These tracks are (somewhat) randomly selected from the “sssongsss” playlist I fill up while I’m working on new music and empty when I’ve released it. I think this is my fourth pass…
1. Robin Guthrie-Conquering the Romantic
The reverb king, or multiple delays I guess. Most people probably know him from his days with Cocteau Twins, but he’s put out a bunch of solo material and a few releases with the primarily ambient, occasionally avant-garde driven Harold Budd. I always find myself waiting for a hip-hop beat or Liz Frasier to come in.
Former Far East Family Band member and Kitaro bandmate Fumio Miyashita released Journey To Space in 1984, from which this song is taken. I haven’t met too many people who are appreciative of it, but I love how economical the production is on this record. This is a recording of my copy, I’ve never been able to find a download or a CD to buy. Help. Someone. Anyone.
3. Fripp & Eno-The Heavenly Music Corporation (4th part / half-speed)
I can’t say enough about this album. It was recorded in just two takes, the background loop and the “guitar solo,” it popularized, to a certain extent, Frippertronics, and this particular recording is a half-speed excerpt. Listening to this record and specifically the half-speed recordings on the 2008 remaster really motivated me to experiment with reel-to-reels. I love the minute of just the loop at around 4:00, but the last three minutes are what really get me.
[LAST.FM]
4. Toe-Tremolo and Delay
Three/four/five years ago I was playing in a post-rock band, getting heavily into guitars and started getting into the Japanese math-rock wave. Té, Lite, 3nd, but most of all these guys, Toe. It’s the only one of the bunch I still listen to. The drumming is impeccable, the guitar interplay is spot-on—but the unsung hero is the bass work. It’s the infrastructure for most of the high points on the album.
4. Toe-Tremolo and Delay
Three/four/five years ago I was playing in a post-rock band, getting heavily into guitars and started getting into the Japanese math-rock wave. Té, Lite, 3nd, but most of all these guys, Toe. It’s the only one of the bunch I still listen to. The drumming is impeccable, the guitar interplay is spot-on—but the unsung hero is the bass work. It’s the infrastructure for most of the high points on the album.
[FACEBOOK/WEBSITE]
5. Flashbulb Fires-Marathon
Really smart, atmospheric indie stuff from a group of really nice Denver boys. I’ve known them for a couple of years now and they’ve always been good, but each release has been exponentially better than the last. I’ll take that delayed harpsichord all day and, predictably, the gang vocals/harmonies really hit the spot. Add a fuzzed-out selection from Patrick’s interminable well-of-melody and you have a recipe for destruction.
5. Flashbulb Fires-Marathon
Really smart, atmospheric indie stuff from a group of really nice Denver boys. I’ve known them for a couple of years now and they’ve always been good, but each release has been exponentially better than the last. I’ll take that delayed harpsichord all day and, predictably, the gang vocals/harmonies really hit the spot. Add a fuzzed-out selection from Patrick’s interminable well-of-melody and you have a recipe for destruction.
[BANDCAMP/FACEBOOK]
6. Teenage Filmstars-Inner Space
The Star record came out just under a year after My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless to much less fanfare. The two albums have some pretty remarkable similarities, with Teenage Filmstarsfalling on the more psychedelic side of things. The chorus always keeps me hanging around, but it’s not hard to get lost in this for all five minutes.
6. Teenage Filmstars-Inner Space
The Star record came out just under a year after My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless to much less fanfare. The two albums have some pretty remarkable similarities, with Teenage Filmstarsfalling on the more psychedelic side of things. The chorus always keeps me hanging around, but it’s not hard to get lost in this for all five minutes.
[SPOTIFY]
7. Golden Curls-In The Cards
I’ve been working on a few White Flashes songs with Sarah and I’m finding out just how talented she is. This song had me from the first listen and should be blamed for a lot of recent strange looks while I’m trying to sing along. Hats off to Mr. Blackwell for the chorus production, the pitch-shift for the second verse was a great move, and the cacophonic backing vocals toward the end set the stage for an awesome build-up and release into that obscenely catchy outro.
7. Golden Curls-In The Cards
I’ve been working on a few White Flashes songs with Sarah and I’m finding out just how talented she is. This song had me from the first listen and should be blamed for a lot of recent strange looks while I’m trying to sing along. Hats off to Mr. Blackwell for the chorus production, the pitch-shift for the second verse was a great move, and the cacophonic backing vocals toward the end set the stage for an awesome build-up and release into that obscenely catchy outro.
Thanks to Cassette Rewind for letting me clutter their blogwaves. I appreciate the opportunity to share something but I’m much happier letting the likes of CR, Heart & Soul, LB4YB, and so many others do the posting while I spectate. Also, thanks to you for reading! You can criticize (or just follow) me on Facebook or Twitter. Until next time…
*(The soundcloud link is available here but “Considering the Romantic” isn’t included due to soundcloud copyright rules so it begins with “Spiral”.)
