Desert Island X: Group 2 Listening Thread

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BONERZ 2112:

I'll start out with some bold praise in that this may be my frontrunner right now. Not that I enjoyed every track, but it had a great mixture of new material and some impressive transitioning, as well as a diverse palette.

I liked how this slowly asserted itself, instead of storming out of the gate, and this is mirrored by the drawn-out conclusion in place of a big showstopper. The symmetry is nice.

Blue Sky Black Death was something new, as well as the Tyco, Memory Tapes, and a few others.

I give extra credit for the inclusion of The Mighty Lemon Drops, and in the 20 years i've known about this band, you may be the first person I know who's ever heard of/mentioned them. Laughter was one of the first CDs I bought from the short-lived MTV Music Club, but I wound up getting everything by this also-ran British band. They're not "important" but were consistently good and evolved considerably over 6 albums/8 years. BTW, I highly recommend their swan song album Ricochet.

The emo section was a mixed bag, as your selection was unable to overcome my contempt for AFI, though I did enjoy the Against Me song (the first of theirs I've heard, so can't speak to whether this is typical material from the band).

One other criticism: correct me if I'm wrong, but that Japandroids track was used by two different people in last year's DI, and while it's a great song, it should have been retired for a while.

So, some welcome familiar tracks, a few annoying ones old and new, but a lot of discoveries and an impressive journey across a handful of genres.

Very impressive work.
 
BONZO

- The BSBD track works as a great opener to the playlist. Gradually builds in a nice manner, has some hints of what's to come, doesn't let on too much.

- After BDBS [sic] the list goes into two very chill electronic tracks. While they're not bad in and of themselves, I would have liked a pick me up after the BSBD track.

- Make that three. Outkast is becoming less my thing the more I hear.

- Four.

- I never thought I'd say this, but Sade really brought my mood up.

- Oh Simply Red you're so dorky. And you sound weirdly like Sade banging on a drumkit made of coffee cans.

- This list is slowly turning into something you'd hear in a bad nightclub. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

- The Tycho track ties back to what I liked about BSBD. Pretty neat callback.

- Memory Tapes. This is pretty neat. I can sort of see how all of the pieces fit together in this song. Really cool, kinda creepy guitar playing as well.

- The music in RAC reminds me of a Head On The Door track, if it came out today. Neato.

- More Chairlifts, please.

- I'm bummed about how having different mixes irritates me. Big Country are dorky as hell, but I love them so. Cutting off that track is a damned disservice.

- Into The Heart Of Love -> Alex Chilton makes me want to be in a crowded arena, screaming along.

- MAN MOTHERFUCKING ALEX CHILTON. I AM ONE OF THE CHILDREN. CEREBRAL RAPE AND PILLAGE. JESUS THIS SONG RULES. DYING IN MEMPHIS IS COOL, BABE. COME ON.

- The punk part was going well until AFI. Now it's just sorta obnoxious.

- The Pillows is an excellent name for a band. I think not having to focus on what they're saying meant I could get more behind the vocal inflection and guitar playing.

- Disco Inferno = excellent palate cleanser. This is strangely the most conventional song on that album.

- The Butthole Surfers fucking suck.

- The biggest problem with this list is that it sets up several moods and feels quite nicely, but lingers on them too long. At 36 songs and 2 1/2 hours, there's some real exertion involved with sitting down and hearing this.

- A good Pavement song that isn't Gold Soundz or In The Mouth A Desert? Well, I'll be damned.
 
Listened to Ashley's list as well. Not my favorite batch of tracks that she's put to use, but certain patches of it really work for me and it all flows nicely. The electronic section at the beginning is badass although yeah, maybe a bit too long. I actually like the danceable shit in the middle, comes out of the darker sounds surprisingly well . Power pop/garage rock section is pretty damn cool (I mean, come on, that's my bread and butter right there) and it obviously flows well. I'm not over the moon about the slacker rock stuff (non including DPlan, they're amazing) but it comes together very nicely at the end. I don't think Kangaroo is much of a closer, but as Laz said, there's some nice symmetry there with the opening.

