Best of 2019 mix, Volume 2

 

It's been quite a prolific year on this blog, which I will bring to an end with more of my favourite songs from the past 12 months. Maybe one day I could compile a "Best of the 2010s" mix...

Personally, it's been a very difficult year, having been evicted from my home of many years and having to move away from South London where I have lived most of my life. Losing my independence, plus not seeing my friends or visiting my regular haunts I've found rather depressing and something I'm still trying to deal with over a year later. Immersing myself into this blog and compiling all of these mixes I've found somewhat therapeutic, helping keep me relatively sane with all the madness going on around where I am living now. Hopefully things will improve in the next year, though of course that could lead to much fewer posts! 

Special thanks to my good friend Sarah who provided the original photo (which I've tweaked a little bit...) for the artwork. Happy new year to everyone and I hope you enjoy this latest collection of tunes.

  1. Pere Ubu - Flicking Cigarettes at the Sun (3:20)

  2. The Winstons - Rocket Belt (3:00)
  3. Sebastian Field - Liberty Bell (5:02)
  4. Boogarins - Dislexia ou Transe (3:13)
  5. Edwyn Collins - Outside (1:57)
  6. Automatic - Humanoid (3:15)
  7. Léo Mirland - Tout est Temporaire (3:50)
  8. Kaleta & Super Yamba Band - Hungry Man, Angry Man (3:58)
  9. Masaki Batoh - Dum Spiro Spero (3:04)
10. that dog. - Drip Drops (2:26)
11. Purple Pilgrims - Two Worlds Apart (3:42)
12. Teeth of the Sea - Fortean Steed (3:56)
13. Karl Hector and The Malcouns - Mother Seletta (8:05)
14. Jangada Pirata - Ah, Não Vai Dar (4:53)
15. Clinic - Ferryboat of the Mind (2:09)
16. Mermaidens - The Cut (3:43)
17. Mikal Cronin - I've Got Reason (3:44)
18. Professor Wouassa - Iba Niawoulo (7:48)
19. Dolphin Midwives - Grass Grow (4:27)
20. Jouis - Effloresce (4:08)

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Songs from Beneath the Sultana Tree, Volume 1 (revised version)

The second variation on the Spaghetti Tree mixes, this mix has one common theme which shouldn't be too hard to decipher... First posted on mixcloud 3+ years ago, when collecting all the tracks in FLAC to recreate for this blog, I wasn't completely satisfied with the finished result, so I've made a few changes. Below is the original mix as it appeared on mixcloud, it would be interesting to know which one you prefer! The revised version will appear on mixcloud soon. 
Edit: Revised version now on mixcloud

  1. Turid - Song (4:28)
  2. Magik Markers - American Sphinx Face (6:45)
  3. Project Pollen - Scum (4:11)
  4. Melt-Banana - Spider Snipe (2:12)
  5. Lhasa - Anywhere on This Road (4:35)
  6. Throwing Muses - Snakeface (3:28)
  7. Jane Weaver - Oh You Lucky Ones (3:58)
  8. Even as We Speak - Spirit of Progress (3:43)
  9. Viv Albertine - Confessions of a MILF (5:30)
10. Team Dresch - #1 Chance Pirate TV (3:04)
11. Sonic Youth - Flower (3:32)
12. Beverly Copeland - Nothing Beautiful (5:27)
13. Faye Wong - Duòluò (3:39)
14. Nancy Priddy - Mystic Lady (6:30)
15. Jan & Lorraine - Bird of Passage (3:53)
16. Bongwater - Obscene & Pornographic Art (3:19)
17. ESG - Moody (Spaced Out) (4:15)
18. Elizabeth Anka Vajagic - Where You Wonder (6:50)

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Songs from Beneath the Skronk Tree

 

In the early days of the Spaghetti Tree mixes, I deviated from the series a couple of times. These were titled Songs from Beneath the Sultana Tree, and Songs from Beneath the Skronk Tree. This one came about when somebody asked me "what exactly is skronk?" Instead of trying to formulate some kind of answer, I thought making a mix would be a better explanation. 
According to the dictionary, skronk is: "popular music of a kind that is experimental and deliberately discordant." Well, I'm not too sure if any of the songs here would be described as popular, but there's plenty of experimental and discordant sounds to be heard. This mix isn't for the faint-hearted, some might even find some of it (if not all of it) unlistenable! Like my Spaghetti Tree mixes this was on mixcloud only, but have now decided to recreate for my blog. As ever, origin of each track is included in the download file. I hope (some) of you enjoy!

