Desert Island III Album Game: Round 1, Heat 5

[phanan]

Please vote for the tracklisting you LIKE THE MOST.

Welcome to the fifth heat of the first round of the Interference Desert Island Game III! The premise of this game is that all of the Interferencers have been stranded on a desert island and we can only take up to 160 minutes of music with us (either as a continuous iPod playlist or two 80 minute CDs or any other format of our choosing). The object is to see which forum member can fit the most musical goodness into these 160 minutes.

angelordevil won Heat 3 over AtomicBono by the score of 15-8. Current standings will be displayed in the next thread at the conclusion of the fourth heat.

For this heat, Axver goes up against inmyplace13. Below are the tracklistings.

If you don't know the songs, or wish to hear how each tracklisting flows, leave your e-mail address and we'll help you out.


Forum name: Axver

AOTEAROA: RUGGED INDIVIDUAL

This tracklist, which is divided into two parts, contains a number of themes. It was inspired by a lyric from the song Six Months In A Leaky Boat by Split Enz: "Aotearoa, rugged individual/Glistens like a pearl at the bottom of the world". Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand and I thought I would showcase the often overlooked Kiwi music scene while illustrating both sides of the desert island experience: the inherent beauty and tranquility of a desert island (symbolised by Kapiti Island, offshore from my hometown on the Kapiti Coast) and the loneliness and solitude a stranded person would experience (symbolised by Stewart Island, located at the very bottom of New Zealand). It evolved into much more than that. The Kapiti Coast portion is a reflection on childhood and the feelings of an ex-pat thousands of kilometres from their home. The Stewart Island portion is fundamentally a dreary death lament containing an appreciation of living, and an acceptance of the tension present. Unconsciously, a concept story developed through the album that only became obvious to me when I was nearly finished. I only tweaked the tracklist in a few minor ways to serve the story, as my overall goal is to evoke soundscapes and emotions, not story concepts. It tells of the experience of two early settlers to New Zealand in the 1820s-30s, Egon and Rowena Verlaine; colonisers who discover a beautiful country and settle a new home on the Kapiti Coast, only for Egon's lust for adventure to reawaken and for their continued travels to go horrifically awry, wrecked on the shore of Stewart Island.

For more details, see: http://axver.livejournal.com/373114.html


Kapiti Island: Glistens Like A Pearl

1. Dave Dobbyn (feat. Herbs) - "Slice Of Heaven" - Overnight Success (4:37)
2. Swingers - "Counting The Beat" - Counting The Beat (2:44)
3. The Shadows - "Shadoogie" - The Final Collection (2:25)
4. Sneaky Feelings - "Someone Else's Eyes" - Waiting For Touchdown (3:27)
5. Finn Brothers - "Part Of Me, Part Of You" - Everyone Is Here (3:29)
6. Neil Finn - "She Will Have Her Way" - Try Whistling This (3:56)
7. Pop Art Toasters - "Everyone's Gonna Wonder" - Pop Art Toasters (2:46)
8. Crowded House - "World Where You Live" - Crowded House (3:05)
9. Rush - "Dreamline" - Roll The Bones (4:37)
10. Split Enz - "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" - Time And Tide (4:20)
11. Clannad (feat. Bono) - "In A Lifetime" - Macalla (3:12)
12. The Edge - "Rowena's Theme" - Captive Soundtrack (3:56)
13. Transatlantic - "Bridge Across Forever" - Bridge Across Forever (5:31)
14. Able Tasmans - "Little Hearts" - A Cuppa Tea And A Lie Down (4:03)
15. Spock's Beard - "Waste Away" - Beware Of Darkness (5:21)


Stewart Island: The Bottom Of The World

16. REM - "Feeling Gravity's Pull" - Fables Of The Reconstruction (4:51)
17. Anathema - "Fragile Dreams" - Alternative 4 (5:32)
18. Straitjacket Fits - "Bad Note For A Heart" - Melt (3:46)
19. Pink Floyd - "Cymbaline" - More (4:49)
20. Queen - "Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)" - A Night At The Opera (3:43)
21. Blackfield - "Epidemic" - Blackfield II (4:59)
22. Marillion - "Emerald Lies" - Fugazi (5:09)
23. The Bats - "North By North" - In Love With These Times (4:10)
24. The Chills - "Pink Frost" - Kaleidoscope World (4:00)
25. U2 - "Exit" - The Joshua Tree (4:14)
26. Joy Division - "New Dawn Fades" - Heart And Soul (4:48)
27. New Order - "Dreams Never End" - Movement (3:15)
28. The Cure - "One Hundred Years" - Pornography (6:40)
29. The Clean - "Getting Older" - Anthology (4:17)
30. The Verlaines - "Death And The Maiden" - Juvenilia (4:27)
31. Passengers - "One Minute Warning" - Original Soundtracks 1 (4:39)
32. Pure Reason Revolution - "Borgens Vor" - The Dark Third, European edition (4:17)
33. Wolverine - "A House Of Plague" - Still (6:52)
34. Porcupine Tree - "Drown With Me" - Futile EP (5:21)
35. The Verve - "Space And Time" - Urban Hymns (5:36)
36. Sörskogen - "Mordet i Grottan" - Online release (6:18)

