‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’ and other accidental Found Sound greats!

To begin with, the numbers are anything but coherent, the stations revealing no purpose to their origin or reason and thus consequentially blowing out of the water the hypothesis that shipping or weather forecasts are responsible...

Soon the world will know only digital. Music, Film, Television, Radio; all are falling to the charms of crisp digitised audio and crystal clear pixilation.

In fact I’m pretty sure that if they found a way they’d have us all eating digitised cereal (providing a sharper, clearer taste than those analogue brands) before going to work in High Definition Cars, arriving at work before the chime of an alarm that had none of the fuzzy lo-fi ambiance its predecessor did.

And yet, hidden to all but the most devoted of short wave radio enthusiasts are stations that will most likely stay analogue well past the switch over date; their timing following a strict pattern while their contents variations all follow the same theme that has been ongoing since the cold war at least. This ‘theme’ is probably best described through the most famous of these stations, ‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’, in which its brief broadcast plays the opening of the old English folk ditty repetitively before beginning a seemingly random sequence of numbers, the computerised female voice adding to the stations mystery and surreal nature. And then, as quickly as the broadcast begins, ‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’ returns to its opening composition before disappearing back into the mist of shortwave static. The phenomena on which I write is the covert world of ‘Number Stations’; low frequency radio stations that emit strings of numbers in various languages, across the globe. With so much noise present in the atmosphere from other signals it can be somewhat of a chore even to find these stations, and yet they have been broadcasting for at least four decades. But who is responsible for these broadcasts and why? And what do the numbers actually correspond to?

To begin with, the numbers are anything but coherent, the stations revealing no purpose to their origin or reason and thus consequentially blowing out of the water the hypothesis that shipping or weather forecasts are responsible. So too is the claim of a hoax kyboshed, as the perpetrator would now have been working on the gag for at least forty years and to say the joke had become old would be an understatement, not to mention that the stations in question operate illegally.

Other more plausible explanations stand better to the scrutinising eye, the first being that the broadcasts are used to send coded messages to drug smuggling organisations but the second (and the most highly regarded) is that Numbers Stations are clandestine codes sent from countries around the world to their operatives in other countries. An exclusive code given to the operatives on time of departure would mean that the incomprehensible to the unenlightened listener would make perfect sense to the intended receptacle.

While it may sound far fetched that operatives, spies if you will, would be using such a device for communication (let alone gallivant around the world a la ‘James Bond’) it’s worth baring in mind that to date, most world governments will neither confirm nor deny the existence of these stations while the frequency of said stations have been increasing since the nineties. In addition to this The USA prosecuted five Cubans for spying after successfully decoding hidden messages broadcast from a Cuban Numbers Station.

Whatever their true purpose, Numbers Stations make for an eerie, bewildering experience and can be defined as some of the most surreal Found Sound imaginable.

The appeal and enigmatic ambiance of Numbers Stations has lead to several forum groups, a Radio 4 documentary and, perhaps most importantly, a four disc archive, collated and produced by Akin Fernandez under the moniker The Conet Project.

Released on the UK Irdial-Discs label back in 1997, Conet Project’s collection of broadcasts is a marvel to behold and must have been laborious to pull off, if indeed a little spooky for the curators as, essentially, they were preparing to make public, broadcasts not meant for mass consumption. And consume they did: since its release Conet Project samples have been used everywhere, both in music (appearing in albums by artists as varied as Boards of Canada, Pigface & Wilco) as well as cinema (Cameron Crowe’s ‘Vanilla Sky’). Even David Scott Stone (Melvins, The Locust) and Mike Patton claim to be fans of the project.

It’s easy to see the appeal The Conet Project holds over people, from the very first track the lo-fi crackle combined with the disembodied computerised voice makes for bizarre listening and while certain broadcasts may stand out from the rest due to their pre-existing fame (such as ‘The Lincolnshire Poacher’ or ‘The Swedish Rhapsody’), it really is as a whole that this collection should be approached. While it’s been over ten years since its initial release, Irdial-Discs have magnanimously made this release completely free and even go as far as to actively encourage file sharing.

Be you an anorak shortwave aficionado or a DJ looking for some quirky samples, a director looking for eerie background noise or just a fan of everything spy related, it would be a shame not to take Irdial-Discs up on their generous request and delve, free of charge into the murky world of Number Stations. Wondering what it all means will confound you, but wondering who they were intended for will keep you up at night.

