We crossed the funding goal with 3 days to go thanks to every one of you awesome backers! Thank you so much, you have made this project a reality, after 8 years of hard work and dedication this movie is going to be released!
But wait, there's more! We still need your involvement. When coming up with our goal we calculated the minimum amount we needed to get the film released. Now that we have made it to that amount, we could definitely use more funds to pay for additional songs, footage, for post production sweetening and manufacturing costs that will enhance the final film.
So stay tuned and stay involved. Only 3 days left to be a part of this campaign. Please keep spreading the word: http://kck.st/RX9lFK
Best,
Eric, Sarah & the 'Beautiful Noise' team.
This is great news! Can't wait to see it.
I also stumbled upon this Fantastic compilation yesterday and thought I'd share it with you. It is a nice companion piece to my Shoegaze Primer: Obscure Shoegaze Vol. 1 Complied by Ursula 1000
Track list:
"Love Sick" by Fury Things (Cheree Records 1990)
"Shy Me" by Nature Things (Action Records 1991)
"Change You Leaving" by Feral (Lust Recordings 1991)
"Mirrored" by Drop (Chapter 22 1991)
"Slyde" by Blair 1523 (Wilde Club Records 1992)
"Sunriser" by That Uncertain Feeling (Dead Dead Good 1991)
"Something Sonic" by Beautiful Happiness (Cheree 1990)
"Who's" by The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa (Ecstasy Release 1991)
"Ride" by The Lavender Faction (Lust Recordings 1990)
"Need To Be" by Headtime (Cherry Red 1991)
"Saints & Razors" by Aenone (kokopop 1993)
"Jealousy Comes To The Rescue" by Flood (Quarry 1991)
"Space Ship" by The Suncharms (Wilde Club Records 1991)
"Give Her Tomorrow" by The Waiting Sound (Engergy-Vent 1990)
"Sugar I Swear" by Whipping Boy (Cheree 1990)
If you download it from SoundCloud, it is just one big mp3 (nearly and hour long). I'll be honest, I'd never heard any of these songs before I downloaded it. In fact, the only artist that I was familiar, was Flood-- and I only know him due to his production credits. Don't let that discourage you from giving this a listen, there is not a weak track in the bunch!
First of all, I'm aware that Mediafire has taken down some of my public links. I will upload the Christmas Redux series some time this week. I'm not sure if MF has taken down any of my other links, if so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. We shall see. As far as I know, the Divshare links are still okay-- if not, let me know, thanks.
I do have a new compilation for you today. I was not planning this, but I thought I would do my part to help spread the word about a great new Shoegaze documentary that desperately needs our help. Please watch the trailer below:
If you are fan of Shoegaze (or guitar) music at all, please consider making a donation. More info here: Beautiful Noise Documentary. There's a little less than a week to go, and those DVD's would make great stocking stuffers!
In the meantime, feel free to download my 20-track Shoegaze primer. Not sure if all the artists I've used are featured in the film, but I feel like this is a pretty good representation of the British Shoegaze scene of the late 80's/early 90's. Happy listening!
Beautiful Noise: A Shoegaze Primer
01. 14 Iced Bears, "Inside"
02. Lush, "Stray"
03. The Jesus & Mary Chain, "The Hardest Walk"
04. The Telescopes, "Flying"
05. Ride, "Like a Daydream"
06. Flying Saucer Attack, "Past"
07. My Bloody Valentine, "(When you Wake) You're Still in a Dream"
08. House of Love, "Christine"
09. Kitchens of Distinction, "Quick as Rainbows"
10. Cocteau Twins, "Sugar Hiccup"
11. Catherine Wheel, "Crank"
12. Slowdive, "Alison"
13. Swervedriver, "Blowin' Cool"
14. The Boo Radleys, "I Hang Suspended"
15. Curve, "Superblaster"
16. Chapterhouse, "Breather"
17. The Verve, "Gravity Grave"
18. Spacemanen 3, "Take Me To the Other Side"
19. Bleach, "Trip & Slide"
20. Pale Saints, "Sight of You"
[Please note that if you download the compilation, the track listing will not be in the order I listed above. I did not take the time to sequence this comp. Instead, I just placed the tracks in order from shortest to longest.]
Well I've been on a lengthy hiatus, but that doesn't mean this blog is dead. I'm still having computer issues, so posting compilations here has been low on the priority list. I plan on resuming my normal Fall/Winter schedule, with Vol. 5 in the Candy Apples & Razor Blades series in October, a 1987 comp in November, Christmas Redux Vol. 7 in December and, of course, a best of 2012 playlist in January-- so please stay tuned!
As for today, I've been on a huge Barbara Manning kick. Since it seems that she is not quite as well known as she should be, I thought I'd put together a Barbara Manning primer. If you are a fan of her work, then please help me spread the word by inviting your friends to download this comp! If you are unfamiliar with BM, then you are in for a treat. This comp concentrates on the beginning of her career, 1985-1997. Featuring her work with the legendary 28th Day, World of Pooh, SF Seals, and her solo stuff.
I found a great article online from a few years ago via the San Francisco Chronicle that gives a great overview of her career. If you'd like to find out more about Manning, please click on that handy link.
Here's the Compilation, pretty much in chronological order. Happy Listening!
