Love In Spurts

Mercury Rev - Everlasting Hits

2012-02-09T22:56:00.000+01:00

Mercury Rev - Everlasting Hits

It's been so long since I last made one of my anthologies: time to make a Mercury Rev Greatest Hits, then.
Mercury Rev is my absolutely favourite band, so it has been quite painful to pick only 24 songs.
I decided for an iPod-friendly tagging, with all the songs in one folder, numbered from 1 to 24, but you can just divide them in 2 cd's and burn them (I didn't check the duration, in case just move one song from one cd to the other); first cd is the noisy/lysergic one, second one is the baroque/soft one.

download

(192 kbps - or more)

Tracklist:

CD 1

1. Racing The Tide

2. Chasing a Bee

3. Bronx Cheer

4. Everlasting Arm

5. Sweet Oddyssee

6. Syringe Mouth

7. Blue and Black

8. Frittering

9. Something for Joey

10. Car Wash Hair

11. Empire State

12. Downs are Feminine Balloons

CD 2

1. Holes

2. Hercules

3. Senses on Fire

4. Opus 40

5. Spiders and Flies

6. Tides of the Moon

7. The Funny Bird

8. In a Funny Way

9. The Dark Is Rising

10. Snowflake in a Hot World

11. Butterfly Wings

12. Little Rhymes

Whipping Boy - Heartworm

2012-02-08T12:09:00.000+01:00

Whipping Boy - Heartworm

The second record by Irish shoegazing band Whipping Boy. It was published by a major label and has in facts many early 90s heavy rock influences, along with that typical shoegaze grace and delicacy and a very lyrical approach to songs.

A great record with lots of classics, but I still prefer their debut, Submarine.

download

(192 kbps)

The Walker Brothers - Nite Flights

2012-02-06T01:02:00.000+01:00

The Walker Brothers - Nite Flights

The return of Scott Walker and his "brothers" Gary and John: a very noir recording with a blend of new wave, soul, Berlin Trilogy Bowie and some experimental excursions. Side A, entirely composed by Scott Walker, is enormously better than side B, that still has a couple of aces in the track list.

The title-track has been covered by David Bowie, while noise-rock terrorists Sightings recently covered the avant-pop juggernaut "The Electrician".

download

(320 kbps)

Big Country - The Crossing

2012-02-05T11:52:00.000+01:00

Big Country - The Crossing

It's funny how the early/mid Eighties are generally considered "the age of plastic" of pop music, an era of ultra-clean futuristic sounds, early digital instrumentations and over-polished productions. That was the surface, the exterior: the early Eighties were actually the era of rediscovery of ancient roots and folk traditions through the use of modern technology and innovations.
On one side Japan, Sakamoto, Bill Nelson and even The Cure were exploring the Middle and Far East, on the other side a new wave of ex punk rockers converted to a new form of electric guitar-driven celtic rock, based on Scottish folk melodies and early 80s guitar playing. Swirling chorus sounds, ancient folk melodies echoing from the vibrations of an e-bow, loud guitar squalls processed through a guitar synthesiser to make them sound like an orchestra of bagpipes. Past, present and future in one record, plus the bonus of a huge rhythm section and epic guitar duels, courtesy of one of the most skilled line-ups ever.

Now rejected or simply ignored by indie-rock audiences, this record used to be considered a classic. Dated? Maybe, but it's a clear and genuine picture of the ambitions of a generation of talented and imaginative young musicians.

download

(320 kbps)

Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool

2012-02-04T12:09:00.001+01:00

Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool

Nick Lowe, also producer of the early records by Elvis Costello, forging one impeccable power-pop refrain after the other. The production is absolutely shiny and clean, with some Bowie influences (and quotes).

download

(192 kbps)

V. A. - Pillows & Prayers 2

2012-02-03T23:34:00.000+01:00

V. A. - Pillows & Prayers 2

Here is the second volume of this important indie anthology. This might not be as good as volume 1, but it deserves some attention too, since all the aces of Cherry Red Records are here with some of their best material, including the mighty Maurice Deebank with a solo track.

download

(200-250 kbps)

V. A. - Pillows & Prayers: Cherry Red 1982-1983

2012-02-01T11:31:00.000+01:00

V. A. - Pillows & Prayers: Cherry Red 1982-1983

Great sampler for classic indie label Cherry Red Records, focusing on the early years. Expect great singles from the likes of Felt, Tracey Thorne and Monochrome Set, plus a rich blend of retro-sounding indiepop, bossa songwriters and minimal synth-pop.

download

(200-250 kbps)

Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine

2012-01-31T14:31:00.001+01:00

Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine

The most epic album by Echo & The Bunnymen, a great blend of 60s psychedelic pop and aggressive post-punk. It's rather baroque and massively arranged, summoning images of huge open spaces. Despite its grandeur it has been a major influence on the c86 generation though.

download

(320 kbps)

The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

2012-01-28T13:59:00.000+01:00

[Looks like Mediafire is holding on, let's upload this and see if it lasts for some days]

The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

Huge gothic-rock masterpiece: haunting sounds, deep-as-hell baritone vocals, drum machine patterns, epic progressions and some folk elements (I hear a lot of 12 string guitar playing). Side A and B are written respectively by the two different guitar players the band had at that time.

download

(240 kbps)

Megaupload is over

2012-01-21T13:01:00.002+01:00

You heard the news, Megaupload is over. Some of the links here used Megaupload, but I don't have the time to fix them. Just leave a comment and I will do my best to replace it.

I Apologize

2012-01-14T20:17:00.001+01:00

I'm sorry, but my VPN expired so Blogspot was out of limits during my stay in China.
Now I'm back and I will dedicate some time to Visions of China, then I will start posting here again.

I apologize to whoever commented and didn't receive any feedback from me: the Great Firewall of China prevented me from publishing the comments too.

Visions of China

2011-08-31T14:43:00.004+02:00

I apologize for not being very active lately, it's because I'm going to China, to study for a semester (coming back on January). I'm leaving tomorrow, without my records and my hard drive, so I won't be uploading and posting a lot, since my musical world would be compressed in 8 Gb of iPod memory, but I promise that I'll do as much as I can to keep this blog updated.

For those who are interested in following me or learning about how a Western boy can survive in Beijing, China, here's a new blog/journal about my journey: Visions of China.

Fugazi - The Best Of

2011-08-22T17:14:00.006+02:00

Fugazi - The Best Of

One more "best of" anthology. This time, here's the best from one of the greatest bands of the US indie galaxy of the Nineties and the stewards of Dischord Records: Fugazi.

