MIX - 19 Songs That Will Always Break my Heart

I made this mix for my good friend Carla, and figured I share it with you guys as well. The title says it all.

01) Michel Polnareff - Love Me Please Love Me
02) Scott Walker - Black Sheep Boy
03) The Apartments - Mr. Somewhere
04) Mojave 3 - Return to Sender
05) Mr. Wright - Anna Karina
06) The Stockholm Monsters - Decalogue
07) Wild Swans - The Worst Year of my Life
08) Television Personalities - All my Dreams are Dead
09) Red House Painters - Things Mean a Lot
10) Pulp - Blue Girls
11) Paul Quinn & The Independent Group - The Phantoms and the Archetypes
12) The Legendary Pink Dots - Belladonna
13) The Durutti Column - Spent Time
14) Blueboy - Also Ran
15) Alison Statton and Spike - Missing You
16) The Wake - Melancholy Man
17) Momus - The Sadness of Things
18) Martin Phillipps - Haunt Me [this song in particular breaks my heart into a million pieces]
19) Judee Sill - The Kiss

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Note: This may be a little longer than 80 minutes and might not fit on your standard CD-r, but you can always take a song or two off if you feel inclined to burn it to a disc.

Momus - Timelord (1993)

Okay, so I'm a little late with my 20,000 hit celebration post (currently sitting at 21,100 overall, 5700 for the month, and generally 300 or so uniques a day), but here it is finally. I know I promised a Felt album, but I've been in a Momus mood all day today, so I figured I'd share one of my favorites of his instead.

First of all take a good glance at that brilliant cover photo and tell me that Nick Currie isn't the man of all men. I mean, really, just genius. Although not quite as good as Voyager, which, in this blogger's opinion may very well be the best collection of songs recorded in the last 50 years, Momus followed up his magnum opus with a record in the same vein as its predecessor and a record equally as brilliant and ambitious (not to mention brilliantly titled). That album is Timelord, which is the focus of our attention today. The late 80s and the early 90s were Momus' "serious" period and this, along with Voyager could be considered his most austere work. Momus was always pushing the boundaries of acceptability within accessible pop structures. Overall, this was Momus' most eccentric work to date as well. Keep in mind that when I say this album is eccentric, I'm speaking in historical context, as anyone's who's heard his albums in this century know that next to those curios and novelty music such as the "O" series, Timelord would be considered pop Momus.

The album starts off with a sampled, techno influenced bang, in similar fashion to Voyager with the electro-nostalgic number, "Platinum" . "Enlightenment" which, in my opinion, is the standout track on Timelord and like a good majority of the the record is a mediation on true love or the impossibility of true love depending on your perspective. "It's not love, its mathematics" Momus sings (almost speaks) on "You've Changed," one of the album's more neurotic and reflective songs which weaves a complicated story of a complicated relationship that I'm sure just about everyone can relate to if you can get past the cryptic lyrics (although the title says it all - time changes people, and sometimes not for the best). "Rhetoric" (featured in tne mentally stimulating video below) once again meditates on true love and is also one of the album's stronger tracks. "Suicide Pact" is a soft and scintillating piece and marks a turn for the slower, more melancholic latter portion of the album until closing track "Breathless" which is a return to the pop style harbored on the earlier half and almost sounds like a winter time waltz. Hey, it's Momus. You should know by now to expect the unexpected. All in all, a very, very strong album, that had high expectations to live up to and almost did, but not quite. I'm going to go ahead and give this record the 10 that it deserves, and consider going back to my Voyager post and changing its rating to an 11 because its that fucking good.

Also thought I'd mention one of the most twisted cases of cosmic irony I've ever heard about. On the track "Enlightenment" Momus sings "And tell me you'll be there
when I've only got one eye." Four years later, he contracted acanthamoeba keratitis from a contact lens case washed with Greek tap water, losing the use of his right eye (and forever making eyepatches a fashion statement). Now that's some ironic, bizarre, fateful shit right there.

Rating: 10/10

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Judee Sill - Heart Food (1973)

In 1973, Judee Sill succeeded in creating what every artist aspires to create: a perfect work. Her album Heart Food is the musical embodiment of love and beauty. Every song on this album has an immense amount of soul; it’s just overflowing with it. It caresses you ever so gently and brings about an aura like sitting beside a fireplace, wrapped in a blanket on a cold night with a lover. Often endowed with subtle religious undertones, Heart Food is pure, tender, supple, and amorous; something truly special.