Total runtime: 159:11 (2 hours, 39 minutes, 11 seconds)


Forum name: inmyplace13



"Rhetoric of Place"

The past two incarnations of the Desert Island game have managed to make the
concept one of my favorite parts of Interference. I always enjoy seeing what
people have been listening to, who can create the best flows, themes, and
moods. I’ve never seen the competition as an attempt to make a playlist that
absolutely defines each era, genre, and artist to a tee. To me, this takes away
a level of personalization that comes when each playlist is uniquely your own.

"Rhetoric of Place" is a playlist that is entirely indicative of how I’m feeling
and what I’m listening to right now. I certainly hope you find something new or
reacquaint yourself with a lost love in the process of listening to it. At the
very least, I hope you enjoy some part of it, as I feel there is a little
something for everyone in it. If it goes deep in the competition, great. If it
fizzles out, that’s fine too. Whatever happens. If we’re still speaking. Pick
up the phone. Play me this song.

Disc 1:

1. Explosions in the Sky – “The Birth and Death of the Day” – All of a Sudden I
Miss Everyone (7:49)
2. The Arcade Fire – “No Cars Go” – Neon Bible (5:43)
3. The National – “Fake Empire” – Boxer (3:27)
4. U2 – “The Unforgettable Fire” – The Unforgettable Fire (4:55)
5. Death Cab For Cutie – “Passenger Seat” – Transatlanticism (3:41)
6. The Beatles – “Here Comes the Sun” – Abbey Road (3:05)
7. Beck – “Guess I’m Doing Fine” – Sea Change (4:49)
8. Cat Power – “Lived In Bars” – The Greatest (3:43)
9. Grizzly Bear – “Knife” – Yellow House (5:14)
10. Do Make Say Think – “Ontario Plates” – Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
(7:02)
11. The Rolling Stones – “Tumbling Dice” – Forty Licks (3:46)
12. Broken Social Scene – “7/4 Shoreline” – Broken Social Scene (4:53)
13. The White Stripes – “Ball & Biscuit” – Elephant (7:18)
14. Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues” – Bringing It All Back Home (2:24)
15. Bright Eyes – “Tourist Trap” – Four Winds EP (5:44)
16. Nick Drake – “Horn” – Pink Moon (1:23)
17. Imogen Heap – “Hide & Seek” – Speak for Yourself (4:28)

Total runtime: 1:19:24

Disc 2:

1. Okkervil River – “Maine Island Lovers” – Down the River of Golden Dreams
(4:51)
2. Sigur Rós – “Glósóli” – Takk… (6:15)
3. Secret Machines – “Alone, Jealous, & Stoned” – Ten Silver Drops (6:46)
4. Thom Yorke – “Cymbal Rush” – The Eraser (5:14)
5. The Flaming Lips – “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate” – The Soft Bulletin
(5:17)
6. Ray LaMontagne – “Empty” – Till the Sun Turns Black (5:17)
7. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – “Mockingbirdsing” – Cold Roses (4:47)
8. Feist – “Past in Present” – The Reminder (2:54)
9. Spoon – “The Way We Get By” – Kill the Moonlight (2:41)
10. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “Details of the War” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
(3:30)
11. Coldplay – “Spies” - Parachutes (5:18)
12. Pink Floyd – “A Pillow of Winds” – Meddle (5:11)
13. Whiskeytown – “Jacksonville Skyline” – Pneumonia (3:01)
14. Andrew Bird – “The Supine” – Armchair Apocrypha (0:59)
15. Wilco – “Poor Places” – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (5:18)
16. Radiohead – “A Reminder” – Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP (3:51)
17. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” – Sound of Silver (7:37)

Total runtime: 1:18:48


UP NEXT: KhanadaRhodes vs. LJT

Competition master list.


Have fun!

 

[LemonMelon]

IMP. I can't help but find Axver's list disappointing; (for him) it's very predictable. Enjoyable, but predictable. In the triad of indietasticness (IMP, Lancemc, LMP), my favorite playlist is IMP's, which is surprising, but it really is a stunning piece of work.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

In Axver's setlist, I liked Kapiti Island pretty well. That portion of the setlist has lots of bands I'd like to check out more. I didn't like Stewart Island as much, but there are some good tracks on there, and it may grow on me over time.

