Please note that the zip file has a password: Q103
Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/j60gtfuesj51rt3/Q103.zip
Q’s Compilations
Volume #103 August – September 2015
As
I write these notes, summer is officially OVER, and yet it’s still over 20
degrees C, but Autumn is possibly the best time to be in New York, and I’m
looking forward to another change of season.
01)
Alex G - After Ur Gone: I’m not entirely sure why Alex G’s catchy lo-fi
indie-pop tunes generally fly under the radar where someone like Mac DeMarco
has become a superstar (don’t get me wrong, I like him just fine). This track
opens his album, DSU, released last
year, but he’s also fairly prolific, with a slew of releases to date. His next
album, Beach Music, will be released
in October.
02)
Young Guv - Kelly, I'm Not a Creep: Young Guv is Ben Cook, guitarist in Fucked
Up, but his solo project has a much sunnier disposition, with hints of Big Star
and Cheap Trick. Sometimes you can look into deeper meanings or messages in
music, but I just love the sound and pop sensibility here. The album, Ripe 4 Luv, is out on Slumberland
Records. “wouldn’t it be nice if we could
go back”
03)
Expert Alterations - A Bell: I recently saw this band supporting Literature at
Cake Shop and thought they stole the show. Their live sound was a big fuller
than this recording, but I picked up their self-titled EP, and wasn’t too
surprised to find out that it too, is also a Slumberland Records release…
04)
Royal Headache – Carolina: Australian bands always seem to attract a crowd in
New York, it must be the ex-pat thing. On the surface, the band sound like a
fairly standard garage rock band but frontman Shogun has a raspy, soulful vocal
that sets them apart from a lot of acts at the moment. With uncertainty over
whether the band will continue, there may not be much more of where this came
from. I saw the band recently at Saint Vitus and they put a lot of energy into
their performance. “She’s been waiting
for the train down by the bus”
05)
Nada Surf - Whose Authority (live): There’s little I can say about Nada Surf
that I haven’t said before, they are one of the most important bands in my
life, in many ways they feel like my band,
like I have a personal investment in them. They are set to release a live album
via pledgemusic called Live at the
Neptune. This song is originally from 2008’s Lucky. I’m excited to be seeing the band again in November. “How do you stay where You most want to be?
Where'd you get the patience, Did it come easily?”
06)
Tenement - Feral Cat Tribe: Of all the great bands who played Don Giovanni
Records’ annual showcase back in February (Priests, Brick Mower, Screaming
Females, etc), I was most impressed with Wisconsin band Tenement. The band
recently released a double LP called Predatory
Headlights, and it’s certainly one of my favourites of the year. “I don’t care for the way it was before,
anymore”
07)
Vuelveteloca – Sharks: Regular readers/listeners should know of my love for
Chilean bands in the last few years, and I’ve got a bunch for you on this mix,
starting with the latest offering from Vuelveteloca. Pantera is the groups fourth album and sees the band going back to
a rockier sound, after the more Stone-Roses-ish Dias de Calor.
08)
The Ganjas - Twisted River: Possibly the first band of the recent wave of
Chilean psych bands of the last decade is The Ganjas. After Dark is the their first album since 2011’s The Resistance, and was released on BYM Records (their first on the
label).
09)
Wand - Self Hypnosis in 3 Days: Due to association and a similar sound, the
mention of Ty Segall is rarely far from Wand’s name. However, their album, Golem, may just be better than anything
Ty has released himself! I’m looking forward to seeing the band again in
November, having seen them at Death By Audio this time last year (RIP), though
I did see singer Cory Hanson play a solo acoustic set in June.
10)
Survival Knife - Tropic of Chaos: I’ve become pretty enchanted with the band
Unwound, thanks to Numero’s incredible reissue efforts, and two members of the
band, singer/guitarist Justin Trosper and original drummer Brandt Sandeno (who
left Unwound in 1992, replaced by Sara Lundt), formed Survival Knife in 2012. This
song is taken from the band’s EP, Suvrivalized.
11)
Trementina - Fall Into Your Bed: I used Trementina back in July last year, and
the Chilean band go from strength to strength, this tune keeps with their My
Bloody Valentine influence but just sounds so pretty. I think it might be my
favourite song on the mix.
