2022 = 6 (Yet another Monumental Manerg Mix)

 

Most probably my final post for the year, as promised here's a few of Manerg's favourites from 2022. Instead of having 2 volumes, this time around it's one big compilation. I really enjoyed compiling Manerg's selections, a few bands/albums featured which I need to investigate in the near future. As usual, info containing origin of each track is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you all enjoy this excellent collection, and have a happy new year!

Disc 1:
  1. Oneida - Beat Me to the Punch (5:02)
  2. Ambassador Hazy - Gone to My Head (3:10)
  3. Gwenno - Anima (3:16)
  4. Sault - The Plan (2:17)
  5. Boris Maurussane - As the Crow Flies (4:47)
  6. Brian Eno - Who Gives a Thought (3:54)
  7. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Go On (4:44)
  8. Upupayama - Come Here, Noriko (5:49)
  9. Abronia - What We Can See (4:47)
10. Black Lips - Whips of Holly (3:08)
11. Sun's Signature - Apples (7:23)
12. Bill Baird - Slump City (4:13)
13. Project Gemini - June (3:29)
14. Citron Citron - La Nuit Galope (2:51)
15. Daniel Rossen - Shadow in the Frame (5:12)
16. The Black Angels - A Walk on the Outside (3:05)
17. Badge Époque Ensemble - All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All (5:20)

Disc 2:
  1. Hooveriii - Water Lily (2:45)
  2. Sproatly Smith - River Song #2 (2:45)
  3. Peel Dream Magazine - Pictionary (3:15)
  4. The Soundcarriers - Driver (4:55)
  5. Anna Mieke - For a Time (4:24)
  6. Beautify Junkyards - Verde Pino (4:39)
  7. Papercuts - Lodger (4:06)
  8. Elf Power - Floods (3:05)
  9. Richard Dawson - The Tip of an Arrow (10:02)
10. Large Plants - The Witch (3:51)
11. Heather Trost - The Devil Never Sleeps (4:22)
12. Sister Wives - Y Merch Werdd (4:53)
13. Wax Machine - Guardians of Eden (4:21)
14. Vinyl Williams - Saturnalia (3:35)
15. Pedro Salvador - O Algoritmo de Notícias Não Mostrará a Revolução (3:42)
16. Astrel K - Clicktivism (4:56)
17. The Orielles - Beam/s (7:53)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

Best of 2022 mix - Volume 1

 

Well, here we go again, time for this year's personal favourites of 2022. Due to work commitments unfortunately I've not been able to listen to as much new stuff as the previous few years, but still found plenty of excellent albums, though probably only enough for 2 volumes this year. Just one thing to add about my selections, each track I pick isn't neccessarily my favourite on each album, I usually go with how they'll fit on each mix.

My top 10 albums of the year...? Can't decide just yet but the albums by Gwenno, The Black Angels, The Cool Greenhouse and Gilla Band are definitely in there. After this 1st volume, as per usual I'll be posting Manerg's favourites this year, looking forward to hearing his selections. Hopefully that'll be posted before the year is out. So, Happy Christmas to all of you out there, and extra special thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the blog. Hope you enjoy this collection. Cheers!


  1. Ty Segall - Saturday Pt. 2 (4:06)
  2. The Cool Greenhouse - Musicians (5:27)
  3. Loop - Fermion (4:16)
  4. Gwenno - Kan Me (4:06)
  5. Nok Cultural Ensemble - Y.T.T.T. (5:03)
  6. Big Joanie - Insecure (3:17)
  7. Otoboke Beaver - Yakitori (1:44)
  8. Lalalar - Simülasyon Terk (4:15)
  9. O'o - Moon (3:17)
10. The Black Albumen - Tempters / Circle (5:47)
11. OCH - Silverstjärnan (4:57)
12. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Dread & Butter (2:53)
13. The Telephones - Arrow (4:18)
14. Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek - Odam Kireç Tutmuyor (3:42)
15. Pedro Salvador - As Novas Aventuras do Mercado-Deus (5:06)
16. Minami Deutsch - Grumpy Joa (5:29)
17. GIFT - Pez (4:42)
18. Badge Époque Ensemble - Conspiring with Nature (7:12)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

21st Century Psychedelia - Volume 6

 

