Musicforthemonth.com went live on August 1st last year, I just can’t believe how it has grown – I’m quite proud. Anyway, I thought it would be nice if we celebrated with a special Music Mix to be posted on August 1st.
So what shall we do - I know we have a special BBQ mix very soon which I opened up to visitors to Amazon discussion, so why don’t we keep this one just for us? So here’s what I had in mind…….
I would like you to nominate your favourite 5 tracks that you have discovered since 1st August last year to be put into a special anniversary Music Mix. They could be a new song released since then or an old song that you heard for the first time or even an old song you have rediscovered – all since last August. It could be something you heard here in one of the mixes – it can any genre, any band – what I would like is to give anybody who visits the site a flavour of us. (us meaning Spacey, LZ, URD, Cheezy, Techy, Sinny, Ken, Strappy and me)
I will need some notes to go along with the music – and keep a few songs as reserve just in case I don’t have or can’t buy your fav 5 songs here. Please post by July 10 to give me time to get everything together.
Hope this is clear – I know what you all say…aaaarrgh only 5 tracks but……..
Image by www.4tnz.com/content/puppy-party
Only 5 ?????? And only three weeks to find them????? And there’s so much footie on the telly!!!
Think I better book some time off work!!
But you’re right, 5 tracks. Hmm… I think I’ll confine my list to those discovered here at mftm. Gulp. Only 5?????
Normally I’m among the last to post, so I thought I’d get my ha’pence worth in early:
Admission: I sometimes feel a bit of an outsider when the progrock / pyschobabblemetal / I’ve-got-a-distortion-pedal-and-I-know-how-to-use-it threads start running their course, but the beauty of MTFM is that it caters to all tastes. We even have a Cilla Black fan, for pitysakes ! How the Dog keeps thinking up new and unique ways to stimulate input and discussion (this list, a case in point) is beyond me. Maybe he’s just a front man for a music marketing company ? Or maybe he should be ?
Anyhow, with thanks to the Hound (and in the hope that the final anniversary mix will have its share of quieter moments, too), here goes:
1) Blue Monday = New Order. Because it was the first song that sprang to my mind when I first heard about MTFM. It just HAD to feature at some stage.
2) Bottletops = Plumbline. Because it was a song that I just happened upon, and (one of ?) the first that I shared on this site. Not least because it found a swift and ready audience with one of the MTFM devotees. Mission accomplished.
3) Lucas Renney = She Gives Me the Chills. Because it really is that good (to me, at any rate). Not as sure about his other stuff, but this track ticks a lot of my boxes. As do these next two:
4) Betty Steele = Mudslide.
5) Solomon Burke = Fast Train.
It’s always great to find new artists that you think might stay with you a long, long while. I remember when a friend first thought I might enjoy an artist called Jack Johnson … And the first time I heard “Rehab” … (the rest of URD’s thoughts were lost to sight as he ran from the wrath of the S’pig)
Hi URD – sorry you feel a bit of an outsider when we’re talking prog rock – will have to keep that in mind. The trouble is I tend to post stuff I’m listening to, and it just so happens that I’ve been listening to some good prog rock stuff lately.
We gotta change that – how about you send me a bluesy playlist and I’ll post it in August (after the BBQ mix) plus I still want to know why you love the ’80′s so much – this should provide good discussion and song samples.
Great list by the way – can’t find Lucas Renney or Bottletops in Doha yet
I may feel like a bit of an outsider, but only inasmuch as I can’t really contribute too much to an informed discussion. Still makes good and thoroughly enjoyable reading, though. I wouldn’t want to miss it. Plus, the more I learn, the more I might be able to throw a surprise or three into the mix. And, believe me, there’s been plenty – PLENTY – that has appealed to me. I’m still here, aren’t I ?
As to the blues mix (or much else), probably it will have to wait till next year, I’m afraid. There’s a lot happening in the world of URD at the moment (he said, cryptically). So I don’t want to promise and not deliver.
Btw, does your last comment mean that you CAN find Betty Steele in the Big Sand ? And Solomon Burke ? It’s time to go shopping said Zebedee (boing !) …..