For a free copy of The Conet Project got to:

http://www.archive.org/details/ird059

- Michael Byrne

Artists to Watch in 2009 and Why

Kristen Cudmore’s Artists To Watch list for 2009....

1. Digitalism (Kitsune/Virgin)

   Kraut dance electro rockers Digitalism have made a slew of songs that will turn a retirement home into an adrenaline psyched dance party, they are widely known in Europe and other parts of the globe but North America needs pick-me-up

2. Fol Chen (Asthmatic Kitty)

   The newest addition to AK Records and a complete surprise, they are wacky like Of Montreal but completely different. Cascading electrolytes, voices, instruments and glory I will patiently await their debut release in winter 09. I am sure Fol Chen will be splashed across the continent as it’s the most becoming music I have heard yet.

3. Great Aunt Ida (Independent)

   Ida Nilsen carry’s the most beautifully crafted melodies in Canada. Her voice is my absolute favorite voice I have ever heard. She plays with mystique but is completely unassuming. Her talent is outstanding and her songs just the same. Match that with a collection of Canada’s finest instrumentalists in this realm.

4. Pinback (Touch and Go)

   A vortex of vocals and the counterpoint of their instrumental parts, melodies and harmonies feel like a free fall. These guys are pretty well known but to bring awareness to people who haven’t yet indulged, have a listen. Autumn of the Seraphs is their latest release in 2007 so they’re due to release another masterpiece which should not fall under the radar.

5. Aesop Rock (Definitive Jux)

   Underground hip hop at its finest and like I mentioned with Pinback, he’s due to release another record since his latest is also from 2007 as well. Aesop Rock produces a torrent thought provoking lyrics over high fashion production and entrancing tunes. His latest release should have been on the best of 2007 list, if one were made!

6. Hylozoists (Outside)

   Toronto and Halifax ex-pats devastate classical music with their off the cuff abstractions using percussion and strings to interlace complex song-pieces. This overly-competent group makes obscure time signature chaos and experimental melodic obstructions and it makes me an admirer.

7. Hawaiian Bibles (Independent)

   These guys deserve a ton of credit for their ability to create the catchiest of catchy multi-task-alternative-garage rock. Every time I have seen them I came home with a sore neck. If you easily get riled up then watch out because this duo (bass and drums/keys) play most-relentlessly and have become an obsession of mine. I am pretty sure they just threw a new member into the mix and are working on a new full length too so there are many big reasons to watch HB in 2009.

8. French Miami (Independent)

   This is nostalgic post punk that has a few very distinguished hooks and vigor. The group just released an album but you’ll probably hear about well into 2009.

9. Jane Vain & The Dark Matter! (Rectangle)

   Rising stars Jane Vain & The Dark Matter! have combined folk rock and electro pop to make a trendy eddy of layers, vocals, strings, and a touch of electronic. I like their miniature counter-melodies that make you move in a swaying motion. I can easily see them representing Canada’s independent music scene.

10. The Long Lost (Ninja Tune)

    Classy down tempo acoustic lounge music is The Long Lost’s specialty. It’s appealing to all sorts of listeners and they deserve a mound of credit for creating this beautiful and whimsical construction.

There you have it! A complete list of music to live by from 2008 to 2009. Happy New Year and keep reading for specific album reviews for 2009 releases in our issues to come!.

- Kristen Cudmore

Left Hip Magazine Celebrates 2008!

This year the bar has been set a little higher. After touring Canada and attending many many shows I have to say with confidence that this was a tough poll to compile. Many acts are really building sounds that are so dangerously indescribable that I almost fear what I will say will be not the best aid follow when taking a first listen but for those of you who have heard some of these artists, I hope you will agree that they deserve to be on Left Hip’s Best of 2008’s Poll.

1. Granpall Jookabox “Ropechain” (Asthmatic Kitty)

   Building a repeating element then let the forest grow around it, but not quite so. The sounds are crafted to fit in every nook and hook into that brain of yours, like science or something but completely impractically lovable.

2. Stereolab “Chemical Chords” (4AD)

   They won’t quit and why should they? Stereolab have created a whim of psychedelic post-bossa in a European Outfit which takes materials from the 60’s and makes it magical to date.

3. The Sea and Cake “Car Alarm” (Thrill Jockey)

   This is sophisticated chamber jazz / art pop or the most stylish jitter rock you can experience. They blow both socks and tops off.

