the sunday superlative - 5/31/09

This Week: Boing-Boom-Tschak, Techno-Pop.



I like my electronica. Maybe a little too much. Even this week's theme heading is a geeky electro reference. But let's be honest: you know that old saying, "The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach"? Not true with me. The fastest way to my heart is through a well-crafted electropop song. As much as I love ambition and creativity and envelope-pushing, sometimes I just wanna dance. Here are a few choice cuts by artists who share that sentiment.

Party on, Wayne.

Fischerspooner - "Never Win" (mp3|5.48MB)
It's nice to like a song just because it's catchy. Fischerspooner is not a pretentious band. I wonder if they know what pretensions are (I mean, they're a duo named Fischer and Spooner, respectively; I'm not sure you can get much more unpretentious than that). They just make straightforward, often very well written dance-pop that no doubt thrills just as much on the floor as it does through the headphones. "Never Win" is my personal favorite from their 2005 sophomore album: it's an energetic stomp through lyrical themes that, while not exactly new to pop music, come across as relatively lightweight and fun just because of the guys' approach. Check it out. You'll be humming it to yourself on your commute tomorrow morning, I promise. Or, well, actually I don't. But it is highly addictive.
(from the 2005 album Odyssey)

Ladytron - "Destroy Everything You Touch" (mp3|9.28MB)
It took one song for Ladytron to win me over forever. One listen to "Destroy Everything You Touch" and I was a goner. This wasn't merely one of the best tracks of 2005; it's shaping up to be one of the best singles of the entire decade. It's the kind of song so good that the band will have to struggle for the rest of their career to even come close to matching its power, as good as their other stuff may be (and it certainly is). Moving away from their prior plasticky-sounding electroclash stylings, they created a more full-blooded and domineering sound with their '05 opus Witching Hour (the entirety of which you also need), and as a result created something most electro fans will have an extremely hard time saying "no" to. "Destroy" is an icy, pounding, vigorous song, but sexily so. In essence, I imagine it's everything these guys (and gals) ever wanted to do with their music. It's certainly everything I'll ever want from it.
(from the 2005 album Witching Hour)

Plastic Operator - "Singing All the Time" (mp3|6.63MB)
It's the vocals. I've spent months dissecting this song, trying to figure out just what makes it so charming. Instrumentally, it's just your standard, run-of-the-mill synth swooner, but the slightly accent-laden voice of Pieter Van Dessel takes the song and knocks it clear out of the park. It seems appropriate for a song called "Singing All the Time," no? His highly melodic delivery is soothing in an almost preternatural way. I can't get enough of it. It's perfectly lovely, and in hindsight one of 2007's most overlooked gems. Too overlooked, in fact: Plastic Operator is the band that foiled even the supposedly infallible Amoeba. As much as I'd still gladly sell my soul to that heavenly Hollywood landmark, I asked a clerk specifically about these guys and he came up empty. Ah well. That's what the internet is for, right? Right. Check it out. It's the kind of buried treasure that inspires you to dig for more just so you can match it. That, to me, is pretty inspiring.
(from the 2007 album Different Places)

Pure Reason Revolution - "AVO" (mp3|8.01MB)
Sorry if I keep harping on this band, but I can't help it, okay? They are responsible for what is incontestably, in my eyes at least, one of 2009's finest albums, and the sad truth is that no one outside of a smallish cult following knows about them. Contrary to what most fans might say, this year's Amor Vincit Omnia is a marked improvement over their also-great 2006 debut The Dark Third: they've moved away from a lush, Floydian prog-rock into a more synthetic electronica while still holding onto the epic tendencies and stylistic touches that made them unique in the first place (multi-part vocal harmonies, anyone?). It's a small wonder the best songs are actually the ones that rely most heavily on their newfound synths and drum machines. Despite many stand-out tracks, they could not have chosen a more fitting closer than "AVO." What starts off as a gentle piano ballad with electronic embellishments gradually escalates into a life-affirming war cry, with the album's title being chanted over and over to astonishing effect. Simpy put: you need this song if you don't have it, and you need to listen to it again if you do. It's that good.
(from the 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia)

yeah okay i did four songs again but its not like i had a choice in the matter

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative or even some synth bloops of your own to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. The latter is especially true if your name is Thom Yorke and you want my personal opinion on your band's new album in advance of its release.

