YI And His Special Music Corner

[Skummy]

Well, I switched from iTunes to Winamp, and had a couple of hard drive switches, so I'll use last.fm for a rough estimate as to what my most played are, as it's probably a decent enough composite of it all, if not exactly accurate:

1) Joy Division - Atmosphere

2) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues

3) Antony & The Johnsons - Cripple And The Starfish

4) This Mortal Coil - Holocaust

5) This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren

6) SunnO))) & Boris - N.L.T.

7) World's End Girlfriend - Breath Or Castle Ballad

8) SunnO))) & Boris - The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)

9) This Mortal Coil - I Come And Stand At Every Door

10) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep

I don't think that's especially accurate at all though, I get the feeling a lot of those songs probably found their way onto playlists I used to stick on to work to or fall asleep to, and as such got listened too "in the background" far more than I actually went out of my way to listen to them. Considering my most played list also lists two Explosions In The Sky tracks, and I don't think otherwise I'd even be able to name you one, it's not all that correct.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Mine's looking something like..

1. Saul Williams - "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (U2)

2. Wu-Tang Clan - "9 Milli Bros"

3. Tom Waits - "Army Ants"

4. Gogol Bordello - "Supertheory of Supereverything"

5. The Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend - "Fairytale of New York" (Pogues)

6. Peeping Tom - "Mojo" ft. Dan The Automator & Rahzel

7. Saul Williams - "Black History Month"

8. Thursday - "This Song Brought To You By A Falling Bomb"

9. Tom Waits - "Fish In The Jailhouse"

10. Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"

I'm surprised there's not more Waits on it, in the first week that I had the album "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" the album rocketed Waits up into my top 10 most played on last.fm.

[METALMAN]

Is Black History Month a DFA cover? I'll have to look out for that.

[MalaCloudy Black]

No, it's a Saul Williams original composition.

[RPS]

I must third the love for Hercules and the Love Affair. Fawking brilliant. I have no idea why this album is so deep and amazing.

[Cactus Drags]

Well, I switched from iTunes to Winamp, and had a couple of hard drive switches, so I'll use last.fm for a rough estimate as to what my most played are, as it's probably a decent enough composite of it all, if not exactly accurate:

1) Joy Division - Atmosphere

2) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues

3) Antony & The Johnsons - Cripple And The Starfish

4) This Mortal Coil - Holocaust

5) This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren

6) SunnO))) & Boris - N.L.T.

7) World's End Girlfriend - Breath Or Castle Ballad

8) SunnO))) & Boris - The Sinking Belle (Blue Sheep)

9) This Mortal Coil - I Come And Stand At Every Door

10) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Sleep

I don't think that's especially accurate at all though, I get the feeling a lot of those songs probably found their way onto playlists I used to stick on to work to or fall asleep to, and as such got listened too "in the background" far more than I actually went out of my way to listen to them. Considering my most played list also lists two Explosions In The Sky tracks, and I don't think otherwise I'd even be able to name you one, it's not all that correct.

EITS are phenomenal. Listen to them more. The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place is a fine album.

[YI]

10 SONGS FOR THE WEEK

1. "I Will Possess Your Heart" by Death Cab For Cutie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvVc0kPnYQ

UP 2 (2nd Week)

2. "You Want It All" by Goldenhorse

http://www.last.fm/music/Goldenhorse (on the player...full track)

NEW ENTRY

3. "We Own The Sky" by M83

n/a (...motherfucking titwanks...it's amazing though)

NEW ENTRY

4. "Get Up" by Goldfinger

http://www.myspace.com/goldfinger (on the player)

DOWN 3 (2nd Week)

5. "After Sunset" by Styrofoam

http://www.delta-9online.com/Styrofoam/77077.mp3 (Free Download)

NO CHANGE (3rd Week)

6. "Don't You Wanna Be Relevant" by The Cribs

NEW ENTRY

7. "What's It Gonna Be" by H Two O (ft. Platnum)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj24kn2c-DQ (She's well fit for a tree swinger)

DOWN 5 (3rd Week)