4. Plants and Animals “Parc Avenue” (Secret City)

   Three people are making all of that music and it astonishes me. They can sedate you, trap you and they can make you go fanatical all in one set. If Faerie Dance can’t get you totally enthralled I don’t know what will.

5. Woodhands “Heart Attack” (Paper Bag)

   Dance dance dance dance sweat in your pits and in your pants. There are 2 parts: 1= Analog synthesizers/ keytar player/ singer (all one person) and 2= A Fanatical drummer / singer (a man who can sing in falsetto as if he were a she). If you haven’t been to a live show you haven’t really lived.

6. Mother Mother “O My Heart” (Last Gang)

   Charting at number 1 for the past few months on earshot! shouldn’t be a surprise. They’re quality musicians, who have epicure songwriting abilities and a stream of melodies to snack on. This band will continue to do well and I predict they will become big big stars.

7. Ratatat “LP3” XL

   An instrumental nuance that fits in anywhere. Ratatat continues to subject sounds to us that we haven’t heard together before. Everything they have created is nothing short of brilliant. Picture an electric salad and all you want to be is the dressing.

8. Of Montreal “Skeletal Lamping” (Polyvinyl)

   Bizarre, strange, peculiar, odd, way out, different, weird, poles apart, crazy, extreme, wild, outrageous, wacky… and totally fascinating.

9. Why? “Alopecia” (Anticon)

   Stream of consciousness lyrics lie over top of theatrical instrumentals which create a sense of wonder.

10. Subtle - “Exiting Arm” (Lex)

    Aggressive production and trashing moods crash into each other to create a blast of energy and need.

- Kristen Cudmore

The Source - The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and the Source Family

Review of Isis Aquarian's extraordinary book and CD chronicling the life and times of Jim Baker aka Father Yod, aka Yahowha and his Source Family commune, restaurant and psychedelic band in early 70's Los Angeles.

I've been a fan of the Source family story for many years, since discovering their 13-CD box set God and Hair on Captain Trip Records. But I never really knew all that much about the group or their spiritual father, Yahowha also known as Father Yod, Jim Baker and many other names. When I discovered that Isis Aquarian had finally written and compiled a full-length book chronicling the LA communes' story, my interest was piqued.

For those unfamiliar with the group, let me start with a brief recap. Jim Baker was originally a decorated marine and Judo champion who left his first left behind to head for LA and a tryout for the movie role of Tarzan. Not getting the part, we went on to join LA's proto-hippie group The Nature Boys and later went on to start a number of very successful health food restaurants, allegedly funded by bank robberies.

Thanks to his success as a restauraunter, Baker became something of a local celebrity in LA. Along the way he killed a few people with Judo in self-defense and was forced to register his hands as lethal weapons. He eventually took up with the Sikh guru Yogi Bhagan. Baker's last restaurant was The Source. This healthy haunt was the toast of the town amongst the in-crowd and regularly served food to a who's who of Hollywood notables including regular diner John Lennon. The restaurant also featured in Annie Hall's breakup scene.

Although staffed and frequented by hippies, The Source was uncharacteristically clean and profitable - it was featured in Time Magazine as the most profitable restaurant in the country per square foot. It was a profitable venture! At one point Baker licensed their famous salad dressing to a manufacturer, and the dressing is actually still on the market to this day under the name Cardini's Lemon Herb dressing.

Baker's devotion to his guru Yogi Bhagan led him to start Sunday meditation classes at The Source. These wildly popular classes eventually blossomed into a Source-funded commune based out of a few mansion in the Hollywood Hills. Father Yod was born, leader to a group of spiritual 'children' around 160 in number.

This was no ordinary monastic group, though. The group was young and beautiful, lived and dressed in style. Father himself drove a Rolls-Royce and often threw off his robes in favor of a slick tailor-made white suit. 'Sacred herb', 'sacred snow' and 'sacred mushrooms' flowed relatively freely. Sex, albeit of the Tantric variety, was central to the group - Bhagan eventually noted that Father was stuck in the root chakra - and Father himself took many wives and consorts, most old enough to be his grandchildren. Wild times!

The spiritual path that the Source family followed was Father's unique synthesis of the Eastern teachings he'd learned from Yogi Bhagan along with occult teachings of Manley P. Hall, a health dose of Crowleyian thelemic magic, neo-Egyptian occultism - an everything but the kitchen sink approach that apparently served the group well. A goddess-centered group, Father placed women at the highest level within the group and created a council of women to confer with on matters of group importance.

