| Author | Message | ||
     Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8174 Registered: 05-2005 |
Chuck Prophet - Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8175 Registered: 05-2005 |
Wire - Silver/Lead | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8179 Registered: 05-2005 |
Depeche Mode - Photographic (Some Bizzare Album version). I found out about its existence here https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicb log/2017/mar/01/depeche-mode-10-of-the-b est and, well, it didn't take long to track it down. And I was also able to point out a spelling mistake to my colleagues in the Guardian - Bizzarre is spelt with two Zs. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8180 Registered: 05-2005 |
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Talk Tight. Melbourne band. I'm sure you already know them, Hugh, but if not https://rollingblackoutscoastalfever.ban dcamp.com/album/talk-tight | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 405 Registered: 08-2005 |
1980s Ed Kuepper - Electrical Storm/Everybody's Got To... accompanying my walk home from work on a miserable spring evening. Bringing back happy memories. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3727 Registered: 03-2005 |
The Wake -- A Light Far Out From 2012, by which time they're just two people. But it's not a bad album at all. It carries on from where they stopped long ago in the 90s on Sarah Records. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1197 Registered: 08-2004 |
Gang Of Four - Entertainment House Of Love - Babe Rainbow Elvis Costello & The Attractions - My Aim Is True Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Storm) Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy The top four above were 1st time listens. All good except Elvis. His voice is quite jarring to my tired ears. Haven't listened to Psychocandy this decade until Sunday. Straight after a minor skirmish with a colleague. Nice. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 985 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, They featured in a blog I follow ( When You Motor Away ) back in January, 2017. I have been searching for a copy of the cd without success since then and will probably end up purchasing a digital download. I was going to pre-order the new ep ( The French Press ) on cd until I was quoted almost £11.00 for shipping. £4.00 for the ep and £11.00 to ship to the U.K. Madness. Currently listening to :- Leevi And The Leevings - Perjantai 14. Paiva | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8184 Registered: 05-2005 |
That is a ridiculous price for shipping! So that's how the head of Australia Post gets over $5.6m a year. http://www.smh.com.au/business/cbd/why-a hmed-fahours-56m-australia-post-pay-pack et-doesnt-stack-up-20170207-gu7x0o.html | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 986 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, It may well be and I suspect it is also one of the reasons why cd sales are falling. The cost of shipping very small / inexpensive parcels overseas is prohibitive. I prefer cd to digital download but, if the material is not available for sale on disc in the U.K. and to a lesser degree the E.U., then digital download is really the only option open to me these days. The cost of shipping a single cd from the E.U. to the U.K. is around £5.00 / £6.00 which is far more expensive than it was a few years ago. As you probably know, I invested in a Moon Mind 180 Streamer last year and it has be a wonderful aquisition ( Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever cd at £15.00 or digital download for £5.70.) | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 987 Registered: 03-2007 |
I wish we had an edit facility. Needless to say I meant 'it has been a wonderful acquisition.' | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3728 Registered: 03-2005 |
Wow, those are some crazy shipping charges! I can't see paying 5 or 6 GBP for shipping a single CD from the continent to the UK. Sometimes the shipping will really be a markup by the seller for his or her "handling." But it certainly can also be certain countries' postal rates. I learned a long time ago that the Italians are wildly over the top with their shipping fees. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 988 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, Part of the problem is down to the GBP / US Dollar / Euro exchange rate. The shipping charge for my last Discogs order ( a single cd from a seller in Finland ) was €5.80 / £5.00 and that is about the norm these days. Some sellers charge a little bit more and some a little bit less. AmazonCom MarketPlace Sellers frequently charge US$14.95 / £12.00 to ship a single cd to the U.K. which is why I have not purchased anything from the U.S. for some considerable time. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3729 Registered: 03-2005 |
