random tunes part 7

seems thursday night has become random tunes time
fire up the iriver, select tunes, select random and then play 10 tunes
see what comes out and listen, get all nostalgic and/or take a close listen
at whatever tune the device decides needs my attention for a few minutes
i think i have about 90 discs loaded into the player totalling just over 1,000 tunes
there's capacity for about 5,000 so need to get onto loading in some more cd's
but i'm being a bit pedantic about that and only putting in ones i really enjoy
just so my only little private radio station only plays the very best (according to me)
i surrender by david sylvian
seriously good start to tonights proceedings
this one the opening track from his 1999 album dead bees on a cake
a long, slow, laconic number featuring exquisite wah-wah guitar noises
sounds also like a full orchestra at his disposal and very nicely mixed in
this man is one of my all-time favourites and one of only a few such artists i'm yet to see live
i see he has returned to the live scene and currently is performing throughout europe - damn
iskeche romani by mustafa kandirali
sometimes i believe you have go to take a punt on an album without much to go on
heard one track from this elder turkish gypsy clarinetist and shelled out top dollar on an import cd
it's a superb album full of what i would call middle eastern soul music
this one sounds like what you would get if you handed traditional turkish instruments to a speed metal band
in it's correct hands it's fast and furious and oozing with authenticity
love of my life by richard hawley
this ex guitarist with uk band pulp embarked on a solo career a number of years ago
i can understand why as he can write a beautiful song, has a great voice and an ear for melody
the album that this one is from is the total package - late night final - every home should have one
seriously - i have played the album to all age groups and everyone asks who it is
this is a really slow, laid-back, stripped back song with echoey production - very nice
black mirror by the arcade fire
canadian outfit taking the music world by storm - performed at glastonbury this year
it would be churlish to suggest (again) echoes of the bunnymen but it's the voice you see
though go past that and there's a brilliant willingness to go way past traditional pop-rock sounds
i believe they are a fairly large combo anyway but this tune seems to have that and more
sounds like the string and percussion section of a full orchestra mixed in here
they are going to be around and revered for a long time i suspect
bahriye ciftetellsi by mustafa kandirali
now the chances of 2 tracks off the same album appearing in one session are about 1 in 100
but i'm going to go with even though i seriously suspect my random play feature
the striking thing with this track is the production
every note of every instrument can be clearly heard
and it's not a bad tune either - shows off his clarinet virtuosity very well
lazyboat by triosk
local sydney based 3 piece 'jazz' outfit that i believe have the right balance
between serious musicianship and serious noise noodling stuff
some say the necks and i say ok but completely unintentional
this track would be about as close as they get sonically to that outfit
but then lawrence pikes fast and subtle percussion playing stamps triosk all over it
taken from their third and latest album headlight serenades
how little we need to be happy by david sylvian
and he demonstrates this by pushing this song out with minimal instrumentation
someone is thrashing around on an acoustic guitar - presumably the man himself
this is from his minimal instrument album from 2003 titled blemish
i think he put it out to test the dedication of his audience
it takes a long time to get into it but i perservered and now it's staple stuff
i just don't know why he's not regarded as per eno, bowie, byrne, etc
though i suspect he has never been forgiven for being seen as part of the 80's new romantic scene
catfish blues by taj mahal
disclaimer - me not a blues affecianado at all but when it comes like this i can well get into it
the album this one is from is a superb afro-blues album with zanzibar based musicians
had the total pleasure of seeing taj mahal and his 3 piece band at the basement earlier this year
walked out with a smile a mile wide on my face - it was a rare musical treat
this track is the classic blues number with the east african feel and great production
forever my friend by ray lamontagne
taken from his first album trouble
i'm not sure about this chap - i like him but i have a fear he may fade away
his first album is good, the second one better, the third will be defining
this tune reminds me of james taylor of the 70's - same style and lyrics
which of course is not a bad thing especially considering some of his other tunes
as with this one he sticks very closely to acoustic guitar, strings, drums, bass - nice
i should have known better by yo la tengo
from the most interesting titled album of last year - i am not afraid of you and will beat your ass
for those kiwis in the audience be assured that 80's flying nun music had an influence internationally
exhibit a - this tune is everything you hear in the clean, the bats, the chills, etc, etc
exhibit b - they had david kilgour (clean) on stage at the metro earlier this year in a clear-cut case of mutual admiration
this trio are from deep, dark, contemporary new york and specialise in every tune being absolutely different to every other

that's it folk(s) - 10 more random tunes
much-o fun-o
til next time...