1. Luis Russell & his Orchestra - The (New) Call of the Freaks - i like the vocals. it works fine as an intro.
2. Tom Waits - Oily Night - i feel like i should be working in a factory when i hear this.
3. Frank Zappa - Help, I'm a Rock - well, at least it's staying on-theme.
4. Can - Connection - now this actually sounds like a song. i like it.
5. Funkadelic - I Wanna Know if it's Good to You - this has some serious grooves. i dig it.
6. The Soft Machine - As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still - i like the guitars here.
7. John Fahey - Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California - this is calm and enjoyable.
8. Martin Siewert/Martin Brandlmayr - Is this Love? - this doesn't go anywhere, right? i was doing dishes for what seemed like an hour during this song.
9. Super Numeri - The Chart - around the 3-minute point, this song gets pretty good for awhile.
10. Laddio Bolocko - As Is By Remote - this was short and not too bad - a lot of neat percussion within it.
11. Faust - Untitled - another short one, but i didn't care for it.
12. Gary Numan and Tubeway Army - Praying to the Aliens - i like the music, but this one should've stayed the course and been an instrumental.
13. XTC - All of a Sudden (It's Too Late) - xtc seems like it doesn't belong, but i'll take it.
14. Talk Talk - Inheritance - eh, this is alright. at least there is some structure.
15. Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik - i like this. it's a little dated, but that's fine right now. it keeps adding, too.
16. Don Caballero - Room Temperature Suite - the longer it's on, the more i like it. maybe it's just that it gets more interesting as it progresses. well, to a point.
17. Racebannon - The Killer - big leap from a lot of other songs on this mix. not bad as a novelty, couldn't imagine myself listening to it outside of this mix. it sounds a little disjointed, but pretty tolerable. good guitars.
18. Sightings - Dudes - this is not my thing.
19. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Young Girls & Happy Endings - gorky's? nice... i like this. i love their drumming.

i feel like part of the point with this mix is self-protection. it sets up a listener for something apparently unlistenable. if they don't like it, the title doubles as a disclaimer. and if they do, then it's all peachy. i thought it was a nightmare in the beginning, but then that 4-7 stretch was great, especially because i'm only vaguely familiar with any of them. after that, i think there were only two songs that i liked from beginning to end. even within songs, there were all sorts of different directions. there were a lot of segments that i enjoyed, but not many complete songs. i like solid structure in my music. this just doesn't offer me enough of what i enjoy. i can't say i'm entirely surprised, though, because i've read what drinky's said of some mixes that i've enjoyed and could tell that we just don't seem to have a lot in common musically. i do like how it ends, with some heaviness and then twee-pop. that's something i'd do. overall, i liked some of this a lot and other parts not so much.

"Self-protection", huh? Maybe. I was fully expecting about half the people I sent this one to (most likely you and Billz) not to like it, but I was kind of interested in how different people would react to it. Also having two mixes, one being stuff a lot people are very familiar with and the other being stuff a lot of people won't like, put me in kind of a no-win situation with some people.

Honestly I would've sent you the other mix, but I sent that one to red. I figured I should send the two of you different mixes.

i'll pester red to listen to what you sent her. i haven't listened to the fonotone mix yet either.

i don't think i've gotten that mix yet.

So you didn't get any mixes from me? Should've been 2 CDs (no jewel cases IIRC), and I'm pretty sure it should've arrived a while ago. I know I mailed them.

i don't know. i have a roommate, so the discs could be anywhere if i did get them. i will check tonight.

