We're back

We're back

After a short hiatus (did anyone even notice?) we are back. We’ve migrated our history of sessions and David’s album reviews/listening journal to a new (and cheaper) site.

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    Curve - Come Clean (1998)

    Curve - Come Clean (1998)

    Take Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine”, give it a bit more edge ala The Prodigy, then add Toni Halliday’s calm but devastating vocals into the mix.

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    Damien - The Boy Who Drew Cats (2023)

    Damien - The Boy Who Drew Cats (2023)

    This stonkingly great 6 Track, mini-album comes from the remnants of the incredible band Low. Led by Alan Sparhawk, and joined by his son Cyrus, this music could not be any further away from Low’s remarkable musical legacy.

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    T.Rex - Electric Warrior (1971)

    T.Rex - Electric Warrior (1971)

    It must be said, grand kids and audio equipment are not in any way compatible. Usually I have just my single black box, NAD C700 amp/streamer, Theophany speakers (woofers and tweeters - which are well protected by metal) and concealed sub, in the lounge.

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    GracieHorse - L.A. Shit (2023)

    GracieHorse - L.A. Shit (2023)

    Sometimes country music can be right up on top of my “this-genre-ain’t-for-me” list, along with some god awful Jazz. While this is most definitely a country album, it doesn’t even come close to making that list.

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    Various Artists - English Weather (2017)

    Various Artists - English Weather (2017)

    Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present English Weather. The autumnal sound of Britain at the turn of the 70’s, looking out through wet wind panes to a new decade with a mixture of melancholy and optimism to what might come next.

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    Mako Road - The Great Superintendent {EP} (2018)

    Mako Road - The Great Superintendent {EP} (2018)

    As Kiwi as Bro! This is a sensational six track EP release from Christchurch-based Mako Road. I first heard this on “A Sonic Youth” podcast (my firm favourite for better-than-decent new and re-discovered music) A band that has truly flown under the radar.

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    Ioapok - Oisolün (2023)

    Ioapok - Oisolün (2023)

    Quite a strange trip this evening. This French outfit play a progressive type of jazz and rock music. Listening ecxlusively on headphones and DAC, its quite an emersive experiece.

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    Sublime - Sublime (1996)

    Sublime - Sublime (1996)

    I know absolutely nothing about Sublime. I always thought they were just another stoner, spliff-toting, skateboard pretenders. How wrong was I.

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    Hole - Celebrity Skin (1998)

    Hole - Celebrity Skin (1998)

    Hole’s second record, 1994’s “Live Through This” remains one of my top album contenders across any genre. While it’s peak grunge, it still has one of the highest, and surely not legal, quotas of hooks possible on a single record.

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    Can - Live in Cuxhaven 1976 (2021)

    Can - Live in Cuxhaven 1976 (2021)

    This recording is as close to improvisational “free” jazz as I’m willing to ever venture. Can never just play their last record, they deconstruct, reconstruct or completely destroy it at every opportunity.

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    Cloudboy - Down at the end of the Garden (2001)

    Cloudboy - Down at the end of the Garden (2001)

    My second and only other RSD purchase was this little gem from Dunedin’s, now long-defunct, Cloudboy. While I didn’t know anything about this record, or the musicians involved, it was a record they were running out of around the country very quickly.

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    Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)

    Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)

    Coming up to it’s second decade, this incendiary debut album from London-based Quartet, Bloc Party, is refreshingly “rock”. No fancy keyboards or unnessecary embellishments, this is just a slam of guitars, bass and drums and some vitriolic vocals from Kele Okereke.

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    The Stranglers - Feline (1983)

    The Stranglers - Feline (1983)

    The Stranglers were always outliers, probably before the term was even in the common vernacular. Their first two records were right in the thick of the punk ethos but strangely dissimilar to anything else.

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    Echo & The Bunnymen - Siberia (2005)

    Echo & The Bunnymen - Siberia (2005)

    Unlike the Cure’s later, post 1992’s “Wish” albums, the Bunnymen HAVE continued to make great records. While The Cure re-peddle their magnificent back catalogue, Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant have managed to be creative and sound as fresh as those early days.

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    The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967)

    The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967)

    This 2022 half-speed-mastered, repress of The Who’s 3rd record sounds ridiculously good. Entwistle’s bass guitar especially comes to the fore but there’s amazing staging of all instruments.

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    Goldfrapp - Supernature (2006)

    Goldfrapp - Supernature (2006)

    Another great Alison Goldfrapp/Will Gregory Collaboration. There’s no end to the talent of these two. While nothing will improve on my first exposure, this is one slick record.

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    Trees Speak - Mind Maze (2023)

    Trees Speak - Mind Maze (2023)

    Another all instrumental release from Tuscon’s best avant-garde, neo-psychedelic, Miles Davis Bitches Brew-era protagonists. Absolutely made for vinyl, there’s no other way to replicate and consume their retro-70’s schtick.

