Desert Island Mini - LP Island - Group 2 Listening Thread

[LuckyNumber7]

Please post any commentaries or running diaries in this thread. If you have any general questions or comments about this installment of Desert Island, please refer them to the master list thread.

Estimate that we will kickstart a new thread approximately every 10 days, or earlier if everyone demands it earlier. Or later, if everyone demands an extension.

Keep in mind the new little tidbit for reviewing lists on the google form: https://forms.gle/iLJox4f1e68SiPFY6 Note that this is unofficial, is not mandatory, and your dialogue review is more important than it!

Please continue to use the Group 1 listening thread for all discussions there!

 

[LuckyNumber7]

GROUP 2



Cute Irish Bono
a.k.a. CIB, Everything's Bono in Texas

IS THIS PAIN FUTILE OR SOMETHING MORE?

It goes without saying 2021 is just as uncertain as 2020. Economic crisis. Political and social tensions and divisions. Oh, and this thing called COVID is still changing the very fabric of our society; so many deaths-and smiles and hands shakes are a custom of yesterday. But is there hope?

During this pandemic, I began to reevaluate my faith in God. Some things I uncovered weren’t pretty, but some discoveries were a catalyst for change in my life. And this ignited a new purpose for me. These times of isolation have been challenging, but they also gave me a lot of time to think.

This playlist features some “Christian” artists, but the songs themselves aren’t overtly Christian. My purpose in including them was to spotlight my soul-searching for this year. “Don’t Stop the Madness” by Tenth Avenue North says, “All I hear is what they're selling me/That God is love; He's isn't suffering/And what you need is a little faith in prosperity/But oh my God I know there's more than this/If You promise pain, it can't be meaningless/So make me poor if it's the price for freedom.” The part of “If You promise pain, it can’t be meaningless” really stood out to me and became the framework for this playlist and trying to make sense of pain and even denial about suffering in our society.

Other songs on here capture a feeling of isolation, anxiety, relational conflict, and depression. I tried to make this playlist more introspective than heavy on the instrumentation. I hope you enjoy.

1. Love and Rockets - Ball of Confusion (Single Version) - Sorted! The Best Of (3:33)
2. Tenth Avenue North - Don’t Stop the Madness - The Struggle (4:43)
3. Coldplay - 42 - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends (3:58)
4. Oasis - Slide Away -Definitely Maybe (6:33)
5. Fort Frances - Another Life - The Front Page of the Modern Age (3:28)
6. Will Reagan - Your Love Is Better - Endless Years (5:21)
7. Local Natives - Garden Of Elysian - Violet Street (4:37)
8. Young the Giant - Superposition (Reprise) - Superposition (Reprise) (3:47)
9. Longwave - I Know It’s Coming Someday - The Strangest Things (4:16)
10. The Beatles - Taxman – Revolver (2:39)
11. Cat Stevens - Trouble - Mona Bone Jakon (2:48)
12. U2 - 13 (There is A Light) - Songs Of Experience (4:20)
13. Nick Waterhouse - Dead Room -Holly (2:52)
14. Josh Garrels - A Long Way – Home (5:01)
15. Blur - No Distance Left to Run – 13 (3:29)
16. The Airborne Toxic Event - Half Of Something Else - All At Once (4:39)
17. Delay Trees - The Atlantic – Readymade (7:12)

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eQqMb6QvEMxAIjFMgVMlx
REVIEWME: https://forms.gle/iLJox4f1e68SiPFY6

Total Runtime: 69:56



LuckyNumber7
a.k.a. Lucky, LN7, Ellen Seven

POP SANDWICH

From the same people who brought you Bonocat on the iPod commercials, Pop Sandwich is filled with big hits - the fans will love it!

A little background - I used to make playlists once monthly for nearly six years straight. The rules were straight forward - ten to twenty songs, loosely broken up into a third of music I know, a third of music that's old and people generally know, and a third of music that's new(ish). In addition to that breakdown, some attempt to transition or phase between songs. On occasion, I'd also try to mimic concert structures. Consider this playlist to be me playing an old game. In all likelihood, I'll provide a longer explanations in conversation for those who care for additional info!