2 CD's, songs are generally in album/chronological order. Enjoy!

download

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

Tracklist:

CD1

1. Waiting Room

2. Bulldog Front

3. Suggestion

4. Margin Walker

5. Song #1

6. Repeater

7. Turnover

8. Merchandise

9. Blueprint

10. Styrofoam

11. Instrument

12. Long Division

13. Latin Roots

14. KYEO

CD2

1. Rend It

2. Public Witness Program

3. Smallpox Champion

4. Great Cop

5. Birthday Pony

6. Latest Disgrace

7. Forensic Scene

8. Birthday Pony

9. Downed City

10. Break

11. Cashout

12. Full Disclosure

13. Epic Problem

14. Strangelight

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

2011-08-08T11:32:00.004+02:00

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

One of the last gothic masterpieces, a double album of bedroom/lo-fi gothic-rock with over-saturated guitar chords, heavy drum machine patterns and faded vocals. Epic gloomy music with a touch of ambient-rock.

Buy it from the label enemieslist, along with the record comes an 80-page booklet with a fictional tale!

download

(bitrate > 220 kbps)

Wild Beasts - Limbo Panto

2011-08-03T10:57:00.005+02:00

Wild Beasts - Limbo Panto

Wild Beasts are one of my favourite bands of the last few years and this is their debut album, prior to their international success. The record is a blend of various influences, from dance-punk to cabaret-glam rock and is a display of vocal creativity, thanks to two different vocalists.

Simply a great indie-rock record and a prelude to their 2009 masterpiece.

download

(320 kbps)

Candy Flip - Madstock...

2011-07-29T09:44:00.006+02:00

Candy Flip - Madstock...

Candy Flip (or Candyflip), a.k.a. the stewards of the electro/house side of the madchester sound. Their music is based on arpeggiators and synthesisers instead of jangly guitars with lots of fx, but the vocals have that typical baggy sweetness and druggy relaxation. There's a lot of '60s psychedelia here, in facts one of the singles is a cover version of a classic Beatles song.

A milestone of rave/rock hybridation.

download

(192 kbps)

V. A. - Ebow The Compilation

2011-07-27T19:43:00.003+02:00

V. A. - Ebow The Compilation

This is my first thematic compilation about a musical instrument (assuming that the e-bow - or ebow - is an an instrument). I just assembled a bunch of songs where the e-bow is fundamental, prominent, or just songs with cool e-bow solos.

For those who don't know what an e-bow is, it's just a big magnetic pick that makes the string vibrate, as long as you put it at a certain distance from the strings and the pickups. It was used to produce endlessly sustaining guitar notes (usually high-pitched notes), to produce background harmonies, and is often associated with reverb and delay effects, that combined with an e-bow can produce spacey ambient textures. The golden age of e-bow was the mid-80s, when it was popular to play a blend of new wave and eastern melodies (the e-bow is also great for reproducing strings, bagpipes and other "folk" instruments).

Tracklist:

1. Bloc Party - Biko

2. David Bowie - Heroes

3. Gary Numan - Warriors

4. The Church - Under The Milky Way

5. Einsturzende Neubauten - Ende Neu

6. Japan - Quiet Life

7. Bill Nelson - The October Man

8. Big Country - The Storm

9. The Cure - The Wailing Wall

10. That Uncertain Feeling - Weird Sister

11. A Flock of Seagulls - The Fall

12. Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker

13. Suede - Europe Is Our Playground

download

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

Felt - Best Of

2011-07-27T10:27:00.006+02:00

Felt - Best Of

I made this anthology with the best of Felt. There are two cd's, but I've covered mostly the first part of their career, which I definitively prefer. There are, of course, some songs with the second line-up.

If you wish, I had previously uploaded their complete discography here and here.

Tracklist

CD 1

1. Red Indians

2. The Day The Rain Came Down

3. Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow

4. My Face is on Fire

5. The World Is Soft as Lace

6. My Darkest Light Will Shine

7. Ballad of the Band

8. Riding the Equator

9. Crystal Ball

CD 2

1. Penelope Tree

2. Vasco De Gama

3. Primitive Painters

4. Birdmen

5. Rain of Crystal Spires

6. Dismantled King is off the Throne

7. Down but not yet Out

8. The Stagnant Pool

9. Southern State Tapestry

download

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

Wire - Best Of

2011-07-21T21:48:00.009+02:00

Wire - Best Of

It's been a while since I posted one of my Best Of anthologies, so here's the best from one of my favourite bands. I've chosen 27 songs and divided them in two cd's with no particular criteria, just making sure that each song fits well with the previous and the next one. The hardest part was to exclude songs such as "Lowdown", "On Returning" and "Marooned"...

Tracklist

Cd1

1. Eardrum Buzz

2. Three Girl Rhumba

3. Another The Letter

4. The 15th

5. Dot Dash

6. Mannequin

7. Sand in my Joints

8. Kidney Bingos

9. Ex-Lion Tamer

10. A Touching Display

11. Fragile

12. Mercy

13. The Boiling Boy

14. Champs

Cd2

1. The Art of Stopping

2. 12XU

3. French Film Blurred

4. Blessed State

5. Comet

6. Two People In A Room

7. Ahead

8. Being Sucked In Again

9. Map Ref blablabla

10. Outdoor Miner (single version)

11. I Should Have Known Better

12. Pink Flag

13. Go Ahead

download CD1

download CD2

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Nocturne

2011-07-19T18:36:00.003+02:00

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Nocturne

The legendary live album from Siouxsie & The Banshees, featuring Robert Smith on guitarinstead of John McGeoch. It's well played and even the songs from "A Kiss In The Dreamhouse" benefit from this live performance.

download

(average bitrate: 224 kbps)

Various Artists - The Sound of Leamington Spa (vol.1-5)

2011-07-16T17:35:00.004+02:00

Various Artists - The Sound of Leamington Spa (vol.1-5)

Here's The Sound of Leamington Spa, a series of anthologies of the best indiepop of the Eighties, gathered by three different record labels. The average quality and variety of styles are impressive (from lo-fi janglyness to sophisti-pop little gems to classic c86 masterpieces), and they fully compensates the presence of lesser episodes.

download from takethepills.blogspot.com

(average bitrate: 256 kbps)

Rikk Agnew - All By Myself

2011-07-13T15:37:00.004+02:00

Rikk Agnew - All By Myself

Former Adolescents and Christian Death guitar player Rikk Agnew does it all by himself: this is his solo album, an underrated record that crosses punk rock, melodic hardcore and new wave with great guitar playing, epic choruses and pop anthems à la Buzzcocks. The production is quite raw, but everything else is just perfect.

download

(320 kbps)

Siouxsie & The Banshees - A Kiss In The Dreamhouse

2011-07-04T12:02:00.003+02:00

Siouxsie & The Banshees - A Kiss in the Dreamhouse

Another great record from Siouxsie & The Banshees, a more atmospheric and ambitious record, that features all their trademarks (creative guitar playing, shamanic vocals and pseudo-ethnic rhythms), while embracing non-rock elements, like in the jazzy "Cocoon". Many of their best songs are featured here.

