I never feel like garbage when I'm with you

Plans for a hearty upstate hike were sabotaged by incessant rain. Having prepped myself for the prospect of injury, sunburn, or combination of the two, I found myself with a vast appetite for passing the hours with a quiet book. Which means I've got an equally vast appetite built up for a virtual dance party. And more Sparks antics. Which means the Giorgio Moroder-era of their career is called for.

Sparks - When I'm With You

You can dress nautical

I'm in the midst of a Sparks obsession. Which means simultaneous absorbing of all their phases — including the unique successes and boisterous failures. I find myself gravitating to their twisted New Wave period, but of course, those glam records are irresistible too. And I'm still not getting tired of Russell Mael's voice, which maybe should be alarming. I suspect this will not be their last tune up on the 'blague.

Sparks - Angst In My Pants

Tort reform

I praised Tortoise's groundbreaking early work a while back, but have been fairly dismissive of their last few efforts. True, they've spent the last decade and a half basically refining their aesthetic and running in place. But sometimes you have to stand back and appreciate that refinement. Which is what happened when I gave a listen to It's All Around You recently. 

It's probably a case of ears suddenly becoming more attuned to subtlety, not looking to be surprised, but happy to find pretty things in small places. Suddenly, I like the shift toward melody, away from stone-faced austerity, being less stingy with color. Now I want to see the imaginary movie they're soundtracking. Of course, it helps that the vibes are still around. Without those, these guys would be truly lost.

Tortoise - Stretch (You Are All Right)

Dazzling

Dazzle Ships is one of those albums people love in hindsight or at least in principle— the archetypal non-commercial "serious art" statement by perennial chart-toppers. I admit I'm mostly on board with that. And conceptually, I do like the idea of dazzle (anti-)camouflage, with its intent to confuse rather than conceal. I guess that's what's going on with the album's dour abstractions. But then they throw in a pop gem like this one, which would surely give their ship away to enemy rangefinders.

Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark - Telegraph

Spirit animal

I'm not a huge fan of either Buckley senior or junior. But from a musical persepctive at least, their early deaths were a real shame, if only for the high bar they set for vocalizing. This track in particular finds Papa Tim taking his mellifluous voice into some impressively animal-like places. Surely he was possessed by some spirit we should all meet at some moment in our lives.

Tim Buckley - Monterey

Odd time in no time

I never understood why avant garde rock bands are called "ahead of their time". Time will literally never catch up with them, and their music has nothing to do with anyone's time, now or in the future. Those fancy chops, odd meters, and semi-discordant jazz horns will never blare out of cars speakers or function as the soundtrack to any mass activity of daily life. Band members will never taste the sweet n' stinky pleasures of rock hedonism. They will, in fact, always make music for small rooms of dedicated head nodders. Their albums will bob in and out of print. Sometimes they will be blogged.

Interesting fact about these guys — their drummer was also in Soundgarden. How's that for making a shitty concession to getting with the times?

Tone Dogs - No Cry

Tone Dogs - Secret Crush

Tomorrow ain't what it used to be

And a damn shame for all of us. It's nothing new to be discouraged by our collective dread at what's to come. But when you hear a tune that hints at a prior era's sense of wide-eyed (or stony-eyed) wonder at future possibilities, it just brings into relief the sadness of our time. Meanwhile, a thumbs-up to Madlib for re-imagining this groove; the sample is culled from Donald Byrd's track of the same name.

Madlib - Stepping Into Tomorrow

Like to sing about sunshine

Funny how even the more sensible of us fall victim to the fabled company party and all its ragged booziness. After near-disastrous phone disappearance and subsequent sleep-deprived, hungover recovery mission, I'm thinking it'll be easier to stay above the influence in the future. (My creaky bones nod in agreement.) Meanwhile, I'm thinking some ridiculously sunshiny tunes are a nice way to downshift from a manic couple of weeks. The Free Design sometimes strike me as a put-on, but there are some subtle dark vibes underneath the harmonies. Here are a couple tunes from both ends of their full-throated career.

The Free Design - Umbrellas

The Free Design - Like To Love

Pay what it takes to feel alive

I remember in college briefly being into a lot of those Southern gothy bands — the ones that mixed weird and surreal/apocalyptic religious imagery with ramshackle percussive sounds that sounded like an increasingly second-hand approximation of Tom Waits's '80s albums. That approach is legit enough, but it wasn't really a good look for me. Jim White has turned out to be one of the more durable of those dudes, and listening to his debut album again, I'm pleasantly surprised at how nicely it fits these hazy heatwave days. This tune is an interesting cocktail of apocalyptic visions in a cool glass of water slowly poured over your head.

Jim White - Burn The River Dry

Tomfoolery

Another one from the gifted/ignored one-man-band files. Songblague has already paid this Tom some much-deserved attention, but I finally got ahold of his album and can't help myself. What can you do with infectious pop but be feverishly devoted to it for a time?

The Toms - Other Boys Do

Apart on me

Having finally reached a state of exhaustion, I'm incapable of hearing any kitsch or weirdness in the DIY synth funk of Jeff Phelps. Just some tender diva-ing and a drum machine that understands every shade of the song's emotion.

Jeff Phelps - Don't Fall Apart On Me

Yesterday's endings will tomorrow life give you

At long last, I'm giving Yes's debut some real attention! Having listened to their heyday albums to death a few times over and having gone thru so much admiration, revulsion, re-appreciation, and more backlash, I'm able to enjoy a totally different band in these baby steps. Which is to say, a band very much in its fey '60s throes, looking for a sound, but it might involve with big "compositional" ambitions. The fact that even this—it's proggiest track—only vaguely hints at blowing structures open, is now a big part of its charm. Especially the glorious clumsiness of the big ending! Goes to show that however highfalutin, they were always inspired amateurs.

Yes - Survival

Burnt candle

Busy times. Across the board. So much that I didn't even have a quality minute to share a song yesterday. Barely so today. Burning the candle at both will surely burn you out. I'm not sure if this library jam represents disease or cure. Probably both. Be sure to listen to the end for some sweet flute action.

Teddy Lasry - Traffic

Disturbed

Ack, a day back in the flow of daily life, and I've lost the easy vacation shine, the cat-like jitteriness making its presence known way too soon. Who would've thought I'd lose the mellow before the suntan. Agitation suggests a rock-out. And so it goes. 

Absolute Grey - Memory Of You

Stretched across the continent

Back home! The honeymoon was a persistent glow, and I'm hoping to keep it alive in spirit as long as I can. Meanwhile, I'm struggling with the jetlag and renewing my visceral understanding of how it feels to be stretched across the great sky. Here's a tune that would have fit both the languid and active of the last week's moments, as well as this gradual process of become whole at home again.

Prins Thomas - Attiatte