It has to be more than that Hugh. I believe the pound dropped against the dollar by 20% at the most. That's a lot but it's not enough to explain those numbers. I suspect something negative has happened to the cooperative agreements among the various postal networks. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 989 Registered: 03-2007 |
Sodastream - Little By Little https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxGTO0c VzE Fifth studio album by Australian duo who formed in Perth in 1997 and who released four studio albums between 2000 and 2006. | ||
| Stuart Wilson Member Username: Stuart Post Number: 1348 Registered: 10-2006 |
Shame about Ray Come on feel Car button cloth - The Lemonheads The Lord said, "Thou shalt have great talent and great beauty, but only for the blink of a sparrow's eye..." And Evan replied, "Ok, sure. Cool." | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8186 Registered: 05-2005 |
I saw him live twice. On both occasions he looked and acted like he'd scored some primo stuff just before the show. A great shame. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3730 Registered: 03-2005 |
Cool Sounds -- Dance Moves I finally got around to this, sent by Hugh. Another promising Melbourne band with a good album. Discogs' description of the music as "jazz, rock" is absurd. I'll have to dig up a vinyl copy since that's the only way it's been released (besides download). Their previous album (small volume manufactured CDr) is on its way to me. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 990 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, They have released three titles to date. Melbourne Fashion in 2014 ( digital download and limited edition cassette ) Healing Crystals in 2015 ( digital download and limited edition CDr ) and Dance Moves in 2016 ( digital download and limited edition vinyl.) | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3731 Registered: 03-2005 |
Thanks Hugh. I think I saw that and dismissed the first one right away since I'm not going to get a cassette. It's a cute conceit using each of the formats. Next thing maybe they'll put one out in limited edition reel to reel or 8 track! I'll have to break down to downloads, probably some time this year but I still object. Music I have to download is music that disappears. Maybe it's an illusion on my part that anything can be permanent but I recently picked up a copy of the 1970 version of Marta Kubisova's one and only LP, after which she was rendered a non-person. It's scratched up some but it's still here and still playable. With today's technology the Czechoslovak government could have truly made her disappear. Same reason I won't consider Kindle or anything of that sort. I have a terrifying small-edition book documenting the lynchings in this country in the Jim Crow era--complete with photos. In the download era something like that can either disappear with a denial that it ever existed or be faked. It sits on a bookshelf next to the commemorative (1989) edition of the Charta 77 autographed by Vaclav Havel and his wife Olga. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3732 Registered: 03-2005 |
All that blah blah and I forgot to note what I'm listening to: The Ocean Party -- Light Weight Another good one. One of the things I like about this band is their sheer understatedness. They make me think a bit of Knievel but with more diverse material thanks to the multiple writers. I often thought Knievel too bland because of a lack of instrumental fills in their arrangements. Ocean Party do not make that mistake; they have a better pop sense. Last night: Half Man Half Biscuit -- Back in the DHSS/The Trumpton Riots Entertaining but on first listen my take is that whatever they do Bitter Springs do better. | ||
| Stuart Wilson Member Username: Stuart Post Number: 1349 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hamilton - the musical Take a 900-page biography about one of America’s founding fathers, including several chapters on setting up a national bank which will leave even intelligent readers with their brows furrowed, and turn it into a snappy, witty, fast-moving, rap & black music inflected musical… that would be hard work for a team of talented authors; but Lin-Manuel Miranda did it all on his own. Astonishing. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8192 Registered: 05-2005 |
All Our Exes Live In Texas - When We Fall. All female Sydney folk pop. Watch out for them, world. http://www.allourexesliveintexas.com | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3734 Registered: 03-2005 |
Last night in the car while running a time-consuming errand: Ocean Party -- Split. So far their albums have been arriving at my house in reverse order. I am now back to their 3rd album. This is a good band; I've enjoyed pretty much everything so far. On this one the vocals are amusingly less polished but the guitar landscapes are well considered. They must be using other than the usual guitar brands because the tones are different. Unfortunately their 2nd album "Social Clubs" is looking like it will be a little more challenging to get. I know where I can get a copy for $50 and another for something like $80 or $90! Unfortunately my order to the label seems to have landed nowhere, probably sitting in an idle Paypal account. Cool Sounds -- Healing Crystals. This is their previous album. On first listen I like "Dance Moves" much better. We'll see how that goes over time. I CAN kind of see why Discogs might call them "jazz,rock" on this one if you think of Steely Dan as "jazz, rock" because there's a bit of that feel, minus the polish. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8198 Registered: 05-2005 |
