Miraculously, I didn’t lose my hearing at last week’s My Bloody Valentine concert. If you’re interested in reading my review of the show, you can go here: www.brightestyoungthings.com/music/my-bloody-valentine-roseland-nyc.
So, without further ado....
Black Cat:
Oct 11th: The Wedding Present
Oct 12th: Ra Ra Riot
930 Club:
Oct 11th: Wire
Oct 13th: Yelle
Oct 22nd: A Place to Bury Strangers
Rock and Roll Hotel:
Oct 3: Glasvegas (assuming that these guys don't have anymore visa problems...)
Oct 9: Laura Burhenn (ex-Georgie James) with Lode Runner, The Spiritual Machine (formerly known as KOKO), Olivia & the Housemates.
Oct 18: US Royalty, with Fever.
Velvet Lounge:
Oct 25th: Lode Runner, with Mr. Moccasin and Ringo Deathstarr
DC9
Oct 19th: The Little Ones
Oct 27th: Grammar (these guys are not headlining, but they are awesome).
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Colonel K + Dell'ante Present: "Kiss Kiss Kiss to Make My Heart Shake"
This week's entry was co-written with my "smooth-brother" alter-ego, Dell'ante. I must admit, I hesitated to write this article for a long time. Every time I tried to write a draft, it came off like something you'd read in Maxim. Hopefully this version isn't too laddish.
What is make-out music? And why is it that when it comes to spending a little quiet time with that special someone, the first albums that come to mind are releases by Al Green or Maxwell? Now, I think these artists (as well as everyone mentioned in Kanye West's "Slow Jams") make wonderful, terrific music. But it's hard to believe that hot-buttered soul is the only appropriate music for a night in.
I'd be a fool to argue that there are certain albums that’ll make a night go perfectly. I will say, however, that the strong arrangements and unique production values of the albums listed below can definitely enhance the mood of your evening.
In other words: If your game is tight, putting these records on only enhances your cool.
Air "Moon Safari"
(Virgin 1998)
2 French producers
+
Analog & Vintage Synths
+
Singer Beth Hirsch
=
INSTANT CHILLOUT CLASSIC. What more do you need?
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
Take the opening track, "La Femme D'argent." This song is so perfectly arranged for coupling, that if you wait until the piano break around 4 minute mark, you'll be overcome by the desire to cease conversation and proceed to suck face.
My Bloody Valentine "Ecstasy and Wine"
(Lazy Records 1989)
Having disposed of their original singer, Dave Conway, My Bloody Valentine moved away from fuzz pop and towards their trademark ethereal drones. "Ecstasy and Wine" combines two EPs that were released during the run up to 1988's landmark "Isn't Anything." While the album is lo-fi, Kevin Shields and company were dropping hints that they were onto something otherworldy. Conway's C86 era yelps are replaced with Belinda Butcher's beautiful blissed out vocals. The guitars are still loud, but they're not as jarring as they were on earlier releases. And like much of their later work, the songs from “Ecstasy and Wine” sound great at a low volume, but are breathtaking when played really loud.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
This compilation, along with several other pre-Creation EPs, has been out of print for sometime. Emphasize this when discussing My Bloody Valentine. Make it apparent that you'll go a long way to get something you really want.
Antena "Camino Del Sol"
(Les Disques Du Crepuscule 1982.
Reissued and expanded by Numero Group, 2004)
Originally released as a mini LP in 1982, "Camino del Sol" was one of the more interesting curios to come out French "Cold Wave" scene. Though the group was short-lived, their unique blend of chanson, Brazilian rhythms and lo-fi electro was years ahead of its time. Tortoise sampled the drum loop from "To Climb the Cliff" on one of their early singles. And some of the tracks on this album would fit comfortably in Stereolab's vast back catalog (given Isabella Antena's tendency to sing in both English and French).
