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Soundtracks of Our Lives week ending 23 June 2013 CE
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IanB
IanB
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Edited Jun 23, 2013, 14:03
Re: Soundtracks of Our Lives week ending 23 June 2013 CE
Jun 23, 2013, 09:34
Various - Yes Is The Answer
Not an album but an American book of essays that cover the Prog waterfront from The Nice to Guided By Voices via the Canterbury scene, Utopia, Incredible String Band and Be Bop Deluxe. The big four get more more than their fair share of discussion time but there is enough else going on to make this highly readable. Nick Coleman's Futurama piece (one of the few contributions by British writers) is especially worth reading but Margaret Wappler's essay is perhaps the most interesting given that a woman's perspective on this music is so rarely aired. Beth Lisick's piece is good too and perhaps the most writerly. Tom Junod's paen to Genesis, the most moving. The idea that comes up the most in these essays is that of this music having been a refuge from domestic strife, boredom and puberty and that of it acting as doorway for the drug-curious, workshy teenager to a jumble sale of potential influences from literature, cinema, visual arts and classical music. "The greatest gift that Prog can bestow us is the gift of permission. To embrace ideas and their subtexts". Amen to that.

Todd Rundgren - State
More Robyn, Thomas Dolby, Yello and Roger Troutman than Utopia but this is far and away his most interesting and most playable record in I don't know how long. Have had real trouble getting this off the proverbial turntable which is in itself a real rarity these days.

State's main competitor for head space has been ...

Landshapes - Rambutan
The Cocteaus, Sundays and Mazzy Star spring quickly to mind but not in a slavishly nostalgic kind of a way. What's not to like about FX laden Les Paul Ukuleles? My favourite indie-pop album in God knows how long.

Eyes No Eyes - If No One Else Saw It / Flying Machine
Caught them live at Corsica Studios this past week (opening for Landshapes). Interesting and highly musical mix of improv, AR Kane, Velvets, ACR and er .... Shelleyan Orphan with cello, "Dream Pop" guitars and fuzz bass solos. The single isn't wholly representative of what I heard live but would recommend you go see them if your tastes swing in the direction of the world as it was in 1981/4 and before the ossification and commodification of indie.

Peter Gabriel - 1st s/t
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down
Corvus Corax - Sverker
Womack and Womack - Love Wars

For the next week I suspect that I will only be listening to the 24 hour marathon that is Nine Beet Stretch courtesy of Seb H. A very quick skim through the files yesterday suggests it needs to be on all day every day for the foreseeable.
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Soundtracks of Our Lives week ending 23 June 2013 CE (1001realapes)
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