Hipsters meet your Godfathers: Dan Treacy & Ed Ball of the Television Personalities & Teenage Filmstars

Television Personalities playing live

So the story begins at the discount bookstore. I was flipping through records and came across the popular Teenage Filmstars album Star (1992 Creation Records).  The price was right, so I purchased it.  I’ve always been a fan of Dan Treacy’s and Ed Ball’s post-punk project, Television Personalities, but so far, the later reincarnation of the artists’ side project (Teenage Filmstars) has proved disappointing, but why??  I like loud, fuzzy, textured psychedelia as much as the next person, and the band explores such aesthetics to the point of sheer fetishization. The obsessive fetishizing of 60s culture isn’t what bothers me, however; in fact, I probably participate in this social practice.  I think the problem is I’ve listened to the Television Personalities for many years now, and I love their campy, minimalist take on post-punk rock.  And that’s what’s missing from their later project...

Here’s my favorite track on the later Teenage Filmstars album; it’s entitled “Kiss Me”:

It’s good psychedelia for sure, ahead of its time in relation to the recent, neo-psychedelic revival.  But it doesn’t have the enduring quality of their previous, more kitschy approach to Lo-Fi, garage-style post-punk.  Their more known project, Television Personalities, began releasing singles as early as 1978.  Their debut album, And Don’t the Kids Just Love It, was recorded in 1980 and released in 1981 on Rough Trade.  It’s rawness, minimalism, and irony is almost too much, and as a result, it’s an awesome album!!!  Check out the opening track, “This Angry Silence,” of their debut full length:

It’s like early Beatles-y Brit Pop mixed with the irony of post-Sex Pistols music culture.  In other words, it’s the songs of innocence and songs of experience all in one pop song formula.... Incredible!

The Television Personalities were (or are... I think they’re technically still together?....) the brainchild of Dan Treacy and Ed Ball.  They were an English group that was very much part of the emerging Punk (and later Post-Punk) music scene.  In the early years, they released singles under several varying band names: Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, The O Level....  By the time of their debut album, they seemed to have settled on 2 names for separate projects: TV Personalities and The Times.  Later, they re-formed under the name previously (but briefly) used, Teenage Filmstars.  I have always preferred the early material of their project, TV Personalities.  Here’s another great track, “Geoffrey Ingram,” from the 1st album:

The band continued to release more albums through the 80s, each release moving more and more away from their post-punk roots, exploring instead sounds of the previous decade: namely the psychedelic 60s.  My favorite moment in this transition of sound was captured beautifully in the following video, a clip I recently discovered when surfing the ole net.  The song is called “The Painted Word,” and it’s from their 1985 album of the same name (Whaam! Records):

Oh my God!  That video just made my day when I discovered it.  21st century hipsters eat your heart out. You can’t get more ironically pastiche or self-consciously campy than that!  Davie Crocket hats are as hip as it gets! (Ricky, you know what I’m talking about.... sorry, inside joke for a friend of the blog....)  In fact, this video (and not the aforementioned record purchase) is what really inspired this post; I had to share it with my small world; hope it warms your heart as well.

Here’s one more track from the debut TV Personalities album; it’s called “Silly Girl”:

If you like raw, Lo-Fi post-punk - like recent acts such as Let’s Wrestle or Art Brut - early TV Personalities albums are for you, especially the first one.  Check it out and feel free to comment.

Teenage Filmstars:

http://www.mediafire.com/?loemjkmzjdz

Television Personalities:

http://www.mediafire.com/?lnwmrygqss2

Here's to a great Record Store! Houston's Sound Exchange - The Right Price for My Favorite Albums by 2 Great Bands: Can & Yo La Tengo

Met some friends in downtown Houston today (well, yesterday when this actually posts...), and we decided to visit a local record store, Sound Exchange on Richmond Ave.  I don't know if it was the "black Friday" consumption extravaganza or what, but the prices at this record shop are unbeatable.  I recommend visiting to anyone passing through Houston. I found two records that aren't rare, but they're usually not cheap as well. (At least to my standards, and I'm not a "collector," so I have "cheap" standards... I just listen for the quality sound, so I love the reissues and reprints...)

