damned.

pitchfork opening page

 

They're everywhere. oh merry Rolling Stones, why?

Special My Brain Hurts Mix - whatever the hell happened to making album reviews?

I made you (i.e. the two persons who read this blog) expect I was going to do either a German/Japanese or Electronic mix... Well nope! I thought of something of a quite different nature... a special for all you regular vacation nightcappers...

Admit it, now that Summer's here, most of you are planning on drinking lots of water and always having your favorite anti-headache medecine next to your bed (or your fancy betaine citrate+aspirin mix?).

Of course, my dysphunktchionel brain considered the making of a difficult morning mix (calling it a hangover soundtrack led to a surprising conundrum) to be an interesting challenge, that I hope your assaulted brains will appreciate all along these sunny few months.

Obviously, this isn't a conventional mix. Most of the songs are meant to be skipped, but I tried to assemble a list that you could go through until you find the one (or combination) that, after multiple listens (on repeat, for less thinking) will convince you that this day is worth living in a state other than semi-comatose.

Itatakimas!

1. John Cage: 4'33"
2. The Dandy Warhols: Sleep
3. The Secret Machines: Alone, Jealous & Stoned
4. Boards Of Canada: Dayvan Cowboy
5. Earth: Engine Of Ruin
6. The Velvet Underground: Pale Blue Eyes 
7. Explosions In The Sky: Remember Me As A Time Of Day
8. Eels: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
9. Arcade Fire: Wake Up
10. Eddy Grant: Electric Avenue

PS: the last song is both a joke and a message: if you can't handle it with your breakfast at least once a week this summer, you should consider watching some Monty Python and being a tad less serious.

Also, if it's relatively short, it's because Flavio made a similar compilation. Stay tuned for more stuff.

 Photo: Fares Nasrallah - London, 1409

JNCT


...

overkill

Making compilations is like a virus. You get the hang of it, do a bunch, get over it, but know very well it might hit you again in a near future, and that time it might be much harder to get through.

This three part Heavy Psychedelics compilation was made about a month ago. Were I to make it again now, I'd probably change a few things, but the stuff here is still all good, and as usual is meant to be listened to sequentially. Except this time, you should probably do it after a day or two without sleep or something like that.
But I digress.

I've been listening to so-called psychedelic music for about 6 years. As any vague subgenre of contemporary music, psychedelic music is incredibly varied and that's part of what makes it interesting, or annoying, depending on your mood and personnality. Heavy music is of the same vein, crossing genres, imprecise, and wonderful (to me).

This is my summary of the intersection of those two genres. In no way meant to be a complete overview of this pretty specific area of music, this combination of classics and personal favorites aims to be interesting to both the open-minded newcomer and the veteran headwobbler.

More mixes to come, so visit often! Up on the list are a German Rock, Japanese Rock and Electronic Mixes. Would you dare leave in a comment which one you think I should do first (assuming anyone is interested, which is mildly unlikely)?

An Elephant Space Snowstorm Heavy Psychedelics Music Mix: The Trilogy 

Part I, The Early Years (1968 - 1979): 

1. Cherry Red - The Groundhogs (Split, 1971)
2. Let There Be Rock - AC/DC (Let There Be Rock, 1977)
3. Voodoo Child - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Electric Ladyland, 1968)
4. Kingdom Come - Sir Lord Baltimore (Kingdom Come, 1971)
5. Sunrise (Come My Way) - Buffalo (Volcanic Rock, 1973)
6. Run And Hide - Speed, Glue & Shinki (Speed, Glue & Shinki - Tiger Album #1, 1972)
7. Archangel Thunderbird - Amon Düül II (Yeti, 1970)
8. Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer (Vincebus Eruptum, 1968)
9. Forever My Queen - Pentagram (First Daze Here, 1973)
10. Symptom Of The Universe - Black Sabbath (Sabotage, 1975)
11. I Need Somebody - The Stooges (Raw Power, 1973)
12. Limb From Limb - Motörhead (Overkill, 1979)
13. When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin IV, 1971)
14. Raging River Of Fear - Captain Beyond (Captain Beyond, 1972)
15. Stone In - Guru Guru (UFO, 1970)
16. The Night Collectors - Les Rallizes Denudés (Heavier Than A Death In The Family, 1977)
17. Orgone Accumulator - Hawkwind (Space Ritual, 1973)
18. Helter Skelter - The Beatles (White Album, 1968)

Part II,  90's Revival (1992 - 1999):