URD, I feel *exactly* the same way about the prog rock and some of the other less mainstream stuff discussed here (I don’t even really know what the heck most of it is) but because the dog is my younger brother I feel entitled to roll my eyes heavenwards and mutter “Yes, dear” quietly under my breath. Try it, it works!
But I think where you and I become less of an outsider is that we are open to listening to the wierd stuff they post (they being the dog and the pig – what a combo!) and even if we don’t like most of it, the odd gem pops up and bingo, we’ve found some common ground.
Finally, you have totally stolen my list! Well except for Blue Monday and I’m off to find out more right now because if you like it, there’s a 99.9% chance that I will too. Oh and I have Nibs Van Der Spuy / Lines on my face in my list. Okay so you haven’t totally copied my list which of course you haven’t even seen yet… yeah, I’m rambling now, time to go away, make the final choices and post my list.
I suppose it could be easy enough for you guys to feel like outsiders when we are at it with prog rock, after all, it isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea. But you have to remember that I kinda get like that when the discussion is about singer/songwriters. Somehow or other, they all sorta sound much the same to me. But at least, in common with your open mindedness to at least listen in, I do have a go at whatever is posted. I may not exactly like some of it (you may have noticed), but at least I give it a go.
Anyway – on to our party mix. I have decided I am going to have to take a leaf out of LZ’s book and only go for the music that I have come to directly because of MFTM. Simply because, having checked through my Ebay and Amazon history over the past year I have realised that this has been one heck of a busy year! Possibly my most productive ever. Now of course that does raise a few problems. For example, even though I have bought new music from such luminaries as Siena Root, Porcupine Tree, Colour Haze, Faust, Gong, Tom Waits, Riverside, the list goes on and on and on, I can’t really attribute them to MFTM. I would have got them anyway. So I just have to hope that some of you guys can mention them in your lists.
But, that still does leave one hellishly long list to choose from. Some of the names I have been considering: RL Burnside (cheers URD), Pat Metheney (ditto Ken), The Cowboy Junkies, The Black Keys, Midlake, North Mississippi Allstars and of course Motorpsycho. And that is just at a quick glance.
Then of course, once I have decided what bands to include, I have to think of the track to nominate. Dearie me, is everyone agonising over this as I am? I sure hope so!
One thing is for sure though, this is guaranteed to be one hell of a party. Why, even Mrs SP has said she is going to pop in with a surprise present for us!
Dearie me, is everyone agonising over this as I am? I sure hope so!
Oh yes, most definitely!
One thing is for sure though, this is guaranteed to be one hell of a party. Why, even Mrs SP has said she is going to pop in with a surprise present for us!
Oooooh! I’m looking forward to that. Come on Mrs SP, we’re waiting to give you a great big MFTM welcome!
Hey Mr LD great idea will work on over the weekend not sure if I’ll be here for Augusts mix as I’m moving to Libya very soon and not sure what the access to the net will be like but will try and leave my top 5 tunes to remember me by
Hi Sinny – so you finally moving on – shame, when do you leave? I wish you all the best – hope you can stay with us in your new home.
Hello and Goodbye
Here are my 5 fav tunes since last August I think anyway – sorry the notes are short but you know me not to good with words
Kasabian – Underdogs
Just a brill song by a brill band
Biffy Clyro – Mountains
Don’t know why these guys have not been mentioned here before
AC/DC – Safe in New York City
Mr SP you are wrong about these guys – saw them last year in New York City and they simply blew me away
Dan Auerbach – Heartbroken, In Disrepair
Mr LD turned me onto The Black Keys with his superduper mix bought all their stuff and more
The Derek Trucks Band – Afro Blue
One of Mr SPs nods and I must admit to not really liking these long songs bfore MFTM but this guy and this song just makes it all worthwhile
Gotta admit there’s a tear in my eye as I write what may be my farewell to MFTM and all you guys must thank you all for some good times, some great songs, god some really great songs, a little bit of banter, some battles, but most of all I will remember you friendship (God does that sound to corny?) who gives a sh*t when you live and work in some seriously strange places with some seriously strange people you need something like this website to keep you sane – may the Dog and all his deputies keep on doing what you doing cos you do it good
God Bless
Sinny (Jono)
Oh Sinny, I really, really, really, REALLY hope that we see you again very soon – all the very best of luck with the move and let us know how you are as soon as you can!
