The Antlers- "Kettering" (2009) Live, Spinner Interface

Brooklyn prodigies with some serious mood music:

Orange Juice- Coals to Newcastle (2010) Box Set (6 Discs) MP3 & FLAC -For pixiesfan-

"The difference between you and me is that the world owes you a living, and you always tow the party line in your loving and your giving."

It is hard to overestimate the influence of the Scottish Post-Punk band Orange Juice on what we refer to now, thirty years, later as "indie music." Progenitors of a sound firmly grounded in the Punk and Post-Punk movements of the late seventies, Orange Juice also turned many of the conventions of these genres on their heads with their off-kilter melodic tendencies and Edwyn Collins' twee vocal style (which laid the groundwork for everything from Haircut 100 to Belle and Sebastian). This was a band equally inspired by The Velvet Underground, Al Green, The Buzzcocks, and Lee "Scratch" Perry, which should give some indication of just how singular they sounded. In general, Orange Juice's early Postcard singles are held in highest esteem in terms of the band's legacy, and one listen to a song such as "Blue Boy" on the first disc, The Glasgow School, should leave no doubt as to why. With the runaway train percussion, chiming guitars, and Collins' fractured vocals all wedded to a great melodic hook, the song, in one way or another, anticipates every major trope of today's indie music scene. Orange Juice didn't issue a proper LP until 1982's You Can't Hide Your Love Forever, and by this time, many of the rough edges of their sound had been polished away, allowing Collins' love for Soul and Reggae to weigh in more insistently. Despite this, flashes of the same dark, shambolic brilliance of the earlier sides can be found in the later work; for example, one of the album's singles, Al Green's "L.O.V.E. Love," sounds like a Soul song that has wandered its way onto The Velvet Underground's Loaded. Perhaps Orange Juice's most commercial moment is found on their second LP, Rip It Up, with its infectious title track (Orange Juice's sole hit) that stands as a nearly perfect example of early-eighties Brit-Pop; however, digging a little further into the album reveals a pronounced Reggae and Afro-Beat influence, which ranges from awkward ("Hokoyo") to thoroughly compelling ("Breakfast Time"). Simply put, there just isn't another band that sounds remotely like Orange Juice; nevertheless, as is the case with one of their guiding influences, The Velvet Underground, one can hear their influence everywhere. Soulful, quirky and privilegers of randomness over polish, Orange Juice's relative obscurity betrays their uncompromising brilliance.

Paisley Underground Series, #7: The Salvation Army- Happen Happened (1992) MP3 & FLAC

"Memories and as time goes by, memories will age your mind."

Michael Quercio was one of the pivotal figures of The Paisley Underground, not only because he gave the scene its moniker (which most, including himself, eventually came to hate because of its emphasis on image over musical substance), but also as the leader of The Salvation Army, a punky garage-pysch band who would later become the more overtly psychedelic and equally important The Three O'Clock. If you're only familiar with the latter, then Happen Happened will come as something of a surprise because The Salvation Army had a much darker, grittier sound than the later, renamed version of the band, and the album itself, which collects all of The Salvation Army's recordings, happens to be one of the most vivid documents of the early days of the paisley scene in L.A. The album begins with one of Quercio's earliest recording sessions (for The Minutemen's New Alliance label), which yielded the excellent 1981 "Happen Happens / Mind Gardens" single. This early version of "Mind Gardens" is built around a simple Punk-inspired chord progression and Quercio's snarling vocals, and represents quite a contrast to the album version recorded the following year, which loses much of its directness beneath all the reverb and jangle. Despite this, The Salvation Army's sole original album is full of great Nuggets-inspired tracks such as the blues-psych cover of The Great Society's "Going Home," a song featuring a swaggering guitar-based hook and one of Quercio's better early vocal performances. Happen Happened is one of the most essential releases related to The Paisley Underground, as it both a great album and a rare snapshot of the scene's early roots in the L.A. Hardcore/Punk movement.

The Three O'Clock- "With a Cantaloupe Girlfriend" (1983) Live on MV3, KHJ, Los Angeles

MV3 was a late afternoon video show broadcast on an independent Southern California television channel (KHJ) from late 1982 to 1984. It featured a good helping of alternative and independent artists and some interesting in-studio guests. The only drawbacks were the hosts including local KROQ DJ Richard Blade (you'll see what I mean), and the American Bandstand-style dance sequences. This is an early in-studio appearance by Paisley Underground legends The Three O'Clock:

Rumor has it that Blade was boinking the devotchka who speaks at the end of the clip

The Easybeats- "Sorry" (1966) Live on TV

A great clip from an extremely underrated Australian Mod-Beat Garage-Rock band: The Easybeats

Fotheringay- S/T (1970) / 2 (2008) MP3 & FLAC

"What about me, me and my kind? If we're unknown, are we left behind?"