Barbara Manning 101: 1985-1997
01. "This Train", 28th Day
02. "Stones of Judgement", 28th Day
03. "Somewhere Soon", World of Pooh
04. "Someone Wants You Dead", Wold of Pooh
05. "Scissors", Barbara Manning
06. "Breathe Lies", Barbara Manning
07. "Every Pretty Girl", Barbara Manning
08. "Straw Man", Barbara Manning
09. "Sympathy Wreath", Barbara Manning
10. "Don't Let It Bring You Down", Barbara Manning
11. "B4 We Go Under", Barbara Manning
12. "Doc Ellis", SF Seals
13. "Joed Out, Barbara Manning
14. "My 1st Gun", Barbara Manning
15. "Optimism is Its Own Reward", Barbara Manning
16. "Back Again", SF Seals
17. "Day 12", SF Seals
18. "Winter Song", SF Seals
19. "Locked Out", SF Seals
20. "Bold Letters", SF Seals
21. "Pulp", SF Seals
22. "San Diego Zoo", the 6ths
23. "Blood of Feeling", Barbara Manning
24. "Stain of the Sun", Barbara Manning
25. "Isn't Lovely Lovely", Barbara Manning
By the way, probably the best known/loved song by 28th Day is "25 Pills". I decided to leave it off this compilation, because Manning is featured as a the back-up singer. Still, it's great, and if you haven't heard it, check out the youtube clip below:
Long time since I posted a compilation. A few things have happened since Christmas that have kept me from blogging. First of all, the response to my end of year compilation has been off the charts! I can't remember another non-Power Pop compilation getting downloaded as much as this one has. I didn't want to step on that particular compilation's momentum. Second, the death of Megaupload had me worried for awhile there. Some of my previous comps were uploaded to that site, so if you are looking for those, just let me know and I will reup. Third, my laptop is finally showing it's age. Doing these comps is pretty time consuming, and it's even worse when the laptop is acting up. Which means, my Mega-Celebration of 1977 may have to be put on hold for awhile. Not sure anyone cared anyway as I got exactly zero comments regarding that particular series.
So what's this new comp all about? I recently stumbled upon two long lost (to me) gems via youtube, both from around 1990. First, was my favorite song by Better Than Ezra from their first, cassette-only release. Second, was a song by a Newport, Rhode Island band called the Philtres. With the help of a great new-to-me blog, I Hate the 90s, I was able to get the Better Than Ezra song (and the entire cassette!). As for the Philtres' track, well, I emailed the person who upped their video on Youtube and got a quick and polite response as well as a nifty little mp3 of their, should've been a hit, "Friday"! Even got permission from Pat Cottrell (who penned the song) to share it here. Those two songs instantly take me back to 1990.
At the time Jangle Pop seemed to be getting its due. Little did I know that this was really the last gasp for these kinds of bands. Many of the artists I've used to represent this era had better, more important records earlier in their career, but that is not the point. I loved all these songs then, and now.
Happy Listening!
The Last Gasp: American Jangle Pop 1988-1992
01. House of Freaks, “The Righteous Will Fall” [1989] 02. Yo La Tengo, “Yellow Sarong” [1990] 03. Better Than Ezra, “Hold Me Down” [1990] 04. The Smithereens, “Yesterday Girl” [1989] 05. The Connells, “Upside Down” [1989] 06. The Blake Babies, “Out There” [1990] 07. Dramarama, “It’s Still Warm” [1989] 08. The Feelies, “It’s Only Life” [1988] 09. Toad the Wet Sprocket, “Way Away” [1989] 10. Richard Barone, “Where the Truth Lies” [1990] 11. Big Dipper, “Another Life” [1990] 12. The Replacements, “Achin’ To Be” [1989] 13. Camper Van Beethoven, “Sweethearts” [1989] 14. Smokin’ Dave & the Premo Dopes, “Every Summer” [1989] 15. The Lemonheads, “Half the Time” [1990] 16. Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, “Angels” [1991] 17. Drivin’n’Cryin’, “House For Sale” [1989] 18. The Sidewinders, “Witchdoctor” [1989] 19. Taoist Cowboys, “Falling Up” [1992] 20. R.E.M., “Texarkana” [1991] 21. Guadalcanal Diary, “Look Up!” [1989] 22. The Philtres, “Friday” [1989] 23. Will and the Bushmen, “Book of Love” [1989] 24. The Windbreakers, “The Girl From Washington” [1991]
Hey Folks, I'm still on a psychedelic bender. For the last several weeks I've been listening to tons of old favorites from the first Psychedelic Era plus lots of stuff I never heard. I'm in the process of compiling one heck of a Psychedelic Pseries for Burn and Shine, which will probably start the first weekend in August. So be on the lookout for Burn and Shine's Psychedelic Psundays-- the series is tentatively scheduled for ten kaleidoscopic volumes. More on that when we get there!
In the meantime, I had started to put together a little Elephant 6 playlist a few years ago that I never quite finished. While listening to all this classic era Psych-Pop and the Paisley stuff I posted earlier this month, I got to wondering how the third (fourth?) wave of Psychedelia compared. So I listened to my unfinished, Elephant 6 playlist, and I was pleasantly surprised how well this stuff has held up.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Elephant 6, it is a loose conglomerate of dozens of like-minded bands who have a knack for pop hooks and love for the killer B's of the 60s (Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds) as well as the Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett and the Zombies. The most well-known of the E6 are probably Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo and the Olivia Tremor Control, as the masterminds of each of those bands (Jeff Mangum, Robert Schneider and Will Cullen Hart, repectively) are credited with founding the Collective. Depending upon who you ask, the next tier of E6 bands might include: Elf Power, Beulah, and Of Montreal. Which band is most important is sort of a moot point, as all of the players in these bands tend to show up on each others releases and at each other's shows. There has even been an Elephant 6 Orchestra playing shows in recent years.
I haven't spent a whole lot of time with these bands over the last few years. Frankly, as many in the E6 "scene" moved toward a more danceable/electronic version of Psychedelia, I sort of lost interest. But for awhile there in the late 90's and early 00's, it seemed like every new record I bought had some affiliation with the E6, or they were at least favorably compared to the Collective in the reviews I read.
According to some sources, the Elphant 6 Recording Co. is currently in its 20th year of existence. I was actually a little late to the E6 party. It was near the end of 1998 when I started hearing the chatter about Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea on a Guided by Voices email list I followed. I remember going to Chad's Records here in Chattanooga (when it was still over on Lee Hwy) and buying both NMH records on vinyl. Not necessarily so anymore, but the vinyl versions of albums used to be cheaper than CDs. I still had a tape deck in my car, so I would usually buy the vinyl and then slap it on a Maxell cassette, which is exactly what I did with the two NMH albums-- one album per side. Needless to say, I listened to that tape a lot.