I’m sure if there was ever a study done, it would be scientifically proven to release an abnormal amount of serotonin in its listeners' brains. Orchestrated and arranged by Judee herself, the nine plus minute long closer is one of the most gorgeous and moving musical compositions ever written, and a testimony to her talent as a composer as well as just a singer/song-writer. It manages to encompass the entire emotional spectrum in just over nine minutes and to call it epic or breathtaking of transformative would be an understatement. The glorious postlude ends on an upbeat note with a Celtic sounding waltz, to kill any elegiac feelings it might have evoked with its tempestuous, flowing, layered, choral melodies.

You can tell just from the warmth of her music that she was a truly amazing, affectionate woman. Her personal struggles with drug addiction that eventually led to a tragic overdose were very unfortunate, as the world was robbed from not only her albums that never got made, but from a wonderful human being. Even though she took a break from writing music to pursue a career as a cartoonist (my kinda woman), she was working on a third album which never got officially released (although some years later, many of the demos showed up on a compilation of sorts, Dreams Come True, mixed by Jim O'Rourke). Sill’s second and final album stands as her swan song, and what a song it is.

Rating: 10/10

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Well, merde

The internet connection I was leeching is now password protected, so I have to rely on a much shakier one temporarily, which means I might not be able to upload for a while. I'm currently on hold with AT&T trying to set up an account, but the installation fee is probably going to be pricey because of my credit, or lackthereof. Either way I'm getting a solid connection soon, so once everything is set up, there shouldn't be any hold ups or gaps in posts. However the next week could be sparse on updates, but after that, expect BS to back in full force.

Edit: the technician is coming on March 5th, so after that I'll have REAL ACTUAL internet for a year!

The only other bummer I thought I'd mention is that I'm running out of new bands in my 'very best' folder to post. However I do have an extensive post punk folder, as well as a very extensive twee folder. So I apologize in advance for straying away from my usual pop/indie routine, but I always have plenty of Felt, Momus, and Durutti Column records to bombard you guys with, so don't fret.

In the meantime, be real, and BS will be back in full effect on the 5th.

Spizzenergi - Spizz Not Dead Shock! 1978-1988 (2000)

A dictionary definition of the word "pioneer" is "one of those who are first or earilest in any field of inquiry, enterprise or progress." By that definition, Spizz was not a pioneer.

But just behind every pioneer is a "second wave," which appreciates the pioneer's discoveries and learns how to implement them. Spizz falls into that group. During an all-day music festival held August 27, 1977, fledgling punk cadet, Kenneth Spiers, aka “Spizz” haphazardly hopped on stage at a Siouxsie and the Banshees set and performed a brief improvised series of songs on the microphone with a borrowed guitar, unknowingly spawning his musical career. He obviously made an impression on some label folk attending the show as he was signed backstage afterwards. He soon teamed up with fellow punk and like-minded guitarist Pete Petrol and they went on to record some lo-fi, but promising material under the moniker Spizz 77. After several name and line-up changes, Spizz 77 became Spizzoil, until reforming in 1979 as Spizzenergi, who quickly rose to popularity and became the first number one band on the embryonic UK Indie Chart in January of 1980. They recorded through Rough Trade and later A&M Records, and their music was a fundamental cadre of the underground punk movement. Combining his love for Star Trek, science fiction and futurism in general, these motifs often permeated his polytonal pop punk and were found at the staple of his sound.

This CD compilation of his work between 1978-1988, released by Cherry Red Records is filled to the brim with hooks and raw punk energy, complemented by the aforementioned science fiction themes which gave his bands an unequivocal style. Herein contains hits such as the classic “Where’s Captain Kirk,” (which Spizz did the artwork himself for the single using felt pens and showcasing his talent as an artist as well as a musician. He later went on to focus on painting when his musical projects were on a hiatus) “Spock’s Missing,” (both odes to Star Trek) “Soldier Soldier” “Mega City 3,” (As Spizzenergi: 2) “Work,” among a plethora of others. Because of the ever changing musical environments during the early 80’s, the band sort of fell apart due to their failure to adapt and stray away from the combering punk rock movement they embraced so adamantly and progress towards the more popular new wave sound that was beginning to take over. Although this could be argued to be inaccurate, and that the group from Athletico Spizz 80 onwards did espouse with new wave to an extent, I personally still label them solely as a punk band, outside of a few releases which leaned in a more progressive direction. All of this led to a lack of interest with record labels and the band sort of fizzed out briefly.

