Zonker.net – Page 9 – Blogging, Books, Cats, Music, Mayhem

May 23, 2021

An impossible task: 100 favorite songs

A discussion came up this past week about favorite albums / songs, and having already done the 100 albums project I was able to URL-slap the chat channel with my favorite albums. (At least, my favorite albums as of about 2016. The list has changed substantially since then.) So then the question of favorite 100 songs came up. That… is much harder.

Picking my 100 favorite albums wasn’t easy but it’s made much simpler by the fact that lots of artists have produced great songs. That’s why we have the concept of “one-hit wonders” — lots of artists and bands have created one-off songs that are amazing, but their overall catalog is just so-so.

Don McLean’s “American Pie” is much beloved. I’ve listened to it hundreds if not thousands of times by now, and it doesn’t get old. The rest of his catalog… um. Not so much.

“Mickey” by Toni Basil is a classic, no list of 80s pop would be complete without it. “Obsession” by Animotion, great song. “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris. And that’s just songs that charted, not counting many fantastic songs that didn’t chart but stood head and shoulders above the rest of the band’s work.

The Beatles (and XTC, Queen, Robyn Hitchcock, and…) problem

The Beatles are pretty much my all-time favorite band. They released somewhere north of 200 songs while they were together, more than 180 of them originals. There are a few Beatles songs that are stinkers (“Revolution No. 9” and “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)” leap to mind), and some that are just OK (“Sexy Sadie,” “All Together Now,” “Little Child”…) but without a hard limit on songs by a single band/artist, they’d take up a huge chunk of my top 100.

And then there’s XTC, Queen, Robyn Hitchcock, Aimee Mann, Colin Hay…

A possible approach to top 100s

There’s no way I can do just 100, at least not without sucking all the fun out of it while I agonize over this song or that one. I sat down and jammed out a list of 73 songs in less than an hour and that’s just off the top of my head.

I might split it up a bit and do multiple lists. I’m thinking right now, I might divide a project into:

Everything up to 1970
1970-1989
1990-2009
2009-now

I might need a separate list for the 80s on its own. Everybody knows that was unarguably the best decade for music, ever. Unarguably. Don’t even try to argue it.

OK, you might disagree. But I grew up during the 80s, which means that was the time I had my most intense relationship with music. If my selections from the 80s are too numerous to winnow down to live with 70s music, I might re-think the positioning.

Thoughts, suggestions, songs to include?

Open to suggestions. This is primarily an exercise to keep me writing, I doubt that many people are on the edge of their seats waiting to hear my thoughts on music. But, if you’re following along at home I’d love to hear your thoughts. Could you narrow it down to 100? Could you think of 100? What songs would you include, and how would you pick them?

April 28, 2021

Jukebox selections: MASTER BOOT RECORD, The Jayhawks, Paul McCartney meets Khruangbin

Album cover: "Tomorrow the green grass" by the Jayhawks

Been a bit between posts, so here’s another run at the jukebox for all my readers looking for a few good tunes to pass the time. Some oldies, some goodies, nothing boring and all good for your soul.

Zenith (Riktam Remix) by MVMB & ALL’IN – IbogaTech

This is a melodic psytrance piece that runs seven minutes and never lets up. If I were the Peloton type, I’d definitely queue this one up for a indoor cycling session. But, alas, I am not. So I merely listen to this while typing. Give it a listen on Bandcamp, I think you’ll be hooked.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1093589695 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Tomorrow the Green Grass by The Jayhawks

This isn’t a new release nor is it new to me, but I put this on for the millionth time last night and it’s still just as fresh and enjoyable as the first time I listened to it. This album was a recommendation from a friend in college, who dubbed it to cassette for me. I can still remember popping it into my car stereo driving between Columbia, MO and Kirksville, MO – not knowing what to expect, I wasn’t quite braced for it.

Depending on who you ask this fits into the “country rock,” “alternative country” or “alternative rock” genre. There’s definitely a bit of twang and country influence here, and I’d be shocked if Mark Olson and Gary Louris didn’t have some Lynyrd Skynyrd albums in their collection. But the album really transcends genre, it’s just damn good music.

[youtube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kGKXzr_-UvUI-9otP8G8i50Kqm3cbvJNM]

INTERNET PROTOCOL by MASTER BOOT RECORD

Loved the concept, an album with songs inspired by various protocols (FTP, IRC, HTTP, POP3 and Gopher!), but wasn’t sure the execution would live up to it. Turns out, it does. This is great video-gamish music that is fantastic to work to or just enjoy. This is nerd rock at its finest. Ironically it is available as download, vinyl or cassette – but not CD. Sigh. (Can’t argue with the digital download price, though. One Euro is completely reasonable.)

