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Avenue Aussie Mix 2007
23/09/2007
Here is the big Aussie podcast I've been working on for a month. It's as finished as it's ever going to get.
I've added songs, removed them, put them back, rearranged the playing order... There is just so much that I want to include and there is no way to possibly do it!!!
In the end I opted to stick with indie bands and steer clear of more well known stuff that you may have already heard. This means that I yanked out the INXS, Met At Work, and Midnight Oil and stuck in stuff like the Lucksmiths, Hummingbirds, and the Zebras.
For those of you out there who are indie kids, I have also added a couple of special treats: a new song from Even As We Speak, and a relatively unknown gem by the Sugargliders. Also, quite a few of the songs are either long out of print, or only available on
vinyl, which makes for a special treat for those of us who no longer
own turntables!
I hope you enjoy the mix!!
Girl From Hinterland - Tender EnginesSmokers In Love - The LucksmithsMystical Girl - The Summer SunsShaky Ground - SneezeUndecided - AutohazeDon't Go Now - RatcatAlimony - The HummingbirdsPinball Summer - SekidenLever - The Mavis'sHell Bent Suicidal Over You Baby - The RainyardI'm Dreaming - The Pearly GatecrashersUnion Station - SimpaticoYou Look Ready - The ZebrasLeave The Ground - JupiterGive Me Some Confidence - The SugarglidersPostcard From Paradise - Dead Famous PeopleLet It Shine - Even As We SpeakA Faraway Place - The Guild League
I did my best to find a useful link for each of the bands, but it wasn't always possible since many of the bands are pretty obscure, having only recorded a couple of 7" singles back in the day!
The Lucksmiths, The Zebras, The Guild League, and Even As We Speak are still around, though! You can get their music from the links associated with them in this sentence. Remember to support the artists you like and buy the albums... as for the other bands... if you want to get your hands on any of these recordings, by all means check out eBay or Music Stack!
I also recommend buying the CD Just A Taste (A Summershine Compilation) from Slumberland Records, which is available from Amazon (believe it or not). It is a fantastic CD and includes a few tracks that are featured here.
You might also be interested in Tomorrow's Hits Today, but I was less keen on it than the Just A Taste compilation.
As Always, I hope you enjoy the podcast! Until Next Time Lovers: Unite!
Monday Mixes: Mash-Up featuring Anne Dudley, Jaz Coleman, Renegade Soundwave, and Depeche Mode
17/09/2007
Monday Mixes: a new irregular Avenue Podcast feature. Monday Mixes will feature songs that I have remixed myself. This first one is a doozy; and it has a LONG history.
Minarets and Memories (Birdiennumnums' Strangelove Mash-up) - Anne Dudley and Jaz Coleman
This mix has been hanging around since the early 1990s, when the two main songs were still fairly new. Considering it's barely three and a half minutes long, you'd be surprised how many hours went into perfecting it.
I used to work at a major record store in my hometown, and I was in
charge of ordering and tracking new releases from overseas,
specifically alternative music. As was the case then (and still is now, to some degree) independent and alternative music is often only released on vinyl initially, so our department was the only one that still stocked vinyl. This gave me the opportunity to not only play any vinyl I wanted throughout the day (ostensibly as a means of promoting it's sales, of course) but to practise
my mixing skills on the turntables.
When you are standing in front of a set of turntables for 8 hours a day, you often come up with strange ideas about what would sound good together. This mix, to me, is like chocolate and peanut butter: it sounds ridiculous until you try it.
Initially the mix consisted only of two songs: "Minarets and Memories" by Anne Dudley and Jaz Coleman (from their spectacular album Tales From The Victorious City) overlaid with "Thunder II", the then latest single from Renegade Soundwave.
In case you don't know what the original tracks sound like, "Minarets
and Memories" sounds a bit like traditional Egyptian folk music, with very little percussion and bass. "Thunder II", on the other hand, is a house/trance track that
is very heavy on the bass and percussion, and not much else.
