Pram - Sing a Lullaby (1992-2007)

 

Short bio:
Pram are a band formed in Birmingham, England in 1990, originally consisting of vocalist Rosie Cuckston, guitarist Matt Eaton, Sam Owen on bass, and drummer Andy Weir. Their first EP, "Gash" was self-released in 1992. Between 1993 and 1995 the label Too Pure released several increasingly sophisticated albums and EPs. Early recordings were a krautrock-influenced blend of rhythmic guitar, keyboards and percussion, with Cuckston's eerie vocals and lyrics dealing with depression, loneliness and the dark side of childhood. Second album "Helium" (1994) featured increasing use of the sampler, and later recordings show a marked interest in "exotica".

In 1995 Pram left Too Pure, and several singles and EPs were recorded for a variety of labels before they found a new home at Domino Records. The first album for Domino, "North Pole Radio Station", was originally recorded for Wurlitzer Jukebox Records, but the label shut down before it could be released. 1999's "Keep in a Dry Place and Away From Children" was the soundtrack to an animated film, and also featured a remix by Mouse on Mars. Following the 2008 EP "Prisoner of the Seven Pines", the band took a lengthy hiatus, with Cuckston abandoning music for academia.

In subsequent years, band members worked on other projects, both separately and together. After live performances together (without Cuckston) in 2017, the band released Across the Meridian in 2018 on Domino, featuring Owen (now on vocals as well as bass) and Eaton, plus Max Simpson on keyboards and Harry Dawes on brass.

Full bio click here

Yet another anthology where you couldn't do justice to the band, with such a large back catalogue to choose from. So this shouldn't be considered a "best of", instead a selection of just a few of my favourite songs by them. Big shoutout to Manerg who chose a few of the tracks included here, so I guess not just a selection of my favourites but his too! This collection concentrates on the releases with Cuckston on vocals, from their first EP in 1992 up until her final album with the band in 2007.
As usual info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you all enjoy this collection of songs, and as always stay safe!


  1. Superchouette (4:31)
  2. Loose Threads (4:57)
  3. Clock Without Hands (4:32)
  4. Bewitched (4:21)
  5. The Empty Quarter (4:00)
  6. Things Left on the Pavement (6:45)
  7. Sea Jungle (4:19)
  8. Blue Singer (4:18)
  9. The Pawnbroker (3:16)
10. Dorothy (3:50)
11. Space Siren (5:16)
12. The Doors of Empty Cupboards (4:58)
13. Monkey Puzzle (4:33)
14. Life in the Clouds (4:47)
15. Last Astronaut (5:17)
16. Paper Hats (4:02)
17. The Silk Road (3:20)
18. I'm a War (4:48)
19. My Father the Clown (4:01)
20. Crooked Tiles (3:40)
21. Sleepy Sweet (4:08)
22. Play of the Waves (7:23)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 68

  1. Rural Tapes - Reddal (8:19)

  2. The Junkyard Liberty - Let It Go (3:29)

  3. International Music - Insel der Verlassenheit (3:51)

  4. 77:78 - Love Said (Let's Go) (3:19)

  5. Amon Düül II - Light (3:47)

  6. The Fallen Leaves - Out in a Forest (3:21)

  7. Poppycock - Magic Mothers (3:59)

  8. Camarão Orkestra - Samba Crevets (4:47)

  9. Spectrum Meets Captain Memphis - Til Your Mainline Comes (3:40)

10. Bipolaroid - Madeline (2:39)

11. The Projects - Accidents will Happen (4:09)

12. Axemen - Mourning of Youth (3:42)

13. The Smell of Incense - Columbine Confused (5:38)

14. David Ian Roberts - Carillon (3:50)

15. Djinn - Nights with Kurupi (4:25)

16. Jantar - Bergen op Zoom (5:41)

17. The Damned - Life Goes On (4:03)

18. Leon Paul-Phillips - Way Out (2:39)

19. World of Twist - On the Scene (4:32)

20. Mt. Mountain - Diablo (3:24)

21. William Doyle - Who Cares (2:32)

22. Léo Siallac - Un Nouvel Été Sans Amour (3:32)

23. HMS Ginafore - Comfort in Rum (1:56)

24. Ghost Funk Orchestra - Lone (2:32)

25. Veik - Château Guitar (4:50)

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Decontamination Process - Volume 2

 

Following on from the first volume posted back in February, celebrating the resurgence of post-punk influenced bands in the late 2010s. Once again featuring bands from across the globe, the tracks featured here date from the years 2018 to 2021. Also, many thanks to Marylyn for her help on this volume with some excellent band/song suggestions.
Info about origin of each track and year released are tagged in the music files and included in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest volume in the series, and again many thanks for all the positive comments.