8. "One Reason" by Pennywise

http://www.myspace.com/pennywise (On the player...you can download the entire album for free)

NEW ENTRY

9. "A Multiple Party Perspective" by Rain Over Battle

(LIVE)

DOWN 5 (3rd Week)

10. "Won't Go Away" by The Feeling

(LIVE)

NEW ENTRY

10 ALBUMS FOR THE WEEK!!!!

1. "Broken With No Hope" by Mike Hale - 2008 - Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter - UP 3/8th WEEK

Too fucking good. Every single song on here is absolutely amazing and still hold up at the same level they were on my first listen. It's been 2 months and I still play this thing 2/3 times a week, absolutely amazing...such a powerful, yet still chilled out record. My current favourite tracks are; "Losing Tomorrow", "The Last Part Of Me" ("Fuck where I'm going...look where I've been"...), "My Last Goodbye", "Before You Were Gone", "Most Beautiful" and "Fuck The World". The end part of the album is especially good.

2. "Reason To Believe" by Pennywise - 2008 - Punk-Rock - NEW ENTRY

FUCKING RIGHTS! PENNYWISE ARE FUCKING BACK! I think I might be in the minority I really enjoyed "Land Of The Free?", but that was still like 7-years ago now. "From The Ashes" was absolutely fucking terrible, although "Yesterdays" will remain one of my 'reminiscing' tracks, in that whenever I listen to it, I get a shitload of memories all flooding back. "The Fuse", was incredibly generic, dull as fuck, paint by numbers, Pennywise. Neither of those two albums I will ever listen to again to be honest. "Yesterdays" being the only song from either album still on my computer. By this point everyone had written them off, and now they're on myspace records...people thought this album was going to be their death. But with this album they've got a sense of purpose, the intensity is back, and the tunes sound incredibly fresh. You've got the 'thrashing', "One Reason"...the cool 'slower' songs like "Confusion" and "The Western World" and then you've got your typical Pennywise style tracks like "It's Not Enough To Believe", "Something To Live For", "You Get The Life You Choose", "We'll Never Know" etc. But in comparison to their last few albums, it actually sounds like they've tried, they've written some amazing songs, which don't sound 'over-familiar'......damnit...it's so good I might cry. A definate return to form. I admit...I'd wrote them off before this...although they were still one of my favourite bands...but...just...I love it. This is made even better after a lackluster effort from No Use For A Name, a shitfest (outside of 1 song) that is Goldfinger and the absolute abortion that is new Millencolin (Which was the hardest to take...as the last couple PW, GF and NUFAN have all been shitty, whereas "Kingwood" by Millencolin was great).

3. "Sink Or Swim" by The Gaslight Anthem - 2007 - Punk-Rock - DOWN 2/4th WEEK (5th Overall)

I still sing'em ragged for you and Maria.

4. "Adventure Boy" by Scott Reynolds and The Steaming Beast - 2008 - Alt-Rock - DOWN 2/2nd WEEK

Once again surviving on the list this week is Scott Reynolds...it's a singer-songwriter style album at heart, with the vocal melody/lyrics being the most 'important' parts of the songs...although there's still all sorts of crazy shenanigans going on in the background, which means you pick up more and more on each listen. Also, how can you not love a track named "Jesus, Satan, Gene Beeman, His Car, & Pizza Hut".

5. "Reporter" by Goldenhorse - 2007 - Indie-Pop - NEW ENTRY

For those wondering why my '100 list' actually hasn't started yet, I've been waiting for this baby to be delivered from New Zealand for the best part of a month, and it finally came on Tuesday...I believe. And I've played it a hell of a lot of times since then. A fun record, although there's more of a 'laid back' vibe, with slower tunes than their previous album. As it starts heading into the summer, Goldenhorse albums are perfect, as they're so happy and summery...Kirsten Morrell just has such an incredibly pretty voice. Standout tracks so far are; "You Want It All", "Jump Into The Sun", "Wisen Up" and "Streetlights".

