Tunesday Confessions

[Davey]

What did you listen to in the last week? Here's my steaming pile....

Spoon - Girls Can Tell (near-perfect fusion of Elvis Costello and Wire, with just a hint of Kurt Cobain and Pavement-style indie rock - shoulda gone double platinum and been the subject of one of those silly VH-1 specials)
Tracy Chapman - Matters of the Heart (still my personal fave of Ms. Chapman)
Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (before they were platinum MTV darlings, they were even better)
Songs:Ohia - Didn't It Rain (maybe the best Neil Young album in the last decade ;))
Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum
The National - Cherry Tree (5 brilliant songs may not make a career but it sure makes for a freakin' great EP - plus a couple bonus tracks that don't suck)
David Kilgour - Frozen Orange (David Kilgour music doesn't get much better than this, and that means it must be one damn fine album)
The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat (still my favorite of 2004 - wacky, entertaining, fun, literate, melodic, and oh so seriously good)
Arcade Fire - Funeral (some of the initial glow may be wearing off, but this is still one fine debut album with lots of Bowie influence)
Califone - Roomsounds (junk drawer country-folk-blues classic)
The Honeydogs - 10,000 Years (who wants sci-fi rock operas in 2004? everybody should when they're this good)
The Notwist - Neon Golden (modern indietronica classic and that's no fooling)
The Reindeer Section - Son of Evil Reindeer (still new but liking this more all the time - just a bit too twee sometimes but pretty good overall)

[Troy]

Neil Finn- Try Whistling This
Andy West- Rama 1
Japan- Obscure Alternatives
BradH's -Texas Clubland comp
Brian Eno- Before and After Science

I made this in between those:
http://www.designshed.com/toonage/TwoFour.mp3

[mad rhetorik]

Have a few new albums...

Bad Religion's <b>Against The Grain</b>, melodic hardcore punk that I dig immensely. Stiff Little Fingers' <b>Inflammable Material</b>--I've heard "Suspect Device" and "Alternative Ulster" many times before and wanted to see if the rest of the album is worthy (it is). Thelonious Monk's <b>Brilliant Corners</b> with Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford, and Max Roach. Brilliant.

And now for industrial: Skinny Puppy's <b>Too Dark Park</b>, awesome and creepy industrial dance. Ministry's <b>A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste</b>, excellent industrial-metal crossover. Not quite as heavy as <b>Psalm 69</b> but a bit better in my opinion.

Finally have a real copy of McClusky's <b>Do Dallas</b> that isn't a burned reproduction. Awesome, of course.

[Dusty Chalk]

Fabric 17 from Akufen is a microsample masterpiece -- flows like gravel.

Mouse on Mars, Radical Connector isn't my favourite Mouse on Mars album, but I like it better than Rost Pocks. That's not to say it's bad, it isn't. Sways and staggers and grooves like Matthew Dears best moments at points, but the surprisingness of it is the incorporation of vocals (!). All over it. Still digesting.

Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat -- liked this one so much, I picked up another album by them that was on sale at Tower for like US$10. It really appeals to my appreciation of MPD-driven musics. I really disagree that it flows, but that's not a bad thing.

Did you guys know that Helmet came out with a new album? I haven't picked it up yet.

Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Halo Star -- their best in years. More male vocals than usual.

Joseph Arthur, Redemption's Son -- not as dark as the sample on the website that someone posted over at AA, so therefore not as good, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Oz Fritz, All Around The World -- sounds a little bit like someone's DAT after a trip to various indiginous places. But since it's produced by Bill Laswell, it's good.

Emperor, Scattered Ashes -- I need to get me some more Emperor. This stuff rawx!

Múm, Summer Make Good -- easily my favourite work by these guys, just gets better with every listen. Will probably make my year-end list.

Interpol, Antics -- meh, I expected better. Maybe after time I'll like it more, whence my disappointment wanes.

T. Raumschmiere, Radio Blackout -- medigs!

Lots of Piazzolla -- simply gorgeous music.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Every once in a while I let a psuedo random number generator choose my next album, which I did a few times this week. The picks usually lead to other albums that the randomly selected album reminds me of...