The Panics - Rain On The Humming Wire, on vinyl. I got it for for $4.99 in JB Hi-fi's bargain bin, where it was one of the few records among the 99c CDs, of which I bought almost 100. I'd love to say there was some amazing revelation in listening to the album on vinyl, but there isn't, apart from the crackle as the album begins. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8201 Registered: 05-2005 |
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Another new vinyl purchase, and it sounds great. Analogue most definitely suits this album. This wasn't a bargain bin purchase, though. It cost $35 in a bookshop in Manly that has a decent record section, mostly second hand, but some new too. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8203 Registered: 05-2005 |
Spoon - Hot Thoughts. Track 1, side 1 (the title track) sounds great. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8206 Registered: 05-2005 |
A Queensland band called The Boat People. The album is called Chandeliers and I've had it a long time, years, but this is my first time playing it. A track called Hours n Hours is on now, and it bears a strong resemblance to Robert's mid to late 80s Go-Betweens songs. The sleeve notes say the album was recorded between October 2007-April 2008, so presumably it came out in 2008 or 2009. I like it, but it might be a long time before I play it again. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8208 Registered: 05-2005 |
Dexys Midnight Runners - Don't Stand Me Down, on claret red vinyl. I bought this on Record Store Day last year (not that it was part of RSD) but this is my first time playing it. | ||
| Stuart Wilson Member Username: Stuart Post Number: 1350 Registered: 10-2006 |
Tift Merritt - Stitch of the world Recorded in 4 days it says and sounds like it, fresh , direct and a little raw in places. Mature, intelligent lyrics, a sweet voice like a slightly kick-ass Lucinda Williams, some great country titles (“Heartache is an uphill climb”) and a drummer who cracks in there smartly right from the start – I mean, I almost never even notice drummers. “My boat” takes a Carver poem and makes a fine song of it. Piano ballads that don’t rot the teeth. Songs that hang around just long enough. Good to have. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8211 Registered: 05-2005 |
Wire - Two Minutes, from Red Barked Tree. Up next is is Sleep on the wing from their latest, Silver/Lead. They are the only 40 year old band still making vital music. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 1145 Registered: 04-2005 |
Chuck Berry - Promised Land Goodbye to the first poet of rock'n'roll... | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3739 Registered: 03-2005 |
Two very welcome Australian surprises fell through the door slot today. Orbweavers -- Graphite & Diamonds This is their first album, from 2009. I believe it was self-released but it's impossibly beautifully packaged. It's been very hard to find and this copy wasn't cheap. I'm only on the fourth song right now. Not as ghostly as the wonderful "Loom"; more like one of the independent Melbourne bands of the era. That's not a bad thing of course. Ocean Party -- Social Clubs Received in shrink wrap from Sound of Melbourne Records, Hugh! They spent so much on the postage that I'm going to send them some more money via Paypal to try to stanch the wound. Otherwise they only got about $5 from me for this. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3740 Registered: 03-2005 |
Very funny. I revise my comment about the Orbweavers set. It does NOT sound like "one of the independent Melbourne bands of the era." As it kept playing I started thinking "how come after the first song this earlier Orbweavers album sounds so much like Ocean Party?" Well, because I hit the play button on iTunes on a list of "Newly Added" songs which reverses the order of play. So it played the first song from the Orbweavers album and then moved backward to the last song from Ocean Party's untitled 2011 EP which I haven't really heard so I wouldn't recognize! Marita Dyson's breathy, spacey, mysterious voice reigns on most of the album so far but with an occasional number sung by Stuart Flanagan. All is well with the world. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 995 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, Delighted to hear that you have managed to source a copy of Social Clubs by the Ocean Party as it has long been the most difficult of their albums to find on CD. Congratulations also on sourcing a copy of Graphite & Diamonds by The Orbweavers. It was indeed self released ( TOW001 ) and probably in a very limited edition given the quality of the packaging. Your initial comment 'Not as ghostly as the wonderful "Loom"; more like one of the independent Melbourne bands of that era' had me scratching my head so thank you for the clarification. I had a good laugh when you explained what had happened. :-) Do you have Soft Focus by the Ocean Party or are you still waiting for a copy to arrive? It is probably my favourite of their albums. I am sure Sound Of Melbourne Records will appreciate a few extra dollars. I had a similar experience recently with a small independent Australian Label and, once I realised what I had paid barely covered the shipping charge, I did likewise. Overseas shipping charges for small packages are crazy. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3741 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hugh, I now have all the Ocean Party albums that were released on CD. I'll eventually get the first album which is vinyl. I even have a CD EP that predates the vinyl album. So, yes, I have "Soft Focus." I played it once and loaded it onto the computer. I remember a very favorable impression but I need to properly digest all of these including "Soft Focus." "Restless" and "Split" have had the best exposure so far, because "Restless" was the first one I got and "Split" was heard in the car during some quiet nighttime driving, possibly the absolute best way for me to hear an album. In fact, although rush hour driving won't allow quite the same concentration, I think I'll take "Social Clubs" with me for the drive to work today. I can bring "Soft Focus" for the return. My superficial initial observations are that Ocean Party started out as a perfectly worthwhile Aussie/Melbourne indie outfit, maybe a mixture of the offhandedness of Lower Plenty, the cuteness of Lucksmiths and hints of the almost classical songwriterly restraint of Knievel. Then as they progressed, more Knievel and less Lower Plenty or Lucksmiths started to come out. It would make perfect sense to me for "Soft Focus" to be a really fine album because it's so far into that progression. I was really knocked out by the sheer sound of the band's music on "Split" and that's still earlier. It is very fascinating to me that a group of writers can pull together these albums and have them sound like a proper group with proper albums. That is VERY unusual. I'll have a much less hamfisted view of their music a year from now. It just takes time for me. As a music lover my favorite thing is discovering somebody new (to me) who really hits the spot. Normally this discovery will be deep into the career so there will be a lot of catch-up work for me to do. Ocean Party (much like Marta Kubisova in a totally different genre) presents this sort of situation. These discoveries set me up for at least a few months of enjoyable immersion in a new musical world and a lifetime "yay!" when one of their songs pops up unexpectedly. Much like our timeless Go-Betweens. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8219 Registered: 05-2005 |
Robert Forster - Uncle Sigmund's Clockwork Storybook. Years since I last played this. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 996 Registered: 03-2007 |
Meursault - Something For The Weakened https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7s77ccZ WbM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh_hGmA3 6iE Edinburgh based band who have released four albums, a few eps and several singles on the small independent record label SongByToad Records who are also based in the city. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8221 Registered: 05-2005 |
Bad//Dreems - Gutful. I have a preview copy (it's out in a couple of weeks) and on first play through it is fantastic, though maybe not quite as brilliant as their debut, Dogs At Bay. I recently discovered their guitarist is a plastic reconstruction surgeon, which explains why they don't play live very often. All the more reason to make sure I see them when they play in Sydney in June. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8224 Registered: 05-2005 |
Bad//Dreems - Badlands EP. More Go-Betweens/Chills-like than their albums. There's even a song called Chills on it. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8225 Registered: 05-2005 |
Animals That Swim - I Was The King, I Really Was The King. I was reminded of their existence by Mojo magazine. In the early to mid-90s, for whatever reason, I thought they were part of what Melody Maker was calling the new wave of new wave (along with bands such as SMASH), and so ignored their existence. But they are nothing like those bands. They are thoughtful and considered and the melodies are often trumpet-driven. One old Uncut review I found online compared them to both Leonard Cohen and Echo & The Bunnymen. And that is very accurate. I've found a new (old) band to love. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 998 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, Interesting outfit and yet another 1990s band that somehow managed to slip under my radar back in the day. Ordered a substantial part of their back catalogue earlier this afternoon including the re-issue of their debut album ( now a two disc set with nine bonus tracks. ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvYh4Qnk Diw | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8227 Registered: 05-2005 |
