Things I listened to: My October/November Spotify playlist

Okay boring bit first. A couple of months ago I realised I wasn’t listening to much new music so I came up with a genius idea — make a playlist for any new song I come across and enjoy. 

I’m tracking them bi-monthly which means I’ve created the grand total of two playlists so far. It’s a fun way for me to try and discover new music and doubly good because Spotify now recommends more things I might actually like. Yay \o/

This month followed a similar theme to last month in the sense it was dominated by indie female vocalists. No shame here but it probably explains why my Spotify Wrapped labelled my taste as 'Bubblegrunge'.

The first song I added this month was Big Pink Bubble by Beach Bunny, which I’ll be honest… I now skip every time it comes on. They have better songs and I already added most of them to last month’s playlist (Prom Queen, Clueless and Nice Guys).

I then stumbled onto The Ratboys and added a couple of tracks — I Don’t Go Out at Night, Elvis in the Freezer, Light Night to be precise. Later additions were a bit more random when I realised I’d only picked around 25 songs in two months. 

Cue left-field options like The Magnificent Seven by The Clash, Wrong Turn by Kim Petras, and The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip by T’Arctic Monkees. All good, but not exactly brand-new discoveries.

In terms of highlights, Good God by Daffo easily takes the crown — probably my favourite song of the month. Yoshi’s Island by glass beach also got a lot of repeat plays.

Here’s the Top 10 for the month in no particular order:

Good God – Daffo

Elvis in the Freezer – The Ratboys

I’m So Sorry – Beef & Sidney Gish

Who Needs You – The Orwells

Yoshi’s Island – glass beach

Frequent Letdown – illuminati hotties

Johnny – Yucky Duster

For You – Free Cake for Every Creature

Filming School – Sidney Gish 

Amoeba – Clairo

And here's the actual playlist if you're into that:

Things I Listened To: Remain In Light

Remain in Light is an album that, according to one astute amateur YouTube critic hasn't 'aged a minute'. I very much agree with that summation and find it interesting because that's very much the point of this feature - finding music I, for some reason, have overlooked.

Talking Heads are a band I've listened to a whole bunch in the past but am ashamed to admit only through select choices. Namely their 'greatest hits' album Best Of (Once in a Lifetime) released in 1992. Remain in Light (1980) is the first time I've sat through a full proper studio album. It's super uplifting and fun, featuring what is probably my absolutely favourite track by them, Once in a Lifetime. There's a great video for that one.

I wish I had more to say but I can't think of much right now. Much like myself, lead Singer David Byrne suffered with a bout of writer's block prior to recording it. He got through it by seeking inspiration from a wealth of sources, including rap and postcolonial African literature. For me it explains why the album has a hazy quality to it. 

It takes further inspiration from polyrhythms, funk and looping grooves, which you can sense from the very first track, Born Under Punches.

Take a look at these hands.

I'm a government man.

//

Things I Listened To: The Modern Lovers

I haven't blogged much lately so you'll have to forgive the tardiness of this post. I fell out of love with writing for a couple of months owing to moving to a different city. Good news though, I'm back, and with a new idea - listening to a new album each day and reflecting on the results.

First up is The Modern Lovers debut album, erm, The Modern Lovers.

The Modern Lovers are a fairly well known band so I'm loathe to sound like I'm addressing something new and interesting. They were influential on the Punk Rock genre and followed another well known band The Velvet Underground in pioneering the style. Their debut album was released in 1976. It's 35 minutes long and, in my opinion, really fucking good.

To describe it succinctly, it's rough and ready. It muses on artists, living life in rough parts of town, and the lead singer's relationship between modern living and what he describes as the 'old world'.

One of the main aspects that stands out is the fascination with girls and dating. It sounds very much like the emotional bellyaching of a teenager but with enough refined sensibility that it doesn't succumb to idle cliches or anything too soppy. It's reflected so well by the imperfect raspy vocals of lead singer, Jonathan Richman.

My favourite song is Hospital, which really cuts to the core of problematic relationships. I love the bittersweet line that reads, 'I still get jealous of your old boyfriends in the suburbs sometimes'.

