Q#109 August to September 2016

Download from http://www.mediafire.com/file/re6h5s1rk0fduh4/Q109.zip

Q’s Compilations

Volume #109 August – September 2016

Greetings! Autumn is finally here and since the last mix I had a nice few days in San Francisco, I hadn’t been out to the West Coast before and can see why people like it, the weather is certainly more agreeable there. However, there are fewer feelings better than coming back to New York after being away.

01) Drive Like Jehu - Here Come the Rome Plows: Felt quite lucky to be able to see Drive Like Jehu on this brief run of shows they put together, almost 20 years after their initial break up. Of course they played this song, and pretty much everything else you would want to hear! One could make a good case for them being the best post-hardcore band (I’d probably have to hand it to Fugazi, as would most).

02) Tyvek – Wayne County Roads: As everyone who reads these notes should know, Death By Audio was my favourite music venue and closed almost 2 years ago. Famous Class recently put out a 3LP set of songs from the last month the venue was open called Open Your Own Fucking Showspace. I saw Tyvek at the venue a couple of times (including this recording) and they always put on a good show.

03) Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Bottled in Cork: Here’s another track from Open Your Own Fucking Showspace, I think it had been some time since Ted Leo & the Pharmacists had played (he often plays solo), and they were one of the surprise guests when Screaming Females played.

04) Hurry – Nothing to Say: I recently saw this trio from Philadelphia trio open for Nada Surf and was pretty quickly won over with their jangle-tinged tunes and the sarcastic between-song banter never hurts. Their album, Guided Meditation, was released in April and is on bandcamp for a mere $5.

05) Katy Goodman & Greta Morgan – Where Eagles Dare: Two of my favourite artists in recent years, Katy Goodman (La Sera) and Greta Morgan (Springtime Carnivore) teamed up and released a covers album called Take It, It’s Yours. Turning 10 punk/new wave songs into slow, sombre but beautiful compositions with gorgeous harmonies. The approach reminds me a little of what Mark Kozelek did with his AC/DC covers record (in spirit moreso than execution). “we walk the streets at night, we go where eagles dare, they pick up every movement, they pick up every loser, with jaded eyes and features, you think they really care?”

06) Amber Arcades – Right Now: Another band I recently saw open for Nada Surf, and after doing some more research, it’s not surprising me to find out that this song was recorded in New York, with a backing band that consists of members from Real Estate, Quilt and Kevin Morby (with Ben Greenberg producing). Amber Arcades is the moniker of Annelotte de Graaf, and her soft but sweet vocal marries perfectly with the production here. “I made my mind up long ago, The road is long and slow, So many things to leave behind, But everyone can live their lie, I’m not even sure that I don’t like mine”

07) The Jigsaw Seen – Your Mind is Like Mine: I have to admit to being slightly embarrassed that I didn’t know Jigsaw Seen have still been a pretty active band in recent years. Considering they have written one of my favourite songs of all time, My Name is Tom, from 1991, you’d think I’d keep on top of things. Regardless, I was thankful to get the chance to see them recently (and of course, they played that song), promoting their most recent album, Old Man Reverb, which has all their signature sounds and I gleefully picked it up after the show, now I just need to fill the gaping holes in my record collection.

08) Robert Forster – Pandanus: This month’s freebie-from-my-friend-Herb entry comes via Go Betweens’ Robert Forster, the album The Evangelist got a lot of plaudits upon its release in 2008, but was one of those albums that passed me by at the time. Most of the album has more of a singer-songwriter vibe, but this certainly evokes his older band. “The candle of the day, Has burnt down to wick, The candle of the night, Has not yet been lit”

09) Dusk – My Own Design: Whilst having somewhat of a meltdown being at yet another show on my own (which is probably a good 60% of the time), I was reminded why I do go to so many shows solo, because every band were fantastic. Headlined by Tenement (more from them soon), Amos Pitsch’s other band, Dusk, also played. They play a soulful take on country and have multiple harmonies while sharing lead vocals on different songs. They don’t have an album yet, but hopefully that won’t be the case for too long. This song was released on bandcamp in March. “I used to love you and I used to know why”

10) Okkervil River – Okkervil River RIP: 3 years ago Okkervil River released The Silver Gymnasium and I met Will Sheff at a record store, trying to give a compliment I said “one day you’ll release a bad album but it hasn’t happened yet!”, to which he laughed and said that sounded ominous. Having just released new album Away, his winning streak is still intact.