However, they were persistent and got back with Rough Trade, under the moniker Spizzenergi: 2, which saw the release of two singles, both of which were up to par with their earlier material. Eventually, despite Spizz’s perseverance throughout the remainder of the 80s, they more or less died off. Spizz still continues to occasionally tour and record, but its mostly sporadic. His legacy and influence, however, live on today as there has been a recent resurgence of interest in the group with the release of this compilation in 2000 and with their inclusion of "Where's Captain Kirk" on Mojo's best punk rock singles of all time. Spizz not dead indeed.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Carlos Reygadas - Battle in Heaven (2005)

Despite what the title will have you believe, there are no battles here outside of the internal struggles with the main character, Marcos, who is most assuredly not in heaven. Maybe some ironic titling? I went into this one blind so I wasn't expecting so much eroticism (the movie opens with a scene of hardcore fellatio being performed and there is hardcore porn and overt nudity throughout), but it ended up being quite central to the film from an obtuse angle and almost contrasting with the austere tone of the plot and the characters, aside from the general's daughter, Ana, who works in a bordello. Despite the fact that the obese, confused, guilt-stricken main character is just so detached, the sex scenes (all involving him) often come across as lethargic and emotionless, perhaps adding and not contrasting to the tone of the film. I think it would require another viewing to decide for sure, as I was a little tired while watching this, but this is one of those films that doesn't beg for a revisit; once is enough. The acting is top notch and natural, and the directing is unique, with extended, slow panning, almost indifferent shots of the purlieus, and often close ups of the unflinching characters to give clues to their latent emotions/agendas.

At first glance, Marcos, the main character appears to be entirely devoid of emotion, like some sort of farm animal, but soon we come to find out why. He and his wife kidnapped a baby for ransom and the baby ending up dying in their care. This puts a tremendous amount of guilt and mental stress on Marcos and explains his remote behavior and wandering, lost expressions throughout the film as well as his eventual mental deterioration towards the end. At it's core though, the only character with any real depth or development (if you could call it that) is Marcos, and it's a character study with a low-key, minimalistic plot centered around him, the events leading up to the his situation with the kidnapping, the unfortunate aftermath of the these events, and perpendicular to all of this, his unconditioned love for his general's daughter whom he has known since she was child and has apparently secretly had feelings for an undisclosed period of time. The climax and the finale take the nature of the already bizarre plot and just decide to run with it as things begin to tragically fall apart.

All in all, nothing too special, but it had its faculties and it used them well for what it was trying to accomplish. I could see how it could be perceived by others as boring and directionless, but maybe I'm biased as I thought the film was worth it alone for Anapola Mushkadiz's pulchritudinous breasts, which made up for any shortcomings I might have otherwise had qualms with. A good, and definitely unconventional one, but too devoid of substance to lump into the great-tier category.

Luca Guadagnino - I Am Love (2009)

The first half of this movie was boring, banal, bourgeois bullshit, cleverly disguised as a family drama...that also happened to make me very hungry and otherwise upset I wasted a good hour of my time. The latter half tries to rectify this by going in the opposite direction and was decent, but not enough to salvage the film from sinking in mediocrity. Also, the escalating tragic events were somewhat compelling, but nothing spectacular. Had the film started an hour in, and went from there it might have been a worthwhile experience. However, the first portion was just so flaccid, that not even Tilda Swinton's distinguished androgyny, convincing Italian accent, and overall solid acting, nor one rather sensual sex scene could save this one.

The Names - Swimming + Singles

The Names were a crepuscular post punk trio from Brussels, Belgium, who put out four singles and an album, all produced by Martin Hannett of Factory Records and existed during a very interesting era for music. To fully grasp their raison d'etre, you need to take things into context as there were a lot of important movements going on and things were beginning to change from the late 70’s into the 80’s and The Names certainly played a minor, yet significant part in it all. They shared a few similarities to Joy Division, although not as raw and a bit more melodic. Although, they were generally considered “dark,” and melodramatic in nature like many bands in the genre, it would be better to describe them (much like Joy Division) as having this fatalistic romanticism. At times it sounds like music to make love to during the apocalypse, with the moon inauspiciously plummeting towards earth, while the fault-lines around the globe are splitting apart devouring entire cities and everything on the horizon engulfed in a large pyre. It’s this blood-and-thunder, histrionic vibe that was central to their brooding, yet passionate style. Sadly, The Names died off in 1983 as the post punk era also came to an end, and that was that. This particular re-release contains their sole album Swimming as well as all of their singles (including my favorite B-side of theirs, “I Wish I Could Speak your Language”)

Rating: 7.5/10

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Tuxedomoon - Litebulb Overkill / Jinx (Live 1980)

Taken from the Umbrellas in the Sun DVD

EX-pansions and bigGER hits

Expanding the blog to some new horizons in the upcoming months, most notably the inclusion of interviews with some of our favorite older bands, as well as contemporary acts, and the introduction of a monthly podcast (which will hopefully one day transform into a live radio show) entitled BUD KLUB, featuring Budd Dwyer (yours truly), Buddy Holly (Jezy Gray), and occasional special guest when we can get the teleconferencing thing worked out, Cannabis Sativa (Alan Palomo of Neon Indian fame). All I can say right now is that we're working on the technical aspects, Darcy Clay's "What About It" will be our theme song and you should expect the first edition by mid March. Be vigiliant; good things to come from BS in the future.

