Is there any chance of doing an end of season one please (pretty pretty please!!) I missed out on both the xmas and the easter ones by literally moments, so I REALLY want to to take part in the next one. I don't get much in the way of mail other than bills and pizza leaflets so it would make me feel loved!!!! Plus I already have a playlist ready and waiting
CD 2
Lori and The Chamleons – Touch
This had something to do with Bill Drummond if I remember correctly – you can tell, just the right balance of pop and battiness.
Au Pairs – Diet
Slits/ Gang of Four. Monstrous dubby bass line – all sorts of guitar ****ery going on on top.
Theatre of Hate – Nero
Epicness of PiL at their best with the funkiness of Gang of Four.
Partisans – Police Story
Reminded me of early black metal, not a massive fan of this oi sound.
Serious Drinking – Love on The Terraces
Sort of reminded me if Sparks – wasn’t really too keen.
Higsons – Conspricay
Almost hip hop/rap vibe. Love the influence of reggae in post punk
Rip Pig and Panic – You’re My Kind of Climate
I know RP&P through On U Sound and Neneh Cherry but that’s Ari Up on vocals isn’t it? Either way a really interesting track
Shriekback – My Spine Is The Bassline
At separate times reminded me of Alan Partridge playing the bass and Wham rap but oozing influence – INXS in particular, will investigate further
A Certain Ratio – Knife Slits Water
Throbbing Gristle style basic electronics meets funk bass
SPK – Metal Dance
Industrial techno now wave female influenced punk. Reminded me a bit again of The Throbs. Like a more up to date Blue Monday.
Asscociates – Kitchen Person
Sounds Like early LCD Soundsystem on bad speed. Brilliant.
Human League – Empire State Human
Early Human League – still had the whiff of New Romantic for me, though I could also hear plenty of Kraftwerk. Big chorus.
Passage – XOYO
A bit too close to new romantic for my liking but the chorus was pretty memorable
Names – Night Shift
Like a proto Smiths with less interesting guitars. Pretty good.
Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls – Mr X
Reminded me a bit of Atomic by Blondie without the shit rap. A bit repetitive but liked it nonetheless.
Magazine – Sweetheart Contract
Fantastic Song, probably the best of the CD. Post-punk, catchy. Sound like a more immediate Wire.
Comsat Angels – Missing In Action
Reminded me of a less obtuse Pere Ubu which is a very good thing. Will definitely search out more.
Delta 5 – Mind Your Own Business
The Gossip nicked the bassline for Standing In The Way of Control. It's like some mid point between The Slits and Bannanrama.
Girls At Our Best – Heaven
It’s got that gypsy punk thing I love about early Cardiacs going on, Basic melody, vocals not totally up my street.
Pink Military – Did You See Her?
Really enjoyed this, simple verse chorus/ verse chorus thing going on but an excellent vocal makes the difference.
Young Marble Giants – Final Day
Really minimal, almost sketch of a song. Loved the ethereal vocals, musically it sort of reminded me of Guided By Voices.
My sender definitely knows their onions and their knowledge of 79-83 feels first hand rather than retrospective. I have no idea. Identify yourself!
[MENTION=19864]Flex Your Head[/MENTION] - I hope there was something of interest on the two copies I sent you. Hopefully there were at least a purple of tracks you didn't already know...?!
Got no Idea who my Bunny Is! Someone still at school I reckon.
I'd like to guess at my bunny as being [MENTION=468]somerset[/MENTION]).
[MENTION=3566]hans kraay fan club[/MENTION] was kind enough to send me a couple of CD comps (his Christmas and Easter ones) because it looked like I'd have to go without again. (As it was, mine turned up shortly afterwards and I'd like to guess at my bunny as being [MENTION=468]somerset[/MENTION]).
Anyway, these CDs were tailored to someone else's taste and compiled with them in mind, so it's not really fair to review them. But I will, cos I know how interesting it is to read someone else's thoughts on songs you love... even if they weren't intended for you.
Does any of that make sense!?
HKFC – NSC001
1. I’m Making Eyes at You – Black Kids. Decent 80’s influenced synthy pop with catchy chorus. Could be a minute shorter quite happily.
2. I’ll Stay With You – New Order. Unmistakeably New Order although a new track to me. Like it
3. I am Down – Plastiscines. I think this lot are French, but that doesn’t stop this sounding like a third rate Sinead O’Connor.
4. Right Here – The Go-Betweens. I know far less about the Go-Betweens than I really should, but this is one of the handful of songs I do own by them and it’s a corker and probably the closest they got to chart success in the UK.
5. Sweetest Love Song – Simone White. Beautiful voice that sounds very familiar and goes down a treat on this late night, jazz-tinged smoothie. Nice.
6. Shopping – The Jam. Shocking more like. Horrible late Jam number and should have given enough warning to the world of the crap Weller would go on to release.
7. Good Year For The Roses – Elvis Costello. From his album of C&W covers. I like it more now than I did back in the 80’s.
8. The Happening – The Supremes. Chirpy 60’s Motown nugget – lovely.
9. Sometimes – James. This gave me goosebumps when it came on. Possibly my very favourite James track. A repeated, rattling, acoustic riff, Tim Booth reciting windswept lyrics, a chorus, repeat, and then bring in additional almost folky male voices on the chorus and it become epic and rousing and all-round magnificent. I’d given up on James long before this was released, but this swung me right back round, at least for this album. I must dig our Stutter again; I bloody loved that album.
10. I am The Resurrection – Codeine Velvet Club. Not heard this before, but I like it. A kinda lounge-y, big band cover of the Stone Roses classic. Not as ‘novelty’ as it sounds from that description. I might have to Google ‘em.
11. She Fell In to My Arms – Ed Harcourt. I know his name – isn’t he one of these much touted singer / songwriter types? Don’t really like it. Think it might be the piano. Makes me think of Supertramp or Billy Joel or The Thrills or some other landfill stadium ‘indie’ band.
12. Animal Arithmetic – Jonsi. Sigur Ros front man in decent song with great drums and noisy percussion. Quite the lil stomper.
13. European Me – Johnny Marr. Not sure how old this is – could’ve come out any time in the last 20 years. It’s OK, but not particularly memorable. Meh.
14. Natalie - Stephen Duffy. Good stuff. Used to love The Lilac Time. I put them on one sunny weekend on Brighton seafront with my mate Dave. We were crapping ourselves as it was the first gig either of us had ever put on, but it was a success in the end and a lot of fun. Err, yeah... I’ve drifted. Not one of his best songs, but nice enough and lifted by a corking chorus.
More to follow when I have some free time. Might be a while, but thanks again.
PS - The laughing loon in the cover poster; is that Hiney? Not that I know who Hiney is, but it looks like his avatar and I think he's done some picture manipulation (or something?) on here before.
The rest of the album sounds like a French Girls Aloud. They're really FIT though...
My bunny never did reveal themselves - shame I really enjoyed their work.
Is it about time we did another of these?
I've already started making a mental trcaklist for my next one. November time, ready for CHRISTMAS, n'est pas?