T. An obvious choice for a “Time” mix I guess but it’s great of course. Listening to Get Happy it’s pretty obvious that Elvis loves it too.
17) Female blues. Early by the sound of it and absolutely the real deal.
18) Altogether now – Hotel Motel Another one bites the dust. :D The original killer riff and still the best Chic - Good Times.
19) Simple track with basically piano and trumpet playing together. I love this. The warmth and lyricism of that trumpet tone is phenomenal .

Thank you for an enjoyable mix. Some old favourites and definitely some I suspect i'll be investigating further.
We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
Nick Danger
Posts: 882
Joined: 16 Aug 2011, 20:54

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby Nick Danger » 30 Dec 2015, 20:36

The Fish wrote:Well I've had this long enough, so time to get things moving. Indeed TIME is the theme of this mix from Nick Danger.
The danger (No pun intended) of a themed mix like this is I suppose the temptation to "shoe horn" something in because it fits the theme. Thankfully the obvious example I knew all pass the quality threshhold (ALthough you lose points for not including possibly my favourite Tom Waits ballad)


1) I usually, on first listen come up with a couple of key words/phrases to file away for future reference and final review. The first word I came up with here was Allmanesque. The more I listened I decided there was a good reason for this in that it was The Allmans. I should know for sure as I do own some Allmans but haven’t played them in a long time. In any case a good start

This is off one their early albums when Duane Allman and Berry Oakley were still alive.

2) CSN(Y) I love them of course but this wouldn’t necessarily be my track of choice

Yep, it's CSN.

3) Zombies. I suppose this is great in its way but I prefer Blunstone on tracks like Rose For Emily, Brief Candles etc. Like 2 not my track of choice but I have no real problem with either.

There's no question this drifts too far into Canon territory but it serves the theme document well.

4) This grew on me. Quite an oddity as it screams 60s but is almost two songs in one, dense psych meets sunshine pop. Like Jefferson Airplane jamming with the Mamas and Papas.

This is Canadian pop rockers the Guess Who. They had several hits here in the States including this one. I'm not sure how well known they are in the UK. This song has always been a favorite.

5) Appealing enough instrumental. Sounds in parts like one of those horrible new age pan pipe albums, but with oriental overtones in places. Sort of works though. This sounds like a film soundtrack piece.

This is an all female Chinese orchestral group called The Twelve Girls Band.

6) Great bit of reggae. The style is like a kind of poppier uptempo lovers rock a la Sugar Minott.

This is Johnny Nash covering the Marley tune Nice Time. Nash had a few hits in the US (Hold Me Tight, I Can See Clearly Now) but was a big reggae fan and did several songs in the genre. He had a hit with Marley's Stir It Up which was the first exposure to reggae some of the white suburban kids probably had.

7) Ronstadt like vocalist, strays slightly into the overblown territory but stays well clear of the worst excesses of some examples of this kind of thing. On balance I did quite like this.

Your ear is impeccable again as this is Linda Ronstadt with one of her early efforts.

8) Dreamy psych noodling with full on vocals. In a sense this is all over the place but it reminded me of Terry Reid in that regard, so ultimately gets a tick.

This is blue rock singer/guitarist Johnny Winter. I don't like that much by him but I like this.

9) Jim Croce of course. Do I like it ? You know I can’t decide. I obviously have memories of liking this years ago, but tastes change. There is a kind of simple beauty here but at this remove it does sound a bit limp and fey. Jury’s out still but I’ll certainly give him a free pass for Big Bad Leroy Brown and You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.

I feel the same way. Overexposure can ruin some of the charm and appeal a song initially had.

10) Polished garage if such a thing exists.

Time Won't Let Me by mid-sixties one hit wonders the Outsiders. This is the US group not the UK punkers.

11) Heavily produced multi tracked female harmony, but the main vocal line retains a wonderful simplicity. This is actually rather lovely.

This is twee/pop punk cult queen Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, The Softies, Go Sailor, Brave Irene, Knife Pleats) from one of her solo albums. I've become a fan.

12) Stones. As with earlier tracks wouldn’t be my track of choice bit given the constraints of the theme, it’s more than welcome here.

Yep, Mick, Keef, and the boys with another one too Canon for mix club but fits this theme well.

13) Female folky harmony. Simply gorgeous.

This is the all female folk/bluegrass/Americana trio The Wailin' Jennys. I've seen them perform and have a few of their albums. They are good at what they do.

14) Odd mish mash again of 60s styles. Odd tempo changes that kind of help make this more interesting. Really can’t decide on this one yet.

Mid Sixties Los Angeles psych group The Peanut Butter Conspiracy with Time Is After You. Cultish in their day.

15) I have a fairly high tolerance for odd voices, but I’m struggling a bit here. I like the song well enough but there is some weird “Melanie on helium” stuff here that I’m not saying I couldn’t get used to, but……

I know what you mean. I like her voice on this particular song because I've heard it so much but I have trouble making it through the one album of hers I own.

16) Booker T. An obvious choice for a “Time” mix I guess but it’s great of course. Listening to Get Happy it’s pretty obvious that Elvis loves it too.

I had to have Time Is Tight on a Time themed mix.

17) Female blues. Early by the sound of it and absolutely the real deal.

It's real all right, Queen Bessie herself. This song is buried pretty far in her catalog but it's a favorite of mine and fits my theme.
What a voice.


18) Altogether now – Hotel Motel Another one bites the dust. :D The original killer riff and still the best Chic - Good Times.

Probably the most sampled song in history.

19) Simple track with basically piano and trumpet playing together. I love this. The warmth and lyricism of that trumpet tone is phenomenal .

I didn't include your favorite but I did include a Tom Waits tune. The is the title track from his debut album.

Thank you for an enjoyable mix. Some old favourites and definitely some I suspect i'll be investigating further.


I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to make.

Tracklist -

(1) Ain't Wastin' Time No More - The Allman Brothers
(2) Long Time Gone - CSN
(3) Time Of The Season - The Zombies
(4) No Time - The Guess Who
(5) Only Time - The Twelve Girls Band
(6) Nice Time - Johnny Nash
(7) Long Long Time - Linda Ronstadt
(8) No Time To Live - Johnny Winter
(9) Time In A Bottle - Jim Croce
(10) Time Won't Let Me - The Outsiders
(11) Take Some Time - Rose Melberg
(12) Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones
(13) Long Time Traveler - The Wailin' Jennys
(14) Time Is After You - The Peanut Butter Conspiracy
(15) Time's Forgotten Crime - Mary Karlzen
(16) Time Is Tight - Booker T and the MGs
(17) Hard Times Blues - Bessie Smith
(18) Good Times - Chic
(19) Closing Time - Tom Waits

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 30 Dec 2015, 20:52

Tom Waits - Closing Time D'oh !! I own this of course. I honestly did think Tom Waits while listening to this but obviously failed to place it.