Can circa 1972

Well first off, I picked up a vinyl import copy of my favorite Can album, Ege Bamyasi (originally released 1972 on United Artists).  I'm sure this album is many people's favorite Can record; it's a hard one to beat. The album was a breakthrough success for the band, containing such favorites as "Pinch," "Sing Swan Song," "Vitamin C," and of course "Spoon," which succeeded on the charts as a single.  For those who don't know, Can was a German experimental, psychedelic rock group that formed sometime in the late 60s and disbanded before the 80s. Due to their experimental nature, they are often labeled "Krautrock" and associated with groups like Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Neu!, and Amon Duul II. Can stands out as my favorite project of this movement, without a doubt, and my favorite album is the one I finally picked up on Vinyl today at Houston's Sound Exchange.  In little more than a decade, the group released 11 studio albums, but the early 70s, with releases such as Tago Mago (1971 United Artists), Future Days (1973 United Artists), and a the aforementioned purchase, are the best years by far.  This is also the period that featured vocalist, Damo Suzuki, as frontman; perhaps that has something to do with it... The Fall seemed to think so as they released a song in the singer's honor, entitled "I am Damo Suzuki," on the album, This Nation's Saving Grace (1985 Beggars Banquet). Here's the opening track, "Pinch," from Can's Ege Bamyasi:



That's a great opener: groovy, psychedelic, weird, with indeterminable lyrics to top it off.  But nothing beats the song "Sign Swan Song," a track that fortunately is not their Swan Song as their career continues prolifically.  Most of us have probably heard this song, so here's some live footage of questionable sound quality:



If you have not heard the studio version of this song, definitely check it out; it's much mellower and more structured, better recording as well...  I think many people's favorite from this album is the groove called "Vitamin C," the opening tune of the 2nd side. Once again, here's a live clip of the famous song:



Unfortunately, it's only a fragment of the recorded song; I wish there was more.  Once again, listen to the studio version as well if you haven't checked out this excellent Can album.  This one is a definite essential for any Rock library.

Yo La Tengo

Now, is there any connection between Germany's Can and the New Jersey natives, Yo La Tengo?  In terms of influence, not that I know of, but who would be surprised if such were the case?  The connection here has to do with today's purchase at the Sound Exchange record store; I finally bought my favorite Yo La Tengo album on vinyl, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000 Matador Records). Yo La Tengo are an American "Indie Rock" group that formed in Hoboken, NJ in 1984 that are still active to this day.  There's nothing I could say about these guys that you probably don't already know; they're Indie Rock legends, up there with the likes of Pavement, Guided by Voices, or Wilco.  Over the years, they've released 12 studio albums as well as several Eps, film scores, and collaborative releases.  I love their 9th album the best, however. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the album where the band really mellowed their sound and focused more on texture and atmosphere.  Their distinctively noisy approach was replaced with more subdued, melodic compostions, involving diverse intrumentation in the background of each song's soundscape. My favorite tune on the album is the track, "Last Days of Disco":



That track would fit well on a playlist with some of the later Talk Talk & Slowdive material posted elsewhere on this blogsite.  A mellow, jazzy post-rock sensibility is obviously present in the song's sound.  Another great track is the song, "Tears Are in Your Eyes," and since most have probably heard it, I'll link another live video:



Now that tune would go well with the music of Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell as well, but this time the sound sits well with their later country-influenced project, Mojave 3.  What a beautiful song! There was a better quality live video on the net, but I couldn't use it because the camera person completely ignores the talent of drummer & co-frontperson, Georgia Hubley. She and her husband, Ira Kaplan, share roles of lead vocals in the band, and she deserves just as much camera time... All this to say, it was a worthwhile visit to a well-known Houston record store that did not disappoint, and like I said before, the prices were great. I give the store an enthusiatic recomendation! Now I can't wait to head home and hear the records on my house stereo.... But before I depart I leave you with the epic conclusion to Yo La Tengo's And Then It Turned Itself Inside-Out, the song "Night Falls on Hoboken."  If you have the time, listen to the song, presented here in 2 parts:





Enjoy the tunes and take care!

