November 1, 2008

Get out and VOTE...!!!

...or you'll be lost in SPACE! During the last eight years we have come perilously close to global devastation so unless we WAKE UP we are all FUCKED!!! The only place of refuge will be outer space; in the meantime we can take solace in the bliss of SPACE ROCK! And this month's installment is a heavy one indeed, but as long as it takes you on a journey then I've done my job. I won't say any more about politics except OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA!

On to the playlist: we begin with a couple obscure classic epics, "The Width of A Circle" from David Bowie's lost gem from 1972 The Man Who Sold the World (ask Kurt Cobain about that one... oh, wait), and Patti Smith's "Abyssinia" from her least-known (and my personal favorite) album Radio Ethiopia (1976). Acting as a transition track (and filed under WTF?!?!?) is Clipd Beaks with their dying wish, a great idea if you ask me.

We then venture into a segment exploring many aspects of the motorik genre. First invented by the kraut rock pioneers of the early 70's and further explored by diverse modern practitioners, this style's main feature is a forward-rushing momentum (think Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" et al.): we have Clinic from Liverpool, Vivian Girls from Brooklyn, The Early Years from London, and the veritable originators of motorik, Neu!, featuring members of Kraftwerk and Cluster, culminating with Stereolab's expansive "Jenny Ondioline", from their earlier more experiMENTAL years.

Shocking us out of our reverie is a set of the rockier side of shoegaze with Swervedriver, Loop (indebted to the influential Spacemen 3), Singapore Sling and their primary influence The Jesus & Mary Chain, then going off the deep end with Seattle's Hypatia Lake from their epic concept album (can you guess the theme?), and the inimitable wall-of-sound of My Bloody Valentine (I'm still reeling from their reunion show last month) here showing their punkier side, albeit with a crazy time signature.

We conclude this installment with three lengthy tracks: Brooklyn's Oneida with a portion of their recent magnum opus Preteen Weaponry, little-known vintage krautrockers German Oak, also-rans from 1972, and Montreal's post rock classicists Godspeed You! Black Emperor. These three tracks have in common rather, um... apocalyptic military themes, for some reason.

Whew! Hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you on the other side!



The following tracks should appear in the player below:

The Width of a Circle - David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World
Abyssinia - Patti Smith - Radio Ethiopia
Smoke Me When I'm Gone - Clipd Beaks - Preyers
Gideon - Clinic - Visitations
Tell the World - Vivian Girls - s/t
All Ones and Zeros - The Early Years - s/t
Lilac Angel - Neu! - Neu! 2
Jenny Ondioline - Stereolab - Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements
99th Dream - Swervedriver - 99th Dream
This Is Where You End - Loop - Fade Out
Overdriver - Singapore Sling - The Curse of Singapore Sling
Catchfire - The Jesus & Mary Chain - Honey's Dead
Joseph and the Divine Intervention - Hypatia Lake - ...And We Shall Call Him Joseph
Feed Me with Your Kiss - My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
Preteen Weaponry 2 - Oneida - Preteen Weaponry
Raid Over Dusseldorf - German Oak - s/t
Motherfucker = Redeemer (Part 2) - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.