Neutral Milk Hotel was my gateway to a whole new world of Psychedelic Indie Pop. Every time I went to a record store there after, I combed the used bins for bands associated with the Elephant 6. A short while later, I actually got a job at a record store in Knxoville and was DJing at WUTK, so finding these records became a lot easier (downloading was in its infancy and I didn't know what an mp3 was), though I must admit I haven't heard everything-- not even close. In fact, when I mentioned this project on a message board, someone recommended a band I completely missed back in the day, Secret Square, and they make an appearance here with the lovely, Hillarie Sydney penned, "Sparkly Green Couch".
Okay, I won't bore you anymore with rock history lessons. If you are interested in learning more about the Elephant 6, then check these links out (as well as the Wiki Article I posted above):
Transparent Dreams: A Glimpse at the Elephant 6 Co.
01. Neutral Milk Hotel, “Everything Is” 7” Single [1993]
02. The Apples in Stereo, “Shine a Light” from Tone Soul Evolution [1997]
03. The Olivia Tremor Control, “California Demise (3)” from Black Foliage: Animation Music [1999]
04. Beulah, “Score From Augusta” from When Your Heartstrings Break [1999]
05. Secret Square, “Sparkly Green Couch” from Secret Square [1995]
06. Essex Green, “Mrs. Bean” from Everything is Green [1999]
07. Dressy Bessy, “Look Around” from Pink Hearts Yellow Moons [1999]
08. The Gerbils, “Meteoroid From the Sun” from The Battle For Electricity [2001]
09. Elf Power, “O What a Beautiful Dream” from A Dream in Sound [1999]
10. Great Lakes, “Some of Shelley’s Blues” from The Distance Between [2002]
11. The High Water Marks, “Good I Feel Bad” from Songs About the Ocean [2004]
12. Instruments, “Bird Song” from Billions of Phonographs [2002]
13. Sixth Great Lake, “Cannon Beach” from Up the Country [2001]
14. The Ladybug Transistor, “Perfect for Shattering” from Argyle Heir [2001]
15. Marbles, “Pyramid Landing” Originally from a cassette-only release in 1993. This is the remastered version from Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites [1997]
16. The Minders, “Hooray for Tuesday” from Hooray for Tuesday [1998]
17. The Frosted Ambassador, “Untitled (track #4)” from The Frosted Ambassador [1999]
18. Of Montreal, “Baby” from Cherry Peel [1997]
19. The Essex Green, “Chester” from The Essex Green EP [2000]
20. The Sunshine Fix, “Age of the Sun” from Age of the Sun [2002]
21. Ulysses, “Falcon” from 010 [2004]
22. Circulatory System, “Joy” from Circulatory System [2001]
23. The Apples in Stereo, “Winter Must Be Cold” from Fun Trick Noisemaker[1995]
24. The Music Tapes, “Majesty” from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes [2008]
25. Marshmallow Coast, “Ancient Chinese Secret” from Seniors and Juniors [1999]
26. 63 Crayons, “Go Now April” from Good People [2004]
27. Von Hemmling, “Never Alone” from Von Hemmling [Cassette-only 1993]
28. Chocolate USA, “The Boy Who Stuck His Head in the Dryer (and Whirl'd Round 'n' Round) from Smoke Machine [1994]
29. Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t, “Million Pieces” from Individualized Shirts [2001]
30. Jeff Mangum, “I Love How You Love Me” from Orange Twin Sampler [2002]
Hey Folks, here's part two of my three part series on Robert Pollard. I'm already late, and I don't have the energy to do the track by track commentary. Instead, I've just tried to jot down the relevant info for you, just in case you want to do some further investigating. Disc One in this series was one of the most downloaded comps here at Burn and Shine last year, so if you haven't yet checked it out please do.
Before we get to the new comp, though, I've got a little added bonus this year. I've finally converted an old NPR story that I had recorded on cassette, and I thought I'd share it here. It probably dates from about 1995. The sound quality is not great: I'm pretty sure that my original copy was a second or third generation recording. It was also my first time using the Audacity software to covert the recording to mp3. Still, it is well worth a listen if you are at all interested in Pollard's back story. It really gives you a great overview in under seven minutes! I used to put this at the beginning of primer tapes when I was trying to covert my friends to the brilliance of Guided by Voices. Check it out:
Okay, onto the new comp. Same rules as last year. Nothing off of Bee Thousand or the The Best of Guided by Voices compilation released on Matador Records in 2003, and very little from the 21st century (nothing recorded post-2002 on this one). I'm not a huge fan of Pollard's recent work, but if you'd like to sample some of the newer stuff, my friend and blogger People are Leaving, has put together a couple of good comps recently which would fill in the gaps: Boston Spaceships Collection and Best of Robert Pollard 2006-2009.
Happy Listening!
Your Trail is Quite a Puzzle – A Robert Pollard Primer (Disc 2)
01. “Deaf Ears” by Guided by Voices, originally released on “The Official Ironmen Rally Song” single, 1996.
02. “Wondering Boy Poet (Piano Version)” by Clinton Killingsworth, originally released on Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft, 2000 (recorded circa 1993).
03. “Eureka Signs” by Guided by Voices, originally released on Universal Truths and Cycles, 2002.
04. “They’re Not Witches” by Guided Voices, originally released on Alien Lanes, 1995.
05. “As We Go Up, We Go Down” by Guided Voices, originally released on Alien Lanes, 1995.
06. “Jane of the Waking Universe” by Guided Voices, originally released on Mag Earwhig! 1997.
07. “Your Name is Wild” by Guided Voices, originally released on Under the Bushes Under the Stars, 1996.
08. “Flat Beauty” by Robert Pollard, originally released on Not in My Air Force, 1996.
09. “Now To War” by Guided Voices, originally released on Mag Earwhig! 1997.
10. “Choking Tara (Creamy Version)” by Guided Voices, originally released on Everything is Nice: The Matador 10th Anniversary, 1999 (originally recorded circa 1997).