//

Things I Listened To: City Pop

Imagine the scene:

It’s the early 90s. You’re sitting in a low-suspension red sports car, driving across the city hills. You don’t have any worries because it’s summer evening and a tepid breeze is washing over your face. You pop the top to give you extra view and as your eyes sweep across the front, you catch sight of the shapely raised headlights. Better turn them on, it’ll be dark soon. Better drive on, boy.

Thirty minutes later, you’re at the center of this metropolis you call home. There’s a bustle of people going to and fro in the electric atmosphere of a Saturday night. You catch an attractive girl on the sidewalk sporting short hair, clothed in summer dress. Her over-sized sunglasses hide her from eyes but in your mind this could be the girl of your dreams, or maybe just another office-worker playing weekend dress-up. 

As you drive on, you’re engulfed by a sea of electronic billboards glistening in the moonlight. The temperature is five degrees lower than earlier but it doesn't dampen your mood. This car is power. Life is all about possibility. Work is at another 36 hours away. The music blasting from the stereo is all about love and hope. It's electrifying.

It’s all City Pop, baby.

//

Things I Listened To: Vinyl Fantasy VII - MF Doom and Cloud Strife

I woke up this morning at 8am so am far too tired to write a coherent post. 

It's sunny and warm out and I'm inundated with landlords trying to tell me about how great their places are on Spareroom. My back hurts slightly leaning forward to type on my Chromebook - the battery on this thing is dying and I really need to invest in a new laptop soon. 

Not a Chromebook though - something I can use Photoshop on the move.

I've been replaying GTA IV again and it's pretty damn fun. No bowling please.

Enjoy the mashup~

//

Things I Listened To: Bikini Kill – Riot Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl

Basically, Bikini Kill are the riot grrrrl band. They’re the type of band who’d probably kill you if you didn’t listen to them on a bootleg cassette tape. They scream and shout and all kinds of crazy shit. They’re pretty cool, so if you want to be cool yourself you should listen to them.

//

Things I Listened to: Risk of Rain's Soundtrack

Risk of Rain is an interesting game. I've never played it but that opening line rhymes so I had to start that way. It practically demanded it, don't you think?

Risk of Rain is also interesting because of the number of permutations when thinking about the title. I have an online buddy who plays the game a lot. To him I call it Risky Rain. Rain of Risk. I once called it Rained Risk. Or maybe it was Rainy Risk. Risque Rain is a new one I've just thought of. Risk of Pain works too, and makes a lot of sense given that the game is about surviving on a desolate planet.

There's just so many variations! It's exciting! But it won't matter a jot to anybody who isn't me so feel free to take pleasure instead in Chris Christodoulou's atmospheric soundtrack. It's very good music to leave on in the background while you work on something important.

//

Things I Listened To: ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn - The Blood Brothers

I'll start by saying that ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn would make for the strangest television show. I'm thinking it'd set on a remote tropical island, very distant from modern society and possibly orientated around a tribal or maybe pagan culture, a bit like The Wicker Man. Here's my pitch.

In the not too distant future, a plane carrying hundreds of sexy passengers crashes into picturesque mountainside. Dozens die but many survive. They're immediately greeted by the local denizens who come to their rescue not with smiles and bandages but with pointy sticks and terror. You see, these nomads think these survivors are demons sent from another world. The survivors do their best to run - a few can't because they have broken legs - and eventually set up camp somewhere on the other side of the island. The rest of the first season is dedicated to them learning how to fend for themselves without iPhones or Amazon Prime and also trying not to die by hands the ancient civilisation they've stumbled across. Eventually they do make friends and at least one of them falls in love only to have his/her head chopped off. That happens in the final episode.

If you're confused, don't be. That passage sufficiently sums up my experience of listening to Burn, Piano Island, Burn. It's a lot like one those Dali images of clocks melting. You think you get it but you actually don't. It creates images in the mind. It gets the imagination flowing. It's surreal and doesn't make a whole heap of sense.

Hot! 
The lead track, Burn, Piano Island, Burn.