Sin again. Never seen again ? Zooks, I hope not ! Vaya con dios, amigo. Looking forward to you sharing some tunes from Libya with us, in the very near future.
Hi Sinny – Good Luck my friend, keep safe, keep smiling, keep listening to MFTM
Sniff, sniff, bye bye Sinny (it’s so sad to see you go). We haven’t always seen eye to eye but you will be sorely missed.
But, as URD says, you can surely pop in now and again to see us, and bring some of those magical North African toons with you to share.
All the best.
Righto then, now that the farewells are over and done with, back to business.
My top 5 songs found through MFTM since Day 1(in no particular order):
1. Motorpsycho – Starhammer: No surprises here then for our regular visitors. I never did make any secret of my admiration for this one. Only regret was that I didn’t know about it in time to claim it as my birthday pressie. Love the way the intro lulls you into that false sense of security then blows your socks off with the crunching guitar. The voice reminds me of some of the early 80′s metal bands I grew up with, but the rhythm section is pure 21st century garage. At times it nearly becomes prog rock, but it’s just so much cleverer than most of the current crop of prog metal bands, so much going that it’s really difficult to take it all in even after repeated listenings. It just becomes more rewarding each time I hear it.
2. Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther: Way back in February Mr D invited us to try out The Courage of Others. I had been dithering over that one for while, once I heard Acts of Man I went off and bought that CD. Then after reading the reviews on Amazon I decided to take a punt on Van Occupanther. Now, some of the tracks on that CD can be a bit repetitive, some are a little bit dreary. This one however really does it for me. It just seems to flow so well that I couldn’t bear to leave it off this selection.
3. Radio Moscow – I Just Don’t Know: Now we’re back on track. I don’t know how Mr D found this one, I’m just glad that he did! It even led to the formation of the psychadelicspaceprogmetalbabbleshite music genre so it must have something going for it. Pure adrenalin fuelled psychedelic freak out. It could nearly be The Pink Fairies, they just have to look just a bit more out of it and they are there.
4. R L Burnside – Goin Down South (A Ass Pocket of Whiskey): UncleRaveDave’s introduction of this guy in the Top 5 guitarists discussion got me intrigued. I had heard the name but never got around to listening to any of his music. So nothing else for but to go find some. I think I managed that OK, now got about 5 of his CDs. This song just kicks ass all the way through. Great boogieing music. I would love to get this on in the dance hall on a Friday night. Unfortunately, dance halls area a thing of the past – probably just as well, I would collapse half way through this song.
5. The Black Keys – You’re the One (Magic Potion): I haven’t really got too far in collecting this band’s CDs, but I have made a decent enough start and I’m sure there’s much more to come. I had a tough job deciding which track to select, but this one just seems to have it all. Psychedlically delightful, sounds similar to some of the earlier Gomez stuff in a lot of ways, so there’s not much wrong with it. Lazing in the grass with a long cool beer and the sun beating down. This track playing in the background, ah just bliss! There are so many great tracks on this CD, I could have come along on a different day and went for another one altogether. Best thing with this CD is just to play it start to finish.
There we go then, I surprised myself with some of the ones I had to leave out, but not with any I included. remember that I have only gone for ones I would never have discovered if it wasn’t for MFTM. Maybe the state of the music business isn’t quite as bad as we all thought way back in the years pre MFTM.
Hi guys
Your going to think i’ve been in hibernation for the last 40 years,but these are bands/singers that have passed me by,or i’d heard of but didn’t investigate until recently.
1.Groundhogs- I Love Miss Ogny, from the album Hogwash.
Love this band.How did i miss them?
2.David Sylvian-When Poets Dreamed Of Angels,from the album Secrets Of The Beehive
I used to have Japans-Tin drum,(where did that go?) but never followed his solo career.A voice like liquid treacle!
