GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
What the fuck?
Desert Island XI - QUARANTINE ISLAND - Group 1 Listening Thread
- Thread starter LemonMelon
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
cobl04
45:33
I would be much more inclined to listen to Alex G if whoever it is didn't have such a stupid stage name. I'm going to have to put that aside because the tracks I've heard are real good.
Both (Sandy) Alex G and fka Twigs really bug me as stage names.
OP
OP
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Apparently there was some guy on YouTube with the same name or something and it was a whole deal. They should have been grateful for the Alex G crossover traffic.
cobl04
45:33
I think it is also probably to do with Google search...though a quick Google just proved me wrong as the musician Alex G is the top result. I thought I would at least get Alex Garland the director first.
Worst band name I can think of is !!!!!!!... impossible to Google.
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cobl04
45:33
You mean !!!?
Chk Chk Chk, it’s pronounced
Chk Chk Chk, it’s pronounced
Aren’t you into OooOo or something
I'd forgotten about them! Gee, witch house gave us some really deliberately terrible band names.
I'm sure there's a better alternative to disambiguate yourself from another Alex G than to whack another name in brackets beforehand.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
That would be a good band name.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
J Dunk does Beach House have some connection to Philadelphia I'm not aware of? I thought they formed in Baltimore and have always been based there.
cobl04
45:33
Big stretch. I think he’ll have to be discounted
From the competition.
From the competition.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Alright, Jerry Dunk. The goal was to capture the feeling of a city, and it delivered on that front. You get the sense of traveling through distinct neighborhoods - some of them more indebted to the past, some of them more modern, and others nearly forgotten.
The stretch at the very end highlights how awesome straight-up indie rock can be. I hadn't heard Ocean Between the Waves in a while and it really struck me in this context. Artists I made notes to look into further were Vacationer and Purling Hiss.
The stretch at the very end highlights how awesome straight-up indie rock can be. I hadn't heard Ocean Between the Waves in a while and it really struck me in this context. Artists I made notes to look into further were Vacationer and Purling Hiss.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Yeah, sorry Peef, but I don't think that kind of misrepresentation should be allowed to...fly.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Have always refused to listen to this band based on their name.
I get really annoyed by try-hard hipsters.
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
JERRY DUNK's playlist:
My favorite track in the hip-hop section was definitely the Toro y Moi track. Great production.
Honestly not a fan of that Lil Uzi Vert song at all. Maybe I'm out of touch.
These DI lists always feature so many artists that I've been meaning to look into but just never have. Todd Rundgren is one of those. I liked this song. All I know about him is he produced XTC's Skylarking, which is one of my favorite albums (and I used a track from it on my list this time).
Sheer Mag and Beach Slang were both good follow ups to the Rundgren track, and I like this section of the list a lot.
The Ween song was really cool, and was the most overtly Philadelphia track on the list in terms of lyrical content, at least that I could tell.
Hall and Oates feel so cheesy to me.
Tim Heidecker is a living legend.
Japanese Breakfast! This is one of my favorite tracks on the list. That refrain is so addictive.
And the best moment of the list for me is "Myth" by Beach House. I had completely forgotten about this song and it is without question my favorite Beach House song. Was a joy to hear it again after a bunch of years, and in this context. And following it up with War on Drugs worked brilliantly, too. One of my favorite back to back track selections I've heard on any of the playlists so far.
Good shit.
I will listen to Axver's list either tomorrow or Monday.
My favorite track in the hip-hop section was definitely the Toro y Moi track. Great production.
Honestly not a fan of that Lil Uzi Vert song at all. Maybe I'm out of touch.
These DI lists always feature so many artists that I've been meaning to look into but just never have. Todd Rundgren is one of those. I liked this song. All I know about him is he produced XTC's Skylarking, which is one of my favorite albums (and I used a track from it on my list this time).
Sheer Mag and Beach Slang were both good follow ups to the Rundgren track, and I like this section of the list a lot.
The Ween song was really cool, and was the most overtly Philadelphia track on the list in terms of lyrical content, at least that I could tell.
Hall and Oates feel so cheesy to me.
Tim Heidecker is a living legend.
Japanese Breakfast! This is one of my favorite tracks on the list. That refrain is so addictive.
And the best moment of the list for me is "Myth" by Beach House. I had completely forgotten about this song and it is without question my favorite Beach House song. Was a joy to hear it again after a bunch of years, and in this context. And following it up with War on Drugs worked brilliantly, too. One of my favorite back to back track selections I've heard on any of the playlists so far.