I've ordered that too! And their best of. I listened to the preview of I Was The King... on iTunes and had to have it immediately. | ||
| Stuart Wilson Member Username: Stuart Post Number: 1360 Registered: 10-2006 |
A trumpet in a group is rarely less than a Good Thing in my book. Having listened to the song Faded Glamour, I think this could be a bandwagon worth hopping on to. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8228 Registered: 05-2005 |
Having googled new wave of new wave I see it was NME, rather than Melody Maker, that championed it. I also see it was These Animal Men I was confusing them with all those years ago. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 999 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, I am hoping that some of my orders will arrive tomorrow but two of the titles ( Workshy and Faded Glamour - The Best of Animals That Swim ) are coming from abroad so it will be a longer wait for them. One of my security programmes blocked access to the band's website but I did find some information relating to them on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_Th at_Swim | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3746 Registered: 03-2005 |
Tuning in now. "Pink Carnations" sounds good. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3747 Registered: 03-2005 |
Oops, "Pink Carnafons." Sorry, need to do less skim reading. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3748 Registered: 03-2005 |
Huh. I see "Pink Carnations" AND "Pink Carnafons" depending where I look. Someone is doing skim reading but apparently not me at the moment. Three albums ordered, hopefully including the reissue version of the first but I've been burned on that sort of situation before (receiving the old issue when the listing was for the new one). | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1000 Registered: 03-2007 |
Blog entry about the band dating from 2005. http://23doves.livejournal.com/10279.htm l#cu A security programme on my Computer ( Windows 10 ) is still blocking the band's website but I have been able to access it via my Nexus Tablet ( Android.) | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8234 Registered: 05-2005 |
Nic Hessler - Soft Connections. Power pop sounds better on vinyl. This album does anyway. | ||
| Stuart Wilson Member Username: Stuart Post Number: 1362 Registered: 10-2006 |
Turin Brakes – The Optimist Charlatans – Us and us only Divine Comedy – Regeneration The main soundtrack to a very drunken afternoon at a friend’s country house, a bit of a ruin that they bought several years ago in nearby hills and which they have step by step turned into a small corner of paradise, although the recent earthquakes have threatened to partly turn it back into a ruin again. The booze was local farmer-produced verdicchio, our Marche white which has a kick like a powerful red and I always underestimate, giving me my first proper hangover for a long long time. Well, since the last visit there, at least. The music pouring out of the living room windows sounded brilliant, though the wine, sunshine and food perhaps played a part. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3751 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hugh, that blog post about Animals That Swim really does them a massive disservice. If you tell a reader that one of their songs is BETTER than "Streets of Your Town" you're really setting up some resistance for anybody on this board. And indeed "Faded Glamour" with its entirely predictable and common chord progression doesn't even come close to Grant's achievement with "Streets." I get that the lyrics have substance but I'm listening to music. The letdown colored my whole experience of "I Was the King" and I'll have to hear it later after the dust settles because I did hear some good songs on there amongst the vin ordinaire. I've also gotten the 2001 album which has a nice opener and at least a few other good tracks scattered through its program. I'm still waiting for "Workshy" to show up. My guess is that it will be the best of the three. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3752 Registered: 03-2005 |