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=238542805 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Paul McCartney meets Khruangbin

Paul McCartney’s McCartney III was some of the best work that the former Beatle has turned in for quite a while. Clearly he made good use of the quarantine time to put together a fine album, but then did us one better and reached out to a number of contemporary artists to remix/re-imagine songs on the album as McCartney III Imagined.

I absolutely love what Khruangbin (another favorite of mine) have done with “Pretty Boys,” and highly recommend giving it a listen.

[youtube https://youtu.be/K-sjSobYNag]

It’d be amazing to put McCartney and Khruangbin in a studio and go for a full album.

What are you listening to?

That’s it for me on this installment. What are you listening to these days?

April 2, 2021

Jukebox selections: Earthspace, Kill Shelter + Antipole, Sunny War “Staying Alive” cover & much more

It’s another Bandcamp Friday! Time to fill up the cart and bring home some great tunes. Looking for a few ideas? Check out some of these albums and artists.

Lagniappe Sessions (EP) by Sunny War

Spotted this one on Cover Me, I think, a few weeks ago. The entire EP is made up of covers, but the one that stands out for me is the 8-minute cover of The Bee Gees’ “Staying Alive” that deconstructs the song and gives it a lot of room to breathe.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=372660277 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=235655820]

Bonus recommendation, her Simple Syrup release that came out last week is beautiful. Really enjoying her voice and guitar playing, it’s sublime. This is the sort of album I can close my eyes and just let wash over me. It’s definitely not background music for working – it deserves full attention.

When the world returns to some semblance of normal I hope I can catch a live show.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3654010975 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra

This is not a collaboration I’d have predicted, or known that I wanted, but sometimes life hands you something really good unexpectedly. So it is with Promises, a joint effort from Floating Points (producer, DJ, musician and Eglo Records co-founder, Pharoah Sanders (legendary jazz saxophonist), and a scrappy little outfit known as the London Symphony Orchestra.

This is a perfect record to bring in Spring, it’s all sonic butterflies and sunshine, light breezes and fluffy clouds dancing overhead. Nature’s stretching after a long Winter nap and getting down to the serious business of reawakening. The record was released just a few days ago, but I don’t think it’s too soon to declare this one a classic.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3149089081 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Machines Reflecting Love (EP) by Earthspace

This short EP from 2020 by Earthspace (aka, Matheus Nogueira from Brazil) is described as “chunky slabs of bass grooves.” It’s short but lots of fun. It doesn’t demand your full attention. It makes for great background work music, but it does reward it if you do choose to close your eyes and just ride its waves.

[bandcamp width=400 height=120 album=4064950087 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

A Haunted Place by Kill Shelter & Antipole

A Haunted Place is new from last week, but its cold wave vibe would be right at home next to The Cure’s Pornography and other 80s cold wave/goth classics. This is the kind of gloom and doom that’s fun to listen in any mood. The lyrics are a bit “black writing on black paper in a dark room” but the music is good enough I don’t mind too much.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4024825527 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Caravan to the Stars by Dark Matter Halo feat. Bill Laswell

Ethereal, heavy on the low end, great stuff from Dark Matter Halo with Bill Laswell. The title is appropriate, feels like a journey through the void at galactic distances.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2614911790 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Milan 2012 by Material

This one is exclusive to members of the BASSMATTER subscription from Bill Laswell on Bandcamp. It’s a six track jam recorded at Teatro Manzoni, Milan featuring Aiyb Deng, Hamid Drake, Dominic James, Peter Apfelbaum, Steven Bernstein (not that one), and Bernie Worrell.

There’s some truly stunning work from Worrell on the keyboards here. Laswell’s bass is top-notch as always. Gave it a listen the moment the notice landed in my inbox that Laswell had released another BASSMATTER exclusive. The subscription is $22 a month. You’ll get access to all the back catalog exclusives and new stuff released while you’re subscribed.

Did a quick scan of my inbox and there’ve been about 22 releases this year. I wondered when I signed up whether the subscription would be worthwhile or if this would be the dregs of stuff out of the archives… it’s not the dregs. I’ve enjoyed pretty much all the releases that have been issued since I subscribed, particularly the Tabla Beat Science and Method of Defiance stuff.

Tell me what you’re listening to

Enough about my finds this week, what are you listening to? Always looking for new music recommendations. Bonus points if it’s on Bandcamp, but that’s not a requirement.