The Source family not surprisingly was home to many talented musicians, which led Father towards the formation of a number of first rate psyche and psyche-folk groups. Searing psyche lead guitars wove their way around Yod's inspired improv vocals creating a magical music that holds up to this day. That wealth of music, originally released on vanity vinyl and sold through The Source, led to the aforementioned 13-CD box set which came into existence thanks to Sky Saxon, who himself was an on-again off-again member of the Source Family. Much more music than was there released was originally recorded , much of it lost, though some other albums have been subsequently released.

Like most communes, The Source eventually got a little too far-out for its own good: diseases went untreated by conventional medicine and the group drew attention to itself; Father chose many names for himself over the years - Yod, Yahowha, Yahowhaho - and had all of the group members legally change their first names to specially chosen names and their last names to Aquarian; Yod began to have visions of a coming apocalypse and moved the group from the safe haven of LA to a very unwelcoming Hawaii. From there the group began to slowly unravel and many subsequent moves were undertaken in search of a new home - San Francisco, back to Hawaii, then an epic worldwide journey through Egypt, Nepal, etc. Finally Father died in a hang-gliding accident in Hawaii and the group slowly fell apart, not to be heard from again until the 21st century, when a resurgence of interest in the group was caused by the God and Hair box.

The Source book tells the whole story in excellent detail - from Baker's pre-commune background, to the Commune's founding and salad days, eventual downfall and picking up the pieces in recent years. Narrated by Isis Aquarian, with contributions from group members sharing their takes and stories, the book successfully manages to show all sides of the story from utterly devout to critical in retrospect. But the larger story painted from both insiders and outsiders, surprisingly, is of a very successful, peaceful group that contributed to society and their own education as people and spiritual seekers. A group that looks back with love on their Source days. And of a leader that had unquestionable charisma, seemingly noble intentions, held women in the highest regard, and a measure of spiritual greatness.

The book is illustrated with menus, religious decrees from Yod himself and a wealth of full-color and black-and-white photos that show off the stunning beauty and unabashed sexiness of the Source ladies with their low-cut robes and long luscious legs. One gets a sense of the uniquely wealth living quarters and the magic of the era.

Included is a wonderful CD of various unreleased audio delights including chanting, radio interviews, live performances and a healthy dose of Yahowha himself. As good a collection as this is, it's no replacement for the full 13-CD God and Hair set which is well worth checking out if the Source book and accompanying CD leave you curious. As well there are a number of other releases now available on CD and vinyl, a cheaper redux-version of God and Hair and a DVD which I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing but is probably another excellent Source resource.

This book has a wide appeal - of great interest to anyone fascinated with LA, the sixties/seventies, intentional communities, occult groups, psychedelic music, alternative sexual communities, or just the wide wonderful weird and wacky world of human experience. Over the course of the book, sensitive, romantic souls will come to wish they could have been a part of the Source family experience. Thanks to Isis Aquarian for insisting from the start, against Yod's original wishes, to document the group's life and now bring us this wonderful glimpse into the Source family's colorful history.

- Gordon B. Isnor

How To Purchase A Radiohead Record

As you've no doubt heard by now, Radiohead released their seventh studio album "In Rainbows"....

As you've no doubt heard by now, Radiohead released their seventh studio album "In Rainbows" in two formats; a DRM-Free download, pay-what-you-can version (in English £ no doubt), and a mysterious "Discbox". At a price of 40 £ or nearly 80 dollars CAD, the Discbox will be shipped to you on or before the December 3rd release date. That's right, it will be laid on store shelves in time for Christmas shopping and it will be very expensive.

Last Wednesday I went online to 'purchase' (read download) the record. Like many of my friends that day, I had an internal conflict about how much to pay. The whole process made me feel slightly uncomfortable, something like if Radiohead had become this corporate giant and I was this leeching insect entering 0 after 0's in the price column. Not to say I never download copyrighted software but with an $80 phantom Discbox looming over my head I had suddenly become guilt stricken.

This same state of reverse psychology was tripping out Radiohead fans all over the globe. Bands don't just give you their album for free on a silver platter, and how fondly we recall when Metallica closed down Napster corporation with a copyright infringement lawsuit in 2001. Besides it's Radiohead. From Pablo Honey to OK Computer, from Kid A to Hail To The Thief they've been there for you, and why wouldn't you want to give them something back? It's not like they aren't worth it.