download

(average bitrate: 192 kbps)

Catherine Wheel - Chrome

2011-07-02T14:47:00.003+02:00

Catherine Wheel - Chrome

The second LP from this great shoegaze band. Despite some grunge and American alternative rock influences, this record still has that unique shoegaze vibe, so expect a blend of delicacy and raw guitar firepower. Good record, but I've always preferred their first album, Ferment.

download

(192 kbps)

Minks - By the Hedge

2011-06-30T11:09:00.009+02:00

Minks - By the Hedge

Dark/goth sounding indiepop songs, washed in reverb and accompanied by faded vocals and rivulets of jangly guitars. Television Personalities and Felt are influences, but this duo adds much of its own, the atmosphere is quite typical of some recent indie bands (that mood reminds me of that kind of stoned laziness that is very trendy among hipsters), there's even some post-punk, like in the single "Funeral Song" that has a strong bassline. Despite the simple riffing these guys know how to make a song sound memorable with a combination of dizzy sounds and beautiful jangly tones.

download

(average bitrate: 200 kbps)

Scarfo - Luxury Plane Crash

2011-06-21T00:42:00.003+02:00

Scarfo - Luxury Plane Crash

Anthemic britpop with some American indie rock influences. Judging by some guitar and bass playing I would say that they were familiar with Fugazi, as much as with early Manic Street Preachers. Good late '90s guitar rock with great songs.

download

(320 kbps)

Clientele - Suburban Light

2011-06-16T20:38:00.004+02:00

Clientele - Suburban Light

Anthology of the early stuff by this contemporary indie pop band. The music here is very smoky, as if recorded in a cellar on a winter morning. There's a lot of cool fingerstyle guitar playing, very jangly and bright, in contrast with the overall muddiness of the mix (think of Galaxie 500).

The songs are incredibly intimate and delicate: great record.

download

(320 kbps)

Puressence - Only Forever

2011-06-13T10:16:00.004+02:00

Puressence - Only Forever

A mid 90s britpop "lost" classic, with loud guitar chords and ethereal soundscapes, sung with an astonishing grace and full of melancholic and breath-taking episodes. The mixture of dream-pop delicacy ad 90s electric rock sounds makes it a great companion to contemporary bands such as Radiohead and Suede.

download

(192 kbps)

Ride - Twisterella

2011-06-12T02:47:00.005+02:00

Ride - Twisterella

This single is not only my favourite song by Ride, but a huge 4-song record with some great outtakes from their masterpiece "Going Blank Again", including the beautiful title-track (a jangly madchester song). In this recording Ride reached their apogee in creating layered guitar-pop songs

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(average bitrate: 210 kbps)

Swirl - Plumtuous

2011-06-10T14:17:00.003+02:00

Swirl - Plumptuous

Unclassifiable early 90s female-fronted indie rock band from Manchester. Their formula was a cross between madchester and indiepop, with some shoegaze elements and some unique features, such as some spoken word episodes, some celtic folk influences and, most of all, odd meter patterns.

download

(320 kbps)

The Skids - Scared to Dance

2011-06-06T21:41:00.005+02:00

Skids - Scared to Dance

The legendary debut album by punk rock band The Skids. Actually it's different from any other punk rock record out there, featuring complex riffs with some new wave ascendance (I think that they were a big influence on The Edge's guitar playing), and epic choruses that anticipate the celtic folk style of the band that guitarist Stuart Adamson was going to found some years later, Big Country. A very good record, with some huge songs in it.

download

(192 kbps)

The Essence - A Monument of Trust

2011-06-03T12:44:00.005+02:00

The Essence - A Monument of Trust

The Essence was a Dutch gothic rock band, heavily influenced by The Cure. They sound like the early stuff by The Cure, but with the pop sensitivity of their mid-80s records, and the vocals sound very "smithesque" too (I heard that before writing their own stuff they were a Cure tribute band). Despite being unoriginal, this record is very pleasant, especially for Cure and gothic post-punk fans.

download

(192 kbps)

I'm back!

2011-06-03T12:42:00.003+02:00

Sorry for being away, guys, but I have been very busy with my graduation thesis and my last exam. I'll be graduated in a month, and now I have time to post again on my blog.

The Church - The Blurred Crusade

2011-05-25T10:26:00.003+02:00

The Church - The Blurred Crusade

The second album by my favourite Australian band. It's much more jangly and clean than the debut, in facts it's a typical 80s jangle-pop record with pristine sounds and some new wave elements but it's very peculiar and has a very unique mood, a mixture of epic grandeur and the tender innocence and purity of 80s indiepop.

download

(192 kbps)

Sebastians - Blue By Sebastians

2011-05-21T13:48:00.004+02:00

Sebastians - Blue By Sebastians

A very cool madchester record from a Czech band. Despite their Eastern European origins, this record sounds as if was made in 1990 by a band of stoned guys from Manchester, so expect funky guitars and bass, roaring solos, narcotic vocals and almost everything else that a good madchester/baggy record is supposed to feature.

download

(average bitrate: 260 kbps)

Microdisney - Everybody Is Fantastic

2011-05-20T18:12:00.004+02:00

Microdisney - Everybody Is Fantastic

A compromise between early indiepop efforts by Aztec Camera, further developments by The Wake and some synthetic/new-romantic elements à la The The. A must-have album for any 80s pop music fan.

download

(192 kbps)

The Cure - The Peel Sessions

2011-05-18T14:31:00.006+02:00

The Cure - The Peel Sessions

These are six live sessions by the Cure, each one features songs from a different Cure album. "A Desperate Journalist" is a variation of "Grinding Halt" with different lyrics: it mocks the critic who wrote a negative review of their first album. The 1982 session features raw versions of three songs from "Pornography".

download

(192 kbps, except for the 1985 session which is 160 kbps, sorry)

The Beatles - Here Comes The Taxman (Best Of 1965-1970)

2011-05-16T22:50:00.005+02:00

The Beatles - Here Comes The Taxman (Best Of 1965-1970)

This is the second volume of the best of compilation that I've made with my favourite songs by The Beatles. This part covers their late material, from "Rubber Soul" to "Abbey Road", plus some singles and b-sides. Here's volume number one.

[look at the comments...]

Tracklist:

1. paperback writer

2. she's leaving home

3. drive my car

4. i'm looking through you

5. something

6. back in the u.s.s.r.

7. if i needed someone

8. in my life

9. rain10. taxman

11. eleanor rigby

12. here comes the sun

13. wait

14. tomorrow never knows

15. for no one

16. while my guitar gently weeps

17. day tripper

18. penny lane

19. helter skelter

20. i'm only sleeping

21. we can work it out

22. a day in the life

The Beatles - Please Help Me (Best Of 1962-1965)

2011-05-16T20:50:00.006+02:00

The Beatles - Please Help Me (Best Of 1962-1965)

This is the first part of a two-volume anthology of The Beatles that I've made. This part covers the period from the debut Please Please Please Me to Help! Here's volume number two.

