Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch that there are a lot who know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mysterydate101110.mp3|titles=mysterydate101110]Today’s Mystery Date is brought to you by Townswoman ladymisskirroyale!
I totally own and love this as does my 16 yo son. I am going to exercise the mockcarr option.
Let it be said that you, sammymaudlin, are COOL. Let it be said that everyone else, so far, is CHICKEN! Lay your stones on the table and tell us how you feel about this number!
I don’t think I know what this is. I’d guess that it sounds Tortoise/Stereolabish, but those bands are not usually so guitarcentric.
BigSteve has presented his stones. Thank you.
Fascination with guitar arpeggios and psychedelic sound effects, lots of time to stretch out and not comfortable with vocals. We get a lot of well known band members side projects on these Mystery Dates so someone like Kimberely Rew or the guitarists from similar sounding groups like the Blue Aeroplanes or the Wedding Present?
Somehow I’m reminded of “Poptones.” Could it be legendary RTH non-interviewee Keith Levine?
Good guesses/first impressions, k. and KingEd, but you’re not warm.
Quite enjoyable. I realize that the players are clearly not playing like Moon, Entwistle, and Townshend, but this tune, especially when it breaks away from the main guitar theme, puts me into the mood of something that could be on Tommy.
This track is atypical in that there are no vocals.
Yes, nice arpeggios k, but I lost interest quickly once the “wind sweeping across the frozen tundra” noises appeared. I would venture to say the guitar is “post-Marr”. This will be the first and only time someone utters that ridiculous term.
Oh, you may have opened a can of worms, cliff.
It sounds like something from England circa 1968-1970.
cdm, you are reading my mind.
Badfinger? The Hollies?
I say that because it sounds like something George Harrison might do but not as good!
just testing
It does have that 1968-1970 feel; I sense some San Francisco psych for sure, except that the guitar playing is much more fluid than that and the basic riff is much more from a pop world than from an acid world. The production seems a little too crisp to be vintage…it sounds more like a really good recreation of that era than a genuine artifact. It’s not over-the-top enough to be Bevis Frond, so I’m guessing it’s something more obscure than that. Whatever it is, I like it a lot.
Bevis Frond is a good comparison, pudman13. Keep your comments/impressions coming. Our Mystery Date will be revealed around lunchtime.