I assure you that much panic and internal bartering mechanisms ensued. Before long my initial guilt of low balling the Radiohead.com store turned into full-on paranoia. I wondered if media attention surrounding the 'free' release was simply a tool serving to sell more Discboxes. Is this how Radiohead wanted us to feel? And worse, it wasn't long before friends were bashing me for being the miser who donated $0.00. The irony of their phoning to share tales of the odd purchase experience was laughable. It was like having to compare test scores with a bunch of music brainiacs.

So what's the big deal anyway? I invite you to journey with me on a little voyage called How To Purchase A Radiohead Record…

Enter.

Radiohead becomes a corporation? Cutting out the middle man? You decide.

Buy our Discbox and you will get the download. BUY!

There comes a point when you wonder if they are attempting to hypnotize you with these weird pixilated background patterns. In Rainbows!

This part was plain creepy. Whether you paid $0 or $80 Radiohead wants to know where you live! Downloaders must fill in required (*) fields. Presumably this serves as a mailing address for the Discbox, but why the mandatory mobile phone number?

A transaction will appear on your credit card as WASTE PRODUCTS LTD, a final tongue-in-cheek jab at corporate sales? This completes your $0.0 purchase. Upon some investigation to www.waste.uk.com/, the official online merch outlet, I discovered W.A.S.T.E. or W.A.S.T.E. PRODUCTS LTD. is some sort of acronym, however its meaning is not explained anywhere on the website, very suspect. Radiohead will also not reveal how many orders for In Rainbows have been placed, but at 40 £ a piece the Discbox is certainly a weighty cash cow. Official details of its contents have not been released on either the waste.uk.com/ or radiohead's blog (http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace) but external sources report it includes versions of the album on CD and two 12" vinyls, an 8 song bonus CD, and lyric booklets in a hardcover slipcase.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. A third release of the album is scheduled for post-shopping season (i.e. Christmas). This non-discbox contains just the CD and will cost a heck of a lot a less. Can you wait till January 2008 for 'new' Radiohead?

"The infrastructure will collapse." -Thom York, "House of Cards" In Rainbows, 2007.

- Drew Taylor

Mixtapes #9: Simon Reynolds

The best of lists that pop up at the end of the year are often hobbled by chronology or genre. It suggests that listening begins in January and ends in December or that people are experts in only one kind of music. People never really only listened to that which was made in one year, and the modern rock crit area was birthed by professional nostalgists and crate diggers. In asking a variety of professionals to mark what they were really listening to while maintaining the concept of an annual I didn’t want to engage in that act of crate digging, but I really did want to get a sense of what people were listening to. Think of it as the games people play with mix tapes, if mix tapes where really about what people listened to in 2006. The entries, comments (if offered) and biographies (if offered) are written by the critics (with their own eccentricities) themselves and they are arranged by their arrival in my inbox.

Simon Renyolds

Bio:

Simon Reynolds is the author of Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84 and the forthcoming Bring the Noise: 20 Years of Writing About Hip Rock and Hip Hop.

Albums:

• 1/ World of Twist, Quality Street (1991)


• 2/ Jake Thackray – Jake in a box, disc 3 (EMI box set, rec mid-Sixties, reissued 2006)


• 3/ Scritti Politti, White Bread Black Beer (2006)


• 4/ Wagon Christ, Throbbing Pouch (1995)


• 5/ Mordant Music, Dead Air (2006)


• 6/ The Doors, The Soft Parade, (1969)


• 7/ Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)


• 8/ Juana Molina, Son (2006)


• 9/ Omni Trio--Vol 2 of “best of” compilation series made by self (1994-96)


• 10/ Lady Sovereign, Public Warning (2006)

Songs:

1/ The Doors, "LA Woman" (1970)

2/ Pink Floyd, "Paintbox" (1967)

3/ World of Twist, “The Lights” (1991)

4/ Wagon Christ, “Floot” (1995)

5/ Arctic Monkeys, “Red Light Means Doors Are Secure” (2006)

6/ Jake Thackray, “Country Boy” (1966)

7/ World of Twist, “The Spring” (1991)

8/ Jay Dee “Won’t Do” (2006)

9/ Scritti Politti, “Petrococadollar” (2006)

10/ Omni Trio, “Torn” (1996)

- Anthony Easton

Mixtapes:8: Rhodri Marsden

The best of lists that pop up at the end of the year are often hobbled by chronology or genre. It suggests that listening begins in January and ends in December or that people are experts in only one kind of music. People never really only listened to that which was made in one year, and the modern rock crit area was birthed by professional nostalgists and crate diggers. In asking a variety of professionals to mark what they were really listening to while maintaining the concept of an annual I didn’t want to engage in that act of crate digging, but I really did want to get a sense of what people were listening to. Think of it as the games people play with mix tapes, if mix tapes where really about what people listened to in 2006. The entries, comments (if offered) and biographies (if offered) are written by the critics (with their own eccentricities) themselves and they are arranged by their arrival in my inbox.

