I needed to close some tabs on Safari on my iPad & I realise that I have read these various articles & poems but not closed tabs because I don’t want to lose them. Maybe I’d like to refer back to them or reread them later. I could bookmark them, I know, but I thought it would be nicer to share them with my readers. Hopefully you can find something interesting here. Knowing the way I “collect” open tabs like this, I’m sure this won’t be the only post like this. A couple of times a year (maybe more, maybe less), I’ll share what I’ve been reading.
Day 29. The video for this great tune by Björk is sadly age restricted. I do include it below though you’ll have to be logged into YouTube to watch it. The official audio on YouTube is also included below.
It’s one of my favourite tunes by Björk, a sensual downtempo piece which calls to mind the halftime rhythms of Dubstep as much as the murky electronica of Trip Hop. Great video too.
You’ll be given love You’ll be taken care of You’ll be given love You have to trust it
Maybe not from the sources You have poured yours Maybe not from the directions You are staring at
Twist your head around It’s all around you All is full of love All around you
You just ain’t receiving (All is full of love) Your phone is off the hook (All is full of love) Your doors are all shut (All is full of love) And be the little angel (All is full of love)
All is full of love (All is full of love) All is full of love (All is full of love) All (All is full of love) All is full of love (All is full of love) All (All is full of love)
Looking for some great music? Check the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) Spotify playlist.
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Day 28. Another one influenced by Disco Elysium here. This song doesn’t appear in the game, as such, but appears as one of several easter eggs within the game which reference Manic Street Preachers song titles & lyrics. In the game world, the song was the anthem of a past Communist revolution in the main city, Revachol. An old man who fought during said revolution sings (or speaks, it isn’t voice acted) the opening lines of the song to you. When you ask him how the rest of the song goes, he says: “Something about shooting rabbits? I don’t remember.”
The song was originally written about the Spanish Civil War & became the Manic Street Preachers first number one single in the UK. The song is the longest song title (without using parenthesis) to ever reach the number one spot. It is, as far as I can ascertain, the only UK number one single to address the Spanish Civil War too, although I remember, at the time it was released, journalists saying that The Clash did it better with Spanish Bombs. I’m not sure where I stand on this.
The future teaches you to be alone The present to be afraid and cold So if I can shoot rabbits Then I can shoot fascists
Bullets for your brain today But we’ll forget it all again Monuments put from pen to paper Turns me into a gutless wonder
And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next Will be next Will be next Will be next
Gravity keeps my head down Or is it maybe shame At being so young and being so vain?
Holes in your head today But I’m a pacifist I’ve walked La Ramblas But not with real intent
And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next Will be next Will be next Will be next Will be next
And on the street tonight an old man plays With newspaper cuttings of his glory days
And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next And if you tolerate this Then your children will be next Will be next Will be next Will be next
Day 27. This is actually the second time this particular song has appeared during a Song of the Day series. The first time was during the Cover Versions series, in the form of the excellent cover by Pixies. This original version is a solid piece of dark Post Punk Pop, late ’80s style. The Reid brothers are on top form here. Stylish synthetic bass rhythms & stupendous rhythms are central to the composition, with the distorted swirls of electric guitar adding colour depth.
As soon as I get my head around you I come around catching sparks off you I get an electric shock from you This secondhand living just won’t do And the way I feel tonight I could die and I wouldn’t mind And there’s something going on inside Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky And I can’t stand up I can’t cool down I can’t get my head off the ground As soon as I get my head around you I come around catching sparks off you And all I ever got from you Was all I ever took from you Yeah, the world could die in pain And I wouldn’t feel no shame And there’s nothing holding me to blame Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky And I’m taking myself to a dirty part of town Where all my troubles can’t be found I said yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah And I’m taking myself to a dirty part of town Where all my troubles can’t be found Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) Spotify playlist.
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Day 26. Tonight I finished my first playthrough of the incredible detective RPG Disco Elysium. It has a soundtrack by British Sea Power, who I love, & there is a scene in which the main protagonist sings an altered version of this song entitled ‘The Smallest Church In Saint-Saëns’. I’ve included this version below for the curious. The vocals are by the protagonists Ancient Reptilian Brain.