1. Britney Spears - Lucky - Oops!... I Did it Again (3:26)
2. Outkast - Dracula's Wedding (feat. Kelis) - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2:32)
3. Mashrou' Leila - Aoede - Ibn El Leil (4:37)
4. Sir Sly - You Haunt Me - You Haunt Me (3:42)
5. Gnarls Barkley - Just a Thought - St. Elsewhere (3:43)
6. LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous! - Sound of Silver (7:12)
7. Editors - Papillon - In This Light and on This Evening (5:24)
8. And One - Military Fashion Show - Bodypop (4:28)
9. New Order - Regret - Republic (4:10)
10. VHS Collection - Stranger - Stereo Hype (4:15)
11. The Naked and Famous - Blinding Lights - Blinding Lights (3:07)
12. Night Riots - Young Lore - Young Lore (4:18)
13. Kid Wave - All I Want - Gloom (3:50)
14. Joy Division - Atmosphere - TOTAL (4:12)
15. Phosphorescent - Song For Zula - Muchacho (6:10)
16. Cubicolor - Points Beyond - Hardly A Day, Hardly A Night (5:27)
17. FM Attack - A Million Miles Away - Astrowave (3:57)
18. Coldplay - A Spell a Rebel Yell - Violet Hill (2:48)
19. Issam Alnajjar - Turning Me Up (Hadal Ahbek) -Turning Me Up (Hadal Ahbek) (2:24)

LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dEYCib8lWfKNJmkHsokU3?si=lsz5al9dT1aYdhtHMOi76w
REVIEWME: https://forms.gle/iLJox4f1e68SiPFY6

Total Runtime: 79:00



Axver
a.k.a. Ax, Axver Rose, Real Nz Like

HINDSIGHT IS 2020

I know “the year that was” is not a particularly original concept, but I hope this list might introduce some of you to a few good tracks you missed. I’ve tried to give it a bit of structure beyond just being a mixtape of cool tunes. It opens with loud and intense songs from the realms of punk and shoegaze: heavy tunes to thrash out the heaviness of the plague year and all it entailed. It then works its way through some tunes that articulate depression and others that express affection—I had a strange year on both fronts. It fairly well covers the diversity of material I enjoyed last year and in preparing the list I had a handful of moments that drove home just how profoundly music affected and sustained me in 2020.

I should say that my original concept was to do a “top 20 for 2020”, featuring my top 20 songs on the one-per-artist rule, but although this is indeed 20 tracks, it is not quite my actual top 20. The following songs from my top 20 missed the cut:

• "Stardew”, Purity Ring. This is my favourite song of 2020, but I used it in last year’s DI and wanted to avoid repeats. I was going to include “Pink Lightning” to give Purity Ring representation, but as much as I adore the song, its intro sucks. Nah.

• “Ancestral Recall”, Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou. This is my second-favourite song of 2020, but I suspect that it will not be to most tastes on B&C. I have not shied away from heavy music in making this list, but “Ancestral Recall” is straight-up harsh-vocal sludge metal intensity. When it came to the crunch (i.e. my list was about 30 seconds over the limit), I ditched it for a shorter song that had been on the brink of inclusion and might be more to B&C’s satisfaction.

• “Cascades”, Sleepmakeswaves. It too was in last year’s DI, so I put in my second-favourite from their album instead, “Zelda”.

• “Sandcastles”, Cable Ties. Last year’s DI, again. I chose my second-favourite from the album, again.

• “Folding”, Hum. It was too long, and the extended outro was a drag on the list, so I brought in the more concise “Step Into You”.

I name these so that you can put together a little “extended cut” if you enjoy what’s here. I really hope you do: these songs mean a great deal to me, some in ways that I cannot properly articulate. We are fortunate to live at a time when we can enjoy a wealth of music from around the globe even when we are stuck in our houses. I’ve missed live music dearly, but through music streaming and emptying my wallet every Bandcamp Friday, I’ve derived meaning and pleasure and still felt connected to the world at large. The album name of the last song on the playlist, The Long Now, describes the times very well.

Take care everyone, and I hope that wherever you are, you and yours are keeping well.