Thanks again - enjoyable stuff.
We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
Nick Danger
Posts: 882
Joined: 16 Aug 2011, 20:54

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby Nick Danger » 03 Feb 2016, 15:17

While we may be few in number in the Mix Club the quality of the mixers and mixes is pretty darn high IMO. The mix I received this cycle has been a fun and enjoyable listen for me and my wife and friends.

1. As an American the term Northern Soul was initially confusing but this must be an example. It's an obscure (to me) horn driven, danceable, fun tune. I like the little bass solo licks and the good time vibe to the whole thing. Good start.
2. Gospelly number complete with hand clap percussion and more fun. No idea who it is (which is true of just about this whole mix) but I like it.
3. A strong voiced soul songstress carries the day here with something I will be investigating further. Great band, especially the horns. I like the arrangement and everything about it. A highlight.
4. This one announces itself as the "San Antonio National Anthem". It has a Tex Mex, bar band vibe going on. Good guitar solo. Do I also hear an accordion? Once again it sounds like a good time was had by all. Texas seems to be well represented in this mix.
5. The instruments carry this one. Really nice guitar playing, lead and bass. I think we're not in Texas or the U.S. for this one. I am woefully inadequately familiar with most of the artists and music beyond the sea. I don't like it as much as the songs before it but it's not bad.
6. My mixer has noticed that I like me some Country (and Country/Rock, Folk, Americana, etc.) and several songs on here are in that realm. This one is in waltz time and indeed must be called West Texas Waltz. No idea who it is. Another good one.
7. More country with an easy loping, smoky bar, last call kind of vibe. Some would call the lyrics trite but it kind of goes with the territory sometimes in this genre. Ok but not as strong as some of it's mixmates.
8. Now we're into modern, contemporary country. We've left Texas for Nashville. I really like the female singer here, a strong distinctive voice. The singer is better than the song. I might have to check out some of her other stuff.
9. Staying with modern country I like this one better. A strong band, tasteful steel guitar licks. My general problem with modern country is mostly with the overproduction but this one shows some restraint. I like it.
10. This also sounds contemporary, not country but more indie/altie. Oddly, the band this reminds me of is REM. It must be the timbre of the singer's voice. The echoy production is kind of ok but I would struggle to listen to an album. I think I've heard this before.
11. Country with a fiddle this time. It's a nice group effort, another one I'm really curious about.
12. A rendition of the Box Tops "Cry Like A Baby" but not them. This must be the Dan Penn original. I love several of his songs but don't own any of his albums. I need to buy some of his stuff. A truly excellent songwriter, an underknown talent. His singing is sincere and appealing.
13. This one has been driving me crazy. The voice sounds so familiar but I think he just sounds like a hybrid of singers I know. It's kind of a Dr. John/Beefheart love child hybrid. As for the song it's ok but not a favorite.
14. I do like this a lot . . . good band, great guitar, good song. It checks all the boxes. Good choice.
15. We close with more fun. The beat is insistent and the band is into it. Kinda swamp rocky. Nice finisher that smoothly caps off the flow of the mix. Once again, I can't even guess who it is.

This whole mix flows and melds together well unlike my own kitchen sink eight genre efforts. I'm really looking forward to the reveal. Thanks so much!

User avatar
Walk In My Shadow
Hello Laydeez
Posts: 38714
Joined: 23 Jul 2003, 20:02
Location: The Good, the Bad, both ugly
Contact:

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby Walk In My Shadow » 05 Feb 2016, 20:13

Nick Danger wrote:While we may be few in number in the Mix Club the quality of the mixers and mixes is pretty darn high IMO. The mix I received this cycle has been a fun and enjoyable listen for me and my wife and friends.

1. As an American the term Northern Soul was initially confusing but this must be an example. It's an obscure (to me) horn driven, danceable, fun tune. I like the little bass solo licks and the good time vibe to the whole thing. Good start.
2. Gospelly number complete with hand clap percussion and more fun. No idea who it is (which is true of just about this whole mix) but I like it.
3. A strong voiced soul songstress carries the day here with something I will be investigating further. Great band, especially the horns. I like the arrangement and everything about it. A highlight.
4. This one announces itself as the "San Antonio National Anthem". It has a Tex Mex, bar band vibe going on. Good guitar solo. Do I also hear an accordion? Once again it sounds like a good time was had by all. Texas seems to be well represented in this mix.
5. The instruments carry this one. Really nice guitar playing, lead and bass. I think we're not in Texas or the U.S. for this one. I am woefully inadequately familiar with most of the artists and music beyond the sea. I don't like it as much as the songs before it but it's not bad.
6. My mixer has noticed that I like me some Country (and Country/Rock, Folk, Americana, etc.) and several songs on here are in that realm. This one is in waltz time and indeed must be called West Texas Waltz. No idea who it is. Another good one.
7. More country with an easy loping, smoky bar, last call kind of vibe. Some would call the lyrics trite but it kind of goes with the territory sometimes in this genre. Ok but not as strong as some of it's mixmates.
8. Now we're into modern, contemporary country. We've left Texas for Nashville. I really like the female singer here, a strong distinctive voice. The singer is better than the song. I might have to check out some of her other stuff.
9. Staying with modern country I like this one better. A strong band, tasteful steel guitar licks. My general problem with modern country is mostly with the overproduction but this one shows some restraint. I like it.
10. This also sounds contemporary, not country but more indie/altie. Oddly, the band this reminds me of is REM. It must be the timbre of the singer's voice. The echoy production is kind of ok but I would struggle to listen to an album. I think I've heard this before.
11. Country with a fiddle this time. It's a nice group effort, another one I'm really curious about.
12. A rendition of the Box Tops "Cry Like A Baby" but not them. This must be the Dan Penn original. I love several of his songs but don't own any of his albums. I need to buy some of his stuff. A truly excellent songwriter, an underknown talent. His singing is sincere and appealing.
13. This one has been driving me crazy. The voice sounds so familiar but I think he just sounds like a hybrid of singers I know. It's kind of a Dr. John/Beefheart love child hybrid. As for the song it's ok but not a favorite.
14. I do like this a lot . . . good band, great guitar, good song. It checks all the boxes. Good choice.
15. We close with more fun. The beat is insistent and the band is into it. Kinda swamp rocky. Nice finisher that smoothly caps off the flow of the mix. Once again, I can't even guess who it is.