 

  1. DEADLETTER - Fall of the Big Screen (2:24)
  2. Automatic - Too Much Money (2:15)
  3. Tense Men - Beyond the Pale (2:28)
  4. Frustration - Brume (3:00)
  5. Nape Neck - No Platforming (2:37)
  6. Structure - Decline (2:25)
  7. Willa Kosmos - Czesci Zamienne (5:09)
  8. Wives - White Dogs (3:19)
  9. Beige Banquet - Undefined (2:29)
10. Yard Act - Dark Days (3:05)
11. Mere Women - Heights (3:17)
12. Chronophage - Name Story (3:00)
13. Somos la Herencia - Injusto (3:29)
14. Fake Fruit - No Space for Residence (2:52)
15. Second Still - Double Negative (3:13)
16. Hotel Lux - Charades (2:24)
17. Porridge Radio - Give/Take (3:50)
18. Schröttersburg - Keter (4:53)
19. Deliluh - Con Art Inc (3:07)
20. LUMER - Disappearing Act (2:18)
21. Bichkraft - Yonder (3:59)
22. Patio - No Time (3:00)
23. Lié - Good Boy (3:10)
24. Sweeping Promises - Cross Me Out (3:09)
25. Document - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (4:37)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 67

 

  1. Rogér Fakhr - Everything You Want (2:24)
  2. Les Conches Velasques - Las Manos (3:39)
  3. Maston - Storm (2:16)
  4. The John Perfect Jazz Group - Hold Me in Your Arms (3:38)
  5. Group Modular - Chatterbird (2:31)
  6. Bernard Ntone - Mussoloki (4:17)
  7. The Young Gods - Speak Low (4:57)
  8. Ananda Shankar - Raghupati (3:26)
  9. Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble & Jaki Liebezeit - Twilight World (4:22)
10. Fontanelle - Traumaturge (4:32)
11. шум. волн - ibm post spiritual (4:48)
12. The Lava Children - Cave (2:36)
13. Paul Vickers and The Leg - Help This Animal (2:49)
14. Moondog - Imagine (2:18)
15. Mandy More - If Not By Fire (4:15)
16. Tosca - Mango Di Bango (6:16)
17. Spencer Cullum - Imminent Shadow (3:58)
18. Crumb - Fall Down (2:52)
19. Big Joanie - It's You (2:21)
20. Del Jones' Positive Vibes - Cold Turkey (9:45)
21. Misha Panfilov Sound Combo - Space Jogging (2:30)
22. The Adverts - I Will Walk You Home (3:56)
23. C Cat Trance - Dreams of Leaving (5:06)
24. Lumerians - Corkscrew Trepanation (7:08)
25. Kevin Ayers - Strange Song (2:39)
26. Jin Jim - House of the King (4:28)

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Tarwater - Low Frequency (1996-2014)

 

Bio:
The Berlin-based electronic duo Tarwater (drummer/vocalist/programmer Ronald Lippok and guitarist/bassist/programmer Bernd Jestram) formed in 1995. They have produced eleven regular studio albums and various collaborations (eg with Piano Magic, Tuxedomoon, B. Fleischmann), as well as numerous film and theater scores. Lippok also plays in the band To Rococo Rot.

Tarwater debuted with 1996's 11/6 12/10, ,Rabbit Moon Revisited (an EP of sorts) and Tarwater's second LP, Silur, followed in 1998. The critical praise attendant on the latter earned Tarwater American distribution, with Animals, Suns & Atoms appearing in 2000 and Dwellers on the Threshold two years later. Along with various collaborations, tour-only EPs, and soundtrack work, the duo produced new proper albums regularly over the next decade, with 2005's The Needle Was Travelling and 2007's Spider Smile both appearing on the Morr label, while 2011's Inside the Ships and its 2014 follow-up Adrift were released by German imprint Bureau B.

I've been a fan of Tarwater since their debut album "11/6 12/10", but have somewhat neglected listening to them the past few years. Again this was a band I never thought about doing an anthology of until very recently. Many music reviewers can be rather critical of Lippok's vocals, one 'review' on Pitchfork described them as "dour, uninflected". That reviewer is a complete idiot. Sure his vocals may be rather deadpan most of the time, but that never did Kraftwerk any harm! For me, I find his vocals rather engaging...