11. “The Terrible Two” by Styles We Paid For, originally released on Suitcase: Failed Experiments and Trashed Aircraft, 2000 (originally recorded 1993).
12. “Child” by Leon Lemans, originally released on Suitcase 2: American Superdream Wow, 2005 (recorded circa 2002).
13. “Top Chick Silver Chord” by Guided Voices, originally released on Tonics and Twisted Chasers, 1996.
14. “In Previous Trials (Stingy Queens)” by Guided Voices, originally found on the fan-made rarity compilation, 30 Songs, 2004 (recorded circa 1995).
15. “Stifled Man Casino” by Airport 5, originally released on Tower in the Fountain of Sparks. 2001.
16. “There Are Other Worlds” by The Constant Going Forward, originally released on Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now, 2009 (originally recorded for the film The United States of Leland circa 2001).
17. “Long Distance Now” by Guided Voices, originally released on Sandbox, 1987.
18. “Captain’s Dead” by Guided Voices, originally released on Devil Between My Toes, 1987.
19. “Wrecking Now” by Guided Voices, originally released on Do the Collapse, 1999.
20. “Like I Do” by Guided Voices, originally released on Forever Since Breakfast EP, 1986.
21. “Class Clown Spots a UFO” by Royal Canadien Mustard, originally released on Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now, 2009 (recorded circa 1988).
22. “Red Gas Circle” by Guided Voices, originally released on Propeller, 1992.
23. “Fly into Ashes by Guided Voices, originally released on Hold on Hope EP, 2000.
24. “If We Wait” by Guided Voices, originally released on Sunfish Holy Breakfast EP, 1996.
25. “Paper Girl” by Guided Voices, originally released on Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostagia, 1989.
A few months ago, I blogged about the Archers of Loaf playing an unannounced show at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill. I hoped that the show would lead to a full blown reunion tour and it has. I just got tickets to the Asheville show and one of the Atlanta dates-- woo-hoo! Here's the schedule:
Archers of Loaf Reunion Tour
May 21 The Grey Eagle Asheville, NC
June 3 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
June 4 Troubadour Los Angeles, CA
June 11 Emo’s Austin, TX
June 12 The Loft Dallas, TX
June 25 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
June 26 Webster Hall New York, NY
July 8 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
July 9 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
July 22 The Earl Atlanta, GA
July 23 The Earl Atlanta, GA
August 5 Black Cat Washington, D.C.
August 6 The Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
August 19 Cat’s Cradle Chapel Hill, NC
September 2 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
September 3 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
If you are lucky enough to live near any of these venues, please do not miss this opportunity. If you are unfamiliar with the Archers, then I'm here to hook you up. I've put together a nice little AoL primer. The Archers only put out four albums but each of them are great. All of them are represented here, as well as one track from the rarities compilition, Speed of Cattle.
Happy listening!
The Greatest of All Time: An All Too Brief History 1993-1998
01. Web in Front
02. Wrong
03. You & Me
04. Might
05. Hate Paste
06. Plumb Line
07. Learo, You're a Hole
08. Backwash
09. Audiowhore
10. All Hail the Black Market
11. Telepathic Traffic
12. Harnessed in Slums
13. Nevermind the Enemy
14. Greatest of All Time
15. Death in the Park
16. Strangles by the Stereo Wire
17. Scenic Pastures
18. Vocal Shrapnel
19. Bones of Her Hands
20. Fashion Bleeds
21. Dead Red Eyes
22. Perfect Time
23. White Trash Heroes
Tracks 1-8 from Icky Mettle (1993)
Tracks 9-10 from Vs. The Greatest of All Time EP (1993)
Track 11 from Split 7" with Monsterland (1994) [also found on the rarities compilation The Speed of Cattle (1996)]
Tracks 12-15 from Vee Vee (1995)
Tracks 16-19 from All the Nation's Airports (1996)
Tracks 20-23 from White Trash Heroes (1998)
Holy crap! Color me jealous. The Archers of Loaf played an unannounced show last night at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Hopefully this turns into a full on reunion. Here's a clip from last night's show:
I don't think I've ever done a show review here at Burn and Shine. Truth is, I don't go to many shows anymore. Lame, I know. There are a few reasons, mostly it's parenthood, but living in Chattanooga doesn't help. Since we got pregnant (our daughter turned two in August) I've seen a grand total of four shows: Superdrag twice, GBV last month and the Posies last weekend. This was my first time seeing the Posies, and I was inspired enough to slap together a little Posies-Primer. I would have posted this the day after the show, but having just posted the 1985 compilations earlier in the week, I felt it was a little too soon. I have a few spare minutes this Thanksgiving morning, while my better half goes grocery shopping, so here is a quickie show review (followed by the comp).
It was a great, if sparsely attended, triple bill last Saturday night at The Loft in Atlanta. A band I didn't care for, Aqueduct, opened the show right around 8:30pm and played for about a half hour. Brendon Benson, who I like, was next. Sidenote: I did not realize that Jon and Ken were in Brendan Benson's band on this tour. My wife and I both agreed that BB's songs were much better Posie-fied. I also did not realize that in some cities Benson headlined. That was not the case Saturday night in Atlanta-- thankfully, I was definitely there to see the Posies. Benson played a pretty good 45-minute set, then the Posies played for about an hour and a half.
They played nearly every song from the new record, Blood/Candy, and a smattering of their "greatest hits" over the course of about an hour and a half. There were also a couple of cool guest appearances, Linda Hopper (Oh-Ok, Magnapop) came on to sing Lisa Lobsinger's part on "Licenses to Hide" from the new record. She looked and sounded fantastic, even if she had to use a cheat sheet to remember the words. Mike Mills (R.E.M.) made an appearance at the end for an all hands on deck rendition of "September Gurls".
I knew it would be a fun night, but I had no idea just how much the Posies would flat out RAWK, Ken Stringfellow in particular-- he's got all the rock moves down pat. We were right in front of Jon Auer, and I certainly have a new found appreciation for his guitar chops-- I don't think he played a wrong note all night long.