March 28, 2021

Digital crate digging: Searching Spotify by label, genre, year and more

Spotify is a great tool for music discovery, but some of the exploration tools aren’t obvious. If you want to search for something by song title or artist, that sort of thing, no problem. But there are other ways I like to explore new music, like by music label or genre. You can do that too!

The Spotify UI doesn’t expose things like record label, but that’s a really good way to find new music. For example, if you like classical music the Naxos label is famous for it. The Blue Note label is famous for jazz, 4AD is great for indie artists like Bettie Serveert. Point is, if there’s a genre or artist you like, branching out by checking out the other acts on the same label is a good way to find great new music.

Here’s how you do that, in the search box just use label:"blue note" or whatever label you’d like to search through.

Want to narrow the search a bit? You can add the year parameter, like year:1965, so search by label:"blue note" year:1965 and that should turn up everything that Spotify has tagged with that year and record label.

Spotify’s hidden search syntax

Once upon a time, Spotify listed its advanced search syntax on its website. However, the only place (I think) you can find it these days is via the Wayback Machine. According to the old page, Spotify supports these parameters and operators:

artist
track
genre
year
album
label
isrc
upc
OR, AND, NOT and + and –

Search Spotify by genre

You might have already tried searching for genres on Spotify, and searching for “jazz” will turn up some jazz, and also any albums or artists or songs with “jazz” in the name. If you want to search only by genre you can tag on the genre: search modifier and you’ll get results of artists who fit the genre.

Weirdly, Spotify doesn’t return albums using this search modifier, just artists, songs, and Spotify’s “top result” for the genre’s artist. For instance, you search for genre:jazz and you’ll get Miles Davis for top artist. Seems legit. Search for genre:rock and you get Weezer. That’s a little sus. (If anybody from Spotify is reading this, I’m available to help clean up your categorization and taxonomies for a modest fee…)

Spotify search results may vary

Note that the results may not be perfect – And I don’t just mean questionable categorization on Spotify’s part. Searching for 1965 and Blue Note yields (among others) Cornbread by Lee Morgan. According to Spotify’s album info the album is from 1964, and Discogs says it was released in 1967.

There’s also a chance that minor labels are going to have name collisions. There’s more than one TCB Records, for instance, so if you try to locate some 60s jazz from the label by Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra you end up mixing in a lot of more modern stuff (but no Lionel Hampton).

Finally, results vary depending on what Spotify has in its library. Spotify has a lot of amazing stuff, but it’s hit and miss on deeper jazz, indie labels, and that sort of thing.

My guess is that the search parameters and operators are a still-functioning but legacy feature with Spotify that’s not well tended to by its product team. It works, mostly, but it doesn’t seem to be something the company is investing in or trying to put in front of users as a power tool. Pity – because when it works, it is a fun way to sort through the catalog on the service.

However, if you’re trying to find new-to-you music and want to go outside Spotify’s recommendations and generic search features, the additional modifiers can be a great tool. And, remember, artists don’t get rich off Spotify plays – when you find music you really like, think about buying the album direct from the artist or Bandcamp or whatever source is best to give the most money to the artist.

March 24, 2021

Jukebox selections: Bambie Thug, Method of Defiance, Aesthetic Perfection and more

A few of the things that I’ve caught in the last few weeks that are keeping my ears busy, including Method of Defiance, Bambie Thug, Aesthetic Perfection and others.

One of Bill Laswell’s many, many, many, many recurring projects, Method of Defiance is all over the map depending on which album you’re dealing with. Some feature vocalists like Dr. Israel, others are instrumental jams that blow the doors completely off the hinges.

Nahariama is their second instrumental album, this one featuring DJ Krush, Bernie Worrell, Toshinori Kondo, Graham Haynes, Robert Burger, Guy Licata and Aiyb Dieng. Released in April 2013, the album resurfaced recently when Laswell released some vinyl through Bandcamp along with digital downloads.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=985442974 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Expect a longer review at some point, but this one wow’ed me right out of the gate. In particular, “Quantum Clash” is already in high rotation for me. Continue reading “Jukebox selections: Bambie Thug, Method of Defiance, Aesthetic Perfection and more”

March 13, 2021

Devil Doll returns with “Lover & a Fighter”

Devil Doll "Lover & a Fighter" album cover

After 13 years, Devil Doll (a.k.a. Colleen Duffy) is back with Lover & a Fighter, a release that is as strong as her debut album Queen Of Pain.

The lead track “You Can’t Have Me” would be right at home on Queen Of Pain, it’s sultry, bass-y, slinky and rumbles in like a big cat on the prowl. (You can thank John Button, who has toured with The Who and Roger Daltry, for that.) It’s a great start to an album full of fine tracks, heavily influenced by rockabilly, country rock, and 50s/60s sensibilities without sounding the least bit dated.

