Q#131 - April to May 2020

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT  

Download mix from  https://www.mediafire.com/file/htw1gr33t1nhsai/Q%23131.zip/file

Now with added Spotify playlist at end of notes - NOTE that METZ, Bailter Space and Del Amitri are not on spotify.

Q's Compilations

Vol #131 – April to May 2020

I’m not going to be able to say anything profound about the pandemic that is still a worldwide problem, I think I’m writing these at the start of week 11 of our “quarantine” in New York City, although I have been getting out for exercise, I think many of us here (and in the UK) forget that a lot of countries put down much tough restrictions. So many have suffered and are continuing to do so

01) METZ – Slow Decay: To help musicians out during the Covid-19 crisis, Bandcamp are doing a very nice thing by waving their revenue share on three days (1^st of May, 5^th of June and 3^rd of July), while scouring for some things I wanted to buy, it dawned on me that METZ had a record that I did not own a physical copy of (albeit Automat is a compilation of non-album tracks), and while I was at it I purchased their new 2-song release digitally, and it’s hard not to open with it.

02) The Reflectors – Act a Fool: LA powerpop act The Reflectors might sound like they’re from the 70s but debut album First Impression is a hoot. Bright and shiny melodies with breezy vocals, it’s hard not to love. You can get this on Burger Records in the US.

03) Savak – Vis-à-vis: During the lockdown I’ve been doing some “On this Day” posts on Facebook since I’m a bit of a saddo and have kept a spreadsheet of all the shows I’ve been to (which will have an impact on other songs on this mix), I was actually at Savak’s first ever show on the 20^th of May 2015 at Cake Shop (I do miss that place). The band have just released their fourth album Rotting Teeth in the Horse’s Mouth and it’s another fine record, and they’ve probably got one of the low-key best local discography’s in the last four years or so, although they’ve all played in some excellent bands over the years, so you’d expect it!

04) Virginia Trance – High: I had forgotten that I used a Virginia Trance track last time around (Hello Lou Reed), but this one has a bit more BPM to it, the record Vincent’s Playlist is well worth your time.

05) Mike Polizze – Revelation: Purling Hiss mainman Mike Polizze is due to release his debut solo record, Long Lost Solace Find, on the 31^st of July, and it’s the kind of solo shift you want to see, being fairly far removed from the shredding and feedback heavy solos of Purling Hiss. If this tune is indicative of the rest of the album then I’m excited to hear it.

06) Harkin – Mist on Glass: Harkin’s self-titled debut came out at the end of April via Hand Mirror Records. She has played an excellent supporting role over the years, playing as a touring member of Sleater-Kinney, Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett to name a few. The album doesn’t invoke any of those artists, having more of an 80s goth-pop tinge to it with enough modernity for it to be it’s own thing.

07) Field Music – Money is a Memory: Another recent bandcamp purchase was Field Music’s latest record, Making a New World, which is their seventh album and was released in January. It’s their first concept record and is about the after-effects of world war one. It’s a pretty coherent piece and rattles through pretty quickly with 19 tracks only taking 42-mintues in total. This tune is classic Field Music, with that XTC snap in full effect.

08) Madness – Embarrassment: I had tickets to see Madness in May which was obviously postponed (until 2021), so I thought I’d just throw this classic on the mix.

09) Gum Country – Somewhere: Kean ears may notice the sound of The Courtneys in this tune, that’s because ½ of Gum Country is Courtney Garvin of The Courtneys, the other half being multi-instrumentalist Connor Mayer. Their new album, Somewhere, is coming out on the 19^th of June.

10) Pure X – Fantasy: Austin, Texas band Pure X return with their first album in six years, and their self-titled comeback is the sort of easy-going, desert breeze that we could all probably use, filled with tunes that feel like a weed halo is above you.

11) Bailterspace – Concrete Square 3: Speaking of comebacks, New Zealand greats low-key threw up some new tracks (their first in seven years?) on bandcamp, hopefully there’ll be a new record!

12) Mint Field – Ella Se Queda: Another recent bandcamp purchase, I loved their 2018 full-length Pasar de las Luces and wanted to support them further so purchased their latest EP, 2019’s Mientras Esperas, which has a bit more drive to it. They put out a single in April so hopefully a new album beckons. Having previously been based in Tijuana, they now reside in Mexico City.

13) Adelaida – Mundo: You should all know I love Chilean bands, this act appeared back on Q#103 (August/September 2015), hailing from Valparaíso, which is a coastal city about 75 miles north-west of Santiago. Their latest album, Animita, was released in April.

14) Flores Silvestres – Born From Dawn: Another Chilean band, this time from Santiago, “Silver Flowers” just released their first album in April and it hits that classic (I think the scene has been going long enough to call it classic) Chilean psych rock sound. The record is called How the Story Goes.

15) The Men – Children All Over the World: One of New York’s finest, The Men released their eighth album, Mercy, this year, and it generally mixes between rockers and delicate folk tunes, basically doing whatever they want, like they always have. This tune has a big 80s feel to it for sure.

16) Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Talk About the Weather: During my “on this day” flashbacks I was reminded that I hadn’t really thought of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry much since I saw them back in April 2008, their music still holds up and I just had an urge to throw this song on.

17) Counting Crows – Children in Bloom: Another OTD-inspired song, I saw Counting Crows on the 15^th of May 1997 and it was a really spectacular show that still seems very vivid. For those first two records they couldn’t really do much wrong, I remember this song in particular from the show and it always stuck with me.

18) Sleater Kinney – The Swimmer: All Hands on the Bad One turned 20 on the 2^nd of May. What a great record, again, just something I felt like throwing on.

19) Aimee Mann – Deathly: Another record that just turned 20 (also on the 2^nd of May) is Bachelor No. 2, so naturally I just felt compelled to use a track.

20) Del Amitri – Just Getting’ By: Probably the best news in a very trying year so far is that Del Amitri have just recorded a new album that will be released in January 2021, it will be their first album since 2002’s Can You Do Me Good, which this song closes, so I just felt like using it.

As always, Peace and Love - Q

NOTE NOT ALL THE SONGS ARE ON SPOTIFY!!!!

Q#117 - December 2017 to January 2018

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/file/c0ir8pqqdcdw80l/Q117.zip

Q's Compilations

Vol #117 – December 2017 to January 2018

Greetings! If you’re reading this, then congratulations on surviving 2017, it certainly wasn’t without its troubles, but there were some truly wonderful moments too. As is the norm, the first mix of the year is a “best of”, which is more of a “best acts of 2017” since I may already have used songs I preferred already and don’t want to double up, but you get the idea!

01) Metz - Mess of Wires: The Toronto trio will most likely never change, and sometimes that isn’t a bad thing. While their third album, Strange Peace, is probably different enough to stop things getting completely stale, their trademark pummelling approach is unyielding. This track opens the record.

02) Feral Ohms - Living Junkyard: One of the best shows I saw this year was a free Feral Ohms set in Union Pool’s back garden. Another band who are just simply relentless both live and on record, it was a hard task picking a track from their self-titled album from this year, but needless to say, if you enjoy this song, there’s more!

03) Waxahatchee – Silver: I’m just going to be lazy here and re-use what I wrote for FreeWilliamsburg’s top 25 albums of 2017 post! I saw Waxahatchee early in the year as a duo opening for The New Pornographers, and I’ve always preferred Katie Crutchfield’s songs when they’re delivered at their slowest and most bare, so while I enjoyed the first single from the record (Silver), I was hoping the bigger sound wasn’t going to be the norm. However, the sign of a great writer is to take you along with them and turn you around, and Out in the Storm is her best effort yet, with more layers and more guitars than before, turns out their all the better for it!

04) The Courtneys - Silver Velvet: I used Country Song back on Q#112, but this might just be the most me song of 2017. The first non-kiwi band to sign to the legendary Flying Nun label, I’ve conspired to miss them the couple of times they have played in New York and hope to not make it a hat-trick the next time. The Vancouver trio released II in February. “Can't get you out of my head, Even through the miles, I know that it is wrong but you, Just seem to drive me wild. And nothing you say and nothing you do, Can stop me from thinking about you, Doesn't matter if it's right, You're just the one I like”

05) Alex Napping - Temperamental Bed: I used the near-perfect Living Room on Q#112, which is on the band’s second album, Mise En Place which was released in May. The rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the same heights but it’s a delightful record. “How do you talk about a moment?”

06) Ryan Adams – Doomsday: Another of my FreeWilliamsburg contributions (the title track appeard on Q#113) - Sometimes a record comes along that just captures you in the moment. I’d dipped in and out of Ryan Adams’ discography about 15 years ago but I didn’t feel it at the time and never went back. However, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an album so many times in a single year than I have done Prisoner, since I was a teenager. The title track in particular tackles that well-worn subject of forbidden love perfectly that even great writers can only manage sparingly, if at all. While some may prefer Adams in a more rustic vein, the immaculate production is another triumph here, and though I could understand people saying that it’s perhaps a bit too similar to his self-titled album from 2014, and even though this ends up as #6 on our list, it’s hard for me to see past this being my personal favourite of 2017 by some distance. “Can you stand and face your fears, my love? I will for you. I could stand in just one place, my love, And never move. As the fire burns around us in the dark, One part is the world and one's my heart”

07) Future Islands – Shadows: I used Aladdin on Q#113, and with The Far Field, the band kept the same formula that worked so well for them on Singles. For that reason, it seems to have been forgotten somewhat on most end-of-year lists, which is probably fair. It’s still a good record overall, albeit somewhat safe. A victim of their own success, perhaps.