3.Audience-The House On The Hill,from The House On The Hill.
Where else can you hear a flute in a rock group! (Don’t answer that.)
4.Minuteman-No Harm Done,from Resigned To Life ( Not Minutemen!)
Great album, not a track under 4.50, which suits me fine.
5.Atomic Rooster-Nobody Else,from Death Walks Behind You.
Saw them on T.O.T.Ps,back in the day,doing Tomorrow Night,but for some reason didn’t buy the album.
6.Just in case LD can’t find all the tracks listed.
Porcupine Tree-Novak. (It’s on You Tube.)
How good are these guys, if they can Throwaway this track!
A couple that didn’t quite make the list,but should have.
The Decemberists-The Queens Rebuke/The Crossing,from The Hazards Of love.
The album should be heard as a whole piece,but i’ve a feeling i’m talking to the converted!
Portishead-The Rip,from Third.
Not their best album,but what a track! Put the volume to medium,& leave it there.
Hi Spacey – thanks for your top 5, all sound good to me. You know maybe you’re right the state of the music business may not be so bad after all
Hi Cheezy some good songs here – Spacey has talked about Audience before maybe its time for an airing here. Thanks for reserve list as I don’t have a couple of the tracks (yet) – I reckon Augusts mix is taking shape nicely
Spacey – is Mrs SP picking her top 5 from last August as well? If she does Mrs. LD will pick her 5 as well.
Hi Cheezy – don’t have Minuteman-No Harm Done,from Resigned To Life but have used Novak as you suggested.
Ohh – what a glorious challenge.
I’ve picked five songs that I’ve discovered over the last year, which have brought a smile to my face, whether playing them on my radio show, or whether they take me by surprise on my i-pod:
Here goes:
Open Up Your Door – Richard Hawley
Life’s Too Short (Too Be With You) – Tom Jones/ Jools Holland
On My Own – Ulrich Schnauss
Too Sick To Pray (accoustic) – Alabama 3
Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve remix) – Midlake
Hi Techy – Great songs thanks.
I have all the songs you suggest bought Truelove’s Gutter the other day on your recommendation – good album and song. Being a Valleys Boy Tom Jones will always be in the mix (have you heard his latest 24 Hours – very good).
I don’t though have the versions you want of Too Sick To Pray (accoustic) – Alabama 3 – I only have the version from ‘Hits And Exit Wounds’ and Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve remix) – Midlake – only have the album version, hope these will be OK. Actually Midlake has 2 songs in the mix with Spacey selecting ‘Van Occupanther’.
Hi Techy – can you write some short notes to go with your songs please – then I think we’re almost done for Augusts Mix . Wait, wait LZ where are you 5 songs?
Yes, LZ, where are your songs ? We can’t let the metalproggers have it all their own way, godammit ! Don’t let me be the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Yikes, had forgotten all about this! Lemme think… um… right, back in 10 mins or so with a list. Not a metalprog track in sight either!
1. Robert Randolph and the Family Band / Ain’t nothing wrong with that. I first bookmarked this on 17 November 2007, bought the album (Colorblind) immediately (which is also excellent) but kind of stopped playing it. I rediscovered it within the past year when making some list or other for mftm so it qualifies on that count. It also counts in my top 3 favourite tracks in the history of music making. Yep, really. They’ll be toe-tapping along to this at my funeral.
2. Joe Bonamassa / Bird on a Wire
I’d never have discovered this if it weren’t for MTFM, it’s a rare five star track for me, absolutely beautiful. so here it is.
3. Joe Henry / This is my favourite cage and The Man I Keep Hid
Not many artists get 2 five starred album tracks but Mr Henry gets the double whammy. It feels as if I’ve been listening to this album my whole life but it was only a few short months ago that LD posted a review of Blood From Stars here and I was hooked from the opening bars.
[Trivia: did you know that Joe Henry has been married to Melanie Ciccone (Madonna's sister) since 1987? Me neither. Do now.]