12)
Evans the Death – Sledgehammer: Another band that has appeared before on this
series, I used Telling Lies in
September 2013(Q#91) and the band have since released another album, Expect Delays, which isn’t quite as
immediate as the self-titled debut but with a little perseverance the songs are
starting to seep in. They’re playing at CMJ this year so I’m looking forward to
getting a chance to see them.
13)
Adelaida – Holograma: Another Chilean band! This group recently recorded in New
York at Rubber Tracks, although I’m not aware of any shows they played. The
quartet are from Valparaíso, to the west of Santiago on the coast.
14)
Mark Lanegan Band - Harvest Home: I’m a big fan of Mark Lanegan, but despite Phantom Radio being released last year I
only just got round to buying it, but it is certainly of his usual high
standard. “Happy that I'm made of stone,
To grieve that I cause is my cause to a tone”
15)
Miss Garrison – Playas: This is a newer tune from the Chilean trio, who album DeAab, was released in 2012. The band
did record a couple of tracks at New York’s Rubber Tracks studio in 2013, which
is when I managed to catch them live, and have been following keenly since.
Hopefully they make a return soon. This song has a bit of a Radiohead vibe to
it.
16)
Toy - You Won't Be the Same: I managed to see Brighton-band Toy at Glasslands
(RIP) last January, their first NYC show, I think I might have reviewed it for
My Social List (RIP), but can’t quite remember, maybe I won tickets. I was
impressed with the bands driving krautrock rhythms but only just bought the
album, Join the Dots, recently in a
sale.
17)
Surf Rock is Dead – Anymore: This duo, by way of Melbourne and Chicago make
very pretty and shiny indie-rock. There is a little C86 in there, of course,
and general pop sensibilities, I saw the band play at some kind of free block
party where of course, no-one was paying attention, but they played really
well.
18)
Sharon Van Etten - I Don't Want to Let You Down: Fellow Ditmas Park resident,
Sharon Van Etten (I still haven’t bumped into her, though), released I Don’t Want to Let You Down a few
months ago, and this is obviously the title track. It doesn’t stray too far
from what she’s known for, and I felt the need to play it whilst feeling bad
about myself and eating ice cream. It’s that kind of release. “Decompress, Calm your head, Teach you not to
rush, Turn them out to see your words”
19)
Wilco - Taste the Ceiling: Wilco surprised everyone in August by releasing
their ninth album, Star Wars, for
free digitally, with a CD release later in the month (vinyl to come in
October). It has all the usual Wilco qualities to it, and this song was
co-written with Tweedy and Scott McCaughey, who people should recognise from
Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, and of course, an extended member of REM. “I know why you don't really know me, I
don't think you can call it home, All alone I couldn't taste another thing”
20)
Alfonso Lovo - La Bomba de Neutron: Nicaraguan guitarist Alfonso Lovo got the
Numero treatment in 2012 with his record, La
Gigantona, to much success. Surviving a plane hijacking, where he was shot
in the hand and torso multiple times, Lovo recovered after several surgeries to
continue making music.
21)
Robbie Fulks - Rock Bottom, Population 1: My friend Brian is a huge fan of
Robbie Fulks so I wanted to see what the fuss was about, I’m not usually much
of a country guy but Fulks has the knid of inclusive quality that goes beyond a
genre. He can mix up sad and funny songs at the drop of a hat which is a rare
quality I admire.
22)
What Moon Things - Sun, Where's the Fire: New Paltz, upstate New York, is where
this trio are from, and I saw them make the trek into the city to open for Viet
Cong in January. The groups quiet-loud-quiet template and sound reminded me a
little of Cymbals Eat Guitars, and I happily picked up their record after the
set.
I’ve
rushed the notes a little but that’s par for the course these days, I’m pretty
busy at the moment and everything just seems to be hectic beyond control. It’ll
be 2016 soon enough I guess! As ever, please do contact me about the mixes, I
love to get feedback.
Until
next time
Peace
and love - Q
Please note that the zip file has a password: Q103
Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/j60gtfuesj51rt3/Q103.zip