Note: Track 7, by Ruins, is a "bonus track" which wasn't included on the original mixcloud mix.

  1. Laura Huxley - Introduction (0:26)

  2. Slapp Happy - Haiku (3:01)
  3. Dog Faced Hermans - Calley (4:10)
  4. Add N to (X) - Buckminster Fuller (3:34)
  5. Officer! - Apply (3:11)
  6. Paul Vickers & the Leg - Somewhere Between No & Yes (2:46)
  7. Ruins - Hexagon (2:44)
  8. John Hill - Elara (2:56)
  9. The Residents - Daydream Believer (2:55)
10. Krackhouse - My Revolution (1:36)
11. Melt-Banana - Humming Jackalope, Waiting for the Storm... (4:04)
12. Peter Jefferies - Domesticia (2:19)
13. Het - Throw Out That Rag (7:03)
14. Arto Lindsay - In the City That Reads (3:29)
15. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Wild Life (3:07)
16. Picchio dal Pozzo - Uccellin del Bosco (3:13)
17. John Greaves, Peter Blegvad, Lisa Herman - Gegenstand (3:43)
18. Chrome - Fukishima (Nagasaki) (3:29)
19. Spacebox - Sing Sung Song (4:05)
20. The Ex - House Carpenter (4:06)
21. Gurun Gurun - Tsuki ni Te (5:33)
22. When - Those Grey Cats Invisible (3:16)
23. Vertø - Krig (4:56)

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Kendra Smith - In Your Head: An anthology 1982-1995

 

Kendra Smith, born March 14 1960, is an American musician who was a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, a member of Opal, and later recorded as a solo artist. She recorded just the one album with The Dream Syndicate, on their debut album "The Days of Wine and Roses" in 1982. The only track she sang lead vocals on is included here. After leaving the band she formed the "supergroup" Rainy Day with David Roback, from Rain Parade, also featuring Vicki Peterson and Susanna Hoffs from The Bangles. The one album they recorded in 1984 was a collection of cover songs, two of which Smith sang lead vocals on. Those are also included on this anthology.

Smith and Roback went on to form Opal, who released the magnificent album "Happy Nightmare Baby" in 1987. This was their sole studio album, but a collection of early recordings, aptly titled "Early Recordings" was released in 1989. A year later a bootleg album "Early Recordings Volume 2" appeared, this included many rare tracks but sadly the quality of most of these tracks is rather poor. The band did continue after Smith's departure, her replacement being Hope Sandoval, changing their name to the much more successful Mazzy Star.

Smith went solo after this, releasing the mini-album "The Guild of Temporal Adventurers" in 1992 and her excellent final(?) solo album "Five Ways of Disappearing" in 1995. After this album things got a bit murky, apparently retiring to the woods of northern California for 20+ years. When The Dream Syndicate reunited in 2017 for the album "How Did I Find Myself Here?" it was quite the surprise when Smith appeared on it, albeit on the one track "Kendra's Dream", singing lead vocals. A year later she contributed the song "Moon Boat" to the soundtrack for the film Leave No Trace.

I debated whether to include the 2 later tracks, which are both excellent, deciding eventually to only include tracks from her recordings between 1982-1995, plus one "bonus" track from a 1995 Joy Division tribute album. It's a shame she disappeared for so long, but with her sudden reappearance in the past couple of years maybe we'll see her 2nd solo album appear sometime in the near future. We can only hope! As ever, origin of each track is included in the download file.

  1. Opal - Fell From the Sun (4:32)

  2. Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby (2:53)
  3. Rainy Day - Flying on the Ground Is Wrong (3:16)
  4. Kendra Smith - Temporarily Lucy (4:40)
  5. Opal - Empty Bottles (1:58)
  6. Kendra Smith - Wheel of the Law (4:04)
  7. Opal - Sailing Boats (5:58)
  8. The Dream Syndicate - Too Little, Too Late (3:23)

  9. Kendra Smith - Heart and Soul (6:06)

10. Opal - Supernova (4:17)
11. Kendra Smith - Iridescence 31 (3:37)
12. Kendra Smith - Drunken Boat (3:45)
13. Opal - All Souls (2:17)
14. Kendra Smith - In Your Head (4:23)
15. Opal - My Only Friend (3:56)
16. Rainy Day - Holocaust (3:51)
17. Kendra Smith - Stars Are in Your Eyes (3:50)
18. Opal - Magick Power (6:16)
19. Kendra Smith - Valley of the Morning Sun (6:23)

