Sparkling Monster: Jeff’s first covers mix of 2019

The semi-annual roundup of various and sundry fab covers that have made their way pleasingly past my eardrums over the past six months…

Part One:

1. Pete Shelley “Think for Yourself” (Beatles cover, Yellow Submarine Resurfaces ‘Mojo’ compilation, 2012) 0:00
2. Bob Mould “I Don’t Mind” (Buzzcocks cover, single, 2019) 2:34
3. The Rain Parade “When You Smile” (The Dream Syndicate cover, 3 x 4 compilation, 2019) 4:51
4. The Changelings “Riverman” (Nick Drake cover, Brittle Days: A Tribute to Nick Drake, 1992) 11:13
5. Cary Grace “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (Bob Dylan cover, Covers Volume I, 2018) 15:34
6. The Kariannes “Every Word Means No” (Let’s Active cover, “This Song Is a Cure” single b-side, 2019) 21:58
7. Ohmme “Give Me Back My Man” (The B-52’s cover, single, 2019) 24:48
8. The Hot Rats “The Lovecats” (The Cure cover, Turn Ons, 2016) 29:01
9. Human Sexual Response “A Question of Temperature” (Balloon Farm cover, In a Roman Mood, 1981) 31:58
10. Channels “Always Winter, Never Christmas” (XTC cover, single, 2016) 34:45
11. Astral Drive “A Dream Goes On Forever” (Todd Rundgren cover, Love Is Real, 2018) 37:33
12. Beck with Feist “Tarantula” (Colourbox/This Mortal Coil cover, Roma (soundtrack), 2019) 39:53
13. Tanya Donelly “The Law” (Leonard Cohen cover, Swan Song Series Bonus Tracks, 2016) 43:36

Part Two:

1. Mavis Piggott “Out of the Blue” (Roxy Music cover, Dream Home Heartaches…: Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music compilation, 1997) 0:00
2. Stephen Malkmus “Death and the Maiden” (The Verlaines cover, Under the Influence: 21 Years of Flying Nun Records compilation, 2002) 4:28
3. Fanny “Ain’t That Peculiar” (Marvin Gaye cover, single, 1972) 8:52
4. Gary Lucas & Nona Hendryx “Tropical Hot Dog Night” (Captain Beefheart cover, The World of Captain Beefheart, 2017) 12:51
5. The Fernweh “Sunrise” (The Who/Pete Townshend cover, Sunsighs [single], 2019) 17:10
6. Chrissie Hynde “Caroline, No” (Beach Boys cover, Valve Bane Woe, 2019) 20:22
7. LCD Soundsystem “Seconds” (The Human League cover, Electric Lady Sessions, 2019) 25:06
8. Spiraling “Bye Bye Love” (The Cars cover, Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars compilation, 2005) 30:12
9. The Associates “Boys Keep Swinging” (David Bowie cover, The Affectionate Punch, 1979) 34:01
10. The Sour Notes “Cuttooth” (Radiohead cover, This Is Not Our Music (Covers LP), 2018) 37:40
11. Johnny Cash “Heart of Gold” (Neil Young cover, Unearthed, 2003) 43:04
12. Richard Thompson “Woodstock” (Joni Mitchell/Crosby, Stills & Nash cover, An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell concert, 2000) 45:52

+ 49:37

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Predicate Evasion (Jeff’s Summer 2019 Songpile)

MOAR NOIZ!!

part the first:

1. David Bowie “Mother Grey” [demo] (0:00)
2. Ralph McTell “Michael in the Garden” (2:55)
3. Courtney Barnett “Everybody Here Hates You” (7:17)
4. Last Dinosaurs “Dominos” (11:24)
5. Randy Van Warmer “Convincing Lies” (14:50)
6. Kit Sebastian “Mantra Moderne” (18:20(
7. The Belbury Circle with John Foxx “Forgotten Town” (21:52)
8. Sasami “Jealousy” (25:51)
9. Joyero “Salt Mine” (29:25)
10. Cream Vellum “Tiger Song” (33:47)
11. Paula Carino “Flying Dream” (36:36)
12. The Thermals “No Culture Icons” live on Pitchfork TV (39:39)
13. Omni “Delicacy” (41:53)

part the second:

1. Robyn Hitchcock “Take Off Your Bandages” (0:00)
2. Salt “Miracle Soul Pow[d]er” (5:57)
3. Tancred “Underwear” (10:23)
4. RVG “Alexandra” (13:41)
5. Yohuna “Mirroring” (17:42)
6. The Woolly Bushmen “Dense” (19:50)
7. J. Robbins “Un-Becoming” (22:46)
8. DoubleVee “Ladder for the People” (26:07)
9. Morrissey “I Thought You Were Dead” (29:19)
10. Lloyd Cole “Violins” (32:11)
11. They Owe Us “Robots” (38:46)
12. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich “The Sun Goes Down” (42:16)

A Falling Start (Spring 2019 Songpile)

Once again…a selection of 25(ish) songs, old or new, that most captured my attention during the first three months of 2019. Each half is painstakingly sequenced and segued…

part 1:

1. Monday Machines “Ruined Morning” (0:00)
2. Amanda Shires “Eve’s Daughter” (4:29)
3. Jealous of the Birds “Plastic Skeletons” (7:34)
4. Listening Center “Driveway” (10:43)
5. Charlie Looker “Golden Flesh” (15:13)
6. The Black Watch with Julie Schulte “Julie” (20:33)
7. Frank Turner “1933” (24:13)
8. The Orielles “Old Stuff, New Glass” (27:17)
9. Johnny Marr “Armatopia” (31:48)
10. Matt LeMay “Sagittarius Song” (35:26)
11. Dropkick “Out of Tune” (37:53)
12. Loose Wing “Moving Blankets” (41:01)
13. Charms Against the Evil Eye “Where Are the Living?” (44:02)

part 2:

1. Addison Love “Endless” (0:00)
2. The Good Life “Album of the Year” (2:44)
3. Victor Krummenacher “Blue Pacific” (7:54)
4. Jess Ribeiro “Chair Stare” (11:48)
5. Phil and the Osophers “Endeavour” (14:19)
6. Vampire Weekend “Harmony Hall” (18:08)
7. Ulrika Spacek “Lord Luck” (23:14)
8. Jeff Jagielo “The Other Side” [demo] (28:38)
9. Gold Connections “Turn” (34:20)
10. Hand Habits “Placeholder” (36:56)
11. Liela Moss “Moon” (40:41)
12. Kyle Craft “The Rager” (43:59)

+ 47:35

2018 Albums: ‘…And the Same Thing Goes for Christmas!’

So, in past years I’ve carefully gone over potential top-album selections, relistening to them, trying to figure which ones ranked in which tier, etc…. This year, I realized…you know, all such tierings end up changing three months later anyway, so if I haven’t listened to some record enough to really get a read on it, well, that’s just the way it is.

So I just went with my first impressions.

I made a playlist representing the top 30 such albums…and again, I made things easier on myself: when no one song leapt out at me as the best choice, I chose either the album’s opening track or its most-played track on Spotify.

Here’s the (unranked, ordered instead by musical flow) songpile for those 30 albums:

part one:

1. Paul Smith “Hollywood Hills” Diagrams (0:00)
2. The Dodos “Forum” Certainty Waves (3:43)
3. Preoccupations “Espionage” New Material (7:10)
4. Jorge Elbrecht feat. Tamaryn “Here Lies” Here Lies (11:34)
5. The Joy Formidable “Y Bluen Eira” Aaaarth (15:48)
6. Kristin Hersh “LAX” Possible Dust Clouds (18:50)
7. The Black Watch “Dances for Sad Footsteps Slow” Witches! (22:34)
8. Superchunk “What a Time to Be Alive” What a Time to Be Alive (30:26)
9. Guided by Voices “Ark Technician” Space Gun (34:11)
10. The Spires “Stereo Images” Obscured View (36:27)
11. Amy Rigby “Playing Pittsburgh” The Old Guys (39:09)
12. Richard Thompson “The Storm Won’t Come” 13 Rivers (42:44)
13. Jonathan Wilson “Trafalgar Square” Rare Birds (48:44)
14. Elvis Costello & the Imposters “Mr. & Mrs. Hush” Look Now (55:06)
15. Courtney Barnett “Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack of Self Confidence” Tell Me How You Really Feel (58:50)

part two:

1. Thom Yorke “Suspirium” Suspiria: Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film (0:00)
2. Mitski “Geyser” Be the Cowboy (3:19)
3. Lucy Dacus “Night Shift” Historian (5:39)
4. The Rock*a*Teens “Billy Really” Sixth House (12:08)
5. Suuns “Watch You, Watch Me” Felt (17:01)
6. Miss Rayon “Red Plum” Eclipse (22:54)
7. Mike Viola “King Kong Hand” The American Egypt (28:21)
8. Father John Misty “Hangout at the Gallows” God’s Favorite Customer (33:39)
9. Dirty Projectors “That’s a Lifestyle” Lamp Lit Prose (38:34)
10. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks “Solid Silk” Sparkle Hard (42:56)
11. Wye Oak “It Was Not Natural” The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs (47:29)
12. Yo La Tengo “You Are Here” There’s a Riot Going On (51:29)
13. Lake Ruth “VV” Birds of America (57:05)
14. Speedy Ortiz “Lucky 88” Twerp Verse (1:01:20)
15. Neko Case “Last Lion of Albion” Hell-On (1:04:27)

The next tier of albums (sorry no playlist…):

• The Breeders All Nerve
• Hop Along Bark Your Head Off, Dog
• Gretchen’s Wheel Black Box Theory
• Melody’s Echo Chamber Bon Voyage
• Peter Holsapple Game Day
• Gwenno Le Kov (probably the only record on this list sung entirely in Cornish…)
• Caroline Says No Fool Like an Old Fool
• Field Music Open Here
• The Goon Sax We’re Not Talking

Another batch of still really good records (many of which might score higher if I redid this list in a month):

• Franz Ferdinand Always Ascending
• Menace Beach Black Rainbow Sound
• Johnny Marr Call the Comet
• The Moles Code Word
• Crystales Crystales
• Low Double Negative
• Paul McCartney Egypt Station
• Albert Hammond Jr. Francis Trouble
• The Beths Future Me Hates Me
• The Decemberists I’ll Be Your Girl
• Interpol Marauder
• Anton Barbeau Natural Causes
• Necessary Animals Necessary Animals
• Momus Pantaloon
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra Sex & Food
• The Chills Snow Bound
• The Orange Peels Trespassing
• Of Montreal White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood
• Sam Phillips World on Sticks

Some fine EPs/singles (which I rank separately):

• Andy Partridge Apples & Oranges
• Boygenius Boygenius
• Wussy Getting Better
• New Boss No Breeze
• The Black Watch Paper Boats
• The Spires To Complicate Matters

Stuff that arrived too late for me to really have an opinion on:

Gold Connections Popular Fiction; They Might Be Giants My Murdered Remains; The Monkees Christmas Party; Cary Grace Covers Volume 1.

Even looking at the remaining 2018 titles I acquired, I see a few that might end up making a stronger impression…along with a few disappointments. There were also some fun reissues, compilations, live albums…the ongoing Residents reissues, the first three Wire albums, the Posies’ Geffen albums, and of course another in the ongoing series of David Bowie box sets…

 

 

 

 

 

Answers Are a Prison for Oneself (covers mix 2, 2018)

Twenty-five of the more interesting covers that came my way during the second half of 2018. Some of them are new, some of them are elderly but had not yet introduced themselves to me until this year.