1. Cable Ties – “Tell Them Where to Go” – Far Enough (4:03)
2. I Like Trains – “Dig In” – Kompromat (3:26)
3. Stay Inside – “Monuments” – Viewing (3:21)
4. Hum – “Step Into You” – Inlet (4:04)
5. Phoxjaw – “Half House” – Royal Swan (3:55)
6. Peel Dream Magazine – “Pill” – Agitprop Alterna (3:19)
7. Soccer Mommy – “Circle the Drain” – Color Theory (4:40)
8. Egoism – “You You” – On Our Minds EP (2:53)
9. Katie Dey – “Darkness” – Mydata (3:01)
10. Kučka – “Ascension” – Ascension single (3:22)
11. Young Ejecta – “Call My Name” – Ride Lonesome (3:56)
12. Empathy Test – “Love Moves” – Monsters (4:06)
13. Mint Julep – “Some Feel Rain” – Some Feel Rain single (4:56)
14. Blondfire – “Marigold” – Marigold single (3:31)
15. Mild Orange – “First Taste” – Mild Orange (3:08)
16. Aleah – “The Tower” – Aleah (5:05)
17. Myrkur – “House Carpenter” – Folkesange (3:38)
18. Health – “Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.” – Disco4 :: Part I (5:13)
19. Sleepmakeswaves – “Zelda” – These Are Not Your Dreams (5:31)
20. The Luxembourg Signal – “When All That We Hold Decays” – The Long Now (4:36)


LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/248oh447LByEDZlXDWPxox?si=AXgSlv_JRjykxzpz8zsozQ
REVIEWME: https://forms.gle/iLJox4f1e68SiPFY6

Total Runtime: 79:00

 

[LemonMelon]

There's a band on Axver's list called I Like Trains? The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[DaveC]

hey scott, is this an episode of I Like Trains?

 

[Axver]

There's a band on Axver's list called I Like Trains? The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I knew this would elicit comment.

 

[LemonMelon]

Guess I'll be the first one to post some commentary.

Cute Irish Bono

I don't have a lot to say about this one, as it wasn't really my thing at all. It's a very earnest and emotional list with a clear theme that is carried through the list quite well, which is not easy to do! But I was more in the mood for these kinds of songs toward the start of the pandemic than I am now.

Mostly the sequencing here is fine, but you lose me in the Beatles/Cat Stevens section. Thematically, I'm not quite sure what Taxman even adds to this list. But overall I felt it all cohered pretty well, even if I didn't like the full picture.

My favorite songs were the selections by Coldplay, Oasis and Blur.

LuckyNumber7

This was fun. As was the case with Tourist, I think you did a really great job with utilizing the time constraints in a productive manner. The list flies by with focus and efficiency thanks to good pacing and consistent quality. I didn't notice any egregious shifts from section to section.

My biggest issue with the list was that I like most of these bands but these are not my favorite songs by any of them. There weren't a lot of huge highs for me, outside of maybe Regret, Atmosphere and Song for Zula. Those are great songs. That being said, my base level of enjoyment was still high because I disliked hardly anything here.

OK, I dislike Editors. Here and always.

The run from Cubicolor to the end was a blast. Very warm and sweet. I always forget how much I like that Coldplay song because I'm bad about listening to non-album material.

Axver

iYup probably has my favorite list so far, but this one is a close second. As with LN7's list, there weren't a ton of huge highs for me, but I enjoyed everything here. Plenty of bands I didn't know going in that delivered in a big way (Cable Ties, Stay Inside, Peel Dream Magazine, Mint Julep, etc.) I fucking loved that Mint Julep song in particular.

As far as flow goes, I had zero issues up until the last few tracks. Those almost felt like leftover pieces that could have landed elsewhere in the list or else not included at all. The list shifts gears a lot at the end without a potent closer. But prior to that, it was smooth as butter, shifting between genres without any issues.

 

[iron yuppie]

Cute Irish Bono

This is the most U2-inspired list I have heard in a Desert Island. A few of those tracks have a clear debt to Bono and co - one in particular reminded me a lot of Every Breaking Wave in its structure and mood.

I'm still a huge Oasis fan, so I was pleased to see Slide Away here, which is a monster of a song - one of their more emotionally resonant efforts. There was a lot of new stuff to me here, of which the Nick Waterhouse track was my favorite.

I generally agree with LM that there was a clear mood to this list despite some sequencing that suggested otherwise.

 

[namkcuR]

Cute Irish Bono

So, I'll be honest, this wasn't my favorite list, but you know, I do like about half the tracks, so let's focus on those.

