55 thoughts on “Friday Music Day: Ides of August”

  1. * Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. - Out of Time
    * Hand of Doom - Black Sabbath - Paranoid
    * I Should Have Known - Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
    * The Turnaround - The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
    * Plays Wagner 10 - Indignant Senility - Plays Wagner
    * Something I Can Never Have - Nine Inch Nails - Still
    * Countdown - Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
    * Coma Mirror - Sunn O))) - Angel Coma
    * Pepper - Butthole Surfers - Electric Larryland
    * Section II - Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble - Music for 18 Musicians (S. Reich)

    1. * Pepper - Butthole Surfers - Electric Larryland

      I am a pretty huge fan of the Surfers (shocker, I'm sure) and it's weird how lately I tend to listen to Electric Larryland more than almost anything else. I think I wore myself out on their earlier material maybe? But I always felt the album was just okay growing up and now I'm quite fond of it. It's aged well.

      What I really wish, though, is that I had a computer around with After the Astronaut. It's really too bad it got scrapped since it was a far better album than The Weird Revolution. A promo copy of it leaked on the internet years ago and I listened to it a ton. This was probably like 6 or 7 computers ago, though, so it's long gone.

      2. Also, "Pepper" was one of the few songs that I listened to in high school that my mom admitted to liking. She generally listens to classical music, so it always struck me as odd.

        2. Perhaps she also was in love with Di?
          (Oh crud, I looked up the lyrics. I like imagining that it's some secret Princess Diana fan Club.)

      3. I really loved some of the Surfer's early stuff but kind of lost track of it. I saw them at the Orpheum in 1983(?) before it was restored. That was one wild ass show. I should make a playlist of my faves to have around.

        1. All I really know are:
          "Hurdy-Gurdy Man"
          "Pepper"
          "Let's Talk about Cars" ("Pepper" B-Side)
          "Who Was In My Room Last Night?"
          "Jesus Build My Hot-Rod" (and the BHS song that it came from)
          Something on the Spawn soundtrack with Moby
          Paul Leary's production of the Meat Puppets.

            1. I'm partial to "I Saw an X-Ray of a Girl Passing Gas" or "22 Going On 23." The solo at the end of "22" is my favorite ever.

  2. 1. Take a Message to Mary - Rockpile - Seconds of Pleasure
    2. Wild Wild Life - Talking Heads - True Stories
    3. I'm Not Down - the Clash - London Calling
    4. Love for Sale - Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife
    5. Changes IV- Cat Stevens - Teaser and The Firecat
    6. The Rock - the Who - Quadrophenia
    7. Miss Jamaica - Jimmy Cliff - The Story of Jamaican Music
    8. Scatterlings of Africa - Juluka - Anthology
    9. Hey Pocky A-Way - The Wild Tchoupitloulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas
    10. Talk About the Passion - REM - Mumur
    B. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You - the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night

    1. I know that Cat Stevens song well. Papa THR had Tillerman and Firecat and preteen/young teen AMR loved Firecat. I didn't know what that song's name was though.
      Plus, it was one of the songs I had from my Dad's collection that had the word "Sex" in it. (That and Simon & Garfunkle's "Baby Driver".) But Stevens meant "sex" as in Gender.

      1. Nevermind, it was "Tuesday's Dead" that had the word "Sex" in it.
        I also enjoyed the song partly in Greek, with Greek lyrics printed right there in the gatefold.

        Other connection: the title words from "If I Laugh" sound like "Italy", much as the words "had better last" do in David Gray's song "This Year's Love".

  3. I've been a huge Eno fan since the late 70's, but how did this track off of Bowie's Low slip by me? Brian's hands are all over this one.
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVY2ERXkNgY

    Also been digging The 1975 lately -- sort of a Phoenix meets Two Door Cinema feel.

    1. How did you not know that Bowie partnered with Eno for three albums in the late 70's--Low, Heroes, and Lodger? They would come to be known as The Berlin Trilogy.

      Incidentally, Bowie's roommate in Berlin was none other than Iggy Pop.

    1. Maybe if I could figure out more of the words...
      Going with "FKA twigs" as a name is pretty cool.

        1. yes, seeing as she went as "Twigs" until she learned that someone else had used the name.
          No "Twigs UK" or "Twigsoo" or "The London Twigs"
          (Charlatans, Yaz, Suede).

          It matches with the sound and lyrics, she's not twigs anymore, with no word on who she is now.
          There's an emptiness there, waiting for later self-definition. Going ahead anyways.

          I think that I like "Two Weeks" the best because of the bass throb behind it and maybe because I've paid the most attention.