Good shit.
I will listen to Axver's list either tomorrow or Monday.
Peef:
Like others, I was surprised to realize some of these artists were from Philly. Like Hop Along? I was sure they were from Texas (in hindsight clearly because of that one song). I was aware of Kurt Vile/War on Drugs, but a bunch of names caught me by surprise.
I heard over half of your playlist while running so while I took mental note of each song I didn’t write anything down as I was listening to it. Some of what comes below is piecing things together afterwards.
I like the tongue in cheek aspect of the opener (which you mentioned earlier). The hip hop sequence didn’t fully capture me until it got to The Roots. I got Phrenology a couple of months ago and have been enjoying it a lot. The beat in this song is so good.
The Todd Rundgren-Sheermag duo was one of the parts I enjoyed the most. I
Although I’ve only spent like 3 days in Philly, this Beach Slang - Cayetana - The Wonder Years.- Balance and Composure felt very much like a distinctive Philly sound.
Balance and Composure reminded me so much of Interpol (this song made me specifically think of PDA).
I love this Waxahatchee song (is Out in the Storm her best album? She’s so consistent, it’s impossible to tell. It used to be Cerulean Salt but I don’t know anymore). And a pretty great stretch into Modern Ball (I need to listen to them) and Ween.
The Dr. Dog song may have been one of my favorite discoveries from your playlist.
Man, the lyrics of Work from Home are eerily appropriate. Waiting for the sickness to just go away.
Another good discovery: the Queen of Jeans song. I guess it’s standard indie rock, but I like the voice of the singer.
Myth and An Ocean in Between the Waves are possibly my favorite songs from each of these artists - I think the transition was a bit clunky here (and leading into The Fox in Motion) but quickly forgot about it. I find Hop Along to be criminally underrated, they were able to maintain a classic indie rock sound when everyone seemed to be moving in different directions, but keeping it interesting always.
I really loved the closing duo. I don’t know The Districts, but that is a great closing song.
Overall, I’m really happy your playlist made me discover a bunch of new artists, and correct my geographic ignorance/unawareness about a bunch of artists. And you managed to keep the flow, with compelling songs throughout. The final stretch, though more familiar to me, was particularly good. Great job all around.
Like others, I was surprised to realize some of these artists were from Philly. Like Hop Along? I was sure they were from Texas (in hindsight clearly because of that one song). I was aware of Kurt Vile/War on Drugs, but a bunch of names caught me by surprise.
I heard over half of your playlist while running so while I took mental note of each song I didn’t write anything down as I was listening to it. Some of what comes below is piecing things together afterwards.
I like the tongue in cheek aspect of the opener (which you mentioned earlier). The hip hop sequence didn’t fully capture me until it got to The Roots. I got Phrenology a couple of months ago and have been enjoying it a lot. The beat in this song is so good.
The Todd Rundgren-Sheermag duo was one of the parts I enjoyed the most. I
Although I’ve only spent like 3 days in Philly, this Beach Slang - Cayetana - The Wonder Years.- Balance and Composure felt very much like a distinctive Philly sound.
Balance and Composure reminded me so much of Interpol (this song made me specifically think of PDA).
I love this Waxahatchee song (is Out in the Storm her best album? She’s so consistent, it’s impossible to tell. It used to be Cerulean Salt but I don’t know anymore). And a pretty great stretch into Modern Ball (I need to listen to them) and Ween.
The Dr. Dog song may have been one of my favorite discoveries from your playlist.
Man, the lyrics of Work from Home are eerily appropriate. Waiting for the sickness to just go away.
Another good discovery: the Queen of Jeans song. I guess it’s standard indie rock, but I like the voice of the singer.
Myth and An Ocean in Between the Waves are possibly my favorite songs from each of these artists - I think the transition was a bit clunky here (and leading into The Fox in Motion) but quickly forgot about it. I find Hop Along to be criminally underrated, they were able to maintain a classic indie rock sound when everyone seemed to be moving in different directions, but keeping it interesting always.
I really loved the closing duo. I don’t know The Districts, but that is a great closing song.
