All Apologies

I’m going to take a break from the music for today and repost a few things that I put up back when the readership of this blog was about one fifth of what it is now. I’ll get back to the pop music tomorrow, so don’t worry.

The Apology Line (side a)

The Apology Line (side b)

The Apology Line (1-212-255-7714) was an art project created in 1980 by an anonymous man going by the name of Mr. A. The idea of the line was to give people a non-religious outlet for confession and public apologies. The line received hundreds of calls daily from 1980 up through the mid-90s, but the numbers for the Apology Line are no longer in service or have been reassigned since Mr. A died as a victim of a freak hit-and-run boating accident.

I recorded these mp3s from a tape that The Apology Line created and circulated titled The Apology Line: Uncut Gems From Year Zero (1980-1981), which is now out of print. I didn’t bother breaking up the individual confessions into separate mp3s, because it was just easier to offer each 22 minute side of the tape as its own track.

Please bear in mind that many of these confessions are extremely upsetting, and some of the callers seem to be genuinely disturbed individuals. This is not easy listening. However, there are some lighter moments here and there, and other parts which are just bizarre. The tape is an amazing document, and an often fascinating peek into the minds of total strangers.

Artist Unknown “The More You Sell” – This is a selection from the WFMU compilation tape The Happy Listener’s Guide To Mind Control. According to the liner notes, this is from an in-store motivational tape intended for the sales staff of some NYC boutique dating back to the mid-to-late ’80s. Basically, this is a recording of the most evil sounding voiceover man who ever lived intoning creepy self-help/sales jargon over generic 80s dance pop music. It’s pretty terrifying stuff – I have no idea why anyone would ever make a motivational tape sound so incredibly malevolent.

I Don’t Care What New Yorkers Say

Electronicat “Frisco Bay” – Not so much dance-punk as it is danceable punk, this singalong should get you moving even if it is more heavy on the treble than the bass. This is taken from the LP 21st Century Toy from the Disko B label in Germany.

Bloc Party “She’s Hearing Voices” – It’s like Interpol, but more aggressive? It’s like Interpol, but more danceable? It’s like Interpol, but actually British? It’s like Interpol, but with a Matrix reference as the lyrical hook? It’s like Interpol, but with a solo at the end that sounds like something out of an amateur Pearl Jam cover band? Yeah, all of that, I guess. “She’s Hearing Voices” is Bloc Party‘s first UK single, and a full length album is forthcoming.

Some Of It Is R&B And Some Of It Is Rock & Roll

Hot Chip “Bad Luck” – Quite possibly the mellowest song to ever contain the lyrics “fuck you, you fucking fuck,” “Bad Luck” reminds me a bit of Erlend Oye’s “Every Party,” which had a similar kind of summery, subverted-slow-jam appeal. This is taken from the forthcoming Coming On Strong LP on Moshi Moshi Records. The first single for the album, “Down With Prince” was released in the UK last week.

I Hate You When You’re Pregnant “There Is Stuff In This World” – I don’t think anyone would reasonably expect to hear anything nearly as beautiful and poignant as this song from an artist with a name as awful as I Hate You When You’re Pregnant, but it seems like everything about this Tempe, Arizona “band” (actually just one guy stripped down to his brightly colored underwear) is designed to defy expectations. To hear more, check out the MP3 section on his website. I recommend “The Furr’s Is Gone” and “A World Without You” in particular.

Elsewhere: More new MP3 blogs are popping up every week! Please welcome Zero-G and Punkassbitch, and Spreadin’ to the blogosphere.

Also: The WFMU marathon begins today! Please support freeform radio by pledging whatever you can over the next two weeks. WFMU is entirely listener supported, and does not accept money from the government. Listener donations, no matter how great or small, are essential in keeping the station alive. If you pledge during specific programs, you can get special DJ premiums, many of which are very interesting. Also, pledging during specific programs lets the station know that you care about that show, which can help to keep it on the regular schedule.