All it takes is one comparative listen between Fairport Convention's eponymous debut album and What We Did on Our Holidays, their first album with Sandy Denny, to grasp the effect Denny's presence had on the band. Previously, Fairport Convention had shown more of an inclination to incorporate American "west-coast" Folk-Rock into their sound than the Folk traditions of their homeland, but Denny's arrival changed this and proved a catalyst for Fairport's "invention" of British Folk-Rock. However, Denny's tenure with Fairport Convention was short-lived, as she jumped ship after three brilliant albums to pursue a more singer-songwriter-oriented career path. What's ironic about this is that her first post-Fairport venture, Fotheringay, mined very similar territory to her previous band but without the same level of free-wheeling talent on hand. Whereas Fairport was prone to experimentation and eclecticism, Fotheringay was slightly more rock-oriented, which, on their debut, results in a more fussed-over, less sprawling sound. Nevertheless, Denny contributes several gorgeous songs to Fotheringay, making the album close to essential for anyone partial to her work with Fairport Convention. One of the album's obvious highlights is the epic "The Sea," which features a breathtaking vocal performance by Denny backed by sumptuous acoustic guitars. While the song easily equals many of her finest moments in Fairport, the overly-tasteful production threatens to siphon off a bit of the song's emotional impact. Although it is true that Fotheringay suffers a bit when Denny steps out of the limelight leaving Trevor Lucas with vocal duties, his folksy performance on "The Ballad of Ned Kelly" is another of the album's highlights. Fotheringay broke up while recording their follow-up LP, leaving master tapes of the unfinished songs languishing in the vaults for nearly 40 years until the surviving members of the band released them as Fotheringay 2. While obviously not as fully conceived as the previous album, it is an interesting and occasionally brilliant addendum to one of the forgotten gems of British Folk-Rock.

Gang of Four- Solid Gold (1981) / Another Day, Another Dollar EP (1982) MP3 & FLAC -For sradams777-

"Why work for love if it shows no profit? You'll only earn emotional losses."

On Gang of Four's brilliant debut, Entertainment!, arguably the best record of the original British Post-Punk movement, Andy Gill, John King & co. virtually wrote the book on fusing Punk-inspired iconoclasm with fractured, abrasive and passionate Agit-Pop. However, what made their debut even more distinctive was the subtle undercurrent of Funk percolating beneath all the atonal anarchy and politically-charged lyrics. In other words, Entertainment! somehow managed to be both didactic and danceable. While Gang of Four's follow-up, Solid Gold, continues along the same aesthetic lines, it does so by bringing the Funk influence a little more to the surface, and, in the process, emerges as slightly more polished and even more danceable than its predecessor. But don't let this fool you into thinking the socio-political commentary has been turned down a notch because it hasn't. For example, on "Cheeseburger," a scathing satire of America's emphasis on consumerism over class consciousness, Gill's hiccuping guitar takes a secondary role to the outwardly Funk -inspired rhythm section of Dave Allen and Hugo Burnham, creating a unique sound that would be emulated by countless bands a decade later. On the follow-up Another Day, Another Dollar EP, Gang of Four refines this sound even further with tracks such as "To Hell With Poverty" with its relentless dance groove and viciously humorous lyrics.  While Entertainment! is clearly Gang of Four's masterpiece, Solid Gold is, at times, a more confident and musically varied album, making it nearly as essential.

Talk Talk Series, #6: Talk Talk- The Colour of Spring (1986) MP3 & FLAC

"Yesterday's faded, nothing can change it."