Reviewer's jargon aside, the reissue of Camino Del Sol could ideally serve as background music to a dinner and stiff drinks night. Isabella's voice is playful, yet undeniably seductive. Even more alluring is how fantastic samba rhythms sound when played on synths and drum machines. One would never think that such frigid instruments could accommodate the soul and bounce of Brazilian music.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
If you decide to put on this lost classic, don't be surprised if you're overcome by the urge to samba with your parter. And we all know that dancing close usually leads to other things…
Stereolab "Transient Random-Noisebursts With Announcements" (Duophonic/UK and Elektra/US, 1993)
Stereolab is the sort of group you get into when you have a little bit more time and money to explore surrealism, Dadaism and other philosophical reactions to the horrors of modern life. Stereolab's highly referential approach to music may leave some folks cold. But I don't think that Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier ever intended to make music for people with a passing appreciation for good music.
"Transient Random-Noisebursts With Announcements" is a compelling soundtrack for those nights when you wanna chill with someone on the intellectual tip. You could spend hours discussing Stereolab's love of Neu!, The Velvet Underground and European easy listening music. Thankfully, this album isn't so brainy that it's unlistenable. This album is bustling with attractive and inviting sounds. Take the bustling Farfisa organ on "I'm Going Out of My Way" or commanding sound of a picked Fender bass on "Golden Ball."
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
Potential mood killing moment on this album: The sudden burst of out-of-phase noise on the 18-minute opus, "Jenny Ondioline."
Cocteau Twins "Treasure"
(4AD, 1984)
Elizabeth Fraser's strongest point as a singer is her ability to make nonsensical sounds and syllables sound positively beautiful. Singing in a mixture of English, Gaelic and gibberish, Fraser's vocals are often unintelligible, but they are a fine compliment to Robin Guthrie's heavily chorused guitars and Simon Raymonde's crawling bass. I once tried to track down printed versions of her lyrics, but soon realized that there was no point. Even if I did learn the words, I would never be able to sing them like she does. Come to think of it, have you ever heard anyone cover a Cocteau Twins song?
While I've come to appreciate their earlier albums and EPs, I'll always have a special place in my heart for "Treasure." I feel like everything went downhill for the Cocteaus after this release. Granted they did release a few good EPs and a really nice collaboration with Harold Budd. But the later albums were nowhere nearly as strong, especially after they left 4AD.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
The songs on this album are either quiet and laced with hushed vocals and washed-out guitars OR rely heavily on pounding drum machines and quasi-yodeling from Liz (see "Persephone"). Make your moves accordingly.
What is make-out music? And why is it that when it comes to spending a little quiet time with that special someone, the first albums that come to mind are releases by Al Green or Maxwell? Now, I think these artists (as well as everyone mentioned in Kanye West's "Slow Jams") make wonderful, terrific music. But it's hard to believe that hot-buttered soul is the only appropriate music for a night in.
I'd be a fool to argue that there are certain albums that’ll make a night go perfectly. I will say, however, that the strong arrangements and unique production values of the albums listed below can definitely enhance the mood of your evening.
In other words: If your game is tight, putting these records on only enhances your cool.
Air "Moon Safari"
(Virgin 1998)
2 French producers
+
Analog & Vintage Synths
+
Singer Beth Hirsch
=
INSTANT CHILLOUT CLASSIC. What more do you need?
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
Take the opening track, "La Femme D'argent." This song is so perfectly arranged for coupling, that if you wait until the piano break around 4 minute mark, you'll be overcome by the desire to cease conversation and proceed to suck face.
My Bloody Valentine "Ecstasy and Wine"
(Lazy Records 1989)
Having disposed of their original singer, Dave Conway, My Bloody Valentine moved away from fuzz pop and towards their trademark ethereal drones. "Ecstasy and Wine" combines two EPs that were released during the run up to 1988's landmark "Isn't Anything." While the album is lo-fi, Kevin Shields and company were dropping hints that they were onto something otherworldy. Conway's C86 era yelps are replaced with Belinda Butcher's beautiful blissed out vocals. The guitars are still loud, but they're not as jarring as they were on earlier releases. And like much of their later work, the songs from “Ecstasy and Wine” sound great at a low volume, but are breathtaking when played really loud.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
This compilation, along with several other pre-Creation EPs, has been out of print for sometime. Emphasize this when discussing My Bloody Valentine. Make it apparent that you'll go a long way to get something you really want.
