I don't want to

I know this was written and sung with tongue-in-cheek, but, well, I guess I live a tongue in cheek thought-life. These past two weeks have been a killer for me and I wish I was a lifeless robot. I can't say I was ever happier than the time I was married and I am being a pussy. Be that as it may, there was nothing better than being in love and I can't imagine meeting anyone more perfect than Naomi.

The Magnetic Fields - I don't want to get over you
I don't want to get over you. I guess I could take
a sleeping pill and sleep at will and not have to
go through what I go through. I guess I should take
Prozac, right, and just smile all night at somebody new,
Somebody not too bright but sweet and kind who would
try to get you off my mind. I could leave this agony behind
which is just what I'd do if I wanted to, but I don't
want to get over you cause I don't want to get over love.
I could listen to my therapist, pretend you don't exist
and not have to dream of what I dream of; I could listen
to all my friends and go out again and pretend it's enough,
or I could make a career of being blue--I could dress
in black and read Camus, smoke clove cigarettes and drink
vermouth like I was 17 that would be a scream but I
don't want to get over you.

Something Had To Give: goodbye Indie mp3?

With the end of the year approaching, I have been alerted to several blogs that are closing down or completely changing their focus. Some of these blogs are in no way related to what I do here, so I can't see the point of listing them.
One blog that is joining the digital dustbin (God, that was awful writing) has been a big influence and source of new music for me: Indie mp3.

They explain themselves thusly:
An indie pop webzine reviewing albums, gigs and singles as well as seeking out and championing new indie pop bands and labels (2001-2008)
Indie MP3 started out in 2001 which a weekly download from my indie pop collection. There were no other indie pop sites out there (not that I could see anyway). A blog was added in 2003 and the site transformed itself into a fully fledged review site in 2004.
Indie MP3 merged with Lost Music in 2006 which saw gig promotion, club nights and the launch of our own record label. A CDR label is to follow in 2009 alongside our residencies at London's Gramaphone and Enterprise venues. This all means something had to give and indie mp3 folded in December 2008.

I've read a few posts about this sad loss and I think the best one is here.

Geeze, this has made this song embed itself into my mind tonight. Too much "alternative" radio while working retail in the 1990s has me shell-shocked.

The Sound of Arrows says "Let's Do A Remix"

From a myspace post at http://www.myspace.com/thesoundofarrows:
"....+ mashup mp3. As if 4 remixes on our upcoming single wasn't enough, we're letting you try your luck at remixing/mashuping/re-hashing/whatevering 'M.A.G.I.C.'

Go fetch over here: M.A.G.I.C. (Vocals)

It might turn out to sound something like this: The Sound of Wyflec and Arrows - Perfect Magic

Do email your results to us: thesoundofarrows@labrador.se
Good luck!"

This point in time would be a great time for Sweden's Labrador Records to take advantage of the movie and book "Marley and Me".
"You guys up for some reggae tonight?" Wait, there is no reggae on Labrador, but Ghost World is still my favorite movie. No, I mean, film.

Merry Christmas and Apoptygma Berserk

There was not one shred of merry today, as I slept from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. I couldn't fall asleep on Christmas Eve, so I went home. Now I am awake, and it's raining, so it feels about as wintery as it gets here in San Diego.
The release of this full video has lifted me some. No opinion as to the song yet, but I am thinking it's a bit of Apop on auto-pilot. I look forward to some remixes and even more singles.


I am working on PopCast 20 tonight, happy to have some self-imposed time off. I will be sifting through blogs all night, searching out those pop gems that I love to discover.
Drop me a line or comment, if you can spare a moment.

In time for the new year: Champagne Riot

I am really into this track by Champagne Riot, titled "Scandanavian Warfare." The artist is on Shelflife Records, based in Portland, Oregon.

Here's the what the press release says:
"You needn’t be out of touch with contemporary music or a nostalgic remnant of some other, long-past era to suspect that pop has, by and large, lost its sense of romance. Not only in terms of its willingness to lyrically explore the lexicon of love without the escape clause of postmodern irony, but the romance of unashamedly grand and eccentric gestures – the inherent romance of outsiders seeking to gently subvert the pop song, reconstructing it as something familiar yet foreign, classicist yet newfangled. Think of the Human League’s Dare!, ostensibly a collection of love songs made to sound like science fiction; or New Order’s plainspoken anti-poetry couched in synthetic symphonies that were the very antithesis of the everyday.
It is this largely abandoned idea of the velvet melody in the robotic glove to which Champagne Riot aspires. And with its debut EP, Paris and I, you hear it realized."
read more here.

Don't miss out on the free mp3s to be collected via the Shelflife Blog: http://blog.shelflife.com/

This track can be downloaded from Shelflife here.

I'm thinking this one will make it to PopCast 20....gonna cross-fade it with Lola Dutronic's "My Radio."

December 16, 2006. A beginning and an end.

I'm working on a "Year end recommendations" for 2008. This will be a work in progress, as linking and verifying can be a challenge. I nearly threw my shoes at the screen already.

Also, I love you, N.R.T. I always will. Two years ago today could not have been more beautiful. I pray everyday for angels to comfort and protect you. I am waiting for you to come home.