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?a31xxgdkmdj

http://www.mediafire.com/?2w1m2omyimt

P.S. Hyperlinks aren't working, so paste the above addresses in your web-browser... Peace!

Playlist for road trip to Houston: Mayo Thompson, Fever Tree, and Josefus - Installment #2 of Texas Psychedelia.

The wife and I are driving to Houston to see some family, and the playlist is set: start a little mellow with some strange sounds from Mayo Thompson, move on to the psychedelic rock of Fever Tree, and end with some Zeppelin-done-Houston-style rock’n’roll in the form of Josefus.

R. Rauschenberg - 1970

I’ve posted about Mayo Thompson before, but I mentioned his solo work as a mere side note to another story, namely that of the Houston band Red Crayola.  Mayo Thompson’s solo album deserves more attention, however.  He formed Red Crayola in 1966 with Frederick Barthelme, brother of writer Donald Barthelme.  The band could easily be considered Houston’s 13th Floor Elevators, and at times, they were even more “out there” than their Austin counterparts.  (See the linked post above for samples of their experimental “freak outs.”)  After Red Crayola’s first formation, Thompson recorded a solo album in Houston entitled Corky’s Debt to His Father (1970 Texas Revolution; re-released by Drag City...), and it was around this time that he relocated to NYC to work as assistant to the artist Robert Rauschenberg. (He later moved to London where he collaborated with many experimental music acts such as the previously posted Pere Ubu.)  Mayo Thompson’s solo album, however, is one of the greater personal testaments of the psychedelic age of musical experimentation. It stands with the other greats, such as Syd Barrett’s  The Madcap Laughs (1970 EMI) or Alexander “Skip” Spence’s Oar (1969 Columbia). I previously posted the 1st track of the album; here’s the 2nd song, “Oyster Thins”:

Mayo playing live

Corky's Debt to his Father is a very abstract, yet playful, folk-rock album.  The lyrics and musical compositions are like the soundtrack to the mindscape of a Dada poet.  The songs are meaningful, however, and there is great sincerity in Mayo Thompson’s voice and writing. The album isn't always folky; here’s a more rockin’ number, “Venus in the Morning”:

And one last song from Mayo’s solo work; this time from the 2nd side.  The song’s entitled “Fortune”:

Corky’s Debt to his Father may be my favorite work by Houston’s psychedelic guru; I definitely listen to it more than my Crayola records and more than his work with Pere Ubu.  Check out the whole album and listen straight through.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bkynmydmzib

Now Fever Tee was a psychedelic rock group from Houston, TX that played and recorded between the years 1966 to 1970.  The band had one successful hit, “San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native),” released on their self-titled album (1968 Uni Records/MCA):

Good ole Texas boys dreamin’ of the California bay! From what I understand, they did not write their own music; most of that was done by the couple, Scott & Vivian Holtzmann, so maybe they were the ones from San Francisco, dreaming of their summertime return... The music is pretty typical of its era. I do like the sustaining fuzz guitars... good for one’s ears.  Here’s the opening track of the debut, self-titled album (mentioned above); it’s called “Imitation Situation 1 - Where Do You Go”:

For some reason, the introductory “Imitation” part of the song is cut from this video, but you get the point, fun psychedelia that is not as compellingly unique as Thompson’s material but still good for what it is. Fever Tree released a total of four studio albums, but none of their later material seems to match the summer-of-love sound of the debut album. Definitely start with the first one.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mtn4ngdjyni

Another legend of Houston rock were the heavy metal innovators, Josefus.  They formed sometime before 1969; in other words, before there was ZZ Top there was Josefus; they were the Dixie South’s answer to the sounds of Sabbath and Zeppelin.  They recorded 3 albums before disbanding, and the second Lp, Dead Man (1970 Hookah), has recently been rereleased on Vinyl with the instructions on the back cover to play very, very loud.  Here’s the opening track, “Crazy Man”:

I definitely hear the inspiration of Plant here, and many people reiterate the derivative quality of Josefus’s sound.  To their credit, they were recording this material around the same time as the studio sessions for both I & II, so they cannot simply be explained away as a Led Zeppelin knock-off group of the 70s.  The guys were current, fresh, and somewhat ahead of the curve, for sure. The guitarist has nothing on Jimmy Page's chops, however.  Check out the magnum opus title track, “Dead Man”:

Now that was a jam.  If you like earlier-posted Pentagram, Led Zeppelin, and other early innovators of bluesy hard rock, check out Houston’s very own Josefus.  Now off to the town itself I go!!!

http://www.mediafire.com/?plhpacleda85xu8

Thanksgiving is a time for Family!!!

Well it’s Thanksgiving, and holidays are the times for the Family. I am speaking of the music, of course, and so I introduce you, my reader, to one of Swingin’ London’s forgotten about gems.

Family were an English rock band that formed in the mid-60s and played and recorded music until 1973. Their music varied quite extensively; all the following terms have been employed to characterize their sound: progressive rock, folk rock, psychedelia, jazz fusion, etc. Unlike most psyche groups, their instrumentation was not limited to guitars, keys, and drums; there were always a plethora of rotating musicians, and they made use of many unique sounds: strings, flutes, banjos, harps, vibes, etc. Unfortunately, their following never ventured far off the British isle; one of their American tours, for instance, was a complete

disaster. They were banned from Fillmore East after lead singer, Roger Chapman, allegedly tossed a mic stand at Bill Graham’s head during a chaotic concert performance. They were definitely well-known for their crazy concert antics, and some bands or artists were reportedly uneasy about sharing the bill with them. The band’s energy was not limited to the live arena; in their short career that did not even span a decade, they recorded 7 studio albums, almost all on the label Reprise. There were several live and best of compilations as well, making their discography pretty vast. I have not heard the entirety of their releases; some of their albums are pretty hard to find. (In fact, if anyone has their last release, It’s Only a Movie, released 1973 on United Artists, let me know...) A good place to start, however, is the beginning with their debut album, Music in a Doll’s House (1968 Reprise Records). Here’s a couple tracks from the earlier release (the 1st is called “Winter” and the latter “Peace of Mind”):

It’s good folky psychedelia; I love it, but one can sense that the band had yet to carve out clearly their distinct, stylistic mark in the world of popular 60s psychedelia. In fact, that doesn’t seem to happen until their 3rd full length, A Song for Me (1970 Reprise), their most commercially successful effort, which was recently re-released in 2007. It is this album that really begins to showcase their multi-instrumental compositions, and their sound begins to channel a wild, progressive form of psychedelic folk rock. Here’s one of the “bonus” tracks of the re-release; the song is called “No Mules Fool”:

I feel like one could easily fool a listener into thinking they’re hearing an obscure Cat Stevens track when playing that song. At least, I thought Cat Stevens when I first heard it. Family, as stated before, varied stylistically, so it’s not all Cat Stevens-esque. One of the most talked about elements of their sound was Roger Chapman’s unique vocals; sometimes critics described it as a violent, yet soulful, vibrato sound, and some reviewers even complained that his style risked being annoying. For example, listen to the opening song of the album, “Drowned in Wine”:

His vocals seem to imitate the sounds of a saxophone; it’s not for everybody, some are definitely put off by it. Songs like this one make me think, “Oh Wow, Jethro Tull could have been a lot cooler...” In fact, Jethro Tull has cited Family as an important influence. Here’s my favorite track from the album, “Song for Sinking Lovers”:

That’s some good psychedelic folk rock. The Family weren’t always pickin’ the acoustic, however. They could rock heavy in a way that would make Page and Plant proud. Check out the title track, “A Song for Me”:

That’s some heavy blues! Gotta love the Family, and no better time to do so than on Thanksgiving! Definitely check out the entirety of their albums:

music in a doll’s house: http://www.mediafire.com/?z2hmmvmwjnz

A Song for Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?ywmn0qmx0y0

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy the Family and feel free to comment. Peace.

