I used to live in Brooklyn and run free among hipsters. Now I live in a factory city in Korea. I still dig me some fresh tunes.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Juicy Thighs

R. Stevie Moore -- Pop Music

Probably getting some attention due the Ariel Pink connection, but I can't say I think Moore has been a criminally ignored genius for 40+ years. However, this is terrific song with it's playful pokes at pop music and early Chicago (band) style horns.

The Rah Band -- Messages From the Stars (Longwave Mix)

Pretty sure I have these guys on a mix somewhere else but I can't remember where. Groovy, futuristic boogie with all kinds of cool sound effects. Wouldn't think it would fit between the two acts I have here, but it works for me. From Beat Electric.

The Olivia Tremor Control -- Jumping Fences/Define a Transparent Dream

I'm not usually too affected by musician/entertainer deaths, but this stuck in my head for a few days. There were a few moments in the late 90s where I might have even claimed OTC were my favorite band period. I saw them three or four times over the Terrastock Festival weekend in San Francisco, and they did an in-store at the record shop I was working at.

After Doss died I listened to their few albums and concluded that as a whole I never really thought the albums were great, but that OTC did record a handful of near-classic songs, and "Jumping Fences," which I'd put somewhere in my Top-something of all time. I'm attaching "Define..." here because it just doesn't sound right to not to. R.I.P. Bill Doss.

Matt Munisteri And Will Holshouser -- Orange Crate Art

A random, late addition to this mix, ripped from the YouTube posted on Facebook by an old friend who created this nifty mag. As he said when he posted it: great version of a great song.

Jerome LOL -- Forever One half of the LOL Boys, which is a great name IMO. I'd seen the name LOL Boys around, but hadn't heard it or this guy until this song. Cool, minimalist electronic funk here. Went and listened to LOL Boys afterwards and didn't like it at all. That's the way it goes sometimes.

The Fall -- Container Drivers
Wire -- A Question of Degree

My friend, whose mixes I also put on this site from time to time, is good at including "classic" songs among his new stuff and obscurities, so I wanted to do some of that on this mix too. Both Wire and The Fall are about as classic as it gets in my world.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti -- Is This the Best Spot? Solid album. Still the worst live act I've ever paid to see.

The Records -- Affection Rejected

Where have The Records been my entire life? Actually, I've heard of the group for years, but like The Sound, never really investigated. Heard both this year. Didn't like The Sound at all. The Records are classic!

Sybil -- Don't Make Me Over

Didn't realize until just now this was a Dionne Warwick song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Guess that explains why it caught my ear. Grabbed from Soul-sides.

The End -- It's O.K.

Sometimes I'll download something like this off these kinds of sites you'll find at right and they just hit my spot perfectly. Reminds me of record collecting back in the day. B-side is total crap, which is exactly how it works sometimes!

Thom Janusz -- Memories of Georgia

Another found on Soul-Sides, which led me to look up Thom Janusz and find that he's not on Wiki, but has a reissue on Ubiquity. Also led me to this blog, which I'll take as credible and go to later by virtue that it's got Janusz on there.

Slowdive -- Alison

Almost took this off as I was finishing this mix. Probably the best song by the band, but doesn't fit here at all, and when I went back and listened to the album I rediscovered why I'd stopped listening. But like I said, great song.

David Blue -- Come on John

Off a site that for the time being has unfortunately stopped posting. This goes out to my friend Jon who I've stopped speaking to, perhaps also for the time being.

Aztec Camera -- Walk Out to Winter

What better song to say hello to the cold weather that's not quite here yet, but is fast approaching. I'm just seeing all of the band's albums are being reissued, but from what I gathered the first was the only one worth listening to by a longshot. It is a very good album all the way through.







Saturday, October 6, 2012

i'm into dark things

Put this together in late 2010 and am uploading it for archival purposes. It's a strong set starting with The Twerps "Dance Alone," a song I think the band has had trouble topping since, and ditto Raw Thrills "For Someone." Or maybe I just think of these as being the band's best material since I included them on a mix.

There are a couple minimal-synth tracks here with Absolute Body Control, Linear Movement and the French group Clair Obscur and then a tri-fecta of V.U. inspired people/groups in the "Russia," song, which sounds kind of like Nico, Virgin Insanity, which sounds like vintage Doug Yule V.U., and then Nico herself to close the mix.