Friday, October 25, 2013

Twelve Songs I'm Constantly Listening to These Days


So I've been a bit busy with work these days.  Primarily I've been going back into my Portable CD case and listening to all of those albums I've reviewed but haven't had time to listen to further.  It's not like I have drafts of 11 reviews I just don't have time to get around to.  That would just be silly.

Another setback with reviews is a purely technical issue.  Simply put:  I can't get any of my reviews off the device I recorded them on, except to re-do them all by hand.  Very annoying.  If any of you have experience with this particular issue, I would really appreciate any support you could offer.  It's called the "Portable Analog Pulp Enhanced Rewriteable" device ("Paper" for short).  I can't even find an interface on this sucker for the life of me, and my penmanship is TERRIBLE.  Perfect storm.

In and around the Portable CD listening, there are a few songs that have caught my attention and grabbed hold.  Here they are (as always) in alphabetical list form:

1. The Beatings - "Other Side" (2002) -- I could not find a clip for this one.  But let me tell you, it is GOOD.  Also, I think this is NOT the Boston group The Beatings, as I could not find this song on their website.  If anyone knows more, please comment below or email me.

2. Beulah - "Sunday Under Glass" (1999).  Purty.


3. Black Breath - "Murder" (2008).  For Bubba and Scott K. mainly. Enjoy the screaming!



4. Devo - "Post-Post-Modern Man" (1990).  This one was sparked by Ben and Robyn's marital music issues.  Good times.


5. Gang of Four - "I Love a Man in Uniform" (2005).  This is the Return the Gift version, which begs the question as to why they did not record the original this way.  Awesome.
  


6. Gem - "Only a Loan" (1995).  Rawk.


7. Joy Division - "Digital" (1979).  So I'm a little late to the entire Joy Division catalog (despite Yves and Scott B. pushing me in that direction with various albums to listen to). Don't look at me like that.  


8. The Kills - "Future Starts Slow" (2011).  Once every few years, I hear a song on a television show that makes me immediately run to iTunes.  So thank you to Person of Interest for this one.  Now get rid of Shah and get on with it.


9. Lush - "Light from a Dead Star" (1994).  Haunting.


10. North Atlantic Oscillation - "One Good Reason" (2012).  This is a Bob Mould cover, and if you didn't think there was going to be at least one Bob Mould-related item in this list, you have not been paying attention.  (And for the record, Bob Mould is Bob Mould.)  


11. Andy Taylor - "When the Rain Comes Down" (1986).  Miami Vice meets Duran Duran, yo.  In 1987, I bought Andy Taylor's solo album Thunder on cassette, think that "Thunder" was the meteorlogical hit that I was into.  Wrong.  Of course, it only took me 25 years to realize this song was the soundtrack-only cut I loved at the time.  Who the hell releases two rain-related songs in two years?  Asshole.


12. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Under the Hedge" (2001). The song actually ends at 3:15.  But it is the best thing I have ever heard them do, and probably where I start and stop with this band.  (Sorry, Denis.)


- Snilch