Circle 6 notes
Big Sur Thrills
Funky Peripherique Les Sans Culottes
The Week Never Starts Around Here Arab Strap
Molly's Chambers Kings Of Leon
You're So Damn Hot OK Go
Damn Shame Jay Farrar
Hey Linda The Go
This I Don't Need Starflyer 59
The Electric Version New Pornographers
I Wanna Sex You Up William Shatner
Lighting The Way Superdrag
Waves Wondermints
Freedom J Mascis And The Fog
He War Cat Power
Tropics Of Love The Black Heart Procession
E Motel The Clean
grass_skirt All Girl Summer Fun Band
At The Party Northern State
The Unbelievable Broadcast Her Space Holiday
Look Good in Leather [Explicit] Cody ChestnuTT
Mr Kennedy The Soft Boys
The Town That Lost It's Groove Supply The Minus 5
So Fast, So Numb R.E.M.
Screw You Guys I'm Going Southpark
Circle #6
Well, you’ll all be pleased to hear that this gets harder. The trouble with the success of this circle is that a lot of the stuff I’ve been listening to, and enjoying, came from other members, putting them out of bounds for future turns.
Anyway, after reviewing my last effort I felt that, while it stood up pretty well, there was too much woody music. I’ve recently been listening to a lot of what I’ll call power pop, and this turn reflects this, although there were a few last minute “oh go on” entries. Throughout I’ve tried to go for brevity when choosing songs from albums so as to cram more in. Luckily, Sophie has already given you my Electric 6 and Wondermints selections. So while the last two have been music to sit in the summer garden to, this one is more intended for when you’re cruising along in your open top car. Although the garden will still work.
I was looking forward to putting Big Sur onto this from the moment i heard it, so was quite annoyed to find its parent album is up for a Mercury. The whole album is in this retro Californian mode, and very good it is too. Les Sans Culottes are a French hip hop outfit, which is all you need to know.
Arab Strap are the dark, depressed spot on this sunny CD - Eyeore’s corner if you will. But it’s a great CD of Scottish miserabilism. You all probably have the Kings of Leon already, but since we’re on a retro trip let’s stick with it.
OK Go have produced an eponymous album of great guitar and synth driven power pop. Clearly big fans of “Lovecats” era Cure and Adam and the Ants. Confusingly named The Go used to be in a band with Jack White of the White Stripes, but have eschewed his blues for a retro-70s sound. Some of this album sounds like Status Quo before they became a parody of themselves, but most of it is a lot better than that.
Starflyer 59 are a good band with a crap name. They’ve been around for years, mutating from early shoe-gazer type drones to an early Teenage Fanclub sound to what is now almost poppy.
The New Pornographers are my favourite band on this disk. The CD (a recommendation from the Onion AV Club) is a pure and pretty darned good distillation of every great band from 1979-1981. The entire album is uptempo power pop with vaguely nonsensical singalong lyrics and great melodic hooks: this is the one I really urge you to buy. Their first album, Mass Romantic, is apparently great as well, but hard to get in the UK.
The Minus 5 are a bit of a supergroup, with some guys from Wilco and Peter Buck from REM. Not a great album, but pretty good. Superdrag are another odd one: the name and a lot of the music clearly evoke our beloved Supergrass. This track is a bit different - more like the Foo Fighters - and a lot better. J Mascis and the Fog I think you probably already know.
The next five tracks - Gravy Train to Dealership - I know almost nothing about. All the tracks came from www.epitonic.com, a site for legally downloading MP3s to try bands out. The All Girl Summer Fun Band are exactly as the name suggests. Then there’s a whole bunch of stuff I haven’t room to describe.
And finally, I know I said I’d never put any REM on here, and yet... I went (with Brian, among others) to see them play at Old Trafford, and i have to say with a straight face that it was an almost spiritual experience: they were magnificent and - teenage boy alert! - I felt it was all for me. More to the point, as you all know I’m getting married in December and I was suddenly struck that this song was exactly how I felt about Angela at that point. A closer examination of the lyrics may reveal this to be a mistake, but I’m sticking with it for now.
Anyway, other albums I’ve really enjoyed lately include: Radiohead, the new Sly Stone comp and a lot of other bits. I’ve actually called a halt to new purchases for about a month while I catch up with listening to everything I bought earlier in the year.