So no, it isn't my favorite of the lists you've done (that would be DI6), but it's very strong. I think it turned out pretty damn well considering how laborious it was to assemble. An exra day of work on the pacing would have helped speed things along in a couple of sections, but there's very little wrong with what's here. Kudos for introducing some hip hop into your lists too, that's a first for you.
 
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So...am I crazy re: Japandroids or was that not on 2 lists last year? It was already in my iTunes twice before this week and I didn't download it.
 
I had a different japandroids track, for just that reason, but HTHB worked better, and I figured no one would use it this time, since everyone used it last time. I also figured it was a long enough gap between DI's that it might slip through.
 
Or that everyone had forgotten about japandroids? Because I did, despite the amount of hate they garnered from me I had totally forgotten they were a band.

It's still the only song of theirs I almost like.
 
lazarus said:
BONERZ 2112:

I'll start out with some bold praise in that this may be my frontrunner right now. Not that I enjoyed every track, but it had a great mixture of new material and some impressive transitioning, as well as a diverse palette.
Click to expand...
Well thank you, that's awesome to hear :)
I liked how this slowly asserted itself, instead of storming out of the gate, and this is mirrored by the drawn-out conclusion in place of a big showstopper. The symmetry is nice.
Click to expand...
That's actually what I was going for, so I'm glad it worked, somewhat.

I give extra credit for the inclusion of The Mighty Lemon Drops, and in the 20 years i've known about this band, you may be the first person I know who's ever heard of/mentioned them. Laughter was one of the first CDs I bought from the short-lived MTV Music Club, but I wound up getting everything by this also-ran British band. They're not "important" but were consistently good and evolved considerably over 6 albums/8 years. BTW, I highly recommend their swan song album Ricochet.
Click to expand...
I have no idea where I got that Mighty Lemon Drops song from, but it's fantastic fun, though maybe not essential. I'll listen to more, now, though, because I'm super curious.
The emo section was a mixed bag, as your selection was unable to overcome my contempt for AFI, though I did enjoy the Against Me song (the first of theirs I've heard, so can't speak to whether this is typical material from the band).
Click to expand...

It's pretty typical. I can't recommend their new album enough. It's my 2nd favorite of the year.

liamcool said:
- I never thought I'd say this, but Sade really brought my mood up.
Click to expand...
:lol:

- Oh Simply Red you're so dorky. And you sound weirdly like Sade banging on a drumkit made of coffee cans.
I think enough people have heard the list, now, to remind everyone why Simply Red is just my favorite thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiRyiVgWj6g

- I'm bummed about how having different mixes irritates me. Big Country are dorky as hell, but I love them so. Cutting off that track is a damned disservice.
Click to expand...

I really hated using the radio edit, but the ridiculous transition between it and Tina Turner didn't work with the (ridiculously great) intro.

- Disco Inferno = excellent palate cleanser. This is strangely the most conventional song on that album.
Click to expand...
I love that song and that album so much. I still haven't heard anything beyond it, though, so I'll have to get going further. Especially, of course, the EPs.

- The biggest problem with this list is that it sets up several moods and feels quite nicely, but lingers on them too long. At 36 songs and 2 1/2 hours, there's some real exertion involved with sitting down and hearing this.
Click to expand...

As LeMel addresses later, I realized too late that I needed to cut about four songs from the list, in order to really make it a more manageable deal. I would've ended the list after Primitive Radio Gods and deleted the Air track, if I had made those cuts, and I think that cohesive circle I wanted would've still been present, ending there instead. Ah well, that's what I get for taking so long on this. I'm glad I got it out of my system, though, because now I'm already working on a DI 11 and having a good time with it.