1. To The Center - Nebula (To The Center, 1999)
2. Yeah - Kyuss (Blues For The Red Sun, 1992)
3. Shit Kicker - The Atomic Bitchwax (The Atomic Bitchwax, 1999)
4. The Falcon Has Landed - Fu Manchu (In Search Of..., 1996)
5. Dragonaut - Sleep (Sleep's Holy Mountain, 1993)
6. Stone Magnet - Electric Wizard (Electric Wizard, 1995)
7. Motherslug (The Mother Of All Slugs) - Acrimony (Tumuli Shumaroom, 1997)
8. Mantra - Datura (Visions For The Celestial, 1999)
9. Most Things Haven't Worked Out - Junior Kimbrough (You Better Run - The Essential Junior Kimbrough, 1997)
10. Down Rodeo - Rage Against The Machine (Evil Empire, 1996)
11. Thirty Two - Karma To Burn (Wild Wonderful Purgatory, 1999)
12. Tallahassee - Earth (Pentastar: In The Style Of The Demon, 1996)

Part III,  Contemporary Heavy Psychedelics (2000 - 2010):

1. Cities On Flame With Rock & Roll - Church Of Misery (Masters Of Brutality, 2001)
2. Icy Row - Naam (Naam, 2009)
3. Trick Or Steal - Eternal Elysium (Spiritualized D, 2001)
4. Silent - Colour Haze (All, 2008)
5. Dyna Soar - Boris (Heavy Rocks, 2002)
6. Born To Be Wild - Slayer (The Noblest Blood: B Sides & Rarities, 2002)
7. Winds With Hands - Pelican (City Of Echoes, 2007)
8. Snakes For The Divine - High On Fire (Snakes For The Divine, 2010)
9. The Last Word - Torche (Torche, 2005)
10. Blindspots - Mudhoney (Under A Billion Suns, 2006)
11. The Stake - Acid King (Sucking The 70's II: Back In Saddle Again, 2006)
12. Sonic Prayer - Earthless (Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky, 2008)
13. Where Eagles Have Been - Wolfmother (Wolfmother, 2006)
14. Annals Of The Former World - Titan (A Raining Sun Of Light & Love For You & You & You, 2007)
15. Space Prophet Dogon - Grails (The Burden Of Hope, 2001)
16. Storm - Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennaes To Heaven, 2000)

And, since I usually do that, here are pictures you can use as covers:

So enjoy, i guess?

JNCT

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Summer Song

Summer's coming up (shit!) so I thought I'd post the only summer song you'll ever need. Ever. Period. .




JNCT

Beats the pulp out of any Hampshire Funk Band you'll see

This will grow on you. So Much.

JNTC

A personnal conclusion concerning the Rolling Stones

A few weeks ago, I decided it would be interesting to take a closer look at a band I've never understood:

The Rolling Stones.

I decided I'd pick a couple of their supposedly "golden era" albums, ie Exile On Main Street and Beggars Banquet, listen thouroughly to both and write a review about the one I'd have the most interesting things to say.

I did the first part. Screw the second part, there's no way I'm ever writing anything about those people without a better reason than open-mindedness.

What a waste of time.

Seriously people, what the hell happened? Enlighten me, please.

Edit, March 25th: Thanks to Josh for the enlightenment. Still not a big fan, but I guess they represent something I've been oblivious to in the past.


...

Spring Mix #4 (Now with artsy coments!)

It was late, I had just read a terrible book, I got a little over-inspired. I ended up writing this, which my barely functioning brain imagined as "a cool thing to read while you listen to this new awesome installment of our spring mix". This Volume III, by the way, is meant to be listened in the order in which it's presented, not necessarily in one session, but definitely as a whole. The text is here if you have time to waste.

As usual, this mix has as goal to please your ears with things you might not know or have heard in a different context. Hope you like it.

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1 - The Devil Made You High

Raoul Duke on the highway between LA and Vegas, late afternoon. No possible way to have clear thought. Just need to keep driving, fast. Wind in your face, sunset in your eyes. Keep Driving!

 2 - Gloria

Stopped to get gas, otherwise the red shark wasn't going to make it alive out of there. Everything looks old fashioned. Owner tells you this rest area hasn't been renovated since the late sixties, and laughs when he mentions that the fake chrome started peeling off in the mid-eighties. This, somehow, pulls you out of autopilot.

3 - African Nights

That nap on the back seat at the gas station lasted longer than expected. With the last few rays of light, eat kilometers off that empty highway, resorting to counting the regular lines on the road when  enumerating cars with Brazilian license plates becomes mildly amusing.

4 - World News

The lane next over is always faster
And you wait so long until you're so bothered
But right after you complete your merge
The lane you started in gets going
And while you wait for your luck to change
All you can think of is where you started

You don't like anything on local radio
So you fumble around 'til you land on NPR
And listen to world news
Well, a bomb went off in the parking lot
Of a newly opened sunni marketplace
And a cloud covers your car at just the right time
For you to see the dark on your face
in the mirror

(Local Natives, Self Titled, Frenchkiss 2010)

5 - Walkabout

Ended up where you wanted. Had a good night's sleep. Walking by the shore, god is sand annoying. Waves attack your hangovered brain like a swarm of blueberry monkeys, and you can't get that stupid song out of your head. Work, day not worth mentionning.