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Best of 2019 mix - Volume 1

 

  1. PicaPica - Cast in Stone (2:37)

  2. Surf Friends - Let's Go Out Tonight (5:34)
  3. Lightning Bolt - Tom Thump (2:41)
  4. Altin Gün - Derdimi Dökersem (3:51)
  5. Juju - Motherfucker Core (7:18)
  6. Pan American - Brewthru (3:26)
  7. Ty Segall - The Arms (3:29)
  8. Twink with Moths & Locusts and Heavy Friends - Fear the Unknown (3:13)
  9. Olden Yolk - Distant Episode (2:22)
10. Rev Rev Rev - Egocandy (3:04)
11. Otoboke Beaver - Binge Eating Binge Drinking Bulimia (0:53)
12. Gruff Rhys - Taranau Mai (3:35)
13. Vanishing Twin - Magician's Success (3:55)
14. Big Business - We Can Swarm / El Pollo (3:48)
15. Lost Crowns - Dandy Doesn't Know (3:37)
16. Laure Briard - Energie (2:42)
17. David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights - Looks Like I'm Running Out (2:53)
18. Badge Époque Ensemble - Enormous Profit (3:43)
19. Gnoomes - Irma (3:29)
20. Molpé - Le Poids (2:40)
21. James Yorkston - Brittle (3:15)
22. Girl Band - Couch Combover (3:34)
23. Lucille Furs - Leave It As You Found It (1:48)
24. Peter Perrett - Love Comes on Silent Feet (2:22)

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Oozings from the Inner Mynde - Volume 31: Sons, Velvet & Hungry

 

When I started compiling the first 7 volumes in this series, I would never have believed that over 8 years later I would be posting volume 31! But, I'm still discovering albums/artists that had escaped my radar, a good few of which feature here. One of the most exciting discoveries is a single by The Nebulas I found on the blog UPVHQ so thanks to ThePoodleBites and C.F. for this one. A fantastic single, I have included the B-side on this volume. No information whatsoever about this band, I'm guessing by the catalogue number of the record label it was released in 1971 and have tagged accordingly. Looking at the tracklisting some may notice Ultimate Spinach (first featured on volume 1) making a second appearance, I've decided with future volumes to repeat one or two artists who have appeared before. 

Once more, thanks to everyone for the support and comments, and I hope you all enjoy this latest volume.

Note: The bands Genesis and Wings listed below are not the more well known ones, these short-lived bands actually recorded albums before the others existed.

  1. The Hello People - Sunrise Meadow (3:05)

  2. Angel Pavement - Time Is Upon Us (3:30)
  3. Olympic - Everybody (3:48)
  4. Gary Walker & The Rain - Magazine Woman (4:56)
  5. Dos-Mukasan - A Hungry Steppe (7:39)
  6. Poe - Sons of Belial (3:30)
  7. Autumn - Lady Anne (3:10)
  8. Velvet Night - Velvet Night (2:55)
  9. Genesis - Ten Second Song (2:55)
10. J.D. Blackfoot - Pink Sun (5:14)
11. Os Lobos - Santa Teresa (2:12)
12. Sound Vendor - In Paradise (4:16)
13. Ultimate Spinach - Where You're At (3:09)
14. Rick Saucedo - In My Mind (4:25)
15. H.Y. Sledge - Day of Realization (2:04)
16. The Apple Pie Motherhood Band - Orangutang (7:29)
17. The Tower - Steps Into Space (2:29)
18. Ohio Express - Turn to Straw (4:02)
19. The Nebulas - I Can Always Love (2:39)
20. Hector - Atlantis (3:26)
21. Wings - General Bringdown (2:30)

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Broadcast - We've Got Time

 

Another band I'm surprised have never released a proper anthology, especially after the tragic death of Trish Keenan in January 2011. There have been a couple of collections released in the past: Work and Non Work in 1997, which consisted of their early singles/EPs, and in 2006 The Future Crayon which compiled B-sides and rare tracks. This collection features songs from their several EPs/singles and studio albums up until 2010. This was quite a tough task, and there are several more tracks I could have included, so in the near future there could well be a 2nd volume. Origin of each track is included in download file.