This whole mix flows and melds together well unlike my own kitchen sink eight genre efforts. I'm really looking forward to the reveal. Thanks so much!





Hello Mr.Danger, it’s one from me. I was feeling mentally low (much better now) when I put this mix together but I hope this doesn’t reflect in the music.
The first three songs are heavy on the horn section, the three after that heavy on the accordion.

01. From the new Southside Johnny LP and he still has it. An album full of sweet and rocking white boy Soul.
02. One of my favorite 2015 cd’s. I can heartily recommend Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. This was, I believe, the lead off single.
03. All but forgotten (and from the Ronnie Spector period) Darlene Love. The record is called “Introducing Darlene Love” – a bit tongue in cheek – and is produced by the Spector sound of Miami Steve Van Zandt. Springsteen, Costello and a bunch of other celebs wrote the songs.
04. Doug Sahm in one of his many guises. Here with the Texas Tornados, his Tex Mex super group with Freddy Fender and Flaco Jiminez.
05. I believe he’s been living in L.A. for years now but it’s the British folkie Richard Thompson who keeps making solid records. This was taken from the extra disc of his Electric album.
06. This track his also here mainly for the accordion and is a little bit older. Joe Ely and, yes, he’s from Lubbock.
07. A non Texan, what a surprise. Jim White makes moody music and sometimes it leans towards Country.
08. Yes we’re in Nashville now with one of the many many new queens of modern Country. Rainey Qualley and I think it’s her debut. Not sure but recommended.
09. This one is new to me too and I only heard this one song on a compilation. She is called Eleonor Friedberger and I hope to hear more of her stuff.
10. Often compared with REM although I don’t hear it myself. It’s the Decemberists and the song is taken from a companion EP to the latest full effort. An aquired taste indeed.
11. It’s a solo artist with backing. Edward David Anderson and the disc is called Lower Alabama. Great stuff all in this vein.
12. Ha! It’s not the Box Tops and not Dan Penn. The underrated Hacienda Brothers. But indeed, you should get more familiar with Penn and his co-writers Spooner Oldham, Donnie Frits, Chips Moman, etc. He’s genius.
13. Lee Harvey Osmond is the name of the band and they play one of my favorite genres. I don’t know if it really exists but I call it Doom Folk. This record – Beautiful Scars – was a highlight for me last year.
14. The reason this song is on the mix is because the band – Golden Earring – has been together for fifty straight years. You’ll be familiar with Radar Love from way back but they kept on making records. Now they released and EP The Hague (their city of birth) to mark the occasion.
15. And we end with Bruce Springsteen. To me one of his best rock songs that never appeared on an official LP although it has been released before on outtakes discs.

01. Spinning – Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
02. S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
03. Among the believers – Darlene Love
04. (Hey baby) Que Paso – Texas Tornados
05. Will you dance, Charlie boy – Richard Thompson
06. West Texas Waltz – Joe Ely
07. Jim 3:16 – Jim Whiye vs the Packway Handle Band
08. Me and Johnny Cash – Rainey Qualley
09. He didn’t mention his mother – Eleonor Friedberger
10. The harrowed and the haunted – The Decemberists
11. Firefly – Edward David Anderson
12. Cry like a baby – Hacienda Brothers
13. Loser without your love – Lee Harvey Osmond
14. Je regrette – Golden Earring
15. Roulette – Bruce Springsteen
Beneluxfunkmeisterlurvegod


Image

User avatar
TG
Posts: 3774
Joined: 30 May 2006, 23:41
Location: Boss Angeles

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby TG » 15 Feb 2016, 15:46

I'm going to have to drop out of Mix Club for a while. I am obviously not holding up my end here; though to be fair my mix has not been reviewed yet.

With absolutely no offense intended to my mixer (whomever you may be) - this is just too long. 24 songs and nearly an hour and a quarter is just too much to deal with. I don't think a mix should be more that 12 - 15 songs and maybe 45 minutes long maximum. I have put off reviewing this many times because it will just take more time than I can manage. I realize I may be alone in this thinking and apologize to my mixer if I am in the minority here.

Anyway, with apologies for the brevity - I have to get this done and behind me - here is my review of a mix I very much liked but found hard to deal with -

1 This is Wynonie Harris doing Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well. Is this with Lucky Millinder’s Orchestra? It’s a pretty big band. You gotta love this.

2 Loud indie guitars. Rocking Americana. Seems a bit condescending to the ladies but maybe I’m misunderstanding the sentiment. Either way it doesn’t do much for me.

3 Fats Domino! You can’t go wrong with Fats, can you? I really love this stuff.

4 The Shazam! I love this band and am always surprised to find other’s who have even heard them, let alone like them. They write great bridges.

5 A track I should know and own in some other version. I’m digging it. Some fine sax playing and you gotta give the drummer some!

6 Loud, fast guitars. This reminds me of the Drive By Truckers but without the songwriting chops. It’s alright.

7 Smiley Lewis! Hook, Line & Sinker. I’ve recently been digging a little deeper into the which is Smiley Lewis and there is some fine material to be found.
This just makes me smile.

8 Loud, crunching guitars and a martial beat. Cool harmonies and a pop sensibility. What’s not to like?

9 Paul Gayten! I recently got a best of of his work and it’s really good! This is no exception. Early NOLA R&B at its best.

10 More modern guitar and drum sounds. Some kind of indie tune smithery that works just fine.

11 More jump blues and it’s Wynonie Harris again. I love this sort of thing.

12 Loud guitars again. We’re all over the place here. It’s modern-isa indie pop and works fine but doesn’t really stand out.

13 Jump blues again. Apparently this is an A-B-A-B mix. It’s a little hard to follow but this is great stuff. Tiny Bradshaw?

14 Indie pop that is more or less forgettable. Interesting instrumental break, though.

15 Jump blues. Crazy, unintelligible lyrics. I have a lot more patience for this stuff than I do for the modern indie sounds that are taking the even numbered tracks here. This is some wild track!