From Glam to Ambience to Pop: Highlights from an Underrated Eno Album

A Brian Eno of another Era

So I moved a few weeks back; the wife and I bought our first house, pretty crazy... I was sorting through some neglected CDs and came across a wonderful album by Brian Eno, an album that, from my experience, seems to be overlooked & underrated. Pitchfork’s review of the release gave it a lukewarm 6.1 rating, calling it “a decent album at best.”  Brian Eno did something unexpected in 2005 with his album, Another Day on Earth (Hannibal Records); he released an ambient, vocal-centered pop record, which caught some critics off-guard I guess.  To quote pitchfork: “In my mind Brian Eno's ambient music is completely separate from his vocal work-- so much so that I can in hazier moments forget that one man was responsible for both....”  In the critic’s mind, Eno’s ambient experiments do not go with his other modes of music-making, especially any vocal-centered songs, but I have to adamantly disagree with this notion. I think the critic needs to open his mind a little bit and give this record another spin.

That was the opening track of the album, entitled “This,” and it’s a really great album opener.  Every critic agrees that the opening track is the album’s strongest moment, and they’re probably right about that; it definitely sold me...  I remember when I bought the CD on a whim; I was in school at the time and stopped in the now-out-of-business Tower Records store near NYU (after attending a class I think). I listened to the first track, “This,” at the sample station and was surprisedly hooked.  The thing is I’ve often been a little impatient with the ambient side of the Eno discography. I do like his experimental release, Thursday Afternoon (1985 Polydor Records), however, and Another Day on Earth explores soundscapes of a similar nature, but in a more contained, pop-oriented format.  What I like about this release is exactly what makes it difficult to categorize in the terms mentioned above.  I love how the organic vocals and instrumentation blend so seamlessly with synthesized, computer-generated sounds, and Leo Abraham’s guitar work in the above song is simply perfect (go to about 1min 48sec to see for yourself...).

The entire album was recorded on Brian Eno’s mac over a 4 year period, and the artist claims that the whole record was built around the 2nd song, “And Then So Clear”:

It’s a beautiful, minimalist song.  The heavy, auto-tuned processing of Eno’s vocals reminds me of the methods of some recent, popular artists like Bon Iver and James Blake.  Again, Eno employs vocals seamlessly as an an atmospheric instrument that adds even more layers to his deep, ambient compositions.  The song, “Bottomliners,” demonstrates similar vocal processing:

The title track of what seems to be a kind of concept album (as stated before, the songs were all written in relation to one original composition) echoes the rhythm and structure of the opening track “This” quite nicely.  It rivals “This” as the other most “straightforward” pop song on the album; here’s “Just Another Day”:

In terms of favorite song, I tend to oscillate between the already posted “This” and the track, “How Many Worlds.”  This song deserves to be listened to on some good, sound-reducing headphones at a fairly loud volume; it’s absolutely beautiful.  Here’s the song, accompanied by some great animation:

These are some of the highlights of what is an altogether underrated album of pure sonic excellence.  This is ambient Eno at his best and most approachable.  Definitely check out the entire album.

P.S. Brian Eno has recently worked with the above-mentioned guitarist, Leo Abrahams, on the experimental album, Small Craft on a Milk Sea (2010 Warp Records), and he has just released a new collaborative album, Drums between the Bells (2011 Warp Records), with poet, Rick Holland.  Both albums are much more experimental than Another Day on Earth.  Unlike these recent releases, Another Day is an album for everyone, so I'm surprised it hasn't had more success.  I can't recommend this one enough.

