Shannon’s Fiat: Jeff’s 2017 Summer Songpile

Here we go again: best batch of songs that came my way from April through June. The title was chosen several months back…and now I can’t remember specifically what it referred to in the source…except that it’s Claude Shannon, not some woman named Shannon, and it’s a done deal, not an Italian sports car. (Timings refer to start times in the segued music file.)

Part 1:

1. Flock of Dimes “Potential” 0:00
2. Dario Slavazza “Work Out” 4:42
3. Jay Som “Turn the Other Cheek” 8:34
4. Drinks “I Am a Miserable Pig” 11:36
5. Menace Beach “Maybe We’ll Drown” 15:59
6. Courtney Barnett “How to Boil an Egg” 19:33
7. North Collins “Wake Up” 23:23
8. Angel Olsen “Fly on Your Wall” 26:17
9. Filthy Friends “Any Kind of Crowd” 29:46
10. Julian Cope “Ballad of King Plank” 32:58
11. Cindy Lee “A Message from the Aching Sky” 35:38
12. She-Devils “The World Laughs” 38:34
13. Eric Harvey “When I Burn My Masterpiece” 42:20

Part 2:

1. Suuns “Native Tongue” 0:00
2. Vinyl Williams “Ode to Eternal” 4:17
3. Slowdive “30th June” 8:07
4. Annie Hardy “Want” 15:16
5. Bob Mould “Eternally Fried” 20:03
6. The Mike Benign Compulsion “The League of Professional Celebrities” 23:34
7. Okkervil River “Denomination Blues” 26:10
8. Midnight Sister “Leave You” 32:33
9. OFO the Black Company “Allah Wakbarr” 34:54
10. Ora Cogan “The Light” 38:18
11. Sparks “Hippopotamus” 42:12
12. The Grateful Dead “Days Between” 45:03

So Long, Pink Floyd Wright: Jeff’s 2017 covers mix #1

So here we go again: the most interesting covers that have come my way during the first half of 2017. Each half is a continuously segued mix, sequenced with excruciating care.

Part 1:

1. Filthy Friends “Editions of You” (Roxy Music) 0:00
2. Yachts “There’s a Ghost in My House” (R. Dean Taylor) 2:57
3. Electric Peanut Butter Company “Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac) 5:59
4. Horace Andy “Straight to Hell” (The Clash) 8:58
5. The Flamin’ Groovies “River Deep, Mountain High” (Ike & Tina Turner) 14:08
6. Lulu “Surprise, Surprise” (Rolling Stones) 18:05
7. R. Stevie Moore & Jason Falkner “Don’t You Just Know It” (Huey ‘Piano’ Lewis & the Clowns) 20:22
8. Sam Cohen “Get Happy” (Arlen/Koehler—Ella Fitzgerald) 23:55
9. Dylan Gardner “Massachusetts [Dragonetti remix]” (Bee Gees) 26:04
10. Bun E. Carlos ft. Robert Pollard “Idea” (Bee Gees) 29:34
11. Wilco “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello) 32:32
12. The Sadies “Wasn’t Born to Follow” (The Byrds) 36:34
13. Cody Jinks “Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd) 38:58

+ two mashups…one “live,” one studio

Part 2:

1. Greg Kihn Band “For You” (Bruce Springsteen) 0:00
2. Tobin Sprout “My Back Pages” (Bob Dylan) 3:53
3. The Mavericks “A World Without Love” (Peter & Gordon—Lennon/McCartney) 6:58
4. Fassine “That Wave” (XTC) 1036
5. Wave Mechanics Union “Heart of the Sunrise” ft. Lydia McAdams (Yes) 14:49
6. Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld “Hey Hey, My My” (Neil Young & Crazy Horse) 24:42
7. Buke and Gase “Dress” (PJ Harvey) 30:19
8. Susanna Hoffs “Take Me with U” (Prince) 33:26
9. The High Llamas “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” (The Smiths) 36:50
10. Lida Husik “Good Times Roll” (The Rutles) 40:40
11. Cracker “Loser” (Grateful Dead) 44:35
12. Chris Cornell “A Day in the Life” (The Beatles) 50:23

The Only Gospel Monkey Known! Jeff’s Spring 2017 Songpile

Random good songs that came my way during the first three months of 2017… As usual, these are arranged in musical order with no relation to any sort of ranking, etc. Each file is one big mp3, segued to flow smoothly:

Part 1:

1. The Spires “Beautiful Cellophane” (0:00) (Thanks to John Andrew Fredrick (The Black Watch) for bringing this band to my attention!)
2. Japanese Breakfast “Everybody Wants to Love You” (2:31)
3. Tele Novella “Heavy Balloon” (4:41)
4. Benoit Pioulard “The Sun Is Going to Explode but Whatever It’s OK” (7:54) (thanks to Dave Walker for this!)
5. Radiohead “Lozenge of Love” (10:17)
6. Great Ytene “Locus” (12:29)
7. Jack Frost “Angela Carter” (17:16) (Grant McLennan and Steve Kilbey, if you didn’t know)
8. Anthony Phillips “We’re All as We Lie” (21:56)
9. Weyes Blood “Seven Words” (26:30)
10. Jay Som “1 Billion Dogs” (31:04)
11. Slowdive “Star Roving” (33:47)
12. Telekinesis “Vermilion Night” (39:22)
13. Pixx “I Bow Down” (43:40)

Part 2:

1. The Creation “Tom Tom” (0:00)
2. Overlake “Winter Is Why” (2:53)
3. Dead Leaf Echo “Strawberryskin” (8:22)
4. Princess Jesus “Emma, the Demons Are Real” (12:57)
5. Diagrams “Wild Grasses” (16:28)
6. Bill DeMain “Leroy Boy” (19:19) (“sequel” to Todd Rundgren’s “We Gotta Get You a Woman”)
7. Yachts “Now I’m Spoken For” (22:42) (terribly neglected wonderful late-seventies/early-eighties band)
8. Tris McCall “Take Me to the Waterfall” (25:43) (New Jersey local hero…with a huge, geographically based project at mccallsalmanac.com)
9. Carl Newman “Our Nero” (29:10)
10. Nick Hakim “Bet She Looks Like You” (32:14)
11. Paul McCartney & Elvis Costello “Tommy’s Coming Home” (36:00)
12. Califone “When the Air Runs Out in Yr Gold Elevator” (40:07) (what other bastard would have a gold elevator?)

Stone: Jeff’s 2016 Covers Mix #2

A mix in two parts – each a continuous, segued playlist – of fun covers that have come my way during the second half of 2016. (The first covers mix was Wax.)

Part 1

1. The Bangles “Open My Eyes” (The Nazz/Todd Rundgren cover) 0:00
2. The Chemistry Set “We Luv You!” (Rolling Stones cover) 2:55
3. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (Velvet Underground/Lou Reed cover) 6:35
4. The Church “I Am a Rock” (Simon & Garfunkel cover) 12:24
5. Alex Vissia “Sundown” (Gordon Lightfoot cover) 14:34
6. Hem “Radiation Vibe” (Fountains of Wayne cover) 17:59
7. The Meters “Birds” (Neil Young cover) 21:43
8. The Belle Brigade “No Time to Think” (Bob Dylan cover) 26:04
9. Walter Martin “Breaking Glass” (David Bowie cover) 34:06
10. Anton Barbeau “Love Me Do” (Beatles cover) 37:00
11. Xiu Xiu “Into the Night” (Julee Cruise/Angelo Badalamenti/David Lynch cover) 39:32
12. The Sorry Shop “Elizabeth Colour Wheel” (Lilys cover) 44:39
13. Shearwater “Kick in the Eye” (Bauhaus cover) 51:53

Part 2

1. The Chronics “I’ve Got Levitation” (13th Floor Elevators/Roky Erickson cover) 0:00
2. The Blue Aeroplanes “Outdoor Miner” (Wire cover) 2:41
3. Caustic Resin “Hold Your Head Up” (Argent cover) 5:24
4. Guided by Voices “Underwater Moonlight” (Soft Boys/Robyn Hitchcock cover) 8:28
5. Robert Plant “Song to the Siren” live version (Tim Buckley cover) 14:33
6. Okkervil River “Anthem” live 11/11/16 (Leonard Cohen cover) 19:41
7. Sonic Youth “I Know There’s an Answer” (Beach Boys cover) 25:45
8. Lee Ranaldo and the Dust “You Just May Be the One” (Monkees/Mike Nesmith cover) 28:47
9. Karin Krog & Dexter Gordon “Ode to Billie Joe” (Bobbie Gentry cover) 30:55
10. Breakfast in Fur “Cripple Creek Ferry” (Neil Young cover) 39:11
11. Permanent Clear Light “Cymbaline” (Pink Floyd cover) 42:24
12. The Raveonettes “The End” (Doors cover) 45:49

…and a bonus track…

Caricature: Jeff’s Winter 2016 Songpile

Another pile of songs, in this case, from those that wended their way to me over the last three months of 2016. It’s called Caricature (this year’s titles’ sources ought to be pretty obvious by now), and as has been my recent practice, each half is a single, cleanly segued sound file. Here’s what’s on them:

Part 1

1. The Gods Themselves “Tech Boys” (0:00)
2. Dutch Uncles “Big Balloon” (4:06)
3. Franz Ferdinand “Demagogue” (7:21)
4. Genders “Life Is But a Dream” (9:55)
5. David Bowie “No Plan” (14:19)
6. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam, featuring Kelly Zutrau “1959” (live at pitchfork.tv) (17:56)
7. Sam Phillips “Candles and Stars” (23:12)
8. Cherry Glazerr “Told You I’d Be with the Guys” (28:15)
9. Tenement “Witches in a Ritual” (32:47)
10. Heavy Heart “Teenage Witch” (35:43)
11. The March Divide “Go to Sleep” (39:58)
12. Sam Kogon “Something’s Wrong” (43:08)
13. Ex Reyes “Bad Timing” (48:09)

Part 2

1. Phil and Lu “Oh, My My” (0:00)
2. The Sadies “Riverview Fog” (4:29)
3. Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift “Life Is Change” (7:20)
4. Robert Pollard “Drinker’s Peace” (10:46)
5. Sun Angle “Drink the Moon” (12:58)
6. Corner Suns “Borrowed Time” (16:04)
7. Ty Richards “Spaceman” (18:44)
8. Washington Hebrew “Ima Try” (22:50) (a/k/a Michael Kentoff from The Caribbean)
9. Kodacrome “Oh, You Two” (26:22)
10. Mac McCaughan “Whatever Light” (31:16)
11. Ian Hunter “Dandy” (34:33)
12. Daughter “The End” (39:10)

 

 

 

That Was Patrol. This Is the War. (Jeff’s 2016 albums songpile)

Here’s a selection of tracks from my 30 or so favorite albums released during 2016 (as usual, I exclude compilations, live albums, or EPs): That Was Patrol. This Is the War. I sequenced the songs for musical effect, with no relation to their overall ranking (which, as also usual, is very sketchy…). The links are to two large, continuous playlists (the parenthetical numbers indicate where a track begins).

Part 1

1. A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead “Burn the Witch” (o:00)
2. Stay Being Holophrase “Alligatron” (3:39)
3. Hold/Still Suuns “Fall” (7:29)
4. Preoccupations Preoccupations “Anxiety” (10:33) (band formerly known as Viet Cong)
5. Clear Shot Toy “We Will Disperse”(15:00)
6. Animal Races Cool Ghouls “Spectator”(19:04)
7. Death of the Cool Cotton Mather “Close to the Sun” (23:14)
8. Innocence Reaches Of Montreal “Gratuitous Abysses” (26:46)
9. Magic Act Anton Barbeau “High Noon” (30:53)
10. Post Pop Depression Iggy Pop “Gardenia” (34:26)
11. Forever Sounds Wussy “Dropping Houses” (38:37)
12. A Coliseum Complex Museum The Besnard Lakes “Golden Lion” (42:51)
13. Heron Oblivion Heron Oblivion “Your Hollows” (46:35)
14. A Tighter Knot Squarewave “Stay Away” (52:39)
15. Jet Plane and Oxbow Shearwater “Pale Kings” (57:48)

Part 2

1. Starting Point of the Royal Cyclopean ESP Ohio “A Much Needed Shot in the Arm” (0:00)
2. You Know Who You Are Nada Surf “Out of the Dark” (2:23)
3. Look Park Look Park “Aeroplane” (6:03)
4. Commontime Field Music “Disappointed” (10:19)
5. Blackstar David Bowie “Dollar Days” (13:23)
6. Human Performance Parquet Courts “Keep it Even” (18:07)
7. Crab Day Cate Le Bon “I Was Born on the Wrong Day” (20:52)
8. Bedlamist Statuesque “Till the Last Lash” (23:07)
9. Utopia Defeated D.D Dumbo “The Day I First Found God” (25:17)
10. Schmilco Wilco “Shrug and Destroy” (28:47)
11. Away Okkervil River “Comes Indiana Through the Smoke” (31:34)
12. I Had a Dream That You Were Mine Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam “The Morning Stars” (36:19)
13. Good Times! The Monkees “Me & Magdalena” (40:04)
14. Star Treatment Wovenhand “Come Brave” (43:33)
15. My Woman Angel Olsen “Woman” (47:35)

Top-ranking albums:

• Blackstar David Bowie
• Commontime Field Music
• Heron Oblivion Heron Oblivion
• Hold/Still Suuns
• My Woman Angel Olsen
• Preoccupations Preoccupations
• Starting Point of the Royal Cyclopean ESP Ohio
• Star Treatment Wovenhand
• Stay Being Holophrase