Btw, Hugh, I realize you weren't endorsing what was written in that blog post. I'm just commenting on how it set me up for disappointment. Stuart, your weekend sounds lovely. I visited a friend in the hospital and I've been reading too much New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Guardian. It's all making me suicidal. More music, fresh air, wine and food! | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1001 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, Sorry about that. I suspect it was perhaps the lyrical content of the song that appealed most to the blogger. I am still waiting for Happiness From A Distant Star and Faded Glamour ( The Best Of Animals That Swim ) to arrive. Happiness From A Distant Star was shipped on 14 April, 2017, by a U.K. Company while Faded Glamour was shipped on 17 April, 2017, by a German Company so, needless to say, I am getting a bit concerned. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1002 Registered: 03-2007 |
Stuart, My wife and I drink a lot of Italian Wine most of which we purchase from WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies who are based in Stirling and who have shops in Bridge Of Allan and Inverness. They sell a Verdicchio ( Fattoria Gaiospino 2014 ) which has an alcohol content of 14.5% which is considerably higher than a lot of red wines. I wish I could buy from a local farmer. :-) | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3754 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hugh, I am reminded of the mid to late 70s when it seemed that all the American pop music critics knew zip about music and just wrote about the words. They lionized a bunch of good lyricists who largely wrote dull music and made dull records. Hence punk and post punk and all the other good things that the kids made happen while the boring critics continued to pick the lint from their navels and write reviews we snickered at. In my local area there has been a rash of postal package theft which--so far--I don't think I've personally suffered. But my copy of "Workshy" is taking a while as is a Sylvie Vartan album. On the other hand a pair of bootleg CDR copies of the two Music For Pleasure albums just showed up today less than a week after order. Jeff Whiteaker is to blame for switching me onto them, great kid grandiose early 80s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR3oA3qj 0qI 14.5% is a huge alcohol content for white wine! I'm used to the Italians and French being very civilized about that sort of thing and try to steer clear of the heavy duty stuff. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8235 Registered: 05-2005 |
The two Animals That Swim albums I ordered have arrived, but I haven't opened them yet. They both seem to be double discs. Randy, I like good lyrics, but only if attached to a good melody. I like a lot of really dumb lyrics attached to good melodies. I'm listening to Ed Kuepper's The Return Of The Mail-Order Bridegroom. It's acoustic reworkings of Saints, Laughing Clowns and solo songs, plus covers of Hey Joe, No Regrets and Cypress Grove Blues. Ed can wring sadness out of a song like koalas can wring sadness out of existence. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1003 Registered: 03-2007 |
Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCHUw7AC S8o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXMIyMd haY Icelandic band who have released two albums to date. The above are links to the official video and a live performance of the same song. More trumpet. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3755 Registered: 03-2005 |
I agree Padraig. A good memorable song will survive bad lyrics. Having cut my teeth on pop music in the 1960s I learned the art of ignoring lyrics when necessary. I credit that history for my easy ability to enjoy foreign language pop tunes now. If I want to sing along I'll just learn the phonetics and still have no clue what I'm singing. I just learned that the Bell Divers of Brisbane, Oz have released their third album, "Not to Come Back." It's available on Bandcamp via download. In recorded form they've been gradually stripping down from the well-crafted twee pop of their evergreen first album "June July" in 2007 to the simpler, starker set on "Ruins" in 2013 to what might be their nod to the never-happened 1990 Go Betweens album on "Not to Come Back" where singer/writer Clinton Toghill and guitarist Matthew Lobb (long ago of this board) work together with occasional assistance from former Bell Divers drummer Donnie Mackay. I'm a big fan of Clinton's diffident vocal style and his grasp of song form. I find that his songs age quite well. Matthew plays like I would if I actually knew how to play guitar (rather than play AT guitar). If anyone is curious as to examples of what they sound like feel free to hit me up. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1004 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, My copy of Faded Glamour ( The Best of Animals That Swim ) is a two disc set. Well worth purchasing as the bonus disc has 14 tracks which do not appear on the three albums. A couple of alternate versions and demos along with tracks taken from some of their singles and eps. I am not sure but I think it has only ever been released as a two disc set. Workshy has been released on a single disc and as a two disc set ( Snowstorm Records ) so you need pay attention when ordering if you want the extra tracks ( nine songs.) | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1005 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, Yet another artist / band electing to release new material on digital download only. Sad. I suspect the practice will become more and more popular in the next couple of years. My copy of Faded Glamour, which was on order from a German company, arrived safely today so that just leaves Happiness From A Distant Star outstanding. I will give it another couple of days but, if it does not arrive by then, I will have to order another copy from a different supplier as the company I originally ordered it from do not have any more. Currently listening to :- War Waves - War Waves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9uejzhk bVg | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8237 Registered: 05-2005 |
Hugh, I opened them and both Faded Glamour and Workshy are double CDs. The latter did not include a track list for the second disc, which is quite odd. I got the track names online. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1007 Registered: 03-2007 |
Padraig, A very strange decision indeed by Snowstorm Records not to include a track list for the second disc on the cd sleeve or insert. Easy enough to find online but it would be nice to be able to checkout what one is listening to by looking at the sleeve / insert. Currently listening to :- Whipping Boy - Whipping Boy | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3756 Registered: 03-2005 |
Hugh I know it's just a matter of time until I have to accept downloads as the primary music delivery method. In the case of the Bell Divers they self-released their two albums on CD. That's expensive and a hassle. I just finished loading up "I was the King etc." I still don't think "Faded Glamour" touches "Streets of Your Town" in terms of magic but that's hardly a damning offense. A LOT of good records can't match "Streets". The damning offense is claiming that "Faded Glamour" is better than the Go-Betweens song. I'm still waiting for my copy of "Workshy." Which, I must say, is a very useful Briticism. We don't use it here in the States but it's a fun alternative to "lazy" with that neat little tincture of U.K. snark to it. Which reminds me: Padraig, please explain the different import of "brilliant" between the British Isles peoples and the U.S.? I meant to ask you when you posted that. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1009 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, I have to admit that I have adapted to digital download better than I though I would. I still prefer CD but ordering albums from overseas often costs an arm and a leg these days which frequently makes the choice of digital download a no brainer. At the moment, the cost to me of a Cloudberry Cake Kitchen release is US$23.00 ( about £18.00.) Renaissance Audio in Edinburgh ( U.K. Agents for SimAudio ) have had my Moon MiND 180 Renderer / Streamer for four weeks trying to establish why it cannot play 176kHz and 192kHz sample rate files through my Rega DAC-R. They initially gave me a brand new unit as a replacement but, lo and behold, it had the same problem!!! I am heading up to Glasgow for lunch tomorrow and hope to collect the unit from Loud & Clear while I am in the city. I am not totally convinced that they have managed to fix it as they initially requested that I drop off my Rega DAC-R so that they could make sure that the two units work perfectly together. I turned down that request. The older Moon MiND 180 that they have loaned me in the meantime works perfectly with my Rega DAC-R so, as far as I am concerned, the problem lies with the newer models and I don't want them playing around with other pieces of my hi-fi equipment. If the Rega DAC-R needs works carried out then I want it sent back to Rega for repair. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3757 Registered: 03-2005 |
Digital stuff. Pah! I have an iPod link in my car that disconnects when I run over metal covers such as manhole covers or utility access panels, or over rail crossings or metal earthquake slip joints. It doesn't do it every time--thank God--but it ONLY disconnects when I run over one of these metal items. The iPod then has to restart and resume. It's totally weird. This happens with three different iPods and an innumerable number of different cables. It sounds to me like maybe you really DO want to take them up on their offer of the old streamer unit. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1010 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, There is no chance of me accepting their offer of the old streamer. My unit was only several months old when I discovered the fault which I suspect was there from day one. The serial number on the loan unit indicates that it is considerably older than mine and the company have confirmed same. I don't know its provenance but there is a good chance it had a previous owner before ending up in the shop as a demo unit. It may well have been loaned to other customers before me. My Rega DAC-R works fine with the loaned unit. SimAudio need to establish why their newer models will not work with Rega DACs and fix the problem. I have advised Loud & Clear that I will accept a repaired unit, a brand new replacement which works or a refund for the entire package and they are okay with that. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8238 Registered: 05-2005 |