Short bio: Broadcast were formed in Birmingham in 1995 by Trish Keenan (vocals, keyboards, guitar) and James Cargill (bass). Their musical style blends elements of 1960s American psychedelic rock with electronica, incorporating samples from various sources, and earned the band a cult following. 

The discography of Broadcast, an English indie electronic band, consists of three studio albums, one collaborative mini album, one soundtrack album, two compilation albums, seven extended plays and seven singles.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_(band)

  1. Belly Dance (3:27)

  2. Papercuts (4:30)
  3. You and Me in Time (1:21)
  4. Minim (2:59)
  5. Still Feels Like Tears (3:39)
  6. We've Got Time (4:11)
  7. Unchanging Window/Chord Simple (6:57)
  8. The Song Before (2:39) *
  9. Until Then (3:46)
10. The Book Lovers (3:32)
11. Distorsion (2:00)
12. Poem of Dead Song (2:30)
13. Tears in the Typing Pool (2:09)
14. Through the Gates of Yesterday/Milling Around the Village (2:30)
15. Come On Let's Go (3:14)
16. Hammer Without a Master (4:58)
17. Oh How I Miss You (1:16)
18. Living Room (3:25)
19. Black Cat (3:56)
20. Where Youth and Laughter Go (2:39)
21. What I Saw (1:02) *
22. Sixty Forty (4:28)
23. Look Outside (3:47)
24. Man Is Not a Bird (4:48)

* featuring The Focus Group

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Salako (with Bitmap) - Self-Contained, Idiosyncratic Music

 

Short bio:
Salako is a band from Hull, UK that was put together in 1995 by Luke Barwell, David Langdale, James Waudby, and Thomas Spencer. In 1998 their debut "Re-Inventing Punctuation" came out on Jeepster. In 1999 the follow-up album "Musicality" was released. In 1999, Langdale left the band, which then continued to record and release 2 EPs, the titles referred to the date and place of the cover photos, entitled "Mappleton Sands 201298" & "Ventimiglia 120899". In 2000 founding member Barwell left the band, and the rest of the members took some time off without officially splitting up. In 2004 Salako re-emerged with the release of "The Story of Our Life So Far" on Tablature Records.

Bitmap is a band made from just one man. Luke Barwell is that man. Releasing two critically acclaimed albums and one EP between 2003 and 2006 on the Gentle Electric label. These can all be found on bandcamp.

This anthology takes tracks from all the above releases. I decided to include Bitmap because their sound is so similar to Salako, but focused mostly on Salako even though all 3 Bitmap releases are excellent.

Note: Artwork for this was inspired by their early album/singles cover art.

  1. Salako - Go on Then! Enlighten Me, Why Doncha? (2:18)

  2. Salako - The Bird and the Bag (4:08)
  3. Salako - The Queen's Got a Price on My Life (2:52)
  4. Salako - San Francisco Baby Rides (2:45)
  5. Salako - Six Part Lullaby (1:24)
  6. Bitmap - Run James Run (3:39)
  7. Salako - Revolution Is Eternal (2:08)
  8. Salako - The Cult of Winter (3:21)
  9. Salako - Hull City Tiger (3:32)
10. Salako - In Swoosh We Trust (1:51)
11. Salako - You Know It's True (1:01)
12. Salako - Seasons (3:34)
13. Bitmap - She Fell Quickly Into Fall (3:07)
14. Salako - Finger Exercise #1 (0:33)
15. Salako - The Cloning of Fudadeg Ulag (1:57)
16. Salako - Island Life (2:13)
17. Salako - Mountain/Molehill (3:28)
18. Salako - (Have You Heard) Musicality (3:14)
19. Bitmap - Everything's Gone Wrong (1:03)
20. Bitmap - Black Arts in the Town Hall (2:11)
21. Salako - Look Right (2:45)
22. Salako - Tales from the Riverbed (5:13)
23. Salako - For Inspiration Only (2:16)
24. Salako - Hull's Too Good for England (3:14)
25. Bitmap - How the West Was Won (2:55)
26. Salako - The Three Crows of Life vs the Woodpigeon of Death (3:30)
27. Salako - Truth in Me (1:37)
28. Salako - We (5:24)
29. Salako - Could Things Be the Same (2:29)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 51

 

After the avalanche of the first 50 volumes in this series, further volumes will appear more sporadically, maybe one a month. To kick off this next batch, I will now be using for cover art photos taken by my lovely friend Sarah.  Again the same theme, many styles of music, mostly obscure artists with the odd well known thrown in. Enjoy!