I would often go there To the tiny church there The smallest church in Sussex Though it once was larger
How the rill may rest there Down through the mist there Toward the Seven Sisters Toward those white cliffs there
I would ofter stay there In there tiny yard there I have been so glad here Looking forward to the past here
But now you are alone None of this matters at all
Looking for some great music? Check out the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) Spotify playlist.
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I felt the need to share this VHS-rip of a full Belle & Sebastian set from 1998 because it is, quite frankly, marvellous. The band were at the peak of their powers during this period& the set includes songs from their first three albums and EP’s.
The sound quality has a few issues at times, being a rip of a VHS tape which was recorded from the TV 23 years ago, but is generally quite good. Well worth the few minor imperfections.
Tracklist:
1 The Boy Done Wrong Again
2 Dog On Wheels
3 Paper Boat + Seeing Other People
4 Century Of Fakers
5 I Know Where The Summer Goes
6 Mayfly
7 The Wrong Girl
8 Dirty Dream Number Two
9 Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son
10 Slow Graffiti
11 I Don’t Love Anyone
12 Sleep The Clock Around
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Day 25. I saw a meme yesterday (that I can no longer find) that stated, “society has progressed beyond the need for Weezer.” Obviously this was meant as a joke (probably). This morning, while watching YouTube music videos, Say It Ain’t So came on. It’s a great tune.
Oh yeah Alright
Somebody’s Heine’ Is crowdin’ my icebox Somebody’s cold one Is givin’ me chills Guess I’ll just close my eyes
Oh yeah Alright Feels good Inside
Flip on the telly Wrestle with Jimmy Something is bubbling Behind my back The bottle is ready to blow
Say it ain’t so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain’t so My love is a life taker
I can’t confront you I never could do That which might hurt you So try and be cool When I say This way is a water slide away from me That takes you further every day So be cool
Say it ain’t so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain’t so My love is a life taker
Dear daddy I write you in spite of years of silence You’ve cleaned up, found Jesus, things are good or so I hear This bottle of Steven’s awakens ancient feelings Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Say it ain’t so Your drug is a heart breaker Say it ain’t so My love is a life taker
Looking for some great music? Check the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) Spotify playlist.
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Was listening to this excellent mix by The Chemical Brothers on Mixcloud and it finishes with this incredible song. I’ve been a fan of Culture, & this song in particular, since hearing it on a John Peel show sometime way back when. Excellent decolonisation message.
What a shame what a shame For the day dat we where born We never seen the right dollar here Only the count of fear we a see oh!
Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Me say fe get back the money with the sign of the dragon money Dat we no use him no no Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Me say fe get back the money with the sign of the dragon money
For we no waaaant To hear no more about your great sir francis dread Put us slave driver like wise We no waaaant To hear no more about your great long John Silver Dat na have drop to use the sufferes dem Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Wat gone down can tell your friends dat i tell yu dat I jus fe take back the money with the sign of the dragon money Dats (?)even fe feed the hungry belly pickney dem me say yu Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money
Me no waaant To hear no more about your great sir francis dread The old slave driver We no waaaant To hear no more about your great long John Silver Dat only help to colonialize our mind lord Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Lion dollars we want to see Inna Jamdung Take back the money with the sign of the dragon money I am so tired to hear the sufferes dem a bawll Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money The Lion dollars can’t satisfy good wants and needs Take back the money with the sign of the Dragon money One sake one sake inna aluminum kind hehe! Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Clap me with the Lion but back way with the dragon Me say Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money Back way with the dragon inna dis ya time The dragon must drop Bring back the money with the sign of the Lion money For we no waaaant To hear no more about your great sir francis dread We no waaaant To hear no more about your dreadlock John Silver… FADE…
Looking for some great music? Check the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) Spotify playlist:
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In 2018, on a now defunct blog, I began a series of mini reviews based on the music that Spotify was recommending to me on my personalised Release Radar playlist. There was only one instalment of this series but I am thinking about giving it another go as I believe it is a sound concept.