I Immerse Myself In The Melody

Superpitcher “The Long Way” – This sounds as though it was written for the express purpose of being listened to on brisk evening strolls. It’s interesting how this song feels as though it is a brief section from a more conventional pop song extended and removed from its context. I find that when I’m listening to it, I get this uneasy feeling of waiting for something to happen – a significant rhythm shift, a key change, anything. It’s not a bad feeling, per se – it’s just very evocative of restlessness and anticipation, and so I’d like to think that was the point of it. After all, the central lyric is about waiting: “Night came the long way.” This is taken from Superpitcher’s forthcoming album Here Comes Love on the German Kompakt label.

Ty “Ha Ha” – More UK hip hop, but this time it’s something not related (as far as I know) with what’s being called grime, which normally comes from the garage/two-step scene. Ty’s music is a lot closer to hip hop as we know it in the US, and owes a lot more to Roots Manuva than Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. “Ha Ha” is the lead track off of Upwards, which came out last year in the UK, and is being released in the US on Big Dada/Ninja Tune. I like the LP, but “Ha Ha” is the clear stand-out, with its bouncy, rocking synth groove and memorable chorus.

Elsewhere: Tyrone Shoelaces has been posting mp3s for the past few weeks. (I’m embarassed that I didn’t notice sooner!) Make sure you check out the Frisco Kid and Skepta tracks while they are still up, they are both very good.

Love Is All I Bring

Althea and Donna “Uptown Top Ranking” – This is the only hit single from this Jamaican duo, who were teenagers when the song hit big in the UK and Jamaica in 1978. There’s something about the sound of the keyboards in this song that I absolutely love, though I’m not sure if I can quite explain what it is about it that I find so evocative. I haven’t had much luck in finding more of their songs or any detailed information about Althea and Donna, so if you know anything, please let me know.

I Monster “Who Is She” – I can’t find much information about this band either, but I know that they are from Sheffield, England and the name of their album is Neveroddoreven, which is one of the better palindromes that I’ve seen. The song thuds and plods along like a caveman Portishead while the singer croons romantically, sounding a bit like Roy Orbison doing a Scott Walker impression. It’s peculiar, but it works.

Also: Check out Bubblegum Machine, which is a weekly mp3 blog which has been around for a while now, but I didn’t know about it until Mike wrote about the site on Clap Clap today. Over a year’s worth of selections are ready to download, which at two songs per week comes out to being the rough equivalent of a four or five disc box set. It’s a pretty amazing site, especially if you like kitschy pop obscurities.

Leaving Me With Thoughts That Weren’t Even Mine

Ghostface Killah “Run (Pistol Pete Remix)” – This is a Fluxblog exclusive! This excellent Ghostface remix comes courtesy of Pistol Pete, the man responsible for the remix of Missy Elliott’s “Pass The Dutch” which was posted here a few months ago. Pete is a freelance producer/remixer, and if you’re interested in contacting him for a potential collaboration, please email him at petervaleri @ hotmail.com

Dani Siciliano “Walk The Line” – I think this could pass for a Missy/Timbaland production, don’t you? If someone had told me that this was a new Tweet song or something like that, I probably would’ve fallen for it. This is actually the work of frequent Matthew Herbert collaborator Dani Siciliano, and is taken from her debut album, Likes. There’s some great robotic stop/start stuff going on here, and a chanted chorus which was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning, a la Waking Ear. As with a lot of what I’ve been posting lately, it just drives me nuts that this probably has no shot at the mainstream, in spite of fitting in quite well with the weirder stuff that does end up on MTV.

Also: Say hello to another new MP3 blog: Soul Sides – The Log just started up, and is already offering some strong hip hop and jazz selections.

