Elephantstone's Something For The Weekend

M. WARD – Were You There?
“Transistor Radio is one of my favorite albums of the year and it consistently finds itself on my Top 10 list, so you can understand my excitement when I received this mix and realized that there was an M. Ward song on it that I had never heard before. I don’t know what album this track was taken from, but once again, M. Ward doesn’t disappoint. It’s a very nice little song and would totally feel at home on his latest album”.
RATING: 9.0 (…out of 10…)

AMERICAN ANALOG SET – Born On The Cusp
“My thoughts on American Analog Set are that their albums can become a bit tedious after awhile, yet in small doses such as this one song on a mix, I find them irresistible. In my opinion, AAS are best appreciated on mixes, and this song proves me right. Would I have liked it on the album as much as I do on this mix? I’m not sure I would have. I couldn’t have picked a better song to follow the M. Ward track. AAS are a nice compliment and it continues the nice tone”.
RATING: 8.0

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – Just For Today
“I’m a little embarrassed to admit it but this is my first time listening to a BJM song, and although I’ve always heard great things about them, I’ve never made an attempt to find out for myself…and now, I feel like a fool. This is extraordinary. They have an attitude about them not unlike the Dandy Warhols but BJM are so much better. I realize it’s only one song, but if most of their songs are half as good as this one, I’m a fan for life. This is probably my favorite song on the mix”.
RATING: 9.5

CONSTANTINES – Good Nurse
“Similar to my feelings regarding American Analog Set, the Constantines’ albums don’t excite me too much. But like AAS, this song sounds so much better on this mix. It’s a nice little song with extraordinary vocals. It’s the vocals that I’m drawn to. The music and lyrics are decent I suppose. I guess whatever song followed BJM was bound to be a bit of a letdown but considering the situation, the Constantines do OK”.
RATING: 7.5

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE – Ibi Dreams Of Pavement ( A Better Day)
“Several listens are needed to fully appreciate this song, and once you do, the vocals and melodies are undeniable. It’s not even one of the best songs on their latest album which gives you an idea of how good the album really is. But it’s a fantastic choice for a mix nonetheless”.
RATING: 8.5

SAMBASSADEUR – New Moon
“Very interesting. This sounds a lot like Belle & Sebastian, down to the female vocals. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all shocked if it were her. Is this a side project perhaps? It’s decent and very enjoyable but I must admit, I’m a bit disappointed that there isn’t more Latin-influenced elements in it, considering the band name. Oh well, it’s still rather good”.
RATING: 6.5

THE LEGENDS – He Knows The Sun
“I love it when you listen to a song and you couldn’t even begin to guess what decade the song was recorded in. This is the case with the Legends. The recording sounds like something from the early 80s, even late 70s. In fact, they sound very much like some of the stuff the Cure recorded around that time. But the Legends are indeed a current band, and a good one at that. It’s electronic pop with distorted vocals and a lot of emotion. Good stuff”.
RATING: 9.0

THE RADIO DEPT. – Deliverance
“Another fantastic song. It’s really moody with nice vocals. This one also sounds a bit retro, similar to what Love And Rockets or Echo & The Bunnymen sounded like. I like it a lot”.
RATING: 8.0

CALLA – It Dawned On Me
“Calla must’ve gone in a new direction with their music because I don’t remember them sounding like the Walkmen or Warlocks. Some have described the new album as Interpol-influenced. To that, I say, Interpol wished they sounded so good. This is a very good song with strong vocals and music. I may now have to check out the new album”.
RATING: 7.5

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – Losing My Edge
“I’m not too fond of this. It’s a typical novelty track that’s amusing on first listen but becomes annoying on repeated listens. In fact, the skip button was created for these type of songs. Nothing more to say about it so I’m moving on…this is the first misstep on the mix so it’s forgivable”.
RATING: 5.0

ARAB STRAP – Dream Sequence
“This song would’ve done better if there weren’t two other songs on the mix already that did this sort of thing better (The Radio Dept. & Calla). It’s decent but it tends to bore me after repeated listens where as the other two songs get better with every listen”.
RATING: 6.0