The Colour of Spring is often described as Talk Talk's "transitional" album; however, such a description is meaningless in the context of a discography comprised of nothing but transitional albums. More so than virtually any other band I can think of, Talk Talk traveled along a creative arc that never paused long enough to solidify into something to be transitioned from; rather, their sound and approach was in constant flux, seemingly evolving in a certain direction, but one quite unprecedented in pop music and one whose inevitable conclusion, for a host of reasons, was silence. After the relative commercial success of their previous album It's My Life, Talk Talk was awarded with a bigger budget and extended time to record The Colour of Spring, resources that they would take full advantage of in crafting more of a song-cycle than a mere collection of songs with a few singles mixed in. Mark Hollis has described the approach to recording the album as "arranged free-form," in which contributions from a number of musicians, including Steve Winwood (Hammond organ) and Danny Thompson (stand-up bass), were recorded and either integrated into the final arrangement or discarded depending on the synergy or lack thereof between the various elements within the song. In addition to this approach, which is more common to Jazz recordings, Talk Talk also began an exploration of more organic forms of instrumentation and the manipulation of aural space that would characterize their ground-breaking work later on. A perfect example of this new sonic approach is "Living in Another World." Gone are the synth-based textures that characterized previous albums; instead, the song opens with a crashing piano chord giving way to acoustic guitar, strings, and eventually Hammond organ. What's instantly recognizable as the song progresses is the care taken not only in integrating the various musical elements but also in sculpting the silences and sense of space surrounding the notes. The Colour of Spring marks the juncture in Talk Talk's artistic development where they began to move into what retrospectively would be termed "Post-Rock," meaning a move away from traditional song structure and towards a more organic, open-ended, perhaps even improvisational approach to song arrangement. Talk Talk would take this approach even further and to brilliant effect on their final two albums.

Talk Talk- "Living in Another World" Video (1986)

One of the things I like best about Talk Talk's videos is the subversive humor that often permeates them. It seems as though they are, on some level, always poking fun at the process of making promotional videos in the first place.

Talk Talk- "Life's What You Make It" Video (1986)

More greatness from Hollis & co.

Ride- Nowhere (1990) 20th Anniversary Edition (Bonus Disc) MP3 & FLAC -For iggy1-

"And the train rushes past like a day gone too fast."

While My Bloody Valentine's Loveless is considered, in most quarters, as the holy grail of the original UK Shoegaze movement, a strong case can be made that Ride's debut long-player, Nowhere, is just as good if not better (though vastly different). Previous to Nowhere, Ride had released several EPs that positioned them as a band on the cusp of brilliance; these early releases all revealed a sound forged out of antecedents such as The Jesus and Mary Chain and the aforementioned My Bloody Valentine, but in addition, Ride sounded like a band who had spent some time listening to Nuggets -era psychedelia. While the foundation for Nowhere is clearly discernible in these EPs, the album itself sees the band transform these influences into something abrasively vibrant and recognizably their own, and if this isn't enough, beneath all the jangle, distortion, and reverb are some pretty fine pop songs for those with ears to hear. On the superb opening track "Seagull," Ride is at its psychedelic best, complete with backward-masked guitars, duo vocals by Mark Gardener and Andy Bell, and a killer hook buried beneath the guitar squall. Another standout is "Vapour Trail," a track featuring some lovely guitar jangle and a more solemn tone while still retaining the power of the more intense songs. While Nowhere is rightly labeled a Shoegaze album, throughout the proceedings, Ride seem intent on playing with some of the conventions of the genre, which might be the reason the album hasn't aged a day in 20 years.  Guitar-based pop simply doesn't get any better than this.

Gang of Four- "To Hell With Poverty" (1981) Live on Old Grey Whistle Test

Andy Gill has to be one of my favorite guitarists. To hell with poverty indeed!

The Readers Have Spoken (Yet Another Series)

Hello dear readers,

Yesterday, I posted a video of one of my favorite musicians, Tim Buckley. The rapid, passionate and voluminous response to the post convinced me to plan a few Buckley posts in the coming days/weeks; however, Michael suggested a Buckley series. Although there are already two series underway (Talk Talk & Paisley Underground), I feel very motivated to begin work on a third, a Tim Buckley and related series. Buckley died at 28, so his studio recordings are limited, but there are several interesting archival releases and a number of nice live recordings to post. Also, there are some great albums such as Blue Afternoon and Starsailor, which are hard to come by in lossless (I have these), so Buckley has the makings for a potentially great series. And yes, I will also mix in some of Jeff's work. At this point, I am undecided about the length of the series, but it will probably be 10 to 15 posts. I'll get it started in a week or so. I hope this is good news for everyone :)

p.s. I have several Buckley live bootlegs, which might also be a nice addition to this series

Paisley Underground Series, #6: R.E.M.- Murmur (1983) Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition (Bonus Disc) MP3 & FLAC

"Not everyone can carry the weight of the world."