The River - Bruce Springsteen; I've owned this album for about two years after buying it used, never actually listened to it until this week, it was OK, but why is the recording quality so crappy? Led me to a favorite in a similar style Mink Deville's Cabretta

The Best of John Lee Hooker; another one I've had for a while but never listened to, at least attentively, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It led to Muddy Waters - Folk Singer perhaps the best sounding slice of vinyl I own.

Other random selections...

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Crawfish Fiesta - Professor Longhair
Blue Lines - Massive Attack
Signing Off - UB40; Great album Madam Medusa on 45 rpm sounds un-beee-freakin-lievable
The Argument - Fugazi

And others ...

McLusky do Dallas
Harmonium
Meddle (side 1 only) - Pink Floyd
Red Apple Falls - Smog
It’s A Wonderful Life - Sparklehorse
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV on the Radio
De Stijl - White Stripes
Shine A Light - The Constantines

Thanks to the generosity of a certain someone who hangs out here, I got to listen to Steve Wynn's Here Come the Miracles, thanks Bill, yours is in the mail. Got some other goodies too, that I haven't had a chance to cue up just yet. Just a note to Bill; though I live in Quebec we are still in Canada, no customs declaration is needed when mailing here. ;)

Also got Nobody's most excellent reggae comp which got a couple of spins this week too. Thanks.

[Jim Clark]

Listen up, take some notes and go listen to some darn samples 'cuz I listened to better toons than all you yahoos combined. Ha, a lot of you schlubs are the reason I had a superior week in music so thank God for you all.

Comps-KEXPMF's two comps plus Jdaniels most excellent Judy Bats comp. Also pulled out Jar's Nightmare music comp primarily due to Halloween's proximity.

Two Lone Swordsmen-Dark electro rock that I loved straight away. Good call Nobody

Reindeer Section-Ya'll Get Scared Now, Ya hear? Snow Patrol, Arab Strab, Mowagi and more are all represented here on this very fine disc. If you like Snow Patrol, these RS discs are essential.

Interpol-Antics. Just awesome. Sure their best songs seem to follow a very similar formula. I'd also agree that the singing is done in a fairly monotone style that can make a lot of the songs sound similar. Still, if you like the formula this is a hard album to dismiss. I'll give it a hearty rec. here and now. First listen was underwheming. IN fairness I was on the eliptical with stock portable headphones. About the 3-4 spins it was familiar enough to really, really get into.

The National-Cherry Tree. Already making some waves, deservingly so. I love this disc.

Ella Guru-Just got it so I've only played it twice and know absolutely nothing about it but I like it a lot. This one will be bouncing around a bit more I would think before it's all said and done.

And yet another incredible disc that just made a transatlantic flight-Razorlight-Up All Night. Mike says this is one of the hotter up and comers from the UK. I can see why. This has hogged a lot of playing time in the past 24 hours. Incredible album.

The Thorns- Self titled release as promised it sounds very much like America that was always a favorite of mine back in the day. Georgeous harmonies and excellent sounding guitar work. Not sure how much it will get played yet since I've only had a limited amount of time with it and that was all in the truck. I'm thinking it will sound incredible on a better set up.

Television-Marquee Moon. Late to the party only having the self titled '92 release from this band. I can see why it's a staple.

Stan Ridgway-Snakebit. Want a close to perfect evening? Sit in the comfiest chair in the house and play this disc and reread Troy's book.

Libertines-new
Delirium-new
Devision-new
Reindeer Section-2'nd
and many more rounded out the best listening week of the year. Thanks y'all.

jc

[-Jar-]

Have a few new albums...


And now for industrial: Skinny Puppy's <b>Too Dark Park</b>, awesome and creepy industrial dance. Ministry's <b>A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste</b>, excellent industrial-metal crossover. Not quite as heavy as <b>Psalm 69</b> but a bit better in my opinion.




