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April 13, 2006
Quarterly Report, 1st Quarter of 2006 - Podcast
We at MS.com are pleased to bring the first in a long line of podcasts, beginning with tracks released in the first three months of two-thousand aught six. As distasteful as it is for us ultra enlightened types to define art with something so bourgeois as it's commercial release date, it's kind of the only way to do things in this internet age music free for all. Long leaked but untimely releases from artists like Islands, the Fiery Furnaces, Voxtrot, and TV on the Radio will have to wait for the next 'cast for their moment in the sun. Released singles (digital and physical) will count, but tracks posted on blogs such as this one, or only on artists' MySpace page were for our purposes disallowed. Also imports count. We don't want to be the Ugly Americans here.
The end result seeks to mine tracks from the best albums, and rescue tracks from questionable ones, in service of creating an unstoppable time capsule of a season's worth of music. Music in my personal sweet spot of indie rock, pop, and electronica that is. Sorry Ghostface.
Album of the Quarter : Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Runners up: Belle and Sebastian - the Life Pursuit, Love is All - Nine Times That Same Song
Merry Swankster, Q1 2006 Podcast [66.46 MB]
Tracklisting :
01: Belle and Sebastian - "Dress Up in You" (from the Life Pursuit album)
Most convincing narrative from B & S comeback record just happens to be the traditionally sad twee one among the sunny pop workouts.
02: Liars - "the Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack" (from Drum's Not Dead album)
The first time Belle and Sebastian could easily transition into a Liars song. Surprise emotion and empathy from the art brutes.
03: Sunset Rubdown - "Three Colours II" (from Sunset Rubdown EP)
Wind ravaged EP standout is a dorsal fin ominously foreshadowing '06 Spencer Krug feeding frenzy.
04: Figurines - "the Wonder" (from Skeleton album)
Built to Spill left on the stove long enough for the guitar solos to cook off, from Denmark.
05: Television Personalities - "I Hope You're Happy Now" (from My Dark Places album)
TVP mastermind Dan Treacy, after getting released from boat prison, turns in a really weird album. Really weird. This ballad though, has all the hallmarks of his old time-y classics.
06: Danielson - "When it Comes to You I'm Lazy" (7" single, upcoming Ships album)
Ships placeholder sneaks in due to 7" single release. Sweet, slow, and only occasionally spastic.
07: Destroyer - "European Oils" (from Destroyer's Rubies album)
A bloated album full of digressions, it makes sense to go with the track that contains my favorite Rubies moment. For the record, that would be the aside about the Hangman's daughter, followed by one of Bejar's vaunted "monster riffs."
08: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - "Ramblin' Man" (from Ballad of the Broken Seas album)
While the ex B & S belle's album evokes classic duets like Nancy & Lee and Serge & Jane, the rebel country twang on this Hank Williams cover comes closest to Johnny & June. When Isobel's kitten whisper twists around Mark's gravel growl it's pretty sexy to boot.
09: Les Savy Fav - "When You Wake Up a Snake" (eMusic exclusive single)
Pensive piano driven digital single from usually freak out centric Rhode Island castaways. Not mentioned is what happens when you wake up a snake...on a plane. I wouldn't suggest it, even if he has an aisle seat and you need to use the restroom.
10: Pink Mountaintops - "New Drug Queens" (from Axis of Evol album)
Black Mountain's fraternal twin with psych rock in the Hobbes mode; Nasty, brutish, and short.
11: Stereolab - "Interlock" (from Fab Four Suture compilation)
Signs of life in the otherwise redundant Fab Four Suture compilation.
12: A Sunny Day in Glasgow - "the Best Summer Ever" (from the Sunniest Day Ever EP)
Densely layered are strangely ethereal cut and paste indie pop from Philadelphia, PA.
13: the Pipettes - "Your Kisses are Wasted on Me" (single)
Girl group devotees avoid one note status with help from cartoony Go! Team production.
14: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - "Young Shields" (from Etiquette album)
Confused depressive lyrics paired with clear headed dance party background.
15: the Knife - "Neverland" (from Silent Shout album)
Dark Scand-y electro pop that would have been a better follow up to Homogenic than that throat singing bullshit.
16: Shogun Kunitoki - "Daniel" (from Tasankokaiku album)
Finns wring new electronic ideas out of ancient analog equipment, live playing, and old psychedelic records.
17: Liars - "the Wrong Coat for You Mt. Heart Attack" (from Drum's Not Dead album)
Double dip not so gratuitous since its icy heart is closer to the rest of the record than the previous, out of left field ballad. Plus, Liars totally owned it this quarter, so there.
18: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Cheated Hearts" (from Show Your Bones album)
Pretenders pop gold from the mixed bag that is Show Your Bones
19: Giant Drag - "Wicked Game" (bonus track for UK release of Hearts and Unicorns album)
No matter how tempting they make it with their middle school song title wit and their "ironic" cover choices, it's really hard to write this stuff off as a joke when it sounds so good.
20: Love is All - "Felt Tip" (from Nine Times That Same Song album)
Brilliant slow burner from the Swedish sweethearts, and a fine end note.
Enjoy.
Tags: Belle and Sebastian, Liars, Sunset Rubdown, Figurines, Televison Personalities, Danielson, Destroyer, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Les Savy Fav, Pink Mountaintops, Stereolab, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, the Pipettes, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, the Knife, Shogun Kunitoki, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Giant Drag, Love is All, Music Podcasts
Posted by Jeff Klingman at April 13, 2006 07:00 AM
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Comments
The Go! Team Is in the Hot Seat! mtvU conducted an interview with them and its posted here www.mtvu.com/music/the_hot_seat/
Posted by: karokesuperstar at April 13, 2006 05:28 PM
just wanna thank you for this great podcast.
i knew most of the songs already, but just a moment ago i heard the sunset rubdown song again, and remembered how great it is.
i almost forgot. thanks.
Posted by: Tom at April 19, 2006 02:47 PM