Yes, I realize R.E.M. was not part of the Paisley Underground scene,  but it's impossible to ignore the major role they played in reviving the kind of Garage/Jangle/Power pop mix that became the staple of many American underground music scenes throughout the eighties and into the nineties, L.A. being no exception. With a sound comprised of Peter Buck's McGuinn-inspired jangle, Mike Mills' wonderfully melodic bass-work, Bill Berry's utilitarian drumming, and Michael Stipe's strange gravelly (and often indiscernible) backwoods preacher's vocal delivery, they transformed their myriad influences into a sound that would come to define alternative music throughout much of the eighties and beyond. On Murmur, their now-iconic debut, this sound is less polished and the production more murky than it would be on later recordings, which results in the album feeling quite untethered to its early-eighties context. While much has deservedly been written about brilliant tracks such as "Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About the Passion," the strength of Murmur lies in its lesser-known tracks, which are consistently first-rate because they rarely if ever conform to expectation. For example, "Laughing" starts out with Mills and Berry invoking some Dub-style rhythmic effects until Stipe's vocals come in backed by an acoustic guitar. While this song can certainly be labeled Jangle-Pop, it also boasts a dark minimalist feel that indicates a Post-Punk pedigree. This is even more the case on "9-9," which suggests Gang of Four as the main influence rather than The Byrds; this more abrasive, angular approach is an often overlooked component of R.E.M. 's early albums. Truly, Murmur's influence is incalculable, and taken on its own terms, the album itself continues to be revelatory nearly thirty years down the line.

Tim Buckley- "Song to the Siren" (1968) Live on The Monkees

This is one of Tim Buckley's finest moments- an early acoustic rendition of "Song to the Siren," which many of you will know from This Mortal Coil. And he performs it on, of all places, The Monkees!

The Triffids- Treeless Plain (1983) MP3 & FLAC -For common01-

"Even people in love get hit by bullets."

During the late seventies and early eighties, there were few places as fertile as Australia when it came to innovative alternative music. While bands such as The Church and The Go-Betweens managed to experience brief flirtations with commercial success outside of their homeland, many other fine bands went virtually unnoticed, especially in the U.S. The Triffids more or less exemplified this unfortunate situation, despite having been one of the more interesting and singular bands to emerge from Australia during the eighties. Combining the darker inclinations of bands like The Velvet Underground and Television with the same American country-blues influences serving The Birthday Party as main muse, The Triffids were peerless at conveying a sense of stark desolation through the melodic structure of a pop song. Their debut LP, Treeless Plain, finds David McComb and co. still feeling their way toward their finest work, but there are, nevertheless, flashes of the brilliance to come peeking around every corner. For example, the album kicks things off with a stunner, "Red Pony"; with strings vaguely evoking the Middle-East and McComb's off-kilter croon, the song sounds something like Nick Cave fronting The Church. On "Hanging Shed," the band moves into darker territory in a way reminiscent of The Birthday Party, but then the song takes a surprising turn with a hooky chorus that manages to make the gloom all their own. While not The Triffids' best album, Treeless Plain is, nevertheless, an under-appreciated chapter in the discography of a vastly under-appreciated band.

The Psychedelic Furs- Talk Talk Talk (1981) MP3 & FLAC -For AndieJames-

"She lives in the place in the side of our lives where nothing is ever put straight."

On their brilliant debut, The Psychedelic Furs offered up a relentlessly dark collection of songs occupying the intersection between Punk aggression and Post-Punk angst; however, peeking through the gloom on occasion was the band's clear talent for writing memorable, off-kilter pop songs, "Sister Europe" being the most obvious example of this. On their second LP, Talk Talk Talk, The Psychedelic Furs made the fateful decision to pursue this approach more consistently, though the band's sound still retains its rough edges pretty much intact. In addition, Richard Butler's detached Bowie-esque vocals sound more confident than on the debut, which aids in making the songs a little more accessible. On "Dumb Waiters," a strangely compelling mash-up of Punk and Kraut-Rock elements, Butler's sneering vocals, which here sound something like a more tuneful Johnny Rotten, and Duncan Kilburn's fractured sax give the song both its memorable hook and its attitude. While the original version of "Pretty in Pink" is indeed a classic on all levels, Talk Talk Talk contains many lesser-known gems, not the least of which is the stunning "All of This and Nothing," one of the best tracks The Psychedelic Furs ever recorded. Opening with a beautiful though completely unexpected acoustic guitar arpeggio intertwining with Kilburn's sax, the song quickly morphs into an epic rocker knocking around the empty corners of a dissolving relationship. This album is, without a doubt, The Psychedelic Furs' finest moment.