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    Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (2000)

    Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (2000)

    Wow! This ain’t rock’n’roll, this is an electro-cabaret masterpiece. Tricky prodigy Alison Goldfrapp, croons like Liza Minelli, yodels like Melanie Oesch, and whistles like Roger Whitaker.

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    Kirsten Edkins - Art & Soul (2015)

    Kirsten Edkins - Art & Soul (2015)

    I didn’t know anything about this recording before playing this via Tidal this evening. As the reveiw states “Saxophonist Kirsten Edkins delivers a delightful and charming batch of mainstream jazz with her engaging and exuberant debut Art & Soul.

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    Asobi Seksu - Asobi Seksu (2007)

    Asobi Seksu - Asobi Seksu (2007)

    Fantastic debut from New York-based group Asobi Seksu. While firmly in the noise rock genre, it’s fabulously diverse throughout. On the very first listen there’s a lot to like about this record.

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    Lord Huron - Strange Trails (2015)

    Lord Huron - Strange Trails (2015)

    A very easy choice tonight. When you are out walking and the dog makes a bee line for a young American woman wearing a Lord Huron “Long Lost” T Shirt, there’s a clear message there.

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    Luluc - Sculptor (2018)

    Luluc - Sculptor (2018)

    Here’s yet another fantastic band from Melbourne. Several recent favourites of the last few years have come from this town. Duo Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett have breached their folky ways and delivered a rich, cinematic experience far removed from the traditional acoustic fare.

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    Lone Lady - Former Things (2021)

    Lone Lady - Former Things (2021)

    Time warp, flash back alert. There’s a somewhat wacky (corny even!) minimalistic analogue synth and drum machine vibe happening on this surprisingly catchy recent release.

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    XTC - Black Sea (1980)

    XTC - Black Sea (1980)

    This is another vinyl relic that’s been added to my “Essentials” vinyl collection. This 2019 re-press is NOT the Steven Wilson remaster but the original 1980 pressing.

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    Enya - The Very Best Of Enya

    Enya - The Very Best Of Enya

    Don’t judge me! This is a fabulous chill-out, sonically pleasing, guilty pleasure. All the Enya you’ll ever need on a single release.

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    Kimbra - A Reckoning (2023)

    Kimbra - A Reckoning (2023)

    Just thought I’d dip into a track or two to sample my new laptop/DAC/headphones setup. I never left. That headphone setup is now my new benchmark for the best way to listen to serious music.

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    David's Session - Jan 23

    David's Session - Jan 23

    The themes were: F@%# Off 2016! - A song or musical moment that exorcises the ghosts from 2016. , Now that’s a bit random - Randomly select 3 albums (CD or vinyl only - no video) and bring them along, Who let the cows out - The track you select must contain a cow bell as an instrument.

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    Adam Green & Binki Shapiro (2013)

    Adam Green & Binki Shapiro (2013)

    Third time lucky. I tried to listen to a couple of CDs from “The Redcross Collection” this evening. That was a painful 6 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back - they were truly hideous.

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      Tones On Tail - Everything! (1998)

      Tones On Tail - Everything! (1998)

      A fantastic post-Bauhaus compilation of Daniel Ash’s side project prior to establishing the equally wonderful Love & Rockets. Like some Ziggy Stardust/Mick Ronson clone, Daniel Ash exudes the combination of squalling guiter slinger and crooning frontman.

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      Roger Waters - Amused to Death (1992)

      Roger Waters - Amused to Death (1992)

      The audiophile vinyl box set of this has just been released. While I’m not at all interested in an analogue version of a digital recording, the high resolution bu-ray version will do me nicely thanks, I did watch a YouTube reveiw by German vinyl guru Michael of 45RPM Audiophile fame.

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      Psychic Ills - Hazed Dream (2011)

      Psychic Ills - Hazed Dream (2011)

      There’s been a recent but gradual (r)evolution in my musical consumption of late, firstly with the introduction of headphones, but now taken to the next level with the purchase of a dedicated headphone DAC.

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      XTC - The Big Express (1984)

      XTC - The Big Express (1984)

      The big news of the day was the passing of guitar maestro and personal hero, Jeff Beck. I chose not to spend the evening playing his music but did play a couple of tracks earlier in the day.

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      Alt-J - This Is Yours (2014)

      Alt-J - This Is Yours (2014)

      I don’t know why I even bother reading reviews on “Pitchfork.com”. Despite being around for more than a decade, Alt-J is a very recent discovery.

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      Cure - Wish [2022 Remaster](1992)

      Cure - Wish [2022 Remaster](1992)

      Fuck Yes!! While there’s some poppy, happy-clappy stuff on this record (incidently, this is the brand new, freshly minted 3CD deluxe edition), there’s still a wonderful, post-“Disintegration”, doom-laden dirge as thick as treacle.

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