the of mirror eye

as i was browsing through all the tops of 2004 lists out there, i was struck by the fact that there seemed to be a lot of releases that i’d heard about, but never heard. artists that, for whatever reason, i just wasn’t all that excited about. some of the names that i noticed this year included: joanna newsom, the arcade fire, scissors sisters, a.c. newsome, the walkmen, and so on. knowing myself, i’ll probably “discover” them by the time everyone and their grandma owns their music.

don’t get me wrong though, i did get - and really like - lots of albums that were released this year by: mf doom, devendra banhart, madvillain, the numero group releases, the mountain goats, the magnetic fields, mv & ee, bjork, orso, sage francis, sole/mansbestfriend, midwest funk, etc.

honestly, i loved those albums and would have no qualms about making someone buy them at gun point, but there were exactly two releases this year that i think are the absolute tops of the tops. these two releases still make my heart go pitter patter when i listen to and look through their booklets. the one minor issue (and maybe/possibly/hopefully why they didn’t get on anyone elses list that i saw) is that though these were released in 2004, they’re actually archival box sets of bands that have already broken up. go figure.

* shrimp boat: born in a sour (5 mb) | hey buddy, what’s wrong (3.5 mb) | i don’t mind the bums (6 mb)
from something grand : aum fidelity : aum028/29/30/31

i first heard about this band a little after i became thoroughly enchanted with a different band, the sea and cake, whose first album had a permanent place in my discman for the longest time. so, in my usual fashion, i started looking into what the members were into before starting the sea and cake. this lead me to this band, shrimp boat. at the time, i didn’t really get it. i don’t think my ears were ready for it. but something about them stuck with me. i kept hearing snatches of their songs, in my head, that i had previewed years ago. but for whatever reason, i never got any of their albums. i think one of the main reasons is that none of the stores i frequented stocked them. and then i heard rumors that aum fidelity was gonna release a 3cd box set of archival material and i started drooling immediately. and there was absolutely no reason for my excitement. but maybe years of hearing their music in my head made me start to appreciate them. i also began to realize just how big their role in the chicago music scene was.

this is history and here is the proof: a time capsule of what was important in chicago’s music between 1985 and 1993, consonant with the country-and-western radio cowboy of the 1930s, buoyant as the big bands of the 1940s, gritty as the 1950s juke-joint blues and timeless polka dance halls. with little precedent, save perhaps the overdriven clamor of a sumer-afternoon maxwell street blues combo, shrimp boat replanted their sound from art studios to impromptu theaters, from corner bars and respected rock clubs to an international noteriety.

(from the liner notes)

so what do they sound like? like everything. they switched and combined musical genres like jazz, bluegrass, folk, rock and others into one great big chopped salad. the music is absolutely beautiful. in addition, this aum fidelity release is a total class act. it’s a lovingly assembled 3cd (4 if you get one of the first 2000) set with great liner notes and adorned with lovely paintings by one of the members. get this while you can.

* the coctails: luke? luke? (4.5 mb) | aba dabba do dance (3 mb) | road hog (4 mb) | monkeys and seals (7 mb)
from popcorn box : carrot top records : saki033

this is the other band that i discovered during “the sea and cake phase of 1995″. the coctails, unlike shrimp boat, immediately captured my fancy. i loved their sound. these guys were fun. they were whimsical. they were full of moxie and they played a glorious type of indie rock filtered through their circus music sunglasses. they also occupied a similar role in the chicago music scene as their shrimp boat bretheren.

but there is a particular story that completes the fanciful wedding tale started in the liners for the early hi-ball years. this wedding party happened to be for my marriage (to the wonderful julia adams). even though they were all invited to attend, the coctails were kind enought to agree to play it, which we though was one of the greatest gifts ever. although they never played standard wedding fare, they started off their set with non-threatening tunes that would not scare those of weaker music constitutions-both young and old. however, as their set wore on, they continually slipped in more and more challenging material that started to raise some eyebrows among the older crowd, but usually to the delight of the younger. i have to admit being somewhat nervous about the uncharted waters we were venturing into with the band and their captive audience. as soon as dinner was finished, it became clear that any hesitancy i had about their appeal was severly misplaced. no sooner had dessert disappeared than the entire wedding party-ages 4 to 80-was up and dancing with the grandest smiles on each and every face….the coctails had discovered the key to winning over their audience on their own terms, without the crowd realizing they’d been captured.

(from the liner notes)

i had no idea that this box set was even released until i was shopping one day and the red and white striped “popcorn” box caught my eye. i couldn’t believe it. i had no idea what was on it, but i immediately plunked down the dough for it. and i’m so glad that i did. this is a great set of music. my one small issue with it is that the box set contains some previously released material (which is no problem to the coctails neophyte) from cds that i already have. but there’s also plenty of unreleased and out of print stuff to more than satisfy my cocatails craving.

i also have to note that there are some incredibly scary circus clown renditions of the band members on the cds and cases. they’re truly frightening and i still get a shock to the system every time i pull them out of the slipcase.

so, those are my two picks for the tops of 2004. hope you enjoy and see you next year.