  1. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Ineffable Mindfuck (3:28)
  2. Upupayama - Entering the Time of Wilderness (3:02)
  3. MIEN - Earth Moon (5:35)
  4. Cool Ghouls - Smoke & Fire (3:05)
  5. Bhopal's Flowers - The Majestic Purple Sky (5:58)
  6. Les Big Byrd - Feels Like Wasting My Life Is Taking Forever (3:50)
  7. Los Mundos - El Espejo del Tiempo (2:23)
  8. Nice Biscuit - Passing Over (6:37)
  9. Hawkeyes - Look at 'em Scramble (5:39)
10. Elephant Stone - Harmonia (5:09)
11. Hypnotic Floor - Fall (11:13)
12. White Canyon & The 5th Dimension - As Above So Below (4:03)
13. Holy Magick - The Death of Me (2:56)
14. Dorotheo - Ahitar (3:45)
15. Goat - Chukua Pesa (2:24)
16. Marmalade Knives - Xayante (5:14)
17. New Candys - Vyvyan Rising (4:17)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Shellac - Be Prepared

 

Bio:
Shellac, from Chicago, Illinois, consist of Steve Albini (guitar and vocals), Bob Weston (bass guitar and vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums and vocals), formed in 1992. Their music genre has been classified as noise rock, post-hardcore and math rock, but they describe themselves as a "minimalist rock trio."

Shellac has a distinctive, minimalist sound based on asymmetric time signatures, repetitive rhythms, an angular guitar sound, and both Albini's and Weston's surreal, bitingly sarcastic lyrics. Songs typically do not have traditional verse/chorus/verse structure and the arrangements are sparse, to the point where some describe them as "amelodic".

Writing for Drowned in Sound, Benjamin Bland stated: "Big Black and Shellac are surely the two most influential 'noise rock' groups there have ever been. Hundreds of bands have sounded like them, and in all probability so will hundreds more. Who can blame them? When a shadow that large looms over an entire subgenre of music, it’s hard not to be influenced by it, let alone ignore it altogether."
John Robb, music critic and frontman of British post-punk band The Membranes, called Shellac "the finest rock band on the planet. This is the rock band that the rest of us in our bands [...] have had to measure ourselves against and if we are found wanting then we have to cower behind rocks and attempt to revive our measly offerings until they measure up."


I'll keep this bit relatively short... I've been a fan of Steve Albini since I first heard Big Black in the mid 80s, and his subsequent bands Rapeman (Albini later expressed regret at the name of the band, saying "it was a flippant choice", calling it unconscionable and indefensible) and of course Shellac. If I were to compile my favourite 50 songs of all time, I'm sure Big Black's "Kerosene" and Shellac's "Wingwalker" would be in that list.

This collection features tracks from Shellac's 5 studio albums so far (from 1992's "At Action Park" up to "Dude Incredible" in 2014), plus various singles/EPs and one compilation track. Favourite album? That would be "Excellent Italian Greyhound" from 2007, and features the most heavily here. Not the most prolific of bands, I guess his production work with many other acts over the years has kept him quite busy, but I hope Shellac surprise us with a new album at some point in the future.

As per usual, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest collection!


  1. The End of Radio (8:24)
  2. Doris (3:11)
  3. Copper (1:45)
  4. Prayer to God (2:26)
  5. Riding Bikes (5:23)
  6. Killers (1:24)
  7. Spoke (2:13)
  8. The Rambler Song (2:54)
  9. Pull the Cup (4:12)
10. '95 Jailbreak (4:30)
11. Squirrel Song (2:36)
12. Disgrace (2:40)
13. Dude Incredible (6:00)
14. Kittypants (1:57)
15. Billiard Player Song (3:45)
16. A Minute (3:37)
17. Song Against Itself (4:13)
18. Gary (3:57)
19. Be Prepared (3:59)
20. Il Porno Star (5:12)
21. Wingwalker (4:59)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 85

 

 

  1. White Canyon & The 5th Dimension - Mercury (4:56)
  2. The Peep Tempel - Neuroplasticity (3:40)
  3. G. Ducros, P. Casa, A. Declich - Dopping 2000 (#2) (2:41)
  4. Th Da Freak - Killing Bleach (5:21)
  5. Jessi Colter - New Wine (3:44)
  6. Frankensteins Ballet - Samowar (3:11)
  7. Margo Guryan - Sun (2:33)
  8. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Lava (6:41)
  9. Gazelle Twin - Belly of the Beast (2:56)
10. Bernays Propaganda - K'erka na Gladot (3:58)
11. Ivor Cutler and Linda Hirst - Sit Down (1:04)
12. Forever Calypso - Shrimp & Oysters (2:36)
13. Das Rundfunkorchester Hannover des Norddeutschen Rundfunks - Die Nacht hat viele Lichter (4:51)
14. Boz Metzdorf - Sails Across the Sea (5:46)
15. ATA Records - Cleared for Launch (3:11)
16. Gabriel Family - Mrs Baker Lost Her Place (2:25)
17. Influenza Prods. - Anduma a Pe' (3:02)
18. Hammered Hulls - Rights and Reproduction (4:46)
19. Canari - Cétaidonkça (2:24)
20. Sandman Project - Savanna Trip (4:06)
21. Pedro Salvador - Morrer Feliz (5:03)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 84