Odds are you could slip “It’s Only Make Believe” into a set on an oldies station and listeners would be none the wiser, except the production sounds a little too modern. “Purse Whiskey” (tagged with the “E” for fun, er, explicit on Spotify) is a perfect bar band tune that would bring any club to life performed live. You know, back when people went to live shows… Continue reading “Devil Doll returns with “Lover & a Fighter””

March 5, 2021

Bandcamp Friday recommendations: Eliza Rickman, Stickster, Renssy Rios, and much more

It’s Bandcamp Friday! Bandcamp has been waiving revenue share on the 1st Friday of each month to help artists who’ve had their incomes seriously impacted by the pandemic.

Reminder from Bandcamp, “here’s something to keep in mind: on Bandcamp Fridays, an average of 93% of your money reaches the artist/label (after payment processor fees). When you make a purchase on any other day of the month (as 2.5 million of you have since March, buying an additional $145 million worth of music and merch) an average of 82% reaches the artist/label.” So if you happen to be reading this on any other day, don’t hesitate to support folks on Bandcamp then too.

Eliza Rickman covers “Be My Baby”

At the top of my list today, Eliza Rickman’s new single. This is a cover of “Be My Baby” originally by The Ronettes, and will be on her forthcoming covers album. It’s beautiful and respects the original material while she makes it her own.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=1763143220 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the original, listen to Eliza’s cover first and then be sure to check out the original. They’re both fantastic.

If you’re totally new to Eliza’s music, I recommend you start with her 2012 album O, You Sinners which is one of my all-time favorite albums. (Which isn’t to say that I don’t love all her albums, just that Sinners hits me juuuust right.)

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2096306311 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Stickster strikes again

I really love this track by Stickster, a.k.a Paul Frields. Full disclosure, Paul’s a friend and co-worker I’ve known well more than a decade now. But I’m giving this track a big thumbs up independent of that, it’s just a damn good instrumental track that reminds me a touch of Vangelis. (Maybe a little more than a touch.) Definitely put this one in your Bandcamp cart today.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=526198272 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Emma Swift sings Bob Dylan

I have a dirty secret. I’m an avid music fan who really isn’t very into Bob Dylan. I recognize his talent and songwriting genius, but I haven’t really connected with Dylan. However, I’ve really enjoyed covers of his songs – especially Blonde on the Tracks by Emma Swift. Gina Frary Bacon, of WFMU, wrote “An Emma Swift performance can bring you to the edge of tears, because her voice is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. It takes a lot of resilience to be so vulnerable. She brings this strength and beauty to… Blonde on the Tracks.”

Can’t really say it better than that, so I won’t try. Go listen, you’ll believe.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4061890943 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Modern Americana

Here’s one from The Pomegranate Country Irregulars that has a lot of charm and optimism. It’s filed under “modern Americana” and that sounds like a pretty good description. Some of the music reminds me of mid-period Jayhawks.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2562820348 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Bass and drums with Renssy Rios

Check out this instrumental album from Renssy Rios that features Rios playing 5-string bass and drums. Some really good stuff on this one and it’s a mixture of some fairly tranquil slow journeys and more fast-paced jams that get the blood pumping.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4049902643 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Bill Laswell

Speaking of bass, there’s so much goodness from Bill Laswell on Bandcamp. If you’re unsure where to begin, I really love one of his latest releases, Against Empire that features Laswell, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, Hideo Yamaki, Chad Smith, and several others. Four (long) tracks that defy easy categorization but travel through avant-jazz, rock, dub, ambient and other genres. Don’t miss it.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4236151357 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Even more bass with Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble

Finally, get double the bass with this album featuring Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell with the Invaders of the Heart and Peter Applebaum and Hideo Yamaki. Amazing album that just keeps giving.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=340709718 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

But wait, there’s more!

I’d also give a hearty recommendation to any of the other albums I’ve written about that are on Bandcamp or any of the albums in my collection. It’s my number one source of new music these days, they have so many fantastic niche and indie artists cranking out amazing work. We truly live in a time of abundance when it comes to finding music.

March 4, 2021

“It’s a Mistake” by Men at Work: pop at the height of the cold war

There’s not a bad song on Cargo (1983), but “It’s a Mistake” is one of the standout cuts on the album. Written by Colin Hay, it was the third single off Cargo and did pretty well on the charts.