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Los Campesinos - We Are Beautiful We Are Doomed (2008)
We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery (2008)
The Cure - 413 Dream-(2008)
The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts (2008)
CSS - Donkey
Saint Etienne - London Conversations (2008)
The Futureheads - This is Not the World (2008)
Travis - Ode To J Smith (2008)
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music (2008)




Gentle Touch - In Memory of Savannah
Ashbury Heights - Morningstar In A Black Car EP
Black Kids - Partie Traumatic (2008)
Neuropa - The Blitz
The Foxglove Hunt - Stop Heartbeat (2008)
Universal Poplab - Seeds (2008)
KieTheVez - Non-Binary
Peter Heppner - Solo


Juliana Hatfield - How To Walk Away (2008)
Dido - Safe Trip Home (2008)
Duffy - Rockferry (2008)


Singles:
Arthur and Martha - Autovia (Single Edit)
Biker Boy - Calendar - 2008 Songs
Cougar and Snail - Ginger Blood
Ostrich - Sleepy Angels



Meh Category:
Ladytron - Velocifero (2008)
Blank & Jones - The Logic of Pleasure
Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs (2008)
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads (2008)
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree (2008)

Like Sugar - PopCast 19 now LIVE

THIS IS THE EDIT / UPDATE: THIS LINK IS TO THE SMALLER FILE AND MAY WORK FOR MY iTUNES LISTENERS: http://www.raincross-tech.com/~djt/Like%20Sugar%20-%20DJ%20Talbot%20-%20PopCast%2019%20(128kbps).mp3




Like Sugar - DJ Talbot - PopCast 19
74 min; 30 sec

(Fill) The Sisters Of Mercy - Body Electric
01 - Cocteau Twins - Summerhead
02 - Silver Screen - Really No Wonder
03 - The Postmarks - Weather the Weather
04 - The Panics - Creaks
05 - Los Compesinos! - Ways To Make It Throught The Wall
(fill) Bauhaus - God In An Alcove
06 - White Lies - Death (Radio Edit)
07 - The Birthday Massacre - Walking With Strangers
08 - Zeigeist - Fight With Shattered Mirrors
09 - The Cribs - Men's Needs (CSS Remix)
10 - CSS - Move
11 - Ashbury Heights - Smile (Remix by Marsheaux)
12 - Poni Hoax - Hypercommunication (Joakim's Cartoon Muscle Mix)
13 - Cut Copy - Far Away
14 - Christopher Anton - Pompous P
15 - Neuropa - The Silicon Teens
16 - Dope Fiend - Dope Fiend
(fill) Meat Beat Manifesto - The Unprintable Word
17 - Travis - Quite Free
18 - Peter Murphy - Face The Moon
19 - Mitch Hedberg

File is 102mb @192kbps
Direct Download: http://www.raincross-tech.com/~djt/Like%20Sugar%20-%20DJ%20Talbot%20-%20PopCast%2019.mp3

Streaming Sites:
iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=264378872
mevio: http://likesugar.mevio.com/
Odeo: http://odeo.com/channels/544823

Play-lists:
http://djtalbotlikesugar.googlepages.com/home

XML Subscription Links:
http://mevio.com/feeds/likesugar.xml

More Blog than you

I'm not sure if I should post this or that without more research, but I have it best to be honest and say "I don't know anything about _________ . "
What I am saying is that I am often exposed to the music of certain artists, without seeing any media images, reading anything about them, etc. I form an opinion about a track or album without any outside influence (with the occasional label association to muddy my vision).
I've enjoyed the music of Ashbury Heights these past few months. I played "Smile" and "Spiders" with some remixes on Like Sugar. I really like their sound and that's enough for me.
All this does not explain my tendency to become a snob and dislike bands because of their popularity. For example, I loved Nine Inch Nails in 1987. By 1992, I was a snob, if only based on "my" band's the exposure to the masses. To contrast my snobbishness, you just read the venomous posts on Drowned In Sound. People "slag" off any popular bands instead of being happy for their success. Again, I wobble on this subject, as there are some bands that achieve a certain level of media exposure and I think they are rather derivative of earlier acts. I stress derivative; the band isn't musically talentless, but rather not creating their own sound.
So, while I enjoy Coldplay, and I do not hear any particular musical progression, I can appreciate Coldplay's capture of a certain sound and genre. While someone might feel Coldplay is the worst band ever, and someone might attack a man while singing a "Yellow" karaoke (yes, this happened), I can sit back and get chills from this popular band. I can then listen to, say, Massive Attack and hear a pioneering spirit. 1991 was the beginning of this "trip-hop" sound that I wouldn't embrace until 1996! I was too busy being a snob.

All this rambling, spell-checked B.S. is to say that what I "DJ" is what I like, without too much negative attention from the various media sources. Someone once scratched off the word "alternative" on a sticker that was on the window of my truck. Times have changed..."alternative" doesn't offend so much, but it holds my interest.

Video Round Up

Posting videos is lazy blogging, but perhaps a few readers and listeners did not catch the artists I featured on past Like Sugars and CTRL-ATL-F6, so watch and or listen to some more obscure bands I've played:

Peter Heppner (of Wolfsheim) - Alleinesein



Felix Marc - Give Me Back The Moments


The Faint - The Geeeks Were Right (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix version was played on Like Sugar 14)


The Foxglove Hunt - A Concealed Weapon



Cougar and Snail - Ginger Blood


We Are Scientists - After Hours


Those Dancing Days - Hitten


The Tough Alliance - 25 Years and Runnin'