Here is the original article, reproduced for nostalgia’s sake. Hopefully you’ll find something to enjoy here:
JEFF The Brotherhood – Camel Swallowed Whole
Heartwarming lo-fi Indie Rock from Nashville. Camel Swallowed Whole has a charming laziness underpinning it. The lethargically plodding bassline sets the groove beautifully for the understated guitar melodies and laid-back vocals. A recorder solo adds to the DIY charm. In the back-half of the song a distorted and discordant guitar solo brings some vague hints of Stephen Malkmus’ early work with Pavement. A
Autechre – mirrage
The IDM veterans latest offering is a swelling sea of droning synths and intense reverse reverb. The way the weird little stutters of reverse reverb interact with the bizarrely modulated higher synths lends an illusion of tape-based production, although I suspect it was recorded using the duos unique generative production software. I imagine this would be fairly underwhelming to anyone but the most hardcore fan (of which there are plenty) and unlikely to attract many converts. B minus
J Mascis – See You At The Movies
The self-described inventor of “ear bleeding country” sure knows how to write a pretty little country rock song. See You At The Movies has a jaunty rhythm that bounces along pleasantly under his trademark sad vocals and twisting lead guitar lines (not to mention his legendary grizzled Jazzmaster tone) ensure this track will sound great to even the most casual fan. The sound of a rock genius at rest. A
Barbara Morgenstern – Brainfuck
Pretty acoustic guitar picking nestles up comfortably alongside deep bass drones and stuttering cut up string samples on the intro to this dark electro pop song. The beats on this track are shuffling pops and crackles reminiscent of the crackle and pop of a vinyl record run-off groove. The vocals are sultry and warm, recorded with crystal clarity, lending the whole thing a ‘90’s Trip-Hop vibe. A
TV Smith – No Hope Street
There’s nothing new or original in ‘70’s Punk survivor Tim Smiths latest strum-along social commentary but he delivers it with such heroic underdog gusto that you find yourself nodding and singing along. The lyrics have a nostalgic air to them, with the verses written in the past tense and detailing disbelief at the many misfortunes that have befallen him and the grim determination to stand up to the shadowy establishment figures responsible. B
Cloud Nothings – The Echo Of The World
Spiky guitars and hyperactive drumming are the order of the day on this latest Cloud Nothings single. The vocals are grungily snotty, sounding a little like Billy Corgan in places. The tune has a sense of grandeur that I’ve never really heard in their other work, although they don’t seem to be able to reach the dizzyingly euphoric heights this track seems to be aiming for, ultimately writing a cheque the band are unable to cash. C
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Day 23. Damn, I’ve been very busy recently & have fallen a little behind with Song of the Day. For today’s entry I am choosing this ode to depression & social anxiety by The Offspring. It’s a great tune by a band who, it’s fair to say, have had a hit & miss career. Nevertheless, Smash! is a great album & this tune is fantastic.
Fun fact: frontman Dexter Holland completed his PhD in Molecular Biology in 2017. He is also the creator of the Gringo Bandito hot sauce.
I’m getting edgy all the time There’s someone around me just a step behind It’s kinda scary, the shape I’m in The walls are shakin’ and they’re closing in
Too fast or a bit too slow I’m paranoid of people and it’s starting to show There’s one guy that I can’t shake Over my shoulder is a big mistake
Sitting on the bed Or lying wide awake There’s demons in my head And it’s more than I can take
I think I’m on a roll But I think it’s kinda weak Saying all I know is I gotta get away from me
I tell you something just ain’t right My head is on loose but my shoes are tight Avoiding my friends cause they all bug Life is a riddle and I’m really stumped
If you reason, don’t you know Your own preoccupation is where you’ll go I think I’m being followed, I look around It’s only my shadow creepin’ on the ground
I think I’m on a roll But I think it’s kinda weak Saying all I know is I gotta get away from me
Looking for some great music? Here’a a Spotify playlist compiling the Song of the Day (Chaotic Neutral) entries so far. Feel free to browse my profile for earlier Song of the Day playlists.
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