Rhodri Marsden

Rhodri Marsden is a writer who contributes self-depracating prose to British newspapers and magazines, including a weekly technology column in The Independent. After a serendipitous moment in an East London pub, he also recently became keyboard player in Scritti Politti.

This was the soundtrack of 2006, for me:

Songs:

• 5th Dimension: Everything's Been Changed, from the album Living Together, Growing Together (Bell, 1973)

  I passed my driving test in April, and the quest began to find songs that sound marvelous on a shit car stereo.

• The Scaramanga Six: Baggage (Wrath, 2006)

  The best single of the year, from an amazing band so utterly ignored it's almost funny.

• 4tRECk: Folk sans Mettle Neuf, from the album Je Me Promenade (Partycul System, 2005)

  Sam started playing understated live shows this year - he's an incredible talent.

• Bob James: Touchdown, from the album Touchdown (Warner, 1979)

  This makes the theme to Cagney and Lacey sound like Fantomas. In a good way.

• Desalvo: Brown Flag (Rock Action, 2006)

  And, by contrast, the best live band in the UK, on account of screaming and machine-gun drumming.

• Double Exposure: Ten Percent, from the album Ten Percent (Salsoul, 1976)

  Reading Peter Shapiro's fantastic book on disco unearthed this gem.

• Jeffrey Lewis: Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror, from the album City & Eastern Songs (Rough Trade, 2006)

  I saw Jeffrey play this every night when on tour with Scritti Politti in the US, and it got better and better.

• The Free Design: 2002 A Hit Song, from the album Heaven & Earth (Project 3, 1969)

  Cynical, perfect pop, from a time when you imagined cynical, perfect pop didn't exist.

• Man Aubergine: Bastard Brother (Run Of The Mill, 2006)

  Bizarre, quirky, bluegrass trio from South London, who I aim to see live next year.

• Magma: Köhntarkösz, from the album Concert 1976, Opera De Reims (Seventh, 1999)

  The last 5 minutes of this is possibly the most ridiculous bit of prog rock ever recorded.

Albums:

• 15.60.75: Jimmy Bell's Still In Town (Hearpen, 1999)

  The best live album I've ever heard.

• Talc: Sit Down Think (Wah Wah, 2006)

  The living embodiment of yacht rock, direct from West London

• A Witness: I Am Johns Pancreas (Ron Johnson, 1986)

  Re-released on CD this year, a welcome recognition for one of John Peel's favourite mid-80s bands

• Bob Hund: Omslag, Martin Kann (Silence, 1996)

  A Swedish masterpiece, failing to set the world alight only on account of it being in Swedish, I guess.

• Sudden Sway: Spacemate (Blanco Y Negro, 1986)

  Absurdist, poptastic, futuristic double album in a cardboard box, a preposterous project which surely deserves a re-release

• The Doobie Brothers: Minute By Minute (Warners, 1978)

  Channel 101's Yacht Rock was responsible for me digging out a lot of this stuff. Kenny Loggins almost made it onto the list, terrifyingly.

• Field Music: Tones Of Town (Memphis Industries, 2007)

  The best album of next year, no contest, all bets are off.

• Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974)

  Like getting into a warm bath, or a relaxing shower, depending on your bathroom preference.

• Art Of Noise: What Have You Done WIth My Body, God (ZTT, 2006)

  Re-release of extended outtakes from 1984-5 sessions. A band based around a Yes drum sound. haha.

• Shudder To Think: Pony Express Record (Epic, 1994)

  One of the most magnificently skewed albums to appear on a major label. Triumphant.