Almost-top-ranking albums:

• Animal Races Cool Ghouls
• Away Okkervil River
• Bedlamist Statuesque
• Clear Shot Toy
• A Coliseum Complex Museum The Besnard Lakes
• Crab Day Cate Le Bon
• Death of the Cool Cotton Mather
• Forever Sounds Wussy
• Human Performance Parquet Courts
• I Had a Dream That You Were Mine Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
• Innocence Reaches Of Montreal
• Jet Plane and Oxbow Shearwater
• Look Park Look Park
• Magic Act Anton Barbeau
• Metal Frames Split Single (late addition!)
• A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead
• Post Pop Depression Iggy Pop
• Schmilco Wilco
• A Tighter Knot Squarewave
• Utopia Defeated D.D Dumbo

Next: The Blackberry Train James McCartney, case/lang/veirs case/lang/veirs, A Corpse Wired for Sound Merchandise, Going Down in History Waco Brothers, Incidental Lightshow The Armoires, Is The Is Are DIIV, M:FANS John Cale, Masterpiece Big Thief, New Skin CRX, New View Eleanor Friedberger, Of Course You Are Robert Pollard, On the Slide The Figgs, Please Be Honest Guided by Voices, Pretty Years Cymbals Eat Guitars, Puberty 2 Mitski, Sunlit Youth Local Natives, Teens of Denial Car Seat Headrest, Tween Wye Oak, Unseen The Handsome Family, The Wonderful Shapes of Back Door Keys The Prophet Hens.

And still quite good: Adore Life Savages, Around the House Chook Race, Blanco David Bazan, Caught in the Darkness Trolley, Everything You’ve Come to Expect The Last Shadow Puppets, Happiless Happiless, Here Teenage Fanclub, Hitch The Joy Formidable, Icy Red The Zags, If You See Me, Say Yes Flock of Dimes, Life in the Dark The Felice Brothers, Minor Victories Minor Victories, Painting With Animal Collective, Rolling Disclosure The Paranoid Style, Scobberlotchers Momus, The Ship Brian Eno, Solid States The Posies, Unnecessary Evil The Lees of Memory, Weaves Weaves, Wyatt at the Coyote Palace Kristin Hersh.

Honorable mention: Are You Serious Andrew Bird, Emotions and Math Margaret Glaspy, Not to Disappear Daughter, Patch the Sky Bob Mould, Rock n Rills Used Cassettes, Tired of Tomorrow Nothing, Void Beats/Invocation Trex Cavern of Anti-Matter.

Some good EPs: Blind Spot Lush, Future Present Past The Strokes, Life & Levity Man Is Not a Bird, Nocturnal Koreans Wire, Oooze Shmu, Ritual Spirit Massive Attack, Six Seasons Allen Clapp.

If I haven’t mentioned a record, either I haven’t heard it, thought it was only okay, or it was really totally utterly awful and how dare you even suggest it’s any good.

Corinthian: Jeff’s Fall 2016 Songpile

Here are 25 songs that came my way from July through September – the “songpile” mixes compile songs that are not from albums I own. They might be new, they might be old…doesn’t matter. As always, these are ordered by musical logic, and many tracks segue in the playlists.

Part 1

1. Grand Champeen “The Sound That Made My Year” 00:00
2. The Mike Benign Compulsion “The Best Years of Our Lives” 02:53
3. The Posies “Tomorrow We Are Not Alone” 06:07
4. McCarthy “Frans Hals” 08:34
5. Morgan Delt “I Don’t Wanna See What’s Happening Outside” 11:43
6. The Lemon Twigs “These Words” 15:39
7. Eros and the Eschaton “The Way I Feel 2Nite” 19:19
8. Radar Eyes “Community” 23:01
9. Overlord “Mission to Mars” 26:41
10. Les Calamités “Toutes les Nuits” 29:45
11. Jacques Dutronc “Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi” 32:33
12. The Tripwires “Drawing a Blank” 35:24
13. AJJ “American Garbage” 38:26

Part 2

1. Cosmonauts “Party at Sunday” 00:00
2. Band Aparte “Cherry Chapstick” 05:18
3. Cotton Mather “The Army” 09:46
4. River Whyless “All Day All Night” 13:48
5. Magic Potion “Cheddar Lane” 17:17
6. Heaters “Centennial” 20:07
7. Acrylics “Keeper Finder” 24:17
8. Halycine “Circles” 27:58
9. Wildhoney “Horror Movie” 31:48
10. Half Waif “Nest” 34:59
11. Field Music “How We Gonna Get There Now?” 38:50
12. Jay Som “I Think You’re Alright” 41:04