6. "Saturdays = Youth" by M83 - 2008 - Electro-Pop - NEW ENTRY

Man...such a beautiful album. You've got so much of everything on here. You've got slightly 'menacing', epic sounding songs which build like "We Own The Sky", soft Mew style tracks like "Kim & Jessie", catchy indie-electro numbers in vain of early Killers like "Graveyard Girl", electro style tracks like "Couleurs" and the 10 minute long ambient closer, "Midnight Souls Still Remain". It's all amazing...except that sodding last tune...which annoys the ever loving shit out me. I love ambient stuff at the minute, but this track, I can't even make it like 20 seconds in now. Because there's a note on a synth, which is played CONTINUOUSLY throughout the entire thing...and once I picked that up, I keep focussing on it...and it literally makes my skin wretch...I have no idea why...it just does...so I get like 20 seconds in and I JUST have to turn it off...for my own sanity.

7. "Alas, I Cannot Swim" by Laura Marling - 2008 - Folk-Acoustic/Pop - NEW ENTRY

For such a young girl she's absolutely amazing...although she looks like David Lee Roth...but less pretty. She had a song that got a bit of play on Music TV channels last year, which isn't featured here, but despite that, she's not going to get the media hype that Lilly Allen or Kate Nash got. But she's just as good, if not better than those two. Such a powerful, powerful voice. My current favourite tracks are; "My Manic And I", "Tap At My Window", "Cross Your Fingers" and "The Captain And Hourglass".

8. "Searching For The Hows & Whys" by Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - 2008 - Electro-Acoustic/Indie - DOWN 3/5th WEEK

This is a weird one. I keep thinking "I love this"...but at the same time I think, "But I don't really love it that much"...but clearly I DO!! As every week it appears on this list. Fucking gooooooooood.

9. "The Element Of Sonic Defiance" by Strung Out - 2000 - Punk-Rock - RE-ENTRY/1st WEEK (2nd Overall)

Why the fuck not? "Mission To Mars" - "Scarecrow" - "Savant" - "Blew" - "Everyday" - "Razorblade" - "Jackie-O" - "Mephisto"...what a run of tracks...hang on...that's the entire release...oh that's right...IT'S FUCKING GODLY!!! Some of the best drumming I have EVER heard on a record, just adds so much, epic stuff.

10. "Field Manual" by Chris Walla - 2008 - Indie-Rock - RE-ENTRY/1st WEEK (2nd Overall)

It's no Death Cab For Cutie, but it's tiding me over. The opening track is still hands down my favourite. A fair amount of variation. This is actually a really, really good release, it loses its way at the end, but it's just, you know DCFC is going to totally overshadow it. "Two-Fifty", "Everyone Needs A Home", "Geometry & C", "A Bird Is A Song", "Sing Again", "Everybody On" etc...fucking amazing tracks.

[Cactus Drags]

There's a video getting a fair bit of play on MTV2 and Flux for the past few months now, featuring BMX riders doing random wankery. The track's called Dial Wookie and it's by some band I've never heard of and can't find much out about called Iglomat. Instrumental, brings to mind that Explosions In The Sky/This Will Destroy You kind of dreamy post-rock. Album is released in June, but you can apparently buy it from their webstore now (which doesn't make any sense to me, either it's out or it isn't, right?). However, I want it now, and I want it free. Anyone finds a copy, lemme know ASAP.

[ROC]

So, I dug through some of the older music I had on my computer and...oh my God, Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope was so so much better than I remembered. It's such an effortlessly quirky album but the right types of quirk. Spektor's so great at humanizing her situations and at creating crazy situations that still feel real. It's...I love it.

[VerbalPuke]

I'd like to see what my most played is, but I've only recently acquired Itunes, and since I hate the fucking program, I stick with Windows Media Player. They don't offer a neat feature like that, but I am curious to know what my most played has been.

Somehow I managed to get some Tom Waits on my computer, and I don't get the appeal. I'm really bored by this guy, what am I missing here?

Oh yeah, somebody stop me from buying vinyl, I can't stop myself. I get a few beers in me, and the wallet opens for more, I can't get enough of it.

[METALMAN]

You can get most played on WMP. Just add Play Count to the menu on the library screen and click on it to sort it.