This mix was one that I would often spin together while working, not just because it was strange sounding enough to get people's attention as they were shopping in other departments, but because I really liked it. While mixing one day, I recorded it onto a cassette, and it was that cassette which I recently found, prompting me to create this mix.
About a year ago I asked someone to help me get my hands on a copy of the Renegade Soundwave track (I have the original CD single back home in Montreal, bought back in '92 specifically because of this mix), but I had no way of getting my hands on it. Finding the Anne Dudley and Jaz Coleman album was no problem, as I have that here with me in Taiwan.
Once I was able to get my hands on the Renegade Soundwave track again, I was all set. As I was mixing them together, though, I thought it might be fun to add some kind of vocal track into the mix. The software I have now allows me to do that, whereas the original two turntables didn't. That's where Depeche Mode comes in.
I used a few choice pieces of their song "Strangelove" since it happens to be in the same key as "Minarets
and Memories".
While I was at it, I added a few verses of "Just Say Yes" by the Cure for the same reason, as well as a small sampling of The Smiths' "Girlfriend In A Coma". It was fun; but WAY too busy.
I got rid of most of the bits by the Cure, but I kept the sample from The Smiths. The Depeche Mode vocals have been modified somewhat and mixed differently, giving the song a more even flow, and I think it works really well now; but you can be the judge of that.
Aside from the vocal bits, this is essentially the same mix from all those years ago. I had a ball making this mash-up! I hope you enjoy it.
Until next time... Lovers: Unite!
2FER-Tuesday: Autohaze
12/09/2007
OK... so last week I was a day early with the 2FER-Tuesday, and this week I'm a day late... at least it isn't Friday yet!
Last week's 2FER was a band I discovered while I was in Australia... this week, in keeping with the theme of my recent trip to Australia... here is an indie band that is actually from down under, featuring four guys who like their guitars loud and full of fuzz.
Shortwave RadioHanging Around
I first heard about Autohaze from a compilation CD released on Slumberland Records in the US called Just a Taste (A Summershine Records compilation).
This CD shows up on eBay from time to time (there's one there as I
write this) and it is REALLY worth it! In fact, a handful of songs from
this CD will be appearing in next week's big Aussie Podcast!
These guys hail from Melbourne and released songs on both the legendary Summershine Records in their native Australia, as well as for Creation Records in the UK!
A vague collection of hits is available and goes under two different names, Stumblebum (in Australia) and Weight Of The Sky (in the US). The track listing is the same for both. If you like what you hear and you are looking to buy some music by Autohaze, your best bet would be Amazon or eBay. None of their CDs are currently in print, but for the most part they are pretty easily obtainable.
Enjoy!
...until next time: Lovers UNITE!
2FER-Tuesday: The Indelicates
04/09/2007
Here is a little something I discovered while on vacation in Australia... much thanks to Tommy D! (you can expect more Australian discoveries in upcoming podcasts!)
This is a new band from England, and these two songs have been on heavy rotation in my iPod for a couple of weeks now.
In keeping with my C86 trend, the band features both a male and a female vocalists (The female singer is rumoured to have been the original lead singer of the Pipettes)... but that's where any semblance of C86 ends.
These guys are definitely not twee. They rock out. In fact, they remind me of The Boomtown Rats a little... but don't let that put you off!
Warning: both tracks contain explicit language.
We Hate The KidsJulia, We Don't Live in the 60s
Both tracks in this 2FER are from vinyl, although it appears that the second track, Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s, has been issued on CD on an EP of the same name. Also available is the band's second single, The Last Significant Statement in Rock and Roll, which is equally as good... but this is a 2FER, not a threesome, so choices had to made!
At the time of this writing, their debut single, We Hate The Kids is still available exclusively on 7" vinyl (the A-side is slated to appear on their upcoming full length, due in early 2008). The Last Significant Statement in Rock and Roll EP is also still available and both can be picked up directly from the record company, Sad Gnome Records for a very decent price.
Julia, We Don't Live in the 60s 3-track EP is available on CD from AMAZON or from Recordstore.co.uk. Amazon also carries the 7" version.