Just, in general, I've been having a little bit of a down mood, and I just couldn't even enjoy listening to music, anymore. Unfortunately, that started, right as I started working on DI. I'm feeling a little better now, but, it's, obviously, too late to go back.

- A good Pavement song that isn't Gold Soundz or In The Mouth A Desert? Well, I'll be damned.
Click to expand...

You can thank LeMel for introducing me to that one. I, generally, don't care much for Pavement, but that song's a treasure.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Honestly, if you like those three Pavement songs, there's certainly more where that came from. Terror Twilight is a pretty mellow album overall and has a number of Gold Soundz-type vibes, for example.
 
Gump - I could have sworn "Golden" was a Ryan Adams song until I actually looked at the list description. The vocals are so similar to his earlier stuff.
 
Listening to Lemonmelon's playlist right now. Just finished the Hoodoo Gurus song.

I am digging the 80's pop. I was familiar with some (I Will Melt With You, Live To Tell) and others I haven't heard in quite a while (Ship of Fools, Heart and Soul). I was born in 1990, so I barely missed the 80's but I remember hearing some of these songs on the radio and I smiled in remembrance. I thought it was really strong in the beginning but it honestly, got a little gloomy and repetitive at times with the 80's synthesizers after a while. But it was still enjoyable. I am being a little nit-picky, sorry. But I thought when the guitars were introduced as a more vital part of the song around the Pulp song it was more upbeat somehow. Flow was good as always but I think the transition from Roxy Music to Pulp could of been a little better. More thoughts along the way as I listen...
 
Glad you're liking it. :)

Nobody was on Interference today and I was running some errands, so I'm going to wait to start group 3 until Monday.
 
well well. well well well well well. wellity wellity well. we might just have a new favourite for this competition, bonoruinyoucunt. first of all, im continuing with my policy of honesty in these lists. i have underestimated your music tastes. this is quite offensive im sure but i think i had your tastes pegged a little more narrow, which is obviously insane given you post on this forum, listen to a shitload of music old and new, blah blah blah blah, so i apologise for having silent misgivings ahead of your list. your tastes are likely wider than mine. this is the most ive ever enjoyed a list of yours (not that i ever didnt enjoy them in the past tho) and ALSO this is the first time ive enjoyed a list of yours more than your significant other’s, and i must say i enjoyed this quite a bit more.

now, away from the gratuitious iwb-style ravings and onto the list itself. in melbourne at the mo it is currently quite spring-y, in that we’ve just had some pretty fucking great hot days, but today it’s raining and overcast but not cold and windy like what accompanies shitful rain here in winter. so the start of the list was just perfect. tears in rain wasnt the strongest of openers but it was nice, and the blue sky black death song was pretty cool. i feel like the cunninlynguists song is type of hip-hop song you REALLY like, in that it’s quite a bit different from the typical hip-hop song. air was great. as i aleady mentioned aquemini into protection was boner-inducing. the sade song was quite cool. the Simply Red song was very cool, very cool indeed, quite like it. the Katy Perry song was very un-Katy Perry in that I didnt feel her in screaming “HERES MY LATEST UPBEAT POP SONG” into my ears. it was good. Hearts on Cut Copy, Tycho, Memory Tapes was great.

From RAC on you began to lose me a little bit, I wasn’t big on anything from there through to The Pillows (aside from Japandroids), but once Dismemberment Plan came on it was absolutely terrific from then on out. I especially loved it from Moby onwards. The drumming in Southside reminded me A LOT of Larry’s drumming from a U2 song from any of the 90s albums... can’t remember which one and not looking it up right now. All this stuff worked very well, I actually thought you probably could have slipped in a song from Pop seamlessly around Primitive/Moby/Eels. My only slight criticism is that the music in the Eels song didn’t quiiiiiite match with the songs around it, but that’s really pretty minor, and the lyrics were great. And now I know 3000 and Mark Oliver have something in common - they both have a song where they say “I’m the shit” over and over. Grounded is obviously sensational, and Damage and Kangaroo, both songs by bands I haven’t check out, was an astonishing closing duo. So! great job, and I think I might even listen to it again before sending in my rankings, pay a bit more attention to the start and the middle.