Randy, brilliant in the US generally denotes a person being very intelligent or doing something extremely well, eg "She is a brilliant surgeon." In Ireland and the UK it can mean anything that you consider quite good, eg "I had a brilliant sleep last night." Also, referring to Ireland as being part of the British Isles is considered a colonial anachronism these days. Cultural sensitivities matter. | ||
| Andreas Severins Member Username: Andreas_severins Post Number: 344 Registered: 11-2007 |
Ben Folds & WASO 2Lp from a concert with West Australoan Symphony Orchestra from 2005 My best buy from RSD 2017. I like it very much and the price (25 Euro) was really fair! | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1012 Registered: 03-2007 |
The Black Watch - The Gospel According To John. http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.co.uk/ No videos on YouTube to date. Scroll down the page for three samples from the band's latest release. | ||
| Simon Withers Member Username: Sfwithers Post Number: 425 Registered: 08-2005 |
Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day (I only discovered this recently on a TV documentary I recorded; a haunting, haunting voice) | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1200 Registered: 08-2004 |
"I want a sun tan not Vashti Bunyam" from Half Man Half Biscuit's 'Totnes Bickering Fair'. Along with all of Eurovision last night. The winner of which was actually quite original. The Cramps - Look Mom No Head Depeche Mode - Spirit Rage Against The Machine - S/T Sleaford Mods - Austerity Dogs The Sleaford Mods have been recommended to me for years. But I've only just gotten round to hearing them. Some of the most colourful and prolific use of the 'C' word on one record you'll ever hear. Like a cross between Black Grape and Suicide, it's that much fun. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8246 Registered: 05-2005 |
Jerry, I haven't heard much by The Sleaford Mods, but what I have heard felt like I was being shouted at by a particularly unctuous anagram of the first four letters of unctuous. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8252 Registered: 05-2005 |
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8253 Registered: 05-2005 |
Soundgarden - Spoonman (Steve Fisk remix). RIP Chris Cornell. | ||
| Jerry Clark Member Username: Jerry Post Number: 1201 Registered: 08-2004 |
Absolutely, Padraig. XTC - English Settlement Weird Al Yankovic - Medium Rarities | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8256 Registered: 05-2005 |
When I wrote that I just assumed he had died due to something related to his previous drug and alcohol issues, or maybe a heart attack. Just awful news. | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 8257 Registered: 05-2005 |
Coldcut & On-U Sound - Outside The Echo Chamber. It's fantastic. The much-missed Kevin, formerly of this parish, would love this I think. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 1013 Registered: 03-2007 |
Those Unfortunates - Nothing Isn't Beautiful Debut album by a four piece band based in London. A chronological collection of 13 songs written between January and November, 2015, arranged and recorded live over two weekends in December, 2015 / January, 2016. The CD release ( hand printed sleeve and illustrated lyric sheet ) is limited to 50 copies. The band are keeping one each and I have one so at best there are only 45 left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG3pOy4O waY | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 3764 Registered: 03-2005 |
Ocean Party -- Light Weight Their second to latest. Musically what I love is their ornate but modest guitarism. They arrange well with guitars. I love their diffident vocal delivery, possibly originally inspired by the likes of Jeff Tweedy for whom I have little time but it comes out fresher when done by these younger Australians. And then, possibly top of the list, there is their classic Millennial anomie taken to an existential level in the lyrics. I really think they speak for their generation as well as any music group I've encountered. I rave about them to friends but listening to Ocean Party on the first go is a bit like trying to pin jello to a wall. Or maybe it's like the first time I smoked weed way back in the early 1970s when weed was vastly weaker than it is today. I couldn't feel the buzz but didn't understand why my feet seemed to strike the ground sooner than expected when I walked. Consequently my friends can't see what I'm on about when I talk about Ocean Party. You just have to let the charms arrive at their own speed and people really aren't used to doing that any longer. |