The Coldplay/Oasis two-fer worked real well...VLV remains one of Coldplay's best albums, and I'm actually not familiar with Definitely Maybe(I know Morning Glory and beyond better), but I dug Slide Away. Great rock track.

The five-song stretch from Longwave to Nick Waterhouse is the strongest point of the list, imo(so I guess I'm disagreeing with LM). I know nothing about Longwave, but I love the guitar tone on that track.

Maybe Taxman's relation to the theme isn't clear, but I'm never going to not like a Beatles' addition.

I've always been a Cat Stevens fan and had considered some of his tracks for my list. I liked "Trouble" quite a bit.

Our friends here are going to think I'm insane, but I've always liked "13" and consider it one of the high points of SOE(and I think it's far better than SFS).

I concur with iYup that the Nick Waterhouse track - I too am completely unfamiliar with him - is one of the best new discoveries on the list.

The Josh Garrels track takes a while to get going but finishes strong with a big crescendo.

Some interesting guitar work on the Blur track.

I also very much enjoyed the closing track "The Atlantic". Another artist I am clueless about it, but I loved the atmosphere and the disparate moods this track created in its different sections. A rollercoaster ride.

The rest of it didn't do so much for me, but it was pleasant enough. A good effort!

 

[Axver]

Awesome, LM, very glad you enjoyed it. I was wondering how this would go down, so nice to get some positive feedback.

The list shifts gears a lot at the end without a potent closer.

Funny you say that: literally the only thing I knew going into this list was that "When All That We Hold Decays" had to be the closer. It's such a perfect closer on its album, already an all-time favourite closer of mine, and I reckon people here would really dig The Luxembourg Signal's discography in general.

But perhaps the build-up did it no favours. I'll cop to Health and SMW maybe not fitting as well as the rest, a remnant of trying to break up the heavier stuff into two sections. Trying to make this disparate bunch of songs flow was a bit of a tall order at first. The transition I was most worried about, though, was Peel Dream Magazine into Soccer Mommy. I actually wanted to do PDM into Katie Dey, because there's a neat lyrical match, but it was really sonically jarring and I doubted anyone would listen closely enough to get what I was going for.

 

[LemonMelon]

I really liked The Luxembourg Signal track! It was the lack of buildup to it that made it not feel like such a climactic closer. Kinda seemed to bring the list full circle to its shoegazey dream pop section, if anything. But mostly I barely noticed your transitions, which means they were good.

For what it's worth, my list doesn't have a big closer at all. It goes out on a sweet, romantic note following a joyful, celebratory penultimate track instead of putting everything into one epic. It's a list full of miniatures, so that makes sense for what I was doing.

 

[Axver]

If you've not already listened to The Luxembourg Signal, I reckon you'd get a lot out of them. Jangly dreamy hazy bliss. All three of their albums are ace. Probably start with the newest, The Long Now, but Blue Field would be just as good a starting place (its opener and title track might be their two best songs). I've fallen in love with them the past year having never so much as heard their name before, then I walked into one of my favourite Wollongong cafes last month and "Blue Field" was cranking. The guy who runs the place has awesome taste; I first met him at a Straitjacket Fits/Dimmer gig in 2018, then walked into the cafe a couple of weeks later and we were both "holy shit you're the dude from the front row!" Been a regular ever since.

 

[iron yuppie]

LN7:

I have to admit, this list had a big hill to climb with me because it started with Lucky. I will forever associate that song with a dopey kid doing a hyper-earnest a-capella version of it at the talent show of a day camp I worked at many years ago. But after that it moved along smoothly and kept a pretty consistent tempo. I listened while taking care of some bureaucracy, as I do with a lot of these lists. There weren't many songs that made me switch tabs to see what they were, but after Lucky there also weren't any that distracted me - okay, only the Editors track, largely because of the vocal style. All in all a good listen with good energy in the middle of the day.

 

[the tourist]

I got out on a walk this morning and listened to Axver’s list and this is just incredible based on my tastes, but especially some of that middle stuff. Call My Name, Love Moves, and Some Feel Rain is one of my favorite trios in any desert island I can recall. Some Feel Rain especially is pretty much a perfect song for me. The beginning section brought me back to styles of music I listened to when I was younger, and it was definitely welcome even though it’s not really what I listen to these days. I also loved the build toward the end of the list. Each of those three songs were also highlights for me. Overall I think this may be the most I’ve ever enjoyed one of your playlists, and I typically always like them, so that’s really saying something.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Cute Irish Bono's playlist

While I was listening to the Tenth Avenue North track I thought it sounded a bit like Coldplay, and then an actual Coldplay song comes right after it! VLV is their best album for my money, so this track is welcome. Can't go wrong with early Oasis, either. They had serious swagger.