As I mentioned earlier, the show was not packed. While I certainly enjoyed not being bumped into the whole night, it was kind of sad that a band that has been together for so long (Jon and Ken have been writing songs together since 1986, according to Wiki) and is this good can have such a small following-- at least in this part of the country.
Doing my small part to help rectify this wrong, I put together this 20 track compilation of the Posies. I took three songs from each of their proper albums (not including this year's Blood/Candy), plus two rarities. Hopefully this will introduce a few people to this fantastic band and their fairly deep discography. If you already know and love the Posies, then please feel free to point someone you know who has not been properly introduced to the Posies to this post. There was a Best of the Posies album released in 2000, but it only chronicles their time on Geffen and, I think, is currently out of print.
Happy listening and Happy Thanksgiving!
A Pocketful: An Introduction to the Posies, 1988-2005
01. I May Hate You Sometimes
02. Under Easy
03. Paint Me
04. My Big Mouth
05. Golden Blunders
06. Suddenly Mary
07. Saying Sorry to Myself
08. Dream All Day
09. Solar Sister
10. Flavor of the Month
11. Fight It (If You Want)
12. Grant Hart
13. Ontario
14. Every Bitter Drop
15. Somehow Everything
16. Looking Lost
17. Chainsmoking in the U.S.A.
18. I Guess You're Right
19. I Finally Found a Jungle
20. Conversations
Tracks 1-3 from Failure (1988)
Tracks 4-6 from Dear 23 (1990)
Track 7 from Yellow Pills Vol. 2: More of the Best of American Pop (1994, but it sounds more like a Dear 23 track so I stuck it before the FotB songs)
Tracks 8-10 from Frosting on the Beater (1993)
Tracks 11-13 from Amazing Disgrace (1996)
Tracks 14-16 from Sucess (1998)
Track 17 from Nice Cheekbones and a Ph.D. EP (2001)
Tracks 18-20 from Every Kind of Light (2005)
There was a time in the early/mid nineties when it seemed every other new release I bought was on Matador Records. I’m pretty sure that it must be the indie label which is most represented in my record collection. This past weekend, Matador celebrated it’s twenty-first year of existence in Las Vegas with an all-star cast of past and present bands. Last Tuesday, Matador released a fancy little box set to commemorate the occasion with all the proceeds going to charity. I figured I needed to do my own little tribute to the label, so I put together a Matador Sampler of my own.
Twenty-one songs, all culled from what I think of as Matador’s Golden era: 1991-1999. Not to say that there aren’t some fine artists on the label these days, but these are the artists that made me fall in love with the label and kept me coming back for more. Limiting my choices to a nine year period was also an easy way for me to whittle down the number of possible tracks to 21. I did not include any tracks that are on the new box set, nor are there any tracks which may have appeared on the three previous Matador anniversary compilations: What’s Up Matador?, Everything is Nice, and Matador at 15. So this compilation will serve as a great introduction to the label for those of you unfamiliar, and will work nicely as a companion disc for those of you diehard fans who already picked up the box set.
Happy Listening!
Matador @ 21!
01. Yo La Tengo, “Stockholm Syndrome” [1997]. James McNew takes over lead vocals for this should have been a hit from Hoboken’s finest trio.
02. Silkworm, “Couldn’t You Wait” [1995, Marco Collins Session]. I love, love, love this version of “Couldn’t You Wait”!
03. Guided by Voices, “Little Whirl” [1995]. Since I’ve given you all the Pollard you need for awhile, I thought I’d let Tobin Sprout get the spotlight here. From GBV's second album for Matador, Alien Lanes.
04. Bettie Serveert, “Tom Boy” [1992]. As if the world needed another reason to visit Amsterdam?
05. Railroad Jerk, “Bang the Drum” [1995]. The Fall meets Jon Spencer on this romp-- you'll be singing along the first time through.
06. Chavez, “Unreal is Here” [1996]. Matt Sweeney has collaborated with a lot of talented people, but his best work might be the two albums released by Chavez.
07. Cat Power, “Say” [1998]. Backed by Australia’s Dirty Three, this is from my favorite Cat Power album, Moon Pix.
08. Cornelius, “Chapter 8 – Seashore and Horizon” [1997]. Keigo Oyamada (aka: Cornelius) creates interesting sound-collages and this one features the Apples in Stereo.
10. Superchunk, “Throwing Things” [1991]. This track was previously featured on Burn and Shine in video form when I celebrated North Carolina during Power Pop Month.
11. San Francisco Seals, “Winter Song” [1994]. Jangly guitars never sounded so good.
12. Pavement, “Elevate Me Later” [1994]. From my favorite Pavement long player: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.
13. Bailterspace, “Untied” [1995]. New Zealand’s finest super-group!
14. Spoon, “All the Negatives Have Been Destroyed” [1996]. People who don’t like the first two Spoon records are just plain wrong.
15. Come, “Half Life” [1996]. Four albums, all on Matador, is all we got from the collaboration of Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw. All of them worth tracking down.
16. Fuck, “To My Gurl” [1997]. You have to respect a band that would choose ‘Fuck’ as their moniker. Imagine pitching this band to any label, let alone one that was distributed by Warner’s at the time.
17. Teenage Fanclub, “So Far Gone” [1991]. B-Side to their fabulous “God Knows It’s True” single.
18. Guitar Wolf, “Fujiyama Attack” [1999]. The needles were most definitely in the red when this garage-stomper was recorded.
19. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, “Brenda” [1994]. Jon Spencer’s schtick has not aged well, at least not for me. For a brief moment there in early 90's, however, I really thought he might save Rock & Roll.
20. Belle & Sebastian, “A Century of Fakers” [1997]. Technically this did not get released by Matador until 2000, but since it was a reissue of a band already on the roster, I included it here.
21. Liz Phair, “Glory” [1993]. I recently listened to Exile in Guyville for the first time in ages. It still holds up.
Okay, I apologize for not putting out a compilation in May. With the High School Tennis season in full gear, I just did not have time to put anything together. The good news is that I've decided to make June Robert Pollard month. Perhaps not as extensive as Power Pop Month, but I will be sharing several compilations with you over the next few weeks and all of my posts will be related to Mr. Pollard.
