Easy Dub

One more drop from Weatherall’s cup to see the new year in? This is Ysaebud, from the S.O.P. vaults, a one sided 7″ single with an etched B-side from some time in the 1990s. Top quality dub, with a echo-laden vocal sample- ‘Ever since I was a youth, I’ve always been searching for the truth’. Easy does it.

Ysaebud.mp3

Bagging Area End Of Year Annual Review #1

Bagging Area started on January the 1st 2010 so this is my end of year round up.

Firstly, the top sixteen tracks as chosen by you the readers and the clickers, based on the numbers of downloads-

1. The Pharcyde ‘Passing Me By’
2. A Tribe Called Quest ‘Scenario’
3. Wayne Smith ‘Under Me Sleng Teng’
4. DJ Shadow ‘Def Is All Around Us’
5. DJ Shadow ‘I’ve Been Trying’
6. Spiritualized ‘Come Together’ Two Lone Swordsmen Remix
7. Shannon ‘Let The Music Play’
8. Pilooski ‘AAA’
9. Steve Mason ‘Boys Outside’ Andrew Weatherall Dub 1
10. Go Home Productions Destinys Child v The Smiths ‘How Soon Is Independence?’
11. NF Porter ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’
12. Half Man Half Biscuit ‘With Goth On Our Side’
13. Bassheads ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’
14. Le Corps De Mince Francoise ‘Gandhi’ Andrew Weatherall Mix 2

15. Warpaint ‘Ashes To Ashes’
16. Honkeyfinger ‘Running On Empty’ Andrew Weatherall Vocal Remix

Which makes it look like this is mainly a dance music blog, with a side order of hip hop. Where are the guitars? I often think of myself as a fan of guitar music as much as anything but maybe that isn’t the case. It also ignores the thirty odd posts of rockabilly we’ve had, which taken together would add up to quite a bit. I suppose there have been lots of guitar based tracks here, The Clash, Joy Division/New Order, The Cramps, Half Man Half Biscuit all being repeat offenders- they just don’t hit the high figures. There’s been northern soul, psyche, mod, ska, dub, reggae, mash ups, the continuing adventures of Johnny Marr, post punk and 80s indie. I guess I’ll just carry on covering as many bases as I can.

I wasn’t going to have an end of year list partly because I’m not sure I’m best placed to give a wide ranging and considered view of new music in 2010, especially when I read other bloggers end of year lists and think ‘Not heard that, not heard that, not even heard of that’ and I don’t think I listen to enough new music, but Bagging Area’s own 2010 favourites list would read something like this-

1. Steve Mason ‘Boys Outside’ Andrew Weatherall Dub 1
2. Le Corps De Mince Francoise ‘Gandhi’ Andrew Weatherall Mix 2
3. Pilooski ‘AAA’
4. MIA ‘Born Free’
5. Hippies ‘Friendly Ghost’
6. The Xx ‘VCR’ Fourtet Remix
7. Trentemoller ‘Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, Go!!!’ Andrew Weatherall Prinz Mix
8. Woods ‘Bloods Dries Darker’
9. Warpaint ‘Undertow’ (or their cover of ‘Ashes To Ashes’, I’ll take either)
10. Massive Attack ‘Paradise Circus’ Gui Boratto Remix
11. Massive Attack ‘Pray For Rain’ Tim Goldsworthy Remix
12. Paul Weller ‘Andromeda’ Richard Hawley remix
13. Edwyn Collins ‘What Is My Role?’ (or ‘Losing Sleep’ or any one of four or five off the album)
14. Grinderman with Robert Fripp ‘Super Heathen Child’
15. LCD Soundsystem ‘I Can Change’
16. Wounded Lion ‘Friendly’
17. Error Operator ‘Follow’
18. Paul Weller ‘No Tears To Cry’
19. The Xx ‘Shelter’ John Talbot remix
20. The Jim Jones Revue ‘High Horse’

21. Gorillaz ‘Stylo’

But there could well be records I’ve missed out or forgotten, and some of the placings are pretty arbitrary.

