The Age of Information

Might as well do the weekend in one go – all these were perfect for a sunny city morning, where I was on my way to the cricket:

DJ Quik and Kurupt (including 9x’s outta 10 twice in a row)

Katy B – On a Mission (LP)

Purling Hiss – Run From The City

Michael Hurley – I Paint A Design

Candi Staton – I’d Rather Be An Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than A Young Man’s Fool)

DJ Quik and Kurupt – Hey Playa! (Moroccan Blues)

Can – Future Days

Shade Sheist – Where I Wanna Be

Zac Brown Band – Toes

The next day, was going to see a friend in the countryside, and did a cd of non-spotify tracks I’ve been listening to and I thought he should hear as well. This obviously involved listening to the tracks and deciding which ones I wanted to put on the cd:

Ms. Dynamite Feat. Chink Santana – She Don’t Live Here Anymore

MellowHype – Fuck the Police (ft. Tyler, The Creator)

Waka Flocka Flame – Hard In Da Paint

Nicki Minaj – keys under palm trees

Lady Leshurr – Shurr

K. Michelle – Hit ‘Em In The Mouth

Swindle – No More (Feat. Nadia Suliman)

Devin the Dude – R & B

E-40 Feat. Clyde Carson & Husalah – Lightweight Jammin’

Waka Flocka Flame – Snake In The Grass Ft. Cartier

Tyler The Creator – Bastard

Christina Aguilera – Woohoo (feat. Nicki Minaj)

Frank Ocean – novacane

Ms. Dynamite Feat. Chink Santana – She Don’t Live Here Anymore

Big Boi, Khujo Goodie & T.I. – Tangerine

Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty

Amerie – 1 Thing

8Ball & MJG – Armed Robbery

Gucci Mane – Vampires

Nicki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy

Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty

Frank Ocean – strawberry swing

Lil B – The Age Of Information

CRU – Loungin’ Wit My Cru

A couple of these were on a mixtape from a tumblr.

While at friend’s aside from sitting around listening to music on his new system (Soul Syndicate, Katy B, Laura Marling, Prince Buster inter alia, iirc) we talked about how things like spotify and the internet have changed how we listen to music, and how it took a while to get used to the new tools of music discovery and find the blogs, forums and internet radio stations that allowed us to listen to as much music and enjoy it as much as we did when we were teenagers.

Friday Afternoon

Half day at work, cos I’ve got to go to the doctor’s in the afternoon. Cycle back. Cycling is when I feel happiest at the moment, but it’s not good for reading or listening to music, its one downside.

Haven’t got much time, so I whack spotify on random selection from all my playlists

Musical Intimidator – Revolution – Version

Television – See No Evil

Layton & Johnstone – Here I Am, Heartbroken

Mark Lanegan – You Won’t Let Me Down Again

Forest Swords – Visits

Actress – Hubble

Club 8 – Like me

Traband – Nad Koločavou / Above Kolochava

Studio – Out There

Starlito – What Was I Thinkin

Mobb Deep – (Just Step Prelude)

It reminds me that I keep meaning to listen properly to the Traband album, which whenever I’ve played it has sounded… well, interesting at least. Using music as background stuff is something I’ve vowed to do less tho, want to actually sit down and listen to more albums, like I did when I was younger. This is a hangover of an attachment to tapes and records I suspect. Often asking myself whether this represents a psychological boundary for me – my formative music listening period defining how I best appreciate music for the rest of my life, or whether consistent and habitual listening in a different manner, more suited to the download era, will ever be as rewarding for me.

Later on the way to the park listen to Jeru the Damaja – The Sun Rises in the East. was just intending to listen to a couple of tracks, but end up listening to most of it; each song refuses to be turned off.

Katy B – On a  Mission in the park. Fall asleep to it, and so hit that lovely sweet spot where you’re halfway between listening consciousness and oblivion. Probably some of my best musical listening experiences have come at this point. Everything about the music seems so lucid, and at that point, it is unhindered by anything else.

Get back home and am listening to the new Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck, again probably an ILM thing. I struggle with them slightly, and the whole thing seems slightly undercooked, but I want to like it, so I’ll probably put it on my iphone and wait for the right mood.

Woke up this morning, with hair like Brian May

Listening to Fujiya and Miyagi album yesterday made me think ‘poor man’s Can’. Put on Can – Future Days this morning as a great introduction to the day. Then Snoop Doggy Dogg – The Shizznit, a song I listened to 35 times in one week a couple of weeks ago, then Shade Sheist – Where I Want to Be.

Get into work and the Sky Sports News theme is blaring out from a TV. It sounds like the theme to an impending nuclear war and is perfect for the dreary hysteria that characterises the programme.

Listening like a sheep shits…

…at random and everywhere

Rather vaguely linking themes from yesterday – so PJ Harvey,  + Blood and Fire and The Four Lads, which feature on her album, read a bit about Mickey Newbury on ILM, who I knew nothing about, hence the Kenny Rogers. Was thinking of going to the Night Slugs evening, hence Girl Unit and Bok Bok and lay in the park listening to Katy B and PJ Harvey. All either on iphone or computer w’ headphones.

That Lark in the Morning song I’ve known since I was a nipper, and The Imagined Village version is one my that in no wise destroys the bucolic place the song finds in my heart. Again, an audience of selves.

The Imagined Village – The Lark In The Morning

The Four Lads – Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Niney the Observer – Blood & Fire

Country Joe McDonald – Tear Down The Walls

Kenny Rogers – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)

Zac Brown Band – Whatever it is

Zac Brown Band – Toes

Girl Unit – Wut

Bok Bok – dance report

Bob Dylan – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

Bob Dylan – Visions Of Johanna

Chuck Berry – My Ding-A-Ling

Palace – No Gold Digger

John Phillips – Topanga Canyon

Palace – The Weaker Soldier

New Order – Mr. Disco

New Order – Run

Phantom & Ghost – Perfect Lovers (Unperfect Love Mix by Tobias Thomas & Superpitcher)

Katy B – Katy On A Mission

Katy B – Movement

PJ Harvey – All & Everyone

PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder

PJ Harvey – The Glorious Land

PJ Harvey – The Last Living Rose

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Riddim, come fo’rard

There are some songs that seem to be on a permanently playing subliminal jukebox in my head. Theme from Peter Gunn, Tale of the Lonesome Pine, and any of three versions of Keith & Tex - Stop that Train. This is what I wake up with in my head so think about which version I want to put on.

Wd usually go for Big Youth’s toasting on Cool Breeze, and after that Scotty – Draw Your Brakes, but go for the original on itunes this morning.