Overall, I’m really happy your playlist made me discover a bunch of new artists, and correct my geographic ignorance/unawareness about a bunch of artists. And you managed to keep the flow, with compelling songs throughout. The final stretch, though more familiar to me, was particularly good. Great job all around.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Axver: this one had a lot of artists I didn't know, which was great. Plenty to discover. I listened to this yesterday while working on a project, so I wasn't referencing song titles and artists all that frequently. The vibe I remember is a dream-pop / post-punk hybrid, which is totally good by me. I did make a note to check out the opening band - Orbweavers - and also Cable Ties and Landing. The standout track for me was Sugar for the Pill - not because it was a discovery, but rather because I have a fairly intense personal association with it. I nearly used it in my list but then backed off it for that very reason. So suffice it to say those opening notes snapped me out of what I was doing at the time.
Edit - I should also mention the use of All Mirrors was a highlight for me as well.
Edit - I should also mention the use of All Mirrors was a highlight for me as well.
Joey788
Refugee
My notes on Laz’s playlist.
Part 1 – The Phab Dead
• Lots of music here that I’m unfamiliar with, but greatly enjoy. The playlist flowed really well through different genres, but all supportive by rich rhythms. It felt like this half had a heartbeat pulse going on underneath the surface, which helped it all flow smoothly.
• “Alphabet Street” was a great way to kick things off. I think it also worked well next to Songhoy Blues, who I’ve been a fan of since I saw them in Montreal last year.
• “New York Groove” is fun and worked well next to Mellencamp. Both of them had an easy-going feel, though they’re very different otherwise.
• Likewise, Brenda Jones and Joni Mitchell displayed the range of soul and passion possible in music. I don’t know either of their catalogs, but really should explore their work, especially Mitchell. The jazzy phrasing and layers of her song are fantastic.
• Got to say, the segment from Rickie Lee Jones through Busy Signal didn’t do much for me. While I appreciated Busy Signal’s use of “Royals,” it kind of just made me want to listen to Lorde.
• But then comes that jaw-dropping, great Sinead O’Connor track, a new favorite for me. I love when it switches back and forth from that almost lazy seesaw vibe to pure grunge.
• “Summerboy” sounds like Lady Gaga listened to No Doubt’s entire catalog before recording. I like it though – that guitar tone adds a bit of dirt to a typical summer anthem.
• “Queen” makes want to go back and relisten to that Tracy Thorn album. Her voice glides and dives so wonderfully into that mixture of deep bass and shining synths. “SSD” also has a slightly malevolent current running through it. It sounds like someone walking quickly through a crowded disco, trying to lose someone on the dance floor.
• I don’t know much about Buddha of Suburbia but this track makes me want to give the album a listen. It sounds like a precursor to Bowie’s 90s work on Outside and Earthling but brighter and less tied down to the sounds of the era like those two albums are. This album will be on my queue for a deep dive soon. A strong, off-kilter choice to close the first half.
Part 2 – For The Lonesome
• I love the energy that starts this playlist. I think this opening salvo peaks with Throwing Muses and The Wannadies. Both of them had a power punk, 90s alt rock vibe but still sound fresh and vital today.
• Shudder to Think or The I Don’t Cares didn’t do much for me personally, but their songs fit well with the rock that came before them. The Jayhawks and Neil Diamond were better, but still not my favorites. My dislike of their vocals is a barrier to their music for me.
• I love the ragged, whisky-soaked feel of “Could This Be Magic?” I didn’t know Van Halen had such a loose, relaxed setting. It works well next to the laid-back Dylan track.
• For The Jesus and Mary Chain, I really enjoyed the mixture of noisy distortion and this brightly-played riff that runs through the whole song. “Velocity Girl” is a good follow-up too.
• The next few songs were alright, but I couldn’t get into them as much as the earlier tunes. My playlist really picks back up for me with Deap Vally, who are fantastic. Despite the playlist going from that straightforward rock into the spacey Los Planetas cut, I think it worked really well. That song’s really great as well. Lots of OK Computer DNA in the guitar sound.
• “Lonesome Tonight” was an excellent closer. It plays almost like a backwards version of “Plainsong,” with that long, instrumental synth outro.
I really enjoyed both parts of Laz’s playlist. It had a lot of variety, but strong consistency within each half. Not every segment connected with me, but there are lots of songs I really liked. Plus, I appreciate just how many new artists I now have to check out, which is one of my favorite takeaways from DI.
Part 1 – The Phab Dead
• Lots of music here that I’m unfamiliar with, but greatly enjoy. The playlist flowed really well through different genres, but all supportive by rich rhythms. It felt like this half had a heartbeat pulse going on underneath the surface, which helped it all flow smoothly.
• “Alphabet Street” was a great way to kick things off. I think it also worked well next to Songhoy Blues, who I’ve been a fan of since I saw them in Montreal last year.