friday five - 29.05.09 - feel-good pop in 180 seconds or less

Hey. I love 15-20 minute epic musical masterpieces as much as the next cold-hearted indie snob you'll find on the street. Still, it's getting really, really hot out. Hot and humid. It is scientifically proven that my brain doesn't work properly in these conditions. (Coincidentally, I tend to say that every month of the year.)

So, I've decided this week's theme is going to be a mix of "indie pop" ear-candy specifically designed to make you feel good without the hassle of firing a single neuron. (That isn't to say the music is shallow by any means - some of the lyrics here are incredible.) Each song is less than three minutes long, so your summer-induced ADHD can be considered completely humoured.

And in keeping with the theme, I'll just say that all of these songs are, like, awesome ... and like, you should listen to them.

Hey, look over there. It's a thing!



Architecture in Helsinki - "Souvenirs" (mp3|2.30MB): 2 min 26 sec.

Koufax - "Facsimile" (mp3|2.38MB): 2 min 36 sec.

Mates of State - "My Only Offer" (mp3|5.62MB): 2 min 59 sec.

Rotary Ten - "I Fear the Field" (mp3|3.92MB): 2 min 47 sec.

The New Pornographers - "Streets of Fire" (mp3|2.47MB): 2 min 42 sec.


As always, send, um, stuff ... to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are cool. ... yep.

the sunday superlative - 5/24/09

This Week: Summer Anthems



I think this theme can capably speak for itself. Most people mark Memorial Day weekend as the unoffical beginning of summer (seriously, Summer Solstice: who are you kidding? You're way too late and we both know it), so I thought it'd be appropriate to break out a few of my favorite summertime anthems. And not just "summer anthems" in the traditional what's-popular sense, but songs from all eras that actively remind me of the warmth, relaxation, and laidback atmosphere of the year's most carefree season.

Go go Gadget summer.

The B-52's - "Rock Lobster" (mp3|6.23MB)
Really, it was only a matter of time before one of us found an excuse to post this song. Don't say you weren't expecting it. Maybe I suffer from an acute tunnelvision, but I can't conceive of how it would be possible for someone to dislike this song. I mean, seriously. It's so exuberantly, shamelessly cracked out that it's got to be some kind of insane musical landmark. At the very least, it's the perfect encapsulation of the "sunny" side of late-70s New Wave (of course there was a very dark side, too -- see: Joy Division, The Cure, etc.), and one of the funnest songs you're ever likely to hear. Plus, it has the best bassline ever. Bar none. No contest. That bassline can have my babies.
(from the 1979 album The B-52's)

The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer" (mp3|4.94MB)
It's songs like this that make me not care for The Fiery Furnaces all that much. Hear me out: I really like the song. I wouldn't post it otherwise. But it serves as a somewhat frustrating reminder of what this brother-sister team can do when they stop being self-consciously weird and "quirky" and actually sit down to write a pop song. I have no doubt, were they to invest the appopriate amount of effort in the endeavor, they could be one of the best indie-pop acts around; instead, they opt for being weird and "difficult," which often makes listening to their albums an aggravating experience. Still, even though the grass is always greener, they've at least been kind enough to give us a taste of the other side: "Here Comes the Summer" is delightful. It's warm and catchy, though tinged with a healthy dose of wistfulness and melancholy, while still sounding inherently like The Fiery Furnaces. So: it's a solid pop song that sounds like the work of a unique band. That's most artists' dream. Why would you want to complicate that?
(from the 2005 album EP)

The Lovin' Spoonful - "Summer in the City" (mp3|2.46MB)
I couldn't care less if it's an overly obvious choice; it's one of the finest pop songs ever recorded. What might not be immediately apparent to today's retroactive listening crowd is how innovative the production is. This was 1966. Recording technology was still relatively simplistic. Still, these guys manage to pepper their best-ever song with spiffy car horn and jackhammer sound effects while also making use of, to my knowledge, one of the earliest instances of synthesizers in rock. Of course, none of this would be important if the song itself wasn't phenomenal, but it is. The result is one of the best songs of the mid-60s: it's one whose timelessness has allowed it to endure, and I'm sure kids will still be humming it in another 43 years.
(from the 1966 album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful)

See you folks next week! Enjoy the beginning of your summer! Have a barbecue, jump in the pool, crank up that AC. Bonus points if you can do all three at once.