- Anthony Easton

Mixtapes #7: Josh Clover

The best of lists that pop up at the end of the year are often hobbled by chronology or genre. It suggests that listening begins in January and ends in December or that people are experts in only one kind of music. People never really only listened to that which was made in one year, and the modern rock crit area was birthed by professional nostalgists and crate diggers. In asking a variety of professionals to mark what they were really listening to while maintaining the concept of an annual I didn’t want to engage in that act of crate digging, but I really did want to get a sense of what people were listening to. Think of it as the games people play with mix tapes, if mix tapes where really about what people listened to in 2006. The entries, comments (if offered) and biographies (if offered) are written by the critics (with their own eccentricities) themselves and they are arranged by their arrival in my inbox.

Joshua Clover

Bio

Joshua Clover is the author of The Totality for Kids (University of California 2006) and The Matrix (British Film Institute 2005), and contributes to the New York Times; he's working on a book titled 1989: Bob Dylan Didn't Have This to Sing About.

Songs

...The problem is, I actually really do --happily -- listen almost exclusively to newly released "popular" music, except when I discover a Jessica Simpson song from 2004 and think it's a new song. If I check my play count on itunes, the only old songs that appear are "Love In Action" by Todd Rundgren (dunno why that happened), and the Kinks song that popped up in a boring long movie about Paris '68 that I hadn't known before, which proved to me that no matter how overrated the Kinks are, they're still better at expressing their moment than retrospective French films.

- Anthony Easton

Mixtapes #6: Jessamyn West

The best of lists that pop up at the end of the year are often hobbled by chronology or genre. It suggests that listening begins in January and ends in December or that people are experts in only one kind of music. People never really only listened to that which was made in one year, and the modern rock crit area was birthed by professional nostalgists and crate diggers. In asking a variety of professionals to mark what they were really listening to while maintaining the concept of an annual I didn’t want to engage in that act of crate digging, but I really did want to get a sense of what people were listening to. Think of it as the games people play with mix tapes, if mix tapes where really about what people listened to in 2006. The entries, comments (if offered) and biographies (if offered) are written by the critics (with their own eccentricities) themselves and they are arranged by their arrival in my inbox.

Jessamyn West

Bio:

Jessamyn West is a librarian and community technologist in Central Vermont. When she's not teaching seniors how to use email or putting wifi in tiny libraries she helps run the community weblog MetaFilter.com. She also maintains her own websites at jessamyn.com and librarian.net.

Albums

• The Benders - S/T (2001, PigPile)

  Bow Thayer lives near here and I always feel like these songs are being sung by one of my neighbors.

• Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising (1985, SST)

  I moved from Seattle to Vermont a few years back and every time I see the sun shine in the winter I want to yell the lyrics to the title track of this album.

• Antifolk - Volume 1 (2002, Rough Trade)

  These songs don't sound like anti-anything, they make me feel like anyone could get a guitar and go be in a band and be awesome.

• Beausoleil - L'amour Ou La Folie (1997, Rhino)

  My French is lousy, I think all of these songs are about building pillow forts.

• Holy Fuck - S/T (2005, Dependent Music)

  I saw these guys last year. They are like copping a sweaty feel when your Mom is alseep upstairs just old school energy.

• Best of Fono Records (?, Fono Records)

  I was in a magazine store and this was playing and I said "what is this?" and bought it on the spot. It was a promotional CD that came with some magazine I have long since forgotten. Sweet gypsy yowling.

• The Beta Band - The Three EPs (1998, Astralwerks)

  People wouldn't goof on the idea of mantras if they al sounded like they were spoken by the Beta Band.

• Ancient Mariners Chanteymen - Turnin' the Tide (1993, self published)

  I have a friend who works in a history museum and used to work at Mystic Seaport. I stayed at her house over Labor Day when I was having a bad time (and it was my birthday) and listened to sea chanties all weekend. Then I felt better.

• Golden Delicious/Pete Krebs - (1998, Cavity Search)

  Why Pete Krebs is not the righteous star of everything, I have no idea.

• Joel RL Phelps & The Downer Trio - 3 (1998, Pacifico Recordings)

  Ditto Joel RL Phelps and everything he touches.

Songs

• Four in the Morning - Jesse Colin Young (1964)

  2006 had a lot of four in the morning nights, but thankfully few roof leaks. This song is like a warm fire in a cold cold house.

• The Pursuit of Happiness - 15-16 Puzzle (?)

  One of the guys from MetaFilter did this. It's nice to be happy about *something* having to do with government in the US lately.

• This Old Love - Lior (2004) & Lighthouse - The Waifs (2004)

  I am going to Australia in a few weeks and a friend made me an Australian mixtape with both of these great songs on it.