Check out the band on MySpace
Simon Indelicate : Lead Guitar/Vocals
Julia Indelicate : Piano/Vocals
Alastair Clayton : Guitars
Kate Newberry : Bass
Ed van Beinum : Drums
C86 Revisited (Part 3): The Field Mice (You're Kidding, Aren't You?)
16/08/2007
Nope. I'm not kidding. These guys are quite possibly one of my favourite indie bands of all-time... and I just can't explain it! They're quirky and their music is all over the place stylistically... but I love them.
Are they C86? Well... in so far as they were a definite D.I.Y. band and they were part of the famous Sarah Records label, I would have to say yes. They are certainly one of the grandfathers of the indie scene, in my opinion. Their music has been covered by numerous artists including label mates Aberdeen (Emma's House) and Saint Etienne (Kiss and Make Up).
Members of the band are still alive and kicking and producing some wonderful music (though none of it is as endearing to me as my beloved Field Mice!): Harper Lee, Brighter, Picture Centre, Northern Picture Library, Occasional Keepers, Trembling Blue Stars... each of these bands stems directly from a member (or two!) of the Field Mice. Despite the fact that you've quite possibly never heard of them, the Field Mice were one of the most influential indie bands of the late 80s and early 90s.
Their music still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
You're Kidding Aren't YouCoach Station ReunionIf You Need SomeoneEverything About YouI Can See Myself Alone ForeverThis Love Is Not WrongSensitiveThe World To MeWhen Morning Comes To TownI Thought WrongCanadaMissing The MoonFive MomentsEmma's HouseSeptember's Not So Far AwayEnd Of The AffairBetween Hello And GoodbyeA Winter's Dawn
This podcast features songs that have recently been re-issued on the fantastic label LTM. Do yourself a favour and go check them out. Scroll down on their page to find the link to their full discography.
At the time of this writing, all the Field Mice's output is available in beautifully remastered packages that include bonus tracks previously unavailable on CD, songs that have been out of print for nearly 20 years, and a few previously unreleased gems (including the track that graces the number 10 position in this week's podcast, I Thought Wrong)
The link directly to the Field Mice CDs is here and, as you can see, the albums are really beautifully packaged. At Â10 each (shipping included) they are a real bargain, especially the Skywriting album, which has been expanded to 2 CDs and is still selling for the same low price of only ten pounds!
Track 14 from the Emma's House 7" (also appears as a bonus track on LTM's Snowball CD reissue)
Tracks 7 and 9 are from the Sensitive 7" (Reissued on Snowball as bonus tracks)
Tracks 3 and 8 are from The Autumn Store (Part 1) 7" EP (Reissued on Skywriting as bonus tracks)
Tracks 15 and 17 from the September's Not So Far Away 7" (Reissued on For Keeps as bonus tracks)
Track 12 from the Missing The Moon 10" EP (Reissued on For Keeps as a bonus track)
Track 5 originally released as a one-off single for Bob Stanley's CAFF records (Reissued on Snowball a bonus track)
Tracks 1, 4, 6, and 16 are from the Snowball 10"
Track 11 from the Skywriting 12"
Tracks 2, 13 from For Keeps 12".
Track 10 issued for the first time ever on the Skywriting reissue as a bonus track.
Track 18 of this podcast is a very rare track called A Winter's Dawn. It was recorded just after the official announcement that the Field Mice were no more, and features only Bobby and Annemarie. It was released on a compilation under the name The Yesterday Sky. Since Bobby and Annemarie were such an important part of the Field Mice, I felt this rarely heard track was a fitting closing to the podcast... until I decided it might be fun to use a snippet from the crazy experimental track (Humblebee) that closes the original Skywriting LP to close the entire thing, using the mantra that graced several Field Mice t-shirt designs back in the day:
Love - Sex - Chocolate
Until next time... Lovers: Unite!
Do let me know if you enjoy this week's podcast, and remember to support the artists and buy the re-issues! You won't be disappointed!