11) Teenage Fanclub – Hold On: I haven’t managed to see Teenage Fanclub since they played Oxford Brookes in 2002… so I was overjoyed when they announced a couple of shows here in October in support of new album Here, their first album since 2010’s Shadows. You know what you’re getting with a Fannies album, gorgeous tunes and fragile vocals, which of course they deliver in spades yet again.

12) Tenement – The Strangest Couple in Love: Tenement’s headlining set at Saint Vitus was what I imagine getting a dose of oxytocin is like. This track is from the self-titled album (which is actually more of an EP) from last year, and few bands can deliver so many great hooks in such a short space of time. “And it’s no mystery how it goes, and how it ends everyone knows”

13) American Football – You Know I Should Be Leaving Soon: Illionois trio American Football released a critically loved self-titled album in 1999, and that was that, until 17 years later when the band they will be releasing another self-titled album (due in October). I have a ticket to see them in January.

14) Preoccupations – Degraded: Preoccupations used to be called Vietcong, and despite a name change I suspect they will always be known as “Preoccupations fka Vietcong”, so changing names seems a little silly anyway. I can understand why they did it, because people look for any conceivable moment to be offended these days, but how many bands would have to change their names? Anyway, they have a new album out and it’s rather good, as you would imagine because Vietcong’s albums were good and this is the same band. “Some good ideas split in two, So solemn and melancholy, Another thing that you can do, Unwillingly for some money”

15) Explosions in the Sky – Tangle Formations: I probably hadn’t listened to Explosions in the Sky in over a decade (like most, I adored The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place), but when they announced a show at the beautiful Kings Theatre, I picked up tickets without even thinking about it. Thankfully, new album The Wilderness (their first in five years), while not exactly breaking their formula, is a breath of fresh air mostly given my distance from the band’s output. Anyway, the show was spectacular.

16) Russian Circles – Vorel: I saw Russian Circles at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco while on holiday, mostly because I wanted to go to the venue as I didn’t exactly know their music intimately. The venue is deserving of its lofty reputation, and thankfully the band were great too!

17) Cloakroom – Deep Sea Station: Opening the previously mentioned Russian Circles show were Northwest Indiana trio Cloakroom, who couldn’t help make me think we’ve finally ran out of band names. However, with elements of slowcore and heavy-shoegaze, I was a happy listener

18) Fur Helmet – Ether: Another mood saving band I’ve seen live solo was Fur Helmet, who have that reverb drenched desert psych sound down to a tee. You can get their EP for just $2 on bandcamp.

19) The Men – Lion’s Den: The Men’s latest album will be self-released (as opposed to on Sacred Bones like most of their records). The band have been playing new material for the last 18 months which has had a distinct classic rock vibe, but this track is a cross between Iggy and the Stooges and Mudhoney, which is certainly a pretty great combo. It’ll be interesting to see what direction the final product hones in on.