16 This is Roger Manning from Jellyfish. I just saw him the other night at the Beach Boys tribute thing. This is good.

17 Some fine, fine tune here. Hey Baba Ree Bop by Lionel Hampton. You can’t go wrong with this!

18 Byrds like guitar and vocals and song. I know this but can’t place it.

19 Early rocking type guitar - T-Bone Walker? I love this stuff but the context keeps getting fucked as we shift from this sort of thing to more modern indie pop.

20 I’ve heard this before. This guy loves Boston like the RHCP love Los Angeles. A little too much hometownery for my taste. Oh, well…

21 Another jumping R&B track. This is Roy Brown singing about Fannie Brown. Some fine sax playing here.

22 A bit more folkie and a lot more produced that a lot of this indie stuff. Not bad.

23 Another version of Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well. Not sure who this is but you can’t go wrong with this song.

24 More power pop and it’s another fine example. Perhaps a bit too tinny and fey for my taste but let’s not quibble.

So, a fine mix that probably could have been 2 mixes - one Pop/Indie and one R&B/Jump Blues. Much appreciation and sorry for the bitchiness.
Jeff K wrote:Not at all. I love TG. I might be the only one on BCB who does but I don't care.

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 22 Feb 2016, 11:24

Massive, big apologies to my mixer for the inexcusable delay. I’m afraid I got rather swamped around xmas time and it didn’t lift until recently, and when I looked up, I found myself drowning in things that had to be done. Sorry that your mix fell victim to my over-stretching myself, and thanks very much for your patience.

Anyway, to the music.

1. Pub rock blues jam to open. Pedestrian bass lets it down, but the guitar’s neat.
2. I’m not the world’s biggest sax fan, but this is quite cool. Fairly simple 12-bar jam stuff, but quite a pleasant atmosphere, in part due to the excessive reverb on the drums. Comes and goes.
3. Like the guitar sound on this one. Some neat drums too, and occasionally the bass does a nice thing high up the neck. Sounds like the sort of thing that will have been sampled all over the shop, although is little more than noodling, really.
4. This one passes me by. More standard pub rock. Don’t think much of the singing, or any of it, really.
5. Entertaining piece of period pop from a 60s group who love Highway 61 Revisited. Everything is taken from Dylan – the harp, that guitar lick, that beat. Fun, albeit absurdly derivative. I presume they disappeared?
6. Dark rock treatment of the Supremes’ Come See About Me. I struggled to listen to this one. I was going to say that if I didn’t know the original so well, I’d probably not mind it, but I don’t think that’s true. It’s not a style I like at all. Reminds me of the Cult, or one of those semi-goth bands. Nein danke.
7. Some sort of parlour jazz thing, whatever that means. Sounds like incidental music to a supposedly sophisticated British movie from 1963. Certainly soundtracky. I quite like it, it has a good bit of latin in there, which keeps it cheeky, and those snare/tom fills are lovely. Engaging. (if I was forced to guess, I’d go for Vince Guaraldi Trio)
8. Psych-pop, every cliché in the book on this one! Probably off one of those Nuggets records. Nice atmosphere, I’m a sucker for this sort of thing, even if it is all a bit psych-bingo. Goes on a bit, mind.
9. Dr John. Swampy. Not my favourite of his, it’s a bit of a Ringo of a song, but he’s always worth a listen. He does swampy better than anyone.
10. Ray Charles – I don’t need no doctor. Good choice, I’ve only ever heard this a handful of times, but it’s a great sound, isn’t it? Drives well, lovely call and response, cute.
11. Don’t make me a target, presumably. He repeats that line more than he ought. Some good sounds on this though. I like a record that sounds good even if the song’s not up to much, and that’s the case here. If they could stick a decent song under this sound, this would be superb.
12. I don’t like this. I don’t like the song and I don’t like the sounds. It’s like a solo Denny Laine recording from the late 70s, or something. No thanks.
13. James Brown. As with 10, nice selection. You have to wonder how that guy didn’t rupture something every time he made a record. Fabulous.
14. Professor Longhair – Big Chief. A stone-cold classic. Nice to hear it.
15. Great-sounding 45. Those horns are magic, aren’t they? Love the sound of this. Deep down and dirty.

Thanks mixer. A good variety of earthy southern sounds, some of which didn’t float my boat, others positively raised it up to hover across the swamps. Looking forward to the reveal!

User avatar
TG
Posts: 3774
Joined: 30 May 2006, 23:41
Location: Boss Angeles

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby TG » 23 Feb 2016, 15:35

Massive, big apologies to my mixer for the inexcusable delay. I’m afraid I got rather swamped around xmas time and it didn’t lift until recently, and when I looked up, I found myself drowning in things that had to be done. Sorry that your mix fell victim to my over-stretching myself, and thanks very much for your patience.

I'd have to be quite a cad and a bounder to complain. My performance was so bad this month that I'm dropping out for a while.

Anyway, to the music.

1. Pub rock blues jam to open. Pedestrian bass lets it down, but the guitar’s neat.

More swamp than pub. This is C.C. Adcock - sometime Willy DeVille sidekick who I first saw in the Swamp Pop Super Group (remember those?) Lil Band of Gold. It was a recent find and I was digging it so included it in the mix. In fact a lot of this mix is stuff I'd only recently found. Anyway, he's a fine guitarist.

2. I’m not the world’s biggest sax fan, but this is quite cool. Fairly simple 12-bar jam stuff, but quite a pleasant atmosphere, in part due to the excessive reverb on the drums. Comes and goes.

New Orleans' own Paul Gayten. I guess this was some kind of a hit in the 50s but I'd never heard it. It's called The Hunch and that may be Lee Allen on sax. Anyway, I think it's pretty swell.

3. Like the guitar sound on this one. Some neat drums too, and occasionally the bass does a nice thing high up the neck. Sounds like the sort of thing that will have been sampled all over the shop, although is little more than noodling, really.

Cha Cha by the Ovide All Stars out of Houston, Texas. I, too, like that early 70s funk/fuzz guitar sound. It came from a CD of obscure Houston Funk outfits. A nice 70's soul thang.

4. This one passes me by. More standard pub rock. Don’t think much of the singing, or any of it, really.

90s Lo-Fi hero Jack Logan doing Tex. Pub Rock, huh? I don't know if I've ever understood what Pub Rock is, exactly. Sort of like Northern Soul. If this and track 1 are then I must like it more than I knew!