Just a couple of quick notes about the compilation. I've made dozens of Guided by Voices comps for people over the years. This is the first time I've ever put together a compilation of just Pollard tracks from throughout his career (well, pretty much). This primer assumes two things. Number one, you already own Bee Thousand. My second favorite album of all time BTW, and if you own it and don't think the world of it, then these primers are probably not going to change your mind. Second, it assumes you own The Best of Guided by Voices, as I have not duplicated any of the tracks here. Finally, for those of you with a pretty good grasp on the Robert Pollard discography, there will still probably be something on these comps which will interest you, so read through the tracklistings and see for yourself if they're worth your time. Speaking of time, I won't waste any more of your's today. On to the first in a series of three Robert Pollard compilations.
Happy Listening!
Your Trail is Quite a Puzzle: A Robert Pollard Primer – Disc 1:
01. “Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox” by Guided by Voices from Propeller (1992). Starting with the canned “G-B-V” chant and Pollard’s sarcastic statement: “This song does not Rock”, OtN/MGF is probably my favorite Guided by Voices album opener.
02. “Carnival at the Morning Star School” by Guided by Voices from 30 Songs (Ca. 1992). A fantastic song that was on the fan assembled bootleg, 30 Songs, but didn’t actually get an official release until 2009, when it made it’s appearance on Suitcase 3.
03. “Do Something Real” by Robert Pollard from Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department (1999). Released a few months after Guided by Voices’ first major label album, Do the Collapse, Speak Kindly, which was not marred by Ric Ocasek’s production, is far superior to the TVT long player.
04. “Dayton, Ohio – 19 Something and 5” by Guided by Voices from Tonics and Twisted Chasers (1997). T&TC was originally a vinyl-only, fanclub release. It has since been released on CD, and I think it is still available. It’s just Tobin and Bob, and I believe that it’s the most under-rated release in the GbV discography.
05. “Liar’s Tale” by Guided by Voices from Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia (1989). This to me is one of the shining examples of Pollard’s brilliance. Not much going on, but good god what a song! It’s a shame that it was not included in the GbV Best-of compilation. This is a top five Pollard track for me.
06. “Jar of Cardinals” by Guided by Voices from Vampire on Titus (1993). It took me awhile to fall in love with the album VoT. I fell in love with this nugget instantaneously.
07. “Lonely Town” by Sucko from Suitcase 2 [Disc 7] (ca. 1987). Again, just a simple little tune that did not make it’s way onto a proper album. It did manage to make the second box set of unreleased stuff from the Pollard vaults.
08. “Blimps Go 90” by Guided by Voices from Alien Lanes (1995). AL is my third favorite GbV long player. It might have the best batch of songs of any of the albums. This is one of many shining moments on the disc.
09. “I Am Decided” by Timid Virus from Suitcase 2 [Disc 6] (ca. 1996). A song given to Kim Deal, who recorded a version of it with the Amps.
10. “Get Under It” by Robert Pollard from Not In My Airforce (1996). From RP’s debut solo album. Still my favorite Pollard solo album, by the way.
11. “People Are Leaving” by Robert Pollard from Waved Out (1998). A hauntingly beautiful song, from Pollard’s second solo album on Matador Records.
12. “Not Behind the Fighter Jet” by Guided by Voices from Mag Earwhig! (1997). ME! Often gets a bad rap. The beginning of the brief Guided by Verde period. A true transition album, it’s the first GbV record that sounds better as you turn up the volume.
13. “The Ascended Master’s Groshop” by Guided by Voices from Hardcore UFOs: Demons and Painkillers (1997). A B-Side to the great Doug Gillard live staple, “I Am a Tree”. This one is co-written by Tobin Sprout and I’ll bet my life that’s his lovely piano part.
14. “Scissors and the Clay Ox (In)” by Too Proud To Practice from Suitcase [Disc 3] (ca. 1990). According the GBVDB, this is from an aborted album from 1990 titled Back To Saturn X. With all the Robert Pollard product that is available, it boggles the mind how many projects were actually scrapped.
15. “Zoom” by Robert Pollard from Zoom EP (2005). The newest song featured on this compilation. I’ll be honest, I’m not big on very much Pollard music post-2001, but this is Bob at his poppiest.
16. “United” by Ben Zing from Suitcase [Disc 4] (1988). Again this is the kind of throwaway that Pollard-freaks like me can’t get enough of. Pretty sing-along chorus—it makes me weep.
17. “Time Machines” by Lexo & the Leapers from Ask Them EP (1999). An oft neglected release in the ridiculously vast Pollard discography. Pound for pound, it might be the best EP he has released.
18. “Coastal Town” from Suitcase 3 [Disc 9] (ca. 198?). An early, and much slower version of what would become “Closer You Are” from Alien Lanes. Melancholy Bob at his finest.
19. “Sister I Need Wine” by Guided by Voices from Isolation Drills (2001). Though I don’t love ID as much as I did upon its release, it still holds up pretty well. There are a number of gems on it, and I never tire of this one.
20. “A Crick Uphill” by Guided by Voices from Hold On Hope EP (2000). The HoH EP that came out a few months after GbV’s major label debut, Do the Collapse, is a much stronger affair than that album.
21. “The Winter Cows” by Guided by Voices from Sunfish Holy Breakfast EP (1996). I remember being slightly embarrassed buying this record when it came out. I was a little worried too, had Pollard gone hippie? One spin on the turntable, and I knew all was well.
22. “She Wants to Know” by Guided by Voices from Forever Since Breakfast EP (1986). Early GbV owes a lot to the jangly, guitar pop of early R.E.M. This is a great example of that.
23. “Underwater Explosions” by Guided by Voices from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (1996). The last three songs on this comp are all from the same recording sessions. This one actually made it on a proper album.
24. “Bunco Men” by Elf God from Suitcase [Disc 1] (ca. 1996). This one, however, did not. I can still remember this song coming on the first time I heard Suitcase, and just being stunned. I later found out it was recorded for UtBUtS, but did not make the cut!!