As always, lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative is welcomed at fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. All flames will be gleefully ignored, and therefore should be sent here instead.

friday five - 22.05.09 - thirty minutes to remember

I'm back! I've had cable internet at home for a few days now, and after I got it to work, I must say I'm in love. I know that having a speed of over 100kb/second on a regular basis may be old news for a good portion of you, but for me it's incredibly exciting. Whenever I download something, I just like to sit and stare at the progress bar. Sometimes I like to run Disk Cleanup on my new computer at the same time I'm downloading something and see which one wins.

Way better than Nascar.

Anyway, Memorial Day is coming up, and as such I will be attempting to avoid leaving the house all weekend. Seriously, when did the observation of hundreds of thousands of deaths suddenly equate to "I'm going to eat lots and get drunk"? It's the American dream, I tell you.

That said: on to the mix!


copyright 2008 Jeffrey Rowland of Overcompensating

Joy Division - "Atrocity Exhibition" (mp3|8.36MB): Let me be the first to say - if Chris hasn't already beat me to the punch (though I don't think so) - that Joy Division's Closer was one of the finest albums ever made. Despite the proliferation of amazing music today (especially this year, holy crap), the stuff that Ian Curtis churned out in this album ranks so much higher. The entire thing is brilliant, but it's terrifying. Most remember him primarily for having one of the most tragic deaths in the history of music, but spinning a song like this during days like these illuminates Curtis' poignance - and brutal foreshadowing - with startling clarity.
(from the 1980 album Closer)

Late of the Pier - "The Enemy are the Future" (mp3|7.23MB): When I first heard this band, I approached their music with the same reckless abandon that I did with Hercules and Love Affair. That is, I absolutely loved this CD, but I was initially tempted to forbid myself from thinking rationally while listening. Sporting psyched-out disco-style syncopation and catchy, schizophrenic lyrics, this is a song - like many others on the album - that runs on like a carefree dance party. Except it's a dance party wherein someone drops something of questionable legality in your drink and you spend the night freaking out about introspective minutiae.
(from the 2008 album Fantasy Black Channel)

Pluramon - "If the Kids Are United" (mp3|4.05MB): Given the recent (and by recent, I mean the past three or so years) revisitation of the progressive ideal by ambitious musicians of today - not to mention the surge in popularity that kind of music is receiving - I'm surprised more people haven't heard about Pluramon. With methadone-laced female vocals and a style audibly similar to The Cure, it becomes one of those bands you instantly reach for when it's nighttime and you want to be thoroughly blissed out before you sleep. Not really a song of reminiscence, but definitely a song of longing for peace.
(from the 2007 album The Monstrous Surplus)

Steven Wilson - "Abandoner" (mp3|5.50MB): To tell you the truth, it's incredibly difficult to glean specific meaning from any of this man's songs. Of course, this means that the songs in question are easily molded to fit any situation, which is just as good - if not better - than writing songs that actually tell you what the hell is going on. "Abandoner" seems like one of those eerie yet simple tunes, and while the distress isn't portrayed in the lyrics or melody, there's an interlude of pure, horrifying distortion at about 3:32 that completely changes the weight of the whole song. Um, auditory death.
(from the 2008 album Insurgentes)

The Decemberists - "Yankee Bayonet" (mp3|4.96MB): I'm a sucker for bouncy pop songs that include such visuals as bile and someone decomposing and being eaten by weevils. In all seriousness, though, hidden behind the catchy riffs and well-mannered beats, there exists one of the most heartbreaking stories ever set to music. Colin Meloy seems to be very adept at exploiting that talent, seeing as this album is rife with ironic exposition on love lost. Despite my adoration of the title trilogy and the epicness (is so a word) of "The Island," I can say with relative confidence that this is my favourite track.
(from the 2006 album The Crane Wife)

That's it for today. Even if you're planning on firing up the grill and cracking open a cold one this weekend, please take at least a few seconds to remember those who lost their lives to the violence of war. It isn't that difficult. And if you feel like today's post is chagrining your cheeseburger, a more upbeat and frivolous song for your festivities can be found here.