[look at the comments...]

Tracklist:

1. what you're doing

2. all i've got to do
3. all my loving

4. it won't be long

5. i've just seen a face

6. ticket to ride

7. i'll follow the sun

8. the night before

9. i need you

10. you've got to hide your love away

11. please please me

12. please mr postman
13. eight days a week
14. taste of honey
15. do you want to know a secret
16. every little thing
17. yesterday

Masami Tsuchiya - Rice Music

2011-05-11T13:48:00.005+02:00

Masami Tsuchiya - Rice Music

Masami Tsuchiya was a prominent figure in Japanese new wave and pop music. In Europe he's famous for his collaboration with new romantic band Japan (he played solo guitar in their live record "Oil on Canvas") and often collaborated with members from Japan, once they broke up.

This solo record is a hybrid of synth-pop, Japanese folk music and glam/new romantic. Despite being quite exotic, experimental and unconventional for a rock music record it's still rather catchy and funky; try it if you like artists such as Bill Nelson, Mick Karn, late Japan, etc.

download

(256 kbps)

Inspiral Carpets - Revenge of the Goldfish

2011-05-09T10:35:00.007+02:00

Inspiral Carpets - Revenge of the Goldfish

Inspiral Carpet's third masterpiece in a row. It's less jangly than "Life" and less epic than "The Beast Inside", in facts it's a totally different record, despite the clear Inspiral Carpets signature. The songs are huge garage-pop anthems played with a ballsy early '90s attitude, but there still are some folk episodes and some rare alternative dance elements. The guitar is much more prominent in the mix than in their early albums, reaching nearly-shoegazish amp saturations, while the songs and vocals are always the same: always in the perfect spot between bleakness and pure ecstasy.

Other records by Inspiral Carpets: Life, The Beast Inside.

download

(320 kbps)

The Grass Roots - Let's Live For Today

2011-05-05T09:25:00.004+02:00

The Grass Roots - Let's Live For Today

Here's another band that was famous back in the days but whose fame haven't survived the Sixties. The Grass Roots played melodic folk-rock with a touch of psychedelic pop. Their biggest hit is the title-track of this record, which is a cover version of "Piangi Con Me" by Italian beat band The Rokes. There are many other great song in this record, though.

download

(192 kbps)

The Cars - The Cars

2011-05-04T14:31:00.003+02:00

The Cars - The Cars

Since The Cars are releasing a new record in 2011 I thought that I might share their debut masterpiece, even if it's not the kind of music I usually post here. For the few who haven't heard of them, expect irresistible refrains, retro-futuristic keyboards, squared AOR riffing and lots of fun.

download

(192 kbps)

Wild Nothing - Gemini

2011-05-02T09:20:00.003+02:00

Wild Nothing - Gemini

This American guy plays his own version of British indiepop/dream pop, creating a personal sound that sets its roots in the late Eighties and in the latest developments of this genre. His music takes inspiration from the intense melancholy of The Wake and their wonderful keyboard sound, the emotional electro-rock of New Order, the foggy bedroom pop of Radio Dept. and the faded vocals of chillwave, without being just a patchwork of different influences. The songs are quite static and have simple structures, but show a great mastery of layered arragements, with simple details that increase the value of the compositions. The digitally delayed guitar counterpoint of "Drifter" and "The Witching Hour" clearly reminds of Durutti Column, proving that singer and composer Jack Tatum certainly knows his background.

One of the best records of the last five years.

download

(320 kbps)

The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane

2011-05-01T10:04:00.002+02:00

The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane

Ten acoustic pop wonders. Songs that are mostly melancholic, sometimes sad, but never desperate, there is always a bright side, a sparkle of hope. The acoustic guitar parts could are already great, but the subtle and refined arrangements (courtesy of Amanda Brown) make this record even better.

download

(192 kbps)

The Go-Betweens - Before Hollywood

2011-04-30T10:05:00.004+02:00

The Go-Betweens - Before Hollywood

This album is a pioneer recording of early indiepop. The sound, the bass lines and the vocals are still characterized by late seventies post-punk and its austerity, but the brilliance of the guitar sound and the interplays between the two guitars players are so joyful, dynamic and energetic, and of course they anticipate the band's late material, along with some organ parts and acoustic guitar that accompany the nervous strumming.

The songs in this record are very haunting, dynamic and well written, there's something that I love about the overall mix, it sounds dry in a good way, with a lot of empty space between the instruments and the vocals.

download

(192 kbps)

Friends Again - Trapped and Unwrapped

2011-04-29T10:06:00.003+02:00

Friends Again - Trapped and Unwrapped

A little gem of colorful guitar pop from the early Eighties, very catchy but with great funky guitar playing and piano/keyboards arrangements. For those who dig bands such as Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Haircut 100 this might be a great album.

download

(192 kbps)

Also - Music Belongs In The Background

2011-04-28T11:34:00.004+02:00

Also - Music Belongs In The Background

Californian indie rockers ALSO are a fine example of what good songwriting and great musicianship can create. Their sound is a hybrid of strong and muscular roots-rock with prominent 80s British post-punk influences (mostly in the clean guitar tones which are bright and ethereal in the best way possible) and a touch of jangle-pop. Try to figure out a mixture of R.E.M., 16 Horsepower's mystical singing and Echo & The Bunnymen's atmospheric grandeur and you might get a rough idea of what I'm talking about. The record is pretty good, very personal, especially in the rhythmic section, capable of atypical drum patterns along with harmonic bass playing (I believe it's a 5 string bass, on most of the record, or maybe a fretless bass. Anyway it's not a very common style among indie bassists) along with punchy rock bursts.

In an era of scruffy productions, out of key singing and uninteresting hipster phenomena, songs like "True" simply shine.

Bandcamp

A little something for my birthday...

2011-04-25T10:57:00.003+02:00

I turned 23 yesterday. This is "Nosebleed" by Deerhunter, the b-side to the Memory Boy single, now dedicated to my 23 years of nosebleed

Wonky Alice - Atomic Raindance

2011-04-23T09:45:00.008+02:00

Wonky Alice - Atomic Raindance

Impressive album that blends garage-rock, space-rock, shoegaze and jangle-pop without sounding directly related to any of these genres. The songs are incredibly beautiful and also include long instrumental parts without boring jamming, and with cool guitar playing (a strong angular sound à la Barrett is alternated with dreamy, pristine clean guitar sounds) and an undeniable Chameleons influence.

