December Podcast / Mixtape

 
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 _ P O D C A S T / M I X T A P E 
The usual blissed-out chillwave and dream pop - 17 individual tracks in a zipped file.

                                                                 DOWNLOAD

Pop Archaeology: Steely Dan's Lost Gaucho Album (Bootleg, 1979)

To say I'm a big Steely Dan fan would be a major understatement. Of all rock bands dating to the classic era, ie 1967-1977, the only one that holds perennial attraction for me is Steely Dan. Literate and streetwise in equal amounts, their work withstands the test of time. The lyrics are essentially timeless, composed of ambiguous vignettes about often sleazy characters who inhabit a noir netherworld of drugs and perversion, hipsters and assassins. Their songs are littered with slang, buzz-words, catch phrases and bits of overheard dialog, and stand out for their oblique poetry, which seems to have seasoned with age.

The music itself draws on blues, bebop, and most significantly and uniquely - for a rock act - jazz. There's something about this jazz influence that gives their music that deeper quality that can sustain years of repeated listening.

In 1975 Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, the songwriters and founders of the group, decided to abandon the disagreeable work of performing to become a purely studio act. "We came to the conclusion that certain individuals were not suited by temperament or constitution to the rigors of long road trips in the company of prep school hooligans," as they put it in their liner notes.

Their approach to recording was at odds with rock's mainstream, which had come to expect 'bands' to play instruments on their own records. Becker and Fagan saw themselves more as songwriters and composers than as players or performers, and preferred to record with the best session musicians available, mirroring the approach of Brian Wilson. The result of the commitment to studio recording
was a series of nearly perfect classic albums that truly deserve the appellation 'masterpieces'; Katy Lied (1975), The Royal Scam (1976), and Aja (1977). Aja was a tremendously ambitious work, very successful, with three hit singles and sales hitting 5 million copies. Rolling Stone had Aja at #145 on their 2003 "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Following up this mega-hit would be a difficult act, and the production of the next album, Gaucho, was plagued by difficulties. The pair decided to record in NYC, but wanted to use LA musicians, so a small fortune was spent flying cream-of-the-crop session men back and forth from NYC. Their obsessive perfectionism in the studio was already legendary, but they apparently exceeded even their own previous indulgences.

Jeff Porcaro, drummer, describes the grueling sessions, "From noon till six we'd play the tune over and over and over again, nailing each part. We'd go to dinner and come back and start recording. They made everybody play like their life depended on it. But they weren't gonna keep anything anyone else played that night, no matter how tight it was. All they were going for was the drum track." The drum track for the title song was assembled from 46 different takes.

The pair used at least 42 different studio musicians, 11 engineers, and over a year in the studio making an album that contains only seven songs. Becker's drug use began causing strain with Fagan. Becker was hit by a car crossing the street in NYC, and his girlfriend died of a drug overdose in his apartment during the recording of the album.

Then there was the misunderstanding with MCA about who owned the album they were making. The group thought they had fulfilled their obligation to MCA and were recording for Warner, only to find that the mafia connected company (MCA) claimed ownership. A protracted court battle ensued - the record was eventually released by MCA - who were so aggravated with the expenses that they tacked an extra dollar onto the price of the LP.

The record succeeded in spite of all this, spawning two hit singles and garnering positive reviews in Rolling Stone (4.5/5 stars) and The New York Times (best album 2010, over Talking Heads Remain in Light, Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and The Clash's Sandinista). It could hardly be better than it is. The perfectionism paid off with a recording that set new standards for full frequency range audio; the album is equal too or greater than Aja, adding disco and reggae to the band's already diverse list of influences. But apparently the strain had taken its' toll; more than ten years would pass before the duo worked together again.

Which brings us to the subject of this post; The Lost Gaucho. Apparently the duo had prepared a set of eleven songs for the album, and recorded demos of these, before deciding to scrap the tracks and begin anew. These are not the multi-tracked, fully developed tracks of their albums, but true working demos, recorded basically 'live' in the studio. Only four of these ten songs would appear on the finished album. These unused demos are what constitute the 'lost Gaucho album'. A week of listening to this material left no doubt in my mind that these songs were not out-takes, ie songs that weren't good enough, but rather were among the best songs the pair would ever write.

One ostensible reason for revamping the album late in 1979 was the accidental erasure of the master track for "The Second Arrangement", the centerpiece of the album at that point, by an assistant engineer. Or was this just a gambit in the on-going legal dispute with MCA, as some have suggested - a made-up story? At any rate, a substantial set of songs by the '70s most enduringly appealing rock band has leaked from a source close enough to the originals to yield acceptable-audio copies of the material. This download - which is not mine - is of a two disc set, the second of which is from an earlier bootleg and is just shit; audio too poor to listen too. Disc one, however, is a perfectly acceptable copy of the songs, so I recommend downloading the package for disc one and just dumping disc two in the recycle bin.