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 5/17/09

This Week: Experimental Germany



Much has been made about the overwhelming influence 1970s Krautrock has had on modern music. And I do mean overwhelming. I'm making a gross generalization here, but it's fairly safe to say that modern electronica, dance music, and even hip-hop would not have been possible if not for the hyperrhythmic innovations made in Germany throughout the 70s. The unfortunate thing about "influential" anything is that it can sometimes be a chore: you can see the brilliance, but it's just not enjoyable. Luckily for the world, much of 70s Krautrock still holds up very well to this day. Tonight I present to you highlights from three of the canonical Kraut bands (if not the three most canonical). Enjoy!

Can - "Vitamin C" (mp3|4.85MB)
It's easy to forget amid all this talk of the illustrious "Can jam" that there really was a German band called Can, and that their music was quite a bit more challenging than the laidback rock groove style generally attributed to their name might suggest. "Vitamin C," for all its frenetic instrumentation and paranoid rhythms, is probably just about the most accessible song they ever did. A friend once told me it's still somewhat of a staple among breakdancers, which is both badass and completely understandable. It's a great song, charged with energy, and one of the first to attempt a style that seems almost commonplace today. It's really, really cool. Just don't listen to it and think the rest of Can's music is going to be this "easy." It's not. Which isn't to say it's not rewarding: it is (Tago Mago is, by all means, a great album). It's just ... being on the cutting edge means you have to sacrifice a lot of conventional appeal. These guys still seem pretty far out, even forty years later. But really, isn't that why they're so great?
(from the 1972 album Ege Bamyasi)

Kraftwerk - "The Robots" (mp3|8.52MB)
No post entitled "Experimental Germany" would be complete without Kraftwerk. It's borderline treasonous. Against the Germans, of course. But honestly: no other Kraut band has ever been as influential as these guys (few bands period have been). They pioneered electronic music. If they didn't create it, they at least honed it into the serious art form we recognize today. While they have many standouts in their catalog, their best-ever song (for my money) will always be the chilling opener to their 1978 opus The Man-Machine. It's sinister, yet catchy and alluring (and if it sounds primitive by today's standards, remember: this was mindblowing stuff in 1978). It's one of the first songs in music history that sounds like it could have been made entirely by machines. And of course that's exactly the point.
(from the 1978 album The Man-Machine)

Neu! - "Hallogallo" (mp3|11.58MB)
Now this is the laidback groove I'm talkin' about. When contemporary indie bands like Fujiya & Miyagi or Death Cab pay homage to "Krautrock bands like Can," they're really paying their respects just as much to the unjustly forgotten (but no less hugely influential) Neu! This is just one chilled-out, relaxing song. Nevermind its length: instead of watching the time bar, just kick back. Cool off. This won't necessarily take you places, but it'll at least make you a little bit happier to be where you are.
(from the 1972 album Neu!)

That'll do it! Back to work tomorrow for most folks, sadly. But have a good week, okay? I'm counting on you for it!

As before, I would love it if you'd send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests, comments, suggestions, and death threats are all welcome in equal measure.

friday five - 15.5.09 - random wikipedia articles

Leave it to Lea to impinge upon my recently re-acquired life position of perpetually having nothing to do by calling me up and actually giving me something to do. Her internet is still on the fritz, see, so she enlisted me to sub for the Friday Five again. So: sorry, Lea fans, but you're going to have to deal with me again. It's a temporary condition, though. I promise.