 

  1. Bitmap - The Lion That Melted in the Rain (2:46)
  2. Marie Modiano - Si la Si Ré (5:02)
  3. The Black Angels - A Walk on the Outside (3:05)
  4. Giuliano Sorgini - Clessidra (2:25)
  5. Half Man Half Biscuit - Footprints (4:41)
  6. The Murlocs - Growing Pains (2:29)
  7. Alain Goraguer - La Femme (2:08)
  8. Krokodil - Lady of Attraction (4:18)
  9. Ill Considered - Sandstorm (4:32)
10. Bifannah - Novíssima Guarda (3:15)
11. Stereolab - Spool of Collusion (2:11)
12. Amorphous Androdgynous - Hombre Malo (2:59)
13. Tall Dwarfs - The Winner (2:45)
14. Vox Populi! - Caballo Blanco (3:22)
15. Kolonel Djafaar - Lamentation (4:48)
16. Beautify Junkyards - Verde Pino (4:39)
17. O'o - Dorica Castra (3:54)
18. Space Art - Axus (3:20)
19. Julian Cope - Prodigal Sun (3:53)
20. Humphreys & Keen - The Free Life (2:37)
21. Pierre Arvay - Sky Way (2:42)
22. Kacy & Clayton - The Siren's Song (3:42)
23. Holy Magick - Stolen Car (3:18)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

David Cronenberg's Wife - Bursting at the Seams

 

Bio:
David Cronenberg's Wife is the brainchild of Stockport-born songwriter Tom Mayne. Having moved to London, following an undisclosed past in the north of England, Mayne formed DCW in late 2002.

Described as "where genius meets idiocy" by BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr, the band's lyrics combine dark subject matter with an off-kilter humour. They released their first single "I Couldn't Get Off" in 2007, followed up by two singles and their first album "Bluebeard's Rooms" in 2008. It was described in The Fly as "one of the albums of the year". Other reviews, however, were more critical of the album's dark subject matter and "repugnant imagery".

The band's second album "Hypnagogues" was released in November 2009, with a noticeably more personal feel to the lyrics and a less harsh sound, even approaching alt country on some of the tracks. The magazine NME called it "a promising work in progress" with Drowned in Sound naming opening song "Sweden" (the band's sixth single) "one of the tracks of the year", adding that "it stands so far out from the rest that it encumbers the rest of the album."

Their third album "Don't Wait to be Hunted to Hide" was released in December 2012, and features some of the band's most controversial songs, such as the album's first single "Spiked", which describes a date-rape from the attacker's point of view. The album's themes caused one reviewer to call it the "most truly controversial I’ve heard all year", adding that it may "upset and unsettle" some listeners.

The band had two previously unreleased tracks featured on Trashmouth Record's 2014 compilation "Thinking About Moving to Hastings" along with songs by Fat White Family, Pit Ponies and Warmduscher. In October 2018, they released a new EP, "The Octoberman Sequence", and their fourth album, "The Ship (Necrologies)", was released in March 2020. The album's first single, "Hannity Comes Home", was described by The Indiependent as one of the best singles of the first five months of the year.

Band members are currently singer & songwriter Tom Mayne, keyboard player Mary Boe, lead guitarist Adam Croucher, drummer Stuart Saunderson, violin player and guitarist Thomas Alder and bassist Jeremy Walton.


Not much I can add to the above. Yes, as stated in the bio several of their songs are rather disturbing, hence the album cover I conjured up, but they can be equally funny... for instance tracks such as "Sweden". This anthology includes tracks from all the albums mentioned in the bio, my 2 favourite albums by them being their debut "Bluebeard's Rooms" and their most recent release, "The Ship (Necrologies)". As usual with these anthologies, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest collection!

