Music blog. Throughout 2011 I'll be posting one song a day from the 90s, counting down the 'best' 365 with #1 being posted on December 31st. One song per artist. Also posted will be little features on new music and bands, as well as mixtapes made by myself and guests. During 2010 posted my favourite 365 tracks of 2000-2009, you can read that list here
#248 - Heatmiser - Blackout
Find it really bizarre how little you see Heatmiser mentioned considering it’s Elliott Smith’s old band. Can’t pretend i’m their biggest fan, nor that I know a ton about them, but songs like this make a case for them deserving more attention.
#12 - Grouper - Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping
Just won my first poker tournament, pretty great. Best sleeping music in the world.
#54 - Parenthetical Girls - The Weight She Fell Under
Earlier today I was doing my way-too-frequent googling of David Thomas Broughton to find new material, when I came across this blog, putting to shame the often two-word desciptions of bands I really love; as much as I’d like that to be a product of my hip and massively busy lifestyle, it’s not. I haven’t been outside today. Maybe that one is so much better than mine because they don’t write about themselves?
ANYWAY, as embarrassing as it is, it’s getting to the point where I’m realising i’m not nearly a sufficient wordsmith to describe how much I love the bands and songs that I’m now posting, and the english language has never felt more useless when I need to describe the perfection of Safe As Houses - wankiest statement i’ll ever write but “like all great art…” (christ), this record transcends anything you could say about it. Just listen.
#100 - Tender Forever - This Is Hardcore
Not to pay any disservice to the 265 days and accompanying songs that have come before it, but it’s quite fitting and nice that now i’m at a milestone number I’m getting to the point where every single track onwards means a huge deal in one way or another.
This is one of the less obvious choice from Tender Forever’s legit indie-pop classic debut LP, The Soft And The Hardcore (both the song Tender Forever and the beautiful closer The Magic Of The Crashing Stars would be great shouts), an interludey track clocking in at under a minute that perhaps wouldn’t work quite so well outside of context of the record, but it’s a record I know inside out. Perfect intimate production and textures and heartbroking lyrics delivered with care and emotion.
#118 - Thanksgiving - (You Belong To The) Blood
I don’t know how to explain it, and i’ve failed before, but there’s something about the geography and landscape of the pacific northwest I find totally impossible to seperate with the music of artists like Adrian Orange, Phil Elverum, Karl Blau, etc, etc. It’s not so much their songwriting or melodies but rather the textures of their releases. While the drones and noise of, say, The Microphones’ Glow Part 2 is perhaps the ‘magnum opus’ of the sound I’m failing to describe, Cave Days and Moments is just as impressive in a far less grand or epic manner. Really amazing intimate songs produced perfectly. This is the highlight of that record and will hopefully do some justice to the vague idea i’m writing about here - and even to put the incredible production and mythologising to one side, it’s a really beautiful and strangely uplifting track with some of my favourite closing lyrics in the world; Just go on with your days. You belong to the blood. And your heart knows the way.
It’s probably the most pretentious statement I’ll ever make but the photo above just feels like this music. There are certain scenes where a lot of bands sound alike and share an aesthetic or ideas, but certain artists from the pacific northwest are the only ones I can name where the music itself sounds like a product of it’s natural surroundings.
#151 - The Blow - Parentheses
Weird coincidence this track comes after sorta seeing her last night. ‘Sorta’ meaning about 30 seconds at the end of her set as support to Jens Lekman. First saw her on the night before my 17th birthday and later that night I fainted for the first/only time. Cool story, bro. Good song.
#200 - Adrian Orange And Her Band - You’re My Home
200 songs to go now, and getting to the point where I really love everything and am holding back embarrassing gushing statements. This won’t be an exception.
Adrian Orange’s only record thus far under this moniker is maybe my favourite apart from the incredible Cave Days & Moments. This track features his most unreserved vocal performance, with an almost Nina Simone-like preacher quality.
#202 - The Thermals - No Culture Icons
So great. First heard this back in 2004 in X-Ray Magazine’s (remember that? don’t blame you) free cd of the best of 2003. Alongside, um, Jet, and, um, The Darkness. Pretty sure this wins. What a fucking ANTHEM.
#215 - Eluvium - After Nature
Feels bad posting an interludey sorta piece from such an incredible composer as it always feels like they don’t represent the talent and nature of an artist, but often provide their most beautiful moments. This is one of those examples; if you like the sound of this, definitely pick up Copia, one of my favourite “modern classical” (whatever that means) records and completely spellbinding from start to finish. Maybe the best sleeping music in the world.