Antena "Camino Del Sol"
(Les Disques Du Crepuscule 1982.
Reissued and expanded by Numero Group, 2004)
Originally released as a mini LP in 1982, "Camino del Sol" was one of the more interesting curios to come out French "Cold Wave" scene. Though the group was short-lived, their unique blend of chanson, Brazilian rhythms and lo-fi electro was years ahead of its time. Tortoise sampled the drum loop from "To Climb the Cliff" on one of their early singles. And some of the tracks on this album would fit comfortably in Stereolab's vast back catalog (given Isabella Antena's tendency to sing in both English and French).
Reviewer's jargon aside, the reissue of Camino Del Sol could ideally serve as background music to a dinner and stiff drinks night. Isabella's voice is playful, yet undeniably seductive. Even more alluring is how fantastic samba rhythms sound when played on synths and drum machines. One would never think that such frigid instruments could accommodate the soul and bounce of Brazilian music.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
If you decide to put on this lost classic, don't be surprised if you're overcome by the urge to samba with your parter. And we all know that dancing close usually leads to other things…
Stereolab "Transient Random-Noisebursts With Announcements" (Duophonic/UK and Elektra/US, 1993)
Stereolab is the sort of group you get into when you have a little bit more time and money to explore surrealism, Dadaism and other philosophical reactions to the horrors of modern life. Stereolab's highly referential approach to music may leave some folks cold. But I don't think that Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier ever intended to make music for people with a passing appreciation for good music.
"Transient Random-Noisebursts With Announcements" is a compelling soundtrack for those nights when you wanna chill with someone on the intellectual tip. You could spend hours discussing Stereolab's love of Neu!, The Velvet Underground and European easy listening music. Thankfully, this album isn't so brainy that it's unlistenable. This album is bustling with attractive and inviting sounds. Take the bustling Farfisa organ on "I'm Going Out of My Way" or commanding sound of a picked Fender bass on "Golden Ball."
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
Potential mood killing moment on this album: The sudden burst of out-of-phase noise on the 18-minute opus, "Jenny Ondioline."
Cocteau Twins "Treasure"
(4AD, 1984)
Elizabeth Fraser's strongest point as a singer is her ability to make nonsensical sounds and syllables sound positively beautiful. Singing in a mixture of English, Gaelic and gibberish, Fraser's vocals are often unintelligible, but they are a fine compliment to Robin Guthrie's heavily chorused guitars and Simon Raymonde's crawling bass. I once tried to track down printed versions of her lyrics, but soon realized that there was no point. Even if I did learn the words, I would never be able to sing them like she does. Come to think of it, have you ever heard anyone cover a Cocteau Twins song?
While I've come to appreciate their earlier albums and EPs, I'll always have a special place in my heart for "Treasure." I feel like everything went downhill for the Cocteaus after this release. Granted they did release a few good EPs and a really nice collaboration with Harold Budd. But the later albums were nowhere nearly as strong, especially after they left 4AD.
DELL'ANTE'S VERDICT:
The songs on this album are either quiet and laced with hushed vocals and washed-out guitars OR rely heavily on pounding drum machines and quasi-yodeling from Liz (see "Persephone"). Make your moves accordingly.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Pale Fountains "…From Across the Kitchen Table" (1985)
The Paley's first release, "Pacific Street," received critical acclaim upon its initial release. But despite their best efforts (and a healthy financial push from their label, Virgin), the album stalled in the UK album charts and none of the singles charted.
"…From Across the Kitchen Table", band’s second and final effort for Virgin is a rather difficult album to dissect. For starters, it shares very little in common with its predecessor. Andy Diagram's trumpet, which had been prominent on "Pacific Street", is only featured on a handful of cuts. And further more, there's a lot less orchestral work on this album. So while the group doesn’t sound as “cabaret” (a tag which the group regularly dismissed) they ultimately they don’t sound as distinct as they once did. In a sea of synthpop, post-punk, and hip-hop, the Paleys were proudly gauche.