25. “Bright Paper Werewolves” by Guided by Voices from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (1996). Understated Pollard at his very best. It’s criminal that songs this good don’t get any attention, save from uber-fanboys like me.
Only two days left in Power Pop Month, it's been a fun ride. All kinds of milestones here at Burn and Shine. So I thought I'd share those with you:
01. I've had my first spammer. 02. Three of my comps have gone Gold (for downloads of 100 or more!). 03. The number of my Followers has more than doubled. 04. I'm pretty sure I've also more than doubled the number of hits I've received since the existence of the blog. 05. I had more blog entries for the month of February then I did for 2007, 2008 and 2009 combined.
Many of you are tuning in today because today's the day #6 in the BoPP series is supposed to come out. I decided the final compilation needed to wait until Sunday, so come on back in two days. I promise it will be posted nice and early-- then I get to take a break until St. Patrick's Day.
But don't fret, I've got a nice little surprise: another out of print Power Pop compilation! This time it's from the spectacular Not Lame Recording Company. I've done a little recon, and I can't find this anywhere in the blogosphere, and it has become quite a collectible among Power Pop fans. In 1998, NL set out to document the very fertile pop scene in Nashville, TN. They called the compilation Nashpop, and it has 18 tracks, with nary a throwaway to be found. From the liner notes by Derek Scott:
The Range of bands represented here reveal the many facets of Nashville's pop community, everything from the airy sophistication of Swan Dive to the charming garage pop of the Luxury Liners; the explosive entergy of Joe Marc's Brother and Who Hit John to the well crafted works by Owsley, Doug Powell and Bill Lloyd. And every week new acts emerge to reinforce the sense that something truly special is going on in Music City . . . And it isn't Country!
Too many highlights to mention them all. One song, Swag's "Everyday is Christmas" has already been featured here at Burn and Shine on Christmas Redux Two. I can't believe I've never used any of the others. Anywho, Here's the track listing and artwork (enjoy!):
Nashpop: A Nashville Pop Compilation (NL - 046)
1. Contact High - Bill Lloyd 2. Suzie Failed the Acid Test - Who Hit John 3. Beautiful Excuse - Swan Dive 4. I Hate That Song - The Shazam 5. Sonny Boy - Owsley 6. Penelope Wilde - Idle Jets 7. She's So Clean - Millard Powers 8. Torn - Doug Powell 9. Paper Star - Neilson Hubbard 10. Feel - Joe, Marc's Brother 11. Anything You Say - Ross Rice 12. If I Cry - The Luxury Liners 13. Spirit of '76 - The Rayon City Quartet 14. Christina - Idle Jets 15. Congratulations - Who Hit John 16. Second Hand Man - John Keaney 17. How Can We Go On? - Bill Lloyd 18. Everyday Is Christmas - Swag
We are halfway through Power Pop Month here at Burn and Shine. There are still two more volumes left in my Birth of Power Pop Series, and I'm planning at least a couple more video tributes to geographic locations. If you'd like to see your favorite Power Pop State or country celebrated here at the Shine, then drop me a comment.
As a special Valentine's Day bonus I'm giving out a pretty nifty, somewhat obscure compilation that came out on S'more Records back in 1999: Pop Till You Drop. This isn't particularly hard to find, but it is out of print (I couldn't even find a website for S'more Records). Neither could I find PTYD up anywhere currently in the Power Pop blogosphere, so it might be something you haven't heard. When it came out, it was an inexpensive (I'm pretty sure it retailed for less than six bucks) pop sampler distributed by Redeye. From the liner notes:
This compilation began as an answer to a question we Redeye folks were frequently being asked - "Since you guys deal with a ton of these 'Pop' bands breaking the scene, why don't you do a pop comp?" So we decided to do this, and do it in a big way with two full discs of songs from the preeminent bands in the so-called "Pop Renaissance" currently storming the Southeast. Here in the Southland and on this compilation, Pop music has a rather all-encompassing definition from straight-ahead power pop, to the most delicate of hooks and harmonies and songs swirling with soft psychedelia-- this is POP.
Let me just give you some of the highlights. First, the the two tracks that kick off discs one and two are worth the time to download each file alone. The Mayflies USA (or as I like to call them, Teenage Fanclub USA) track, "Make Me Susan" isn't available anywhere else, that I'm aware of, and neither is this early version of Superdrag's "Some Kind of Tragedy" (titled here, "Some Kinda Tragedy"). Speaking of the Drag, there's an early version of Who Hit John's spectacular "Stu" (later recorded by Superdrag, after Sam Powers joined for a spell). If you don't own the Put-Out's Sing the Hits, then you need to remedy that situation immediately, but in the meantime you can sample an early version of "Ultra-Wrong" from that record here. There are other memorable tunes, and some fairly big names (Superchunk, Mitch Easter, Jack Logan, Elf Power) along side some pretty obscure bands (Nine Minute Snooze or Luxurious You anyone?), and at least one more band with ties to Knoxville, the mighty Flesh Vehicle.
Happy Listening!