[Skummy]

VP, what Tom Waits do you have? A lot of can be relatively dull Americana, especially the really early stuff, but his later work is pretty much unparalleled, in my opinion.

[Cactus Drags]

http://www.myspace.com/wearetheoceanuk

Caught their video on Kerrang! the other night, they sound pretty cool. And one of their top friends, Look! I'm a Ghost sound pretty nice too. Not exactly original or unique, but not everything has to be.

[VerbalPuke]

VP, what Tom Waits do you have? A lot of can be relatively dull Americana, especially the really early stuff, but his later work is pretty much unparalleled, in my opinion.

I've got most of or all of Beautiful Maladies (not sure if it's the full album, roughly 8 tracks). I stumbled upon it by accident, I was trying to obtain another album, but due to badly sorted folders, I happened to get this as well. I figured I'd keep the Waits album to give it a shot since so many hold the guy in high regard.

Edit - Oh yeah, metalman, do I need WMP 11 for that? I'm not finding this play count deal.

Edited March 29, 2008 by VerbalPuke

[Skummy]

It being a compilation album, "Beautiful Maladies" is an odd one, as there are some decent tracks on there, but no real rhyme or reason to it...."Temptation", "The Black Rider" or "Jockey Full Of Bourbon"...all great songs, but they don't really hold their own nearly as much when taken out of the context of their respective albums. Why I don't like to use the phrase "concept album" as it conjures up images of keyboard solos and Rick Wakeman banging on about elves and King Arthur, Waits is at his best as an album artist, at telling stories or creating a moodscape across an entire album, rather than just a single song.

Personally, though, I'd suggest you look to either Bone Machine or Real Gone for some Waits you might like...they're two of his more "difficult" albums, but have some of his grittier and heavier work, as well as more standalone "tunes" (in the case of Bone Machine, anyway).

Example, "Going Out West", one of the most bad-ass songs on the planet:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L0-KhvrGwCU

And just for sheer coolness, a Tom Waits/Keith Richards duet sounding like the best 4am drunken sing-song ever:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xjti6DzQLk&...feature=related

[YI]

....holy....fuck....I think I nearly literally cried.....

So I'm sitting here in the dark...because I cannot be fucked to walk over to my lightswitch...listening to Stars Of The Lid..."Articulate Silences Part 1"...not really browsing much, just sitting there, listening (For 'nothing' happening, SOTL engrosses me)...and it hits me that there's like a tear in my eye and I'm welling up a bit....no real tears though.....I wasn't thinking about anything inparticular......just...wow...okay...hardcore-punk...I need to be a man.

Edited March 29, 2008 by YI

[Cactus Drags]

I've been meaning to check them out. What's the best album to start with?

[Dan]

So I've applied for a big-ass overdraft to go to Leeds.

[YI]

I've been meaning to check them out. What's the best album to start with?

I only have "...And Their Refinement Of The Decline", which was the double CD/2-hours of awesome they put out last year. It's really not the kind of thing you can just jump into...you really have to put like 2 hours aside and listen to it...or at least an hour aside to listen to one of the CD's. It is literally just ambient/drone stuff....but it sounds so beautiful.

And get in Danny-boy. I have like £300 in the bank...so, I'm defo's there. But it does mean I'll have to cancel my trip down London...so no This Is A Standoff/No Use For A Name.

Edited March 29, 2008 by YI

[Cactus Drags]

Yes, I continue to hijack this thread to pimp out bands I've just found out about, albeit in a far less convincing or organised manner as YI. However, listen to earthtone9. It's likely going to be a bith to track down an album, but I managed to find arc'tan'gent on Soulseek, and it is excellent, turn of the millenium, english post-grunge/hardcore. Fans of Reuben may like, although it's more straight up than the twisty changy nature of Reuben. And the vocalist, Karl something, actually guests on VFVD (Alpha Signal). Which reminds me, Reuben, Brum, Tuesday, wonderful, wonderful.

http://www.et9evo.iofm.net/site/download.htm

^^ there's a few free tracks there, and if anyone wants the album I have, I guess I can provide off the board.