Production wise, however, "From Across the Kitchen Table" is a much stronger than the group's early singles and debut album. Fellow Liverpudlian Ian Broudie is responsible for adding some much needed "oomph" in the band's sound. The guitars are lot more wiry and erratic, giving several tracks, such as "Stole the Love" and "Jean's Not Happening" a more confident "rock" dynamic. The drums are much more prominent in the mix and sound a lot punchier." The result is an album that sounds strong and confident, even when the lyrics are unfocused and the sequencing is questionable.(Broudie also managed to reign in Echo & The Bunnymen's inconsistencies on 1983's "Porcupines").
"From Across the Kitchen Table" was, at best, a transition album. We're really left to wonder “What this band could've done had they held it together?” Were they on their way to establishing their own eclectic brand of pop music? But thanks to drug abuse, disagreements with the label and a continuing lack of commercial success, the Pale Fountains eventually disbanded. Bassist Chris McCaffery died of a brain aneurysm in 1986 and brothers Mick and John Head went on to form Shack, and at one time were part of Arthur Lee's touring band.
"Jean's Not Happening"
"...From Across the Kitchen Table"
Postscript: In February of 2008, the Pale Fountains reunited for a series of well-received concerts in Liverpool and London.
"…From Across the Kitchen Table", band’s second and final effort for Virgin is a rather difficult album to dissect. For starters, it shares very little in common with its predecessor. Andy Diagram's trumpet, which had been prominent on "Pacific Street", is only featured on a handful of cuts. And further more, there's a lot less orchestral work on this album. So while the group doesn’t sound as “cabaret” (a tag which the group regularly dismissed) they ultimately they don’t sound as distinct as they once did. In a sea of synthpop, post-punk, and hip-hop, the Paleys were proudly gauche.
Production wise, however, "From Across the Kitchen Table" is a much stronger than the group's early singles and debut album. Fellow Liverpudlian Ian Broudie is responsible for adding some much needed "oomph" in the band's sound. The guitars are lot more wiry and erratic, giving several tracks, such as "Stole the Love" and "Jean's Not Happening" a more confident "rock" dynamic. The drums are much more prominent in the mix and sound a lot punchier." The result is an album that sounds strong and confident, even when the lyrics are unfocused and the sequencing is questionable.(Broudie also managed to reign in Echo & The Bunnymen's inconsistencies on 1983's "Porcupines").
"From Across the Kitchen Table" was, at best, a transition album. We're really left to wonder “What this band could've done had they held it together?” Were they on their way to establishing their own eclectic brand of pop music? But thanks to drug abuse, disagreements with the label and a continuing lack of commercial success, the Pale Fountains eventually disbanded. Bassist Chris McCaffery died of a brain aneurysm in 1986 and brothers Mick and John Head went on to form Shack, and at one time were part of Arthur Lee's touring band.
"Jean's Not Happening"
"...From Across the Kitchen Table"
Postscript: In February of 2008, the Pale Fountains reunited for a series of well-received concerts in Liverpool and London.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Colonel K Approved: September Shows
This month in Washington DC:
Black Cat
Sat Sept 6-THE DANCE PARTY, GIST (CD Release), US ROYALTY $10
Thu Sept 18-FARAQUET, STATEHOOD, RED TAG RUMMAGE SALE $8 Backstage 9:00
9:30 Club
THU. SEP. 18 JAMES
MON. SEP. 22 THE DANDY WARHOLS
w/ Darker My Love & The Upsidedown
TUE. SEP. 23 BUILT TO SPILL performing Perfect From Now On
w/ Meat Puppets & The Drones
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
FRI. SEP. 26 US ROYALTY
w/Ra Ra Rasputin (ahem, cough cough) and KOKO.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Um, the best band in Texas is coming back to DC!!!!