This anthology I found to be one of the quickest to compile. I didn't pick my favourite tracks from each album, once I'd decided on the opening track I focused on what I felt would be the most suitable track to follow and so on. From each of their 8 'regular' albums I have chosen 2 tracks, plus various tracks from singles/EPs and the odd compilation track which never appeared anywhere else, such as their cover version of The Verlaines' "Death and the Maiden". Like most of my anthologies I could easily have picked another half dozen tracks from each album, so if any of your favourites I've neglected to pick I can only apologise!

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, and as always stay safe!

  1. Get On (1:44)
  2. Across the Dial (3:18)
  3. Tommy Tomorrow (4:17)
  4. Otomo (2:36)
  5. Kleenex (4:18)
  6. At Low Frequency (3:59)
  7. Sell Me a Coat (3:31)
  8. A Mute E (4:17)
  9. Easy Sermon (3:44)
10. Now (3:12)
11. Tar Babies (3:41)
12. Hush (2:52)
13. Homology Myself (2:33)
14. Second Arthyr (5:01)
15. Death and the Maiden (3:27)
16. Expected (4:19)
17. N'existe Pas (2:26)
18. Glee (3:33)
19. All of the Ants Left Paris (3:51)
20. 20 Miles Up (4:01)
21. In a Day (3:30)
22. The Afterlife of Things (Two Stones) (2:44)
23. Lower Manhatten Pantoum (6:29)
24. Log of the Sloop (3:31)
25. Metal Flakes (2:56)
26. Stone (3:45)

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21st Century Psychedelia - Volume 3

 

 

 

  1. Kimono Drag Queens - Hunters (5:30)
  2. La Era de Acuario - Bailando en el Mar (4:34)
  3. Custard Flux - Empyrean House (3:50)
  4. Helicon - Glasgow Uni Accent (4:36)
  5. Population II - Ce n'est Rêve (7:25)
  6. Sunfruits - Above the Clouds (3:51)
  7. Mt. Mountain - Dawn (5:02)
  8. Wax Machine - Shade (3:44)
  9. Gloria - Holy Water (4:38)
10. Here the Captain Speaking, the Captain is Dead - Lithium Sturm (7:09)
11. Shadow Band - Illuminate (2:39)
12. Lucidvox - You Are (4:59)
13. Gary Lee Conner - Who Knows the Rain? (3:31)
14. Celistia - Flores Sin Jardín (4:38)
15. Lumerians - Silver Trash (5:33)
16. Beautify Junkyards - Deep Green (3:47)
17. Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - Lux, Lumina (3:17)
18. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - East West Link (3:08)
19. Cosmic Letdown - Паранойя (3:44)
20. Sister Wives - Crags (6:16)
21. Kombynat Robotron - Spitzer (9:49)

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Wyrdology 001: Someone's Watching...

 

The concept for this new series began back in January this year when Manerg started cobbling together some tracks for a "Hauntology" kind of mix. He asked if I wanted to collaborate, as I found the idea of great interest I had no hesitation in accepting his offer. The vast majority of the tracks included here were chosen by him, the others were tracks I offered which I thought would suit the theme. From the vast "shortlist" of tracks put forward, over 4 hours of music, I assembled the tracks you see listed below, trying to keep some kind of running narrative.

I asked Manerg to put into words his initial ideas for this mix, and this is what he had to say:
The idea behind this mix stems from the early noughties when I noticed the existence of a then fledgling record label called Ghost Box. I noticed that it's releases were sometimes tagged 'Hauntology', a term that I was unfamiliar with at the time. I researched the term to find that it was a philosophy posited by Jacques Derrida. I don't understand much of  Derrida's philosophy on this subject  but I can compare it to Marcel Proust's idea that scent and smell can trigger memories. In this case the memories are triggered sonically.
Upon my first listening to the releases on Ghost Box these triggers started happening to me. The use of TV and radio idents, also the inclusion of public information broadcasts mixed with music that could have been the soundtrack to many children's television programmes from the 1960s/70s.
 
I started to realize that this was also something that I'd noticed in the 1990's with releases from Portishead who used samples from spaghetti westerns and Italian horror films. There was also the release of the Journeys by DJ series of albums by various artists. The one that comes to mind most readily is the one by Coldcut which mixed current trip-hop and electonica artists with samples from television shows and found sounds. Other references include the plunderphonic releases by Avalanches, DJ Shadow, DJ Food and the eerie, otherworldly releases by Caretaker. Library music also shows it's influence.
Trying to pin down half remembered memories is the aim of this mix. But in this case half remembered is better than completely remembered. I have on occasion pinned down a flickering memory of a television programme and bought a dvd only to find disappointment in the whole as opposed to the incomplete memory.

