Friday Music Day

Friday Music Day: December 20, 2013

35 Comments

Numbered list day:
1. Just not getting into Christmas music this year. And I'm OK with that.
2. Vampy Weeks is #1 in P4k, but only #3 in Spin. Ye is #1 in Spin and #2 in P4k. I would have guessed the other way around.
3. This isn't an invite to discuss the best of the year's music yet. For those wanting to make lists and whatnot, I've get my eyes set on Jan 3, to make sure that Beyoncé doesn't drop another new album on New Year's Eve at 5pm.
4. But mostly because I need to get my thoughts in order on it.
5. I spent a lot of the year listening to old records that I hadn't tried out in a long time or was trying for the first time, and exploring a certain prolific noise artist's catalogue, but didn't really sit with a lot of new stuff.
6. Is that what middle age is like?
7. Whoa that got contemplative. Save it for the Year-End list write-up, dude.
8. Regarding #5: I remembered yet another album that should have been on my Desert Island 20 40: Barry Adamson's As Above So Below. Hard to accurately describe, but it's a concepty album about sin and death, in a I've listened to Adamson's prior albums and sampled his works since and they just don't work this well. Even listening to one or two songs from it doesn't do the overall jazz-club/noir/cinematic score/vibes/rock type thing the same as listening to the whole album. Does it help anyone if I mention that Adamson was at one time a Bad Seed (Nick Cave band)? I highly recommend everyone this side of Cheaptoy give it a spin.
9. Also regarding that DI20 business: turns out I actually own Cash's AR V on CD. I must have purchased that right before our move 3 years ago because of the box I found it in. I would definitely pick AR over V for my desert island. The highlight on V seems to be "God's Gonna Cut You Down". which would work as a title on that Adamson album is the same traditional song as that which Moby used for his "Run On" off Play, which was ruined for me by Moby's 18. So one more thing that the awful I felt from 18 spread to and infected.
T. Should I have ten things in this list? I don't think I need to.

35 thoughts on “Friday Music Day: December 20, 2013”

  1. 1. I Can't Keep From Talking -- Golden Smog -- Weird Tales
    2. Girls Talk -- Elvis Costello -- Get Happy!!
    3. Surrender -- Cheap Trick -- Live At Budokan
    4. Dark End Of The Street -- The Flying Burrito Brothers -- Gilded Palace of Sin
    5. Top Dollar -- Whiskeytown -- Faithless Street
    6. Boys Will Be Boys -- Gear Daddies -- Let's Go Scare Al
    7. Still Suspicion Holds You Tight -- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -- Howl
    8. Honky Tonk Blues -- Hank Williams -- 40 Greatest Hits
    9. You Can't Be Too Strong -- Graham Parker -- Squeezing Out Sparks
    10. Yahweh -- U2 -- How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

    B1. Deep One Perfect Morning -- The Jesus & Mary Chain -- Darklands
    B2. You're Just A Baby -- Belle & Sebastian -- Tigermilk

    Note:
    2. Surprised this wasn't a mega smash hit for E.C.
    3. "This next one is the first song on our new album...."
    7. BOMC's Howl should have found a place on my DI20 list
    9. Squeezing Out Sparks should be in everyone's album collection

    Funny, on Saturday I add 140 GBV songs to my collection and the result is for the first time in weeks a GBV/Pollard related song doesn't pop up.

      1. I have Beat the Devil's Tattoo and I like it, but I also don't have any of their other music to compare it to.

      2. Their pre-Howl stuff they were Jesus and Mary Chain wannabe's. Their stuff after How is hit and miss, generously leaning toward the hit side.

      3. My friend and I played "Six-Barrel Shotgun" from Take Them On, On Your Own on our radio show basically every week. That's the only song of theirs I ever really got into. But what a song it is.

  2. 1. Vampire Weekend “Hochata” Contra
    2. Low “Four Score” The Invisible Way
    3. Nine Inch Nails “Gave Up” Broken
    4. Pan Sonic “Riimu (Halter)” Kesto (234.48:4) (Disc 1)
    5. Kraftwerk “Expo2000” (Radio Mix) Expo Remix

    6. Aaron Dilloway “The Rubber Mask” Modern Jester c30
    7. Roni Size/Reprazent “Heroes” (Kruder Long Loose Remix) Replica — The Remix Album
    8. OutKast “Mainstream” ATLiens (Clean Version)
    9. Tricky vs. the Gravediggaz “Tonite Is a Special Nite” (Chaos Mass Confusion Mix) The Hell E.P.
    T. Shannon Funchess, Emily Roysdon, and the Knife “Stay Out Here” Shaking the Habitual

    B. Ice Cube “Who Got the Camera?”* The Predator

    *Notes:
    B. I love the opening of this song, looped clips of movie dialog (I assume) at changing speeds better than the song itself:
    "See if there's a black and white that can do a drive by."
    "People are gonna have to die on this one." "Long as it ain't me or Ed, I don't give a $H!+, just part of the job."
    "Are you resisting arrest?"
    "I haven't beaten anyone this bad in a long time."
    I wonder if that inspired Eric Copeland's "Alien in a Garbage Dump".