—–+—–

this is just end of the year accounting. so far it’s been tons of fun. i’ve made 33 posts, with almost 16,000 words written. posted 125 songs by 58 artists on 41 albums.

* note: if you missed some tracks but still want to hear them, i can put up requested tracks for a little bit. just write a note in the comments or send me an email and i’ll do what i can.

tome125 - shrimp boat: born in a sour
tome124 - shrimp boat: hey buddy, what’s wrong
tome123 - shrimp boat: i don’t mind the bums
tome122 - the cocatils: luke? luke?
tome121 - the coctails: aba dabba do dance
tome120 - the coctails: road hog
tome119 - the coctails: monkeys and seals
tome118 - spacemen 3: take me to the other side
tome117 - spacemen 3: walkin’ with jesus
tome116 - spacemen 3: soul 1
tome115 - the field mice: five moments
tome114 - the field mice: and before the first kiss
tome113 - the field mice: willow
tome112 - the field mice: when morning comes to town
tome111 - polyphonic spree: do you hear what i hear>little drummer boy
tome110 - milly & silly: getting down for xmas
tome109 - the qualities: it’s christmas time
tome108 - low: silent night
tome107 - chairmen of the board: give me just a little more time
tome106 - chairmen of the board: everything’s tuesday
tome105 - chairmen of the board: i’m on my way
tome104 - chairmen of the board: things are bound to get better later on
tome103 - r. crumb & the cheap suit serenaders: gin made a fool of me
tome102 - r. crumb & the cheap suit serenaders: wasting my love on you
tome101 - r. crumb & the cheap suit serenaders: can’t be satisfied
tome100 - jonathan richman: ice cream man
tome099 - jonathan richman: the ufo man
tome098 - jonathan richman: this kinda music
tome097 - jonathan richman: hey there little insect
tome096 - sodsai chaengkij: shake baby shake
tome095 - starlights: daytripper
tome094 - johnny’s guitar: klongyao
tome093 - sir richard bishop: burning caravan
tome092 - sir richard bishop: al-darazi
tome091 - sir richard bishop: morella
tome090 - ray charles: come rain or shine
tome089 - ray charles: georgia on my mind
tome088 - ray charles: what’d i say
tome087 - pamela blue: my friend bobby
tome086 - flip: mama didn’t lie
tome085 - jenny moss: please let it happen to me
tome084 - glenda collins: i lost my heart at the fairground
tome083 - john leyton: wild wind
tome082 - john leyton: son this is she
tome081 - the blue rondos: little baby
tome080 - screaming lord sutch: jack the ripper
tome079 - the flee-rekkers: sunday date
tome078 - the moontrekkers: night of the vampire
tome077 - the tornados: telstar
tome076 - the philistines jr: tarquin descending
tome075 - the philistines jr: the sci-fi song
tome074 - the philistines jr: moon river
tome073 - the philistines jr: the sinking of the s.s. danehower
tome072 - mv & ee: freight train>east virginia galaxy
tome071 - mv & ee: death don’t have no mercy
tome070 - mv & ee: dark was the night
tome069 - mr. magic: rappin’ with mr. magic
tome068 - pookey blow: get up (and go to school)
tome067 - the outlaw four: million dollar legs (rap)
tome066 - johnson, hawkins, tatum & durr: you can’t blame me
tome065 - ronnie taylor: without love
tome064 - four mints: you’re my desire
tome063 - presage: the illuminati
tome062 - presage: riddles
tome061 - presage: trilateralism
tome060 - the cosmic rays: daddy’s gonna tell you no lie
tome059 - yochanan: hot skillet mama
tome058 - juanita rogers with mr. v’s five joys: teenager’s letter of promises
tome057 - black ox orkestar: shvartze flamen, vayser fayer
tome056 - black ox orkestar: moscowitz terkisher
tome055 - black ox orkestar: di khasene
tome054 - antena: camino del sol
tome053 - antena: to climb the cliff
tome052 - antena: the boy from ipanema
tome051 - pedro the lion: never leave a job half done
tome050 - pedro the lion: i am always the one who calls
tome049 - pedro the lion: priests and paramedics
tome048 - schoolhouse funk: the world is a ghetto
tome047 - schoolhouse funk: a toast to the boogie
tome046 - schoolhouse funk: chameleon
tome045 - chuck berry: rock and roll music
tome044 - chuck berry: childhood sweetheart
tome043 - chuck berry: brown eyed handsome man
tome042 - thuunderboy!: and they called it puppy
tome041 - thuunderboy!: oh oh touch
tome040 - thuunderboy!: let my
tome039 - raymond scott: lullaby
tome038 - raymond scott: sleepy time
tome037 - sparklehorse w/the flaming lips: go
tome036 - vic chesnutt: like a monkey in the zoo
tome035 - daniel johnston: go
tome034 - daniel johnston: like a monkey in the zoo
tome033 - william shatner/ben folds/joe jackson: common people
tome032 - william shatner/ben folds: lucy in the sky with diamonds
tome031 - sly and the family stone: dance to the music
tome030 - sly and the family stone: are you ready?
tome029 - sly and the family stone: love city
tome028 - sly and the family stone: i want to take you higher
tome027 - sly and the family stone: thank you falettinme be mice elf
tome026 - sly and the family stone: stand
tome025 - sly and the family stone: dance to the music/music lover
tome024 - sly and the family stone: life
tome023 - sly and the family stone: sing a simple song
tome022 - boxhead ensemble: dust and rain
tome021 - boxhead ensemble: nobody
tome020 - boxhead ensemble: send in the clowns
tome019 - mum: weeping rock, rock
tome018 - mum: oh, how the boat drifts
tome017 - mum: green grass tunnel
tome016 - devendra banhart: at the hop
tome015 - devendra banhart: little monkeystep in the name of love
tome014 - devendra banhart: the beard is for siobhan
tome013 - spinal tap: big bottom
tome012 - spinal tap: stonehenge
tome011 - spinal tap: jazz odyssey
tome010 - cambodia rocks: seven
tome009 - cambodia rocks: nine
tome008 - cambodia rocks: eighteen
tome007 - the mountain goats: palmcorder yajna
tome006 - the mountain goats: rome wasn’t built in a day
tome005 - otis redding: these arms of mine
tome004 - otis redding: pain in my heart
tome003 - otis redding: (i can’t get no) satisfaction
tome002 - the shins: caring is creepy
tome001 - the shins: new slang