ADoE:  http://www.mediafire.com/?mbdmmtlmywm

Doctors of Madness: Best Listened to When Driving Highway Late at Night after Psychedelic Concert of Epic Proportions

I’ve been meaning to post this one for weeks. I went to a show some time ago, Black Angels with Dead Meadow..., and it was a psychedelic performance to say the least. Anyone who’s seen these bands live knows what I mean. Afterwards, we were in a peculiar state of mind (due to the sonic explosiveness of our previous experience, of course...), so the music choice for the journey home was a matter that demanded careful consideration. We needed something glamorous after the insanity of our previous engagement.... so no better cure than the Doctors of Madness!!! Their song “Suicide City” was the perfect soundtrack for the moment, while driving fast down I-30, gazing at the passing city lights.... The song and that memory are now forever connected in my associative memory bank. In honor of the moment, I present you with this:

Doctors of Madness were a British rock group that formed in 1974 under the artistic leadership of the aptly named frontman, Richard “Kid” Strange, and they played shows and recorded until 1978, never achieving very much mainstream success outside of English popular culture. I’ve noticed when reading about the group on the internet that most critics described them as Proto-Punk, grouping them with acts like The Deviants and the Pink Fairies, but I don’t get that at all. This is quintessential, British Glam Rock. Check out the previously mentioned song, “Suicide City”:

That song recalls the sounds and antics of performers like David Bowie and Marc Bolan more so than say Iggy Pop. It’s really good Glam Rock, for sure. The band released 3 albums, all on Polydor Records between the years 1976-1978. The previous song was released on their 2nd album, Figments of Emancipation (1976 Polydor Records), which I believe to be their best album by far. Here’s another song, “Brothers,” from the same full-length release:

So much glitter in that sound!! Hurts the eyes... If you like Bowie, T. Rex, and the other glamorous acts of the 1970s, then Doctors of Madness is an essential. Definitely start with the sophomore release, Figments of Emancipation. Enjoy!!

http://www.mediafire.com/?mfndykmy0te

What I listened to on the Way to Work Today: Jack Snider’s Sharks Keep Moving

Sharks Keep Moving

Woke up this morning feeling groggy and devoid of energy, dragged my feet in the darkness, through the cold, to my car to make my way to work in the routine, highway traffic.  While in a state of robotic autopilot-ry, I put on a cd without much conscious decisiveness, and the sounds woke me up. “Hey, that sounds like Jack Snider’s vocals..., but this is much better than anything by Minus the Bear!” I quickly removed the cd; it was an album burned by a friend: Sharks Keep Moving’s EP Desert Strings and Drifters (1998 Second Nature Recordings).  Sharks Keep Moving was a short-lived project involving Jack Snider of Minus the Bear fame that played and recorded during the late 90s.  They released one self-titled full-length in 1999 on Static Records as well as some EPs and 7”s.  I have had recordings of this project for a while but paid little attention to it.  After today, I’ve ordered their aforementioned Ep on Vinyl and their full-length on CD to add to the ever-growing library.  The sound is what one would expect: Emo-Math Rock sensibilities with a mature sense of songwriting composition.  What attracts me to this more than Minus the Bear is the tendency to experiment with freeform Jazz sounds.  Check out the song “Cashmere, Washington”:

The song is off of the EP mentioned before.  I apologize for the sound quality; it’s the best YouTube could provide.  There is less pop here and more experimentation than the songs of Minus the Bear; I love the horn sounds with the guitar lines and effects... there’s definitely a lot of layers of instrumentation here.  Check out the magnum opus of the Ep release, “Arizona”:

I’m definitely a sucker for the strings when it comes to Emo-influenced Math Rock.  I cannot recommend this band enough.  A definite listen for fans of Minus the Bear, June of 44, Owls, Rockets Red Glare, and many other bands mentioned on this site.

Sharks Keep Moving - s/t - http://www.mediafire.com/?0bmfjxpjcby

Sharks Keep Moving - Desert Strings and Drifters - http://www.mediafire.com/?nzmfgua3kum

Selections of Shoegaze: Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell - Slowdive and Mojave 3

After spending a week in the seclusion of nature and having opportunity to gaze at the stars of the evening’s canopy, I figured I’d come home and post on the ever-Spacey “dream pop” of Halstead & Goswell’s Slowdive & later Mojave 3.