08) Curtis Harding - Wednesday Morning Atonement: Another Free Williamsburg blurb: Anyone who follows Free Williamsburg won’t be surprised to see Curtis represented in this list, we’ve been huge supporters since the very beginning. His debut album, Soul Power, was so good that the three years it took for Face Your Fear to come out has seemed like an age. It has, however, been worth the wait, and while the debut was laced with horns and guitars, his latest effort is more like a contemporary take on smoother soul, with keyboards coming to the fore. The star of the show, is of course, Harding’s vocal delivery, which is even better than before. Not only is he continuing to be the only modern soul artist I can think of that doesn’t sound derivative of the past, his latest efforts show another great quality, someone who doesn’t want to make the same record twice. “Hello children, Well it's been, Such a very long time, Now I've finally found the mind, To explain, Where I've been living, Now I know I'm here to stay, Waiting on this better day”

09) Big Thief - Shark Smile: Another FW rip! Brooklyn-based quartet Big Thief stepped up their game massively in 2017, and that’s saying something after their 2016 debut, Masterpiece. While the former was a wonderful record, Capacity somehow manages to handle the fragile melodies and delicate finger picked guitar parts with so much more confidence, while also becoming more bare and intimate at the same time; quite the achievement. As long as Adrianne Lenker and co keep putting out records this beautiful, we won’t have to pine for the days when Mark Kozelek could remember what a vocal melody sounded like. “And she said woo, Baby, take me, And I said woo, Baby, take me too”

10) Molly Burch - Please Be Mine: Oops, I thought I was diligent but I just noticed that I did already use this track on Q#114 (and I’d used my favourite track from the record, Please Forgive Me on Q#112!). Probably the most chilled release of 2017.

11) The Magnetic Fields - Have You Seen It In the Snow: Stephin Merrit released 50 Song Memoir this year (he actually turned 50 in 2015 but that’s a minor technicality), with one song for each year of his life. As one can imagine, it’s a bit much to be memorable all the way through, but it still has all the classic vibes of a Magnetic Fields record. “They say this city is dirty and gray, But I think it's pretty on a summer day, And on rainy nights, When the streets smudge the lights, It's beautiful, you know”

12) No Joy – Hellhole: No Joy went shoegaze on their Creep EP from February 2017, and it’s a move they pull off with great aplomb.

13) Dream Wife – Somebody: I have to admit, I was somewhat struggling for inspiration at times with this mix, and while searching for upcoming gigs, realised I hadn’t actually checked out Dream Wife yet amid some hype I’ve heard. The London-based trio (via Icland and Brighton) are releasing their debut record in 2018 but tunes like this (which was released on the Fire EP this year) make for one of the most anticipated for the year.

14) Priests – JJ: My Free Williamsburg blurb again: While DC political-punks Priests have been around since 2012, this year saw the release of their debut full-length album, Nothing Feels Natural, via their own Sister Polygon label. The album has more of a post-punk influence than the earlier Eps and despite the name of the record, it definitely feels like a natural move for the quartet. Priests are perhaps the best current example of a band that are the sum of their parts, with Taylor Mulitz (bass) and Daniele Daniele (drums) forming one of the most interesting rhythm sections around, GL Jaguar’s classic post-punk tone, and Katie Alice Greer’s vocals have found an expanded range and sound from their earlier Eps that go perfectly with the new material.

15) Thundercat - Them Changes: Drunk came out with a lot of acclaim in 2017 but I felt like the praise had died down somewhat by the end of the year, and that might be a fair reflection of the kind of record it is, there’s a lot to love on a couple of listens, but the highlights appear few and far between on closer inspection. It is, however, still an enjoyable record with some fantastic bass work in particular.

16) Destroyer - Cover From the Sun: I didn’t give Ken a whole lot of thought when it was released in October but when it came to cramming in some records for research purposes I found it a very strong record. It seems unfair to say that I find it harder to separate Dan Bejar from New Pornographers than Neko Case or AC Newman, especially given that Destroyer is further removed than their solo work is. Alas, this is one of the more straightforward songs from the album but the sugar rush drew me to it for this mix.

17) Justin Currie - I'll Leave It To You: His fourth solo release, possibly the one person outside and friends and family who has had the most impact on me as a person, This Is My Kingdom Now goes back to more of a What Is Love For vibe (his first solo record after Del Amitri). This is a typically sombre affair as most of his piano-led songs are, but there are some delightful harmonies here too!

18) Pile – Texas: A Hairshirt of Purpose saw Boston’s Pile kick things up a notch, with more intensity and focus, which seemed a hard task considering 2015’s You’re Better Than This seemed hard for them to top.

19) Guided By Voices - Cheap Buttons: What can one say about Guided By Voices, and Robert Pollard in particular, that hasn’t been said before. August By Cake was Pollard’s 100^th release of his career. That’s right… one-hundred. And he still managed to get another one out by the end of the year. Augusts By Cake was the band’s first double-record and it flies by with all the hallmarks of a great GBV record.

20) Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires - Save My Life!: My last Free Williamsburg bit: We’ve liked Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires since first stumbling onto a set at CMJ in 2014, and while their record at the time was a blaze of AC/DC-inspired southern rock and roll (released via Sub Pop), I was very excited to hear that they had signed to Don Giovanni Records for what would be their third album, Youth Detention. The rough edges have been sharpened and while the fire is still there in spades, I would say Youth Detention is perhaps the best radio-rock album I have heard in many a year, the songs hit fast and true but are filled with catchy hooks and one can’t help but feel like this is an album that should be in everyone’s car. This is a record that deserves to be paid for, and played loud, with a smile on your face.

21) Steven Wilson – Detonation: Steven Wilson turned 50 this year and released his fifth solo record, To the Bone, though I have to confess I’m rather lukewarm to it. He’s either a victim of his own success for me or more likely, I don’t think his work is challenging or changing enough, which has been the case since Porcupine Tree’s 2002 In Absentia record. Granted, his first couple of solo records seemed an uptick from PT’s end. I threw this on the end because I didn’t know where else to put it, and then since forgot I had omitted songs by B Boys and Cayetana. Alas, it’s not exactly a bad record and I do like this song!

And there we have it, 2017, folks. There’s a lot of hard work ahead for 2018 but I’m hopeful it’s going to be an excellent one despite some turbulence, the future looks bright in many ways.  

As always, Peace and Love

Q

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/file/c0ir8pqqdcdw80l/Q117.zip

Q#115 - August to September 2017

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT

Download mix from: https://www.mediafire.com/file/18suak61rcam41s/Q%23115.zip

Q's Compilations

Vol #115 – August to September 2017

Hi! No time to waste on these last-minute notes. I seemed to have very little inspiration before setting down to put this mix together late-on, but it turns out I’m pretty happy with the results once I got down to it. You’ve got the usual mix of brand-new stuff mixed with context-based additions, some of which will be explained!

01) Honey - Dream Come Now: Brooklyn trio Honey released their debut album, Love Is Hard, last year and have already followed it up with New Moody Judy. As this track suggests, it’s a rip-roaring set of psych rockers, much in keeping with their debut, though the songs seem a little more focused this time around (that’s certainly not meant in a bad way).

02) METZ - Drain Lake: It’s sometimes hard to remember that METZ actually record music, such is the justified stature the trio have as a live act. Indeed, I’ll be seeing them on the 4^th of October at Music Hall of Williamsburg and cannot wait. They just released their third album, Strange Peace, and it has all the classic METZ characteristics, though it’s different enough from the first two records to stop them hitting an artistic rut.

03) Wand - Bee Karma: One band who never seem in danger of staying in the same place is Wand, who are going in a far more psych direction with an expanded line up than before. There’s somewhat of a classic rock vibe to the main riff in the song and that’s certainly not a bad thing either!

04) Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires - Had to Laugh: A lot of bands struggle with their second records, but Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires probably rank as “most improved” that I can think of in recent years. Youth Detention is perhaps the finest dose of radio-friendly rock and roll that I can think of this year, the songs are sharp, melodic and catchy as hell. Possibly best experienced in a car. “When I told you that I'd never fall in love, I know you had to laugh”

05) Male Gaze - Tell Me How It Is: My buddy Felix sent me a raft of recommendations recently (thanks!) and though I enjoyed most of them, I found it hard to find the right ebb and flow for this mix with any of them, that was until I got to Male Gaze and they immediately hit the spot. Thanks Felix! I’m sure those other tunes will worm their way in sometime.

06) Thurston Moore - Smoke of Dreams: It’s probably not terribly surprising that Thurston Moore is releasing material closest to Sonic Youth, and having realised it had been many years since I saw him play, made a fairly impromptu decision to catch a recent show at Bowery Ballroom.

07) The Pharacyde - Oh Shit: In a recent “hmmm, wonder what classic hip-hop records I haven’t listened to in years” mood I was in, this was one! The South Central fourpiece from LA (though now a duo in present day form) released debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde in 1992 and it’s often considered one of the all-time greats.

08) Epmd - You Gots to Chill: In a recent “hmmm, wonder what classic hip-hop records I haven’t listened to in years” mood I was in, this was another one! This is also another debut record, Strictly Business was released in 1988 and is rightly considered a classic.

09) Andrew Hung – Animal: One half of Fuck Buttons, Andrew Hung, is about to release his debut solo record, Realisationship, on the 6^th of October. It’s a bit odd hearing him singing, having been pummelled relentlessly (and joyously) with the wall of noise that Fuck Buttons unleash, but after doing a double-take on the vocals initially, I think it works really well.