• “New York Groove” is fun and worked well next to Mellencamp. Both of them had an easy-going feel, though they’re very different otherwise.
• Likewise, Brenda Jones and Joni Mitchell displayed the range of soul and passion possible in music. I don’t know either of their catalogs, but really should explore their work, especially Mitchell. The jazzy phrasing and layers of her song are fantastic.
• Got to say, the segment from Rickie Lee Jones through Busy Signal didn’t do much for me. While I appreciated Busy Signal’s use of “Royals,” it kind of just made me want to listen to Lorde.
• But then comes that jaw-dropping, great Sinead O’Connor track, a new favorite for me. I love when it switches back and forth from that almost lazy seesaw vibe to pure grunge.
• “Summerboy” sounds like Lady Gaga listened to No Doubt’s entire catalog before recording. I like it though – that guitar tone adds a bit of dirt to a typical summer anthem.
• “Queen” makes want to go back and relisten to that Tracy Thorn album. Her voice glides and dives so wonderfully into that mixture of deep bass and shining synths. “SSD” also has a slightly malevolent current running through it. It sounds like someone walking quickly through a crowded disco, trying to lose someone on the dance floor.
• I don’t know much about Buddha of Suburbia but this track makes me want to give the album a listen. It sounds like a precursor to Bowie’s 90s work on Outside and Earthling but brighter and less tied down to the sounds of the era like those two albums are. This album will be on my queue for a deep dive soon. A strong, off-kilter choice to close the first half.
Part 2 – For The Lonesome
• I love the energy that starts this playlist. I think this opening salvo peaks with Throwing Muses and The Wannadies. Both of them had a power punk, 90s alt rock vibe but still sound fresh and vital today.
• Shudder to Think or The I Don’t Cares didn’t do much for me personally, but their songs fit well with the rock that came before them. The Jayhawks and Neil Diamond were better, but still not my favorites. My dislike of their vocals is a barrier to their music for me.
• I love the ragged, whisky-soaked feel of “Could This Be Magic?” I didn’t know Van Halen had such a loose, relaxed setting. It works well next to the laid-back Dylan track.
• For The Jesus and Mary Chain, I really enjoyed the mixture of noisy distortion and this brightly-played riff that runs through the whole song. “Velocity Girl” is a good follow-up too.
• The next few songs were alright, but I couldn’t get into them as much as the earlier tunes. My playlist really picks back up for me with Deap Vally, who are fantastic. Despite the playlist going from that straightforward rock into the spacey Los Planetas cut, I think it worked really well. That song’s really great as well. Lots of OK Computer DNA in the guitar sound.
• “Lonesome Tonight” was an excellent closer. It plays almost like a backwards version of “Plainsong,” with that long, instrumental synth outro.
I really enjoyed both parts of Laz’s playlist. It had a lot of variety, but strong consistency within each half. Not every segment connected with me, but there are lots of songs I really liked. Plus, I appreciate just how many new artists I now have to check out, which is one of my favorite takeaways from DI.
Same deal for me with Sugar for the Pill, as it happens. It's one of the tracks left over from the other potential playlist that I mentioned in my blurb, one that soundtracks my last few years - I guess in a sense it's a bridge between the two.
The lead singer of The Orbweavers, Marita, is a curator at the Melbourne Museum so a whole lot of her songs relate to the collections or stories she's uncovered in the course of her work. She does it really well, I think, and I imagine you might get something out of it. I hope Cobbs might also connect to their stuff - I dunno how much the music will be his style, but a lot of The Orbweavers' music is about Melbourne or Victoria, sometimes very specifically and sometimes in abstract metaphors. Another favourite of mine is Blue Lake, a song about a long-vanished lake that anyone who's travelled along Dynon Road has passed above.
Righto, time for Dave's list.
I'll get the comment on the sequencing out of the way first. This sounded to me like what I'd hear at a party where a friend with quite different taste to me has put their iPod or Spotify or whatever onto shuffle. A few tracks I know and enjoy (Pink Floyd, Talking Heads), a band I should dig into more than I have (the Hip), some unfamiliar stuff that's nice (T Rex), and some stuff I really actively hate (Chance the Rapper). It's the sort of party where I get absolutely shit-faced, dance to a few songs I wouldn't normally expect I'd dance to, hijack the stereo at some very late hour when only a few people are still there, and play something really obscure and alienating because I think it'll be funny and it's really just dumb.