If I remember correctly, the video was in heavy rotation on MTV for a while, but it didn’t get anything like the airplay that “Down Under” or “Who Can It Be Now?” got on the cable channel.

[youtube https://youtu.be/I0AxrOUJ62E]

I’ve loved Hay’s vocals since I was a youngster, but this is (still) one his best performances IMO. He builds up some really believable intensity on the final chorus and then brings it back down for the outro. The track also has some sparkling guitar work and great bass.

The cold war message in the song isn’t particularly subtle but what do you expect from a four-minute pop song? If you weren’t fortunate enough to grow up with 80s music, give it a listen. If you did but haven’t checked in with Men at Work for a while, give it a spin as well. Despite its age, the song still sounds fresh and is still in heavy rotation around these parts.

March 2, 2021

The Wonder Twins: Sir Wobbles and Cupcake

Sir Wobbles and Cupcake are siblings that we were fostering a few years ago and decided we couldn’t give them up. Sir Wobbles, as his name suggests, is a wobbly cat – he has a very mild case of CHP or “wobbly cat syndrome” and is not the steadiest on his feet.

His “given” name that he came to us with is “Frito” but most of us just call him Sir, or Sir Wobbles. “Officially” his name is now Sir Frito Wobbleson.

He was very ill as a kitten and almost didn’t make it, but he had an amazing foster mom who specialized in “bottle babies” and he not only survived, but flourished! He’s grown a lot since his early days as a tiny kitten with a stubby orange tail that stuck straight up most of the time.

Cupcake is the kitty who really sealed the deal. She lobbied hard to be adopted, until Meg couldn’t see how we’d part with the Wonder Twins. Which saved me the trouble of begging to keep Sir Wobbles, because there’s no way I could have parted with him when push came to shove.

As you can see, they’re as comfy as can be together. They’re a joy to have around and to watch romp through the house.

March 1, 2021

Amyl and the Sniffers, Fraidycat web follower, Mogwai

Let’s shake some of my browser tabs and see what falls out.

Fraidycat web follower / feed reader

RSS has been on the decline since Google snuffed Google Reader. Many sites, these days, don’t even support RSS. It’s a problem.

One solution that might fit the bill for many users is Fraidycat. It comes as a standalone app for Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as extensions for Firefox and Chrome. (I’m currently using the standalone app for the Linux desktop.) The standalone appears to be an Electron app, so I might switch to the Firefox extension.

Fraidycat pros:

It handles RSS/Atom feeds, and a number of sites that don’t have proper feeds like Twitter, YouTube. Want to follow a YouTube channel outside YouTube? Fraidycat has got you covered.
It allows you to organize feeds by a free-form system of tags (including emojis) and their importance (Real-time, Frequent, Occasional… etc.).
Has an import/export system that makes it super-easy to switch from, say, the desktop app to the Firefox extension. Or just export OPML to import into another feed reader, or plain HTML bookmarks.
Easy to use, intuitive, open source-ish.

Fraidycat cons:

Doesn’t handle things like Twitter lists, Wikipedia pages that you might want to follow. Coughs up an error when you try to follow these.
The license is open source-ish. Specifically the Blue Oak Model License which is MIT-ish but not OSI-approved.
Earlier this year the next release for Fraidycat was “postponed” so the author could work on another project. Hoping it really is just a temporary postponement and not about to become abandonware.

Amyl and the Sniffers

I snagged this EP by Amyl and the Sniffers on the last Bandcamp Friday. It’s raw, joyous and punk-y. I think I might have been 45 seconds into the first track when I decided “yeah, OK, I’ll listen to this again and again.” Released in 2016, but I’d have believed it if somebody it came out in 1983. Assuming live music returns someday, I’d definitely head out to see them live.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3846936675 size=large bgcol=333333 linkcol=2ebd35 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Short, sweet, noisy. Give it a listen, loud.

Mogwai – It’s What I Want To Do, Mum

Song I stumbled on while testing out Fraidycat. Instrumental goodness.

[youtube https://youtu.be/tFUGspVnZFQ]

Gimmie something I wouldn’t usually read…

If you are entirely unlike me and need reading suggestions (vs. having a stack of books taller than you that need reading), then I have a great site for you.

Break the Bubble will give book suggestions that are “bubble breakers” for books you might be unlikely to stumble on, usually. Give it The Hitchhiker’s Guide, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Post Office by Charles Bukowski and it suggests I might want to read Dread Nation by Justina Ireland or My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. (Also a “Captain Underpants” title, so there may be a few glitches in terms of age appropriateness.)

That’s it for today’s Link-o-Rama. What else should I be looking at on the Web?