  1. My Best Friend's Going Out With a Girl I Like (3:39)
  2. Spiked (4:17)
  3. Sweden (3:53)
  4. You Should See (5:03)
  5. Fast Life, Slow Death (2:50)
  6. Nazarbayev Applause Laughing (3:50)
  7. All of Me (3:49)
  8. Body to Sleep With (2:52)
  9. I Couldn't Get Off (3:10)
10. Such a Sweet Boy (3:15)
11. Pushin' Too Hard (2:48)
12. Organ Love (5:23)
13. Suli's House (2:40)
14. Drawn Again (6:12)
15. I'm on the Booze, Mama (4:02)
16. Jailbird (Bergegrend version) (2:48)
17. Free State Congo (3:39)
18. Rules (4:03)
19. The Russian Death Song (4:40)
20. Man (6:47)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 83

 

  1. The Black Albumen - Girl from the Baltic Sea (3:53)
  2. Fontän - Early Morning (5:34)
  3. Kikagaku Moyo - Can You Imagine Nothing? (4:23)
  4. The Lijadu Sisters - Bayi L'ense (6:34)
  5. Scapa Flow - Somewhere (2:40)
  6. Vinyl Williams - Modern Arch (3:43)
  7. Graham Mushnik - At Sea / The Wreck (7:14)
  8. Elaine Howley - Autumn Speak (3:40)
  9. Oneida - Solid (7:26)
10. Slapp Happy / Henry Cow - Strayed (1:49)
11. Isabelle Aubret - Casa Forte (2:45)
12. The Movers - Oupa Is Back (3:35)
13. Hong Kong in the 60s - Summer's Bird (3:45)
14. Oats - Bee Balcony (5:54)
15. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - Unbraid: The Merge (5:24)
16. Birds Flying Backwards - Surrender to The Void I, II & III (4:53)
17. Hawkwind - Fable of a Failed Race (extended version) (6:48)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Big Dipper - Lifetime Achievement Award

 

Bio:
Big Dipper formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in 1985 by bassist Steve Michener and guitarist/vocalist Gary Waleik (both formerly of Volcano Suns), guitarist/vocalist Bill Goffrier (formerly of The Embarrassment) and Waleik's cousin Jeff Oliphant on drums. They released one mini-album and three albums between 1987 and 1990, before splitting up. The band reunited in 2008. They were described in a New York Times article as "musical contortionists: they love to toy with extremes, juxtaposing ferocious guitar noise with celestial vocal harmonies or planting a delicate melody in jagged rhythm".

Their first release was the 1987 mini-album "Boo-Boo", issued by Homestead Records. Their first full-length studio album, "Heavens", released later in 1987, was later described by AllMusic as "one of the finest American indie albums of its era". Their second album, "Craps", followed in 1988. Big Dipper signed to Epic Records for 1990's "Slam". Michener left the band, and they continued with various players for two years, splitting up in 1992 after releasing the "Approach of a Human Being" single (1991, Feel Good All Over) and recording more than an album's worth of material.

In 2008, Merge Records released "Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology", a 3-disc collection of Big Dipper's Homestead recordings, with additional material including the unreleased tracks recorded after Michener left. This renewed interest prompted the band to reform for some live shows in April 2008. In November 2012, they released their first new studio album in 22 years, "Crashes on the Platinum Planet", on Almost Ready Records.


Here's another band Manerg introduced me to back in the late 80s, and for that I'm very grateful. Big Dipper were one of my favourite bands back then, well at least up until their major label release "Slam". Many people regard "Heavens" as their best album, for  me I think "Craps" just shades it, and why tracks from that album feature the heaviest here. Regarding the album "Slam", I remember the excitement on purchasing it, though somewhat concerned by the awful record cover. Well... let's just say on first listen I thought the record cover just about summed up the contents of the album, it was bloody awful! I think I played it twice, and then got rid of. It was such a crushing disappointment after their previous releases on Homestead.

Go forward to 2008 and the "Supercluster" anthology on Merge, reigniting my love for the band, especially the several unreleased tracks which would have most likely been their 4th album, "Very Loud Array", after being ditched by Epic. This would've definitely been a return to form after the overproduced rather flat "Slam", and maybe they wouldn't have sadly split up. It still took me several years to even try and listen to "Slam" again, but once I did it surprisingly wasn't as bad as I remembered. Sure there are many weak songs, but on closer listen I found at least half a dozen tracks that really are quite good!

This anthology comprises mostly of tracks from "Supercluster", plus 3 tracks from "Slam", and the odd EP/compilation track. Focusing on their recordings from 1987 to 1992, I decided at the last minute to include a 'bonus' track from their 2012 comeback album "Crashes on the Platinum Planet", an album which stands up very well to their earlier Homestead releases. "Supercluster" was originally a limited edition release of only 5000 copies, but can now be found easily on bandcamp. I recommend you purchase it, there's hardly a dud on it.