Somebody (too lazy to check who) remarked on how the T Rex track is absolutely not what they expected, being only familiar with Children of the Revolution. Likewise, I was totally surprised, positively so. Also, I expected the Bruce Cockburn track to be far worse based on how people had described it so far. It's very eighties, yep, but more like some Marillion or Icehouse tunes that I enjoy rather than what I had assumed it would be. And for all the comments about the list sounding like something on shuffle, tracks 2-5 worked together well.
In terms of the stuff I wasn't into, I've never understood how Kendrick became some legend. Every track of his that I've heard has made me actively dislike him and this is no exception. I also wasn't into the Mac Miller track. But never mind either of those, the Chance the Rapper song makes those two look golden. Oh man I really hated that one, sorry.
Never cared for the Rolling Stones and Ventilator Blues has not changed that opinion but I had a little chuckle at the song title.
I'll get the comment on the sequencing out of the way first. This sounded to me like what I'd hear at a party where a friend with quite different taste to me has put their iPod or Spotify or whatever onto shuffle. A few tracks I know and enjoy (Pink Floyd, Talking Heads), a band I should dig into more than I have (the Hip), some unfamiliar stuff that's nice (T Rex), and some stuff I really actively hate (Chance the Rapper). It's the sort of party where I get absolutely shit-faced, dance to a few songs I wouldn't normally expect I'd dance to, hijack the stereo at some very late hour when only a few people are still there, and play something really obscure and alienating because I think it'll be funny and it's really just dumb.
Somebody (too lazy to check who) remarked on how the T Rex track is absolutely not what they expected, being only familiar with Children of the Revolution. Likewise, I was totally surprised, positively so. Also, I expected the Bruce Cockburn track to be far worse based on how people had described it so far. It's very eighties, yep, but more like some Marillion or Icehouse tunes that I enjoy rather than what I had assumed it would be. And for all the comments about the list sounding like something on shuffle, tracks 2-5 worked together well.
In terms of the stuff I wasn't into, I've never understood how Kendrick became some legend. Every track of his that I've heard has made me actively dislike him and this is no exception. I also wasn't into the Mac Miller track. But never mind either of those, the Chance the Rapper song makes those two look golden. Oh man I really hated that one, sorry.
Never cared for the Rolling Stones and Ventilator Blues has not changed that opinion but I had a little chuckle at the song title.
OP
OP
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Thoughts on two lists that I've heard:
Jerry Dunk - I expected to enjoy this one quite a bit and I did. I thought there was very strong flow throughout the list in spite of the variety present. As many have mentioned already, it's impressive how many talented artists come out of Philly/eastern PA and as someone who has visited Philly and Upper Darby on several occasions, I felt at home with the vibe you were presenting.
There were two primary modes on this list: hip hop and indie rock, but I actually enjoyed some of what fell outside of those two camps the most. The Todd Rundgren, Hall and Oates and Ween tracks were highlights for me and tbh I think some more Philly soul to tie them together would have been really cool.
If I have any complaint about the flow of the list, I would just say that some of the indie rock sections ran on a little long and I started to zone out around tracks 15-16. Otherwise, you did very well balancing a number of different genres and a couple transitions took me by surprise in a good way. I'll go on record as saying the opening duo, including the divisive Marian Anderson track, worked very well.
Highlights:
-Being reminded of how good Dreams and Nightmares is
-Todd Rundgren
-Impressive transition from Todd into Sheer Mag
-Ween
-Hall and Oates
-The lyrics on that Tim Heidecker song
-Kurt Vile, as always
-Beach House--->Alex G run was quality
Lowlights:
-P2 over XO Tour Llif3 is like drinking skim milk over the real deal
-Some of the indie rock section in the middle was a little samey and meh
-Thought the closer sounded like some shit from an early 2010s car commercial
Axver - As I said in the master list thread, I feel that our lists bear some similarities to one another in their respective emphases on dark electronic instrumentation, female vocalists and dreamy jangle pop. I only recognized a small fraction of the songs, but what struck me is how similar many of them sounded to artists I already enjoy. Listeners in this competition are quite open-minded as it is, but I think they'll be surprised by how similar these obscure artists are to what they are currently listening to.
I thought the flow on this list was the best of the three that I've commented on, with the opening duo being perhaps my favorite transition of the competition so far. It's just so sweeping and cinematic. If I have any complaint about the flow, it's that the sounds here are fairly homogeneous, so it can blend together at times; it didn't present quite enough variety for the length, which is why I'm glad you kept some of the brighter indie rock tracks nearer to the end. It does what it does very well though and if I'm in the mood for the particular sound that you're going for, it really hits the spot.
