Collective mixtape

[transmogrifier]

:|

Just do what I did: let it slide.

[Derek]

Just do what I did: let it slide.

True, the awesomeness of Can is so readily apparent, it's not worth arguing.

[transmogrifier]

True, the awesomeness of Can is so readily apparent, it's not worth arguing.

Indeed. "Could use work?" Yeah, to cut it back down to the realm of lesser styles of music.

[/likes Neu! too, so can't start a factional war]

[Derek]

[/likes Neu! too, so can't start a factional war]

Ditto, but if a line must be drawn in the sand, my side is picked.

*awaits Davis*

[D_Davis]

Ditto, but if a line must be drawn in the sand, my side is picked.

*awaits Davis*

Like you guys said, Can's not worth arguing about.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Listening to it now, will fill in my initial impressions as the tracks complete. (listening to the shorter songs first, too many long ones!)


1. Murderbot - "Onlyworld" (origami_mustache) - love the variations and sample choices. Good track, agree with iosos that the middle is the highlight. 7

2. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Real Emotional Trash" (Kurosawa Fan) - As it went on I dug it more and more. Surpirsed to see it lasted 10 minutes, didn't seem that long at all. 7.5

3. Kurious Jorge - "I'm Kurious" (Kurious Jorge v3.1) - Kurious has appeared on MF Doom tracks, including under the alias Biolante for the song 'Fastlane' off of King Geedorah's Follow the Leader. 8

4. 50 Foot Wave - "Clara Bow" (Spinal) - This song sucks. 2

5. King Crimson - "Starless" (Raiders) - Already have heard it, love it 8.5

6. Big Daddy Kane - "Warm It Up Kane" (Ezee E) - A classic that doesn't sound as outdated other songs from the classic rap era. 8

7. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gardenhead" (Duncan) - heard this before when I was trying to figure out what the big deal was all bout with NMH. Still don't think they are great, but it's listenable 6

8. XTC - "Easter Theatre" (iosos) - Should be played at the commencement of every family easter egg hunt for added dramaticism. 7

9. Genesis - "Back In NYC" (Derek) - Phil Collins' voice is annoying. Still, I enjoyed the song up to part with the distorted robotic voice kicks in. 5

10. Bruce Kaphan - "Clouds" (Daniel Davis) - I found it too mellow with not enough differentiation to keep me from dozing off. It's kind of average 5

11. The Kropotkins - "Sissy Wa Wa" (Russ) - liked it, probably will grow on me with a few more listens. 6

12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Hold On To Yourself" (transmogrifier) - Haven't really explored Nick Cave's work but this song is awesome! 9

13. Pepe Romero "Asturias" (bac0n) - My mind wandered away from the song while listening to it. I became more interested in making a chicken sandwich. 5

14. Neu! - "Negativland" (Teh Sausage) - Awesome! The kind of repetitiveness I love. Must seek out more. 9

15. Eugene McDaniels - "Lovin' Man" (Boner M) - The chorus ruins this song. The singer also sounds like a poor man's Joe Simon. 4

16. The Louvin Brothers & Tommy Cash - "Knoxville Girl" (Melville) - Sleep-inducing. 4

17. Portishead - "Machine Gun" (chrisnu) - The drum track sounds like the theme to 'The Terminator'. 5

18. Trolle//Siebenhaar - "Sweet Dogs" (Lasse) - Sounds like alot of other stuff thats very en vogue at the moment, but I can't that against the song, which is very pleasing on the ear. 8

[Duncan]

1. Murderbot - "Onlyworld" (origami_mustache) - Not totally my thing. I find it hard to like aggressive beats like this unless I'm drunk and dancing.

2. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Real Emotional Trash" (Kurosawa Fan) - I like this one. Not a huge Pavement fan, and I've never jived with Malkmus' voice.

3. Kurious Jorge - "I'm Kurious" (Kurious Jorge v3.1) - I've already forgotten which one this was.

4. 50 Foot Wave - "Clara Bow" (Spinal) - I agree with whoever said it's a bit indistinguishable from other grrl rock, but a good example of that sort of thing.