  1. Churn Milk Joan - Just Bloody Lovely (3:57)

  2. Yellow Sunshine Explosion - Kaleidoscope (3:05)
  3. Fairfield Parlour - Free (4:16)
  4. Radio Birdman - Man with Golden Helmet (5:36)
  5. Bobby Hutcherson - Hello to the Wind (5:56)
  6. Toby Jug & Washboard Band - Wringing That Thing (2:49)
  7. Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes - The Rain Fell Down (3:31)
  8. Zolar X - Timeless (1:58)
  9. Claude Engel - West Coast Memories (2:20)
10. Pipi Caca - Mise en Abîme (3:00)
11. Automatic - Signal (3:03)
12. Ben Jagga - Hold on Pretty Woman (3:58)
13. Bongwater - What If? (1:47)
14. Denny King - Lucille (3:07)
15. Moondog - Dog Trot (2:22)
16. fIREHOSE - The Candle and the Flame (3:12)
17. Alex Chilton - Every Time I Close My Eyes (alt version) (1:45)
18. Dave Richmond - Confunktion (4:35)
19. PicaPica - Village Kids (3:05)
20. Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou - Ko Guere (3:50)
21. Saccharine Trust - Longing for Ether (4:34)
22. Love - I'm With You (2:40)
23. Rose City Band - Wide Roll (4:23)

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Fugazi - Indefinite Hiatus

 

 

 

Bio:

Fugazi is a post-hardcore band formed in Washington, DC. Fronted by ex-Minor Threat vocalist Ian MacKaye and ex-Rites of Spring vocalist Guy Picciotto, both on vocals and guitar, Fugazi also consists of Joe Lally on bass and Brendan Canty on drums. Since its inception, Fugazi has been self-managed and have released almost all their material through Dischord Records, an independent label founded by MacKaye and partner Jeff Nelson in 1980. The band maintained a policy of affordable access to their work through low record and ticket prices and all-ages concerts.

Says AMG All Music Guide, "Along with their stridently underground ethics — which were more out of pragmatism and modesty than anything else — they gained an extremely loyal and numerous global following. To many, Fugazi meant as much to them as Bob Dylan did to their parents."

They played their first show in the fall of 1987 and since then released 7 albums and toured the world extensively covering all 50 United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Japan and many points in between.

In addition to their recorded output Fugazi released a documentary film/video called "Instrument" in collaboration with independent filmmaker, Jem Cohen. The feature length video offers a documentary overview of the the band's career with footage shot in a variety of formats over the last 10 years combining concert, tour and studio material backed with a musical soundtrack by the band unique to the movie.

Fugazi's last musical releases were The Argument, a 10 song LP, and Furniture, a 3 song single, released in the Fall of 2001. These sessions marked the first studio appearance of long time roadie and second drummer Jerry Busher who played additional drums and percussion on a number of the tracks on both releases. The recordings were once again made in collaboration with long time Fugazi engineer Don Zientara at Inner Ear studios.

 

Surprisingly there's never been a best of Fugazi release. The tracks featured here come from all of their studio albums, the Instrument soundtrack, plus various EPs and singles, released between 1988-2001. The band have never officially split-up, but are on an "indefinite hiatus", giving me the title of this collection. Origin of each track included in download file/tags.

  1. Joe #1 (3:01)

  2. Waiting Room (2:53)
  3. Recap Modotti (3:46)
  4. Returning the Screw (3:14)
  5. Birthday Pony (3:07)
  6. Number 5 (3:09)
  7. Argument (4:27)
  8. Margin Walker (2:30)
  9. Nice New Outfit (3:26)
10. Reprovisional (2:15)
11. Fell, Destroyed (3:46)
12. Sweet and Low (3:34)
13. Little Debbie (1:49)
14. Life and Limb (3:08)
15. Promises (4:00)
16. Brendan #1 (2:31)
17. Suggestion (4:45)
18. Break (2:11)
19. I'm So Tired (1:58)
20. Reclamation (3:20)
21. By You (5:12)
22. Great Cop (1:51)
23. Foreman's Dog (4:21)
24. Ex-Spectator (4:18)

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