See you when winter hits most likely! Until next time

Peace and love - Q 

Download from http://www.mediafire.com/file/re6h5s1rk0fduh4/Q109.zip

Q#81 - December 2011 - January 2012

Please note the zip file has a password: Q81
Download link - http://www.mediafire.com/?fk28aqculjr8731

Q’s Compilations

Volume #81 – December 2011 – January 2012

Hello! Well this is my first compilation since moving to the New York and as usual with this time of year it’s a “best of” from the last 12 months. I haven’t really had a lot of time to comb through various sources to scout out albums and artists who I missed during the year, so this may seem a slightly obvious selection. I hope it’s an enjoyable compilation nonetheless, music didn’t take a backseat in 2011 but it occupied a bit less time overall with everything else going. I hope everyone had a good time over christmas and new year, I had a 4-week holiday which was quite nice! It was a shame that one of our greatest intellectuals, Christopher Hitchens, passed away in December, he will be missed for many reasons (and my inadequate tribute is here - http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/2011/12/christopher-hitchens-1949-2011.html).

Now, on to the music…

1)    The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong: The “difficult second album” syndrome seems to have skipped this band, Belong (this is the title track) is different enough from the first album to keep things interesting but is still full of sugar-sweet hooks.

2)    R.E.M. – All the Best: Unfortunately this fine band called it quits shortly after Collapse Into Now was released, I’m a bit of an REM fanboi and I certainly hope that we hear new music from them all in the future in some form (I suspect Peter Buck will keep himself the most busy of the three). The record continued the good form they had returned to along with Accelerate.

3)    Kurt Vile – Puppet to the Main: Smoke Ring For My Halo was one of those often talked about records over the course of the year (it was released in March) but I only got round to checking it out a couple of months ago. It’s a very good record and I’ll have to check out more of his stuff.

4)    Wilco – I Might: After a string of great records culminating with their best, A Ghost Is Born in 2004, Wilco have stalled a little bit for my tastes, but The Whole Love seems to be a record with a bit more to it than the previous couple. I probably should have used the opening track from the record, perhaps it will make an appearance on a future comp (though it wouldn’t have fit for time reasons, anyway).

5)    Jeffrey Lewis – Try It Again: I used Mosquito Rap last time out and wasn’t entirely sure what to use for this mix, I plumped for this simple, slightly uptempo tune which sees Jeffrey sing about one of his usual topics! A Turn in the Dream Songs may not have the immediate affect of previous album, ‘Em Are I but Jeffrey is consistently good, at worst!

6)    Tinariwen – Tenere Taqqim Tossam: I used Assouf back on my August 2010 compilation, and current album Tassili features guest performances on a few songs from Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe from TV On the Radio, which just about guarantees my business.

7)    PJ Harvey – The Words that Maketh Murder: Let England Shake netted Polly a Mercury Prize this year (I’d have given it to Anna Calvi, personally) and it’s certainly a fine album, though I don’t think it’s her best, but it’s great that she is still putting out fabulously different albums. It’s an album that requires multiple listens as many of the songs have layers that need to be taken in before you appreciate a lot of the songs.

8)    Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise: Perhaps the obvious choice from Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 but it really is a stonking tune.

9)    Puscifer – Telling Ghosts: I used The Weaver on the last comp, which I hope you liked, this song is a bit heavier and perhaps the two songs I’ve used don’t paint the whole picture of Conditions of My Parole, but they are fine songs indeed.

10) TV On the Radio – Repetition: Of course a TVotR album is going to make any “best of” that I put together, Nine Types of Light sees the band in great form though the year has been marred by the loss of Gerard Smith shortly after the record was released. I think of him as their 5^th Beatle.

11) Vivian Girls – Vanishing of Time: Recorded at the end of 2010 but released in April 2011, Share the Joy is a slightly more polished record than previous efforts, with some real bubblegum pop sprinkled in amongst the regular feisty and punky efforts.

12) The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight: The King Is Dead is a bit more of a low-key album than previous effort, The Hazards of Love, it has been criticised as being a bit too much like an R.E.M. album, which is not overly surprising since Peter Buck guests on 6 (I think) of the tracks. It’s a fine album, however.

13) Richmond Fontaine – The Escape: RF’s sprawling, story-album The High Country is certainly one of the highlights of the year, as with the last time I used a track from this album it may not work as well out of context but I’d certainly recommend it.