I'm going with inmyplace13. That list includes lots of my favorite artists and I rated most of the songs pretty high.

 

[LMP]

Impy's may be one of my faves, if not my fave, playlist of the entire tourney. It has the great mood/flow but also great songs and at least some fun.

I love Axver's too, but it's not as fun.

 

[corianderstem]

I really enjoyed the first part of Axver's playlist. But overall, InMyPlace13's list was one of my overall favorites, so I have to go with him.

 

[phanan]

I'm going to have to think about this one for a bit. Both of these playlists are incredible, two of my favorites in the entire game, and it's a shame one of them has to lose right off the bat (unless we get a tie).

Really tough call here.

 

[Screwtape2]

Axver’s playlist is one of my favorites of the competition. It is beautifully constructed around one of the most interesting concepts the game has ever seen. The song choices are very interesting as well as the difference between disc one and disc two. Kapiti Island is an amazing disc but Stewart Island is one of the best discs in the entire history of the game. The whole thing is so different from anything Axver has ever done.

I liked IMP as well. Some parts were almost magical. I’m thinking of The Unforgettable Fire into Passenger Seat and Spies into Pillow of Winds. I was also intrigued by some of his song choices. IMP will be getting my vote a lot in this game but unfortunately he is going against Axver in this round.

Both have great playlists but Axver gets my vote. Good luck to the both of you!

 

[AtomicBono]

with Axver's it was definitely cool to be exposed to a lot of stuff I'd never heard before, and I liked it more than I expected to. However imp's is fuckin great and has a few songs that are up there with my favourites of all time, so I'm gonna have to go with his

 

[Axver]

I can't help but find Axver's list disappointing; (for him) it's very predictable. Enjoyable, but predictable.

WTF? Kapiti Island is essentially the opposite of anything I have ever done and reveals a completely different side of my tastes.

And there's hardly any prog to be seen!

I can't fathom how on earth it's predictable.

 

[LMP]

impy gets bonus points for using Imogen Heap's immortal song "Hide & Seek":

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jNnLi-xp6nM

 

[Screwtape2]

WTF? Kapiti Island is essentially the opposite of anything I have ever done and reveals a completely different side of my tastes.

And there's hardly any prog to be seen!

I can't fathom how on earth it's predictable.

I was also struck by that comment. I'm not sure what was predictable about your playlist. I'd be interested in seeing what LemonMelon saw exactly. Little prog, very little acoustic prog metal, very colorful, more open atmospheres and a lot more playful. It is almost the polar opposite of your other playlists.

 

[LemonMelon]

WTF? Kapiti Island is essentially the opposite of anything I have ever done and reveals a completely different side of my tastes.

And there's hardly any prog to be seen!

I can't fathom how on earth it's predictable.

It's the same artists you always harp on about, that's how. It may not be like your other two lists, but that just makes your other lists less predictable. Actually, I found your list last year to be strikingly accessible. You're kidding yourself if you think that an Axver playlist containing Porcupine Tree, Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Rush, anything involving the brothers Finn, and a track from a U2 side project is shocking. I mean, we all use similar artists from time to time, but come on...

 

[corianderstem]

WTF? Kapiti Island is essentially the opposite of anything I have ever done and reveals a completely different side of my tastes.

And there's hardly any prog to be seen!

I think that's why I liked it so much!

 

[Canadiens1131]

 

[Axver]

It's the same artists you always harp on about, that's how.

Oh yeah, I totally go on about Dave Dobbyn, Swingers, The Shadows, Sneaky Feelings, Pop Art Toasters, Able Tasmans, The Bats, The Clean, The Verlaines, and Sörskogen. You probably can't find any of those mentioned in five separate threads! In fact, some I'd never even mentioned on Interference prior to this tournament.

So I have no clue what the hell you're on about.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

axver

 

[LemonMelon]

Oh yeah, I totally go on about Dave Dobbyn, Swingers, The Shadows, Sneaky Feelings, Pop Art Toasters, Able Tasmans, The Bats, The Clean, The Verlaines, and Sörskogen. You probably can't find any of those mentioned in five separate threads! In fact, some I'd never even mentioned on Interference prior to this tournament.

So I have no clue what the hell you're on about.

ZOMG 1/3 IZ NEW???

Don't get upset, Axver. I feel this way about many of the lists, not just yours. I think the veterans, after doing this 2-3 times, just run out of material after a while. I just don't see how using the same artists but picking their more upbeat songs = experimentation.

In my DI4 list, 32 of the 40 artists were not used on my DI3 list. I fell back on 8 of them, but it's better than nothing.