1. Luis Russell & his Orchestra - The (New) Call of the Freaks - I like that celebratory 1920s vibe....although I don't listen to much instrumental jazz music (not that this was completely instrumental).
2. Tom Waits - Oily Night - Hah whoa...that was quite a transition. This is just creepy. As it begins, you're expecting to eventually hear Tarzan....then that deep as fuck "oily night" voice comes in and changes everything. And the layers keep piling up. Perfect music for ritual sacrifices. I woudn't play it too loud...don't want to summon the savages.
3. Frank Zappa - Help, I'm a Rock - OK, I've heard this before and didn't realize it was Zappa. I recognize the "Help, I'm a Rock" lyric. Weird. Nay..insane. I got curious and read he dedicated this to Elvis Presley?
4. Can - Connection - I didn't know this is what Can sounds like. Is this one of their more accessible songs? I like it. This one sounds like druggy late 60s/early 70s rock that would fit well on a Quentin Tarrantino film.
5. Funkadelic - I Wanna Know if it's Good to You - I can also see this in a QT film. Instrumental psychedelic funk works for me. I've heard a lot of Parliament but can't recall being exposed to much Funkadelic.
6. The Soft Machine - As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still - A little more prog-ish. I actually like the rapid melodic changes on this. And they had the courtesy to not drag it out.
7. John Fahey - Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California - A captivating instrumental I must say. I like his style of playing, on this track anyway. Can't say I've heard much else he's done.
8. Martin Siewert/Martin Brandlmayr - Is this Love? - Eh...it was cool with headphones on. Interesting sounds.
9. Super Numeri - The Chart - There's not a whole lot happening here that's drawing me in. Disjointed drumming. A repetitive riff. All smothered with random noisey atmospherics.
10. Laddio Bolocko - As Is By Remote - Not far removed from the last track stylistically, but much cooler percussion.
11. Faust - Untitled - Well that was nice. hah...What was that in the beginning? A buzzsaw? Weed whacker? Seems like the 2nd half of the track was a set of electric razors with different settings played simultaneously.
12. Gary Numan and Tubeway Army - Praying to the Aliens - All I've really heard from Gary is The Pleasure Principle record. It all kind of sounded the same. This kind of sounds like what I heard on The Pleasure Principle. Gary just has this cold vocal delivery. It works for his sound though. I can listen to this if I am in the mood.
13. XTC - All of a Sudden (It's Too Late) - This is OK. I tend to prefer their more upbeat songs.
14. Talk Talk - Inheritance - I haven't listened to much Talk Talk. This kind of dragged on the first listen, but its somberness became more inviting with subsequent spins. It's hard to believe it's the same band that did "It's My Life."
15. Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik - I don't listen to much Kraftwerk, but this built up nicely. A little long though.
16. Don Caballero - Room Temperature Suite - Kind of Slint-ish in spots. I'm sure it'd be killer in a live setting. Good drummer.
17. Racebannon - The Killer - Pretty unsettling. I actually liked the last 40 or so seconds of the song where he just went completely fucking crackers.
18. Sightings - Dudes - We're pretty shit deep in noise rock territory here, which is a genre I don't explore often. A bit too chaotic for my tastes. Maybe if I were pissed off enough.
19. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Young Girls & Happy Endings - WTF. Is this the same CD? Nice peppy closer.

I'll say that this was a welcome change as far as variety among the mix exchange is concerned. Now I have a new CD to play for certain friends that like to call me out for listening to too much "crack-smokin" music. There's some stuff on here that oughta shut 'em up. Thanks Drinky! I think the Can track is my choice cut. What's a good place to start with them just out of curiosity? I don't really know how to rate these tracks on the 1-5 scale so I'll group 'em into 3 categories:

Tracks that fall the most within the realm of my tastes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 19

Tracks that are generally outside of my tastes but are enjoyable/intriguing enough to warrant further listening: 1, 2, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17

Tracks most likely to collect dust if musical compositions were inanimate objects: 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18

Thanks for the review, Naked! I'm glad you enjoyed at least some of it.

As far as Can goes, it's kinda hard to recommend a jumping off point based on "Connection". (I'm really glad that's gone over well, btw. I was worried people would be put off by the silly lyrics.) That song is from a rarities comp and features their original vocalist that they only recorded one full album with (Monster Movie, which is comprised of four much longer tracks). After that they lost a little bit of the psyche-rock drive, but they got funkier and more experimental. Anyway, I guess I'll recommed the same album I always do, Ege Bamyasi which might be my favorite record ever. It doesn't have any rockers quite like "Connection", but I don't think it will disappoint.

oh man, this drummer is such an asshole. he's one of the best examples of "i like the music, but i fucking hate the people who're making it." i always think of that whenever i listen to don cab, unfortunately.

Pretty much nothing can stop me from loving Don Caballero 2 and What Burns Never Returns. I mean, considering what an asshole Damon Che is, only thinking of him when you listen to Don Cab is pretty unfair to Ian Williams, who is awesome in his own right.

