DateJanuary 19, 2011
Miracler
Sterling Bromide
Location
San Francisco
Don't recognize the name?
Why, Mr. Bromide (under a slightly different name) made us this life-affirming/bumming mix back in Nov. '09, described by Miraclers as "Magnificent mix!", "Beautiful melancholia," "Fantastic/beautiful/dark/complex," and "reminds me of a most cherished type of mix from years past" as well as this tour de force in June '08 which garnered "Who knew that Fila Brazillia could sound like a pop band? Or a band, for that matter," "That's the most sensitive 'acid-house' mix I've heard yet," "Real men put the Innocence Mission on their mix tapes, I say," and "The fact that you opened with Heavenly Pop Hit gave ME The Chills." What's SB got up his sleeve this time? Let's look in.
Notes from SB
There was a time in the early 80's when it seemed as if New Zealand pop bands would burst forth from the antipodean cocoon to float like shimmering butterflies over our continent. Alas, with few exceptions, most of those great bands faded away. However, many of them still carried on in the garages and clubs of Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, and the first new signs of life can be heard in exciting new bands like The Ruby Suns. Here's a sampling of both old and new to take you back and show you the possibilities from the land that gave us Sir Edmund Hillary, a bloody good fight in the America's Cup, and a lot of cheap lamb. Enjoy!
Most of these bands are on Flying Nun Records. Some associated videos to supersize your experience:
The Verlaines - Death and the Maiden
(FYI) Stephen Malkmus - Death and the Maiden
The Ruby Suns Maasai Mara - Maasai Mara
The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience - I Like Rain
Shocking Pinks - End of the World
Tall Dwarfs - The Brain That Wouldn't Die
(FYI) Stephen Malkmus - Death and the Maiden
The Ruby Suns Maasai Mara - Maasai Mara
The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience - I Like Rain
Shocking Pinks - End of the World
Tall Dwarfs - The Brain That Wouldn't Die
Mix is up; same password. See you back here or on our members-only Facebook page soon.
Until next week,
XOK
17 comments:
Thanks for the videos. Thank you for killing my brain with rock!
The Verlaines! I was just thinking of putting that song on my next mix! Dang!!!
OK, so even if our lovely hostess wasn't strong arming me into this I would want to scream a 'hell yes' to this mix. I love that I knew not one of the bands ...but surprisingly they know me. So familiar but mixed up and backwards. The Clean, Chris Knox and The Ruby Suns shine the brightest so far but the whole (succinct thanks!!) collection will be in heavy rotation on my music thing while I take an unplanned trip down under. Thank you. Thank you. I needed to get away.
(Kelly, can we get credit for word count?)
Howdy "Sterling." Thanks for the cool mix of Upside-downer bands! Now you've got me feeling sad about selling all my vinyl a few years back. In that pile was the NZ compilation Tuatara, a fun record that included most of these artists.
Back in the mid-eighties I'd assumed that The Verlaines were named after Tom. And I sure wouldn't have known that "Death and The Maiden" was likely named after the Schubert chamber piece. Learned that Fun Fact from the 90s Polanski movie of the same title. (Ever see it? Intense!) My favorite song on Tuatara was "Coalminer's Song" by The Gordons.
Checked out the videos. Those Verlaines could've been rock stars even if they played no instruments.
P.S. Are Tuataras Land of The Lost critters, or what? Three eyes!
Don't bogart the Marmite, Jemaine!
Noice. Especially digging Grand Mal.
Feel like this Mix cements Down Under as the breeding ground for Bizarro bands -- bands that sound close to bands from here in the Up Top world, only a notch different. Maybe that's just what happens when you live in a world where your water goes down the drain in the opposite direction.
Digging it!
Tim Bob - I think the Death and the Maiden reference to having "our photo taken" is more in reference to a whole slew of artists' visual representations rather than the Schubert (which is clearly what the Polanski is about). Like this:
http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/3/9/6593-death-and-the-maiden-hans-baldung-grien.jpg
I've heard of that Tuatara vinyl - now I have to see if The Gordons are on iTunes. Thanks for the comments everyone!
i haven't listened to this yet, but being a kiwiphile myself, i can't wait to hear what you've come up with. i've got the tuatara comp and will be happy to burn it for you if you can't find it.
Ray—I was telling 'Sterling' at 'dinner' at 'our house' the other night that this mix would be right up your alley. I know you, Welter. I guess 17 or whatever years will do that...XOK
Yer right Niland. I love it. It was great hearing some new stuff (The Ruby Suns and Shocking Pinks - REALLY good), but hearing Chris Knox/Tall Dwarfs/JPS made me go revisit those. Of course, I listen to the Chills/Clean/Bats on an almost daily basis, including seeing the Clean (with Barbara Manning open!) a couple of months ago.
Thank you 'Sterling' (not sure why you put that in quotes-a pseudonym?) for a great mix!
PS: you stole my idea, by the way.
oh, i get it. never mind.
and isn't Death and the Maiden an Edvard Munch painting?
Enjoying the mix. The Bats and the Clean always make my toes tap. Have you heard the new Robert Scott solo record ?
I'm glad I'm part of this 3MPM clubby so I can expand my somewhat narrow musical vocabulary (although I had always thought otherwise until recently).
This mix is great! NZ bands seem to have a unique take on pop...all the bands on the mix sound distinct yet have a common feel...at least to me anyway.
Thanks!
The Ruby Suns? What? Who? Loved the production on "Kenya Dig It." Sounded like Bowie, The Generationals and The Legendary Jim Ruiz all mashed together.
Short. And very sweet. A super-duper mix, Stephen. Thank you. Really liked that Chris Knox song - it hurt my ears.
Wow! All stuff new to my collection. Thanks for the impetus for more investigation of so much terra incognita.
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