As usual, the links are to the giant, carefully segued songfiles, much preferred over Sporkifying it track by track…

Here, the listing o’ the tracks:

part one:

1. Andy Partridge “Humanoid Boogie” (‘Apples & Oranges’ double single, 2018—Bonzo Dog Band cover) (0:00)
2. Plainfield “I Feel Love” (demo, 2018—Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder cover) (3:57)
3. Joaquín Pardinilla “The Inner Light” (Homenaje 50 Aniversario: The Beatles, 2010—Beatles cover) (9:52)
4. Morrissey “Back on the Chain Gang” (single, 2018—The Pretenders cover) (14:40)
5. Love Spit Love “How Soon Is Now” (The Craft: Music from the Motion Picture, 1996—The Smiths cover) (18:29)
6. Esperanza Spalding “If You Can See Me” (Spotify Singles, 2018—David Bowie cover) (22:50)
7. Jonathan Wilson “La Isla Bonita” (Through the Wilderness: A Tribute to Madonna, 2007—Madonna cover) (25:34)
8. Beth Orton, with the Chemical Brothers “I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain” (single, 2018: recorded late ’90s and unreleased—Tim Buckley cover) (30:09)
9. Wussy “Ceremony” (single, 2018—New Order cover) (33:41)
10. Fight Amp “Too Much Paranoias” (split single with Black Tusk, 2012—Devo cover) (37:55)
11. The Meatmen “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama” (Dr. Demento Covered in Punk, 2018—Frank Zappa cover) (39:45)
12. The Mountain Goats “Bridge of Sighs” (Aquarium Drunkard Lagniappe Session, 2018—Robin Trower cover) (43:18)
13. Father John Misty “Everything Is Free” (Spotify Singles, 2018—Gillian Welch cover) (47:04)

part two:

1. They Might Be Giants “Starry Eyes” (‘Dial-a-Song’ series, 2015; reissued on My Murdered Remains, 2018—The Records cover) (0:00)
2. Velvet Chain “Sour Times” (Warm, 1997—Portishead cover) (3:23)
3. The Hot Rats “Bike” (Turn Ons, 2010—Pink Floyd cover) (6:02)
4. Elvis Costello “Someone Else’s Heart” (single, 2018—Squeeze cover) (8:43)
5. Nightmare and the Cat “Baby’s on Fire” (video for Keith magazine, filmed 2011—Brian Eno cover) (12:15)
6. Superchunk “Total Eclipse” (‘Our Work Is Done’ single, 2018—Klaus Nomi cover) (17:08)
7. Jorge Elbrecht “Almost” (single, 2017—Orchestral Manœuvres in the Dark cover) (20:06)
8. Lena Hall “Exit Music (For a Film)” (Obsessed, 2018—Radiohead cover) (23:43)
9. The Band Geeks with Tom Brislin “South Side of the Sky” (YouTube video, 2017—Yes cover) (27:54)
10. Kiah Victoria and Postmodern Jukebox “Such Great Heights” (YouTube video, 2015—The Postal Service cover) (36:22)
11. Slings & Arrows “The Model” (Marry the Disparate Parts, 2018—Kraftwerk cover) (40:18)
12. Johnny Cash “No Expectations” (Gone Girl, 1978—The Rolling Stones cover) (43:40)

Plant Ice, Harvest Wind (2018 Winter Songpile)

Once again it’s time for a collection of most-liked songs that have come my way in the last few months… This one’s called Plant Ice, Harvest Wind:

part one:

1. The Caribbean “The Seventeenth Century” (single, 2018) (0:00)
2. Brian Eno with Kevin Shields “The Weight of History” (single, 2018) (4:03)
3. Rachel Eckroth “Strangest Dream” (When It Falls, 2018)(12:35)
4. Courtney Barnett “Charity” (Spotify Singles, 2018) (19:16)
5. Viv Albertine “Confessions of a MILF” (The Vermilion Border, 2012) (23:14)
6. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever “Talking Straight” (Hope Downs, 2018) (28:43)
7. Jess Ribeiro “Love Is the Score of Nothing” (single, 2018) (32:23)
8. Crepes “As You Go” (In Cahoots, 2018) (36:05)
9. Le SuperHomard “Dry Salt in Our Hair” (Maple Key, 2016) (40:05)
10. Alex Lilly “Pornographic Mind” (2% Milk, 2018) (42:59)
11. Royal Canoe “Peep This” (Waver, 2018) (46:30)
12. Lost Cousins “Stay” (single, 2018) (50:45)
13. Fawns of Love “Mournful Eyes” (single, 2019) (53:58)

part two:

1. Dollshot “Swan Gone” (single, 2018) (0:00)
2. Boygenius “Salt in the Wound” (Boygenius, 2018) (3:51)
3. Swervedriver “Drone Lover” (single, 2018) (7:59)
4. Tears for Fears “Call Me Mellow” (Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, 2004) (12:14)
5. The Wheel Workers “Desire” (Post Truth, 2018) (15:48)
6. Hen Ogledd “Problem Child” (single, 2018) (20:18)
7. Illiterate Light “Growin’ Down” (single, 2018) (25:25)
8. Karla Kane “Goodguy Sun” (single, 2018) (29:36)
9. Ian Sweet “Question It” (Crush Crusher, 2018) (33:42)
10. Magic Potion “Shock Proof” (Endless Graffiti, 2018) (37:39)
11. The Wild Swans “English Electric Lightning” (The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years, 2011) (40:46)
12. Amy Rigby “Tom Petty Karaoke” (single, 2018) (46:37)

Put a Little Starch in the Old Corvette: Jeff’s Fall 2018 Songpile

The usual riff-raff of riffery, raffishness, and a raft of…something or other: I give you, lovingly assembled with random precision but hopefully not wearing out its welcome…Put a Little Starch in the Old Corvette:

part 1:

1. Lauren Balthrop “Don’t Ever Forget” (This Time Around, 2018) (0:00)
2. Jerry Paper “Your Cocoon” (single, 2018) (3:32)
3. The Caribbean “Vitamin Ship” (single, 2018) (6:19)
4. The Wrens “Three Types of Reading Ambiguity” (2015 demo) (10:02)
5. Courtney Barnett “Pickles from the Jar” (single, 2017) (18:31)
6. The Paranoid Style “Absolute Cadavers” (split single with Wussy, 2018) (21:14)
7. The Joy Formidable “The Better Me” (single, 2018) (25:44)
8. Dead Man Ray “Woods” (Trap, 2000) (29:26)
9. Ulrika Spacek “I Don’t Know” (The Album Paranoia, 2016) (33:59)
10. Polyphemus “The Strange High House of Mist” (Stonehouse, 1995) (38:35)
11. Wussy “New American Standard” (split single with The Paranoid Style, 2018) (44:30)
12. Nik Freitas “Rita Starpattern” (Day & Dark, 2018) (49:06)
13. King Who “Ice Cream” (Giant Eye, 2018) (52:15)

part 2:

1. Robert Scott “Too Early” (single, 2010) (0:00)
2. The Wheel Workers “White Lies” (Post-Truth, 2018) (2:53)
3. Astronauts, Etc. “Symbol Land” (Living in Symbol, 2018) (6:22)
4. White Noise “Love Without Sound” (An Electric Storm, 1969) (9:26)
5. Earl Slick with Robert Smith “Believe” (Zig Zag, 2003) (12:30)
6. You Tell Me “Clarion Call” (single, 2018) (16:06)
7. Lana Del Rey “Mariners Apartment Complex” (single, 2018) (20:05)
8. Lost Cousins “City Escape” (single, 2018) (24:07)
9. Magic Potion “Shock Proof” (Endless Graffiti, 2018) (27:38)
10. Belly “Shiny One” (Dove, 2018) (30:44)
11. Sam Phillips “Zero Zero Zero” live (Live @ Largo at the Coronet, 2018—recorded 2013) (36:04)
12. Richard Shindell “Fishing” live (Courier, 1994) (40:03)
13. + (44:35)