10) Curtis Harding - On and On: If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that I think Curtis Harding is just about the best new artist of the last few years. Soul Power was a complete triumph and having heard three new tracks from his new album, Face Your Fear, which is out at the end of October, he’s done it yet again. Produced by Sam Cohen, the new songs have more emphasis on keyboards and groove than the guitar and horns of his debut and I think the smoother direction compliments his vocals perfectly. I can’t wait to catch him at Rough Trade on the 2^nd of November. “No more wasting time, I gotta get into this groove”

11) Screaming Females - Black Moon: Two years on since last album, Rose Mountain, the New Jersey trio put this track out just a few days before I put this mix together. Screaming Females are never going to change and that is a great comfort.

12) Ryan Adams - Gimme Something Good: Considering that his album from this year, Prisoner, is my most played record of 2017, I had to go back through the discography somewhat. This opens his self-titled album from 2014 and is very similar to his latest effort (which I’m glad I heard first). This track always gets stuck in my head when I ask a friend what we should have for lunch and I’m met with a simple reply of “something good”. “All my life, Been shaking, Wanting something, Holding everything I have like it was broken. Gimme something good”

13) Alvvays - In Undertow: Doesn’t seem like three years since Alvvways self-titled debut album, but it has been fun seeing the band grow in the last few years and new album Antisocialites is definitely a triumph. “There’s no turning back”

14) Kyle Forester - Won't Go Crazy: I recently saw Ken Stringfellow play a rare solo set in Brooklyn and Kyle Forester opened. I’ve seen him in other bands (including Crystal Stilts) but did not know he had his own music too. “So I won't go crazy tonight, Having you here right by my side”

15) Nick Lowe - So it Goes: I’d only previously seen Nick Lowe perform a few songs as part of a benefit show with about a dozen other acts, so it was a treat to see him perform at a free show recently, with Los Straightjackets as his backing band. He played this song, of course, and you forget just how great a pop songwriter he is sometimes.

16) The Jayhawks - I'm Gonna Make You Love Me: Another free show at Lincoln Center recently, I’d heard the name over the years but did not know their music at all. They opened with this track, which I could say a lot about, but it’s a great song. “Your hair's long and black, as it lays 'cross my pillow, when I stare in your eyes, I get lost in your glory”

17) Creeper Lagoon - Under the Tracks: A few weekends ago I was lamenting how slow August was for shows, when NYC Taper mentioned Creeper Lagoon were playing their first show in NYC in many a year. I didn’t know of them but liked the tracks enough to see them since I was gagging to go to a show. This is very much a typical 90s rock track but I’m a sucker for that sometimes.

18) Ultimate Painting - Central Park Blues: I saw Ultimate Painting open for Yo La Tengo in Central Park recently and unsurprisingly they played this tune. It comes over better live since the Velvet Underground influence is maybe to the point of parody here, but what can you do. “I want to be alone with you, I want to do the things you do, You always do”

19) Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You in the End: The mercurial Daniel Johnston just announced his final ever tour, which includes a stop at New York’s Town Hall and I’m quite excited to see him since I never thought I would. I hope this track is true. “True love will find you in the end, you'll find out just who was your friend”

20) Julie Byrne – Sleepwalker: When Mark Kozelek can’t seem to write an actual fucking song anymore your ears start to prick up at the sound of any finger-picked folk song. That’s not to downplay the beauty of Julie Byrne’s music, but it’s definitely filling a requirement I need right now. “Before you, had I ever known love? Or had I only known misuse of the power another had over me?”

21) Vagabon - Fear & Force: Another free Lincoln Centre show recently was Vagabon, who I’d been hoping to see for about 6 months and kept missing. A large outdoor show was perhaps not the best format for such intimate material, but her record is well worth checking out.

22) Kevin Morby - Downtown Lights: I was randomly going through some press releases the other day and realised I hadn’t ever listened to a full Kevin Morby solo record. I tend to favour drifting off with a lullaby on mixes and  this track seemed to fit the bill. “You know I've gone to live one thousand lives, and to die one thousand deaths, But lately baby, got me scared, Ain't got too much left. But the ones that I had spent with you, Were the best that I ever had”

And there we have it, another mix down, another couple of months down, hopefully there were things to like on this mix, and I hope there are many things for you all to like in life right now.

As always, Peace and Love

Q

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT

Download mix from: https://www.mediafire.com/file/18suak61rcam41s/Q%23115.zip

Q#98 - October - November 2014

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q98

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/y41mha16l969nd6/Q98.zip

Q’s Compilations

Volume #98 October – November 2014

My favourite concert space and DIY venue, Death By Audio, closed on the 22^nd of November. My words on that can be found here (http://freewilliamsburg.com/death-by-audio-is-closed-a-tribute-plus-video-footage-of-its-final-shows/). This mix consists of bands I saw at the venue and may go some way of showing why it was the best damn music venue, that booked the best bands, had the best sound, the best staff, and will be missed greatly.