The aim of this mix is to create atmospheres, and I know that these things are purely subjective but I hope that it can bring about a sonic Proustian rush to anyone who listens it.
So, as the story teller on the BBC's listen With Mother would say before each episode..."Are you sitting comfortably, then we'll begin...."


So there you have it! There is a slight similarity on this mix with my Sour Kraut mixes, in that there are 2 different mixes. First, is the unmixed version, comprising of separate tracks, below that are links for the mixed version where all tracks blend into each other. Note that on the original unmixed version there are a few merged tracks, which I think enhanced the whole listening experience. Also, unlisted, are odd snippets from children's TV shows from the 60s/70s, maybe some of you will recognise them.

Whichever version you prefer I hope you enjoy. Info containing origin of each track is also included with the download file. As we are hopefully beginning to see some kind of light at the end of the tunnel, I hope you are all still managing to keep safe!

Disc 1:
01. Paddy Kingsland / Belbury Poly - The Changes / Farmer's Angle (5:12)
02. Mary Hopkin - Lord of the Reedy River (3:45)
03. Third Ear Band - The Magus (8:08)
04. The Memory Band - Follow the Sarsen Stones (2:51)
05. Harmonic 33 - Carousel (2:01)
06. Pram - Track of the Cat (4:10)
07. Bingo Sputnik - Watch Me Glide (4:15)
08. Marcus Fjellstrom / Revbjelde - LM-103 / The Weeping Tree (4:45)
09. White Noise - Your Hidden Dreams (4:54)
10. Andrew Bown - Tarot (2:22)
11. Fit & Limo - Measured Tides (2:14)
12. The Focus Group - The Elektrik Karousel (3:44)
13. Brian Eno - By This River (2:56)
14. Ambrosian Singers / Death and Vanilla - Children of the Stones / Moonshine (4:03)
15. Sproatly Smith - The River Song (5:37)
16. Jane Weaver - The Amber Light (5:16)
17. Pye Corner Audio / Coil - A Dark Door / The Dreamer Is Still Asleep (12:17)

Disc 2:
01. Thorsten Schmidt - Hereford Wakes Main Title (1:27)
02. Beak> - When We Fall (5:31)
03. The Advisory Circle / Boards of Canada - Frozen Ponds / The Devil Is in the Details (4:39)
04. The Dandelion Set & Alan Moore - Nine Regal (3:11)
05. Mordant Music / Sharron Kraus with Belbury Poly - Malcolm's Driven Me Wild / Something Out of Nothing (5:09)
06. Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw - Days of Orange Squash (2:14)
07. Heather Trost - Sunrise (2:12)
08. Beautify Junkyards - The Miller's Song (3:02)
09. Delia Derbyshire & Brian Hodgson / Circulus - Restless Relays / Tintagic (4:14)
10. David Cain - June (2:14)
11. Brian Bennett - Watchful Eye (3:05)
12. In Gowan Ring - Hazel Steps (5:04)
13. Sneaker Pimps - How Do (5:00)
14. Vernon Elliott / Paul Giovanni / Candidate - From Cloud / Lullaby / Save Us (4:21)
15. Mr. Fox - Mendle (7:11)
16. The Roger Webb Sound - Moon Bird (2:16)
17. Lake Ruth - One Night as I Lay on My Bed (4:30)
18. The Memory Band with Grantby - The Ballad of Imber Down (5:48)
19. Plone - Watson’s Telescope (3:25)
20. David Sylvian - The Devil's Own (3:57)

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Mixed version:
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The Fall - The 'Difficult' Years (1990-1997)

 

 

This is a compilation I first made back in 2008. The idea was to make 4 compilations of The Fall, this one being the first. I've kept the original track order plus original cover art, my skills at making cover art back then not quite as "accomplished" as now! The other 3 compilations would have been "The Early Years (1978-1982)", "The Brix Years (1983-1989)" and the later years. As many of you may know I did make a compilation of the later years, 2000-2017, shortly after Mark E. Smith's death.

This leaves a gap, missing the album The Marshall Suite from 1999. I shall have to rectify that, I feel Marshall Suite was one of their finest albums of the 1990s. But for now, I hope you enjoy this resurrected mix. Maybe in the future I'll do a 'mega' Fall collection, comprising my 2 favourite tracks from each album (that'll be a tough choice) plus single/EP releases. This could be at least 4 CDs in length, if not more! Info containing track origin & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file, and as always stay safe!