The one thing that was never fully decided upon, though, was a theme. She gave me a suggestion which I later tried on for size, but after much painful brain-racking I came up dry and was forced dismiss it. It was about this time that I decided to do something audacious: you know that "random article" function on Wikipedia? I decided to be the first person in history to actually use it. In lieu of having an actual theme, I thought I'd let Wikipedia choose one for me (which may, in fact, be the least immoral thing Wikipedia has ever been used for).

The way this works: for each random page that comes up, I will dig through the dark recesses of my music collection and attempt to find something that loosely pertains to it. Once that song is found, I'll move onto the next until I'm done. I figure, what with last week's double-suck no-posting, my current academic freedom, and the fact that I could sit and click through random articles from now until the end of time, I can stand to do ten of these. So the Friday Five x 2 it is. Let's go!



Page Result #1: The Far Shore of Time
Empire of the Sun - "Standing on the Shore" (mp3|6.29MB)
If you haven't heard Empire of the Sun, this is definitely one of the three songs you're missing out on: light, breezy electropop from two Aussies who may or may not actually be from planet earth. They write some pretty awesome tunes, though. It's kind of hard to argue with that.
(from the 2008 album Walking on a Dream)

Page Result #2: Funky Koval
Stevie Wonder - "Superstition" (mp3|4.06MB)
This is one of those incredibly awesome songs that, for one reason or another, I always end up forgetting exists. That's a real shame, because it basically deserves to be synonymous with "funky." Maybe it is, though. Who knows? It's a huge classic no matter what, and an great excuse to get your butt up out of that office chair and boogie.
(from the 1972 album Talking Book)

Page Result #3: William Dolman
The Smiths - "William, It Was Really Nothing" (mp3|1.99MB)
I've often wryly noted that if the remainder of The Smiths' Hatful of Hollow were up to the standards of the first ten seconds of its opening track "William, It Was Really Nothing," it'd be the best album ever. That's only half a joke: the song sucks me in like few others I can think of, and over the course of an alarmingly brief 2:10 justifies once and for all why these guys are on the very short list of the greatest rock/pop acts of the last thirty years.
(from the 1984 album Hatful of Hollow)

Page Result #4: Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures
Battles - "Atlas" (mp3|9.78MB)
It's math-rock. This is really the best I can do for this one (though, to be fair, the song is spiffy and gleefully weird in equal measure -- I've always likened it to a future world where humans are defeated and taken over by robots and munchkins). People don't write songs about algorithms. At least for god's sake I hope not.
(from the 2007 album Mirrored)

Page Result #5: Stapedial branch of posterior auricular artery
The Trashmen - "Surfin' Bird" (mp3|2.16MB)
'Nuff said.
(from the 1964 album Surfin' Bird)

Page Result #6: Functional weakness
Good Charlotte - "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" (mp3|2.91MB)
'Nuff said.
(from the ... eh, who really cares?)

Page Result #7: Chief Toke
Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit" (mp3|2.36MB)
With all due respect to whoever the unfortunately named Chief Toke actually was, of course (what, you think I actually read these articles?). I'm sure most of you will gather why this, Jefferson Airplane's second-best song ever (after "Somebody to Love," from that same album), is just about the most appropriate song I could have put here. Quoth a brilliant man: "If you remember the 60s, you weren't there."
(from the 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow)

Page Result #8: Arts et Métiers (Paris Métro)
Berlin - "The Metro" (mp3|4.74MB)
Wow. This one turned out well. Not only is Berlin's "The Metro," in my humble opinion, one of the finest synth-pop songs of the 80s, but it's also ostensibly about the Paris metro. Among other things, of course. It's a really great song, though. I'm glad I had an excuse to include it, accidental as it may have been.
(from the 1982 album Pleasure Victim

Page Result #9: Mamma
Genesis - "Mama" (mp3|6.19MB)
Fact #1: Genesis was never the same after Peter Gabriel left in 1975. Fact #2: Phil Collins is bald. So what can a balding, lesser version of a band possibly give the world at large? Well, to be fair, it's not like late 70s/80s Genesis totally sucked. They had several really great songs. Their best post-Gabriel composition by far, however, is the eerie, atmospheric, and even slightly amusing "Mama." Phil really gets his chance to shine here, and he relishes it: it's been seven years and I still can't decide whether to smirk at or be creeped out by his overzealous "HAHA! HA!!"s.
(from the 1983 album Genesis)

