Long Time No See and Midterm Mixes, Volume 1

Apologies for the extended absence, which is seeming like more of a trend lately, but I was finishing a less-than-typical semester. Will hopefully be publishing a readable version of the last 3 months’ work soon, in one place or another. I’ve had a few Forkcast posts up recently, and will no doubt have more than a few coming up, along with an increased presence in the full-length column (of late: gently de-pantsing BRMC, enjoying Page France). In the meantime, however, I feel like re-starting in this particular locale with an assessment of where we are so far during this musical year of music. I’ve mixed together about 69 minutes of the best things I’ve heard so far this year (and it’s been a pretty good year so far), and will post another one of these in a few days, or whenever it gets done. Tracklist, blurbage, and the mix itself below (at 128k, but can upload 320 for maximum barbeque crankage, if you wish).

Marathonpacks’ 2007 Midterm Mix, Volume 1 (mp3 // 68:30 // 128k: 62.7MB)

1. Bonde Do Role “Geremia” (original post)
2. !!! “All My Heroes Are Weirdos” The first time I’ve written about this group, and mostly because this song sounds like angry, dissonant early XTC. Myth Takes is their darkest, fullest, and best record yet.
3. Marnie Stern “Every Line Means Something” With Charlotte Hatherley, we’ve got two (2) rocking-ass female guitar experimentalists right now! TWO.
4. Field Music “Sit Tight” (original post)
5. Yacht “See A Penny, Pick It Up” (original post)
6. Bjork “Earth Intruders (Spank Rock Remix)” An aquaintance and longtime Bjork aficianado recently remarked that Volta is the sound of an earth mother, stomping around in moon boots. This is the best song from it (similar to “Human Behaviour” as it is), and it needs Spank Rock to give it some much-needed sway.
7. Ne-Yo “Because of You” Because it transitioned well out of Bjork, despite my disaffection for the phrase “get me some,” and because it’s just a great, great song. His reliance on Off the Wall/Thriller Michael Jackson has been written everywhere, and his is a nose better impression than his nearest competitor Lloyd, to be sure (the latter wins for the best guest-verse, though, to be heard on the next mix no doubt). This song in particular works because it has a solid, unavoidable rhythm track (something that Lloyd very much needs), which if I’m not mistaken, is Disco Beat #4A12 (this is a very good thing, here).
8. LCD Soundsystem “Someone Great” Sound of Silver is the closest thing yet to a favorite album for me; many others still need to congeal (original post for “All My Friends”).
9. Matthew Dear “Neighborhoods” It’s the Mouse on Mars feeling I get from the beats, and also that Dear’s voice sounds a lot like the Wally Cleaver version of Trent Reznor.
10. Lindstrom & Prins Thomas “Feel PM” Got Reinterpretations in the mail as I was making this mix, excitedly ripped its packaging open, jumped immediately toward this track, was rewarded with a stone-cold space-jam. Takes the Kings of Convenience feel from the original (which was a nice feel), drops disco rhythm #384A11 behind it, and whammo! Better song! Highlight: guitars!
11. Feist “My Moon My Man” I’m sorta annoyed, as are others I’ve talked to about this very issue, that Feist is getting all of the very limited female pop star plaudits, when both Charlotte Hatherley and Marnie Stern have released vastly superior and infinitely more challenging work. That aside, however, I do like this song, which is holding me over until that damn Spoon record shows up. Also, she’s not that cute anymore, and I don’t like unitards. There, I said it.
12. Apostle of Hustle “Naked and Alone” (original post)
13. Panda Bear “Take Pills” Person Pitch is this year’s annoyingly omnipresent blog-cred-maker, soon to be overtaken by Justice, probably. I’m not too annoyed, because there are some very fucking transcendent moments on the record, especially the second half of this song. I particularly like Lennox’s approach toward psychedelia, which is not really too different from that of Brightblack Morning Light: imbuing the music’s aura with all of the goofy interpersonal hippie lingo (”bro’s,” &c), and making it work just as well. Okay, stick with me here, but here’s what I imagine when I hear this song: a Hipgnosis-style (strong vector lines, collagey style) cathedral interior, but with a huge swimming pool instead of the pew area. Inside that swimming pool is Noah Lennox on an inflatable raft, lying on his back with black sunglasses on his face. Behind the altar is a huge projection screen with a performance of the Everly Brothers playing on a loop; some dusty, unreleased curio they played offhand at some point during the late 60s. I dunno, that’s what I get.
14. The Crayon Fields “Potholes” Creepy-ass Association/Zombies British Invasion stizz. Thanks to Mr. Hogan for the tip.
15. Fridge “Eyelids” A guitar freakfest from the new one, called The Sun. Almost as much as the Feist song, but in a different way, this is holding me over for the new Spoon (in a Series of Sneaks sort of way)
16. Boris/Michio Kurihara “Starship Narrator” I wish I could go back in time and add Pink to last year’s top 19 list. Didn’t get to it ’til late, and need to delve further into all of the side stuff, but this collab with the dude from Acid Mothers Temple (inter alia) will suffice for now.
17. Sapat “Dark Silver” (original post)
18. Deerhunter “Dr. Glass” I like the Fluorescent Grey EP a lot better than Cryptograms, and I have a feeling the next one will be even better than either. This band, even aside from the fact that its lead singer resembles an Egon Schiele painting, seems to be heading in a really cool direction very quickly.
19. Blonde Redhead “23″ (original post) Man, I mean I had a feeling that people would hate on this record, and also that they would hate on this record because it’s not up to par with their best one, from forever ago. I really don’t like that sort of critical rationale, but whatever.