I remember being slightly let-down by PSALM. I think we were all expecting another miracle and just got another decent album, which, I know, it's a LOT to expect any band to 3-peat. But I was young and jaded and expected the world from the bands I liked. LAND and MIND were just both so amazing that I think anything would have been a let down for me. Plus, to be honest, the formula was starting to wear. How many MAJOR industrial albums came out between 1987 and 1991? It's almost impossible to say, but it wouldn't that far off to say <i>most</i> of them. PSALM was the continuation of a party that I had started to lose interest in.. but I have to admit, seeing them at Lollapalooza II was pretty intense!

TOO DARK PARK is fantastic.. I would venture to say it's their peak. After they wandered a little too close to making a Ministry album with RABIES ("Tin Omen" is the best song Ministry never recorded), it was nice to hear them do something truly unique, original and groundbreaking with TOO DARK PARK. I had a huge poster of the freaky album art in my dorm room.. And even with the next one, LAST RIGHTS was awesome as well.. What a 1-2 knock out punch those two records made.. Of course, CLEANSE and VIVISECT are a killer pair as well.. ok suffice to say SP were amazing. Now, do I put the new album on my wish list?

-jar

[tentoze]

Comp spinning after I got back to Vegas to find the mailbox full:

Davey's Down The Road Again- all winners, some more than others- Richmond Fontaine is excellent; I have Big B's tracking it down for me.

Nobody's reggae comp- cued this one up Saturday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it- a killer.

Jar's Piano One- some damn fine tunes on this one as well- didn't hit the skip button once. The Elysian Fields cuts are particularly good. And the Radar Bros. tune made me think I need to go back and listen to the only cd I have of theirs, which didin't do much for me when I picked it up last year some time.

New-to-me: Devendra Banhart's Nino Rojo- excellent, excellent, excellent; maybe even better than Rejoicing In The Hands.

Red House Painters- a 2 cd retrospective, 1 of the cd's is live-rare-outtakes, the other is a best-of from their career. Just freaking great music.

[Davey]

all winners, some more than others
Hehehe, I think that's the most diplomatic thing anyone has ever said about one of my comps - I gotta borrow that line :)


Richmond Fontaine is excellent; I have Big B's tracking it down for me.
Yeah, I've got a feeling you're gonna love that one. It's got the Swish Baby seal of approval too (not always a good thing - but in this case it's golden ;))

[Pat D]

Dire Straits: On Every Street. Vertigo 510 160-2.

Trumpet Music from the Italian Baroque (Fantini, Vivaldi, Alberti, Scarlatti, Caldara, Torelli, Stradella, Albinoni, Corelli, and Bendinelli). John Wallace, trumpet; Simon Wright, The Philharmonia Orchestra. Nimbus NI 5079.

Mozart: symphonies Nos. 34, 41, and Idomeneo Overture. Georg Tintner, Symphony Nova Scotia. Naxos 8.557239. Tintner Memorial Edition, Vol. 7.

Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 and 3, Vocalise. Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra. 2 CDs. Sony SB2K 63257. This is a sonically refurbished reissue of recordings made in 1959, 1960, and 1967, very well done. The classic set.

The Best of Baroque: Handel, Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Bach. Pinnock, The English Concert. Archiv 419 410-2. This has a great recording of Handel's Water Music, Bach's Orchestral Suite no. 3, Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 and other good stuff.

Debussy and Ravel: String Quartets. Quartetto Italiano. Philips 420 894-2. This is surely one of the best recordings of these two works.

Colonial Diversions: Orchestral Miniatures by Grainger, Lilburn, Benjamin, and Coulthard. Georg Tintner, Symphony Nova Scotia. Naxos 8.557244. Tintner Memorial Edition, Vol. 12.

Parkening Plays Bach. Christopher Parkening, guitar. EMI Angel CDC-7 47191 2.

[Dave_G]

Triumvirat - Sparticus

The Who - Quadrophenia

Pallas - The Cross and the Crucible - man oh man I just think this album is incredible

Yes - Talk - on lp for crying out loud. Sounds pretty good, actually.

Steely Dan - Aja and Gaucho - on MFSL cd. Excellent.

Van Halen - 1984

Wall of Voodoo - Dark Continent - thanks to Troy & his cdr making ability I can enjoy this obscure title on cd. This is an excellent raw disc chock full of great stuff.