Even if you're not a Steely Dan fan, which is likely given that this blog is about chillwave and dream pop and not lost masterpieces of classic rock, this set is a good place to start. Anyone interested in 'yacht rock', or jazz pop such as Sade, The Style Council, Everything But The Girl or Matt Bianco will find Steely Dan richly rewarding. I would wager that anyone who gives a more-than-cursory listen to this stuff will be listening to these song many years after chillwave is in the dust.

It's funny how the tides of culture flow...  when Gaucho came out, I was in high school and obsessed with The Clash, Talking Heads and Joy Division. Now these many years later I am obsessed with Steely Dan and the aforementioned punk / new wave artists are strictly a trip down memory lane.

Download The Lost Gaucho 

Download: BIRDS by Lost Twin

Lost Twin is the alias of Carlos R. Pinto, a Seville born, Brighton-based beatmaker. Highly original and non-conformist beats fill an LP of consistently inventive material.

anothercountyheard's BEST of 2012

Welcome Back Sailors "Stronger" etc.
Mr Lies "I Walk"
RAJA "Age"
Animal Collective Centipede Hz LP
Rumtum "BirdeyeS"
Blood Diamonds f. Grimes "Phone Sex" ( LEMONADE REMIX )
Andrea "Work the Middle" ( Kodak To Graph Remix )
MNDR "#1 In Heaven" (Physical Therapy Wash)
Meth Dad "Stay Posi" (can't find it, wtf?)
G88gle G88gle EP
Work Drugs "Rad Racer" ( RX GIBBS Remix )
Keep Shelly in Athens "Tear in my Eye" ( Gacha REMIX )
PLAN "Giga Giga"
Alison Valentine "Peanut Buter" ( MOON BOOTS REMIX )
AyGeeTee Is It Safe LP , and pretty much everything this artist does.
Coyote Clean Up "Mega Miss Out" (original) & "Silver Fox Dub", same, pretty much everything by CCU.
Eaves "Left" & "with/out u", etc
Elephant & Castle and shortcircles "All I Can Say"
Ruddyp & Taquwami "Hold"
Shisa & Choongum "Hearts" ( Supermarket Love Remix )
Young Wonder "To You" (Ambassadeurs Remix)
Need A Name "Galaxies"
Jahnne  "And I Would Again For You"
Giraffage "Feels"
Katy Perry "Wide Awake" ( METH DAD DRUGGED OUT REMIX )
Wet Paint "Ender"
Seabright Children of the Sun LP
Religious Girls "Oscar Grant" ( METH DAD REMIX )
Nature's Kid  "Free Fallin" etc
KarmellOZ feat. BOY MTN "2 Fuckn EZ"
The Establishment "Love Like This" 
XYLOID "Knee Deep"etc.
Figgy "Stayed" & "Can't See"
Go Dugong White Sun EP
BeachesBeaches "onetwentysix", "LLC", "imaway", "Got Feel" etc
Nazcar Nation "Paws" Cover of Enjoyed
Edamame "Moana a Toi" ( Flash Forest Remix ) 
Mr. Kitty "Evaporating Sun" ( RITUALZ Remix )
Eliot feat. Phoebe Bridgers "Where Are You"
Village "Nothing Between Us"
Vacationer "Trip" ( MMOTHS REMIX )
Crystallized "Yatta"
Edamame Bay of Plenty  EP
Seven Lions "Days To Come" Feat. Fiora (Lindsay Lowend Remix)
Ultrademon "WeedTangClan"
Flashlights  "Slow Down"

Here is a 'set' from Soundcloud that approximates the list above. Many of the tracks are available for free download, see links above. I love this list - there is soooo much good music here.

Download: OKLobby "Resortworks" EP

Listen: New TEEN DAZE "New Life"

New TEEN DAZE! Where's the lake photo??? Teen Daze - New Life by teendaze

Download: "And It Was You" by How To Dress Well

Neo-soul sensation How To Dress Well returns with the lead single from his forthcoming "Total Loss". Look for it on September 17. & It Was U by How To Dress Well

Download: "Worried About U" by HOWLINGS MP3

HOWLINGS is Isaiah W. of San Francisco. Check this post dubstep shoegazer - I dig it highly :) Howlings - Worried About U by HOWLINGS ✞

Download: Flourescent Records Presents "Summer Vacation" Compilation LP

Again, this embedded player is not showing the different artists who contributed these tracks. Dunno why. To see the track line-up with the artists, just jump to their Bandcamp. There's some great stuff on here of the post-witch, seapunk variety. Apparently the label is based in Tallahassee Florida.

Album: "Deep Fantasy" by Surfing

Download: Jealous Gold Vol 1 Compilation LP

Jealous Gold is a Chicago-based music blog. This compilation is released for their first anniversary. For some reason the track's artists are not showing up in the embedded player. The tracks are all by different artists. You can see and hear everything at their Bandcamp. Be sure to check out JSHIH and Shisa's "Gold Fruit", Bewilderbeast's "Slow It Down", STAY+ "Eyes", the Physical Therapy remix of Elite Gymnastics' "So Close to Paradise 3", etc etc.