6 - All Caps

Night again. Went through your old hard drive you asked to be sent from home. Some '60s Batman episodes still blow your mind, make you wonder who the hell came up with that stuff.

 7 - How They Kill You

Even though shady parts of Gotham City were supposed to make kids scared, that little walk outside after a late cheap dinner scared you more than any overdone makeup ever has. 

8 - Forge Of Vulcan

Half dreaming in the subway you took to get home quicker. Flickering hospital lights, alone in the wagon. The long alley of seats turns into the corridors of the Millenium Falcon, expecting to see Luke's head shoot out of the secret smuggling compartment anytime now.

9 - Rhododendron

Back home. Bed never seemed as fluffy, comfortable and welcoming. Daze out into sleep because of pure exhaustion.

10 - Baba O'Riley

Wake up, munch those lucky charms, sing in the shower, listen to a violin solo. Good day ahead, feel like a pirate.

11 - Never Say Die

Another kind of pumped. The coffee kicked in, you could run for miles. Well, probably not, but still. Get out, lock door, more sun. Walking swifly to newspaper stand, smile to the cute neighbour. 

12 -Take It Easy

Job's surprisingly tasteless, but the window lets you enjoy the sun. Hang out in the park during lunch break with some friends. Is that a dog chasing a squirrel? Realize how terrible some are at climbing.

13 - No Future Part III : Escape From No Future

Like Rex trying to climb a tree, realize that your efforts to improve your life have basically all failed in the past four years.

"So now at Rock Ridge Pharmacy I will be waiting for my man
But there is another down in the dungeon who never gave up the fight
And he'll be forever screaming sometimes I hear him say on a quiet night

He says

You will always be a loser now
You will always be a loser
You will always be a loser and that's okay"

(Titus Andronicus, The Monitor, XL Recordings 2010)

That's perfectly fine.

14 - Bankrobber

Or is it? Decide you're going to rob a bank. It ends up being a local convenience store. The loot also ends up being a pack of gum. What the heck, you still saved the price of a pack of gum and felt like a thief for 10 seconds.

Gum tastes terrible.

 

15 - Horny Hippies

"We were walking down the block when we thought the bomb went off
And our hearts nearly stopped at the sound
When we looked and we found that it hit some other crowd
I was glad it wasn't us, yeah I was proud
Cause I fall and I break just as easy as an egg
Yeah, my shell isn't as hard as it seems
When my insides gush out there's no telling what it's about
When it'll stop, when it'll seed, when it'll bleed
Yeah, I just stay in my home, in my home, in my home
Yeah, I just stay in my home, in my home, in my home
Well, I take a look outside at the pretty girls outside
But I can't make myself say "Hi" because I'm scared
Because I spend all this time all locked up inside
It's the only place I know how to bare
Cause you can go out and meet some girl you can't defeat
And you think that she must be the one
Until you're walking down the isle and she takes away your smile
Boy you wish you hadn't dialed before you wrung
Oh you should stay in your home, in your home, in your home
Oh you should stay in your home, in your home, in your home
Well they talk of your past, yeah they said it wouldn't last
But they're running pretty fast back on their word
It was gone for a while but it's coming back in style
Better run back where you're from and join the mass
Yeah we'll just stay in our home, in our homes
Yeah we'll just stay in our home, in our home" 

(The Dodos, Beware Of The Maniacs, selfreleased, 2006)

Walk back, read a book, go to bed.
 

16 - Star Sail

 Can't sleep. Try to bore yourself to oblivion. Watch the new episode of Dr. Who, which is obviously a bad choice. But who the hell comes up with this stuff?

17 - Jenny Ondioline

Finally fell asleep. Dream basically foreshadows the two-day road trip you've planned for your weekend, although most of it appears as if those kaleidoscope glasses you've been suggesting to toy companies finally became available. Weird sense of being on autopilot again. The surrounding scenery seems to be strangely repeating. "You'll never get off this road!", seems to be saying this smiling tree on the left. Never ending strip of tarmac ends up being the most mesmerizing thing you've seen since that time you stared at the white album spin on your turntable from Back In The USSR to Good Night.


More Spring Songs For More Spring Moments

 This mix is organized in a fashion similar to the Spring Mix Numero Uno. To balance that, expect an unrelated but upcoming three-part heavy music mix.

photo : Fares Nasrallah - London, June 2009

JNCT

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