I think these songs do a good job capturing the "isolation, anxiety, relational conflict, and depression" you talked about. Nice work.

TAXMAN! One of the best album openers ever. Did you know that McCartney (not Harrison) plays the blistering guitar solos on Taxman?? Incredible.

Delay Trees was an intriguing an atmospheric closer. Never heard of that band.

Good shit.

 

[gump]

Ax, this makes two DIs in a roll in which I really enjoyed your playlists. Is this a new trend? This one was delightful. I was walking outside listening to it, so didn't take copious notes for each song, but I just felt that it was such a smooth and pleasant ride through different genres. I tend to forget that you are into poppier/electro stuff, so the middle section (EGOISM/Katie Day/KUCKA in particular) was a nice surprise and pretty fun. As an aside, the "aaaaalll my life" melody in Ascension reminds me of some recent song - maybe something by Grimes? - but I can't for the life of me identify it. Great song. Circle the drain made a nice centerpiece for the setlist too, though I don't need to repeat how great it is. One of my favorite songs from last year. I also do appreciate good closers, and "When All That We Hold Decays" was that, especially in the thematic content of your list. Good job.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Lucky Number 7

I was 13 or 14 when Britney Spears hit the scene, absolutely right in the middle of the target audience for that late '90s pop explosion. Her early singles were completely inescapable at the time and I unironically loved a few of those songs...but "Lucky" was not really one of them. I appreciate you putting it on the list anyway, for a hit of nostalgia.

The Outkast track is fun but that's my least favorite Outkast album.

There are Gnarls Barkley songs that aren't called Crazy? Interesting. Maybe there shouldn't be.

LCD Soundsystem is pretty good, haven't heard this in years. The Editors track grew on me as I was listening to it.

New Order is my favorite track on the list so far. Love this band pretty much whenever I hear them.

I would have gone with the original version of Blinding Lights.

This singer for Night Riots is trying really hard to sound like Brandon Flowers!

Atmosphere is a classic.

Hey, back to back playlists that have songs from the Viva La Vida sessions! This song steals the melody from "Mothers of the Disappeared". Very on-brand for Coldplay.

Overall, the list genuinely holds together very well. Great flow. A fun listen. Good shit.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Just for everyone’s awareness, I literally chose the song Lucky so you’d have to start my playlist with “This is a song about a girl named Lucky...” lmao. Not far off of using the James Bond theme [emoji14] which I appreciated. Also I’m way behind on giving feedback. Gotta go do that.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Guess I'll be the first one to post some commentary.

Cute Irish Bono

I don't have a lot to say about this one, as it wasn't really my thing at all. It's a very earnest and emotional list with a clear theme that is carried through the list quite well, which is not easy to do! But I was more in the mood for these kinds of songs toward the start of the pandemic than I am now.

Mostly the sequencing here is fine, but you lose me in the Beatles/Cat Stevens section. Thematically, I'm not quite sure what Taxman even adds to this list. But overall I felt it all cohered pretty well, even if I didn't like the full picture.

My favorite songs were the selections by Coldplay, Oasis and Blur.

Thanks LM for sharing your honest thoughts with me. I admit if I created this playlist now I probably wouldn't make as dense and depressing. While I felt lonely and confused when I created this playlist a few moments ago, I don't feel the same way now. But I still enjoy looking at this playlist as time capsule to how I once strongly felt.

Yes, glad you enjoyed those Coldplay, Oasis and Blur tracks. They aren't the obvious choices for those artists but I thought still great additions.

I choose "Taxman" as a representation how controlling our government can be, imho. Not just through taxes but rules and regulations. Maybe that was a reach in the theme. I am not sure now. But glad you enjoyed a few songs LM!

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Cute Irish Bono

This is the most U2-inspired list I have heard in a Desert Island. A few of those tracks have a clear debt to Bono and co - one in particular reminded me a lot of Every Breaking Wave in its structure and mood.