Sep 5 Comet Ping Pong Washington DC
Sep 6 WMUC @ University of Maryland w/ The Flying Eyes Baltimore, Maryland
Black Cat
Sat Sept 6-THE DANCE PARTY, GIST (CD Release), US ROYALTY $10
Thu Sept 18-FARAQUET, STATEHOOD, RED TAG RUMMAGE SALE $8 Backstage 9:00
9:30 Club
THU. SEP. 18 JAMES
MON. SEP. 22 THE DANDY WARHOLS
w/ Darker My Love & The Upsidedown
TUE. SEP. 23 BUILT TO SPILL performing Perfect From Now On
w/ Meat Puppets & The Drones
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
FRI. SEP. 26 US ROYALTY
w/Ra Ra Rasputin (ahem, cough cough) and KOKO.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Um, the best band in Texas is coming back to DC!!!!
Sep 5 Comet Ping Pong Washington DC
Sep 6 WMUC @ University of Maryland w/ The Flying Eyes Baltimore, Maryland
Friday, August 29, 2008
GREAT MOMENTS IN PARTY MUSIC: The Avalanches "Since I Left You" (Australia 2000, US/UK 2001)
I begin to yawn when I hear people discuss Girl Talk's "Feed the Animals." It is, at best, a spotty and patchwork affair that fails to show any glimmer of imagination. (It should be noted that every time this album comes up in conversation, someone has to rave about how it's being marketed. Further proof that the economic boom of the 1990s unleashed a virulent strain of gung-ho capitalism that has managed to infect the hip set).
The most tragic aspect of "Feed the Animals" is that it’s a very crappy mashup album masquerading as a triumphant piece of postmodernism. The beatmatching is so-so, and there is no element of surprise or inventive recontextualization of sound. It’s nothing more than a bunch of annoying pop songs from past and present thrown together in one long blah mix. The result is an erratic and sometimes frustrating listen. I highly doubt that anyone will be listening to “Feed the Animals” two years from now. This album will probably be looked upon with less favor than the old 'Stars on 45' and 'Hit Parade' compilations.
By this point it should be painfully evident that I’m someone who begs for complexity and innovation in his party music. In my opinion, to use a sample well is to breath new life into a piece of dialogue or a guitar lick. The Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" and De La Soul's "Three Feet High and Rising" gave us a glimpse of how powerful sampling could be. But thanks to a series of lawsuits in the late 1980s, it's prohibitively expensive to make records that rely heavily on found sounds. Since then, artists have been forced to find increasingly clever ways to release sample-heavy material. This is done by being signed to a smaller label and doing limited pressings) OR by utilizing such a mind bogglingly array of sounds that it would be nearly impossible for a listener to dismantle the record. Two records that have successfully managed to do this: DJ Shadow's landmark "Endtroducing" and RJD2's "Dead Ringer". But neither of these albums would count as party music as they’re both rather cerebral, and a bit depressing at times.
.
The Avalanches "Since I Left You" is definitively a party album. But it also has enough depth that you can spend hours trying to figure out what sample came from where. The samples range from the obvious (Madonna's "Holiday") to the obscure (the keyboard solo from the end of John Cale's "Ghost Story"). Where “Endtroducing” and “Dead Ringer” come off as grey, and slightly drab, “Since I Left You” is unabashedly Technicolor. If there are any moody moments on this album, they are fleeting. When I spent a semester in Nice, France, this album was on regular rotation at my friends Angie’s apartment. I seem to remember spending a lot of time on her couch drinking kalimotxos (red wine and Coke) and raving about whatever girl I was crushing on at the time.
“Two Hearts in ¾ Time”
“Flight Tonight”
Unfortunately, this Australian DJ collective has been pretty quiet for the last seven years. While they've made a handful of live appearances, the group has shown little evidence that they're working on anything new. There’ve been rumors about a full length follow up to "Since I Left You," since 2006. However, no new tracks have surfaced, which is rather disenheartning. Why would a group with so much talent allow second-class acts like Girl Talk to emerge?