5. Entertaining piece of period pop from a 60s group who love Highway 61 Revisited. Everything is taken from Dylan – the harp, that guitar lick, that beat. Fun, albeit absurdly derivative. I presume they disappeared?

The one and only Dion doing his post Belmonts bluesy thing. It's no Mouse & the Traps but certainly has that Dylan sound in spades.

6. Dark rock treatment of the Supremes’ Come See About Me. I struggled to listen to this one. I was going to say that if I didn’t know the original so well, I’d probably not mind it, but I don’t think that’s true. It’s not a style I like at all. Reminds me of the Cult, or one of those semi-goth bands. Nein danke.

The Afghan Whigs, so not all that Goth. I like the way they do this and that they try these soul sort of tracks at all. Sets them apart from their indie peers. Not for everyone, obviously.

7. Some sort of parlour jazz thing, whatever that means. Sounds like incidental music to a supposedly sophisticated British movie from 1963. Certainly soundtracky. I quite like it, it has a good bit of latin in there, which keeps it cheeky, and those snare/tom fills are lovely. Engaging. (if I was forced to guess, I’d go for Vince Guaraldi Trio)

Horace Silver with Song For My Father. AKA where Steely Dan stole the Ricki Don't Lose That Number intro. I do love Horace Silver.

8. Psych-pop, every cliché in the book on this one! Probably off one of those Nuggets records. Nice atmosphere, I’m a sucker for this sort of thing, even if it is all a bit psych-bingo. Goes on a bit, mind.

Cliches? Nuggets? No, no, no. This is the incomparable (Young) Rascals doing See. There can't be three singers on any Nuggets album, anywhere, with as good a singer or production as these guys have. A severely overlooked band.

9. Dr John. Swampy. Not my favourite of his, it’s a bit of a Ringo of a song, but he’s always worth a listen. He does swampy better than anyone.

This is one of the most beautiful records that I know. More Dixieland/Preservation Hall than Swampy to my thinking. If Ringo ever made a record this good he'd have been George. The bridge is sublime.

10. Ray Charles – I don’t need no doctor. Good choice, I’ve only ever heard this a handful of times, but it’s a great sound, isn’t it? Drives well, lovely call and response, cute.

I was at a Flea Market and found several Ray Charles CDs. I owned much of the music on vinyl but having it all in one place on a handful of CDs made it so easy to listen to that I did only that for several days. I like a bit of Humble Pie but they hamfisted this track into the ground when compared to this slice o' R&B glory.

11. Don’t make me a target, presumably. He repeats that line more than he ought. Some good sounds on this though. I like a record that sounds good even if the song’s not up to much, and that’s the case here. If they could stick a decent song under this sound, this would be superb.

Spoon doing Don't Make Me A Target. I was introduced to these guys by the former BCB/Mojo poster from Florida who used to be around these parts a lot. What was his name? Anyway, I keep finding stuff by these guys that I like quite a bit.

12. I don’t like this. I don’t like the song and I don’t like the sounds. It’s like a solo Denny Laine recording from the late 70s, or something. No thanks.

I won't try to convince you of the sheer beauty of this Dwight Twilley track. Of why the backwards recorded guitar fits so well and why the frontwards guitar solo is such a treat or why the Beatles influence they wear on their sleeves works so well here. But, it's all true. Sincerely.

13. James Brown. As with 10, nice selection. You have to wonder how that guy didn’t rupture something every time he made a record. Fabulous.

There Was A Time from his big band album Soul On Top. Any JB fan who doesn't have this record is missing out on something really special.

14. Professor Longhair – Big Chief. A stone-cold classic. Nice to hear it.

I wonder if there is any truth to the story that they made Fess sit on one hand during the recording of this because he was playing too much. Most folks couldn't play this with three hands. I really, really love this track.

15. Great-sounding 45. Those horns are magic, aren’t they? Love the sound of this. Deep down and dirty.

Good God, I wish this were available on a 45. It's Rutabaga Pie by Dizzy Gillespie and I've put it on a mix for probably everyone here at one point or another. It's just an amazingly funky track. For a pretty straight cop of the Watermelon Man thing it stands there on its own and owns the place. I love this unreservedly.



Thanks mixer. A good variety of earthy southern sounds, some of which didn’t float my boat, others positively raised it up to hover across the swamps. Looking forward to the reveal!

I'm glad it worked as well as it did considering it was such a grab bag of tracks. See y'all in a few months.

Beaux's Bounce C. C. Adcock
The Hunch Paul Gayten
Cha Cha Ovide All-Stars
Tex Jack Logan
Kickin' Child Dion
Come See About Me The Afghan Whigs
Song For My Father Horace Silver
See The Rascals
Dance the Night Away With You Dr John
I Don't Need No Doctor Ray Charles
Don't Make Me A Target Spoon
Sincerely Dwight Twilley
There Was A Time James Brown & The Famous Flames
Big Chief, Pt. 2 Professor Longhair
Rutabaga Pie Dizzy Gillespie
Jeff K wrote:Not at all. I love TG. I might be the only one on BCB who does but I don't care.

User avatar
whodathunkit
Posts: 12173
Joined: 20 Aug 2004, 23:45
Location: Down in the boondocks

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby whodathunkit » 27 Feb 2016, 10:34

Well, you wait 3 months and two mixes arrive within a couple of days of each other :o . In fairness to my March mixer and wanting to get things moving, I haven't given this one the tried and tested 3-plays before rushing to judgement. Some initial thoughts then.

1. Eight minute instrumental that takes a long time to get going and even longer to go away. Plodding guitars, droning synth, no tune. I listened to this on my walk to work on a lovely sunny frosty morning. I was quite depressed by the time I got there.
2. More ambient stuff but an improvement. This one has some dynamics and a sense of direction. A huge roaring industrial noise that gets quite painful at times and then falls away to bleakness.
3. More drifting, droning and looping. I must get those curtains down and wash them sometime.
4. Acoustic strumming and a tune (a good one at that). Blimey. Vocals sound like Elliot Smith. Very nice indeed.
5. Tedious instrumental. Odd percussion, teapots, table legs. etc. Sounds like they're improvising. Shouldn't have bothered.
6. Gentle acoustic ballad,M/F duo. "It's quiet now". Sounds like it was recorded in the bath. Needs more work.
7. Organ and synthy strings. Pleasant intro to a song that never happens.
8. Amusing countryish song about a guy's girl being captured by aliens. The song would have been entertaining enough on it's own but the sound effects and extra-terrestial noises are piled on with a trowel.
9. The sort of contemporary singer/songwriter ballad that drives me crazy. Half a decent song, no tune, amateurish playing and a voice that should advertise Dignitas. The guy has abiilty but there's no craft in it. He's got the 10% inspiration but doesn't feel he has to bother with the 90% perspiration. And yes, I know, I've finally turned into my dad :lol: .
10. A relief to return to the abstract stuff. 6 and a half minutes of drone with some sort of processed percussion way back in the mix.
11. That sneaky creeping bassline can only mean the Cure. A particularly nice example of the typical thing that they do.