I'm still a huge Oasis fan, so I was pleased to see Slide Away here, which is a monster of a song - one of their more emotionally resonant efforts. There was a lot of new stuff to me here, of which the Nick Waterhouse track was my favorite.

I generally agree with LM that there was a clear mood to this list despite some sequencing that suggested otherwise.

Glad you enjoyed some of the playlist Iron Yuppie. Yes, I can see the U2 influence on the list as you mention it. That wasn't the plan at all but I guess I did it subconsciously. lol.

Yes, Slide Away puts you on quite a ride, esp. with that solo.

Check out Nick Waterhouse's Holly album. If you liked "Dead Room" the rest of the album sounds very similar.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Cute Irish Bono

So, I'll be honest, this wasn't my favorite list, but you know, I do like about half the tracks, so let's focus on those.

The Coldplay/Oasis two-fer worked real well...VLV remains one of Coldplay's best albums, and I'm actually not familiar with Definitely Maybe(I know Morning Glory and beyond better), but I dug Slide Away. Great rock track.

The five-song stretch from Longwave to Nick Waterhouse is the strongest point of the list, imo(so I guess I'm disagreeing with LM). I know nothing about Longwave, but I love the guitar tone on that track.

Maybe Taxman's relation to the theme isn't clear, but I'm never going to not like a Beatles' addition.

I've always been a Cat Stevens fan and had considered some of his tracks for my list. I liked "Trouble" quite a bit.

Our friends here are going to think I'm insane, but I've always liked "13" and consider it one of the high points of SOE(and I think it's far better than SFS).

I concur with iYup that the Nick Waterhouse track - I too am completely unfamiliar with him - is one of the best new discoveries on the list.

The Josh Garrels track takes a while to get going but finishes strong with a big crescendo.

Some interesting guitar work on the Blur track.

I also very much enjoyed the closing track "The Atlantic". Another artist I am clueless about it, but I loved the atmosphere and the disparate moods this track created in its different sections. A rollercoaster ride.

The rest of it didn't do so much for me, but it was pleasant enough. A good effort!

I am glad you liked my playlist namkcuR. I can understand how there is a clear feel of this playlist but there are certainly more poppier songs (songs 5-8), and how it takes on a different path afterwards. I knew I was being bold including a song by the Young the Giant but I still like that track. But I know bold move. lol.

Yes, that Josh Garrels song starts off slowly but really picks up momentum towards the end of the track.

Delay Trees is actually a Finnish dream pop, shoe gaze band, two of my favorite subgenres in music. Readymade is one of my favorite dream pop albums. So well created. I hope you check it out. I like finding obscure artists. lol.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Cute Irish Bono's playlist

While I was listening to the Tenth Avenue North track I thought it sounded a bit like Coldplay, and then an actual Coldplay song comes right after it! VLV is their best album for my money, so this track is welcome. Can't go wrong with early Oasis, either. They had serious swagger.

I think these songs do a good job capturing the "isolation, anxiety, relational conflict, and depression" you talked about. Nice work.

TAXMAN! One of the best album openers ever. Did you know that McCartney (not Harrison) plays the blistering guitar solos on Taxman?? Incredible.

Delay Trees was an intriguing an atmospheric closer. Never heard of that band.

Good shit.

"Good shit." lol. Amen! So glad you enjoyed it GAF. I really tried to construct it well with a theme, musically, as well as lyrically.

Tenth Avenue North is a great band. I have always enjoyed them probably because, you are right, they sound like Coldplay and U2. And when I listened to "Don't Stop the Madness" a couple months ago I knew that the playlist should be centered around this tumultuous theme. As I told LM, I don't feel as gloomy and angry as I did prior to creating this playlist right now, but it was still good to make something that represented how I felt at the time.

Yes, Delay Trees is an amazing Finnish dream pop band. Check out their album Readymade. Great stuff.

And I didn't know that McCarthy did the guitar solos on Taxman but that's cool.

 

[the tourist]

Listened to Cure Irish Bono’s list earlier today. I mentioned in the other thread that I wasn’t going to talk about flow unless something threw me off and the transitions that start with Taxman and end with Dead Room did. Favorite moments were 42, Slide Away, Taxman (aside from the transition), and 13. I don’t dislike 13 as much as it seems many people on here do, and in fact I even like Song For Someone, so this was a highlight for me. I definitely picked up a vibe with this list and although much of it isn’t stuff I’d normally be into, it worked pretty well as a playlist. Thanks for participating!