4. Bottletops / Plumbline
I think I might be the MFTM devotee referred to by Uncle Dave above. I’m so glad he shared this song because it gets played just about every evening in the chillout zone. Love it.
5. Nibs Van Der Spuy / Lines on my face
Another UncleRaveDave recommendation, another five stars, gets an airing every time I open MediaMonkey, especially late at night. Love this guy’s voice, planning to buy at least two of his album(s) soon.
Honourable mentions:
6. Solomon Burke / Fast Train
Another MFTM discovery, just last month in fact. I wanted to choose Soul Searchin’ to be a bit different to Dave but this track is just perfect. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Can’t wait for the album to arrive so that I can play it non-stop for weeks on end.
7. Lucas Renney / She Gives Me the Chills
I couldn’t put this in the top 5 because ’twas me wot brung it to the group but it’s such a wonderful song I couldn’t leave it out. I’m so glad that URD likes it too.
Yoohooo! Mrs SP is in da house. Boomshanka! I’ve been nagged into letting you know all about my 5 fav songs that I’ve (re-) discovered over the last year or so. Yay! Here we go:
1. Acapella Ditty (Oingo Boingo) If you don’t like this one I’ll punch you in the jizzers!
2. Insanity (Oingo Boingo) Utter genius
3. St Infirmary Blues (the Mystic Nights of the – yeah, you guessed – Oingo Boingo) Cab Calloway would have been jealous…
4. Cell 63 (Oingo Boingo) doodeldeedoo
5. Don’t go in the basement (Oingo Boingo)
No – I’m not obsessed!!! Maybe a little bit (:
I bet you’ve already heard that my all time favourite is the Doom Song, so I guess you won’t be too surprised about my choice of music. If you have wasted your lives never listening to Gir singing the Doom song, here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqcn_TPu4qQ
I occasionally listen to other stuff as well.
Have a good one!
Dooooooooom! Shame on me!!! Number 3 is St James Infirmary, of course…
Well hello Mrs SP – and welcome to musicforthemonth.com
It’s nice to see that someone with an appreciation of good music does live in your house. Thanks for your suggestions – all good but I don’t think there’s enough room in this mix for them all so I’ll only pick one (along with 1 from Mrs Dog) – but watch out for future mixes!!!
Hope you’re OK with this as I wouldn’t want you to punch me in the jizzers!!
Hello spacepiggy and welcome!
Totally outrageous! I feel utterly discriminated… You can never have enough Oingo Boingo!!!
i think you should at least choose 2. My suggestion would be Insanity and Acapella Ditty (the 2nd track only lasts about a minute) and even if it only was to show you guys that there’s more to life than Psychometalbabbleshite (:
Hi Liefste Zus, thanks for the welcome! At least you got manners
Hi Mrs Spacey – you think LZ has manners? I remember having to visit our local hospital once for stitches after she wouldn’t share her last chocolate biscuit – now that’s not nice manners is it?
Track 35 on Augusts mix is ‘Insanity’ and it sounds good especially after Blue Monday – sorry only allowed to have 1 song, cos if I let you have more, then my wife will want 1 more then, then maybe Mrs URD or Mrs Techy, or Mrs Cheezy or Mr. LZ will want to add – then we have 9 hours of music again – which is good but I don’t think my server will stand another musical explosion. Next time in’shallah.
Now you can punch me in the jizzers
Spacepiggy. Welcome on board. A BIG welcome. I am SO glad to have a quirky- 80′s-band-loving devotee on MFTM at last.
I knew your fave group, mainly by reputation, back when they still were the Mystic Knights. Back then, of course, we didn’t have the easy Internet access to music which we have now, and I grew up, scratch that, I spent my early years, in a particularly isolated musical world. All of which meant I was not able to listen to nearly enough Oingo Boingo. But they’re GOOD !
You might like to check out some Devo, XTC, and Thomas Dolby (I think his “Europa and the Pirate Twins” is awesome, WAY better than the overplayed “Blinded Me with Science”). Maybe even Split Enz ? The Fixx ?