* spacemen 3: take me to the other side (7 mb) | walkin’ with jesus (7.5 mb) | soul 1 (8 mb)
from the perfect prescription : taang! records : taang! 94

back in 1987, the boys of spacemen 3 demonstrated rather convincingly that songs were getting way too complicated. there was absolutely no need for five, four, or even three chords for one whole song. instead, everything could really be accomplished with just one or two chords. drawing on inspiration from trash rockers like the velvet underground, suicide, and the stooges, they put the simple song structure asthetic under a microscope and really examined and dissected it.

i first heard this band around 1994-ish, and i was completely blown away. i think the spacemen 3 were pretty much my first experience with primal, repetitive music. i suppose the natural progression of things would be to start with the velvet underground, who i consider to be the granddaddy of this type of music, and then work your way out from there, but i can’t remember which band came first for me. but i do remember that from the very first pulsings of the fuzzed out guitar in take me to the other side, i was totally into what they were doing. and not only was the music new to me, but they took part in a world that i never really participated in as they proudly proclaimed that they were taking drugs (to make music to take drugs to) everything about their music though, resonated with me. vocals bathed in reverb, distorted guitars, minimalist drones and pure, radiant rawk ‘n’ roll.

—–+—–

i’ve been reading this great book called 40 watts from nowhere by sue carpenter, which chronicles the rise/fall and the woman behind two pirate radio stations. she started out in san francisco with the station, kpbj. and when she moved to los angeles, she changed it to kblt, where it became fairly influential. it’s a pretty funny book and sheds some light on the pirate radio scene.

* the field mice: five moments (8 mb) | and before the first kiss (8 mb) | willow (6.5 mb) | when morning comes to town (8 mb)
from where’d you learn to kiss that way? : shinkansen : 14cd

i’ve recently become a member of the ipod nation and purchased a nice, new, shiny 20gb model (i just couldn’t pass up a $100 off deal). and honestly, while i’ve got completely mixed feelings about this product, it’s definitely nice to have many (but nearly all) of my albums at my fingertips. one additional benefit is that in converting my albums to mp3, i’ve rediscovered music that i haven’t listened to in a long time. and that’s always a great thing.

one such rediscovery is this band, the field mice. i remember getting this awhile back on a hunch that i’d like it and from the first ghostly vocals of five moments, just being mesmerized by their sound. the liner notes painted this grand picture of a couple of regular blokes writing and recording perfect pop songs in the country side of south london. the field mice just seemed so sweet and naive, that i wanted to be their best friend.

other snapshots from 1988: first speaking to bobby on the phone, a few days before, from the tiny subterranean kitchen in bristol that was also our living-room, ofice, everything; those early letters, in neat handwriting and proper sentences, incredibly polite; the first demo that february - people always ask how we chose the songs for sarah, and it’s the hardest thing to explain, but somehow you always know, and it always hits first time, before the song’s even half-done, even if you can’t explain why something so simple, so unadorned, should move you so much….days before we were due to record the debut 7″, a cassette arrived of another song, when you sleep, that bobby wanted to include - just him, a guitar, and the distant bark of a neighbour’s dog. i remember asking if he was sure we could record and mix four songs ina day, and him saying it wouldn’t be a problem, as they’d actually done six at the session for that second demo (we’ve not heard the other two even now…).