  1. D.I.Y. Meat (2:37)
  2. Black Monk Theme Part I (4:27)
  3. Hey! Student (4:28)
  4. Rose (3:20)
  5. Rainmaster (3:27)
  6. Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room (4:28)
  7. Free Range (4:19)
  8. 4 1/2 Inch (3:55)
  9. Glam Racket - Star (3:20)
10. City Dweller (4:12)
11. Don't Call Me Darling (3:35)
12. Stay Away (Old White Train) (2:48)
13. Bill Is Dead (4:31)
14. Behind the Counter (3:08)
15. The Quartet of Doc Shanley (3:12)
16. It's a Curse (5:19)
17. The Mixer (3:35)
18. The Knight the Devil and Death (3:23)
19. Strychnine (2:53)
20. Hostile (3:59)
21. I'm Frank (3:22)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 66

 

  1. io audio recordings - Wolf Spider Jr. (6:41)
  2. Jane Weaver - Flock (3:25)
  3. Elaine Kibaro - Douleur (2:29)
  4. Nasca - Democracia e seus demônios (5:48)
  5. Cobalt Chapel - The Sequel (3:48)
  6. The Lounge Society - Generation Game (5:30)
  7. Gaye Su Akyol - Laziko (4:04)
  8. Still Corners - A Kiss Before Dying (2:45)
  9. Marie Modiano - Guérir ma colère (5:27)
10. Electric Light Orchestra - First Movement (Jumping Biz) (2:58)
11. Beige Banquet - Hotel Room (3:38)
12. May Lam - I Wouldn't Want You Any More (3:08)
13. Golden Dawn Arkestra - Shabuki (3:36)
14. Gloria - Skeletons (4:39)
15. Momus - Movement (4:22)
16. Jack - Biography of a First Son (3:08)
17. Wayne County & The Electric Chairs - Trying to Get on the Radio (4:38)
18. Richard Swift - Losing Sleep (4:30)
19. Black Star Liner - Swimmer (4:41)
20. Goat Girl - Closing In (3:35)
21. Pony del Sol - L'amour Argent (3:15)
22. Sister Wives - I Fyny Af / Rise (4:02)
23. Pierre Vassiliu - Spider Man (3:42)
24. Ugly Custard - Custard's Last Stand (2:54)

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Decontamination Process - 21st Century Post-Punk

 

After creating several post-punk compilations celebrating the peak years of the late 70s/early 80s,  I figured it was time I turned my attention to the modern day. Post-punk began to decline in the mid to late 80s, though you still had the odd band which kept the flag flying. In the 90s, it was more or less dead, until the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, where bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Bloc Party and the Arctic Monkeys went on to mainstream success.

This collection is dedicated to the more recent (and mostly undiscovered) bands which brought about a resurgence in the late 2010s. Like most of my genre compilatons, this features bands from all over the world, such as Rakta from Brazil, Wędrowcy~Tułacze~Zbiegi from Poland, and Fews from Sweden.  All tracks on this first volume date from the years 2018 to 2020, there'll be a couple more volumes to come in the near future which will include releases from before and after those years.

As usual, info about origin of each track and year released are tagged in the music files and included in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest compilation, once more thanks for all the positive comments, and keep safe!

01. The Cool Greenhouse - Cardboard Man (5:20)
02. Pottery - Under the Wires (3:58)
03. Public Practice - Into the Ring (3:56)
04. FACS - Teenage Hive (3:02)
05. Rakta - Ruína (3:08)
06. The Bedrooms - Ready Room (4:15)
07. Spray Paint - Alcohol Surface (4:16)
08. Patois Counselors - Get Excitement (2:51)
09. Fews - Limits (4:01)
10. Bodega - Truth (3:30)
11. Joy-Rides - Captain's Musical (According to Paul) (5:40)
12. Big Joanie - Eyes (4:14)
13. Wedrowcy~Tulacze~Zbiegi - Hoburgsgubben 10104 (5:09)
14. Lithics - Mice in the Night (3:39)
15. Snapped Ankles - Skirmish in the Suburbs (4:59)
16. Pozi - 40 Faces (3:07)
17. Dry Cleaning - Sit Down Meal (3:42)
18. Squid - Match Bet (4:13)
19. Ruby Karinto - No Manchester (2:15)
20. Membranes - The City Is an Animal (Nature Is Its Slave) (4:13)

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