1. Luis Russell & his Orchestra - The (New) Call of the Freaks - 4/5 I like this a lot. In the context of the mix, it's more like a 5/5. I guess I'm downgrading it a bit because I know that although I'm now tempted to buy something by them, if I do it'll get it'll likely quick disappear into my collection. so can it really be a 5/5? What exactly is unlistenable about this though? This seems like one of the more listenable songs on any mix I've received although I know I'm probably more inclined to dig this than most.
2. Tom Waits - Oily Night - 1.5/5 I own a lot of Waits but not this....It's the side of him that I don't dig much. One of his whisky soaked piano dittys would flow better with the last song but that wouldn't be unlistenable would it?
3. Frank Zappa - Help, I'm a Rock - 3/5 I own a few zappa albums but not this one. It reminds me a bit of the Fall although obviously this preceded anything they did. I would like it more if it were shorter though.
4. Can - Connection - 4.5/5 I'm surprised how much I like this so I'm really glad you included it. The only Can album I own is Tago Mago which fits the unlistenable wankery label much more than this. This is pretty accessible and good. What albums are like this song?
5. Funkadelic - I Wanna Know if it's Good to You - 5/5 Funkadelic is pretty great. Psychedelic Black Rock is a real sweet musical niche. I buy almost every record in this area that gets any good press. Few if any top Funkadelic though. I have this but not the reissue, remastered version. this sounds much better than my version. I should really upgrade those.
6. The Soft Machine - As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still - 4/5 I have this one too. I don't listen to it much. I'm not sure why because I do like it. It has a strong underlying melody and pop sensibility without the formuliac and predictable, in-your-face hooks that plague the indie pop bands that get much more play around here.
7. John Fahey - Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California - 2/5 I really want to like John Fahey. He's obviously very talented but ultimately I get bored by guitar instrumentals. I dl'ed an album of his from emusic a few years back and didn't like it much. This is better but its still not doing much for me.
8. Martin Siewert/Martin Brandlmayr - Is this Love? - 1.5/5 I don't know what to say other than it doesn't hold my interest.
9. Super Numeri - The Chart - 2.5/5 I've been really curious about this from all Ish's praise. Its not bad but not really my thing either. I guess I just don't have much use for instrumentals that aren't jazz or funk.
10. Laddio Bolocko - As Is By Remote - 2.5/5 Still not really my thing. I suppose there's potential for this and super numeri to grow on me, but this is all I've got so far.
11. Faust - Untitled - 3/5 Somewhat better than the last two but it's so short that I don't really feel it getting into any groove. Not as good as the other Faust tune, but its not going to discourage me from seeking them out.
12. Gary Numan and Tubeway Army - Praying to the Aliens - 4/5 I like this far more than I expected to. I need to hear more. I had dismissed Numan as too synthy for my taste which I guess was wrong.
13. XTC - All of a Sudden (It's Too Late) - 4/5 Far from my favorite XTC song, but hey its XTC and they're great. Definitely a top 5 billy g fav when I was growing up. I'm wondering what's unlistenable about this.
14. Talk Talk - Inheritance - 4.5/5 Gorgeous. I can't really explain why I like Talk Talk so much but am pretty lukewarm on Radiohead, but I am.
15. Kraftwerk - Tanzmusik - 2.5/5 I like this more than the Kraftwerk songs I can remember from high school...still not my thing.
16. Don Caballero - Room Temperature Suite - 3/5 I've heard him named dropped many times but never heard anything by him. This is good for an instrumental. Still don't know that I'd feel like listening to this much but I can appreciate it.
17. Racebannon - The Killer - 1.5/5...I liked it ok at first but it lost me when the vocals came in. I don't mind the occassional scream but when its constant I don't really get the point.
18. Sightings - Dudes - 2/5 I like it more than the last track but still not much. I'd need to hear it more and at higher volumes than I can listent to it at work to really judge it.
19. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Young Girls & Happy Endings - 2.5/5 They're not bad, but they remind me too much of XTC and XTC is so much better that I never feel inclined to listen to them.

This was a hard mix to review because its more challenging music than most and I can't listen at loud volumes at work. My opinions may very well change with repeat listens. I think most good music requires repeated listening and some growth. I think Racebannon, Gorky's and Kraftwerk are probably the only songs that I don't know well that don't at least have the potential to improve with age. Thanks Drinky

First of all, neither of my mixes are entirely what they claim to be. I think I fell into the same trap that a lot of people did of not totally committing to a theme for fear of totally alienating of boring some people. I tried to throw a few things on this mix just in case some people truly hated the more "unlistenable" stuff. For instance, the opening track is meant to draw people in, and I guess the XTC track is sort of like a "reward" for people who found the previous stretch to be tedious. Also it kinda bridged the gap between Gary Numan and Talk Talk.

so:



Like I told Naked, it's tough to recommend an album based on that since it's a rarity/leftover from the Unlimited Edition comp. Monster Movie is close but none of the songs on it are as concise (4 tracks at 40 min.) or as catchy. Again, if you haven't already, I'd recommend giving Ege Bamyasi some time to sink in. It doesn't have any rocker quite like "Connection", but it has some excellent grooves ("Vitamn C", "I'm So Green", "Spoon") and minimal wankery (two inoffensive 10 minute jams that are far more "musical" than those on Tago Mago).




There are several different versions of those Funkadelic albums around, all of them on Westbound and all them dated 2005. Not all of them are remastered, unfortunately, and I made the mistake of buying a reissue of their first album that wasn't remastered and didn't contain any bonus material (which I didn't think I cared about). Just make sure whichever one you buy has bonus tracks.



