Elastica - Stutter (1993)

I like the sound, a kind of 70s-early 80s punk new wave sound but with modern pop added to the mix. The synthesizer is a killer and singer Kali Holloway’s voice is great, sometimes very sweet and pop and sometimes edgy and punk. Here and there The Affair remind me of contemporaneous The Eames Era, and a few times I can hear Siouxsie Sioux lurking behind Holloway’s voice. The songs however tend to float into each other and become indistinguishable. It took me several listenings before a few tracks stood out enough to be identified.

Even if it’s the one track here that sets itself apart from the rest the most, I have to pick “Andy”. It’s a really sweet and catchy song with lots of the awesome synthesizer and it almost seems like it’s coming from decades lost.

Also, an honorary mention of the song “The Chase”, a lovely punk number at just under 2 minutes.

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Cross-posted at My Own Private Alderaan.

I’m going to go through my record collection, record by record, write a few lines about each one and, most importantly, pick one song off of every record to be collected in a sort of record collection mixtape.

What do you think of that?

My record collection is very dear to me but otherwise not particularly impressive; it’s just a bunch of records I like. There are no rarities (I think), very few singles even by artists I really like and no complete discographies (except maybe if Joy Division’s Heart and soul box counts). If you want to take a look it’s here on rateyourmusic.com. But impressive or not, it currently holds 625 titles (not counting the dvds, cos Madonna’s In bed with Madonna isn’t really a record now is it) so this project will take some time. If you’re somewhat familiar with math you’ll realize, as I just did, that even if I write about one record a day - which I, for the record, WON’T - it’ll take a bit shy of two years to complete, and it’s not like I won’t buy more records during the process. So, phew.

Though, I’ve decided, the few singles I DO have won’t be included unless they contain some really good song, cos seriously, what’s the point in choosing one song out of two, or worse, three remixes of the same song?

So there are the ground rules. Maybe if you’re nice, you can get a copy of the mixtapes (on cd) along the way. I’ll also probably start a playlist on Spotify called My Record Collection Mixtape and share with whoever wants it, but given the big gaps in Spotify’s selection, it will probably be far from complete.

Now, for part 1 of this, The Record Collection Mixtapes, the first title. Bigger, Better, Faster, More! by 4 Non Blondes.

I bought this record used for 15 Sek (that about $2 at the current rate), I know this cos it still has the price-tag left, and it’s dusty too! Mental note; need to clean or change plastic thing. So, I really didn’t consider it before buying, more than that I really like their early 90s hit single “What’s Up” (which is actually a clearly feminist song, something I didn’t realize until years after the fact, but is really cool considering what a big hit it was), which in itself was worth the 15 Sek. I really like Linda Perry too, the awesome singer who at the time wore ridiculously large hats. The 90’s was a strange place. (What an awesome timing, too, since Perry has co-written a lot of material to Hole’s coming album that I wrote about the other day.)

It’s an okay record, some good songs and some not so good ones. The sound, albeit very early 90s sounding (think metal-grunge, Red Hot Chili Peppers funk and radio music like the Spin Doctors), varies a bit. There’s the funky “No place like home”, the bluesy “Pleasantly blue”, the Soundgardeny/Alice in Chainsy “Calling all the people” and lots of Perry’s signature “What’s Up?” yells. I can’t help but pick the obvious song here, but I am sorry that I never really listened to the album until now. This is already turning out to be a great project. I think I’m gonna have to check out Perry’s solo albums soon.

The chosen song, of course, being “What’s Up?”.

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Cross-posted on my own blog My Own Private Alderaan.

She’s reformed Hole! Without Eric! And she’s releasing the album as Hole instead of as herself. AND NOBODY TOLD ME! And according to someone on rateyourmusic.com, and oh of course this on Spin, he’s not too happy about it. Drama aside, this is weird. Is it a marketing thing? That she didn’t sell as many records with her own name as she did with Hole? Given, she is the VOICE of Hole, but isn’t a band more than that? Also, Hole was always girls and Eric, now it’s Courtney and three guys. I’m not against change per se, but this is weird for me, it really is.

The album is going to be released at the end of April and this time it really is, right? Yeah, well, we’ve heard it before. The website says April 26th and 27th.

Music wise, I’m not sure yet. I mean, I’m gonna buy it, and listen to it, when it comes out, cos I’m a sucker for Courtney, but I’m not sure yet what I think of what I’ve heard from it. There’s a single up on their MySpace, “Skinny Little Bitch”, that doesn’t really speak to me. I don’t dislike it, but it doesn’t do anything for me, yet. I’ll have to listen to it 20 more times. However, it wouldn’t be the first time for something of Courtney’s to take a while before sinking in. There’s also a video of “Samantha” up on their youTube Channel and on the website. It’s supposedly a second coming single, and on the album (or so says Wikipedia).

As an old fan of Hole I guess I should be thrilled, and I guess in a way I am. Finally an album after such a long time. An album that, judging from the two songs I’ve hear so far, does sound like a natural next step from Celebrity Skin and America’s Sweetheart. Again, more mature than the one before. Following the pattern. Though at the same time I watch her perform “Samantha” and I’m not feeling it. What I definitely felt watching the singles from Live Through This. What I still felt watching her live in ‘99 on Hultsfred Festival. What I sometimes still feel listening to her solo album. I don’t know. Maybe I just need time to reconnect to the aged Courtney. Hell. I’m fucking aged as well.

What do You think?

A-ha - Hunting high and low (1986. With japanese subtitles)

The Bloody Beetroots are 2 djs from Venice (Italy). Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo and Tommy Tea. The first one is “the man”, he produces all the Beetroots tracks and have full control on the duo’s business. Tommy was his tour manager and being himself a skilled DJ, it came natural to have him on his side on stage. Altogether with the Crookers and Congo Rock, they are the most respected and known Italian electro acts in the world. A combination of some killer remixes (Proxy, Benny Benassi, Robin, Alphabeat, Alex Gopher to name a few), 2 EP’s (”Rombo” - 2008 and “Cornelius” - 2008) and an album (”Romborama” - August 2009) out on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak records, and their black spiderman masks made these two guys become one of the hottest DJ sets around the globe. They are able to turn dance floors into mosh pits and they love to talk of their music as a mix of classical and punk rock.

Signore e signori, un caloroso applauso a The Bloody Beetroots!

The Bloody Beetroots - WARP (2009)

The Bloody Beetroots - Cornelius (2008)

Guided by Voices - Smothered in hugs (1994) (video by rockynotgoon)