 

[Axver]

See, I think most of the n00b tracklists are pretty crap while the veterans are really coming into their own. With a bit of experience, you really start to get the whole process nailed. I don't give a shit if people are using the same artists - especially as many artists have extremely varied outputs (compare, for example, The Chills' Pink Frost to my previous Chills song, Double Summer).

I use whatever material suits the overall goal. I'm not even conscious of whether or not I've used an artist before.

 

[LemonMelon]

Glad you feel that way.

*adds Radiohead song onto DI4 playlist because of this new revelation*

 

[LMP]

The way I see it, there are artists you definitely want to hear on that island because they're your favorites.

I couldn't go without U2, Bowie, The Beatles, Springsteen, Radiohead, Wilco, Arcade Fire, etc. because they're essentials.

There's merit to both arguments though. It's easier for a first-timer to make a list as opposed to a third-timer making another one, you know?

 

[corianderstem]

See, I think most of the n00b tracklists are pretty crap

Crap because you don't care for their tastes in music, or because you don't feel they've grasped the concept of the competition in the way you meant it to be?

 

[Axver]

Glad you feel that way.

*adds Radiohead song onto DI4 playlist because of this new revelation*

Cool, another reason not to vote for you.

I hope Desert Island IV is better than this one.

Though, just to give you a heart attack, my tracklist for the symphonic mini-tournament currently has only 4 artists (out of 15) that I haven't used this time around, and one of those four is Dream Theater - I'm surprised no-one has commented on the fact I omitted them from this tournament.

 

[LemonMelon]

People listen to these playlists to get exposed to new music.

If you use the same artists again, the music is no longer new to those people. Thus, I consider it a bit indulgent.

*thinks of a way to add another Radiohead-related song on DI4*

 

[LMP]

People listen to these playlists to get exposed to new music.

If you use the same artists again, the music is no longer new to those people. Thus, I consider it a bit indulgent.

*thinks of a way to add another Radiohead-related song on DI4*

This is true, but think about people who might barely like some of your favorites.

Say Person A is a casual Wilco fan, and Person B puts on a Wilco track they've never heard before. Person A decides to delve more into Wilco fandom. All is right in the world.

See, I think most of the n00b tracklists are pretty crap while the veterans are really coming into their own.

I gotta take issue with this. There's a definite emphasis on mood/flow all that good stuff, but in the end it's all about the songs. If it's not your tastes, that's cool, but at least give it a chance.

 

[LemonMelon]

Crap because you don't care for their tastes in music, or because you don't feel they've grasped the concept of the competition in the way you meant it to be?

That reminds me, Axver, you never commented on my playlist when it was being voted on; what did you think of it? Was it one of the iPod Shuffle-constructed n00b lists, or better?

 

[Axver]

There's merit to both arguments though. It's easier for a first-timer to make a list as opposed to a third-timer making another one, you know?

I'm not sure I agree. I find that with practice, tracklists are coming to me with greater ease and they work much better and have more cohesion. All I have to do is avoid creating a rut for myself.

Though honestly, I think Stewart Island is the best tracklist I've ever made and I don't know how I'm meant to top it. Everything falls into place so perfectly and I can't believe how well the atmosphere came out. I'm somewhat surprised that Kapiti Island in general has received a better reception.

 

[Lancemc]

Yet another tough choice. Two seasoned vets battle it out.

Had to go with IMP ultimately. He's still got the mojo.

 

[LMP]

I'm not sure I agree. I find that with practice, tracklists are coming to me with greater ease and they work much better and have more cohesion. All I have to do is avoid creating a rut for myself.

All I know is there are 72 of my favorite songs I can't use again (I know I can use DI: Uno stuff, but what's the point?). It doesn't really matter if you're a n00b or not, if you're good at making good mixes than you're good at it, at least in my estimation.

 

[Screwtape2]

Crap because you don't care for their tastes in music, or because you don't feel they've grasped the concept of the competition in the way you meant it to be?

I think Axver means that the quality of concepts and the execution aren't on par with new people's playlists in previous games. On that I would agree. There is a real divide between the quality of veteran playlists and the newcomers. People who use a lot of the same artists are producing really exceptional playlists.

 

[LemonMelon]

All I know is there are 72 of my favorite songs I can't use again (I know I can use DI: Uno stuff, but what's the point?). It doesn't really matter if you're a n00b or not, if you're good at making good mixes than you're good at it, at least in my estimation.

Plus, for people like me who have been making playlists for many years, this isn't exactly their first time on the job. And, like LMP said, you either have an ear for it or you don't. You can get better over time, but some people are just fantastic at it from the start. (PS: I wasn't )