Page Result #10: The Real World: Miami
Peaches - "Fuck the Pain Away" (mp3|4.73MB)
This, really, is the only fitting way to conclude such an entry. It's also evidence that my inner 13-year-old will never die, because I still kinda get some sort of gleeful adolescent rush listening to it. (Plus, it was on the Lost in Translation soundtrack. That gives it hipster merit, right?)
(from 2000 album The Teaches of Peaches)

That's all for this evening! If you hang around 'til Sunday, though, you'll get a second dose of me as I make my triumphant return to the Sunday Superlative after almost a solid month of absence. Don't worry, though. I have a real theme in mind for that one.

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 5/10/09

This Week: Yeah, I suck too.



We here at Friday Five Radio take our quality control seriously. That's why we never allow ourselves to post anything: because we suck. Lea's ongoing internet woes have already been disclosed, and they're duly noted. I, on the other hand, have no such excuse. All I'm doing this weekend is studying for finals, a masochistic endeavor that seems to mercilessly eat up every second of time I may (or may not, in some cases) have. So I apologize, like my co-DJ, for being unable to complete a full post this week because of this. (No, really. Words can't describe how much I'd rather be blogging about music than re-reading The Winter's Tale, a play that's dull and dreary even by Shakespeare's standards.)

And I know I've been slacking on my duties over the last couple weeks. Rest assured, though, that -- barring some cataclysmic or life-altering event -- I shall return in full form next week. School will be over, time will be freed up, and I will once again be able to fulfull my blogbligations.

I just created a word. See what I just did there? See how much I'm stalling so I won't have to get back to work?

I too have a single song to share. But I figured that since this blog is disappointment incarnate this week, I should hold true to the original mission of the Sunday Superlative. Enjoy.

Al Stewart - "Year of the Cat" (mp3|6.15MB)
If you held a gun to my head (please don't) and forced me to name my favorite song of all-time, this is the one that would pop out. Of course you can't hold me to that, and of course top favorites always change depending on mood, but no matter what I will always cite this as one of the most wonderful musical creations ever known to mankind. The lyrics are beautifully written and evocative ("She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running like a watercolor in the rain"), the melody is so excellent that "gorgeous" seems too weak a word (the piano was never put to better use in any song, period), and the instrumental bridge -- complete with soaring violin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and sax solos (oh, the sax) -- is breathtaking. This is one of the songs that defines why I love music. Whether or not you agree is beyond my control, but at least I can't say I didn't try. It's such a fine piece of work.
(from the 1976 album Year of the Cat)

Adios, amigos!

friday five - 08.05.09 - i am the worst blogger ever

Long day. Stressed out. No internet at my house again. Finally ordered cable instead of satellite so that I can do my thing even when clouds float by. (SERIOUSLY. The internet has been trashed by A CLOUD.)

Instead of leaving you hanging, though, I've got a great song that might help you not to hate me forever.

The Same Sky - Don't Fall Asleep (mp3|3.85MB): Globalisation wins. If you listen hard enough, you can almost taste the Wolf Parade influence in this Chilean band (which is never a bad thing) - and, oh, they also did a cover of "I'll Believe in Anything." So I guess the influence isn't just tasty; it's chewy, too. The merits of their style don't only lie with interpretation, however - with tremulous vocals, jazzy syncopation, and awkward yet fully enjoyable harmonies, they're a really unique treat.
(from the The Same Sky EP)

I'm going to go drink wine now and maybe stare at a wall.


As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week. For real, this time.

friday five - 01.05.09 - songs for a killer robot invasion

Hello! I hate technology.

(Just to inform the uninformed.)

