Here's some odd-ball new wave, think the B-52s and Devo going at it, for no reason.
This clip of Wall of Voodoo's Back in Flesh is from the 1981 film Urgh! A Music War. A compilation movie of new wave and post punk acts performing in 1980 without context or narration, it's gone straight to the top of my wish list, especially the LaserDisc release.
Another December, another redundancy. Unlike last time, this one came out of the blue. I'm trying not to take it personally, half my department lost their jobs too. I was just another number on a spreadsheet. And for all the talk of companies having values and caring about their staff, they're machines. Machines that churn on and through people until they stop making money. Maybe I'm not taking it so well.
But hey, life finds a way. I'll be fine and I now have some time on my hands.
Playing EarthBound or watching The Wire for the umpteenth time was always going to be my plan if I had time to kill. Thing is I got sucked into EarthBound big time a couple of weeks ago. Rightly lauded as a cult classic, I've never played anything like it and the soundtrack is brilliant.
Here's a thirty minute loop of the music when you fight a robot or machine...
16-bit electronic gold from Hirokazu Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki, and Hiroshi Kanazu.
So the question is now, do I Wire it? Or do I take my dabble with JRPGs onwards to Final Fantasy III on the SNES Mini Classic?
For some beautiful unknown reason SoundCloud has been unblocked in work and guess what? The debut EP from 1010 Benja SL - Two Houses - was right there at the top of my feed.
I still don't know a great deal about this guy, apart from he's signed to Young Turks, he hails from Kansas City, and that Tragic X is another R'n'B slow jam banger...
Caught these guys at Chefest in The Parrot in Carmarthen and was blown away. Pretty sure this is Silent Forum's debut single and they've got another out on Dec 7th called Robot on Libertino Records. If How I Faked The Moon has piqued your interest in Silent Forum's fizzing post-punk energy, then they're even better live, so make sure you head to Porter's on Wednesday 14th November for a free gig.
The other choice cut from Aphex Twin's Collapse EP, especially the dive around 2:16 in.
3. Hairband - Flying
Not usually one for jangly indie stuff but this has a lovely strut and the vocals are lush like.
4. DJ Clent - Clent's Dog Catcher
Absolutely flip-flopping all over the place in this list, here's some straight up footwork on Planet Mu from one of the dons of the Chicago scene. The sample's Atomic Dog by George Clinton.
5. Rustie - Zig Zag
Early Rustie is my fight music. Maximal AF. Well weapon.
6. Oneohtrix Point Never - Love In The Time Of Lexapro
Benji B closed his most recent show with this and with good reason. It is spot on Clive. Stonewall. While a lot of Oneohtrix Point Never's production can be obtuse for the sake of it, this is simple, effective and stunning electronic music.
A Llantwit Major-based music blog for things post-punk, electronic and a little bit left of centre, with second-hand cultural musings, third-rate sociological stabbings and very rarely the odd mp3.
I also write the odd album review for Buzz Magazine and used to present Amser Electroneg on Bro Radio.