We Must Not Question The Good Lord

Celestial Choir “Stand On The Word (Larry Levan mix)” – This is usually referred to as the “unreleased” Larry Levan mix, but that’s a misnomer now that it’s been recently issued as a 12″ single. The song is a perfect blend of live disco beats and strident gospel vocals, and it is easily one of the finest pieces of music I’ve ever posted here. I’m absolutely floored by this song, and honestly, I think you’d have to be crazy not to love it too.

Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out (Morgan Geist Reversion)” – Perhaps a law should be passed to make it so that Franz Ferdinand never again releases a record without having it reworked by Morgan Geist. The original version of “Take Me Out” is fine enough, but a bit too timid about embracing its inner disco queen. Geist’s version could still stand to be a bit dancier, but it’s at least a more even hybrid of disco and rock, rather than being mostly rock with a bit of disco on the mother’s side.

Also: Esselle is now posting daily mp3s, in addition to its regular blog content. He’s just started doing this, so there’s only a couple songs, but they’re nice ones from Camera Obscura and MF Doom.

She’s Smoother Than A Pebble

Bronze Age Fox “Baby, We Must Be Over” – This is an odd one. There’s some obvious Prince worship going on here, but it’s mixed up in some weird blend of IDM sounds and early Smashing Pumpkins style. I’m not sure whether this is a) how I wish Prince sounded now or b) how Adore would’ve turned out if Billy Corgan was more into r+b than goth.

Starting today, you can see a gallery of selected photographs that I created during my college career at Parsons School Of Design on the Queer Granny site. Each image is accompanied by some commentary which can be made visable by clicking on the “notes” option on each page of the gallery. This site has been a long time coming – I really should have done this a year or two ago! I have to send a huge THANK YOU to Pauline and Richard, who put it all together for me. They did a nice job, and I’m very grateful.

Please feel free to comment on the photos! It’s mostly older work, but I’m still interested in getting fresh feedback, because it’s been a while since I’ve had any.

It’s Easy To Think The End Is Coming Soon

The Fiery Furnaces “We Got Back The Plague (single version)” – This is the b-side to the new “Tropical Ice-Land” UK single, and like the a-side, it is a totally reworked version of a song from the Gallowsbird’s Bark LP. The new arrangement is like a Scott Joplin/Sonic Youth mash-up gone awry, but it works in spite of itself. The song’s inherant folkiness is foregrounded by the ragtime-y piano, while the noise firmly places the recording in the stylistic present and undercuts any potential modern folky preciousness.

As a change a pace, today I will be offering a full length comic book produced by my good friend John Cei Douglas in lieu of a second mp3. John is a new cartoonist from Leicester, England, and you can download his new comic Sleeping Beauty as a pdf file by clicking on the title.

John is a very promising talent at the young age of 22. Without ever seeing either of their work until after the completion of this comic, he manages to combine elements of Chester Brown’s illustration style with the subtlety and grace of Seth. He has a knack for experimenting with page layout and formal structure without being ostentatious or taking the reader out of his story. He’s capable of drawing some truly elegant and stunning images, most notably the bus departures on pages 13 and 23.

In terms of story, Sleeping Beauty is a bit slight. It’s less of a traditional story than a dreamy, lyrical meditation about young love. The comic works in a way similar to a song or a poem, with John’s words and images coming together as an expression of memories, ambiguous emotions and stray thoughts rather than a conventional narrative.

John Cei Douglas is not currently being published, so if you have an interest in publishing or distributing his work, or hiring him for freelance illustration jobs, please note that his contact information is available on the final page of the pdf.

The Monster Standing By Your Heart

Wiley “Problems” – More grime. This is taken from the forthcoming LP Treading On Thin Ice, as well as the single for “Wot Do U Call It?,” though this really should’ve been the a-side. Aside from maybe “Fix Up, Look Sharp,” this is the most pop (in the contempory chart sense of the word) of all of the grime music that I’ve heard. I’m hoping that this or something like this can make a dent in the US charts, though I’m certainly not holding my breath. It’d be fantastic if hip hop had its own British Invasion, though. It already has an Elvis now, so why not a Beatles?

