4th annual Songblague mixtape!

Well, this was an eventful year. "Interesting times", as the Chinese curse has it. In many ways, the world seems a more unsettled place — economically, environmentally, and a creeping sense of hopeless national dysfunction in spite of Obama holding the line. And yet (and I hope I'm not tempting fate by saying), it was a pretty good one for me. Generally healthy, domestically happy, with all the gratitude that goes along with that, what fool could complain? Which is a weird place to be for someone in tune with the doom and dread in even the most benign situations.

So here's a year-end 'blague round-up that maybe hits some of the above notes, influenced also by a nagging case of jetleg (still getting my head around literally going back in time via crossing the international date line). At any rate, the flow feels right. Hope you enjoy whatever narrative comes across for you. Maybe even throw it on for a bit at your New Years party. See you on the other side.

Aside
Willie Hutch - I Choose You
Greg Hawkes - Block Party
The Toms - Other Boys Do
Joni Mitchell - Black Crow 
Cass McCombs - You Saved My Life
David Axelrod - The Warning Talk (Part II)
Tangerine Dream - The Dream Is Always The Same 

Beside
Zazou/Bikaye/CY1 - Mangungu
Violens - Der Microarc
Hiss Golden Messenger - Blue Country Mystic
Daniel Johnston - Sorry Entertainer
Andy Statman - My Hollywood Girls
Rodriguez - Street Boy
D Train - You're The One For Me

Seaside
Tone Dogs - Secret Crush
The Cut - Atmospheres
The Smiths with Sandie Shaw - I Don't Owe You Anything  
David Bowie - Velvet Goldmine
Guy Boulanger and Edgar Vercy - Cormoran Blesse   
Der Plan - Space Bob

Decide 
Beach House - Other People
The Move - Omnibus

El Coyote y Su Banda - Arboles de la Barranca 
Nite Jewel - In The Dark
Polmo Popto - Kiss Me Again And Again (Songblague edit)
Toshifumi Hinata - Pentimento
Marvin Gaye - My Love Is Waiting

Departure/Arrival

Well, it's end of the year time up here. I will be observing radio silence in New Zealand for the next 2 and a half weeks. Hopefully, I will be filling my ears with new 'blague-worthy sounds or at least the kind of inspiration that comes from spending solid time on the other side of the world. 

Closing out the regular season, here are a pair of cinematic instrumentals from a musician I am just getting to know, courtesy of the always stellar Growing Bin. Maybe it's just my mood, but I'm hearing them as two different musical ways to exit the scene. Or maybe one is for arrival. We'll have to test it out in the air.

Meanwhile, look out for a year-end digital mixtape right before New Years. With luck, I'll my brain will have fully made it back by then. Til soon!

Toshifumi Hinata - Chaconne

Toshifumi Hinata - Pentimento

Christmas comes early

Now that it occurs to me that I'll be gone for Christmastime, I'm doing a sudden, early dive into holiday sounds. Belle and Sebastian are probably the last people who should be attempting to cover James Brown. This effort is like an office Xmas party make-out  — probably made a lot more sense when plastered, was ill-conceived, but ultimately forgivable and will be repeated more awkwardly next year.

Belle and Sebastian - Santa Claus, Go Straight To The Ghetto

Vacationland

New Zealand is starting to feel within my grasp. Countdown to blastoff is 3 days now. And while I can't wait to get my antipodes on, the excitement is tempered a bit by the prospect of spending double-digit hours above the mighty Pacific. That said, the time for vacation soundtracks has come. And I will commence to sprawl out to this musical saw/mallet-laden number with the dopey smile of a man who is very far from home.

Kev Hopper - Lamalou Les Bains

In need of black strap

Enjoying a fun book about searching out all the ex-members of The Fall. Probably an attempt to gain indirect insight into that wonderful and frightening world. I'm happy that I'm still totally entertained by the antics of Mark E Smith. And I'm happy to share one of his more poppy numbers.

The Fall - No Bulbs

Thoughts in orbit

Starting to feel that cold weather urge to spend some good solo contemplative time walking through wooded places. Which means it's time for music to accompany that sort of thing. Or for being all moody in dim places. Either way, this tune has you covered.

Matthew Shipp - New Orbit