By looking at the titles you can get what this album is about: space.

download

(192 kbps)

Love in Spurts on Twitter

2011-04-23T00:16:00.005+02:00

I just opened a twitter account, my nick is lovespurtingman: http://twitter.com/#!/lovespurtingman

I will only post updates from the blog each time that I post here, so follow me to be updated with the most recent entries.

Here's a beautiful song for you <3

That Uncertain Feeling - Three Singles

2011-04-22T23:40:00.004+02:00

That Uncertain Feeling - Three Singles

These three singles (Brother, On The Edge and Sunriser) plus the overlooked LP 500 | 600 are the entire discography of this outstanding band.

The material is equally distant from shoegaze, madchester and alternative dance, with a touch of dreamy post-punk (Comsat Angels, The Chameleons and even Siouxsie & The Banshees).

Maybe the most beautiful forgotten band ever.

download

(average bitrate: 256 kbps)

Colin Newman - A-Z

2011-04-19T09:13:00.004+02:00

Colin Newman - A-Z

The legendary Colin Newman made this solo debut album in 1980, after Wire broke up. The record is the result of a strong collaboration with producer Mike Thorne, providing loads of studio effect in addition to Newman's minimal post-punk songwriting. The result is a bleak, alienating record, with a colossal sound, shredding distortions and inhuman vocals. I love it just as much as Wire's first three records.

download

(320 kbps)

Magazine - The Correct Use Of Soap

2011-04-14T11:45:00.003+02:00

Magazine - The Correct Use Of Soap

The last album of Magazine's legendary triplet. It's a pop record with good songs, but still has that weird alienating feeling, so don't expect an easy listening pop record.

There's even a cover version of "Thank You" by Sly & The Family Stone, which is of course a million times better than the original.

download

(192 kbps)

Magazine - Secondhand Daylight

2011-04-14T11:23:00.005+02:00

Magazine - Secondhand Daylight

This album was destroyed by the press at the time, because it's basically a progressive-rock/post-punk hybrid and at the time the word "progressive" was a blasphemy. Now that these prejudices have vanished we can easily say that this album is great, and "Permafrost" is perhaps the best song by Magazine, with one of the best guitar solos ever.

download

(320 kbps)

Magazine - Real Life

2011-04-14T10:24:00.003+02:00

Magazine - Real Life

The legendary debut album by Magazine, a classic post-punk record with insane keyboards, bass and guitar playing and influences from punk rock to Roxy Music, from glam riffs to late 70s Iggy Pop.

download

(average bitrate: 192 kbps)

Moose - Sonny & Sam

2011-04-10T13:54:00.003+02:00

Moose - Sonny & Sam

The first singles by Moose gathered together. This 7-tracks anthology shows the shoegaze side of Moose, actually a peculiar version of the genre, with less distortion, a more catchy appeal and loads of hypnotic tremolo. Their style also included 60s pop and country elements, especially in the slow ballads.

download

(256 kbps)

Moose - Honey Bee

2011-04-10T11:11:00.004+02:00

Moose - Honey Bee

Uncommon late shoegaze/psychedelic-rock record: the placid vocals and the absence of precise riffs (they play lush psychedelic pop textures instead) make recognising the songs a quite difficult task. However, I can't resist the lure of these delay filled guitar lines that sound like water drops in an underground frozen lake.

download

(320 kbps)

Moose - ...XYZ

2011-04-09T09:45:00.008+02:00

Moose - ...XYZ

The first album by this peculiar shoegaze band: placid psychedelic rock with gentle vocals, layered arrangements and folk roots. This record is not shoegaze at all, but their shoegaze background is evident in the use of guitar effects and textures, recreating a relaxed and angelic state of mind.

download

(192 kbps)

Jasmine Minks: 3 albums

2011-04-04T17:15:00.007+02:00

The Jasmine Minks were one of the most known bands from Creation Records, but now are quite forgotten, except among indiepop fanatics. Their sound was quite raw but peculiar, with trumpet arrangements, a strong mod revival/power-pop energy (especially in their early material).

These are their first three records...

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 All Good Preachers Go To Heaven (1984)

Mini album, a lot of power pop influences.

The Jasmine Minks (1985)

First proper record, indiepop classic.

Another Age (1988)

More delicate, their maturity album.

download

(192 kbps, the .zip file contains all three albums)

Blossom Toes - If Only For A Moment

2011-04-03T10:15:00.005+02:00

Blossom Toes - If Only For A Moment

The second album of this British psychedelic band shows a different group, that switched from psychedelic pop to bizarre hard rock with huge riffs and proto-progressive rock compositions and rhythms, keeping a distinctive psychedelic inspiration. I liked their debut album much more, though.

download

(256 kbps)

Sonic Youth - Best Of (1990-2009) Re-Release

2011-04-02T13:15:00.003+02:00

I've re-uploaded my Sonic Youth "best of" compilation, with better mp3 quality and better tags.

Here's the link to the post with the new links.

Blossom Toes - We Are Ever So Clean

2011-04-01T12:20:00.004+02:00

Blossom Toes - We Are Ever So Clean

Freaky British psychedelic rock from the late 60s. Not one of my favourite records, but still a great example of psychedelic weirdness and acid-pop creativity. I love their unpredictability and pompous style. Their second album was a much more hard rocking record.

download

(320 kbps)

Siddeleys - Slum Clearance

2011-03-31T14:37:00.006+02:00

Siddeleys - Slum Clearance

Archetypical British female-fronted twee pop band, with some similarities with Talulah Gosh and The Would-Be-Goods.

download

(320 kbps)

The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Chips From The Chocolate Fireball

2011-03-29T17:22:00.005+02:00

The Dukes Of Stratosphear - Chips From The Chocolate Fireball

Ladies and gentlemen, The Dukes of Stratosphear, a.k.a. Xtc in disguise, playing every sort of 60s inspired pop music just for fun and pleasure, and expressing their love for the Sixties (that was still present in many Xtc records of the mid 80s). Garage pop anthems, fat bass lines, organ solos... in most songs Partridge, Moulding and Gregory are unrecognizable, imitating a wide gamma of bands of the psychedelic age (from The Beatles to The Vogues) but there are some exceptions, like the wonderful "Vanishing Girl", where you can feel that Xtc signature songwriting. This album is a compilation (the lp "Psonic Psunspot" + the ep "25 o'clock").

download

(320 kbps)

Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream

2011-03-28T10:04:00.004+02:00

Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream

One of the best British psychedelic-pop of the late 60s. I might exaggerate but I think that the tender singing and the jangly guitar chime anticipate the common 80s indiepop style.