I find it highly amusing on a very masochistic level that I would aspire to a career that primarily deals with technological advances and improvements when it's incredibly obvious that technology wants nothing to do with me. Technology probably considers me that annoying neighbour that knocks on the door to borrow a cup of sugar when it's trying desperately to have mad bondage sex with society.

Well, society's a whore.

So I bring you this episode of FFR from the lovely cement confines of my workplace, due to the fact that now that my computer finally works, the internet has decided to vacation somewhere where people would rather watch bestiality videos and chicken battles than do their homework and, I don't know, write about music.

It's okay, internet. I understand. Bitch.

Now, since I've written a long and offensive ramble on my rocky relationship with technology &c, it's time for me to post some songs that would be perfect for the impending killer robot invasion that I've undoubtedly encouraged. (Which is basically an excuse for me to dump a bunch of angry industrial tracks on your doorstep like a sack of flaming poo. But this is quality poo, yeah?)



Apoptygma Berserk - Electronic Warfare (mp3|9.16MB): I'm pretty sure that if I were ever to play this album in the car, I would have speeding tickets spilling over the seats. As it is, I drive what could basically be considered a soccer mom van, and it doesn't really like speeds. This, as you can imagine, would be extremely frustrating with music like this. Early hyper-thrashbeat Apop is hyper and thrash-y, and there are some occasions when no other music will suffice. You can easily picture having this on your iPod while running away from fire-breathing robots through dark, damp alleys as they hunt you for your offensive visceral bits, right? That's what I thought.
(from the 1998 album Apopcalyptic Manifesto)

Cesium 137 - Darkest Dream (mp3|11.69MB): Some of CS137's stuff sounds a little like something out of a canned drum kit, but I will stand by this track until the day I die. The melody is just distorted enough, and the insanity is so well-distributed that I can't imagine not listening to this while I'm in One of Those Moods. The synth itself croons out a song and the human voice is the sample. I thought it was ultimately appropriate.
(from the 2001 album Advanced/Decay)

Dismantled - Essence (mp3|10.83MB): So this song is creepy as hell. Just putting it out there. It's one of the only industrial tracks I've come across that's made me want to keep looking over my shoulder. It's the kind of song you'd hear when you're standing in the middle of the street, alone, with the streetlamps beaming down just enough light against the wet pavement to show your shadow. You can see your breath in the chilled air, and your eyes are wide. Then, suddenly, it's there right behind you, and you're running for your life. The fact that the voice keeps getting raspier and more insistent and more, well, batshit crazy, coupled with the increasing tempo - it doesn't exactly sooth the mind and soul. Highly recommended!
(from the 2004 album Post Nuclear)

Front Line Assembly - Nine Times (mp3|11.81MB): Ever wonder what it would sound like if the guys from Fujiya & Miyagi were chased by killer robots? This is pretty much it. Not that I would ever encourage such an occasion, but the imagery is great. And Front Line Assembly has that awesome early-electronica Kraftwerk-y feel to a good portion of their stuff, so it's even more endearing. The random disbursement of metallic shrieks is a nice touch to a song that practically screams "We Are the Robots."
Best thing about that whole last paragraph? The fact that Kraftwerk is now an adjective. Hell. Yes.
(from the 1992 album Initial Command)

UCNX - Presence (mp3|10.10MB): This album is infuriating for no other reason than I wish I would have listened to it in 2008. The electronic blend is almost as hypnotic as Burial, and the very human vocals almost add to the post-apocalyptic dehumanised atmosphere that a lot of industrial music tries to convey. This track makes my head spin in such a good way, though, because in the middle of it you have like, Billy-Joel-as-a-robot playing a short break, and then all of a sudden it's back into this amazing syncopated assembly-line style synth forte, and I really can't describe it any better than that.
(from the 2008 album Absolute Zero)

Anyway, that's it. Just in time, too, 'cause I think I hear blowtorches and the water in the toilet seems to be rippling with ground shocks. Before I go, though, I'd like to thank my co-DJ Chris for tearing his attention away from the Brillo pads and Orange Clean to cover for me last Friday. Without him, this blog would be a cold, desolate place.

Well, hope he survives the destruction. Cheers!

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next w -

[fizzle]

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