  5. 1. Aphex Twin “Donky Rhubarb”* Donkey Rhubarb
    2. Sonic Youth “Schizophrenia” Sister
        a. Tennessee Warbler “Song Type A3” (The Warbler Guide)
    3. Doomtree (Dessa) “551” Daytrotter Session 3/30/2010
    4. Cloud Cult “The Show Starts Now” Daytrotter Session 6/28/2013
    5. Sturgill Simpson “Life of Sin” Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

        b. Northern Parula “Song Type B2” (The Warbler Guide)
        c. Common Gallinule “Rapid Series of Clucks” (Cornell Essential Set)
        d. Orange-Crowned Warbler “Song Type A” (The Warbler Guide)
    6. The Pharcyde “Evolution” Plain Rap
    7. Arvo Pärt* “Magnificat” Te Deum
    8. Randy Newman “Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America” Little Criminals*
        e. Bicknell's Thrush “Calls” (Cornell Essential Set)
        f. Black-Throated Green Warbler “Song & Calls” (Stokes Field Guide Bonus CD)
    9. Einstürzende Neubauten “Zampano” Silence Is Sexy
    T. Bobby Bare Jr. “Forever Became Never Again” Indiegogo Demos*
    E. Shining “I Won't Forget” One One One*

    *Notes:
    1. Great song on a pretty good single/EP. Funny that it never got a US release. (US did get the Richard D. James Album and Girl/Boy EP on a single disc, as well as single-disc versions of the Come To Daddy EPs and Ventolin EPs, so paying import price for this one was a small price to pay.
    7. Performed by the Estonian Chamber Choir; Tonu Kaljuste, Director
    8. This is the album that has "Baltimore", so that's why it's on my iPod.
    T. Like Kickstarter. Supporters got demo versions.
    E. Oh yeah. I tried the album, but I can only take this in one-song segments. (IIRC, the video is NSFW.)

    1. 7. Arvo Pärt: Nice. I just recently discovered this composer thanks to the Sundance series Rectify, which, in my not so humble opinion, is the best thing on television--by wide margin. Last season the show turned me on to the Aussie band The Drones, for which I am eternally grateful.

      httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lO0_T01TrI

      1. One of his albums in the 90s (I think it was Te Deum) had a sticker with a quote from Michael Stipe and someone else. I didn't buy it then, but filed that in my mind.
        In January 2000, on my way back from my European J-term trim, I found De Profundis in the Amsterdam Airport for 10Guilder (about $5) (also found Primal Scream's Echo Dek and some Algerian rap that wasn't any good).
        It wasn't what I was expecting (thinking more Xenakis or Gorecki), but I found his music very enticing. Listenable, calm and reverent, but without the Romanticism that turned me off of "mainstream" classical. I think he found a way to balance modern and minimalist trends with the prettiness and approachability of traditional "classical".

        I got the Naxos version of Fratres soon, too. I think that and De Profundis are my favorite two albums, and the Naxos CD is a great price (if it's still in print).

        DG and I have talked about him before. I slightly prefer Pärt's choral works (at least those in Latin, those in Slavic Languages are harder). I'm a sucker for interesting settings of Canon, and I love the mixing of organ and so-sparse percussion in "De Profundis". I've actually remixed "Magnificat".

        What's the connection between Pärt and Rectify?
        DG greatly prefers P&aul;rt's instrumental works, like "Cantus", "Fratres", and "Spiegel Im Spiegel", but that owes to his general disposition against choral works.

        1. I'm sorry I missed that earlier conversation between you and Mak. I haven't heard his choral works, but I am generally of the belief that instrumental trumps choral.

          There is an incredibly moving scene in Season 2 in which a chaplain plays a piece of music for a death row inmate (on a crappy cassette recorder, no less.) It was a snippet of Tabula Rasa.

    2. Got to church tonight* only to hear the Magnificat in the Gospel, albeit in English.
      Luke 1:46-55

      *Solemnity of the Assumption. I had mostly forgotten about it until I got home from work.

  6. 01. Overkill - "Bare Bones", Horrorscope
    02. Vader - "Frozen Paths", Revelations
    03. Opeth - "Master's Apprentices", Deliverance
    04. Symphorce - "No Final Words to Say", Become Death
    05. Tristania - "Bird", Ashes
    06. Brainstorm - "Highs Without Lows", Soul Temptation
    07. Nevermore - "Posion Godmachine", Dreaming Neon Black
    08. Moonsorrow - "Kylän päässä", Voimasta ja Kunniasta
    09. Nevermore - "My Acid Words", This Godless Endeavor
    10. Iced Earth - "Depths of Hell", Dark Saga

    Bonus (because I laughed when I saw the song title): Carcass - "Genital Grinder", Choice Cuts


  7. I played these guys before on FMD, but they are worth another listen. A German jazz band that specializes in a certain kind of slow motion noir. Tonight when you settle back with your favorite beverage in a darkened room, play this. You'll thank me later.
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aue3NrdtzN0

    1. I picked up the first Antlers EP (LP? whatever, it's kinda short) the other day. His voice is a little grating, but I really like it besides.