However, the album is outstandingly beautiful, being a compromise with Syd Barrett's mystic and visionary psychedelia, The Zombies' supreme pop craftmanship and The Beatles' immediateness.

download

(320 kbps)

Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream Of Trains

2011-03-28T00:05:00.005+02:00

Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream Of Trains

Although I'm a huge fan of psychedelic pop and '80s neo-psychedelia, I've never loved one of its most famous incarnations, The Soft Boys; I prefer Robyn Hitchcock solo much more. This album is a gem and one of the best songwriter records ever. The songs are mostly acoustic and percussionless, with minimal arrangements and a lot of space left to piano, acoustic guitar, Hitchcock's lead vocals and frequent beautiful backing vocals that give a deep psychedelic and dreamy feeling to the songs. Love the lyrics too, they have a strong ironic verve.

This is a subsequent reissue with some bonus tracks.

download

(192 kbps)

Always - Thames Valley Leather Club

2011-03-27T14:10:00.005+02:00

Always - Thames Valley Leather Club

Another one man band, Always is the monicker of Kevin Wright (a.k.a. Mr. Wright), a talented pop maker with a preference for a more rhythmic, jangly indiepop rather than his label mate King of Luxembourg. However, the classy-yet-extravagant freshness of his él Records colleagues is still present, thanks to his crooning and a general feeling of decadence.

This record is extremely colorful, yet filled with a piercing melancholy. Definitively one of the most intriguing records of the late Eighties.

download

(200 kbps or more)

The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina

2011-03-26T10:02:00.004+01:00

The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina

The manifesto of late 60s American baroque pop: aristocratic pop songs with subtle orchestrations, a touch of British invasion guitar playing and two-voice harmonies. When I first heard it I was blown away by the modernity of the sound and how the songs are so light in terms of arrangements; everything is played with parsimony, yet the sound is so rich.

download

(320 kbps)

The Wonder Stuff - Never Loved Elvis

2011-03-23T18:00:00.006+01:00

The Wonder Stuff - Never Loved Elvis

Early 90s celtic-rock: crazy violin solos, electric guitar squalls and anthemic songs, supported by an incredible energy and sense of 'epos'. Similar bands would be: The Alarm, The Pogues, The Waterboys, Big Country, U2...

download

(about 256 kbps)

McCarthy - Banking, Violence and The Inner Life Today

2011-03-22T11:58:00.008+01:00

McCarthy - Banking, Violence and The Inner Life Today

This is the last album by McCarthy and it features Laetitia Sadier on vocals. The band proceeded in a darker direction, losing part of the ringing guitar sound of the early works and involving electric organs in order to obtain a late 60s dark psychedelic sound. The production is more lush, with rich arrangements and some madchester/alternative dance elements, despite the sadder and more intimate mood; a couple of songs are almost shoegaze!

The vocal melodies have a pronounced psychedelic folk vibe and along with doubled song durations make this record an unique work of art, different from any other album of the c86 scene.

Other albums by McCarthy: I Am A Wallet, A La Guillotine!

download

(192 kbps)

McCarthy - I Am a Wallet

2011-03-22T11:50:00.006+01:00

McCarthy - I Am a Wallet

The first LP by this underrated indiepop band. This record is much better recorded than their first singles (gathered in A La Guillotine!) but keeps that epic feeling. Tim Gane's guitar playing has improved and offers a great 12-string jangle.

This version of the album is a reissue with four additional songs from the single "Well of Loneliness".

Other albums by McCarthy: A La Guillotine!, Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today

download

(320 kbps)

McCarthy - A La Guillotine!

2011-03-22T11:13:00.007+01:00

McCarthy - A La Guillotine!

A la Guillotine! is a compilation album that gathers the first singles by this atypical c86 band.

While most bands of the scene had a pleasant melancholic mood and ironic lyrics, this band (Tim Gane, who will eventually form post-rock band Stereolab, was the guitarist) sung political lyrics and played an anxious and epic jangle-pop with fierce rhythm guitar and fast arpeggios, along with nasal vocals. The sound is quite raw, but the songs are very good. Their later releases increased the pop side of their sound.

Other albums by McCarthy: Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today, I Am A Wallet

download

(bitrate: around 224/256 kbps)

Northern Picture Library - Alaska

2011-03-22T10:41:00.006+01:00

Northern Picture Library - Alaska

Another early '90s Sarah Records release that develops a personal dream-pop style, with ambient and indiepop elements. You can expect samples, dilated guitar textures, rarified vocals, but also a piano song that reminds of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush". A good and rather unique record. This is their only LP.

download

(256 kbps)

Chrysanthemums - Little Flecks of Foam Around Barking

2011-03-21T09:22:00.006+01:00

Chrysanthemums - Little Flecks of Foam Around Barking

Chrysanthemums is the second project of guitarist Alan Jenkins, who was the frontman of a post-punk band called Deep Freeze Mice, a weird band that played a weird lo-fi post-punk (think of a freakish version of The Television Personalities) with some melodic episodes that we might call "proto-indiepop".

Chrysanthemums keep the pop side intact, enhancing harmonies and reducing noise and weirdness: it's a psychedelic indiepop record with a lot of "chorality", pop hooks and even some arabian influences. I think they had some similarities with The Cleaners From Venus' 60s inspired music.

download

(160 kbps)

Aberdeen - What Do I Wish For Now?

2011-03-19T16:39:00.004+01:00

Aberdeen - What Do I Wish For Now?

One of the bands that best embody the second wave of the Sarah Records sound: their indiepop was not naive and catchy like the one of the C86 scene, but was contaminated with dream-pop, shoegaze and had layered guitar textures with a lot of delay and crystal clear, shimmering sounds. If you like bands like Blueboy or Brian, you would probably love them.

download

(average bitrate: 192 kbps)

St. Christopher - Dig Deep, Brother (1984 - 1990)

2011-03-19T15:40:00.002+01:00

St. Cristopher - Dig Deep, Brother (1984 - 1990)

St. Christopher was the project of Glenn Melia, whose music was the quintessence of indiepop, consisting on clean jangly guitars and an intimate atmosphere. Their songwriting was elegant and had a great "classic" feeling, taking inspiration from early indiepop (Orange Juice, Care and C86 bands); I think that their music also had a slight 'dark' vibe.

This anthology includes the singles of the first part of their career.

download

(320 kbps)

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes

2011-03-13T19:01:00.004+01:00

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes

I love Scottish pop, and this is Scottish pop at the n^th power: jangly guitars, fast tempos and most of all brilliant songwriting with a shimmering atmosphere that hides that a kind of slight melancholy that I always fall in love with. This record is perfectly played and produced and features great songs, if you like bands such as The Soft Boys or general British guitar-pop of the early Eighties, you would love this record, even if it's a little more retro-sounding that many contemporary bands.

download

(about 256 kbps)

Blueboy - If Wishes Were Horses

2011-03-10T09:54:00.003+01:00

Blueboy - If Wishes Were Horses

This early 90s indiepop record feature great guitar playing, bossanova and chamber music elements and experimental songs with spoken words rather than traditional singing, along with more traditional guitar pop episodes. It's perfectly produced and it features Field Mice' guitar player, Harvey Williams.

download

(320 kbps)

Biff Bang Pow! - Waterbomb - The Best Of Biff Bang Pow!