Also, we're approaching the celebration of 20,000 unique visitors since our humble nascent beginnings in June, 5,000 of which have occurred within the last month (which means 1/4 of our visitors have stopped by recently, which means rapid growth for our userbase). When we reach the 20,000 mark I may do a special of some sorts to commemorate the event. Our hits should reach that number by tomorrow. Not sure what I'm gonna do yet, probably just post a Felt album. The golden rule of BS: when all else fails, post a Felt album.

Thanks for everyone out there who takes the time to read, listen and look. It may not be the most eloquent of endeavors, but we try our best, and take pride in this blog, and hope you frequenters and passersby obtain something of value from it.

Octave Mirbeau - The Torture Garden (1899)

"So what good are all these fruitless discussions; for in the eternal battle of the sexes, we are always conquered - and we can do nothing about it - and none of us as yet, be he misogynist or feminist, has found a more perfect instrument of pleasure, or any other means of reproduction, than woman." ~"The Manuscript"

"Woman possesses the cosmic force of an element, an invincible force of destruction, like nature's. She is, in herself alone, all nature! Being the matrix of life, she is by that very fact the matrix of death - since it is from death that life is perpetually reborn, and since to annihilate death would be to kill life at its only fertile source." ~"The Manuscript"

Francis Bacon

As an artist myself, this man's work often makes me feel like a knuckle-dragging troglodyte/uncultured cur because I know I will never be able to come anywhere close to producing something so awe-inspiring or imaginative as this. What Bacon does with color and form is just beyond me...without a doubt, one of the greats.

Francis Bacon - Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (1944)

Chris Marker - Sans Soleil (1983)

This film was just immaculate. Yes, I just dropped the nuclear warhead of praising adjectives, and deservingly so. The film is, at its core, a mediation on two very opposing cultures and the nexus between time and memory, among a cluster of other things. It's immensely poetic and the overdubbed narration in the form of letters sent by a fictional traveler (obviously intended to be a shadow of Marker himself) are presented in a stream of consciousness style which transition rapidly alongside the visuals. With all its tangents, at times I found the film to be a bit recondite (even a bit pretentious, although in a good way), which I can't say often in regards to cinema. A few of the more memorable scenes were the shots of the enervated Japanese on trains, nodding off after a tiresome day juxtaposed with various clips from Japanese television, giving a visceral effect and look into the identity of their culture or the brutal murder of the giraffe which was equal parts horrifying and captivating in a morbid, grabbing way. The fact that this film was done entirely by one man, armed with a single 16mm Beaulieu silent film camera in conjunction with a non-sync portable tape recorder, not to mention edited solely by the same man is also quite impressive. Very glad I finally got around to watching this. Need to watch La jetée next.

The KLF - The White Room (1991)

The KLF. The Ancients of MuMu. The JAMs. Whatever you wish to call them or they wish to call themselves it does not matter. What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said a hundred times over by a hundred other bloggers before me? It’s the most punk rock rave record ever conceived. The whole concept behind the album and what they did with the money as an artistic/philosophical/political statement is just unprecedented and no one has come even remotely close to doing anything so ambitious or absurd since. For those that aren’t aware, the idea was to systematically create a hit record (which they succeeded in doing, and Bill Drummond even wrote a manifesto of sorts on how to do it entitled, simply, “The Manual”), then burn all of the money they made off of its record sales in a fire and video tape the event, which subsequently became a short film/documentary entitled “The KLF Burn a Million Quid.” Its pure fucking genius and not only that but the most ballsy statement anyone could possibly consider making – and they made it.

Most importantly, beyond all of this, the album itself is fantastic. They picked a genre that was popular during a certain period of time and just hit the ball out of the park. The quality of the craftsmanship on The White Room surpasses any other early 90s techno/house release by a mile. They essentially copycatted their peers and did so much better than the “real” acts in doing so. You can put this album on and jam out to some truly awesome electronic music, with undertones (such as “Build a Fire”) that hint at the purpose behind it, making it that more of a piece of art work. So, in the end, you’re not just listening to a singular recording of a collection of songs, rather, something much grander in scope.