Highlights:
-Great opening duo
-Nice job subtly balancing subtly different genres at the beginning to create a unified feel
-Thank you for reminding me that La Dispute put out a very good new-ish album I only heard once
-Major Leagues track was crazy good
-Loved being introduced to a bunch of new artists I've never heard of
Lowlights:
-Didn't care for the HEALTH/Perturbator track and it threw the flow off slightly
-Parts of the list blended together in a negative way as it went along
-The ending of the list seemed kind of abrupt to me, not a strong closer IMO
Still need to listen to Laz's list. I'll download it now while I'm thinking of it.
Jerry Dunk - I expected to enjoy this one quite a bit and I did. I thought there was very strong flow throughout the list in spite of the variety present. As many have mentioned already, it's impressive how many talented artists come out of Philly/eastern PA and as someone who has visited Philly and Upper Darby on several occasions, I felt at home with the vibe you were presenting.
There were two primary modes on this list: hip hop and indie rock, but I actually enjoyed some of what fell outside of those two camps the most. The Todd Rundgren, Hall and Oates and Ween tracks were highlights for me and tbh I think some more Philly soul to tie them together would have been really cool.
If I have any complaint about the flow of the list, I would just say that some of the indie rock sections ran on a little long and I started to zone out around tracks 15-16. Otherwise, you did very well balancing a number of different genres and a couple transitions took me by surprise in a good way. I'll go on record as saying the opening duo, including the divisive Marian Anderson track, worked very well.
Highlights:
-Being reminded of how good Dreams and Nightmares is
-Todd Rundgren
-Impressive transition from Todd into Sheer Mag
-Ween
-Hall and Oates
-The lyrics on that Tim Heidecker song
-Kurt Vile, as always
-Beach House--->Alex G run was quality
Lowlights:
-P2 over XO Tour Llif3 is like drinking skim milk over the real deal
-Some of the indie rock section in the middle was a little samey and meh
-Thought the closer sounded like some shit from an early 2010s car commercial
Axver - As I said in the master list thread, I feel that our lists bear some similarities to one another in their respective emphases on dark electronic instrumentation, female vocalists and dreamy jangle pop. I only recognized a small fraction of the songs, but what struck me is how similar many of them sounded to artists I already enjoy. Listeners in this competition are quite open-minded as it is, but I think they'll be surprised by how similar these obscure artists are to what they are currently listening to.
I thought the flow on this list was the best of the three that I've commented on, with the opening duo being perhaps my favorite transition of the competition so far. It's just so sweeping and cinematic. If I have any complaint about the flow, it's that the sounds here are fairly homogeneous, so it can blend together at times; it didn't present quite enough variety for the length, which is why I'm glad you kept some of the brighter indie rock tracks nearer to the end. It does what it does very well though and if I'm in the mood for the particular sound that you're going for, it really hits the spot.
Highlights:
-Great opening duo
-Nice job subtly balancing subtly different genres at the beginning to create a unified feel
-Thank you for reminding me that La Dispute put out a very good new-ish album I only heard once
-Major Leagues track was crazy good
-Loved being introduced to a bunch of new artists I've never heard of
Lowlights:
-Didn't care for the HEALTH/Perturbator track and it threw the flow off slightly
-Parts of the list blended together in a negative way as it went along
-The ending of the list seemed kind of abrupt to me, not a strong closer IMO
Still need to listen to Laz's list. I'll download it now while I'm thinking of it.
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I've been thinking about this as I listen to the other entries. I hadn't quite appreciated how consistent mine would be compared to other entries - I've been feeling almost the opposite, that as soon as I start to get into the vibe of one section on someone's list, it switches to something else. There's high risk/reward here, of course: if someone doesn't dig the genre (as I often don't when it comes to hiphop or really old stuff), they're gonna be just itching for it to end, but otherwise you can put together a really good experience. So I took the risk in the hope I hadn't chosen anything likely to alienate B&C.
There was originally a metal/hardcore section. Main reason I cut it wasn't so much that I figured most people here would hate it (though most of you would've, and that did factor into my thinking) but simply that I couldn't match it with anything else. The last track I cut, and one that would've fit in the time limit I think, is Revival Fires by Modern Life Is War. If anyone wants to whack that after the Gold track (I think that's where it was), enjoy some excellent hardcore.