• Homage to Patagonia - Lemon Jelly (2000)

  Usually I like lyrics, but I just want to dance around in the backyard when this song is on.

• Weightless Again - Handsome Family (1999)

  They sing this song and you totally know what they're talking about. This song makes me miss drugs.

• Transistor Radio - Cloud Cult (1995)

  I have a mix that is all these "hey let's you and I play little kids together" songs and this is my favorite one.

• Slipstream - Silkworm (1991)

  I moved to Seattle in 1990 and fell hard in love with Silkworm and all their delicious edges.

• House Carpenter - Dave Van Ronk (1969)

  I have a soft spot for trad. arr. songs including this one and Shady Grove. For anyone who has fallen for a man that was SO wrong for them, this is a cautionary tale.

• Shopping for Explosives - Coconut Monkeyrocket (??)

  Say it with me Co Co Nut Mon Key ROCKET! This song is fun and it's part of a free-like-beer album on the Comfort Stand label.

- Anthony Easton

Mixtapes #5: Geoff Parkes

The best of lists that pop up at the end of the year are often hobbled by chronology or genre. It suggests that listening begins in January and ends in December or that people are experts in only one kind of music. People never really only listened to that which was made in one year, and the modern rock crit area was birthed by professional nostalgists and crate diggers. In asking a variety of professionals to mark what they were really listening to while maintaining the concept of an annual I didn’t want to engage in that act of crate digging, but I really did want to get a sense of what people were listening to. Think of it as the games people play with mix tapes, if mix tapes where really about what people listened to in 2006. The entries, comments (if offered) and biographies (if offered) are written by the critics (with their own eccentricities) themselves and they are arranged by their arrival in my inbox.

Geoff Parkes:

Bio:

geoff parkes is a former writer/reviewer who now dedicates himself to pilates, rescuing sheep, and decorating his abyss.

Singles/songs

• damien rice - cannonball - O - Warner

  "Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth"... this song gave me permission to cry

• Sandy Denny/Judy Collins/Eva Cassidy/Susannah Hoffs and Matthew Sweet - Who Knows Where the Time Goes

  when your heart i given to young men in florida and you dream of possibilities, all these versions made me cry with joy. of course, that joy didn't last. but the memories of possibilities have.

• mountain goats - get lonely - get lonely - 4AD

  "And I will get lonely and gasp for air/And send your name up from my lips like a signal flare" funny how comforting this can be on bus rides from nowhere to beyond

• pet shop boys & the bbc concert orchestra - rent - concrete - emi

  with sweeping strings and neil tennant's soul bleeding, the sweetest song ever about johns and their sugar daddies. "I love you, you pay my rent". A man can dream - can't she?

• dresden dolls - coin operate boy - preferably live

  "I want to, I want to..." - contemporary cabaret that you can masturbate to

• astrud gilberto - train, boats and planes - I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do - verve

  perhaps the most sultry version of this torch song with a divine tuba haunting the fragile lines

• liza minnelli - maybe this time - the capitol years - capitol

  camus's hopeful hopelessness meets liza's torn, battered torment seeking redemption...

• dusty springfield - breakfast in bed - dusty in memphis - universal

  dusty knows he ain't gonna stay, but like liza, she keeps on offering

• ryan adams - like a virgin/expressway to your soul - live acoustic - internet archive

  what nick cave did to kylie, ryan does to mads, then turns it all upside down and inside out to channel thurston and kim on a crappy 6 string

albums

• Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell Pt 3 - Universal

  "in the land of the pig, the butcher is king"... 'nuff said.

• Devendra Barnhart - Live KCRW

  a dreamland of comfort when composure is required

• Rainer Maria - Catastrophe Keeps Us Together - Grunion

  because young men can often introduce aging ones to delicacies of the sublime

• Karen Dalton - in my own time - Light In The Attic Records

  so blessed to hear this voice, broken, betrayed, bluesy...

• laura nyro and labelle - gonna take a miracle - sony

  as introduced to me by "a home at the end of the world" and an album no self-disrespecting queer boi should ever be without

• john coltrane - a love supreme live - impulse

  listen to the drums... the drums

• patti smith - live, cbgbs final concert bootleg

  history, caught, fleeting, triumphant over 3 cds

• Morrissey - Live at Earls Court - attack

  could this be Morrissey making peace with his past? not bloody likely. career spanning, he's never sounded better than when issuing his lost lament for Hector, the first of the gang with a gun is his had...

- Anthony Easton