The most tragic aspect of "Feed the Animals" is that it’s a very crappy mashup album masquerading as a triumphant piece of postmodernism. The beatmatching is so-so, and there is no element of surprise or inventive recontextualization of sound. It’s nothing more than a bunch of annoying pop songs from past and present thrown together in one long blah mix. The result is an erratic and sometimes frustrating listen. I highly doubt that anyone will be listening to “Feed the Animals” two years from now. This album will probably be looked upon with less favor than the old 'Stars on 45' and 'Hit Parade' compilations.
By this point it should be painfully evident that I’m someone who begs for complexity and innovation in his party music. In my opinion, to use a sample well is to breath new life into a piece of dialogue or a guitar lick. The Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" and De La Soul's "Three Feet High and Rising" gave us a glimpse of how powerful sampling could be. But thanks to a series of lawsuits in the late 1980s, it's prohibitively expensive to make records that rely heavily on found sounds. Since then, artists have been forced to find increasingly clever ways to release sample-heavy material. This is done by being signed to a smaller label and doing limited pressings) OR by utilizing such a mind bogglingly array of sounds that it would be nearly impossible for a listener to dismantle the record. Two records that have successfully managed to do this: DJ Shadow's landmark "Endtroducing" and RJD2's "Dead Ringer". But neither of these albums would count as party music as they’re both rather cerebral, and a bit depressing at times.
.
The Avalanches "Since I Left You" is definitively a party album. But it also has enough depth that you can spend hours trying to figure out what sample came from where. The samples range from the obvious (Madonna's "Holiday") to the obscure (the keyboard solo from the end of John Cale's "Ghost Story"). Where “Endtroducing” and “Dead Ringer” come off as grey, and slightly drab, “Since I Left You” is unabashedly Technicolor. If there are any moody moments on this album, they are fleeting. When I spent a semester in Nice, France, this album was on regular rotation at my friends Angie’s apartment. I seem to remember spending a lot of time on her couch drinking kalimotxos (red wine and Coke) and raving about whatever girl I was crushing on at the time.
“Two Hearts in ¾ Time”
“Flight Tonight”
Unfortunately, this Australian DJ collective has been pretty quiet for the last seven years. While they've made a handful of live appearances, the group has shown little evidence that they're working on anything new. There’ve been rumors about a full length follow up to "Since I Left You," since 2006. However, no new tracks have surfaced, which is rather disenheartning. Why would a group with so much talent allow second-class acts like Girl Talk to emerge?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
We Sold Our Souls for Rock & Roll. And We Like It.
*Wilco in a VW commercial.
*TV on the Radio as dramatic background music at the end of an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
*The Shins as the centerpiece of an awful movie by Zack Braff. (There, I said it-I hated Garden State)
*Sonic Youth's approval of a celebrity compiled “Best Of,” to be sold exclusively at Starbucks.
Given the current state of the economy it could be argued that most musicians no longer have the option of turning down a paycheck for the sake of their ethics. For those of you who don’t bother to open a newspaper every now and again, the global economy is in shambles. Inflation is rising, wages have stagnated, and numerous industries are failing rapidly. And this directly affects how musicians are making decisions on allowing their music to be used in movies, television advertising and video games.
Moreover, due to a number of factors (less disposable income, online downloading, poor marketing), CD sales continue to decline. People are no longer buying music in the same quantities or in the same mediums as they used to. As a result, many artists have had to make some difficult decisions. The licensing of a song to a commercial may or may not generate album sales, but those residual checks are guaranteed.
Part 1: The Ethics of Selling Out. Why Punk Rock No Longer Applies to Generation Y.
*TV on the Radio as dramatic background music at the end of an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
*The Shins as the centerpiece of an awful movie by Zack Braff. (There, I said it-I hated Garden State)
*Sonic Youth's approval of a celebrity compiled “Best Of,” to be sold exclusively at Starbucks.
Given the current state of the economy it could be argued that most musicians no longer have the option of turning down a paycheck for the sake of their ethics. For those of you who don’t bother to open a newspaper every now and again, the global economy is in shambles. Inflation is rising, wages have stagnated, and numerous industries are failing rapidly. And this directly affects how musicians are making decisions on allowing their music to be used in movies, television advertising and video games.