Well I can't say I enjoyed much of this. The Cure and track 4 were easily the best things on here. Probably no coincidence that they were the most crafted and "finished" tracks with decent production values. Perhaps, in my dotage, I'd rather have a nice tune than amateurish experimentation. :?
Image

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 27 Feb 2016, 11:18

OK I'm a bit late with the reveal, but in my defence I did wait 8 weeks for the review :D

TG wrote:I'm going to have to drop out of Mix Club for a while. I am obviously not holding up my end here; though to be fair my mix has not been reviewed yet.

With absolutely no offense intended to my mixer (whomever you may be) - this is just too long. 24 songs and nearly an hour and a quarter is just too much to deal with. I don't think a mix should be more that 12 - 15 songs and maybe 45 minutes long maximum. I have put off reviewing this many times because it will just take more time than I can manage. I realize I may be alone in this thinking and apologize to my mixer if I am in the minority here.

Anyway, with apologies for the brevity - I have to get this done and behind me - here is my review of a mix I very much liked but found hard to deal with -

If there's two things I know you like it's power pop and the whole old style RnB/Jump Jive/N'awlins/Blues shouter thing. So I set out to do two mixes in one, odds and evens. Obviously I treated power pop as a pretty broad church. Sorry it proved too much for you.

1 This is Wynonie Harris doing Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well. Is this with Lucky Millinder’s Orchestra? It’s a pretty big band. You gotta love this.

Yep credited to Lucky Millinder

2 Loud indie guitars. Rocking Americana. Seems a bit condescending to the ladies but maybe I’m misunderstanding the sentiment. Either way it doesn’t do much for me.

Not sure it is condescending particularly more a retelling of the Ugly Duckling fable. The band is The Semantics which is Will Owsley (more on him later) and a young Ben Folds.

3 Fats Domino! You can’t go wrong with Fats, can you? I really love this stuff.

Indeed

4 The Shazam! I love this band and am always surprised to find other’s who have even heard them, let alone like them. They write great bridges.

Quite

5 A track I should know and own in some other version. I’m digging it. Some fine sax playing and you gotta give the drummer some!

Roy Milton and Oh Babe

6 Loud, fast guitars. This reminds me of the Drive By Truckers but without the songwriting chops. It’s alright.

Carnival Season. From a recent release of their entire output. ACtually from Alabama so the DBT guess seems quite astute

7 Smiley Lewis! Hook, Line & Sinker. I’ve recently been digging a little deeper into the which is Smiley Lewis and there is some fine material to be found.
This just makes me smile.

Yeah, I was digging the Smiley tracks so much on the Matassa story boxes that I forked out for the Bear Family Smiley box.

8 Loud, crunching guitars and a martial beat. Cool harmonies and a pop sensibility. What’s not to like?

This is actually the same guy, Tim Boykin, from the last band Carnival Season. This is his later band The Lolas, who made 4 albums all hard to get but worth tracking down. Maybe it is worth starting here as I did and then investigating CS. He was also in yet anothe band Shame Idols.

9 Paul Gayten! I recently got a best of of his work and it’s really good! This is no exception. Early NOLA R&B at its best.

I'm guessing that if you are going to give and receive the same artist in a mix club month, it wouldn't normally be Paul Gayten

10 More modern guitar and drum sounds. Some kind of indie tune smithery that works just fine.

I really rate this album, the only album to date by Eugene Edwards, but again OOP and hard to get

11 More jump blues and it’s Wynonie Harris again. I love this sort of thing.

yep Wynonie again getting the star billing this time

12 Loud guitars again. We’re all over the place here. It’s modern-isa indie pop and works fine but doesn’t really stand out.

This is WIll OWsly from track 2 here billed simply as Owsley

13 Jump blues again. Apparently this is an A-B-A-B mix. It’s a little hard to follow but this is great stuff. Tiny Bradshaw?

Tiny indeed

14 Indie pop that is more or less forgettable. Interesting instrumental break, though.

The Greenberry Woods. It seems we can pinpoint the exact point of the mix where power pop fatigue sets in :D

15 Jump blues. Crazy, unintelligible lyrics. I have a lot more patience for this stuff than I do for the modern indie sounds that are taking the even numbered tracks here. This is some wild track!

Wild indeed and they don't come much wilder than Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Definitely worth digging deeper for anyone only familiar with a handful of tracks, certainly not to be dismissed as any kind of novelty act

16 This is Roger Manning from Jellyfish. I just saw him the other night at the Beach Boys tribute thing. This is good.

Been meaning to get this for ages as a Jellyfish and Jason Falkner fan. Buying his stuff is a real minefield though. Firstly there is another recording artists called Roger Manning so he actually goes by the name of Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Also although it appears there are three albums available (apart from a sci-fi film soundtrack, two of these are substantially the same as his first album was rereleased under a different name with three tracks changed[. Why oh why

17 Some fine, fine tune here. Hey Baba Ree Bop by Lionel Hampton. You can’t go wrong with this!

Correct

18 Byrds like guitar and vocals and song. I know this but can’t place it.

Leaving aside the Raspberries/Big Star/Cheap Trick holy trinity, my three favourite bands in this genre would be The Shazam and The Lolas featured above and this lot Myracle Brah. If you are going to wear your Beatles and Byrds obsessions as openly on your sleeve as this, you need to get it right and for me they do.

19 Early rocking type guitar - T-Bone Walker? I love this stuff but the context keeps getting fucked as we shift from this sort of thing to more modern indie pop.

