Sounds from the overground - solitary rants from the listening man No.5

I've been flagging lately - illness rolling around these bones  - you know the chills mutiplying - losing control. 

So in order to keep some semblance of writing happening here - it's a short post - i'll be updating very soon - longer and possibly diving back into the recording process and dates and stuff. 

So here you are then - happy new year - (class) war is not over. 

I have been spending far too much time making compilations of Euros Childs, Jonny, Teenage Fanclub and The Well green

Stuart Kidd is a beautiful musician. Honest, creative with songs to sing along too. You should look up his band camp site. There’s a wealth of lovely things there – a genuine wealth.

I came across The Wellgreen.

Euros continues to produce the most consistently beautiful sounds you could ever wish for and I have decided that next year I’ll interview him for this blog. A new twist in 2013. He doesn’t know it and hopefully it will be as good as my J Mascis interview conducted when I was mere youth. It was five words long. Bloody grungers.

I have listened to EPMD Never Seen Before exiting from the workplace – because I’m street like that.

Students I once taught have provided soundtracks to my waking hours – you all should check out Clouded Judgement, Beatmasta Bill and Monkeysteak.

Inkrument have failed to follow up a seminal long player. Pull your fingers out fellas.

The Super Furries have emerged on the periphery of my being.

Richard Chester is the new Brian Wilson or Spector or Joe Meek – take your pick really. We love him in this house.  

I missed The Fall, Orbital, The Stone Roses, The Primitives, and The Beach Boys this year.

My brother continued to see Adam Ant and saw The Stone Roses.

I’ve played Denim a great deal.

Summer Special is my No.1 album of 2012

I have avidly listened to Duglas’ recommendations on Twitter.

I have tuned into FNOOB – and got down to the Orb Sound System. 

I am pondering whether to get a Primal Scream ticket for March. 

I've got two music books to read - one called Telling Stories the other all about the mavericks in the independent scene from 1975 til 2005. 

I bought five cds for one pound yesterday – I am currently playing Simian Mobile Disco’s mixed set for Bugged Out. It is very good – bass and bleeps. 

I love a party with a happy atmosphere

I have allowed the new year to pass quietly – to pass quickly with the classical work of Ligeti sound tracking our ascent into the Olympic Year – I didn’t play much music over the holiday period – couldn’t quite find the time to sandwich it in between the sandwiches. It was all rushing and wrapping from a slow start – and songs seemed to drift into the background.

Songs I would want to play.

I had my fill of carols and pop countdowns – as the hairy bikers leant more hair to Wizzard and Wood’s rendition of that well known popular Christmas tune and George Michael endlessly wandered round snow filled ski resorts lamenting his insistence to simply give his heart away and then find it in somebody else’s hands. All bloodied like and limp and cold.

But I never got round to playing some of the songs that make us smile.

So this writing is a short piece to welcome in the inevitable race that will be 2012 and look to the future [now] and the assortment of memories I will retrace and rewire and reword. I will find the time to do it. As I find the time to listen to the evergrowing pile of records that [rules from the centre of the universe] and sits in my room – my front room – well the only room – it’s open plan maaaaan.

I’ve told you that before.

It seems only right to start with Ligeti – that’s what’s been playing – well that and Black Dog by Led Zeppelin – it seems to bring out a response in my children that no other tune or riff has so far. But as they wildly strum with left hands and fury there’s a beautiful sense of chaos in it all. Chaos that drives me up the wall.

But it should. Music should annoy your parents and Led Zeppelin annoy me. It was never something I fully understood – it was a refusal to acknowledge the musicianship again. Being a punk – or a pain in the arse – one or t’other. Okay so I played them the track – they are the ones who embraced it – it may come back to haunt me – this Midlands thump and twang. I like my midlands more Wolverhampton and glam.

Anyway here’s to Ligeti and quiet composition – where ambience is at. I thought this was lost forever as I heard it in the bath on Radio 3 and caught syllables and sounds of a name – of a title – but having people who know things in your life helps. Emma’s brother saved the day with a discussion of Ligeti’s finest work and a box set of it all for Christmas.

Listen. I love a party with a happy atmosphere.