01) Pop Zeus - Dead in the Water: Mikey Hodges produces perfect power-pop and this song is probably his best. New York’s music scene is certainly weaker since he moved to the West Coast. Pick up debut album and the Tell Me So EP on his bandcamp page: http://popzeus.bandcamp.com/  

02) Hector's Pets - New Job: I’m not sure if there’s a band I saw more times at DBA than Hector’s Pets (two of the band were also in Pop Zeus’ band), so it wouldn’t be appropriate at all to leave them out. The band’s debut, Pet-O-Feelia is a garage-rock triumph.

03) Bennio Qwerty - Pipe Dreams: One of the joys of going to DBA was not needing to do your homework and trust that Edan had put together a good bill, the openers were just as likely to be as good as the headliners. The band are one of my favourites in Brooklyn and I have DBA to thank for that.

04) Brick Mower - Never Said Easy: I’ve used Brick Mower a bunch of times and they were another band I’d never heard of until they rocked up to the stage at DBA (opening for California X and Nuclear Santa Claust). This track is from their latest release, 2014’s Teenage Graceland.

05) Meatbodies – Tremmors: It should be no surprise that Meatbodies’ Chad Ubovich has spent time in both Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin’s bands. That should really be all I need to say! They delivered possibly the set of this year’s CMJ (save possibly Slowdive’s unlikely reunion).

06) Pinkwash - So Long: Philadelphia’s Pinkwash consist of Ashley Arnwine (current drummer in Bleeding Rainbow) and Joey Doubek formerly of Hume, together they make an almighty racket and while two-piece bands seem to be in right now, I can’t think of anyone who does it better.

07) Metz – Rats: Canada’s Metz played their first ever New York Show at DBA (as did so many others) and also appear on the 2012 Live at DBA Flexi Book, so it was fitting that they would play one of the last ever shows at the venue, which also ended up being one of the best I ever saw. The band’s debut album was one of the best records of 2012 (Headache appears on Q#87).

08) Roomrunner - Super Vague: Possibly the hottest, stickiest show I have ever been to was Roomrunner and Speedy Ortiz at DBA, it was another one of those nights the power went out, but technical difficulties aside, Roomrunner are one of the best live bands around and they powered through their set.

09) Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler (live at DBA): This was recorded by NYC Taper in June (http://www.nyctaper.com/2014/06/thee-oh-sees-june-15-2014-death-by-audio-flacmp3streaming/), a show that I attended featuring their new-look three piece setup. I could have used a studio track but I think this live recording captures their live sound pretty well, warts and all.

10) Ty Segall – Manipulator: I think if you asked most people to name one act synonymous with DBA then Ty Segall would be the one most would say (who didn’t live or work there, at least). This is the title-track from his latest studio album (at the time of writing, he’ll probably release another 3 albums in the next hour). I took the picture on the cover for this mix at his last appearance at the venue.

11) JEFF the Brotherhood - U Got the Look: JEFF are another band that instantly rolls off the tongue when thinking about DBA along with Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees, and they played the final night (as well as the previous month). I want to say they played this song but their set was such a blur I can’t remember! This track appears on Heavy Days.

12) Screaming Females - A New Kid: I saw Screaming Females 5 times in 2014 and was glad to finally see them at DBA before it closed, Marissa also did my favourite DBA mural (the one with the freaky sausage dogs). This track appears on Castle Talk and is always a live favourite, but then again, Screamales are probably the best live band around right now so they’re all favourites!

13) Tweens – Forever: I was surprised to see I had only used Be Mean from the band’s demos CD, I guess I had been saving tracks up for the best-of-the-year mix because their debut is one of my absolute favourites.

14) Parquet Courts - Stoned and Starving: Before I saw Parquet Courts play at DBA they said “we learned how to be a band here”, and they played a blinding set of favourites, as if it were a show that they wanted to remember for the rest of their lives, let alone the audience. This is of course from their flagship LP, Light Up Gold.

15) Vaadat Charigim – Odisea: Another great thing about DBA was its philosophy of giving touring bands a platform. Israeli band Vaadat Charagim (which a friend tells me means Committee of the Nonbelievers in Hebrew, what a great name) wear their shoegazing influences firmly on their sleeve, but execute it with incredible panache.

16) Dick Diver - Calendar Days: Australian band Dick Diver’s 2013 album Calendar Days is a wonderful jangle-indie-pop record. The band’s name was taken from a character in the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel Tender Is the Night. The group say “On one level it’s pretentious, but it’s also pretty gross,” says Edwards. “So it’s a pretty honest representation of the band.”

17) Woods - Shining (live at DBA): This is another recording courtesy of NYC Taper (http://www.nyctaper.com/2014/11/woods-november-6-2014-death-by-audio-flacmp3streaming/), the track originally appears on the band’s latest record, With Light and With Love.

18) Vivian Girls - I Head You Say: As well as saying goodbye to DBA this year, we also said goodbye to Vivian Girls, who played two farewell shows in Brooklyn this January, with their penultimate show being at DBA, where they had played so many times. This appears on 2011’s Share the Joy, which turned out to be their final record.

