Desert Island X: Group 2 Listening Thread

[LemonMelon]

FFS

and ALSO this is the first time ive enjoyed a list of yours more than your significant other’s, and i must say i enjoyed this quite a bit more.

People can't even review someone else's list without mentioning how much mine sucked.

Oh and hey, you guys can start sending me rankings any day now. I haven't gotten one yet. Not even from myself.

 

[cobl04]

Don't stress man. Yours was still quite good. If anything it's a testament to how good your lists have been. This has been the best DI I've been involved in so far

 

[lazarus]

Still laughing...

 

[LemonMelon]

Don't stress man. Yours was still quite good. If anything it's a testament to how good your lists have been. This has been the best DI I've been involved in so far

If True had been in there, I would be getting all the points.

 

[liamcool]

Look, True isn't even the best Spandau Ballet song. C'mon guys.

 

[LemonMelon]

I don't much care for it unless Buscemi is singing.

 

[bono_212]

It's really one of my least favorite songs ever. It's got a few moments, but I rarely leave it on.

 

[LemonMelon]

Liam and I were conversing about rankings over PM (cuz we're nerds) and I'm considering a slight rule change. Instead of being forced to give out 24 points per group, I think I'll be a bit more flexible and allow people to give out a little less if they want to.

Say, for instance, you really hate one list and don't want to give it any points. You shouldn't have to give the other three lists 8 points to add up to 24. The reason I haven't already allowed this is because I'm concerned that someone will give 8 points to two lists and 0 to the other two or, worse, just 8 points to one and 0 to the rest. But I don't want to make a forced minimum either. I don't know.

Tell me what you guys think.

 

[bono_212]

I don't think anyone would abuse it, but maybe setting a minimum of 16 would work?

 

[cobl04]

THANKS FOR COMMENTING ON MY REVlEW ASHLEY
YEAH NO WORRIES COBBLER IT WAS REALLY COOL AND FUNNY IM GLAD YOU ENJOYED MY LIST
YEAH

 

[liamcool]

I'd like to publicly second the "we're nerds" motion.

 

[phanan]

I agree re: the points. You shouldn't have to be forced to use all of them, although I think most people will anyway.

 

[phanan]

gump:

This was a great listen.

Bright Eyes, I've never really liked them, but this was a good track. Love Lucinda Williams; that's a great album.

I'll echo others thoughts that the Wilco/Tweedy representation on a rather shorter list might have been too much, but at least I enjoyed the songs, even if I'm not their biggest fan. I think LemonMelon mentioned The Jayhawks, and yes, they would have been perfect for this playlist. Fleet Foxes could have worked as well. Also, a band I championed last time around, Winter Hours, went a bit more alt-country for their one and only full release, and something from that would have been awesome here.

But getting back to what is actually on this. Son Volt was a good band from the 90's and I liked their stuff - nice to see them here. And you have a great My Morning Jacket selection.

I don't find the appeal with Ryan Adams, maybe it's just me, but after that, the rest of this was fantastic straight through to the end. In particular, that Uncle Tupelo track was a nice way to finish.

From a transition standpoint, no complaints here. Obviously a bit easier when the same style of music is used throughout, but that's not an issue for me. Great vibe all the way through.

So yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

 

[phanan]

Oh and hey, you guys can start sending me rankings any day now. I haven't gotten one yet. Not even from myself.

At least feedback hasn't fallen off too much from Group 1 to Group 2, so that's a good sign. We heard from 16 different people in Group 1 with at least one review, while in this group, there have been 13 respondents so far.

Gold stars to you and cobbler. I believe you are the only two who have provided a review of every playlist to this point (Ashley mentioned niels, but hasn't come back to it yet for a review).

 

[LemonMelon]

I really enjoy this format. The thread for group 1 received more discussion than an entire round of polls would have back in the day. And, amazingly, this thread topped the last one.

 

[gump]

Hey guys, thanks for the comments. Was travelling all week and could not get back to you. Will do so later today. I also need to catch up and finish with this groups' lists over the next couple of days.

 

[Joey788]

Alright, I am way behind on this but trying to catch up. LemonMelon, I really liked the vibe of your list. I thought it did an excellent job of mixing 80s New Wave and synth rock with music from the 90s through today. My favorite stretch was Simple Minds to Joy Division. I think it was a little too long overall but overall it was an enjoyable listen.

 

[bono_212]

THANKS FOR COMMENTING ON MY REVlEW ASHLEY
YEAH NO WORRIES COBBLER IT WAS REALLY COOL AND FUNNY IM GLAD YOU ENJOYED MY LIST
YEAH

Well, since you asked so nicely: Thanks for the comments, Cobbler. Glad you liked it, hope you got something new out of it.

And enough people have said it so far, that I should probably throw out the disclaimer: If you have never heard a Big Star song before...that is not what they sound like...at all...not even close.

(Ashley mentioned niels, but hasn't come back to it yet for a review).

Why you gotta put me on the spot like that? I was gonna listen to it today...damnn

 

[phanan]

Hehe, come on, you're like in third place when it comes to listening. Think of it that way...