Slowdive featuring Rachel Goswell & Neil Halstead

One of the most prolific Shoegazing careers of the music industry would be that of both Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell.  Their continued stay in the music world is no thanks to the industry or its critics, however.  Only recently have the artists began to receive the praise and credit that their legacies deserve.  They started in England in the late 80s as the band Slowdive during a period of uncertain transition for the music world.  Very quickly they were classified with bands like My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins for their use of dreamy-like vocals over loud, reverby guitars with heavy-slow, pulsing rhythms of the drums.  Despite their talent, by the time they released their debut, Just for a Day (1991 Creation Records), the critics had become impatient with the “Dream Pop” sound and were looking to the west with interest in the new Seattle scene called “grunge.”  To make it worse, British audiences were becoming more and more taken by the emerging “Britpop” sound of bands like Blur.  Consequently, their album was met with lukewarm reviews at best, which apparently affected the band deeply.  Their 2nd album, Souvlaki (1993 Creation Records), enlisted the help of coproducer and musical contributor, Brian Eno, and being an Eno fan, it’s one of my favorite albums by Halstead & Goswell.  The critics, however, reacted negatively, once again.  Here’s the video of the opening track, “Allison”:

Man, Mtv used to be cool, videos by Slowdive and such... Not the Mtv that kids know today.  The group also made a video for “When the Sun Hits”:

One can tell immediately that Souvlaki is the most commercial effort of the Slowdive discography, and many argue that is is their best musically. They went on to record one more full length album, Pygmalion (1995 Creation Records/EMI), which departed dramatically from their previous efforts.  It was more minimal, quieter, sparser in its distribution of sound.  At times, I find myself claiming Pygmalion to be my favorite Slowdive release, depending on my mood it seems.  It kind of reminds me of the recently posted work of Mark Hollis.  Check out the opening track, “Retti”:

Here’s one of the later songs on the album, “Blue Skied an’ Clear”:

Much like the late work of Hollis, critics have labelled (in hindsight) Pygmalion as an early example of Post-Rock.  Ironically, critics dismissed the work of Slowdive as regressive and “a product of a previous decade,” but perhaps time has proved the opposite.  More and more, bands have cited Slowdive as an influence and inspiration, especially with the popular explosion of Post-Rock acts. Halstead and Goswell did not stop here, however.  After much commercial frustration, Slowdive split, and in its ashes, Halstead and Goswell formed the spacey alt-country act, Mojave 3.  What happens when Shoegazers take up the tradition of country songwriting?  Something akin to the sounds of a group like Cowboy Junkies; or at least that’s what I thought of when I first heard Mojave 3’s debut full-length, Ask Me Tomorrow (1996 4AD).  Here’s the video for the opening track of the album, “Love Songs on the Radio”:

Much of the album follows the same vibe of the above song.  Like stated before, if you like the mellow, dreamy take on country explored by acts like Cowboy Junkies, this entire release is a must listen.  It will not disappoint.  Later albums of Mojave 3, however, have moved towards more general indie rock.  The influence of country is still there, but it does not seem to be the primary focus.  I really like the later song, “She’s All Up Above,” from the album Spoon and Rafter (2003 4AD):

Overall, Mojave 3 has released 5 albums, all on 4 AD between the years 1996-2006, and they are currently on hiatus.  Both Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell have continued to pursue solo careers as songwriters, and both are worth a listen.  I believe Goswell has released one solo full-length, Waves are Universal (2004 4AD), and Halstead has now put out two solo albums, Sleeping on Roads (2002 4AD) and Oh! Mighty Engine (2008 Brushfire).

Check em’ out and enjoy the music!!

Slowdive - Just For a Day - http://www.mediafire.com/?mmvmj1wzztm

Slowdive - Souvlaki - http://www.mediafire.com/?xxjkznotyyl

Slowdive - Pygmalion - http://www.mediafire.com/?gzyknf2nmjy

Mojave 3 - Ask Me Tomorrow - http://www.mediafire.com/?lnjkemdpzok

Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter - http://www.mediafire.com/?2zlxewm4gw0