tl;dr - :up::hyper:
 
bono_212 said:
As LeMel addresses later, I realized too late that I needed to cut about four songs from the list, in order to really make it a more manageable deal. I would've ended the list after Primitive Radio Gods and deleted the Air track, if I had made those cuts, and I think that cohesive circle I wanted would've still been present, ending there instead. Ah well, that's what I get for taking so long on this. I'm glad I got it out of my system, though, because now I'm already working on a DI 11 and having a good time with it.
Click to expand...


This is proof that people overthink these lists. I would have liked the list considerably less had it ended at this point.
 
cobl04 said:
well well. well well well well well. wellity wellity well. we might just have a new favourite for this competition, bonoruinyoucunt. first of all, im continuing with my policy of honesty in these lists. i have underestimated your music tastes. this is quite offensive im sure but i think i had your tastes pegged a little more narrow, which is obviously insane given you post on this forum, listen to a shitload of music old and new, blah blah blah blah, so i apologise for having silent misgivings ahead of your list. your tastes are likely wider than mine. this is the most ive ever enjoyed a list of yours (not that i ever didnt enjoy them in the past tho) and ALSO this is the first time ive enjoyed a list of yours more than your significant other’s, and i must say i enjoyed this quite a bit more.

now, away from the gratuitious iwb-style ravings and onto the list itself. in melbourne at the mo it is currently quite spring-y, in that we’ve just had some pretty fucking great hot days, but today it’s raining and overcast but not cold and windy like what accompanies shitful rain here in winter. so the start of the list was just perfect. tears in rain wasnt the strongest of openers but it was nice, and the blue sky black death song was pretty cool. i feel like the cunninlynguists song is type of hip-hop song you REALLY like, in that it’s quite a bit different from the typical hip-hop song. air was great. as i aleady mentioned aquemini into protection was boner-inducing. the sade song was quite cool. the Simply Red song was very cool, very cool indeed, quite like it. the Katy Perry song was very un-Katy Perry in that I didnt feel her in screaming “HERES MY LATEST UPBEAT POP SONG” into my ears. it was good. Hearts on Cut Copy, Tycho, Memory Tapes was great.

From RAC on you began to lose me a little bit, I wasn’t big on anything from there through to The Pillows (aside from Japandroids), but once Dismemberment Plan came on it was absolutely terrific from then on out. I especially loved it from Moby onwards. The drumming in Southside reminded me A LOT of Larry’s drumming from a U2 song from any of the 90s albums... can’t remember which one and not looking it up right now. All this stuff worked very well, I actually thought you probably could have slipped in a song from Pop seamlessly around Primitive/Moby/Eels. My only slight criticism is that the music in the Eels song didn’t quiiiiiite match with the songs around it, but that’s really pretty minor, and the lyrics were great. And now I know 3000 and Mark Oliver have something in common - they both have a song where they say “I’m the shit” over and over. Grounded is obviously sensational, and Damage and Kangaroo, both songs by bands I haven’t check out, was an astonishing closing duo. So! great job, and I think I might even listen to it again before sending in my rankings, pay a bit more attention to the start and the middle.

tl;dr - :up::hyper:
Click to expand...

Laughing so hard.

This was like a drunk GAF post minus the bitterness.
 
Oh God. I don't think I'm necessarily fucking doomed. Just regular doomed.
 
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I get that Ashley gets pegged as the new wave/60s folk chick, but yeah, I wouldn't call her tastes narrow at all.

iYup, commenting on her last.fm:

I have to say that you have the most eclectic musical taste of anyone that I have known. I mean that as a compliment. : )
Click to expand...

The strangest thing here is iYup using a smiley.
 
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