Moreover, due to a number of factors (less disposable income, online downloading, poor marketing), CD sales continue to decline. People are no longer buying music in the same quantities or in the same mediums as they used to. As a result, many artists have had to make some difficult decisions. The licensing of a song to a commercial may or may not generate album sales, but those residual checks are guaranteed.
Part 1: The Ethics of Selling Out. Why Punk Rock No Longer Applies to Generation Y.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
"Internationally known: Mel-1 and PK The Mixtape Maniacs"
Who we?
We’re both are O.G. New Yorkers by birth (Him-Harlem World, Her-Shaolin)
We both possess MA’s from overpriced private universities.
We both know what goes down in la banlieue
We are both are the oldest of four children.
We know all about the CRS and the Guardia Civil.
It’s pretty apparent that Mel-1 and myself live parallel lives. When we found out that we had both delivered very important mix tapes to people within one month of each other, we were like “Oh, word?” So in celebration of our efforts, we’ve decided to dissect and discuss each other’s mixes in a joint blog entry. Run on over to Melissa's blog, Public Witness Program, to read her thoughts on my mix.
...now, without further ado, an analysis of "Use With Caution" (May 2008)
Name of Mix: “Use with Caution”
Author: Melissa B. Friedman aka Mel-1
Nature of Origin: “Trying to impress someone. Cool, I know...”
Length: “56 minutes and some odd seconds if I remember correctly”
Most difficult challenge during compilation:
“It was hard for me to decide on the general mood I wanted to convey. I also had some difficulty in deciding the order of the last few songs. I felt like the mix CD turned into Lost in Translation Part II thus I tried hard to avoid duplicating an oeuvre that more or less already exists.”
Two favorite tracks:
“Tout n'est pas si facile” -NTM
“Windowlicker (demo)” - Aphex Twin
Full Tracklisting:
1. Machine Gun - Portishead
2. 5:55 (The Black Ghosts Remix) - Charlotte Gainsbourg
3. The Guns of Brixton - The Clash
4. Tout n'est pas si facile - NTM
5. Requiem pour un con - Serge Gainsbourg
6. Sexual Sportswear - Sebastian Tellier
7. Windowlicker (Original Demo) - Aphex Twin
8. Knife - Grizzly Bear
9. Sometimes - My Bloody Valentine
10. Ceremony (New Order cover) - Radiohead
11. After Class - Deer Hunter
12. Just Like Honey - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Colonel K's thoughts:
As long as I’ve known her, Melissa’s always had the most amazing taste in music. From her collection of obnoxious punk 7-inches back in high school (e.g. “John Wayne Was a Nazi” by MDC) to her more recent appreciation of all things French, it’s always been “class” with Mel-1. So when she told me was trying to impress someone, I just shrugged my shoulders and said “Well that shouldn’t be too difficult.” But I quickly realized that it was flippant for me to say that. Apparently the girl was really breaking a sweat over making this mix flow just right. The night before it was due, I received a frantic text that read “Should I put Fugazi on this Mix? I’m being so neurotic about impressing him.”
Having only seen the tracklisting, I can already tell that this compilation is dope. The main reason is the leadoff song, Portishead’s “Machine Gun.” I’d wanted to put this on a mix I made a few weeks ago, but I ended up cutting it because it was too jarring. I also like the fact that the first half of this mix is so menacing. The aforementioned “Machine Gun”, “Guns of Brixton”, and “Requiem Pour Un Con”, all these songs are badass.
The second half, on the other hand, is much more ethereal and kinda sweet. The sorta stuff that you’d want to listen to on a cloudy spring afternoon. And yes, I know that “Sometimes” and “Just Like Honey” were used poignantly in Lost in Translation. But just because a song was used in a Sophia Coppolla movie doesn’t make it any less beautiful.