DISC 1:
1. Make Me Susan - The Mayflies USA 2. B Street Wanderer - Maki 3. Romance - Ho-Hum 4. Fire - Ashley Stove 5. When I Was Broken - The Lures 6. Sudden Crown Drop - Mitch Easter 7. Rock, Scissors, Paper - Gumption 8. Girls With Glasses - Kenny Howes 9. Sinker '99 - The Boy Wonder Jinx (remix) 10. Red Mopar - Gerty 11. Cursed Mirror - Superchunk 12. Coming in the Mouth of America - Cry Baby Cry 13. Steal Your Keys and Crash Your Car - Flesh Vehicle 14. Kamikaze Pilot - The Luxurious You 15. Sweet, Sweet Six-Nine - The Comas
1. Some Kinda Tragedy - Superdrag 2. Simon (The Bird With the Candy Bar Head) - Elf Power 3. Madison Ave. - The Pawn Rooke Four 4. Put the Damn Gun Down - Noah's Red Tattoo 5. Understanding Is Over-Rated - Dynamic Truths 6. Stu - Who Hit John 7. Ultra Wrong - The Put Outs 8. Genius Boy - Jack Logan 9. Lie to You - Lie To You 10. Magic 8 Ball - Gladhands 11. Terza Rima - Cliff Retallick 12. Driller Killer - Doleful Lions 13. Vanity Girl - Clay Merritt Of The Shames 14. Tooth Under Your Pillow - Nine Minute Snooze 15. Always on My Mind - Star Collector 16. Wrong About Winter - Rodeo Boy
Happy B-day Merge, I hope you'll be around for another twenty! In celebration of this momentous occasion, Merge is releasing a series of compilations this year via their website and they've also decided to have a little contest. Anyone can submit their own 20 song compilation of Merge artists, and if your comp gets picked (at random) you win some cool stuff. Details here: Make Your Own Score! I decided to make, but not submit, my comp and post it here. So here is my Score 20:
01. Spoon, "Sister Jack" (Piano Demo) from the bonus disc of 2005's Gimme Fiction. Personally, I think this version slays the album version by a mile. (1:44)
02. Camera Obscura, "Happy New Year" from Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, 2002. It's hard not to love these Scottish popsters. (4:03)
03. Neutral Milk Hotel, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" from the album of the same name, 1998. Arguably the most lauded album in the entire Merge catalog. Jeff Mangum has never issued a follow up, and thus the cult of NMH (for better or worse) was born. (3:22)
04. Portastatic (featuring Georgia and Ira of Yo La Tengo), "St. Elmo's Fire" by from the Scrapbook EP, 1995. A fantastic cover of Brian Eno's gem, by one of the founders of Merge, Mac McCaughan. (3:33)
05. Butterglory, "Carmen Cross" from Rat Tat Tat, 1997. Terrible band name, I agree, but a great little band nonetheless. They started out as Pavement copyists, albeit with a little more pop sensibility, but by this, their final album, they had really found their own voice. (3:46)
06. The Rosebuds, "You Better Get Ready" from The Rosebuds Unwind EP, 2005. I never really know what to expect from the Rosebuds, from disco influenced dance-athons to mid-tempo ballads to flat out rockers-- this one falls in the last camp--but they are always interesting. (2:07)
07. Caribou, "Hello Hammerheads" from The Milk of Human Kindness, 2005. This was the first album I heard by the artist formerly known as Manitoba. I was hooked by this sparingly, beautiful tune. (2:46)
08. Lambchop, "It's Not Alright" from What Another Man Spills, 1998. Another cover, this time Kurt Wagner tackles Dump (Yo La Tengo's James McNew's side project). (3:26)
09. Conor Oberst, "Sausalito" from Conor Oberst, 2008. Picking up where Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning left off, Oberst convincingly puts out a country record. (3:10)
10. The 6ths (feat. Lou Barlow), "In the City in the Rain" from Wasps' Nest, 1995. Stephin Merritt is one of the most celebrated of Merge's alumni, here I chose the Lou Barlow sung gem from one of his various side projects. (3:43)
11. Teenage Fanclub, "It's All in My Mind" from Man-Made, 2005. From their first, and so far only, release on Merge. Come back guys! (3:45)
12. Polvo, "Vibracobra" from Cor-Crane Secret, 1992. This band were tagged, maybe a little unfairly, as "math rock". I never really understood that genre, but I always loved Polvo. (4:47)
13. Crooked Fingers, "New Drink for the Old Drunk" from Crooked Fingers, 2000. After the Archers of Loaf dissolved in 1998, Eric Bachmann put out a couple of interesting solo records as Barry Black. Nothing on those records prepared me for the brilliance of his next project, Crooked Fingers. This is from their debut. (3:53)
14. Versus, "You'll Be Sorry" from Hurrah, 2000. By the time I bought this, my first, Versus record, they had been putting out albums for six years. This was their first for Merge and sadly their swan song-- still one of my favorite albums of the decade. (4:40)
15. Richard Buckner, "Town" from Meadow, 2006. Apparently, Merge is in the process of doing some Richard Buckner reissues due out later this year. Hopefully that means a new album soon. (4:09)
16. The Ladybug Transistor, "The Places You'll Call Home" from The Ladybug Transistor, 2003. Sasha sings on this lovely little Ladybug Transistor track. (4:04)
17. The Beatnik Filmstars, "Wrong" from In Hospitalable, 1997. The British answer to the American lo-fi scene of the early/mid 90's. (2:38)
18. The Essex Green, "Don't Know Why (You Stay)" from Cannibal Sea, 2006. One of my favorite psychedelic, indie-pop bands of the current decade-- though I'm not sure what they're up to these days as this was their last release. (3:27)
19. M. Ward, "Outta My Head" from Transfiguration of Vincent, 2003. I'll admit, I really didn't like this record when I first heard it back in '03. I listened to it again not too long ago (mainly because I liked the She & Him record so much), and it absolutely floored me. I don't know what I was thinking the first time around. His new one comes out next Tuesday (Feb. 17th)! (2:52)
20. Superchunk, "Slack Motherfucker" from Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91), 1992. How else could I have possibly ended this tribute? (2:54)
Borrowed from one of my favorite Blogs, PowerPop Overdose:
Any links to anything on this blog are here either because it's something I own, ripped myself and uploaded or I found the links on the web. I do not host anything here in any manner. If you would like any of the links removed, drop me a line and I'll take care of it, ASAP.
When I first became obsessed with music, seventh grade, I became addicted to making mix tapes. This lasted for several years, even well into the age of CDRs-- I've probably fathered hundreds of mix tapes. I finally came around to CD burning technology, just when mp3s started really taking off, so I shifted toward mix CDRs. It took me awhile, but I eventually fell in love with my iPod. Playlists can be fun, but I still love making a good mix with a time restraint. That's why I decided to start this blog. I'll keep making my compilations and maybe even get a few people to listen to them. Thanks for stopping by.