Heh, it's the opener on the album it's from. I did go back and forth on the closer for a bit there. Really wanted it to be Long Live the Fallen World but the cut at the end (rather than a full ending or a fadeout) meant it didn't work. There was also an early version where Fire Made Flesh was the closer - it's why I originally dropped it in the playlist - but it didn't make sense there. In the end I felt It's Tomorrow Now had something to say that summed up the list, but point taken.
As it happens, I'm nearly finished your list. Thoughts shortly.
Now for my thoughts on LM's entry, which I've been looking forward to since I first saw the tracklist.
The opening trio owns. I especially welcomed one of Phantogram's best songs from their one truly excellent album. The Susanne Sundfør song was sensational, almost enough to make me regret not listening to the album when it came out (there were good reasons I skipped it). Gonna be hard to top it as the best opener of the tournament, I expect. I've also been meaning to get around to the Caroline Polachek album - in this case I've just kept on forgetting - so I'm really glad you included a cut from it.
When Charli XCX came onto the scene, I enjoyed her early singles like Nuclear Summer, but then I kinda just never kept up with her. This was alright. And I knew that this tournament would finally expose me to a song by Carly Rae Jepsen not called Call Me Maybe. Not sure either of these songs will make me race out and listen to more by the respective artists but nothing wrong with this part of the tracklist.
I could hardly be more favourably disposed towards Flesh Without Blood/Endless Summer. The former is probably my top song of the 2010s, and the latter is one of the best songs from a slowburn album that has spent the whole decade working its way into my listening to the point that I'm now obsessed with it. Not so sure they necessarily belong next to each other? But I didn't care, I spent eight and a half minutes bopping and singing along.
You've encouraged me to listen to Jay Som before, but Everybody Works didn't stick with me after a couple of listens. Probably gonna go have a good listen to Anak Ko now though, because Superbike is a step up on what I remember. I also enjoyed the Kero Kero Bonito track, which surprised me because I did not rate Bonito Generation at all. I was expecting this song to be a dud. The whole sequence from Grimes to here ticked heaps of boxes for me, loved it.
Velocity : Design : Comfort is one of those albums that I think of as RYMcore, and I've never quite got around to hearing it. This is... not what I expected. I assumed it would be kinda ambient. To be honest, this didn't seem like anything special. Rocketship is another one of those bands that RYM has tried to persuade me of, but which left me cold. More than cold - I gave the album this song is from just 1.5 stars. The irritating keyboard is what does it. A short bite like this is OK, but not the whole album. To be honest I wasn't really into much from Sweet Trip through to Tindersticks. To me the Tindersticks song is a weaker version of what Whipping Boy did on Heartworm.
Gotta say I never expected to hear a Beach Boys song that didn't sound hopelessly dated, never mind actually enjoy it.
On that note, I'll be honest and say that after Sister, which is a classic, the list did lose me a little. It's put together well, and certainly nothing made me recoil negatively or go "this sucks", but it's mostly old stuff that just... doesn't do it for me. Feels more like a time capsule than anything I'd ever choose to play for enjoyment.
Overall, of course, this thing is sequenced expertly, that's no surprise. There are a couple of spots that I found maybe a little abrupt (e.g. Angel Olsen to Timber Timbre) but no big deal really, and I'd only remark on them because it really is something you are so good at - almost anyone else I wouldn't think twice. The one inclusion that I really question, though, is Slide, which... it's not a great song in isolation, but I might not've remarked on it if it didn't stick out like a sore thumb sonically. It brought me a bit out of the list. Remove it and the list loses nothing.
I, too, was struck that our lists have some fairly obvious similarities - their soundscapes, are, perhaps, alternate sides of the same dice (if not coin). I've started playing my own list afterwards and it certainly does not feel out of place. Most of my quibbles above are minor, and all in all I thought this was a really good listening experience. I assume this will be one of the top lists at the end. I know I'll rank it very highly.
The opening trio owns. I especially welcomed one of Phantogram's best songs from their one truly excellent album. The Susanne Sundfør song was sensational, almost enough to make me regret not listening to the album when it came out (there were good reasons I skipped it). Gonna be hard to top it as the best opener of the tournament, I expect. I've also been meaning to get around to the Caroline Polachek album - in this case I've just kept on forgetting - so I'm really glad you included a cut from it.
When Charli XCX came onto the scene, I enjoyed her early singles like Nuclear Summer, but then I kinda just never kept up with her. This was alright. And I knew that this tournament would finally expose me to a song by Carly Rae Jepsen not called Call Me Maybe. Not sure either of these songs will make me race out and listen to more by the respective artists but nothing wrong with this part of the tracklist.