 

[Axver]

I got out on a walk this morning and listened to Axver’s list and this is just incredible based on my tastes, but especially some of that middle stuff. Call My Name, Love Moves, and Some Feel Rain is one of my favorite trios in any desert island I can recall. Some Feel Rain especially is pretty much a perfect song for me. The beginning section brought me back to styles of music I listened to when I was younger, and it was definitely welcome even though it’s not really what I listen to these days. I also loved the build toward the end of the list. Each of those three songs were also highlights for me. Overall I think this may be the most I’ve ever enjoyed one of your playlists, and I typically always like them, so that’s really saying something.

I really appreciate this, thanks so much.

I'm especially glad that trio resonated with someone, because those songs meant an especial lot to me last year. Some seriously heavy rotation.

Ax, this makes two DIs in a roll in which I really enjoyed your playlists. Is this a new trend? This one was delightful. I was walking outside listening to it, so didn't take copious notes for each song, but I just felt that it was such a smooth and pleasant ride through different genres. I tend to forget that you are into poppier/electro stuff, so the middle section (EGOISM/Katie Day/KUCKA in particular) was a nice surprise and pretty fun. As an aside, the "aaaaalll my life" melody in Ascension reminds me of some recent song - maybe something by Grimes? - but I can't for the life of me identify it. Great song. Circle the drain made a nice centerpiece for the setlist too, though I don't need to repeat how great it is. One of my favorite songs from last year. I also do appreciate good closers, and "When All That We Hold Decays" was that, especially in the thematic content of your list. Good job.

I also appreciate this greatly, it's really heartening to read and thank you. I enjoy the theme of both you and tourist listening to it while out for a walk. "Ascension" definitely has a bit of a Grimes vibe to me, which might be why it initially appealed—I'd listened to Kučka a little bit before but this was her first song to really capture my attention and enter regular rotation. She just released an album, Wrestling, which is pretty enjoyable; "Ascension" is my favourite but "No Good for Me" is another highlight.

Also, I've enjoyed the return of DI just for being able to use these lists to underscore that I'm no prog guy any more. Some of the stuff I put on old lists... yikes.

 

[iron yuppie]

Axver - I like that I can go into your lists knowing there will be a lot that is new to me. This was no exception (the only artist on the list I am familiar with is Soccer Mommy). My favorite stretch was the pop-inspired run Gump mentioned, even if some of the lyrics in that section were a bit on-the-nose for my tastes (Katie Dey in particular). A lot of it reminded me of Pains of Being Pure at Heart and School of Seven Bells. Favorites from the list were "Call My Name" and "Some Feel Rain." There were a few transitions in here so smooth that I didn't initially recognize another song had started - the one into "The Tower" comes to mind. I feel this list covers a deceptive amount of ground as well, from the chugging post-punk first section to some of the almost Gaelic-tinged tracks toward the end.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Axver's list

This Cable Ties song rocks. Cool opener.

The I LIKE TRAINS song is better than any song by a band called I LIKE TRAINS has any right to be.

I've actually hung out with the dudes from Hum, not to brag. Funny guys, great band.

Circle the Drain is such a good song. I think the guitars in the first 30 seconds or so sound like the Cure.

The EGOISM was a good follow-up track. Might have to look into them more. KUCKA reminds me of Purity Ring, which is cool. You have a lot of artists on this list who have their names CAPITALIZED.

Really dig this Blondfire track.

sleepmakeswaves and Luxembourg Signal injected some energy into the list at the end when it was needed. Not sure I love the vocals on sleepmakeswaves but that's ok.

Overall, I probably liked the first half of the list more than the second half but it's still damn good and probably my favorite of all your DI lists to date. Good shit.

 

[gump]

LN7, I enjoyed this. As others said, I thought the mini-DI length was more conducive to the type of sound you were going for compared to a full-length DI. You focused on artists/genres that are not normally on my usual rotation, which I appreciated. I liked that it was mostly uptempo, selfishly helping me with my climb over Williamsburg Bridge during my weekend run. A few random thoughts:

-Britney Spears makes me feel like the geriatric millennial that I am. Lucky was a hit when I was a sophomore in college. It played in clubs and stuff. Yeah.

- I can’t listen to Get Innocuous! without thinking Get Innoculated! Thank you for that.