2011-02-15T17:54:00.008+01:00

Biff Bang Pow! - Waterbomb - The Best Of Biff Bang Pow!

A great retrospective on one of the most interesting (and unfortunately most overlooked) indiepop bands of the Eighties. Biff Bang Pow! was the project of Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records, guitar player and great singer. His songwriting was capable of both delicate ballads and sparks of violent garage-rock, with an omnipresent 60s aura.

download

(192 kbps)

Earl Brutus - Tonight You Are The Special One

2011-02-14T19:33:00.006+01:00

Earl Brutus - Tonight You Are The Special One

Earl Brutus were a peculiar britpop band that was unnoticed in the late 90s. They played a sick mixture of genres, from aggressive glam rock à la Slade to electronic dance music, including psychedelic pop and '90s industrial rock with lots of samples, screaming synths and violent singing. The "mix everything with everything" mentality is perfectly expressed in tracks like "Edelweiss", that merges proto-Trans Am vocoder-modulated vocals, psychedelic solos, heavy rhythm guitar and dance drums. But we can find everything here, from Primal Scream to The Flaming Lips or Nine Inch Nails, and everything is perfectly played and supported by great songs.

This album is incredibly experimental, but every song is catchy and sometimes even anthemic, it deserved much more appreciation.

download

(224 kbps)

Sp!n - In Motion

2011-02-13T15:28:00.004+01:00

Sp!n - In Motion

Sp!n was one of the many bands that embraced the madchester sound after the first wave of madchester bands. Sp!n were from London and played great psychedelic music with the aggressive attitude that you can expect from a band of this scene. From heavy guitar distortions to 60s psychedelic-pop jewels and Ibiza chilling house music: this record has plenty to offer to any fan of the genre.

download

(bitrate > 256 kbps)

Close Lobsters - What Is There To Smile About

2011-02-09T11:43:00.004+01:00

Close Lobsters - What Is There To Smile About

This six song ep follows the release of Foxheads Stalk This Land, which is possibly the greatest indiepop album ever (or at least of the c86 era). This ep is not as good as it but still a great work, full of juvenile energy, shimmering guitar sounds and with twice the punch of the average indiepop band.

download

(320 kbps)

David Devant and His Spirit Wife - Work, Lovelife, Miscellaneus

2011-02-04T17:41:00.006+01:00

David Devant and His Spirit Wife - Work, Lovelife, Miscellaneus

One of the most fun albums of the Nineties, possibly the definition of Britpop itself: aggressive glam-pop riffs, melancholic autumnal ballads and catchy songwriting. This album contains a huge variety of styles, from glam rock à la Sparks to Blurish refrains, from The Zombies' elegance to instrumental surf guitar intros and have some great songs in it. Like many one hit wonders of the Ninetis it lies forgotten and is waiting for someone to exhume it.

download

(192 kbps)

Comsat Angels - Waiting for a Miracle

2011-01-31T20:10:00.006+01:00

Comsat Angels - Waiting for a Miracle

The first album by The Comsat Angels is one of the finest examples of pure psychedelic post-punk. Despite the starkness of the mix, the album is very elaborated on the rhythmic side, with lots of typical clean new wave rhythm guitar and cool bass and keyboard playing, giving an overall sense of nervousness and desolation that blends with a touch of 60s psychedelic rock. The album has also a pop side, with some catchy refrains and some frantic tracks that can remind you more melodic bands of the same age, such as early Xtc, Devo or The Police.

Their sound became more layered and drowned in digital effects in the subsequent Sleep No More.

My Mind's Eye is their venture in shoegaze territories, following the steps of their disciples Catherine Wheel, Curve and Swervedriver.

download

(320 kbps)

Comsat Angels - Sleep No More

2011-01-31T17:27:00.006+01:00

Comsat Angels - Sleep No More

This is the second album by this early Eighties post-punk band. It sounds incredibly spacey and haunting, with huge drums filled with reverb and echoing distorted guitars (some passages are nearly shoegaze/dream pop). The songs are perfect too, a projection of melancholy, romantic disillusion and apocalyptic emotional breakdown.

You might also want to try their wonderful debut album, Waiting for a Miracle.

The band resurrected in the early Nineties with the album My Mind's Eye.

download

(192 kbps)

V. A. - Shoegaze Sampler Vol. 2

2011-01-20T11:51:00.006+01:00

V. A. - Shoegaze Sampler Vol. 2

The first volume of the sampler was about classic "standard" shoegaze, this second volume includes artists of the last 20 years that have added new elements to the genre. Dance, madchester, britpop, acid house, space rock, dub... contaminated shoegaze at its best.

Tracklist:

1. Sun Dial - Reflecter

2. The Boo Radleys - I Hang Suspended

3. Serena Maneesh - I Just Want To See Your Face

4. Moose - Little Bird (Are You Happy In Your Cage)?

5. Blur - Slow Down

6. That Uncertain Feeling - On The Edge

7. Thousand Yard Stare - Comuppance

8. Pale Saints - Half-Life, Remembered

9. M83 - Graveyard Girl

10. Curve - Clipped

11. Gravenhurst - Hollow Man

12. Catherine Wheel - The Nude

13. Chapterhouse - Falling Down

14. Ride - Vapour Trail

15. My Bloody Valentine - Soon

16. Verve - Slide Away

download

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

V. A. - Shoegaze Sampler Vol. 1

2011-01-20T11:28:00.007+01:00

V. A. - Shoegaze Sampler Vol. 1

Another self-made compilation: this time I've chosen 16 shoegaze songs that I love, some of them are classics, other are overlooked jewels. Hope you like it and that it might be helpful to venture in one of my favourite genres. The first volume is about classic early 90s shoegaze, so expect walls of distortion, feedback and heavenly melodies, but there will be a volume 2 based on the further developments of the genre.