Unwound “Demons Sing Love Songs (alternate mix)” – I was going through some old cds the other day, and came upon an old Matador Europe sampler titled Draw Me A Riot which came polybagged with an issue of (I think) The Wire a few years ago. It’s a pretty good cd as far as promo compilations go, which is mostly to do with the quality of Matador Europe’s roster, which includes artists from the American Matador stable, plus strong acts poached from other American indie labels.

There were some interesting alternate mixes included on the disc, most notably this spacey, menacing version of Unwound’s “Demons Sing Love Songs.” This was the first I heard of the song, so it led me to purchase a copy of the album with the regular version of the song, Leaves Turn Inside You. While by no means a bad album, that record was a big disappointment for me. Nothing else on it was quite like this, and though the proper version of “Demons Sing Love Songs” was still a fine song, it was missing the shoegazer-y daze of this alternate mix, which was a large part of why I liked the song to begin with. The album version’s vocals are buried in the mix, the keyboards are less prominent, and it has percussion evenly distributed throughout the song. The effects are all but gone, there’s more guitar, and the whole thing is far less dynamic. It’s such a shame, because it’s obvious that it didn’t have to sound so typically indie.

I Do Work To A 108 Tempo

Teriyaki Boyz “Kamikaze 108” – This is a brand new production from DJ Shadow, and is taken from the new Japanese compilation Nigo Presents: (b)Ape Sounds. It’s not exactly breaking new ground for DJ Shadow – stylistically, it’s not that far off from the “Drums Of Death” song that he did with Mike D – but it’s quality work, and quite a lot better than anything he did on the Private Press album. The Teriyaki Boyz are rappers from Japan who alternately rap in Japanese and English old school hip hop catchphrases.

Black Devil “”H” Friend” – This selection is from the “lost classic” Disco Club EP, which has recently been reissued on the Rephlex label. It’s creepy, vaguely soundtracky disco created in 1978 by two French library music composers who decided to try their hand at making a disco record with engineer Jean-Pierre Gouache. I can’t imagine anyone but goths dancing to this, but it’s good stuff.

Also: NYC cool kids should get their tickets to see the Clinic and The Fiery Furnaces ASAP. If you’re going, let me know.

Take Notice Of What’s In Front Of You

Alicia Keys Vs. Gregory Isaacs “You Don’t Know My Name (reggae version)” – This is the best mash-up of the year so far – a seamless mix of Alicia Keys’ vocals and an easy going riddim. Despite my general distaste for Keys, I quite like both the official version and this reggae mix, but I think I may prefer this version if just for the lack of spoken bits. Apparently Keys has heard the track and loves it, so an official version of this mix may be forthcoming.

X-Wife “The Sound Of You” – Here’s another track from the X-Wife album Feeding The Machine, for those of you who enjoyed “Eno” a few weeks ago. “The Sound Of You” is probably my favorite song from the record, along with “Eno” and “Fall.” It’s so huge; it sounds like it was made to be performed in stadiums and enormous outdoor festivals. It’s a bit like what Clinic might sound like if they had the anthemic scope of U2.

It’s All About Stush

Lady Stush “Dollar Sign” – I’m a bit late to the grime party, but I’m very glad that I’ve showed up. If you’re still unconvinced, this may be the song for you. Lady Stush’s performance is extremely inspired – her particular style of catchy high-speed rhyming/toasting punctuated by high pitched squeeks and squeals is unlike any other MC I’ve ever heard on either side of the Atlantic. She exudes equal measures of sexuality and menace, all the while being nearly incomprehensible to me. She’s accompanied by a manic, frenzied beat courtesy of Sticky, who is sort of like the Timbaland of the UK grime scene.