14) Yuck – Suck: Probably the alternative-media darlings of the year it would seem, Yuck’s self-titled debut was released early in the year and it’s always easy to forget about those once it comes to the end. Yes the record wears its influences proudly on its sleeve, but there’s still something about it that seems relevant and enjoyable today.

15) Okkervil River – We Need a Myth: While Arcade Fire continue to win the plaudits, Okkervil River continue to make better records, I Am Very Far is more layered than previous efforts and holds together remarkably well for a record that was recorded in multiple locations.  

16) Mogwai – George Square Thatcher Death Party: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will continues to see the band doing what they do very well. This must win the honour of “best song title of the year”!

17) Anna Calvi – The Devil: The best album of the year was Anna’s self-titled debut album, a really stunning record that I felt compelled to review on my blog (http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/2011/07/anna-calvi-artist-and-album-review.html).

18) Radiohead – Separator: King of Limbs may seem a bit Radiohead-by-numbers these days, but that’s still no bad thing! The record takes a while to get going but the second half of the album is very strong.

19) A Winged Victory for the Sullen – All Farewells Are Sudden: I used the leading track from this self-titled album on the last compilation and it just a wonderful, wonderful record. For fans of ambient or classical music it’s a real treat.

And that’s your lot! Rushed notes, dodgy artwork and all the usual things I’m guilty of with recent compilations. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. I’m adjusting to life here a bit more quickly than I thought I would, though we haven’t been to any gigs yet! There are a bunch of interesting ones come up so I’m sure we’ll get to some soon.

Until next time

Peace and love

Q

Q#78 - June to July 2011

Please note the zip file has a password: Q78

Download link - http://www.mediafire.com/?vv28ofslxs4c2w3

Q’s Compilations – Vol 78 – June to July 2011.

Hello! It is summer, isn’t it? Having a mad time still preparing for my visa to move to the US (interview on the 4^th, which is the last stage before point of entry), just put our house on the market for rental and then we have the simple task of finding somewhere to live in New York… I’ve also started more general blog at http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/ so please check it out if you have some time.

Anyway, this may be the last compilation I put together before the move, depends what happens. I’m running a bit late with it so the notes may be rushed, so let’s crack on with the music…

01) Fred Schneider – Whip: Produced by Steve Albini, Just Fred… is his second solo album and was released in 1996 and is full of all the abrasive and edgy guitar rock you would associate with Albini, perhaps not from the B-52s frontman himself. It’s a wonderful record though and if this doesn’t get your blood pumping them I’m not sure what will. “Your gravity keeps pulling me near, And then 40 lashes, 40 lashes from your eyes”

02) The Sorry Kisses – Sunstorms: I heard this song on 6music recently and thought it was a great slab of sugar-coated indie rock, I’m just a sucker for this kind of sound. This is from the recently released Keep Smiling album, their third album to date. “Spit in the face of those who deny, the world is bigger than you or I“

03) Beastie Boys - Say It: The Beasties finally released Hot Sauce Committee, following Adam Yauch’s cancer diagnosis in 2009 it’s great to see things moving along for the group. The album ticks all the Beastie boxes and should be a joy for any fan, not sure it will make any new ones but then you’ll know if you like them by now! “you could keep em out of service and your a complainer, you bust your ass jones like you slipped on a banana”

04) The Damned – Ignite: No particular reason but I just fancied putting this song on a mix but there’s never a bad time to throw on a Damned tune. From the Strawberries album. “My heart is beat beat beating ,like a drum, The night is in my veins we’re gonna,have some fun tonight“

05) Okkervil River - The Valley: It’s been three years since The Stand Ins and six years since their best effort Black Sheep Boy (though not to forget 2007’s The Stage Names), I Am Very Far is the band’s best effort since Black Sheep Boy in my opinion, some have said it sounds a lot like Arcade Fire but to be honest I see it as a natural progression of their own. Besides, Okkervil River have always written better songs anyway. “I hear a breeze that wheezes through the tips of the pines, where there's laughter and screaming to the rafters in the night.”