And, this one’s ‘specially for you. Just to show it doesn’t all have to be about the psychometalbabbleshite. Again, welcome on board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V04IBsz-9Wo
LD, Blue Monday AGAIN ! Yay ! Are you putting in an alternative version this time ? Dunno which version we had first time round, but there’s also “Blue Monday 88″ (off “Best of New Order”) and the original 12″ version (I know that’s the version on a compilation called “Electric 80′s”). Use it, don’t use it …
Hi all – sorry for the late response. I’ve been away again for a few days… and hello and welcome to Spacepiggy.
As per LD’s request, a few notes to explain my choices:
Open Up Your Door – Richard Hawley – simply beautiful song on a simply beautiful album. Richard Hawley has a brilliant voice to complement his excellent lyrics.
Life’s Too Short (Too Be With You) – Tom Jones/ Jools Holland – a rollicking opening number from two pros, who also happen to be firm friends. This song is full of fun and feeling.
On My Own – Ulrich Schnauss – beautiful and intelligent electronic music is what Ulrich Schnauss excels out and this is the stand-out track for me on the excellent ‘A Strangely Isolated Place’ album.
Too Sick To Pray (accoustic) – Alabama 3 – superb accoustic version of a great song, that can be found on ‘Last Train To Mashville’ – a collection of their greatest hits, done in an accoustic stylee.
Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve remix) – Midlake – similar to the original, but with a lovely winding synthesiser intro – can be found on the ‘Late Night Tales’ compilation from Groove Armada.
Hi Techy – sorry but I don’t though have the versions you want of Too Sick To Pray (acoustic) – Alabama 3 – I only have the version from ‘Hits And Exit Wounds’ and Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve remix) – Midlake – only have the album version, hope these will be OK.
Hi LD – absolutely fine with me – both versions of both songs are excellent…
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Jizzer time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sooooooooooo unfair ): If you guys get five I should at least be getting ten!!! LZ – go bite his finger off! Yay! Hi, Uncle Rave Dave and Technosquid!
Uncle D, I’m so sorry I have to disappoint you after we’ve only known one another for such a short while, but I have a confession to make: I never actually liked the 80s until I stumbled across Oingo Boingo. Saying that, some of my fav bands were big during the 80s, but most of them started off in the late 70s. I love Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath – totally into Noncheesyoldschoolmelodicrock and sometimes I even listen to Psychometalbabbleshite. I also love Jazz and Blues, mostly Jazz though. I also enjoyed classical training (piano & voice) for about 15 years until I was in my late teens, so I’m definitely still into that, depending on my mood.
Devo are not too bad, suitably weird for my taste. Also like the song for which you provided the link. Nicey. Pretty open minded about music in general, I guess, as long as it’s not Mainstreamickybuckysickoshite and Heavydeathmetalthrowinguplastnightsdinnerbollox.
The first few band I used to play in (in the early 90s) were big into Billy Idol & Co, which was fun to play.
I see this thread is heading rapidly up the “Popular Discussions” list – and this posting should take it to Number One ! Yay ! Happy Birthday to, um, us … ?
Wait a cotton pickin’ minute Mr D! What do you mean by saying “It’s nice to see that someone with an appreciation of good music does live in your house”?
I thought we were friends. After me bringing good music into your life, Siena Root, Colour Haze, Derek Trucks, Space Debris, even Porky Tree to a certain extent – now you’ve gone and been Boingo’d. Well it serves you right for leaving my Colour Haze song off the BBQ mix.
And URD? After bringing us RL Burnside and all those bluesy slide guitary things, you go and confess to being a closet Mystic Knight! Don’t you think I suffer enough with Oingo Boingo without you going and encouraging her to get even sillier.
Oops, never realised she was logged in, that last post was from me obviously.
hihihi! I’ve boingoed them all! I DON’T NEED NO ENCOURAGEMENT TO GET SILLIER STILL! I HE MADE ME WATCH SEVERAL GONG VIDEOS AND EXPOSED TO PASSIVE SMOKE SO MANY TIMES, HE’S GOT NO ONE TO BLAME BUT HIMSELF!!! All his fault!
I’m happy too there’s someone tasty in this house…