  1. You're Not Patsy (2:28)
  2. Mr. Woods (3:09)
  3. Meet the Witch (3:53)
  4. San Quentin, CA (2:17)
  5. Impossible Things (3:00)
  6. Wrong in the Charts (2:58)
  7. Making Plans for Bison (2:00)
  8. Restaurant Cloud (3:10)
  9. The Insane Girl (3:37)
10. Lou Gehrig's Disease (3:47)
11. Approach of a Human Being (4:30)
12. Man o' War (2:40)
13. Slam (2:49)
14. Faith Healer (3:01)
15. Ron Klaus Wrecked His House (5:02)
16. Extraordinary Worm (3:24)
17. Homosapien (4:29)
18. Which Would You Rather? (featuring Ellie Marshall) (2:40)
19. Younger Bums (2:56)
20. Semjáse (4:34)
21. Life Inside the Cemetery (3:42)
22. Silentium (2:39)
23. The Monsters of Jazz (2:41)
24. A Song to Be Beautiful (4:05)
25. Untitled (2:08)
     "bonus track"
26. Robert Pollard (4:13)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 82

 

  1. Ghost Woman - Behind Your Eyes (3:05)
  2. Richard Denton and Martin Cook - Quiller (2:52)
  3. Alexia Avina - Night Sky (3:38)
  4. Ayshea - Mister White's White Flying Machine (5:09)
  5. Steven Jesse Bernstein - No No Man (Part One) (4:19)
  6. Bosques - Cambia (5:20)
  7. Louis Philippe - Anna's Garden (3:46)
  8. Monk & Canatella - I Can Water My Plants (5:30)
  9. Choo Choo Train - This Perfect Day (3:47)
10. Cosmic Analog Ensemble - Mare Nostrum (3:57)
11. Stackridge - The Indifferent Hedgehog (3:11)
12. Alison Cotton - 17th November 1962 (5:27)
13. Naujawanan Baidar - Koh Har Qadar Boland Bashad Baaz Ham Sar-e Khod Rah Darad (8:57)
14. El Opio - Kashanga (3:23)
15. Marsha Hunt's 22 - (Oh, No! Not!) The Beast Day (3:14)
16. The Joe Tatton Trio - Bang Bang Boogaloo (3:40)
17. Dust Mountain - Harvest Maiden (5:38)
18. EXEK - ID'ed (4:55)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Disco Inferno - The Past Looks Dead

 

 

Bio:
Disco Inferno formed in Essex, UK in 1989 by Ian Crause (guitar & vocals), Paul Wilmott (bass), Rob Whatley (drums) and Daniel Gish (keyboards).

After the departure of Gish (who would later join Bark Psychosis) the now three-piece Disco Inferno recorded the single "Entertainment", closely followed by their first album, "Open Doors, Closed Windows", in 1991 on the Che label. The album received positive reviews, although most mentioned the heavy influence of late 1970s post punk bands, particularly Joy Division and Wire (In fact Disco Inferno's manager, Michael Collins, had previously managed Wire during their 70's incarnation). "Entertainment", "Open Doors, Closed Windows" and the following EP "Science" would later be collected on the album "In Debt".

In 1992 the band released "Summer's Last Sound", widely regarded as the first in a run of classic Disco Inferno EPs which saw the band's increasing use of samples. The band's use of sampling combined with traditional instruments - particularly Wilmott's bass - continued on the EPs "A Rock to Cling To" and "The Last Dance" and reached its peak on their second album, "D.I. Go Pop". After the full-on assault of "D.I. Go Pop" the band opted for restraint on the beautiful "Second Language" EP which also had a new-found optimism in Crause's lyrics.

Their final EP, "It's a Kid's World'", sampled the distinctive drumbeat from Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" and added in a series of old children's TV themes to good effect, but despite critical acclaim the band attracted little commercial success and split before their final album "Technicolour" was released in 1996.


This is a band which took me several years to finally get into. I'd heard the odd song by them but never felt the urge to pursue their releases any further. About 15 years ago, I listened for the first time their acclaimed 2nd album "D.I. Go Pop" but found it rather difficult to enjoy, but I kept coming back to it over the years until finally realising what a masterpiece it was. After that realisation I gave their whole back catalogue a proper listen, kicking myself for missing out on one of the most inventive bands of the 1990s. "D.I. Go Pop" for me is by far their best album, but several of their EPs are equally rewarding. You can find most of their EP recordings on the 2011 collection "The 5 EPs", released by One Little Indian. Well worth purchasing. I guess you could say their first and third albums are more or less what you could call "normal", compared to "D.I. Go Pop".

