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

Away

Vacation time! I'm headed to the Pac Northwest for some good relaxing and recharging. Think redwoods and pools, hopefully on the same day. This tune seems more appropriate for blasting off into an inter-dimensional head journey, building to a nice intensity. Which is just what I'm looking to disconnect from for a week or so. Yet again, The Growing Bin serves up a winner.  Peace out and see you back around Tuesday 7/10.

Henry-Skoff Torgue - Bacchanale Cardinale

Two birds with one soundtrack

If you find yourself looking for surprisingly good/somewhat under-the-radar movies with actors who went on to become famous (before becoming not famous anymore), check out Alan Parker's Birdy. I remember being underwhelmed by the similarly under-the-radar soundtrack as I was first devouring Peter Gabriel solo albums. Having listened to it recently with an ear far more sympathetic to atmospheric music that doesn't mind concealing itself, I'm in rediscovery heaven. I'm not saying you need to make like Matthew Modine and perch naked on the bed to enjoy. Then again, does music ever sound worse that way?

Peter Gabriel - Dressing The Wound

Peter Gabriel - Slow Marimbas

A to zinc

Art is sweet escape when it's got a landscape of cheepnis to rise above. And chintziness feels great when it's a breath of fresh air outside the suffocating salons of aesthetic refinement. It's all about balance. Which is to say, I'm in the mood for a tacky groove. As tacky as the heels, leg tan, and skirt slipping out of the taxi above. As necessary as the slap bass and saxophone that messes with all sense of right and wrong. Listening to this song, I can't shake mental images of Danny DeVito in a slapstick huff n' puff all across the screen. And no complaints about that.

Zinc - I'll Never Stop

Instrumental illness

Sticking with instrumental mayhem and blowing the dust off the vinyl crates sitting in forgotten basement corners, we come to The Viola Crayola. I'll always have a soft spot for the menacing rock side of '70s fusion. In other words, you keep those drums jazzy and step on that fuzz pedal, and I'll listen to what you have to tell me.

The Viola Crayola - The Last One On Earth

Battles lost

Time to party like it's 2007. I remember being so excited that the dorky dudes of Battles might be actual rock stars as they rode the wave of their supremely confident and accomplished debut album. What's more, that album seemed to point the way to an ascendance of adventurous "music-music" as a legit pop paradigm. Alas, time passed. The air leaked out of the tires, Ty Braxton left the band, and their follow-up album passed in my rearview without much notice. Having done a recent fly-through, I don't regret not paying attention.

I know that the unstoppable "Atlas" track mostly made their reputation, but this one seemed like the electrifying radio hit in the aforementioned alt reality of an experimental rock world takeover. Hopefully, they will live to fight more battles.

Battles - Snare Hanger

Lift me into your mouth

I've documented my longstanding XTC fandom in this space before, and I thought I'd rung that bell enough. But like all my favorite bands, they keep finding ways to nudge themselves to the forefront of my attention. For a bunch of years, I favored their post-punk peak period, but the lush pop craftsmanship of late albums like Nonsuch has been steadily unfolding its charms. Andy Partridge has always been a great—if usually understated—lyricist, and this one is deliriously appropriate for these days when the air itself seems villainous. For a few minutes at least, an ocean wave overtakes a heatwave.

XTC - That Wave

Summer mirage

I have hazy childhood memories of mid-level MTV hits from The Fixx. For some reason, I spent a lot of time wondering about that second "x" in the name. Seemed designed to make them appear extra intense, which I suppose New Wave often wants to be. Years later, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the stainless steel pop of their Reach The Beach album. Worth checking out, although there is the headscratcher of why they bothered employing the world's most indistinct and boring drummer when cheaper machines were very much available.

Meanwhile, it seems we're in for a little heatwave. Which calls for mirages in the shape of music. Which this one totally is for me right about now.

The Fixx - Reach The Beach

New man

Legendary status aside, I've always thought Wire were at their best when they balanced out their post-punk stone-facedness with a healthy helping of pouty English posturing. Frontman Colin Newman's solo debut is pretty much an extension of the band's aesthetic, albeit with some surprisingly Cure-esque turns like this. Is that an accordion I'm noticing in the outro?

Colin Newman - Alone

Moments in frames

It's always a happy homecoming to return to the music of Eno, Cluster, or any combination of those guys. It's not so much that these ambient pioneers made specifically "soothing" music, although it often is that. For me, their work seems to frame and magnify a single, deceptively simple moment, revealing all the fine contours, and then place it in a gallery in my brain that doesn't really demand my attention, but finds a way to make me drift toward it. It's easy to say music feels painterly, something else to experience it via those same aesthetic receptors. I could let these dudes soundtrack large portions of any day.

Eno, Mobius, Roedelius, Plank - Es War Einmal

Eno, Mobius, Roedelius, Plank - Für Luise

Back in town

The reality of a drive back into the city involves undifferentiated stretches of highway monotony, clots of traffic, and several minutes of utterly unglamorous reststop time. While daydreaming yourself away from all that, you may find yourself cruising thru a digital wonderland, flanked by hallucinatory waves of a world that can never exist.

Squarepusher - Angel Integer