Download: NazcarNation "Hot Girls Have It So Easy" + Remixes

Track download: "Marijuana" by Chrome Sparks

Track download: "Marble Vision" by XYLOID

Track download: "Love Like This" by The Establishment

The Establishment - Love Like This by FRENCH EXPRESS

Track download: "Goth Creep" by Catamaran (RUMTUM Remix)

via Gold Robot Records Catamaran - Goth Creep (RUMTUM Remix) by goldrobotrecords

Track Download: "Silver Liar" by AyGeeTee

Silver Liar by AyGeeTee

Track Download: "Mega Miss Out" by Coyote Clean Up

MEGA MISS OUT by icecoldchrissy

Album Download: "So This Is Where We Are" by DOSE

Album Download: "Children of the Sun" by Seabright

read my review of this album over at HANUS.

Download: "New Love" by Southern Shores

via CASCINE. Southern Shores - New Love by CASCINE

Download: "Vermont" & "Hold On" by Mornings

Vermont by Mornings. Hold On by Mornings.

Download: "That's Y" by Summer Occasion

The free soundcloud downloads are gone but you can download the MP3 here. That's Y by Summer Occasion

Download: "Sounds 2010​-​2011" by Sends

Download: Cuushe "Do You Know The Way To Sleep" (SLOW MAGIC Remix) MP3

Cuushe - Do You Know The Way To Sleep (Slow Magic Remix) by _flau

Download: Shisa and Choongum "Hearts"

Some excellent remixes and a strong original. Check out Supermarket Love's epic take on the track.

Download: "A Bag of Hammers" by PLAN

PLAN - A Bag of Hammers by PLAN

Download: It is rain in my face "Fighter Pilot In A War" MP3

via adhoc It is rain in my face.: "Fighter Pilot In A War" by adhocfm

Stream: Beat Culture "Orange" featuring NIVA

Can't wait for the "debut" of one of my favorites. "Forgive" is out October 12. This is the first single. Orange (ft. NIVA) by Beat Culture

Download: "Treehouse" by Dream Koala MP3

Treehouse [ripped from PiuPiuMixtape] by DREAM KOALA

                                                            Download

Track: CARLY RAE JEPSEN x PICTUREPLANE ( METH DAD MUSH UP )

Beautiful noise. CARLY RAE JEPSEN x PICTUREPLANE ( METH DAD MUSH UP ) by Meth Dad

Track: eaves "with/out u"

Next shit now. with/out u by eaves.

K. Thomas // Time

T I M E by K. Thomas

Broke City Summer Collection // Sleepyhead Figgy Dunes etc

I picked these three to post as a sample. The 10 tracks are all available for download HERE.

Sleepyhead and Figgy - Reason2Believe by BrokeCity Figgy- Stayed by BrokeCity Sleepyhead & Cream Dream - Go Back by BrokeCity

shortcircles // Remember Me EP

The good folks at Plug Research have made Oakland-based Matt Tammariello's shortcircles new EP available as a free download. The release finds shortcircles working with several competent vocalists instead of relying on samples. Check out the track featuring Tiana Vallan and download the EP in exchange for your email address HERE 2 Take Flight (feat. Tiana Vallan) by shortcircles

Wet Paint // Ender MP3

From Bad Panda

TEAMM JORDAN // CHAMPION LP

Seabright // Children of the Sun LP

I know it's not officially released and he's still working on it, but I couldn't wait. Children of the Sun by seabright

Starlit Everglades and Alopex // Dust Child MP3

Starlit Everglades & Alopex - Dust Child by Starlit Everglades

Falcons // Googly MP3

Bon Iver // Perth TEEN DAZE Remix MP3

Bon Iver - Perth (Teen Daze Remix) by teendaze

POOLSIDE // ONLY EVERYTHING MP3

Only Everything by Poolside

SUNNOVA // D.e.a.l. E.P.

Howlings // Hearing Voices MP3

Howlings - Hearing Voices by H ✘ W L I N G S ✞

Regal Safari // Believe

Believe by Regal Safari

Picture // Everything Time (Fort Romeau's Midnight Dub) MP3

RΠЯ // It's A Blue World feat D-Ver

RΠЯ aka RPR is the electronic musician behind Keep Shelly in Athens . This is a cover version of the Ella Fitzgerald song featuring Sydney singer D-Ver. RPR - It's a Blue World (featuring D-Ver) by RΠЯ

Blood Diamonds f Grimes // Phone Sex JENSEN SPORTAG Remix

Nashville Tennessee based Jensen Sportag can do no wrong in 2012, and follow up their epic remix of Erika Spring with this remix for 4AD. 's new signing Blood Diamonds. Blood Diamonds feat Grimes - Phone Sex (Jensen Sportag Remix) by Jensen Sportag

Southern Shores // Malabar MP3

via CASCINE Southern Shores - Malabar by CASCINE

Julia LaDense // Destinations LP

 This is shoegaze space-rock of the highest order, picking up where Darla and Kranky  left off. Reminds me of Wendy and Carl. From the Revolving Door Records label. A great album to say the least. Far fuckin out!