They did actually record a song called "D.I. Go Pop", which wasn't on the aforementioned album, but appeared on their 1993 EP "The Last Dance". I think you'll find this the most insane track on this collection, but a bit like with Captain Beefheart's "Trout Mask Replica", after several plays you begin to make some kind of sense of what the hell is going on...! I posted the mix of this on hearthis the other day and it's already received over 140 listens, which I find somewhat amazing! So, no more yapping from me, I hope you enjoy this latest collection. Cheers!

  

  1. Summer's Last Sound (5:37)
  2. Fallen Down the Wire (4:37)
  3. The Atheist's Burden (3:55)
  4. A Whole Wide World Ahead (4:37)
  5. When the Story Breaks (3:08)
  6. Arc in Round (3:57)
  7. Incentives (3:27)
  8. D.I. Go Pop (5:06)
  9. Tortoise (2:19)
10. Waking Up (5:56)
11. In Sharky Water (4:39)
12. Love Stepping Out (6:17)
13. Hope to God (1:39)
14. It's a Kid's World (4:29)
15. Entertainment (4:45)
16. New Clothes for the New World (1:57)
17. A Little Something (2:55)
18. A Rock to Cling To (3:49)
19. Even the Sea Sides Against Us (3:43)
20. Things Move Fast (2:59)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 81

 

 

 

  1. Electric Orange - Einwahn (7:51)
  2. Gatien - Ce Que les Français Veulent (2:49)
  3. The Whitefield Brothers - Pamukkale (3:55)
  4. Think Dog - Sunday Brings Another Day (2:05)
  5. Moose - I Wanted to See You to See if I Wanted You (3:20)
  6. Pan & Regaliz - I Can Fly (3:34)
  7. Cornelius - Point of View Point (3:53)
  8. Ojibo Afrobeat - Heatwave (5:20)
  9. Sunburned Hand of the Man - Solved (4:08)
10. Amp - Sunflower (acoustic version) (3:09)
11. The Flaming Lips - Shaved Gorilla (2:56)
12. Dungen - Sol Och Regn (4:18)
13. Magic Cobra - Golden Child (3:31)
14. Hervé Roy - Triple Clavinet (2:25)
15. Promised Land Sound - Push and Pull (All the Time) (5:09)
16. Savath & Savalas feat. José González - Estrella de Dos Caras (4:28)
17. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Don't Let Me Get in Your Way (2:43)
18. Art Zoyd - Sangria (2:28)
19. Uilab - St. Elmo's Fire (radio) (4:07)
20. Woods - Weekend Wind (7:10)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 80

 

  

  1. The Blue Angel Lounge - Secure Existence (3:08)
  2. Mark & The Clouds - The Same Old Dream (4:14)
  3. João Donato - Lunar Tune (4:52)
  4. Dana Gillespie - Dead (3:08)
  5. The Minders - Comfortably Tucked Up Inside (2:25)
  6. Egg Hunt - Me and You (3:44)
  7. Gwenno - An Stevel Nowydh (4:47)
  8. Electrick Sages - In My Little Sahara (3:14)
  9. Rotary Connection - I Took a Ride (Caravan) (6:01)
10. Dead Sea Apes, Adam Stone, Black Tempest - Shop Soiled (7:20)
11. The Telephones - Call It If It Is (3:19)
12. Fugu - F15 (Alactaga Sauteur) (2:17)
13. Piere Cavalli - Un Soir Chez Norris (2:27)
14. Jeff Simmons - Wonderful Wino (2:57)
15. The Spectre Collective - Thermal Underground (6:40)
16. Ghost Power - Panic in the Isles of Splendor (3:39)
17. Lalalar - Abla Deme Lazim Olur (3:09)
18. Barbara & Ernie - For You (3:34)
19. Sherpa the Tiger - Stolen Numbers (4:52)
20. Silver Sunshine - Way Up in the Big Sky (3:37)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

Swell - All That You Got (1990-2008)

 

Bio:
Swell formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel (vocals/guitar) and Sean Kirkpatrick (drums) decided to record a self-titled album, released on Freel's own pSychosPecificMusic label in 1990. Swell's influences range from 80's post-punk bands, Pink Floyd to folk, noise pop and Ennio Morricone film scores.
In 1991, now with Monte Vallier on bass and John Dettman on guitar, they recorded a second album, "...Well?", which was released in February 1992, also on pSychoSpecificMusic. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel, Kirkpatrick, and Vallier carried on, receiving an offer from Def American to give "...Well?" a wider release one year after its first release.

Adding guitarist Tom Hays, they began recording their third album, "41", in 1992. It was released by American in late 1993. In 1993 Niko Wenner (Oxbow, Jellyfish) replaced Hays, and toured with the band on guitar, backing vocals, and keyboards. Subsequent albums include 1997's "Too Many Days Without Thinking" and 1998's "For All the Beautiful People". The latter album included Wenner on guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Ellis on drums.