Oh, word. Bonus points for including the demo version of “Windowlicker” and Radiohead’s cover of “Ceremony”: as much as I enjoy the originals, it shows a lot more depth to use a really good cover OR an alternate version of a well known track.
If I were the guy who received this CD, I’d probably be speechless. I mean, yeah, there are plenty of real chill girls who like good music. But it takes just as much thoughtfulness and talent to take those songs and sequence them.
We’re both are O.G. New Yorkers by birth (Him-Harlem World, Her-Shaolin)
We both possess MA’s from overpriced private universities.
We both know what goes down in la banlieue
We are both are the oldest of four children.
We know all about the CRS and the Guardia Civil.
It’s pretty apparent that Mel-1 and myself live parallel lives. When we found out that we had both delivered very important mix tapes to people within one month of each other, we were like “Oh, word?” So in celebration of our efforts, we’ve decided to dissect and discuss each other’s mixes in a joint blog entry. Run on over to Melissa's blog, Public Witness Program, to read her thoughts on my mix.
...now, without further ado, an analysis of "Use With Caution" (May 2008)
Name of Mix: “Use with Caution”
Author: Melissa B. Friedman aka Mel-1
Nature of Origin: “Trying to impress someone. Cool, I know...”
Length: “56 minutes and some odd seconds if I remember correctly”
Most difficult challenge during compilation:
“It was hard for me to decide on the general mood I wanted to convey. I also had some difficulty in deciding the order of the last few songs. I felt like the mix CD turned into Lost in Translation Part II thus I tried hard to avoid duplicating an oeuvre that more or less already exists.”
Two favorite tracks:
“Tout n'est pas si facile” -NTM
“Windowlicker (demo)” - Aphex Twin
Full Tracklisting:
1. Machine Gun - Portishead
2. 5:55 (The Black Ghosts Remix) - Charlotte Gainsbourg
3. The Guns of Brixton - The Clash
4. Tout n'est pas si facile - NTM
5. Requiem pour un con - Serge Gainsbourg
6. Sexual Sportswear - Sebastian Tellier
7. Windowlicker (Original Demo) - Aphex Twin
8. Knife - Grizzly Bear
9. Sometimes - My Bloody Valentine
10. Ceremony (New Order cover) - Radiohead
11. After Class - Deer Hunter
12. Just Like Honey - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Colonel K's thoughts:
As long as I’ve known her, Melissa’s always had the most amazing taste in music. From her collection of obnoxious punk 7-inches back in high school (e.g. “John Wayne Was a Nazi” by MDC) to her more recent appreciation of all things French, it’s always been “class” with Mel-1. So when she told me was trying to impress someone, I just shrugged my shoulders and said “Well that shouldn’t be too difficult.” But I quickly realized that it was flippant for me to say that. Apparently the girl was really breaking a sweat over making this mix flow just right. The night before it was due, I received a frantic text that read “Should I put Fugazi on this Mix? I’m being so neurotic about impressing him.”
Having only seen the tracklisting, I can already tell that this compilation is dope. The main reason is the leadoff song, Portishead’s “Machine Gun.” I’d wanted to put this on a mix I made a few weeks ago, but I ended up cutting it because it was too jarring. I also like the fact that the first half of this mix is so menacing. The aforementioned “Machine Gun”, “Guns of Brixton”, and “Requiem Pour Un Con”, all these songs are badass.
The second half, on the other hand, is much more ethereal and kinda sweet. The sorta stuff that you’d want to listen to on a cloudy spring afternoon. And yes, I know that “Sometimes” and “Just Like Honey” were used poignantly in Lost in Translation. But just because a song was used in a Sophia Coppolla movie doesn’t make it any less beautiful.
Oh, word. Bonus points for including the demo version of “Windowlicker” and Radiohead’s cover of “Ceremony”: as much as I enjoy the originals, it shows a lot more depth to use a really good cover OR an alternate version of a well known track.
If I were the guy who received this CD, I’d probably be speechless. I mean, yeah, there are plenty of real chill girls who like good music. But it takes just as much thoughtfulness and talent to take those songs and sequence them.
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