(from the liner notes)

the notes wove this tale of a band that kept confounding everyone simply by doing what they wanted to do. they recorded and released songs at such a furious pace that when they toured, they would be playing songs from the yet unreleased record, instead of the one they currently had out.

the field mice broke up awhile ago due to crumbling relationships, but continue on in projects like northern picture library and trembling blue stars.

—–+—–

hope everyone has been having a lovely holiday time!

* the polyphonic spree: do you hear what i hear > little drummer boy (10 mb)
from dec 18, 2004 : nokia theater : grand prairie, tx

* milly & silly: getting down for xmas (5 mb)
from funk spectrum : bbe : bbecd017

* the qualities: it’s christmas time (2.5 mb)
from sun ra - the singles : evidence : ecd 22164-2

* low: silent night ( 5 mb)
from christmas : chair kickers’ union

well, i guess it’s that time of the year again. time sure does fly. well, i usually try and ignore the holiday seasons but being that i live in america, it’s kind of hard to do that. so, for the sake of maintaining some sort of holiday cheer, here’s a handful of songs lift your spirits.

the polyphonic spree start this set off with do you hear what i hear > little drummer boy from their annual christmas show. for those who haven’t heard the buzz, the polyphonic spree are a ginormous psychedelic pop band consisting of anywhere between 20 to 25 members. they’ve got everything. a horn section, a choir, a harpist, and their intrepid leader tim delaughter. tim is amazingly upbeat and his enthusiasm is what powers this band.

next, we’ve got beat digger josh davis, aka dj shadow, finding this gem of a christmas song, getting down for xmas performed by milly and silly. josh davis has got impeccable taste and is probably one of the best beat diggers out there today. i have no idea where he gets his stuff, but i sure am glad he does.

we’re gonna follow that up with another one from the vaults of sun ra. this time around he’s got the aptly named group, the qualities, singing it’s christmas time.

and now we’re gonna wind down with silent night performed by low. this band has always occupied a special place in my heart. maybe it’s because they’re from minnesota (my birth land), or maybe it’s because they play such impossibly beautiful, glacially paced music. who really knows. just enjoy their incredible rendition of this seasonal classic.

—–+—–

* chairmen of the board: give me just a little more time (4 mb) | everything’s tuesday (4 mb) | i’m on my way (7 mb) | things are bound to get better later on (10 mb)
from finder’s keepers - the invictus anthology : castle music : cmetd 599

decades before pre-fab boy/girl bands (backstreet boys, n’sync, spice girls) and fox networks decision to market the soulless, talentless folks of america (kelly clarkson, clay aitken) on their reality-based show, american idol, a couple of disgruntled motown producers were doing the same thing. with one drastic difference. they actually found people with talent, distinctive voices and soul. the chairmen of the board were one such product. this group had every reason in the world to be a complete failure. they were formed after a talent contest sponsored by those producers. not only did the group members not know each other, but they didn’t meet until their first rehearsal. they were also told what to sing. but somehow, despite all those obstacles, they developed into an incredible soul machine.

throw off those grey-tinted spectacles, and start again. the chairmen of the board brought together four utterly distinctive vocal talents, each with his own pedigree in 60’s r&b. their svengali figures were none other than holland, dozier & holland, the creative mainstays of motown’s greatest era, who had lost none of their genius for commercial songwriting at the time they formed their new label.

(from liner notes)

holland, dozier & holland picked the chairmen of the board as the flagship band for their new label, invictus. and they really couldn’t of picked a better group. the group contained so much talent that their first six hit singles showcased four different members of the band.

—–+—–

* robert crumb & the cheap suit serenaders: gin made a fool of me (5 mb) | wasting my love on you (6 mb) | can’t be satisfied (6 mb)
from sep 05, 1985 : cotati cabaret : cotati, ca

robert crumb is a cartoonist that people either love or hate. many find his drawings to be disgusting and misogynistic, while others find his work to be inspiring and beautiful. for the robert crumb neophyte, take some time to peruse the link above to view many examples of his art work. i’d also highly recommend taking the time to view the terry zwigoff film entitled “crumb”.

but crumb didn’t limit his activities to just drawing comics. he was also obsessed with blues/ragtime music and played in a band called the cheap suit serenaders. now, i’m not super familiar with ragtime, but i really like this. the band members really seem to enjoying themselves and it’s really evident that not only do they have a great respect for the music, but that they understand it. they also play with such enthusiasm that it really make me want to get up and dance!

—–+—–