      2. Yeah, I was surprised that their new album is getting the year-end accolades. Those first two albums have a great slew of songs:
        Horchata, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Cousins, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Walcott.
        Neither really quite congeals into great albums for me though; both drag on the B-sides, but in different ways.
        VW sounds too unpolished (and they need polish). Contra just gets too sleepy and might be overpolished.
        I just found MVotC too static and unvaried. Could really use a Cousins or Horchata uptempo hooky thing.

        1. I will completely agree with the "too static" assessment. That said, some of those static notes are really really good.

        2. uptempo hooky thing.

          I would argue that Dyin'Diane Young would've changed your mind.

          MVotC is going to be high up the list, for sure. So many excellent songs.

  3. It's time! Desert Island Christmas list:

    Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity - John Rutter
    no one does vocal arrangements better than Rutter

    The Andy Williams Christmas Album -- Andy Williams
    Christmas doesn't officially start until the opening strains of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" hits the airwaves

    Mannheim Steamroller Christmas -- Mannheim Steamroller
    #1 Christmas album of all time; we were listening to Chip Davis' Fresh Aire albums in college, so it was a treat when he took on Christmas songs; A Fresh Aire Christmas would be a fair swap for this one, too

    A Nu-view Christmas -- Tom Stacy
    The premier english horn soloist around; I love his different takes on favorite carols. Probably my favorite Christmas CD.

    A Charlie Brown Christmas -- Vince Guaraldi
    The pitch problems of one of the boys in the chorus almost kills this for me; thank God there are lots of wonderful instrumental tracks

    ReGeneration Christmas in Velvet -- Derric Johnson's Vocal Orchestra
    parents had this one growing up; very nostalgic

    A Canadian Brass Christmas -- The Canadian Brass
    one of several of their Christmas CDs that I have

    Christmas in Brass -- The Salvation Army Brass
    I have their CDs from 2007 - 2010; a friend attends the annual get-together and brings back their CDs as presents to the brass ensemble that I'm in -- very nice!

    December -- George Winston
    beautiful seasonal piano music

    Messiah (highlights) -- The Academy of Ancient Music
    Hallelujah!

    some favorite seasonal songs:
    "Skating" by Vince Guaraldi
    "The First Noel" by Tom Stacy
    "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"
    "Of the Father's Love Begotten"
    "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Derric Johnson's Vocal Orchestra
    "Silent Night" by Keith Emerson
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrjzAkXk96M

    1. Hmm... Generally speaking, I'm more of a Christmas singles kind of guy, since whole albums can lose their charm. But:

      Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
      The Classic.

      Burl Ives - Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
      Mrs. CH said it best – this is as close as it gets to having Santa sing you Christmas tunes.

      Johnny Cash - Christmas with Johnny Cash
      Just a great compilation of the best of Johnny Cash's Christmas stuff.

      Jacob Miller & Inner Circle - Natty Christmas
      Christmas reggae.

      Willie Nelson - Pretty Paper
      For when the holidays feel too happy.

      Various - A Christmas Gift for you from Phil Spector
      Darlene Love alone makes this a must-have.

      Leon Redbone - Christmas Island
      Leon's duet with Dr. John on "Frosty the Snowman" is a favorite, but this entire album generates smiles and good cheer.

      Louis Armstrong & Friends - What a Wonderful Christmas
      Ain't no Christmas without Satchmo.

      Various - Where Will You Be Christmas Day?
      Old blues, hillbilly, sacred harp, early jazz, and preachin' originally recorded on 78s.

      and - you knew this was coming -

      Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart
      I like Christmas music best when it's from the heart, a little off-key, drenched in a little liquid cheer, and backed up with a phenomenal band.