Bill Drummond has since said publicly that he somewhat regrets burning the money (which wasn’t a petty amount), and that is kind of saddening because it sort of takes away from the powerful nature of the act. However, despite potential regrets, they did something truly remarkable and unique that has yet to be surpassed, and that’s the important part. They just did it; something 99% of the world’s population would deem stupid or crazy, and they had a valid reason for doing it. I personally think it’s one of the biggest "fuck you’s" to global capitalism that’s ever been given and for that alone the record is worth downloading. But like I said, it’s a damn fine record to boot. If you don’t have this in your collection, I mean it – no ifs, ands, or buts – proceed straight to the link below and start downloading immediately. This album will one day be recognized as one of the greatest works of art in modern music. Until then, enjoy it on the many levels it was meant to be enjoyed: as an album consisting of 9 songs, lasting just over 44 minutes; but also, as something more, something grandiose and monumental. "3AM Eternal"

Rating: 10/10

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The fact that there are 55 "dislikes" for this video on youtube is an abomination, a travesty. Somebody hunt these heretics down and slice their Achilles tendons with a butcher's knife.

Swans - Love Will Tear us Apart (cover)

Since Michael Gira is going to devour my soul tonight at the Palladium, a vintage video of Swans' classic cover of one of the best songs ever written (and a complete antithesis to my previous post). Notice how M. Gira looks kind of like a 90s teen idol in this vid. Only he could pull off that kinda shit. Gotta dig it.

Saint Etienne - Kiss and Make Up

This one goes out to Rachel Detroit:

The Friendly Fires - Selected Discography

These are two fairly short EPs, so I'll write a laconic summary of them to keep things simple. Obviously inspired by New Order (and as a few other blogs have pointed out, Close Lobsters as well, who I have to admit I haven't really listened to much), The Friendly Fires' first 7", Arkansas on Deadbug records is composed of resplendent, heaven-sent 80's new wave with jangly guitars and velvety vocals. Every song on here is pop perfection, especially the title track "Arkansas" and "Looks Like Rain" both which sound like they could have been New Order B-sides.

They had two other EPs during their evanescent time as a band (they were only zoetic for a year or so between '86 and '87), the second of which, I Said to Him 12", is featured here as well. It's not quite as good as Arkansas, and kind of sounds like more of the same (although they definitely changed their style up slightly), but its still decent. I may come back and edit this and write more on these guys later (I had a difficult time hunting down info on them for some reason), but I'm a little hungover and and have school stuff to attend to. In the meantime, enjoy.

Features:

Arkansas 7" EP (1986)
I Said to Him 12" EP (1986)

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We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

April's gonna be an awesome month for new music. New John Maus AND new Holy Shit releases. I thought neither would ever see the light of day.



THE REAL DEAL

They Must be Russians - Selected Discography

Sheffield based post punk funk band, They Must be Russians were some of the unsung heroes of the genre, generally overshadowed by bigger bands of the era such as Orange Juice and Gang of Four. Their sojourn in obscurity was due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, their sound was not too particularly unique, and secondly because of label and promotional issues. However, they had a few groovin' jams in their brief catalog, which consisted of 2 LPs and a handful of EPs/singles in the late 70s and early 80s, most notably the killer titular hit-that-never-was-and-should-have-been, "Chains" on the Chains EP (which rivals anything OJ was putting out around that time). Featuring funky guitar riffs and bass lines, synthesized grooves, and a bangin' beat backing the track, it's a powerhouse and definitely their catchiest song. Why it didn't make their debut full length while the still solid, but not quite as enticing track "Gramophone" did is a total conundrum. Why a ton of their other songs are on youtube but "Chains" is not is also quite perplexing. With the inclusion of "Chains," their self-titled album could have been an underground classic, but instead it kind of drifted under the radar, even with the aid of their friends in higher places (Cabaret Voltaire, who assisted with production).

Don't get me wrong, it's still decent music, just not earth-shattering or genre defining by any means. I might even go as far as calling this group a one hit wonder, but that'd be unfair because like I said most of the stuff on their self-titled is above average for this genre, which saw a slew of doppelgangers during the epoch of its existence. It's just nothing to write home about. The main reason these releases were so sought after for the longest time and the reason I'm sharing this today is because of their recherché status. I'd really like to get my hands on their second and final (not to mention ultra rare) LP, Groundless Accusations, but it seems to be no where in sight. If anyone knows where I could find that release, please point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance and enjoy!

Collection features:

s/t 7" EP (1979)
Chains 12" EP (1983)
s/t LP (1983)

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End of the week art round-up

Egon Schiele - The Fighter (1913)

Egon Schiele - Two Women (1915)

Emil Nolde - Mask Still Life III (1911)

Emil Nolde - White Tree Trunks (1908)