Ce’Cile “Rude Bwoy Thug Life” – This irresistable bit of dancehall-pop is built on a riddim based on The Cure’s “Close To Me” (conveniently enough, my favorite Cure song by far!), which has spawned several excellent versions, many of which have been released on the Germaican label. It breaks my heart that this song probably won’t ever get a chance to properly crossover in the US, because it would sound great on pop radio right now. If you’re into this, I recommend tracking down Tanya Stephen’s “Need You Tonight,” Sizzla’s “Show The Interest,” and TOK’s “Shining Star,” which are all derived from the same Cure riddim and are almost as great as this Ce’Cile tune.

Elsewhere: Could 2004 be the year of the MP3 blog? It seems like there’s a new one popping up every week. The Tofu Hut is the newest MP3 blog on the block, with an emphasis on intriguing out-of-print rarities.

We’re Not Caving In

Red Astaire “Follow Me” – This bossanova-style remix of D’Angelo’s “Left & Right” (with Method Man and Redman!) is all over late night UK radio, and with good reason. Snap this up and love it now before it ends up in a million tv ads.

Grand National “Playing In The Distance” – I can’t get over how much the backing vocals on this song sounds like Police-era Sting. Please don’t let that dissuade you from checking this out, though – it’s a solid groove-rock number with some nice sax noodling over the last few minutes. This is taken from the London band’s debut 12″ EP1, which just came out this past December in the UK.

Elsewhere: Badger Minor has started to blog mp3s. I recommend the Brett Smiley tune in particular.

My Life Is Keeping Time With Your Heartbeat

Jobriath “Heartbeat” – I found out about Jobriath just the other day while reading an interview with Morrissey conducted by Tim and James from DFA in the new issue of Index. It’s very impressive and beautiful music, but I’m feeling sick and lazy, so I’m just going to let Morrissey do the talking on this one, alright?



Morrissey: Right now, I’m obsessed with Jobriath. He was a singer who released two glam-rock albums in ’73 and ’74, recorded in New York. At the time, the press either ridiculed him or didn’t bother to write about him at all. He died in obscurity in the ’80s. I’ve been through all of his archives, and I’ve just compiled a best-of, which is being released by Rhino Handmade.

Morrissey: Well, yes, I am. Fantastic pop music. One of those voices that’s just being thrown at you.

Also: See a clip of the brand new video for The Fiery Furnaces’ “Tropical Ice-Land” here. I want a copy of the single version soooo bad right now. I’m still waiting for it to a) pop up in my mailbox, because I ordered it last week or b) to turn up on slsk. If you have it, please let me know!

The Hottest Thing From The North To Come Out Of The South

Mia “Heroes” – This is not to be confused with MIA, whose “Galang” was posted here less than two weeks ago. This Mia is a German electro pop band, and this is their German-language cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” In a way, it seems more like an adaptation than a straight cover version. There are so many liberties taken with the arrangement and vocal melody that it seems more like their own song with interpolations of “Heroes”‘ melodic themes.

Ssion “I Think I Got Something To Prove” – Bratty punk-pop, basically. Memorable lyrics: “If I was hot, this would sound like…THE STROKES!/ If I was smart, this would sound like…PAVEMENT!”

My Heart Begins To Flux

Stazi “Put Your Loving Arms” – This is one of the most joyous love songs that I’ve heard in a long time. It just builds and builds up til that point when the sample from “Sweet Child O Mine” comes in and the guy starts singing in falsetto, at which point the joyometer blows up from euphoria overload. This is amazing stuff, and I can’t wait for them to put out their first album later in the year. I recommend seeking out another Stazi song called “Love Is Lethal,” which is just as good.

Freeform Five “Electromagnetic” – In a better world, this song would be all over the radio and MTV, if just because it would fit in so well with all of the Neptunes tracks and sleazey post-teen pop. It’s definitely part of the current lapdance-pop vogue, and it’s a shame that stuff like this falls through the cracks, because it’s such a brilliant tune and I’m sure that lots of people would love it if they just got to hear it. That one hook where the girl sings “but I don’t know what you mean” is particularly great (though strangely familiar…), as is the refrain “where do you want me to lick you right now?”