19) Priests – Doctor: Washington DC’s Priests signed to Don Giovanni this year and released the fantastic EP Bodies and Control and Money and Power having previously released a couple of tapes on the Sister Polygon label.

20) Numerators - Finally Sees: A staple of the New York DIY scene and somewhat of a DBA houseband, Numerators include drummer Burgers Rana, who worked the door at DBA. The band’s bio states “we believe in pizza, the log lady, & rock n roll.”, and that’s maybe all the description you need! For more, see http://thenumerators.bandcamp.com/

21) Protomartyr - Scum, Rise!: Detroit’s finest get compared to The Fall quite a lot, but I think that is doing them a huge disservice, despite often being just as intoxicated, the band manage to keep their shit together for a start! Protomartyr probably played DBA more than any other out-of-town band and were clearly a favourite. Under Color of Official Right is sure to make many a best-of-2014 list.

22) L.A. Witch - Get Lost: Sludgey guitars? Reverb-soaked vocals? The tried and tested formula rarely fails to excite and L.A. Witch are no exception. They recently played during the CMJ Music Marathon (and while more of an anti-CMJ venue, it’s still going to be hard to swallow to think that the venue won’t be there for next year).

23) A Place to Bury Strangers - I Lost You: No other band is so entrenched into the Death By Audio dynamic than A Place to Bury Strangers, Oliver Ackerman is co-founder of the venue and also builder of the effects pedals of the same name. They played numerous times at the venue, including the final night, which was also Oliver’s birthday. This track appears on Onwards to the Wall.

24) Diarrhea Planet – Separations: While their studio output doesn’t come close to the sheer spectacle of their live show, there was something about this song that just made me want to put it on, sometimes you don’t need a reason. From their second album, I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams.

26) Mac DeMarco - Only You: I’m closing this mix with the first headliner I ever saw at DBA, I had wondered just what I had let myself in for as they played to a packed crowd dripping with sweat, the power cut out and everything seemed to go wrong. This masked what was generally a perfectly ran space, and in spite of the mishaps, something made me want to go back, and then I kept going back. While Mac’s star continues to rise, I can’t help but feel his schtick is becoming a little more hit-and-miss with his ubiquitousness. However, every time I hear a song like this I’m reminded of his talents.

Obviously this mix is brilliant, and in many mays it isn’t my mix, if you ever went to DBA in any capacity, it’s yours.

Until next time

Peace and love - Q

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q98

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/y41mha16l969nd6/Q98.zip

Q#87 - December 2012 - January 2013

Please note, mediafire zip file has a password: Q87

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Q’s Compilations

Volume #87 – December 2012 – January 2012

Greetings! Well it’s the usual time to look back on my favourite releases of the previous 12 months. I haven’t spent a great deal of time thinking or researching this mix, I just picked what initially came to mind, it has been a pretty good year for music, I think.

01) Mrs Magician – Nightlife: Keen listeners may remember the outstanding There Is No God from Q#84. Strange Heaven is one of the most endearing records of the year and this punchy opens the record and makes for a fine tune to begin this compilation with. “Shot out like an arrow I’m as crooked as a question-mark”

02) La Sera - I Can't Keep You In My Mind: I would say that La Sera’s Sees the Light is my favourite album of the year, it’s understated and uncomplicated and unpretentious, but the songs are gorgeous and there is something about it that keeps me coming back for more. “I know you must feel lost these days, broken lovers tend to go their ways. Haunting ghosts that I can not evade until I turn grey.”

03) Nada Surf - Jules and Jim: I like a hundreds of bands, but Nada Surf has always felt like my band like no other, it was a genuine pleasure to see them three times in their hometown (even if they don’t live here anymore) this year. I love them dearly. Isn’t that last chord one of the most beautiful sounds you’ve ever heard? “Never felt such a pull before I'm hypnotized I'm destabilized”

04) Sharon Van Etten – Warsaw: A fellow Ditmas Park resident, Van Etten has seen much acclaim come her way with Tramp, and those who were a bit late to the party can now pick up a 2-CD version including demos (from which I was very close to using Magic Chords). “here, sing to yourself, tell me you want to be shown or, you only listen to an endless sea you want to be over”

05) The Men - Turn It Around: I used the title track, Open Your Heart back in April, released on Sacred Bones, the Brooklyn band are set to follow-up their good work with another record, New Moon, in March. “I wanna see you when you jump dive, I wanna see you go down, I wanna see you when you look so fine, I wanna see you when you turn it around“

06) JEFF the Brotherhood - Staring at the Wall: Brothers Jake and Jamin Orral are Jeff the Brotherhood, Hypnotic Nights is their seventh album and was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. “One girl said to me, Would you turn around and die”

07) King Tuff - Bad Thing: When you listen to a lot of music it’s easy for things to slip through the net unnoticed when you first hear them, maybe you weren’t in the right mood, or maybe there was a distraction, but it happens. This song was featured on a free sub-pop compilation on record store day back in April, which I listened to a few times. Fast forward a few months and King Tuff releases one of the best albums of the year. “Now I’m going rotten, I’m turnin’ green, ‘cause I’m a bad bad thing”