THE DUKE SPIRIT – Howling Self
“Everything I’ve heard about the Duke Spirit has been positive. I don’t quite know yet whether they deserve the hype. I suppose I need to listen to the album as a whole but going by this one track, I can’t say that I’d be interested in checking them out any further. I suppose it’s decent but nothing that’s going to stick with me”.
RATING: 6.0

BLACK KEYS – 10 A.M. Automatic
“This sounds like Bad Company to me. It’s definitely not my cup o’ tea. That’s why I love these mix exchanges ‘cause it gives me the opportunity to listen to bands that I’m interested in without having to buy the CD and potentially be disappointed. And I would’ve been disappointed if I had bought the Black Keys’ album”.
RATING: 5.0

BABYSHAMBLES – Fuck Forever
“So let me get this straight, this is the lead singer of the Libertines? Is this a side project or are the Libertines broken up? The song itself isn’t very good. I don’t know what it is exactly but I’m not feeling it. I think it’s the vocals. They tend to become a bit annoying after awhile”.
RATING: 5.0

PATRICK WOLF – Wind In The Wires
“OK, after a little bit of a slump, the mix picks up once again. This is a nice little track, very moody with good vocals. A bit brit-pop in it’s sound. I don’t generally love brit-pop but this is growing on me. Is this song indicative of the whole album, Jason?”
RATING: 7.0

GARY HIGGINS – Thicker Than A Smokey
“Six Organs Of Admittance do a very good cover of this song on their latest album and I love it. It’s a very subtle folk song with nice vocals and music. Nice way to end the mix, Jason”.
RATING: 7.5

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OVERALL THOUGHTS: I must admit, the first nine songs of this mix are some of the strongest I’ve ever heard. They set a tone and seem to keep you glued…but then something happens. LCD Soundsystem sets a different tone, a not very good one. The second half of the mix is decent but nothing that’s going to encourage me to keep coming back to it. The songs aren’t very memorable where as the songs from the first half are all-around quality. The last couple of songs on the mix attempt to redeem the mix but it’s a case of too little too late. In any case, the mediocrity of the second half isn’t enough to overpower the brilliance of the first half. It’s still a solid mix for that reason.

OVERALL RATING: 7.19 (…out of 10…)

Jason, thanks again for sending me this mix. Until our next exchange…

I'm planning an OPA Mix review soon. Want to listen to it a couple of more times.

I'm looking forward to it. It's always nice to get feedback. That's why I write these reviews. They're a little time consuming but I figure the person who made the mix appreciates them.

I'm not sure if that's the album version of "Fuck Forever" or not...if it is, that song is fucking awesome.

I can think of one Black Keys song that you might like Chris, but I can totally see you not digging most of their shit.

I'm glad I didn't put any black keys on the mix I sent .

thanks for taking the time to do this chris...glad you liked (most of) it.

the m. ward song was taken off of duet for guitars #2.

sambassadeur is a swedish band (along with the legends and radio dept).

i was wondering what you would think of the lcd soundsystem song. it's my favorite of the year even after repeated listens. but, obviously, it's not for everyone.

the duke spirit song is a b-side, and after i had already made and sent off the mix, i realized it really wasn't the best possible choice for them. i really wish i picked something else.

i really think you'd dig that patrick wolf album.

thanks again for the review...and sorry for the second half drop off in quality!

oh, also...go out and get everything by the brian jonestown massacre. seriously, they are that good.

Any particular album I should get first? Are they still together? It has occured to me that I know nothing about this band.

you can download most of their stuff off of their website for free.

I know I grabbed like three albums one day; they are wildly uneven btw so dont get your hopes up (IMHO)

they are still together, and they actually just released an EP that is pretty decent.

honestly, you could pick blindly out of their catalogue and you'd pick a winner.

you can go the "greatest hits" route and choose tepid peppermint wonderland (a 2 disc retrospective).

my personal favorite is their first, methodrone, which has a little bit of a different sound than most of their catalogue. more droney, spaceman 3-ish.

i think this is what i love most about them.

oh HERE'S the link to those BJM mp3's

Thanks guys...I'll check them out.

I knew there was a reason I listen to what elephantstone has to say.