Funky Peripherique Les Sans Culottes
The Week Never Starts Around Here Arab Strap
Molly's Chambers Kings Of Leon
You're So Damn Hot OK Go
Damn Shame Jay Farrar
Hey Linda The Go
This I Don't Need Starflyer 59
The Electric Version New Pornographers
I Wanna Sex You Up William Shatner
Lighting The Way Superdrag
Waves Wondermints
Freedom J Mascis And The Fog
He War Cat Power
Tropics Of Love The Black Heart Procession
E Motel The Clean
grass_skirt All Girl Summer Fun Band
At The Party Northern State
The Unbelievable Broadcast Her Space Holiday
Look Good in Leather [Explicit] Cody ChestnuTT
Mr Kennedy The Soft Boys
The Town That Lost It's Groove Supply The Minus 5
So Fast, So Numb R.E.M.
Screw You Guys I'm Going Southpark
Circle #6
Well, you’ll all be pleased to hear that this gets harder. The trouble with the success of this circle is that a lot of the stuff I’ve been listening to, and enjoying, came from other members, putting them out of bounds for future turns.
Anyway, after reviewing my last effort I felt that, while it stood up pretty well, there was too much woody music. I’ve recently been listening to a lot of what I’ll call power pop, and this turn reflects this, although there were a few last minute “oh go on” entries. Throughout I’ve tried to go for brevity when choosing songs from albums so as to cram more in. Luckily, Sophie has already given you my Electric 6 and Wondermints selections. So while the last two have been music to sit in the summer garden to, this one is more intended for when you’re cruising along in your open top car. Although the garden will still work.
I was looking forward to putting Big Sur onto this from the moment i heard it, so was quite annoyed to find its parent album is up for a Mercury. The whole album is in this retro Californian mode, and very good it is too. Les Sans Culottes are a French hip hop outfit, which is all you need to know.
Arab Strap are the dark, depressed spot on this sunny CD - Eyeore’s corner if you will. But it’s a great CD of Scottish miserabilism. You all probably have the Kings of Leon already, but since we’re on a retro trip let’s stick with it.
OK Go have produced an eponymous album of great guitar and synth driven power pop. Clearly big fans of “Lovecats” era Cure and Adam and the Ants. Confusingly named The Go used to be in a band with Jack White of the White Stripes, but have eschewed his blues for a retro-70s sound. Some of this album sounds like Status Quo before they became a parody of themselves, but most of it is a lot better than that.
Starflyer 59 are a good band with a crap name. They’ve been around for years, mutating from early shoe-gazer type drones to an early Teenage Fanclub sound to what is now almost poppy.
The New Pornographers are my favourite band on this disk. The CD (a recommendation from the Onion AV Club) is a pure and pretty darned good distillation of every great band from 1979-1981. The entire album is uptempo power pop with vaguely nonsensical singalong lyrics and great melodic hooks: this is the one I really urge you to buy. Their first album, Mass Romantic, is apparently great as well, but hard to get in the UK.
The Minus 5 are a bit of a supergroup, with some guys from Wilco and Peter Buck from REM. Not a great album, but pretty good. Superdrag are another odd one: the name and a lot of the music clearly evoke our beloved Supergrass. This track is a bit different - more like the Foo Fighters - and a lot better. J Mascis and the Fog I think you probably already know.
The next five tracks - Gravy Train to Dealership - I know almost nothing about. All the tracks came from www.epitonic.com, a site for legally downloading MP3s to try bands out. The All Girl Summer Fun Band are exactly as the name suggests. Then there’s a whole bunch of stuff I haven’t room to describe.
And finally, I know I said I’d never put any REM on here, and yet... I went (with Brian, among others) to see them play at Old Trafford, and i have to say with a straight face that it was an almost spiritual experience: they were magnificent and - teenage boy alert! - I felt it was all for me. More to the point, as you all know I’m getting married in December and I was suddenly struck that this song was exactly how I felt about Angela at that point. A closer examination of the lyrics may reveal this to be a mistake, but I’m sticking with it for now.
Anyway, other albums I’ve really enjoyed lately include: Radiohead, the new Sly Stone comp and a lot of other bits. I’ve actually called a halt to new purchases for about a month while I catch up with listening to everything I bought earlier in the year.
posted by Toby Scott at 7/21/2006 07:32:00 PM
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