Pilooski’s AAA is one of the best things I’ve heard this year. This is the minute and a bit dub/bonus beats that came on the 12″. Thanks for reading, here’s to 2011.

b1-pilooski-unknown.mp3

History Lesson With Breakbeats

Steinski’s Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop) is slide ‘n’ fade, cut ‘n’ paste, hip hop without rap (if that makes sense). Built from the now over-familiar samples and beats, it’s funky, urgent party music from before rappers took over. Ideal if you’re staying in with friends tomorrow night.

I found a copy of this (a 90’s reisssue, but still…) in Sale Oxfam for £2.99 the other day. How does this stuff end up there? It’s a reason I can’t, no daren’t, pass a charity shop without rummaging in their vinyl box.

Steinski_01_03_Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop).mp3

Your Face Is A Hammer In My Head

Whatever that means.

The House Of Love were the new Weather Prophets. In Dave Cavanagh’s biography of Creation Records he describes The Weather Prophets slagging off Guy Chadwick’s band as ‘too psychedelic’. The House of Love’s first album The House Of Love was 1988’s indie heavyweight, chock full of great songs and two blistering singles- Christine and Destroy The Heart, all guitar effects and mystery. They signed to Fontana and came back with Never, which the press didn’t like, and then this I Don’t Know Why I Love You. Recorded with guitarist Terry Bickers but released after he’d been dumped at a motorway service station for unreasonable behaviour- drugs, ego, burning a tenner in the van, punched by the drummer etc etc. This is a great song, played to death on my stereo when it came out. Yes, it has iffy lyrics and lacks some of the ‘ethereal’ nature of the first album’s songs but it’s got a great drilling riff. After this it was all downhill, then scuppered by Madchester but briefly they were very good.

10 I Don’t Know Why I Love You.wma

I Struck A Match

The Weather Prophets 1986 debut single Almost Prayed is a gem of mid 80’s indie- great guitar playing, lovely chiming riff, softly sung- it’s close to indie perfection and a real Bagging Area favourite. There are two versions, one two and half minutes and one three and a half. I can’t remember why there are two. I imagine it was re-recorded for the album or something. This is the longer one, for extra jangle.

Almost Prayed.mp3

Playing With Knives

From Hawkwind to Bizarre Inc., not much in common musically maybe but I think at some level they’re related.

Playing With Knives was released in 1991, reaching number 4 in the UK. Part of it was knicked by Blue Pearl for Can You Feel The Passion?, which also charted. A re-release in 1999 got to number 30.

Playing With Knives (Quadrant Mix).mp3

Just What I Need

After several days away, two family Christmas events, a few hundred miles on the road, way too much food and drink, and a soundtrack mainly consisting of Toy Story 3, the tunes a Wii plays, Phil Spector’s Christmas album, a recent Weatherall homemade compilation cd and a Northern Soul best of (both in the car) it’s a bit of a relief to get home and put this on. Someone mentioned this elsewhere the other day- Hawkwind’s Motorhead, Lemmy’s song for speedfreaks everywhere. It is highly unfestive and a total blast.

07 Motorhead.wma

Happy Christmas

This is perhaps Billy Childish’s finest moment, especially for you on Christmas day.

‘Merry fucking Christmas to you all.’

Bagging Area wishes you all a merry Christmas, have a good time, and I’ll be back in a few days.

Christmas 1979.mp3

It Was Christmas Eve

It was Christmas Eve- people were rushing around doing last minute shopping, scarves and hats and gloves worn, presents being wrapped and gift-tagged, a quick drink in the pub before heading home, lights on trees just visible through the misted up windows of public transport, stockings hung up over the fireplace by excited children, bottles of Bailey’s being opened, San Franciscan space/kraut/drone rockers kicking seven noisy bells out of O Tannenbaum for eight and a half minutes.

OTannenbaum.mp3

Who Is It?

It’s Mantronix that’s who. Electronic funk and old school hip-hop, tip top party music all the way from 1986 and still sounding fresh today. You might want to do those tops up though lads, you’ll catch your death…

Who Is It.mp3