Clepsydra - alone. Good prog.

ELP - Trilogy - you know, I like this band but they dabble too much with symphonic stuff for me to really get into, except Brain Salad Surgery.

Ric Ocasek - Beatitude. Great synth pop stuff.

The Flower Kings - Stardust we Are. Good. I especially like their artwork on this set.

Peace, Love, Dove.

Dave

Oh yeth, also Heavy Horses and Going for the One.

[Mr MidFi]

As some of you know, I'm an REM fanboy from way, way, way back...so I was all too happy to make a store trek for "new releases Tuesday" today and pick up the new one. It'll take at least 10 listens before I have a real opinion, so I'll let you know. But so far, so good.

Also picked up a disc for 2 cents (2 cents!) called "Borders Rock Essentials" with songs from The Clash, The Byrds, Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Uncle Tupelo, Cheap Trick and more. Hey, the price was right.

Played the new one from Los Lobos a few times. It's a 7-song all-covers EP...with pretty good songs originally by Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, The Blasters and more. The highlight for me was a right-between-the-eyes rendition of Richard Thompson's "Shoot Out the Lights." Overall...about what you'd expect.

I also came across a used copy of the Best of Sessions from West 54th . Decent songs, but somewhat disappointing performances in some cases. Worth it for the Ani DeFranco, David Byrne and Lou Reed cuts.

I was going to buy the Franz Ferdinand disc, but they wanted 18.99 for it. And that's just freakin' insane.

[audiobill]

Have a few new albums...

Bad Religion's <b>Against The Grain</b>, melodic hardcore punk that I dig immensely. Stiff Little Fingers' <b>Inflammable Material</b>--I've heard "Suspect Device" and "Alternative Ulster" many times before and wanted to see if the rest of the album is worthy (it is). Thelonious Monk's <b>Brilliant Corners</b> with Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford, and Max Roach. Brilliant.

And now for industrial: Skinny Puppy's <b>Too Dark Park</b>, awesome and creepy industrial dance. Ministry's <b>A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste</b>, excellent industrial-metal crossover. Not quite as heavy as <b>Psalm 69</b> but a bit better in my opinion.

Finally have a real copy of McClusky's <b>Do Dallas</b> that isn't a burned reproduction. Awesome, of course.

Very fearful...very factorial....very heavy.

[audiobill]

Every once in a while I let a psuedo random number generator choose my next album, which I did a few times this week. The picks usually lead to other albums that the randomly selected album reminds me of...

The River - Bruce Springsteen; I've owned this album for about two years after buying it used, never actually listened to it until this week, it was OK, but why is the recording quality so crappy? Led me to a favorite in a similar style Mink Deville's Cabretta

The Best of John Lee Hooker; another one I've had for a while but never listened to, at least attentively, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. It led to Muddy Waters - Folk Singer perhaps the best sounding slice of vinyl I own.

Other random selections...

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Crawfish Fiesta - Professor Longhair
Blue Lines - Massive Attack
Signing Off - UB40; Great album Madam Medusa on 45 rpm sounds un-beee-freakin-lievable
The Argument - Fugazi

And others ...

McLusky do Dallas
Harmonium
Meddle (side 1 only) - Pink Floyd
Red Apple Falls - Smog
It’s A Wonderful Life - Sparklehorse
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV on the Radio
De Stijl - White Stripes
Shine A Light - The Constantines

Thanks to the generosity of a certain someone who hangs out here, I got to listen to Steve Wynn's Here Come the Miracles, thanks Bill, yours is in the mail. Got some other goodies too, that I haven't had a chance to cue up just yet. Just a note to Bill; though I live in Quebec we are still in Canada, no customs declaration is needed when mailing here. ;)

Also got Nobody's most excellent reggae comp which got a couple of spins this week too. Thanks.

Hope you'll get some time to check out the fall colours in the Eastern Townships -- one of my best driving trips, ever; mental note, to self........try to visit Quebec at least once a year.
You're welcome good buddy,
Bill

[Troy]

Wall of Voodoo - Dark Continent - thanks to Troy & his cdr making ability I can enjoy this obscure title on cd. This is an excellent raw disc chock full of great stuff.