  4. From my Pandora stations:
    1. Johnny Hartman Bidin' My Time
    2. Band Of Horses Our Swords*
    3. Arcade Fire Keep The Car Running*
    4. Damien Jurado Sheets^
    5. The Joy Formidable All This Promise

    6. Cascada He's All That
    7. Imogen Heap First Train Home*
    8. Pearl Jam Daughter*
    9. John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman My One And Only Love*
    10. Ry Cooder Take On Me Boomer's Story^^
    B. Beyoncé Naughty Girl

    *Song or album is also in my library/disc collection
    ^Hadn’t heard Mr. Jurado before this morning, but Sheets was pretty good. I’ve always been a fan of the ‘singer/songwriter’ type so I’m surprised I’ve never heard him before. A quick search produced this:
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLiZ0jCzpdA

    ^^Another new one that caught me. Guitar work, man.
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4KmbUCwkyE

  5. "Lets Go Crazy" - Prince
    'Theres a Million Ways to Sing the Blues' - The Features Exhibit A
    'No Matter What' - Badfinger No Dice
    'Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves' - The Little Willies For the Good Times
    'Ramble On' - Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II

    'Black Gold' - Soul Asylum Grave Dancers Union
    'Excitable Boy' - Warren Zevon Excitable Boy
    'Fats Domino' - The Features Wilderness
    'Staring at the Sun' - U2 Pop
    'Skateaway' - Dire Straits Making Movies

    1. Worse U2 album: Pop or No Line on the Horizon? I think I'd have to go with Pop by a nose. Certainly it's the most forgettable.

      1. I like a lot of songs on Pop(If God Would Send His Angels, Staring at the Sun, Last Night on Earth, Wake Up Dead Man), but the album suffers from being 3 or 4 songs too many. I might have listened to No Line... 10 times (???), I tried to like to but never clicked and I cant remember any songs from that album besides the overplayed 'Get on Your Boots'

  6. Pandora list today:

    1. "Climbing The Walls" - TMBG - The Else
    2. "Can't Help Falling In Love" - Elvis Presley*
    3. "Slide Away" - Oasis - Definitely Maybe
    4. "Iris" - The Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up The Girl*
    5. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits - It's Frightening
    6. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana - Nevermind*
    7. "I Summon You" (Demo) - Spoon - Gimme Fiction
    8. "California Girls" - The Beach Boys - Today/Summer Days (And Summer Nights!)*
    9. "Crazy" - Patsy Cline*
    10. "Cast No Shadow" - Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?*
    B: "Australia" - The Shins - Wincing The Night Away*

  7. 01. Judas Priest - "The Rage", British Steel
    02. Meshuggah - "Sane", Chaosphere
    03. Skyclad - "Halo Of Flies", The Silent Whales Of Lunar Sea
    04. Nevermore - "The Lotus Eaters", Dreaming Neon Black
    05. King Diamond - "Upon The Cross", House Of God
    06. Dream Evil - "Break The Chains", Evilized
    07. Bolt Thrower - "K-Machine", Honour Valour Pride
    08. The Sanctuary - "Soldiers Of Steel", Refuge Denied
    09. In Flames - "Dead God In Me", The Jester Race
    10. Symphony X - "Paradise Lost", Paradise Lost

  8. 1. "Shout 'Em Aunt Tilly"--Chris Barber's Jazz Band--The Best of Chris Barber's Jazz Band
    2. "I Do It For You"--Bryan Adams--So Far So Good
    3. "Naked Gun"--Mike Vax--Bigbandjazz.net
    4. "James River Blues"--Old Crow Medicine Show--Big Iron World
    5. "Tiny Dancer"--Elton John--Madman Across the Water
    6. "Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel--Bridge Over Troubled Water
    7. "Rock This Town"--Stray Cats--Built for Speed
    8. "The Ash Plant Set"--Dervish--Playing With Fire
    9. "Life in the Fast Lane"--Eagles--Greatest Hits Vol. 2
    10. "Linus and Lucy"--Vince Guaraldi--Greatest Hits

  9. My music player has a bit of a stutter, but it was an enjoyable list all the same.

    1. "Sound the Bells" Dessa Parts of Speech
    2. "I Was Cruel" Caitlin Rose The Stand-In
    3. "Adinat" Bombino Nomad
    4. "Skeleton Key" Dessa Parts of Speech
    5. "Niamey Jam" Bombino Nomad
    6. "At the Carnival" Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Animal!
    7. "Raining in Darling" Bonny "Prince" Billy I See a Darkness
    8. "Another Day Full of Dread" Bonny "Prince" Billy I See a Darkness
    9. "Tiniest Seed" Angel Olsen Half Way Home
    10. "Everything Is Borrowed" The Streets Everything Is Borrowed

  11. I've mostly been listening to stuff from this year that I missed, trying to figure out what my top 20 is. Around June, I thought that I was going to have a hard time finding 20 worthy albums, now I'm having a hard time narrowing it to that many.

        1. I'll get it posted sometime around the New Year. 20 tracks from 2013 (averaging over 6 minutes a track, so you know it's really me), some you've probably heard, some you maybe haven't.

Comments are closed.