From a comp, Goree Carter about whom I know next to nothing

20 I’ve heard this before. This guy loves Boston like the RHCP love Los Angeles. A little too much hometownery for my taste. Oh, well…

Bleu (as opposed to Blur) Clearly hometownery is the enemy of good music. What was I thinking :D

21 Another jumping R&B track. This is Roy Brown singing about Fannie Brown. Some fine sax playing here.

Correct

22 A bit more folkie and a lot more produced that a lot of this indie stuff. Not bad.

Cotton Mather. I find it interesting that there is clearly more of a Lennon obsession here than the McCartney obsession that usually prevails.

23 Another version of Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well. Not sure who this is but you can’t go wrong with this song.

Although it isn't strictly the same song as this is an answer song in every regard, both a record made in response to another and quite literally answering the original question - Bull Moose Jackson

24 More power pop and it’s another fine example. Perhaps a bit too tinny and fey for my taste but let’s not quibble.

I'm fairly sure I included a track by this band on a previous mix to you and you liked it. Cherry Twister

So, a fine mix that probably could have been 2 mixes - one Pop/Indie and one R&B/Jump Blues. Much appreciation and sorry for the bitchiness.



Thanks Tom and glad you enjoyed a large proportion of this.

1. Lucky Millinder - Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well
2. The Semantics - Glasses and Braces
3. Fats Domino - I'm Ready
4. The Shazam - Sunshine Tonight
5. Roy Milton - Oh babe
6. Carnival Season - Welcome Mr Greenhead
7. Smiley Lewis - She's Got Me Hook Line And Sinker
8. The Lolas - Little Deedra
9. Paul Gayten - The Music Goes Round And Around
10. Eugene Edwards - Your Own Nightmare
11. Wynonie Harris - Sittin' On It All The Time
12. Owsley - She's The One
13. Tiny Bradshaw - Two Dry Bones On The Pantry Shelf
14. The Greenberry Woods - Oh Janine
15. Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Mountain Jive
16. Roger Joseph manning Jr - Living In End Times
17.Lionel Hamton - Hey Ba Ba re Bop
18. Myracle Brah - I'm In Love
19. Goree Carter - Come On Let's Boogie
20.Bleu - B.O.S.T.O.N
21. Roy Brown - Fannie Brown Got Married
22. Cotton Mather - She's Only Cool
23. Bull Moose Jackson - I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well
24. Cherry Twister - Maryann


We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 01 Mar 2016, 08:02

whodathunkit wrote:Well, you wait 3 months and two mixes arrive within a couple of days of each other :o . In fairness to my March mixer and wanting to get things moving, I haven't given this one the tried and tested 3-plays before rushing to judgement. Some initial thoughts then.

1. Eight minute instrumental that takes a long time to get going and even longer to go away. Plodding guitars, droning synth, no tune. I listened to this on my walk to work on a lovely sunny frosty morning. I was quite depressed by the time I got there.
2. More ambient stuff but an improvement. This one has some dynamics and a sense of direction. A huge roaring industrial noise that gets quite painful at times and then falls away to bleakness.
3. More drifting, droning and looping. I must get those curtains down and wash them sometime.
4. Acoustic strumming and a tune (a good one at that). Blimey. Vocals sound like Elliot Smith. Very nice indeed.
5. Tedious instrumental. Odd percussion, teapots, table legs. etc. Sounds like they're improvising. Shouldn't have bothered.
6. Gentle acoustic ballad,M/F duo. "It's quiet now". Sounds like it was recorded in the bath. Needs more work.
7. Organ and synthy strings. Pleasant intro to a song that never happens.
8. Amusing countryish song about a guy's girl being captured by aliens. The song would have been entertaining enough on it's own but the sound effects and extra-terrestial noises are piled on with a trowel.
9. The sort of contemporary singer/songwriter ballad that drives me crazy. Half a decent song, no tune, amateurish playing and a voice that should advertise Dignitas. The guy has abiilty but there's no craft in it. He's got the 10% inspiration but doesn't feel he has to bother with the 90% perspiration. And yes, I know, I've finally turned into my dad :lol: .
10. A relief to return to the abstract stuff. 6 and a half minutes of drone with some sort of processed percussion way back in the mix.
11. That sneaky creeping bassline can only mean the Cure. A particularly nice example of the typical thing that they do.

Well I can't say I enjoyed much of this. The Cure and track 4 were easily the best things on here. Probably no coincidence that they were the most crafted and "finished" tracks with decent production values. Perhaps, in my dotage, I'd rather have a nice tune than amateurish experimentation. :?


:lol: well, they say good things come to those who wait :D

It looks like the track ordering has somehow got muddled, which is a shame, as it was carefully sequenced, so it won't have worked very well at random (it was designed as a whole), but that's my fault for not being very good at the technology. This also means I can't do a reveal. Would you be an angel and let me have the track times for each one, and then I can work out which particular piece is which? I can also give you a revised running order the, which might make it more enjoyable (although 'enjoyment' isn't really the aim here)?

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 01 Mar 2016, 15:59

As you left me to do the detagging (voluntarily in fairness) there was no order as the tracks were in raw state i.e not even renamed track01 track02 etc, so you had two tracks beginning with 1, two with 9 etc i.e the original name determined the order. Anyway I kept the windows media playlist so the artists in order were

Mogwai
Godspeed You Black Emperor
Dasto
Bon Iver
????
Morning Star
Air
The Aliens
Bill Ryder Jones
Gas
The Cure

You can fill in the rest
We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 02 Mar 2016, 15:16

Thanks Paul, it's completely my fault for not giving you a running order. I think this must set some new record for cocking up a mix!

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: December 2015 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 02 Mar 2016, 16:00

The idea of the mix was that it ran in a particular order, it was sequenced specifically to work over an hour, but I messed that up in sending it over, so you ended up with a rather random series of experimental sound pieces, ambience, sound art and unfinished songs. Never mind, when I give you the magic formula, you can simply reorder the tracks and play it again, over and over, until you can't take it any more :lol:

Here's the reveal anyway.

whodathunkit wrote:1. Eight minute instrumental that takes a long time to get going and even longer to go away. Plodding guitars, droning synth, no tune. I listened to this on my walk to work on a lovely sunny frosty morning. I was quite depressed by the time I got there.

We begin in the middle, with Mogwai, and a track taken from their fabulous EP EP, called Burn Girl Prom Queen. At least it depressed you, so that’s something. It’s not meant to make you dance. I love how heavy it becomes as it gradually builds to that false climax. But then, Mogwai are masters at their craft.

whodathunkit wrote:2. More ambient stuff but an improvement. This one has some dynamics and a sense of direction. A huge roaring industrial noise that gets quite painful at times and then falls away to bleakness.