5. King Crimson - "Starless" (Raiders) - Pretty epic. Dug the journey.

6. Big Daddy Kane - "Warm It Up Kane" (Ezee E) - I should listen to more old school rap.

7. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gardenhead" (Duncan) - On my previous laptop this is the most played song in iTunes. I love its fuzzy relentlessness.

8. XTC - "Easter Theatre" (iosos) - Maybe a little too smooth for me.

9. Genesis - "Back In NYC" (Derek) - Not a fan. Grating voice.

10. Bruce Kaphan - "Clouds" (Daniel Davis) - Sorta cerbral and relaxing. It's something I'd more likely listen to while trying to fall asleep though.

11. The Kropotkins - "Sissy Wa Wa" (Russ) - This was awesome. Will check out more.

12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Hold On To Yourself" (transmogrifier) - I should get this album. Went through a huge Nick Cave phase 'bout a year and a half ago.

13. Pepe Romero "Asturias" (bac0n) - Really great song. Maybe my fave.

14. Neu! - "Negativland" (Teh Sausage) - This is perfect work music for me. No full enough to distract me, but persistent enough to keep me awake.

15. Eugene McDaniels - "Lovin' Man" (Boner M) - Chorus wasn't really doing it for me. Made me want to listen to "Sinner Man."

16. The Louvin Brothers & Tommy Cash - "Knoxville Girl" (Melville) - Awesome.

17. Portishead - "Machine Gun" (chrisnu) - Probably my least favourite song off the new album, but I love the last 30 seconds.

18. Trolle//Siebenhaar - "Sweet Dogs" (Lasse) - I think I would have liked it better without the male vocals punctuating the song. Reminds me of that song "What I Got" by someone rather...

I wasn't really liking the mix up until track 11, then it's solid from there on.

[Kurosawa Fan]

2. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - "Real Emotional Trash" (Kurosawa Fan) - I like this one. Not a huge Pavement fan, and I've never jived with Malkmus' voice.

Is this an error? Did you mean to put a "didn't" in that first sentence? I'm wondering because you state that you don't like Pavement, and don't jive with Malkmus' voice, but then never state what's different about this one.

[Spinal]

I don't understand why you guys hate my song so much. Clearly we're looking for different things.

[Duncan]

Is this an error? Did you mean to put a "didn't" in that first sentence? I'm wondering because you state that you don't like Pavement, and don't jive with Malkmus' voice, but then never state what's different about this one.

Not a mistake, I liked it. I just said "I'm not a huge Pavement fan..." which is highly ambiguous. Then add the second part and it's a really misleading sentence. But I actually do kinda like Pavement. I like the tension between his lo-fi roots and the crisp production during parts of this song. There's still a lot of dirt in there, but it's produced well enough that the crisper, cleaner notes really stand out. I think it makes the longer guitar interludes interesting. I dunno. Not very good at writing about music.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Not a mistake, I liked it. I just said "I'm not a huge Pavement fan..." which is highly ambiguous. Then add the second part and it's a really misleading sentence. But I actually do kinda like Pavement. I like the tension between his lo-fi roots and the crisp production during parts of this song. There's still a lot of dirt in there, but it's produced well enough that the crisper, cleaner notes really stand out. I think it makes the longer guitar interludes interesting. I dunno. Not very good at writing about music.

No, that's totally cool. I'm not good at it either, and I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I just wondered with how your second sentence was worded whether you mistakenly said you liked it. I too think his longer guitar work is interesting (though I'd use the word amazing, or something of the like), not only on this track but on this entire album as well as Pig Lib. Anyway, I'm really glad you liked it.

[bac0n]

My two bits:

Onlyworld - Murderbot :: one of my favorite tracks on the mix. I love the late 90s breaks mixed with the dub at the start and then how it descends into total chaos toward the end, with them literally throwing everything at us that they can. Sounds like these guys had a lotta fun putting this track together.

Real Emotional Trash - Stephan Malkmus :: Starts out kinda meh, but gets a LOT better near the four minute mark when the guitar solo kicks in. I like the fuzzy wah-wah guitar in particular.

Clouds - Bruce Kaphan :: This song hits a lotta my buttons. Has some great chord progressions, a slide guitar sound front and center. The name is appropo - this song is light fluffy and melancholy as its name. Lovely chillout song, kinda reminds me of Brian Eno qa. Apollo Atmospheres.