"Everybody Wants to Know", more a Freel solo album than anything else, appeared in spring 2001. "Whenever You're Ready" - recorded with Sean Kirkpatrick - and the compilation "Bastards and Rarities" both appeared in 2003. Early 2004 Swell toured the States for the first time in six years. They also toured Europe again in 2004, the band consisting of Mat Mathews on drums, Greg Baldzikowski (keyboards and guitars), Doran Bastin (bass) and David Freel (vox, acoustic guitar).

After three years of silence Freel started recording new songs in spring 2007, assisted by Nick Lucero (ex-Qotsa) on drums. The final Swell album, "South of the Rain and the Snow", was released late 2007 on pSychosPecificMusic, together with "The Lost Album", a 9-track compilation of rarities from the 1995–1997 era. Swell toured Europe in October/November 2008, Freel's sidekicks on this tour were Ron Burns (drums) and Brian Mumford (guitar & fx).

Freel died in Oregon City on April 12, 2022, aged 64. The news of his death was shared on Facebook, however, the actual cause of death was not made public.


On hearing about David Freel's untimely death last month, which deeply saddened me (too many musicians I've liked/loved have died quite recently), I dug out my favourite Swell album, "...Well?", which I hadn't listened to for several years. I'd almost forgotten what a fine band Swell were all those years ago. After deciding to make the opening track on my next Spaghetti Tree compilation one of my favourite Swell songs, "At Long Last", I felt Freel deserved a more substantial tribute. Compiling this collection of some of my favourite Swell songs, featuring at least 1 track from all their studio releases, plus the odd EP/single track, proved to be a very tough task indeed. I could have easily made this collection double CD in length, even then there'd be several tracks deserving of a place. Tracks from "...Well?" feature the most heavily, 3 in total.

As per usual, info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest collection!

  1. In the Door, Up the Stairs / Is That Important? (5:04)
  2. It's Okay (3:52)
  3. Bongstarr (3:56)
  4. 20,000 Years (3:28)
  5. Bridgette, You Love Me (3:12)
  6. ...A Velvet Sun (5:27)
  7. Say Goodbye (3:40)
  8. Sick Half of a Church (3:35)
  9. Today (3:31)
10. Golden Years (3:42)
11. Wash Your Brain (4:06)
12. Good Good Good (2:41)
13. O My C (4:05)
14. I've Got the World on a String (2:47)
15. Here It Is (4:02)
16. (I Know) The Trip (4:31)
17. At Long Last (3:39)
18. Someday Always Comes (4:14)
19. Next to Nothing (4:56)
20. Trouble Loves You (5:22)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 79

 

 

  1. Swell - At Long Last (3:43)
  2. Josef K - Applebush (2:20)
  3. Rockfour - Me, Myself and What Tears Us Apart (4:16)
  4. Seine - Peripetija (4:35)
  5. Wet Tuna - Sweet Chump Change (5:37)
  6. Witch - Mashed Potato (4:03)
  7. Honeybus - Black Mourning Band (3:12)
  8. Night Palace - Fig Dream (2:58)
  9. big big bite - Screeching Halt (4:18)
10. The Saints - The Prisoner (4:54)
11. Party Dozen - Dog Plan (2:20)
12. Dion - Purple Haze (2:32)
13. The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Ride the Sky (2:47)
14. Moveknowledgement - My Left Foot (5:39)
15. Sanguine Hum - Unstable Ground (4:10)
16. Birigwa - Lule Lule (4:04)
17. Scorpions - I'm Going Mad (4:51)
18. To Rococo Rot feat. Arto Lindsay - Classify (3:03)
19. Ashinoa - Disguised in Orbit (4:30)
20. Circulatory System - Round Again (5:31)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

 

Gravenhurst - Rusted Masks

 

Bio by Heather Phares:
Making music equally inspired by the British folk of Fairport Convention and Bert Jansch and the volatile, textural rock of My Bloody Valentine, Gravenhurst was the brainchild of singer/multi-instrumentalist Nick Talbot (14 May 1977 – 2 December 2014).  Gravenhurst's first album, 2002's "Internal Travels", concentrated on simple but meticulous acoustic guitar work coupled with lyrics inspired by murder ballads. The following year, Talbot released the more elaborate, fuller-sounding "Flashlight Seasons", which attracted the attention of Warp Records, who signed Gravenhurst and re-released the album early in 2004. Later that year, the mini-album "Black Holes in the Sand" became Gravenhurst's first original release for the label.