My Mommy Made Me Boots

“Timmy Von Trimble” – Happy birthday to Tom Scharpling! “Timmy Von Trimble” is the best of the recent skits from The Best Show On WFMU, and quite possibly the most surreal bit to ever air on the program. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the bizarre, unbelievable premise is eventually trumped by the disturbing turn the bit takes once we get to know Timmy.

Also: I highly recommend visiting former Dismemberment Plan frontman Travis Morrison’s website and downloading his newest song “Born In 72.” It would be an obvious thing to post here, but since he’s got it on his site, you may as well just get it there. There are some other mp3s there as well, but that song is the best and most interesting to me. The new music isn’t all that different from what Morrison was doing before, but he sounds much more pop now that he doesn’t have to have guitars on every song.

Elsewhere: Comic book writer Warren Ellis is posting nothing but links to unknown bands this week on his Die Puny Humans blog. So far it’s been a nonstop parade of bland, amateurish cut-out bin fodder, but you never know, something good may come up later on.

He Also Took His Drinks With Lime

Solex “Solex In A Slipshod Style” – I want to do this song justice and write something quite poetic about it; something about how it makes a simple memory of drunken flirtation sound intensely romantic, and how it’s one of the sexiest songs I’ve ever heard in spite of the recurring usage of the word “slaphappy” in the lyrics. I just can’t get it right. I suppose the music can speak for itself today. The song is taken from Solex‘s very underrated debut album, Solex Vs. The Hitmeister, which was released on Matador in 1998.

Denim And Diamonds “Street Medics Unite!” – This is the title track from their debut EP on the Bloodlink label. It’s great stuff; spazzy electro-punk with shouty vocals and lots of electronic squiggle sounds. I particularly like the contrast of the harsh overdriven keyboard riff with the subtle, mellow keyboard line which sounds a bit like a theramin.

BEST NEWS EVER!!!

The second Fiery Furnaces album is coming out very soon!

Eleanor: Yeah. Our next record is coming out in May.

Matthew: We just finished it a month ago. It’s called Blueberry Boat.

Come On Over And Get Down

The Rocks “I Won’t Need You When You’re Dead” – Video treatment: We’re at the Grunge Prom. The room is populated by assorted teens in extremely obvious early 90s grunge/indie/alt-rock/goth attire and teenage lookalikes of various early 90s rock icons. Our Kurt and Courtney are the king and queen of the prom, and we also see young Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell, Henry Rollins, Michael Stipe, Liz Phair, Trent Reznor, Beck, Billy Corgan, Scott Weilland, Layne Staley, Thom Yorke, Anthony Keidis, PJ Harvey, etc. An extremely miserable-looking (even in comparison to the rest of the room!) young man is walking around the prom. He’s obviously lonely and alienated, and is pining for some beautiful grunge girl who is dancing with our Eddie Vedder kid. Occasionally, he lip-synchs and makes histrionic faces to the camera. At some point, he steps outside and we see a group of Cool Kids. In that crowd would be our young versions of Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Stephen Malkmus, Kim Deal, Laetitia Sadier, and J Mascis. It should be pretty clear that he doesn’t fit in with them either. At the end of the video, our bitter, sad protagonist is still alone. He watches as the beautiful grunge girl leaves with the apathetic-looking Vedder kid, and then walks off by himself, as the rain soaks his flannel.

(The Rocks are a band from London, and this song is the b-side to their debut single from last year, “Everybody In The Place.”)

Konk “Konk Party” – Konk were a Latin funk band from NYC in the early 80s, and this is taken from the 1982 album Yo!. It just sounds like a party, really. To my knowledge, this hasn’t ever been released on cd. I might be wrong, though. (Apparently, a Konk compilation is forthcoming on the Soul Jazz label. Thanks to Peter for the tip.)