Not. 
I Know Where The Canaries and the Crows Go.

//

Things I Listened To: Axiom Verge's OST

I haven't played Axiom Verge yet but owing to the fact I've been listening to its soundtrack a lot over the past few days, I'm sure it won't take too long now.

Thomas Happ's music is a mystical, beguiling blend of chip-tune and middle-eastern riffs. It feels rare to encounter and that's a good thing. It's strange though considering Happ seems to have had very little experience producing music prior to making the soundtrack.

But yeah, like always, have a listen.

It's good. It's free. What more can I say.

//

Things I Listened To: A Million Miles Away by マクロスMACROSS 82-99

For a while I thought this was an actual factual soundtrack to one of the many, many, many Macross spin-offs. Turns out it's not, which means its composer Macross 82-99 is doing a very convincing job of being not only retro-inspired, but also an inspired choice for anybody looking for a bit of the old vaporwave.

The music? Well it's future funk. It's the type of thing I could imagine listening to while coasting down the highway of my dreams neck deep in tropical breeze. It's also the type of thing you might imagine playing in some far flung bar on the other side of the galaxy light years from home. It was described by one YouTuber as 'catchy beats with some romance thrown in'.

Either way it's mid-morning and I'm too tired to think of my own description. It's just cool. 

//

Things I Listened To: Celeste's OST

I've been streaming Celeste recently for some nerds I know on the Internets. It's a great game, one the best I've played this year, and I've totally fallen in love with its soundtrack.

Have a listen if you're into ambient orchestral sounds crossed with snappy synth electronica.

And if you're not then get away from this blog. Shoo!

//

Things I Listened To: Random Trip-Hop Playlists

I just want to start by saying that Trip-Hop is a great name.

Despite knowing this for a while I wasn't a big fan when I first listened to a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend. While I'm not sure what's changed - you've changed man - I've grown a fondness for it of late helped by what appears to be an inexhaustible supply of amazing YouTube playlists.

Here's three of them:

//

Things I Listened To: “Going Places” by Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass Band.

Truth be told, I wasn’t aware of the stupendously jolly music of Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass band until about a week ago.

Sure I’d heard “The Spanish Flea” before. I remember it from that scene in The Simpsons where Homer is sitting in his car while Bart and Milhouse are at the Spinal Tap gig. But their music? No, I'm afraid. Not until somebody linked me to yet another of the internet’s random dog memes and I thought, “Hey that song's catchy, let’s listen to the original”.

As it turns out, this was a great decision because it meant I eventually stumbled upon Going Places, one of their albums from the 1960s. It’s a great collection of tracks: bombastic and happy..

Have a listen!!11

//

Things I Listened To: Pierrot Le Fou's Jazzy, Orchestral, Sometimes Frenetic Soundtrack

After writing my recent review of Pierrot Le Fou, I wanted to share another part of the film I greatly enjoyed: the soundtrack.

The second track (as featured above) features a bunch of screeching violins, reminding me a lot of Bernard Herrman's legendary score to Psycho. There's also a couple of musical interludes in the middle sung by the film's lead actress Anna Karina. There's also a very good penultimate track called Twist - the kind of thing that just makes you want to twist and shout and bop and stuff.

It's a curious mix of highbrow and lowbrow material, which reflects the film perfectly. I should also mention that it's all composed by Antoine Duhamel, a French composer who later worked with Godard on my favourite film of his, Week End.

//

Things I Listened To: FTL: Faster Than Light OST

Recently, I read a point about how video game soundtracks make the best music to work to. The person's theory was that the music is designed from the beginning to be part of the background and it naturally encourages attention to be spent elsewhere. While I'm not sure that's always true - especially when it comes to sweeping orchestral scores - I do find myself listening to game OSTs quite a lot when working.

This seems to be especially true for a lot of modern indie game soundtracks, like this one for FTL: Faster Than Light; a game I haven't played but whose soundtrack I really dig!

It's futuristic-yet-minimalistic score really works a treat as a divider between it and the terrifying silence of the real world. Have a listen!

//