Released in 2005, the single "The Velvet Cell" and full-length "Fires in Distant Buildings" were Talbot's most fully fleshed-out works yet, incorporating not only folk and electronica but heavy fuzzed-out electric guitars and chugging Krautrock-influenced rhythms as well. The band's excellent 2007 album, "The Western Lands", leaned more toward space rock and shoegaze. With the departure of most of Talbot's touring band for other countries and projects, he returned to a one-man version of Gravenhurst for tours and performances at festivals in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This approach rubbed off on his fourth album, "The Ghost in Daylight", which featured some of his most intimate songwriting and seamless blends of folk, shoegaze, and electronics. Late in 2014, Warp released "Offerings: Lost Songs 2000-2004", a collection of previously unreleased early recordings. That December, Warp announced that Talbot had died at the age of 37.


There isn't really much more I can add to the above excellent bio by Heather Phares. This collection features tracks from all the albums mentioned above, plus the odd compilation track and a few b-sides/EP tracks. Again this is another artist I didn't think of doing a compilation of, until I dug out my copy of "Fires in Distant Buildings" a couple of weeks back, prompting me to revisit his whole back catalogue. A sad loss to music, to this day the cause of his untimely death has never been disclosed. As usual origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy, cheers!

  1. Black Holes in the Sand (7:22)
  2. Entertainment (3:43)
  3. In Your Room (3:38)
  4. East of the City (2:33)
  5. Hollow Men (3:55)
  6. Song From Under the Arches (10:21)
  7. Longest River (2:57)
  8. Circadian (4:07)
  9. I Found the F (3:25)
10. For Erin (2:32)
11. Nightwatchman's Blues (4:02)
12. A Call to Arms (3:15)
13. The Velvet Cell (4:59)
14. Tunnels (4:42)
15. Islands (8:03)
16. The Western Lands (4:11)
17. Winter Moon (4:29)
18. Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? (3:27)
19. Underfoot (4:19)
20. See My Friends (9:04)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

Smog - Crawl Into My Shell (1993-2006)

 

Short bio:
Bill Callahan (born June 3, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who for several years recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment. His early songs lacked melodic structure and were clumsily played on poorly tuned guitars, resulting in the dissonant sounds on his self-released cassettes. Once he signed a contract with Drag City, he started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.

From 1993 to 2000, Callahan's recordings grew more and more "professional" sounding, with more instruments, and a higher sound quality. He recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O'Rourke and Tortoise's John McEntire, and collaborated with Neil Hagerty. After 2000's "Dongs of Sevotion", Callahan began moving back to a slightly simpler instrumentation and recording style, while retaining the more consistent songwriting style he had developed over the years. This shift is apparent in albums such as "Rain on Lens", "Supper", and "A River Ain't Too Much to Love".

Smog's songs are often based on simple, repetitive structures, consisting of a simple chord progression repeated for the duration of the entire song. His singing is characterized by his baritone voice. Melodically and lyrically he tends to eschew the verse-chorus approach favoured by many contemporary songwriters, preferring instead a more free-form approach relying less on melodic and lyrical repetition. Themes in Callahan's lyrics include relationships, animals, relocation, nature, and more recently, politics.

In 2007, Callahan stopped using the name Smog, going under his real name for future releases.


This anthology focuses on Bill Callahan's work released under the name of Smog. I've avoided his earliest recordings, some of which are almost impossible to find, instead concentrating on his releases from 1993's "Julius Caesar" up until his final release using the name Smog, the 2006 EP "Rock Bottom Riser". This collection features at least 1 track from these albums, plus the odd single/EP track. My introduction to Smog was the album he released in 1995, "Wild Love", following his career closely ever since. Perhaps in the future I'll compile some of my favourite tracks released under his own name. My favourite Smog albums? I'd say "Knock Knock" from 1999 and "Rain on Lens" released in 2001. This collection features 2 tracks from both of those albums. As usual origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest collection. Cheers!

  1. Chosen One (3:10)
  2. Look Now (3:17)
  3. Not Lonely Anymore (1:59)
  4. Ambition (4:23)
  5. Cold Discovery (5:51)
  6. Spread Your Bloody Wings (3:21)
  7. Dirty Pants (4:30)
  8. Bathysphere (4:46)
  9. Bowery (3:19)
10. I Break Horses (6:05)
11. Just Like Napoleon (2:54)
12. The Well (6:55)
13. Let's Move to the Country (2:56)
14. Real Live Dress (5:20)
15. My Shell (Electric Version) (5:43)
16. Inspirational (6:20)
17. Keep Some Steady Friends Around (4:26)
18. Held (3:59)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3