- When An End Has a Start came out, I thought Editors were going to become super popular, which didn’t really happen. I can’t say I’m into any of the stuff they put out since, at least what I’ve checked out, but this song functionally serves a good purpose of transitioning the playlist into an 80s sounding, post-punk(ish) section. I might have placed it after Military Fashion Show instead, though.

- Song for Zula is awesome. Such a brilliant piece of songwriting. Funnily, it makes me think of Florida, as I was on vacation there when it was playing all the time on whatever Sirius station I had on my rental car (other things I associate with that trip: The National's Don't Swallow the Cap; and the Knicks last playoff run before this year). It’s a shame that Mathew Houck he never came close to doing anything at this level again (and I like C’est la Vie). A small criticism that I have was its placement. It felt like the song was in its own island. It was a bit jarring following Joy Division with this Americana/folk sound, and then transitioning into a deep house song. I can't think of anywhere else where it would fit, though.

 

[namkcuR]

LN7

This was fun, LN7. Of all those early Britney singles, "Lucky" was probably my favorite, even back then, because it just felt like of all of them, it was the one that maybe was saying something real. And it was catchy. So I was happy to see it here.

I really don't know anything of Outkast outside Speakerboxx/The Love Below, but I've yet to hear much from The Love Below that I don't like, and this is not the exception. Elements of pop, soul, and jazz in this one.

I am generally a fan of a lot of the pop stuff Cee Lo was doing in the 00s, Gnarls Barkley included - this track may not be as good as "Crazy", but it's solid.

I like LCD, but that's not one of my favorites of theirs.

The stretch from And One to VHS Collection is probably my favorite three-song stretch here. So much 80s vibes here. "Military Fashion Show" is my favorite new discovery on this list, it really evokes Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" in atmosphere and I'm digging it. I've never heard of VHS Collection, but this track sounds like if Depeche Mode and The Killers were put in a blender. Like it very much.

The stretch from Phosphorescent to Coldplay was also really good, a strong finish. I love Viva La Vida but had never really checked out its b-sides - I love the organ/synthesizer/whatever it is performing that chord progression.

I liked the FM Attack track, sounds like some electronic music worth checking out.

Unfortunately I didn't much care for the closer, "Turning Me Up". Just didn't really do it for me. But that's one of only a very few weak spots.

The list has great cohesion, it created a real mood and atmosphere, it's got a good mix of artists that I know and artists that are new to me, and I enjoyed most of it all the way through. Very, very sold list. Good job!

Axver

The first part of your list - the first six tracks - were a bit too heavy for my tastes, although there were two things that did stick out positively for me; the chimes in the I Like Trains track "Dig In" reminded me very much of "Fez-Being Born", which is one of the best Shuttlecock tracks of the last two decades, so that's good; and I liked the guitar work in "Step Into You" a lot. "Half House" reminded me of something but I couldn't put my finger on it.

After those first six tracks, the list changes direction and for me gets really, really good from there on. I didn't know any of these tracks, but I really dig the Soccer Mommy, EGOISM, Young Ejecta, Blondfire, Aleah, and Myrkur tracks.

The Blondfire track sounds like it could've come straight out of the 90s - probably my favorite track here - as does the chorus of the EGOISM track.

The Myrkur track sounds Irish to me...Wiki says the band are a Danish metal group but this track sounds nothing like that. I like it.

The sleepmakeswaves track "Zelda" caught my ear because the parts where it goes

"So much left to say, it's all so soon
But I would have saved it all for you
If I could, I'd change the world for you"

use a very similar melody as the chorus of Sting's "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You".

The Luxembourg Signal track was a good way to bring it to a close.

After the first six tracks, the cohesion is very good with only a few small exceptions, and I was introduced to a bunch of recent tracks/artists that I in all likelihood wouldn't have been otherwise, so I'd call that a success.

Good job!

 

[namkcuR]

Is Group 3 coming any time soon? This one's been up for over two weeks now.

 

[gump]

I’m ready for new lists too (though I have yet to post my comments on the final list from this group).

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I’ll kickstart group 3 in the coming days. I’m measuring the progress by a mixture of comments in threads plus feedback in forms, there’s a few stragglers but also there’s nothing wrong with providing comments for older groups later (I will be).

Let’s aim for Group 3 starting mid week?