I could hardly be more favourably disposed towards Flesh Without Blood/Endless Summer. The former is probably my top song of the 2010s, and the latter is one of the best songs from a slowburn album that has spent the whole decade working its way into my listening to the point that I'm now obsessed with it. Not so sure they necessarily belong next to each other? But I didn't care, I spent eight and a half minutes bopping and singing along.
You've encouraged me to listen to Jay Som before, but Everybody Works didn't stick with me after a couple of listens. Probably gonna go have a good listen to Anak Ko now though, because Superbike is a step up on what I remember. I also enjoyed the Kero Kero Bonito track, which surprised me because I did not rate Bonito Generation at all. I was expecting this song to be a dud. The whole sequence from Grimes to here ticked heaps of boxes for me, loved it.
Velocity : Design : Comfort is one of those albums that I think of as RYMcore, and I've never quite got around to hearing it. This is... not what I expected. I assumed it would be kinda ambient. To be honest, this didn't seem like anything special. Rocketship is another one of those bands that RYM has tried to persuade me of, but which left me cold. More than cold - I gave the album this song is from just 1.5 stars. The irritating keyboard is what does it. A short bite like this is OK, but not the whole album. To be honest I wasn't really into much from Sweet Trip through to Tindersticks. To me the Tindersticks song is a weaker version of what Whipping Boy did on Heartworm.
Gotta say I never expected to hear a Beach Boys song that didn't sound hopelessly dated, never mind actually enjoy it.
On that note, I'll be honest and say that after Sister, which is a classic, the list did lose me a little. It's put together well, and certainly nothing made me recoil negatively or go "this sucks", but it's mostly old stuff that just... doesn't do it for me. Feels more like a time capsule than anything I'd ever choose to play for enjoyment.
Overall, of course, this thing is sequenced expertly, that's no surprise. There are a couple of spots that I found maybe a little abrupt (e.g. Angel Olsen to Timber Timbre) but no big deal really, and I'd only remark on them because it really is something you are so good at - almost anyone else I wouldn't think twice. The one inclusion that I really question, though, is Slide, which... it's not a great song in isolation, but I might not've remarked on it if it didn't stick out like a sore thumb sonically. It brought me a bit out of the list. Remove it and the list loses nothing.
I, too, was struck that our lists have some fairly obvious similarities - their soundscapes, are, perhaps, alternate sides of the same dice (if not coin). I've started playing my own list afterwards and it certainly does not feel out of place. Most of my quibbles above are minor, and all in all I thought this was a really good listening experience. I assume this will be one of the top lists at the end. I know I'll rank it very highly.
OP
OP
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
I'm really glad you got a lot out of my list, Ax, and I figure if that was ever going to happen, it would be with this one. We were on the same wavelength this time around. And yes! More Jay Som love! Superbike is such a great song, I wish it had been more ubiquitous. Instead, it's a prototypical mixtape deep cut.
Funny that you pointed out Slide, that transition from Flyin into Slide was one of my proudest moments with this list! Same instrument, same key. It is a jump sonically, but from a broader view, it introduces a more pop forward section of the list while momentarily upping the tempo. It's one of the handful of concessions I made to prevent the list from getting too static. Like LJT said in one of his commentaries, sometimes it's good to be a little jarring.
Looking back, the Robyn/Grimes/Jezabels run could have been cleaned up, but whatever. People are really enjoying those songs so I'm glad I kept them.
Funny that you pointed out Slide, that transition from Flyin into Slide was one of my proudest moments with this list! Same instrument, same key. It is a jump sonically, but from a broader view, it introduces a more pop forward section of the list while momentarily upping the tempo. It's one of the handful of concessions I made to prevent the list from getting too static. Like LJT said in one of his commentaries, sometimes it's good to be a little jarring.
Looking back, the Robyn/Grimes/Jezabels run could have been cleaned up, but whatever. People are really enjoying those songs so I'm glad I kept them.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Apologies for disappearing for a while there. I was extremely (non-COVID) sick the last few days and had no mind to do anything except sleep and work.
But today I feel quite rejuvenated and ready to pick back up on Ax's list.
But today I feel quite rejuvenated and ready to pick back up on Ax's list.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
This second part is starting just as strong as the first. Big shout outs to the opener and the Press Club track.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
I was just playing a trivia quiz game that involved listening to and naming shows that belonged to TV theme songs. I feel like this Save Ends song could have been a pretty good candidate for TV theme.
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