I'm Kurious - Kurious :: This song totally takes me back to my days in highschool listening to Yo! MTV Raps in the afternoon at my friends place. Good times. Ah, good stuff.

Clara Blow - 50 Foot Wave :: I haven't really dug punk/postpunk/hardcore/whatever since my highschool days, but this track is alright. I have a feeling it's MUCH better live (and with a nice kevlar vest to shield from the mosh-pit elbows).

Warm It Up, Kane - Big Daddy Kane :: Another oldschool rap track! And a wanna be startin' something sample! Man, there are some great rhymes to be had here.

Starless - King Crimson :: The first four minutes could be removed from this song and I'd be none the happier. The low-quality fake-sounding orchestra patch is distracting. They shoulda spent a little extra money and at least have gotten a string quartet. After that, things get much more interesting, when the song takes a sinister vibe, and then the sax kicks in and all is forgiven.

Easter Theatre - XTC :: Note to King Crimson - this is the way you're supposed to use strings in your tracks. :P Note to Sufjan Stevens - this is the way you're supposed to use brass. Note to bac0n - dust off your old XTC album.

Back in NYC - Genesis :: Liked this better the second listen through than the first. Funny to think that once upon a time, people could pound out arpeggiatos with their hands instead of punching them into the arpeggiator in your hardware/software sequencer. Could do without the lo-grade vocording, tho.

Garden Head Leave Me Alone - Neutral Milk Hotel :: NMH tends to grate on my nerves, but this song is more tolerable them most of the songs I've heard from them. Which is to say it only grates on my nerves a little.

Sally Wa Wa - The Kropotkins :: The first time through I made it about 3/4 the way through before I couldn't take it any more and had to skip to the next track. There are parts that are kinda cool, but the singer... ugh.

Hold On To Yourself - Nick Fuckin' Cave & The Bad Seeds :: Nick Cave. What more can be said? With that my god! what have I done? shake to his voice, he has just about the best vocal delivery on the planet. This is one of my fave songs of his.

Asturias - Pepe Romero :: I love this song. Which is why I recommended it.

Negativland - Neu! :: Interesting sonics, but I get the feeling that they found this four measure bassline that they sorta liked and spent close to ten minutes trying to stretch it out by playing with the flange knob on their effects processor.

Lovin' Man - Eugene McDaniels :: Liked the vibe of this tune, the sincerity and skill of the man's voice.

Knoxville Girl - The Louvin Brothers :: Egad, what a ghastly tune. I'm talking about the lyrics, btw. Horrifying, which makes the old western genre in which the song is placed rather ironic. I could totally see this on the soundtrack to a Quentin Tarrantino movie.

Machine Gun - Portishead :: I love this song. Not what I'm used to from Portishead, but pretty cool nonetheless. But then again, the lead singer could yodel in front of a jews harp and I'd still be mesmerized.

Sweet Dogs - Trolle :: This might be my favorite track on the mix. I will be needing to check this band out.

[Raiders]

I'm almost positive "live" strings would have sounded ridiculous at the beginning of "Starless." It would be a tonally divergent sound.

[D_Davis]

Pretty sure KC used a mellotron for those string parts. This instrument was among the first (the first?) sample-playback keyboards ever made. When you play a note, or series of notes, it plays back tape recordings of actual string instruments at the necessary pitch. The Beatles were among the first rock bands to use the instrument, and, incidentally, I actually got to play the exact mellotron they used at Abby Road.

[bac0n]

Pretty sure KC used a mellotron for those string parts. This instrument was among the first (the first?) sample-playback keyboards ever made. When you play a note, or series of notes, it plays back tape recordings of actual string instruments at the necessary pitch. The Beatles were among the first rock bands to use the instrument, and, incidentally, I actually got to play the exact mellotron they used at Abby Road.

Indeed. The mellotron has a certain legendary status among gearheads. And as for you playing the actual Mellotron the beatles used? JEALOUS.

[Derek]

Finally got around to listening a second time. Ratings out of **** and some brief thoughts:

1) Murderbot - "Onlyworld" **1/2

The combination of speed/harshness made this grating after a while.