      1. I don't have one that yet. Agree on the voice, but with each successive record he seems to gain better control of it. It's now one of my favorite elements of their sound. See for yourself.
        httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSuUmV6Hnw

  8. 1. I Want You To Know -- Dinosaur Jr -- Farm
    2. Story Of My Life -- Social Distortion -- Social Distortion
    3. Day After Day -- The Pretenders -- Pretenders II
    4. Ask For Janice -- Beastie Boys -- Paul's Boutique
    5. I Am Produced -- Guided By Voices -- Live At The Wheelchair Races
    6. Auditorium -- Guided By Voices -- Alien Lanes
    7. He'd Send In The Army -- Gang Of Four -- Yellow EP
    8. Little Lines -- Guided By Voices -- Mag Earwhig!
    9. You're Just A Baby -- Belle & Sebastian -- Tigermilk
    10. Airbag -- Radiohead -- OK Computer

    B1. Forever Young -- Bob Dylan -- Planet Waves
    B2. Lil' Devil -- The Cult -- Electric

    Notes:
    at 11 seconds that Beastie's song is one my shortest
    I'm mellowing on my opinion of Band of Horses and am starting to dig them. The songs I don't like almost ruin the decent ones, however.
    Lydia Loveless coming back to town November 29th at Turf Club.
    That Live GBV song tossed my down a rabbit hole last night. (I do the randoms on Thursday night and e-mail them to me for Friday)
    That Pretenders II and Go4 EP were two of the earliest punk/alternative albums I ever had

    1. Hey look - Beastie Boys
      I'm happy to hear this - I've always really enjoyed Band of Horses
      I'm there
      I always mean to do this and never do
      ....I got nothin'

    2. Lydia at the Turf? Yay!!!
      Saturday after Thanksgiving? Boo!!! I'll have to wait to see if plans keep us in town.

      I know at least one decent Band of Horses song. Cee-Lo covered it.

  9. 1. Pause 4 Porno – Dr. Dre*
    2. Le damnation de Faust, Op. 24: Rakoczy March – Hector Berlioz
    3. Learning To Breathe – Switchfoot
    4. Day N Nite– Kid Cudi
    5. Little Secrets – Passion Pit

    6. Kid Mystic – Stuart Davis
    7. Let Me Drown – Soundgarden
    8. About Face – Grizzly Bear
    9. Hey Hey – Eric Clapton
    10. Rhymin & Stealin – Beastie Boys

    B. Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers

    *I know it’s been said here before, but man are skit songs - almost universally - painfully stoopid.

  10. List via Pandora:

    1. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" - Tony Bennett - Sings The Ultimate American Songbook Vol. 1
    2. "Forever Lost" - The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
    3. "Drumming Song" - Florence + The Machine - Lungs
    4. "Champagne Supernova - Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
    5. "Crying" - Flight Of The Conchords - The Distant Future
    6. "Come Fly With Me" - Frank Sinatra - Live In Paris
    7. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
    8. "A Complicated Song" - Weird Al - Poodle Hat
    9. "Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley - On Stage
    10. "Smile Like You Mean It" - The Killers - Hott Fuss
    B. "New Slang" - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World

    4. Some have suggested their Pandora station always becomes a Beatles station. For me, it's Oasis.
    5. This is one of my favorite FOTC songs.
    7. If you don't own this album, you should. I just got it a couple years ago, and... wow.
    B. In some ways, this song did change my life. I never really knew indie music before Garden State.

  11. 1. Phoenix - "Oblique City" - Bankrupt!
    2. Soul Coughing - "Uh, Zoom Zip" - Ruby Vroom
    3. Weezer - "In The Garage" - Weezer (Blue)
    4. Lydia Loveless - "Steve Earle" - Indestructable Machine
    5. The New Pornographers - "Mass Romantic" - Mass Romantic

    6. Drive By Truckers - "The Living Bubba" - Gangstabilly
    7. Nirvana - "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam" - MTV Unplugged in New York
    8. Arctic Monkeys - "Mardy Bum" - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
    9. Yo La Tengo - "Baseball Altamont" - Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics
    10. Cold War Kids - "Miracle Mile" - Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

    1. Hey, you got the Nirvana yourself this time. And thanks to Lydia Loveless popping up on your list, I'm listening to that whole album right now.

  12. I’m at home today, so I’ll see what comes up on my laptop. (It has a some of my music on it and some of Mr. NaCl’s, which is on it due to iTunes sharing the stuff from his computer that’s in “the cloud” or whatever. (I don’t have my own iTunes account. And this is way more explanation than anyone wants or needs!) I’ll give his stuff an asterisk.)

    1. “Anonymous Club” Courtney Barnett The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
    2. “I Hope You Dance” Lee Ann Womack I Hope You Dance*
    3. “Firework” Katy Perry Teenage Dream (Deluxe Edition)*
    4. “Lord Only Knows” Beck Odelay
    5. “Infinity” The xx xx
    6. “Derelict” Beck Odelay
    7. “The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routine” Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part Two*
    8. “Teenage Alien Blues” Foxygen Take the Kids Off Broadway
    9. “Dutch” Dessa A Badly Broken Code
    10. “Brother Bryan” Waxahatchee Cerulean Salt

      1. I've got a P.S. Eliot album that's pretty good, and Wax's debut album isn't as annoying as I thought it might be, but not sure when/if I'll pull the trigger on the next one. I heard no fewer that 3 separate stories on NPR about that album, so I'm a little weary of it.

  13. Last 2 weeks have been previewing FMD playlists. Liked/downloaded: Trashcan Sinatras, Teenage Fanclub, Royksopp, Phoenix, Mikal Cronin, Gossling, Elliott Smith, Catherine Wheel, The Belle Brigade.

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