Dec 012009
Before the year is up I plan on running all of the Hear Factor, deux contributions that I received way back when. Here’s a contribution from a Friend of a Townsman… That’s right, even a would-be Townsman wants to play along, so why don’t you show him how it works and see if our efforts can’t encourage this blogger in his own write to simply put in some time with us directly? We don’t bite, at least not to the point where we’re breaking skin. Thanks, Friend of a Townsman!
No-Name Movie Soundtrack (~57 MB)
I like the second song the best but this illustrates my fundamental problem with a lot of Indie rock. It’s all pleasant enough, but it all kind of blends together. No real distinguishing characteristics.
Of course, my friend (I think it was my friend who put this together), might have the same criticism if I were to make him a mix of 60’s Stax sides.
Wow… I must chime in (a bit late I might add) as this was my mix. I can’t actually remember what I was thinking while making this mix. I did enjoy the buildup of the first few songs and the theme of it all seems to mesh. I did take songs from groups I enjoyed at that time, and seemed to pull the lesser-known ones forward.
If I were to go for more character on this mix, what would be needed? You have your hippies, Beatles-sound alikes and modern indie rock. Not too many keyboards here which is a bit disheartening,but what could I have done better?
Townsman specialslacks – Townsman (sounds good, doesn’t it?) – thanks for jumping in, and thanks again for submitting this mix. I like this mix. Not a lot jumps out and grabs me by the throat, but I’ve had a really busy week in work and this has been interesting, cerebral music to work to.
The only song I know and already own is the track from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. That’s probably one of the only songs I like from that overlong, underimagined album beside “Sister Surround” and the opening track. It reminds me of something a glam band would do.
A couple other tracks sound like the less-annoying songs from the Spoon albums I’ve tried over the years, even less annoying than the least-annoying Spoon songs because they don’t have that singer. For some reason that guy and his style bug the crap out of me, and it’s a shame, because I generally like the components of the music he writes.
The opening song and another one remind me a bit of something A.C. Newman would do (yeah, Carl Newman – why he has to be “A.C.” for his solo albums is a grand an indictment on indie rock as there is). I must say that I prefer Newman’s solo takes on ELO over his attempts at making that sound work within New Pornographers, but I prefer his work with Zumpano over all other works I’ve heard involving him.
A lot of these songs have that weird, slightly coked-out 1979 vibe of established, mainstream artists who were getting their art rock-based New Wave thing on: Robert Palmer, right before he became insufferable; Hall & Oates as Hall started hanging with Robert Fripp et al; Peter Gabriel’s first two solo albums, right before that Lloyd Dobler (sp?) guy almost ruined that teen love movie from the early ’80s by raising his boom box to win back Ione Skye’s heart with that horrible Gabriel song – while wearing a Clash shirt under a friggin’ longcoat, for crying out loud!
Seriously, though, ‘slacks, this mix has served me well and will likely continue to be spun, maybe even making it into the late-night, long car ride rotation.
That first track has a lot going on! I wondered if it was “Field Music.” And I love Spoon.