Archive for the ‘Ash’ Category

All I Want For Christmas Is A Storage Locker Discount

Tuesday, December 17th, 2013

My records are in boxes. The shelves are dismantled. My turntable is unplugged and sitting on a table across the room, far from my computer and disconnected from my speakers. I know it sounds trite and kind of silly, but my upcoming move to Tokyo didn’t really hit me as a real thing until all that happened. Selling a ton of my belongings didn’t phase me. Putting my house up for sale barely got to me at all. But packing up my records for storage? Unplugging my turntable?! Yikes.

It’s for the best! I know it’s for the best! (And before anyone asks, my turntable is coming with me, it’s a custom-modded Technics that I’d never find in Japan so damn straight it’s coming with me). But that doesn’t make it any less traumatic. Ask my friends, people who follow me on Twitter, anyone who knows me at all, I am “that guy who always says ‘I own that on vinyl.'” So for me to be separated from my vinyl and my turntable is, well, it’s weird. I just have to keep reminding myself that my records aren’t going away, they’re just going into a climate-controlled storage unit, and that my turntable will be joining me in Tokyo sometime next year, where I’ll discover more amazing music than I can probably even imagine. It’s going to be awesome! But right now it’s kind of traumatic.

I plan on putting up one more post before I leave for Japan. In fact, I know I will because that post is 90% done and scheduled to go up the day I leave. However, that post will be a “greatest hits” collection of stuff I’ve posted in the past. This will be the last post of original material before I leave Pittsburgh, and as it’s just a week until Christmas (oh shit I really have to start shopping soon) I figured I’d send off the year with some festive holiday tunes.

And a cover of “Relax.” Because even in times of great stress and furious anxiety, I’m one classy dude.

Captain Sensible
One Christmas Catalogue
Relax
Pocketful Of Dosh
Wendy! Where’s My Snaps?
These are all from a holiday 12″ EP that Captain Sensible put out in 1984. Who’s Captain Sensible? Excellent question! I honestly didn’t know who he was until I bought this record, which I only grabbed for the cover of “Relax” and not because of any desire for festive holiday tunes.

Captain Sensible is a founding member of The Damned, who has played bass, guitar and keyboards during his on-again/off-again/currently on-again tenure with the seminal punk rock group. He’s apparently something of a minor big deal in his native UK, having scored several hits as a solo artist in the 1980s. I don’t think “One Christmas Catalogue” was one of those hits, but it apparently has some sort of following. My searches on Captain Sensible repeatedly turned up references to the track, and it even has a video on YouTube. However, despite it’s somewhat well-known status across the pond, it is entirely out-of-print in the states, and it’s never even received any kind of digital release here at all save for a bizarre “new wave” themed Christmas album from a few years back.

It’s an odd track, and I’ll be damned (see what I did there?) if I can tell you what it’s actually about. Is he lamenting about excessive Christmas shopping catalogs? I dunno. It sure sounds festive though. It’s certainly more festive than anything else on the “Christmas-themed” LP. The last two songs are more bizarre audio experiments than proper tunes, and the cover of “Relax” is, well, it’ a cover of “Relax!” Because I guess nothing says “Ho! Ho! Ho!” like a song about delaying orgasm.

Okay, I’m not ending my Christmas post on that note, what else do I have on this hard drive…

Ash 
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
I think the UK has more (and better) holiday tunes that we do here in the states. Take this amazing track, for example. The original version is by a glam rock act called Wizzard, and it’s apparently a holiday standard over in England. And for good reason! It’s fucking great!  And check out this video holy shit!

The drummer is my favorite.

What the hell do we have over here? Are there any great American-made modern Christmas tunes that are popular? I mean, don’t get me wrong “Christmas In Hollis” by Run DMC is my jam but I don’t think it’s really stayed in the popular consciousness since it’s original release. All we get that shitty Mariah Carry song and any number of horrible versions of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause.” Meanwhile, in England they have “Fairytale Of New York” (one of the greatest songs of all time) and “Merry Xmas Everyone.” Not fair at all.

At least both sides of the Atlantic can agree that “Last Christmas” by Wham! is great.

Merry Christmas everyone (who celebrates Christmas). Stay safe, have fun, and I hope you all get rad gifts in your stockings.

Hot Ash

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

I just bought tickets for seven different shows between March 20th and June 16th. I should really start buying earplugs by the gross.

Ash
Girl From Mars (Live in Tokyo)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Numbskull EP)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Twilight Of The Innocents Bonus Disc)
I really need to update my sources of music news. Not only was I not aware that Ash recently released an amazing 3LP edition of their excellent A-Z Singles series (it comes complete with a digital download that includes a shitton of extra tracks, you should buy it). But I also was not aware that they were touring the states! Even worse, I had no idea that they were coming to my own backyard of Pittsburgh, PA! Shit! Thankfully I found out in time and now I have tickets, but damn, how the hell did this one nearly sneak past me. I must be slipping in my old age.

I fucking love Ash. They’re my favorite band of the britpop era (yes, I know they’re from Northern Ireland, but you know what I mean). 1977 is a great record. Amazing. A must own in my opinion, and everything they’ve done since has been great too. I actually think that their best work has been their most recent, the aforementioned A-Z Series. You should seriously buy that. For real. Go buy it. It’s great.

In the meantime, here are three versions of “Girl From Mars,” taken from different hard-to-find singles, bonus discs and DVDs.

Quick sidenote about Ash. While I do love them, as a person with an s/sh speech impediment, I find their name endlessly frustrating.

Spiritualized
Come Together
Broken Heart
Broken Heart (Instrumental)
HEY EVERYONE LET’S GO DO ACID.

Ahem, these versions are from The Abbey Road EP, and are different than the versions that appeared on Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space.

OH GOD IT’S KICKING IN I CAN SEE NEW COLORS.

Joy Kicks Darkness in the Ass

Monday, July 12th, 2010

I’m having a wonderfully splendid night. Sorry. No rants. Not even one. Too bad for you.

Ash
True Love 1980 (Vince Clarke Remix)
Dare To Dream (Mogwai Remix)

I am apparently in the dark when it comes to music news related to bands I give a shit about. I had no idea about Ash’s amazing Singles Club thing. For those of you as lame as I, let me explain. Ash announced last year that they were no longer releasing albums. Instead they were just going to release singles. Sounds like what the Pumpkins are doing now doesn’t it? Well, there’s a few key differences. First of all, Ash’s songs don’t suck. Secondly, you get the tracks by “subscribing” with a one-time $20 fee. Then every two weeks you get a new song! There are bonus tracks too! It’s a pretty bitchin’ deal I tell you. They’ve released 20 so far (told you I was late to the punch) and many of them are excellent. One of the first was “True Love 1980.” It’s a great track that combines several of my favorite things; sappy love lyrics, synths, and 1980. This remix takes all of that and adds Vince Clarke to the mix. So we all win. The Mogwai mix is the lesser of the two, but still good. I got these from the official Ash website, they were 100%, no subscription needed, but I thought I’d share them here anyways. There are three other remixes of “True Love 1980” out there, if anyone has them please share. I’ll be your best friend.

The Stone Roses
Elephant Stone (Leckie 7 inch Mix)
Elephant Stone (Leckie 12 inch Mix)
Elephant Stone (Peter Hook Original Mix)

I totally stole these mixes from The awesomely-named blog The Power of Independent Trucking after being directed there by a commenter. That site is great, but he only put the songs up as FLAC files, and I know that confuses many a person. So I went ahead and converted them. I hope dude doesn’t mind. I’m totally pimping his site. Go there!