Tracklist:

1. Ride - Beneath

2. The Telescopes - High On Fire

3. Revolver - Red All Over

4. Blind Mr. Jones - Regular Disease

5. My Bloody Valentine - Cupid Come

6. Slowdive - When The Sun Hits

7. Pale Saints - Time Thief

8. Adorable - Sunshine Smile

9. The Rosemarys - Spaceman

10. Swervedriver - Rave Down

11. Slowdive - Alison

12. Lilys - Tone Bender

13. Whipping Boy - Safari

14. The House of Love - Shine On

15. Ride - Decay

16. Kitchens of Distinction - Drive That Fast

download

(bitrate > 192 kbps)

Various Artists - Children of the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era 1976-1996

2011-01-12T13:50:00.008+01:00

Various Artists - Children of the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era 1976-1996

This is a 4 cd compilation with loads of songs from the so called "neo psychedelic" era. The compilation includes many different genres and styles, from American garage-rock revival (The Lyres) to psychedelic new wave (Julian Cope) to British indiepop (early Primal Scream), to power pop (The Posies) to Australian psychedelic pop (The Stems) and paisley underground (The Three O'Clock). This compilation has its ups and downs, but mostly because its range is so wide that you can't possibly love every song in it (for example I'm not a big fan of bands such as The Fuzztones). However it's very useful to discover new bands and genres, so it's highly recommended to anyone that loves psychedelic rock revival.

download

(256 kbps)

CD 1

CD 2

CD 3

CD 4

V. A. - It Won't Always Be The Same

2011-01-10T13:16:00.005+01:00

V. A. - It Won't Always Be The Same

(Psychedelic pop wonders from the Sixties)

The title says it all: some wonderful psych-pop songs from the Sixties. I discovered some of them because they have been played my more recent artists (like Julian Cope), or because they are cover versions of songs I already know (like Harpers Bizarre); others are just timeless classics. I purposely chose songs with less electric guitar playing and more backing vocals, strings, etc.

Hope you like it, maybe one day I'll make a "volume II"...

Tracklist:

1. The Moonkees - Valleri

2. Eternity's Children - Flowers

3. The Association - Windy

4. Millennium - It Won't Always Be The Same

5. The Rolling Stones - Cool, Calm & Collected

6. The Free Design - Make The Madness Stop

7. The Buffoons - Tomorrow Is Another Day

8. Pink Floyd - See Emily Play

9. Harpers Bizarre - 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

10. Sagittarius - My World Fell Down

11. Donovan - Legend of a Girl Child Linda

12. The Left Banke - Let Go of You Girl

13. The Walker Brothers - Make it Easy on Yourself

14. The Zombies - I Want Her She Wants Me

15. The Kinks - Australia

16. The Vogues - Five O'Clock World

17. The Beatles - Every Little Thing

18. Simon & Garfunkel - I Am a Rock

19. The Who - I Can See For Miles

download

(192 kbps - or more)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-31T16:08:00.001+01:00

A happy shoegazing Christmas to everybody!

The Servants - Reserved

2010-12-29T10:33:00.003+01:00

The Servants - Reserved

It's been a while since I posted something about classic indiepop. Actually, I'm not a fan of this band, in facts I don't like most of the songs from this compilation, but some of them (the ones from "The Sun A Small Star" ep) are true gems.

download

(320 kbps)

The Dentists - Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over Now

2010-12-24T22:20:00.008+01:00

The Dentists - Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now

Great psychedelic-pop from the era of C86. This record sound very angular with sharp yet jangly guitar riffs and a strong post-punk influence, despite some sweeter indiepop songs and typical beatlesesque vocal harmonies, along with a punchy garage rock attitude.

download

(320 kbps)

The Afternoons - The Days We Found In The Sun

2010-12-19T13:31:00.005+01:00

The Afternoons - The Days We Found In The Sun

This record recreates the magic of The Zombies' 1968 masterpiece "Odissey and Oracle" and its fusion of baroque architectures and mild psychedelic harmonies. Although, "The Days We Found In The Sun" is a 2001 release, so it's more rock-oriented, with a relevant electric guitar presence that places it in a position between orchestral indiepop and britpop/glam guitar riffs. Its atmosphere, delicate arrangements (harpsichord, piano, flute, strings...) and melodical jewels make it a great record, perfect for melancholic early Springtime days.

download

(192 kbps)

Be Right Back

2010-12-05T23:14:00.003+01:00

I've been very busy in the last weeks so I haven't posted anything, but don't worry I'll be back soon with some good music.

The Connells - Boylan Heights

2010-11-15T13:27:00.002+01:00

The Connells - Boylan Heights

The Connells' second album is the sum of many things that I love about music: it's an American folk-rock album with British influences (from post-punk à la Banshees, Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen to late 60s/early 70s British folk). The sound is amazing, with crunchy and angular electric riffs along with jangly Rickenbacker arpeggios and celtic acoustic arrangements and so is the atmosphere, so vivid but melancholic, meditative... it feels like running through open spaces and breathing fresh clean air. The album has a slight college rock influence (mostly early R.E.M.), but it's well played and recorded, with a great rhythmic emphasis; its balance between the Eighties and the psychedelic-pop side of the Sixties makes it a rather unique piece in its time, and it's not dated at all. Simply one of the best collection of songs ever made.

download

(256 kbps)

Cleaners from Venus - Living With Victoria Grey

2010-10-26T18:26:00.004+02:00

Cleaners from Venus - Living With Victoria Grey

One of the most popular records of Martin Newell's brilliant career, Living With Victoria Grey is a shiny lo-fi jangle-pop jewel. It was released on cassette, so the sound is not amazing, but the songs are wonderful; psychedelic-pop lovers will adore this record. Sampled spoken parts between songs help recreating that home-made atmosphere.

download

(192 kbps)

The Three O'Clock: three albums

2010-10-15T09:02:00.008+02:00

Baroque Hoedown

Their debut ep as The Three O'Clock is an accurate power-pop record with more than just some psychedelic rock influences. Nice companion to their first album.

download

(320 kbps)

Arrive Without Travelling

Similar to their debut album Sixteen Tambourines, but with heavier production and "boosted" guitar riffs. Very cool records with amazing songs and catchy melodies; it reminds me of Prince.

download

(192 kbps)

Ever After

This album is even more produced and polished, because of a change of producer (Ian Broudie produced it), it's a pure pop record with some 60s psych-pop traces and it's just another great record, the massive production haven't damaged their ability to write great catchy songs. The follow-up to this record was a little disappointing but still nice.

download

(192 kbps)

Spearmint - A Week Away

2010-10-12T15:40:00.004+02:00

Spearmint - A Week Away

Very cool indiepop record, full of edgy guitar riffs and with some vintage discomusic elements (it's very eclectic though, there are also background vocals, samples, recited lines...) that sounds very ahead of its release year, 1999. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I love its "Springtime" atmosphere that remains in a limbo between joy and melancholy, typical of indiepop music. Think of a merge of Aztec Camera and Pulp and you can figure out what this great album can offer.

download

(320 kbps)

Brotherhood of Lizards - Lizardland

2010-10-11T15:56:00.004+02:00

Brotherhood of Lizards - Lizardland

This band is a project of The Cleaners From Venus' singer Martin Newell, and this album is great. It's a collection of good psychedelic pop that embodies the best elements of the early/mid 80s neo-psychedelia: jangly guitars, 60s harmonies, upbeat melodies à la Xtc/Dukes of Stratosphear with a subtle melancholy, typical Eighties and British sounds... If you like those things and are used to well-written pop songs, then you'll probably like this band.

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(320 kbps)