This is where we should have begun. It’s Godspeed! You Black Emperor, with a track called Strung Like Lights At Thee Printemps Erable, taken from their unpleasant 2012 album 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! A record I can only play when the wife and son are out. I firmly believe that music should be painful at times. Like life. If only life had a skip button, or at least a volume control – or even a little counter that tells you how long the pain is going to last. This lot are incredible live, just astonishing.

whodathunkit wrote:3. More drifting, droning and looping. I must get those curtains down and wash them sometime.


You should do no such thing! This is music to listen to, not background music for the chores! Listen to those textures, man, the pulse of each sound. The tones are delicious, really sumptuous. This is, of course, Love and Let Die by Dasto, who, as I’m sure you know, is “the solo project of Jehf Jones (former member of Uphill Battle, Eat Shit And Die). His ambient compositions are the result of improvisational manipulations of guitar loops and layers to create a slow and spacious musical experience.” I think he’s from California. This is sound art, not music. I gather this is an important distinction, and something that this mix explores the boundaries of.

whodathunkit wrote:4. Acoustic strumming and a tune (a good one at that). Blimey. Vocals sound like Elliot Smith. Very nice indeed.

Oh well yes, this is Bon Iver with Re: Stacks from the superb 2007 album For Emma, Forever Ago. This guy and his band are also exceptional live. Get the album, it’s fabulous, and gets better every time you play it.

whodathunkit wrote:5. Tedious instrumental. Odd percussion, teapots, table legs. etc. Sounds like they're improvising. Shouldn't have bothered.

haha! I don’t think anybody has ever described Four Tet as tedious. I think your ears may need new batteries here. This is the glorious She Just Likes To Fight from the justifiably critically acclaimed There Is Love In You album from 2010. I think it was in most top albums of the year polls, and you can see why with this very cleverly arranged piece. A master at his game, no less. Improvised! Ha ha! ;)

whodathunkit wrote:6. Gentle acoustic ballad,M/F duo. "It's quiet now". Sounds like it was recorded in the bath. Needs more work.

It was recorded in a studio in Paris, actually. I know as I was on bass at the time. This is an unreleased song from Morning Star, who were based in Bristol but now based in Paris. It’s a duet with This Is The Kit. I love it, but then I’m biased. You must have a very clever bath.

whodathunkit wrote:7. Organ and synthy strings. Pleasant intro to a song that never happens.

It’s meant as an interlude really in the mix. This is taken from the soundtrack to Sophia Copella’s Virgin Suicides, by the French duo Air. It’s called Afternoon Sister.

whodathunkit wrote:8. Amusing countryish song about a guy's girl being captured by aliens. The song would have been entertaining enough on it's own but the sound effects and extra-terrestial noises are piled on with a trowel.

Or a shovel. Perhaps even a JCB. It’s about destroying music as much as creating it, I guess. It reminds me of that Elvis on the Radio track from the KLF’s White Room. Sort of unsettling, while funny at the same time. It’s called Hey Leanne (get it?) by the Aliens, from their Alienoid Starmonica EP. Can you believe that’s 10 years ago now? Time…

whodathunkit wrote:9. The sort of contemporary singer/songwriter ballad that drives me crazy. Half a decent song, no tune, amateurish playing and a voice that should advertise Dignitas. The guy has abiilty but there's no craft in it. He's got the 10% inspiration but doesn't feel he has to bother with the 90% perspiration. And yes, I know, I've finally turned into my dad :lol: .

When you’re singing about falling apart from the inside, it’s a neat trick to do so in a way that sounds broken. This is Bill Ryder-Jones, formerly of the Coral, with Tell Me You Don’t Love Me Watching from his superb West Kirby County Primary LP last year. The rest often album is what you might call ‘proper’, in that it has fully formed arrangements, band performance, lots of balls. It’s all about suffering from mental illness, really.

whodathunkit wrote:10. A relief to return to the abstract stuff. 6 and a half minutes of drone with some sort of processed percussion way back in the mix.

This is Vier, from Konigsforst by Gas, one of German electronic musician Wolfgang Voigt’s projects. It’s the sound of a forest on an acid trip, or something. It’s very dense, isn’t it? Like a forest. This should have been the end.

whodathunkit wrote:11. That sneaky creeping bassline can only mean the Cure. A particularly nice example of the typical thing that they do.

And like a forest, this is the Cure, with one of their great songs, the title track from 1981’s Faith album. It basically takes a lot of the elements we’ve heard elsewhere – the drones, the loops, the repetition, the notion of breaking music, of using sound to effect a deliberate emotional response, and orders it into a traditional song, albeit one that Franz Kafka might have written the lyrics for. The whole album is amazing, really. Terribly bleak, mind. Not many laughs.

whodathunkit wrote:Well I can't say I enjoyed much of this. The Cure and track 4 were easily the best things on here. Probably no coincidence that they were the most crafted and "finished" tracks with decent production values. Perhaps, in my dotage, I'd rather have a nice tune than amateurish experimentation. :?


I am going to take exception to the idea that this is made up of amateurish experimentation. Pretty much everyone on here is a well-respected artist in their field and works incredibly hard to create these sounds, which are in turn generally critically acclaimed – and with good reason. They’re all very finely crafted and mostly with exceptional production values too, I would argue. Although I wouldn’t argue it very long, because it’s only a bit of fun and we shouldn’t take any of this seriously, I don’t think.

Of course, I don’t expect you to like it all – or even any of it. I just thought it would be fun to try something different. Thanks for taking the time to listen and to review it honestly. Next time I draw you, I’ll try and send you something you might like! If you’re game, btw, here’s the correct running order:




Strung Like Lights At Thee Printemps Erable
Godspeed You Black Emperor!

Love and Let Die
Dasto

Hey Leanne
The Aliens

Re: Stacks
Bon Iver

Tell_Me_You_Don_t_Love_Me_Watching
Bill Ryder-Jones

it's quiet now
Morning Star

Faith
The Cure

Burn Girl Prom Queen
Mogwai

Afternoon Sister
Air

She Just Likes To Fight
Four Tet

Vier
Gas

Oh, and do let me know if you'd lie recommendations for more by any of these artists :lol:


Return to “Mix Club”