I could out all of us to make you feel better.

 

[bono_212]

Hehe, come on, you're like in third place when it comes to listening. Think of it that way...

I could out all of us to make you feel better.

Haha, I was referring to saying I was going to comment on his list later and never coming back.

 

[iron yuppie]

Gump: I admit that I was pretty distracted when I listened to your list, but it came across very smoothly in a background type of setting. I appreciated the concise run time and the mood flowing throughout; harmonica especially helped tie the entire thing together. The highlight for me was the Calexico track: the female vocalist was sublime. I need to think a bit more carefully about how to rate this list, as it cohered very well but also somewhat floated by.

 

[cobl04]

Liam and I were conversing about rankings over PM (cuz we're nerds) and I'm considering a slight rule change. Instead of being forced to give out 24 points per group, I think I'll be a bit more flexible and allow people to give out a little less if they want to.

Say, for instance, you really hate one list and don't want to give it any points. You shouldn't have to give the other three lists 8 points to add up to 24. The reason I haven't already allowed this is because I'm concerned that someone will give 8 points to two lists and 0 to the other two or, worse, just 8 points to one and 0 to the rest. But I don't want to make a forced minimum either. I don't know.

Tell me what you guys think.

See my issue with our current system is that eight is too few a maximum. In group one I had to give points to a list I didn't enjoy all that much because I couldn't give more than eight to the lists I loved.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Finished your list, Lemonmelon.

The Clean through the Chills had a kind of post-punk vibe (I believe that is how you would describe it). It was coherent and flowed nicely but it got a little weary at the end. I enjoy that 80's Feelies kind of music but a little bit goes a long way. It could of been a little shorter for me. But kudos for the R.E.M., Close Lobsters songs. Great songs. After that came The Associates and OMD songs. The vocals were a little unpleasant for me. I don't know why. You got my focus again by the Tears For Fears song (one of my favorite bands, btw). I thought the Destroyer and Prefab Sprout were a nice change of pace. It ended nicely as well with the Talking Heads. I love that song.

So overall, I agree with Joey a little too long for my taste and I wish it changed genres a little bit more, even though I love the 80's, which it was mostly. But I did walk away liking some artists I have heard of before but never listened to before (The Chills, Prefab Sprout). So good job, Lemonmelon.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Listening to Nielsgov's playlist right now. I just finished the Massive Attack song.

I saw you had some hip hop on your playlist, so I was a afraid I wasn't going to like it too much. But I enjoyed it. It was more like upbeat hip hop, esp. The Streets and Arsenal, if that makes sense. Then I enjoyed the ambient Massive Attack a lot. I really need to check them out. The only tracks I don't like so far because it's too hip hop for me are the Run the Jewels and the Outkast songs. The ambient and a little hip hop is refreshing for a DI. By the way, the Bloc Party song didn't like look like it would work a paper sandwiched between other genres but it totally works. Good job.

More listening on the way...

 

[PhilsFan]

Listened to Niels' list and enjoyed it. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the second half of the playlist, but I really liked what you did with it. And I think this was a case of a shorter list being really effective. Had that portion of the list been, say, doubled in length, it might have overstayed its welcome. I thought it was just the right length, and I thought it paired well with what you ended up doing in the first half. We also have a track in common on our playlists which will surely haunt IWB when she encounters it in Group 4. Nicely done.

 

[IWasBored]

At least it's not the tame impala DI all over again.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Finished Nievgov's playlist.

Thoughts:

Laurel Halo through Boards of Canada was a great stretch. Almost completely flawless. But after Boards of Canada the ambient music started to getting a little too much for more after a while and I lost focus. I regained focus again around the last song by Trentemoller. Nice job, Nievsgov. Ambient music is not something I normally listen to, so thanks for exposing me to something different. I think I enjoyed the beginning the best (1-6) but the ambient was still good nevertheless.

I just need to listen to bono_212's playlist and I am done with group 2. I hope to give you my rankings for group 2 when I can finish bono_212's playlist as soon as I can, Lemonmelon.

 

[bono_212]

Alright, I'm for realz listening to Niel's list, gang.

EDIT: Just by the by, this opening track is ridiculously amazing.

 

[bono_212]

Niels: I have basically the same mixed feelings I had the first time I listened, but I'm glad I gave it a second chance. It's not that I dislike it, I like the first half immensely. I appreciate what you tried to do with the second, and while it flowed beautiful, and was certainly dreamy, I just couldn't really find anything there to latch onto as a takeaway, except for the Boards of Canada track, which was amazing.

The front half was great, though. One of my favorite Bloc Party tracks, that's a great one from Outkast and Gorillaz as well. Didn't transition great into Run the Jewels, but from there, that section flowed very nicely.

In general, I liked it more than your last list, and had a pleasant listening experience, overall.

 

[nielsgov]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Really appreciate it.

Alright, I'm for realz listening to Niel's list, gang.

EDIT: Just by the by, this opening track is ridiculously amazing.

It's funny because I thought beforehand that if someone were to really like this track, it would be you Ashley. Great song indeed.