Oh yes, awesome album!

[Jim Clark]

Oh yes, awesome album!
yup and I don't have that on CD either. Troy was kind enough to fix me up years ago. Of course I do have the LP but the CDs are going for 80 bucks if you can find one cheap on Ebay.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Hope you'll get some time to check out the fall colours in the Eastern Townships -- one of my best driving trips, ever; mental note, to self........try to visit Quebec at least once a year.
You're welcome good buddy,
Bill

The Laurentians will have to do....headed there this weekend. Eastern Townships is a little too far, as I live 200 km west of Montreal. Lovely area though.

Listening to Daisies of the Galaxy right now...AWESOME. I'll be checking more Eels albums ASAP. The song playing now reminds me of Beck. Thanks again.

[BarryL]

Neil Finn- Try Whistling This
Andy West- Rama 1
Japan- Obscure Alternatives
BradH's -Texas Clubland comp
Brian Eno- Before and After Science

I made this in between those:
http://www.designshed.com/toonage/TwoFour.mp3


I think you're getting this GarageBand thing down pat, now. Before you know it, you'll be a musician too!

I found out when I returned from SF that a whole pile of my CDs are missing. I don't know if they were stolen from my office, or I just misplaced them. I'm voting for stolen right now, except, who would even know these bands to steal them: Camel. Grobschnitt, Neal Morse, ELP, Triumvirat, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Tony Levin, Nektar, and more I'm sure. That's what makes me think that I took them home at some point but now can't find them. They didn't take Starcaste, Pat Metheny, U.K., Thomas Bodin, Karmakanic, Yes, Zappa, Djam Karat, Ageness, Anthony Phillips, Jethro Tull, Roy Harper, Ian McDonald, David Sylvain... It's bugging the **** out of me as to where they are. It burns me that they're missing, but I don't want to replace them now only to find them later. Of course, some of the missing CDs have since been remastered, so there is an opportunity here to upgrade!

[Davey]

I'll be checking more Eels albums ASAP...
<img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00000DF6N.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align=left hspace=10> Forgive me for butting in, but a picture is often worth at least a dozen or so words. Electro-Shock Blues - 1998 LP featuring guest appearances by Lisa Germano, T-Bone Burnett, Grant Lee Phillips and Jon Brion. Also released as a 4-sided blue 10" vinyl gatefold LP. This is the one that'll keep you up late listening in the dark, way past your bedtime. Invite other suggestions but buy this one, especially if you can scrounge that gatefold LP ;)

[Stone]

Brian Wilson - SMiLE
I enjoy this quite a bit, but I wish he had never finished it, leaving the myth and lore intact -- or alternatively, if he finished it, used his original recordings.

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin’

Green Day - American Idiot

The Faint - Wet From Birth

A Flock of Seagulls - Platinum & Gold Collection

The Features - Exhibit A

Orchestra Baobab - Pirates Choice (disc 2)

Short Music For Short People

INXS - Listen Like Thieves

The Posies - Frosting On the Beater

Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat

A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder

[chrisnz]

Mostly I've been getting my head aroud Davey's - Down The Road Again comp which has lots of good tchoons on it.

Nina Nastasia - Dogs. A rerelease of her first album which is verrry good.
m83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. Post Rock minus the guitars which I've only listened to a couple of times.
The Libertines - the Libertines
Papa M - Hole Of Burning Alms
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

[audiobill]

<img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00000DF6N.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align=left hspace=10> Forgive me for butting in, but a picture is often worth at least a dozen or so words. Electro-Shock Blues - 1998 LP featuring guest appearances by Lisa Germano, T-Bone Burnett, Grant Lee Phillips and Jon Brion. Also released as a 4-sided blue 10" vinyl gatefold LP. This is the one that'll keep you up late listening in the dark, way past your bedtime. Invite other suggestions but buy this one, especially if you can scrounge that gatefold LP ;)


Cool cover!!

The cover I'm familiar with is the large-eyed facial shot, with the blue&white photography.

"Souljacker", I believe, is their most under-appreciated album -- shame, because it's one of their best, and most experimental, imho.