I guess I should've know better than to put something like this on a mix. I think it's a beautiful track - among the best of its kind - but I guess it just doesn't work out of context.



Believe it or not, that's the shortest song from that album. Unfortunately, it may also be the least interesting.



Hm, I never thought of the XTC comparison, but I suppose it fits. They're a pretty diverse band, though, and I think they have a really good range of psyche pop, at least on the two albums I have.


Thanks for the review!

this isn't going to be pretty.

1. luis russell and his orchestra the (new) call of the freaks
this isn't bad. not something i'd normally listen to but it's probably one of the better songs on the mix. 3/5

2. tom waits oily night
yeah i guess i just don't like tom waits. this song just seems pointless. 0/5

3. frank zappa help, i'm a rock
this is a very small step up from the tom waits track. only thing i really like about it is the vocals. 1/5

4. can connection
the only track that seems like an actual song so far. it's not great but it doesn't make me want to skip it either. 3/5

5. funkadelic i wanna know if it's good to you? (instrumental)
ok the mix is picking up a bit here. good noisy track. 4/5

6. the soft machine as long as he lies perfectly still
meh. vocals are too low and this song sounds a little too much like jazz for me. (i hate jazz) 2/5

7. john fahey portland cement factory at monolith, california
wow, a dude strumming his guitar. at least he starts to actually play the thing during the 2nd part of the song. 1/5

8. martin siewert/martin brandlmayr is this love?
i like some weird electronic music (pan sonic) but can't get into this. maybe i've lost my patience for this kind of stuff. 1/5

9. super numeri the chart
kind of reminds me of holy fuck a bit, though maybe a tiny bit less interesting. good thing i really like holy fuck. 4/5

10. laddio bolocko as is by remote
this is decent but doesn't stand out as much as the previous song. 3/5

11. faust untitled
i like faust but this song is really too short to make much of an impression. i like the drums underneath though. 3/5

12. gary numan and tubeway army praying to the aliens
finally another song with verses and a chorus. 4/5

13. xtc all of a sudden (it's too late)
this is okay but a little too meandering. gets better at the end though and at least there's some vocals. 3/5

14. talk talk inheritance
yeah this wasn't good at all. 1/5

15. kraftwerk tanzmusik
i actually like this a lot. 4/5

16. don caballero room temperature suite
math rock. ehhh...i like the drumming. 2/5

17. racebannon the killer
man i wish i'd seen them at sxsw. probably my favorite song on the mix. 4.5/5

18. sightings dudes
maybe the only thing i actually own on this mix. this is good stuff. 4/5

19. gorky's zygotic mynci young girls & happy ending
a pretty good ending to the mix. 3/5


uh, yeah. lived up to the title, though there were a few good songs in there. i hate trashing people's mixes but i don't see myself listening to this much. sorry, dude.

It's wierd, but looking at your number ratings of each song, it doesn't really feel like you "trashed" it. At least no more than I expected anyone to.

I'm just glad somebody likes that Racebannon song, and yes, you absolutely should have caught them at SXSW. I got to see them play a partial set at a fucking house* here a few months ago. It was pretty crazy, but I imagine a real venue would have been a little better. As it was, you couldn't really hear the vocals even though the due was screaming.

*The cops showed up about 4 songs in due to noise complaints, I guess. It sucked, to say the least. I really, really hope I get to see them play again. At least I got to see Gospel play a full set before them.

Looking at everybody's review of the Faust track, it almost seems like I got a different track. The one I have is really short and under 1 minute or so. Everybody else is mentioning drums...mine has no drums...that I can notice anyways.

It's the same one. I didn't notice any drums either...

My other mix has a Faust track with drums, vocals, and an actual melody. This one is a noise track, or at least I thought it was.

i swear i hear some drums way down in the mix towards the end of the track.

I saw a used Racebannon at Waterloo for $6.99. I tried to see if it was the one that has "The Killer" but it didn't have a track listing that I could notice. The title was "Satan's Kickin Yr Dick In" I think. I noticed it said Secretly "fuckin" Canadian...thought that was funny...

That album is awesome, but it doesn't have "The Killer" on it. That song is from a 7" split and is on a 2-disc rarities comp that otherwise isn't all that great.

Definitely pick up Satan's Kickin' Yr Dick In if you like "The Killer" although you might like their previous album, In the Grips of the Light, a little better. SKYDI is like a manic, coked-out rock opera whereas ITGOTL is more song-oriented. I see that one in used bins a lot.

And that Faust track may have drums in it. I'll have to listen to it again to see.