08) METZ – Headache: I saw Metz cram into a tiny record store (Generation Records) and deliver one of the most pummelling sets I have ever witnessed, their self-titled record is just as relenting. “That even can't see breathe like for me, I can't move, I can't stand, I got gotta gotta gotta, I gotta get, I gotta get away, I get away”

09) Guided By Voices - Hangover Child: 2012 was quite the year for GBV fans, with three albums (their first for 8 years) and a string of shows, while Robert Pollard also released two solo albums. This song appears on The Bears for Lunch and was debuted when I saw them in Central Park on an absolutely sweltering day in the summer. “Hangover child, save your breath, In the way that you’re starring to the face of despairing, You care.”

10) Rush - The Wreckers: Clockwork Angels saw Rush reinvigorated after 2007’s lacklustre Snakes and Arrows (see my review here: http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/2012/07/rush-clockwork-angels-review.html). “All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary of a miracle too good to be true, All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary everything in life you thought you knew, All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary, 'cause sometimes the target is you”

11) Bob Mould - Silver Age: Another artist who rolled back the years was Bob Mould with Silver Age, inspired by the 20^th anniversary of Sugar’s Copper Blue, Silver Age taps into that power-trio style that has served him so well over the years. “This is how I'm gonna spend my days, Gonna fight, gonna fuck, gonna feed, Gonna walk away “

12) Chromatics - The Page: I used The River back on Q#84, this is another standout track from Kill For Love, which can be purchased for a bargain $5 on the Italians Do It Better website. “like the pages of the book i'd never get to write, on the eastside of the city, where the ink is running dry, and if you love me like you say, take this book and burn the page, the rain will wash away the ashes, On the eastside of my heart”

13) Mark Lanegan - Harborview Hopsital: I’ve waxed lyrical about Lanegan’s whisky-drenched voice many times over the course of these mixes, Harborview Hospital manages to contain it in a soaring dreamscape of electronica. “Are they supposed to be as sick as you and me?”

14) Amanda Palmer - Grown Man Cry: Palmer gained a lot of attention this year with the enormous success of her kickstarter campaign, which raised over a million dollars to fund the recording and tour for Theatre Is Evil (I paid for the deluxe version of the album). After all the hype it would have been a bit of a letdown if the music wasn’t actually any good, and thankfully it is, the songs are varied and have depth. “We are standing on the threshold, Of a decent conversation, When I can hear the door slam, I know the face you're making”

15) Animal Collective – Moonjock: It was an almost impossible task to follow up Merriweather Post Pavilion but 10,000Hz is a fine album and it was great to see them live at the end of the year. “And there's no way to remind me of pacific plates or what the text was, No better way to remind me of sun heated seats then "love me do" was”

16) Goat – Goathead: They don’t sound like it, but Goat are from Sweden and produce a fantastic afrobeat fuzz freakout. There aren’t many things better than a screaming guitar solo, turn the volume UP on this one.

17) Carina Round - Girl and the Ghost: I used Set Fire on Q#83 and this is other standout track for me on Tigermending. “Shards of broken dreams, Stuck in your hands, Pick the pieces out put them back, together as best you can”

18) Ken Stringfellow - 110 or 220v: Danzig in the Moonlight may seem like a somewhat throwaway pun-tastic album title but make no mistake about it, the record is filled with Ken’s usual deep and sincere songs pulled from the depth of his being. There are probably better songs on the record, but I love the vocal and lyrics. “Reality is subject to cancellation”

19) Sun Kil Moon - Among the Leaves: This is the title track to Mark Kozelek’s latest release (though he has a new covers album out soon) and was billed as a slightly low-key and at times humorous, which it often is, but there are also some of his trademarks such as this number. “On afternoons I walk the graves, The rusted cars, the mine shaft caves, See a girl sadly unkempt, a child of neglect Under moons I pass the tombs, Cross the highways, smell the fumes, See a girl frighteningly gaunt, somebody didn't want, How do I tell her I don't care, if she sleeps downstairs?“

20) Grizzly Bear - Yet Again: Following up Veckatimest must have felt like a near impossible task, the band haven’t changed formula much with Shields but there was certainly no need to! “Keep score, even playing fields this game, I know when all’s said we’re the same, If I could I would leave it all be, No chance to move backwards and see“

21) Dum Dum Girls - Season in Hell: I saw Dum Dum Girls twice in 2012, first at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in February and then at an in-store performance at Other Music, promoting their EP, End of Daze, which this song closes. “Anything we should know about your change?
From shots, broken hearts, tears from desert eyes, Something new is dreamed, A confession's not a cure, There's always darkness to endure, On the path to be redeemed “

22) Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye: I think the easiest way to write about this song is to quote how it ends. FUCK YEAH!

Until next time

Peace and love - Q