2) Stephen Malkmus - "Real Emotional Trash" ****

Great song, great jam. Definitely favorite track from the new album. I should probably get around to some of his other "solo" work, so I'll give Pig Lib a shot.

3) Bruce Kaphan - "Clouds" ***

Dreamy, atmospheric stuff. Definitely works as background music and I don't mean that as an insult.

4) Kurious Jorge - "I'm Kurious" ***

Killer beat and I love the inclusion of the 8-bit sounds, flute, violin, etc. but the guy's voice doesn't do much for me and it doesn't develop into anything interesting enough to make me forget that. Still good.

5) 50 Foot Wave - "Clara Bow" **

I feel like I've heard this song, but maybe it's the 3 chords that sound familiar.

6) Big Daddy Kane - "Warm It Up, Kane" ***

Simple, but catchy and fun. Can't argue with that.

7) King Crimson - "Starless" ***1/2

Smoooooth prog. The guitarwork seems almost a bit too slow and deliberate at times, but I love the way it builds and I was totally sucked in after a few minutes.

8) XTC - "Easter Theatre" ****

I've only heard Skylarking and English Settlement, but still, this may be my new favorite XTC song. I especially love how the almost off-key sections give way into these beautiful explosions of harmony..."stage friiiight!" (at least I think that's what they're singing).

9) Genesis - "Back in NYC" ****

10) Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gardenhead - Leave Me Alone" ***

I love NMH to death, but of all songs to pick...this one? But I [heart] Jeff Mangum, so of course I like it.

11) The Kropotkins - "Sissy Wa Wa" **

Like Bac0n said, there are some flashes of coolness, but that voice is tough to listen to.

12) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Hold Onto Yourself" ****

This was already one of my favorite songs of the year and one of the best I've heard from Cave.

13) Pepe Romero - "Asturias" **1/2

If I'm in Spain sitting in park next to Scarlett Johannsen, I'd totally dig this more. Impressive finger-picking obviously, but not my thing.

14) Neu! - "Negativland" ****

My favorite Neu! track. I love the repetitious nature of krautrock, especially when there's such a variety of awesomeness going on around that bass line. My favorite song on the mix.

15) Eugene McDaniels - "Lovin' Man" ***

Song's got soul.

16) The Louvin Brothers - "Knoxville Girl" *

When I tell people I hate country music, this is the kind I'm referring to.

17) Portishead - "Machine Gun" ***

One of the weaker songs off Third IMO, but still good.

18) Trolle//Siebenhaar - "Sweet Dogs" ***1/2

Patient yet groovy. Love the female singer and the use of strings/harmonica. I kinda wish it built into something more, but it's pretty great as it is.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

8) XTC - "Easter Theatre" ****

I've only heard Skylarking and English Settlement, but still, this may be my new favorite XTC song. I especially love how the almost off-key sections give way into these beautiful explosions of harmony..."stage friiiight!" (at least I think that's what they're singing).

it's stage riiiiight

[Derek]

it's stage riiiiight

Ah, good to know. As I mentioned in the other thread, I rarely pay much attention to lyrics, but I was trying to make that part out.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Awesome guys, I got the first mix, in the process of the others. Some wonderful discoveries

[bac0n]

13) Pepe Romero - "Asturias" **1/2

If I'm in Spain sitting in park next to Scarlett Johannsen, I'd totally dig this more.

Dude, if I was in Spain sitting in the park next to Scarlett Johannsen, I wouldn't be able to hear the song over the thundering voice in my head screaming don't let he see you looking at her boobies, don't let her see you looking at her boobies...

[chrisnu]

I know, I'm really late, but here goes...

Really like: "Onlyworld", "Starless", "Easter Theatre", "Hold on to Yourself", "Negativland" (my favorite)

Like: "Clouds", "Real Emotional Trash", "I'm Kurious", "Back In N.Y.C.", "Lovin' Man", "Sweet Dogs"

Meh: "Warm It Up, Kane", "Gardenhead - Leave Me Alone", "Sissy Wa Wa", "Clara Bow"

WTF: "Knoxville Girl".