06) Meat Puppets – Orange: Lollipop is perhaps a sideways step rather than a progression from 2009’s Sewn Together which had a bit more of a confident swagger to it. The songs are a bit more sterile though this could be down to the slightly lighter tone in production, regardless of that it’s still a worthy addition to the Pups cannon. “Well, got a history. Well, got a force field. Well, want a future. Well, got a mystery.”

07) The Posies - The Glitter Prize: Released in 2010, Blood Candy comes 5 years since previous album Every Kind of Light (though that was 7 years after Success so they are becoming more prolific!) and is a much more dynamic album though it does not reach the heights of their best work like Frosting on the Beater. “it’s starting to snow, And I wanna know when it covers the ground, So send me a message, show me a sign, Radiate in time to the shimmering sound”

08) Bob Dylan - Lonesome Day Blues: Bob recently hit his 70^th birthday so I asked on Facebook what song I should put on my next mix (from what I had) and this song had the most votes. I don’t normally listen to Love and Theft, admittedly, I usually grab for Time out of Mind if I’m in the mood for more modern (comparatively…) Bob (Lovesick could be my favourite Dylan song). This is one of his more bluesy numbers, a genre I don’t tend to care for in general but it’s nice to throw in the odd curveball once in a while. “Leaves are rustlin’ in the wood—things are fallin’ off the shelf, You gonna need my help, sweetheart, You can’t make love all by yourself”

09) The Maytals - Night and Day: And here’s another curveball for you all, I’ve always said that reggae can suffer from the same problems as blues, in that if you listen to too much at once they can start to sound a bit samey. But I think it’s easier to scratch under the surface of reggae and unearth some real gems and my main source for such diversion is the Soul Jazz 100-500% Dynamite series. The Maytals influence cannot be exaggerated, of course.

10) The Impressions - My Deceiving Heart: My birthday was on the 13^th of June and one gift I received was This is My Country / The Young Mods Forgotten Story two-albums-on-one-cd package, I’m a big fan of Curtis Mayfield but didn’t really know all that much by The Impressions. Both records are incredible, this song is from Young Mods… and is just about as good as it gets.

11) Ann Peebles - Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness: Ann has been an amazing discovery for me over the last year and in particularly the album Straight from the Heart, I’m amazed this song hasn’t turned up in a Tarantino movie. “old man trouble Stop knockin’ at my door, You used to be a good friend of mine, Let me tell you hang around me no more”

12) PJ Harvey - All and Everyone: Let England Shake is yet another fine release from Polly and is another left-turn in terms of style, while some of the album retains the more ethereal vibe of White Chalk the overall sound and execution is vastly different. She still remains the best live singer I’ve seen. “Death was in the ancient fortress, shelled by a million bullets from gunners, waiting in the copses with hearts that threatened to pop their boxes, as we advanced into the sun death was all and everyone.”

13) Slowdive – Rutti: I’d wanted to put this song on a compilation for years but kept having to drop it for either time constraints or just vibe, this time I was not deterred, however. Pygmalion was released in 1995 and turned out to be the final Slowdive album. I love the slow build up and all the dreamy sounds.

14) Henryk Gorecki - Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Cantabile: A recent online discussion on classical music led me to Symphony No 3, which absolutely blew me away. I’d heard some of it without realising it since it’s used as background music for a documentary I watched about Auschwitz (just some light entertainment a while back…) but it was the first movement which really had a profound effect on this listener. It’s a slow build up and I realise it might not tickle many taste buds for those that download this but give it a go.

As usual I hope there’s something for everyone on here, please do give me feedback as I so rarely hear anything.

Peace and Love, see you on the other side

Until Next Time

Q