Unfortunately, March’s compilation got pushed back until April, but I do believe this is a case of better late than never. With the release of last month’s CD, there was a bit of push back from some of the “old-timers” who frequent this site. The events that transpired ultimately formed the idea for March’s theme. I know that there was a lot music before I was born in 1983, the problem is that I have not listened to most of it. I know I need to but where do I find the time and where can I go to get a sample bag? Solution. Ask a couple of forty-somethings to give us what they were listening to while ditching class in high school. So download and take a little trip to the past when marijuana was called “rope” and Michael J Fox was the greatest thing since Lassie.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their tracks to make this collaboration possible.

Not sure how many here are familiar with Daytrotter.com, but it a great site with live sessions from many of my personal favorites. I have referenced them before when they had an Akron/Family bootleg (I know, shocking…). This chicago site is a great source for discovery of new music and also has original woodstock-esque artwork of all the musicians who pass through. Check it out.

Today I stumbled upon a couple of great downloads from the site, some of which I will share with you here now. FYI You will need to register with them if you have not done so yet.

Live – In Studio Downloads:

The Dodos – Its That Time Again
The Dodos – Jody
The Dodos – Paint the Rust
The Dodos – Undeclared

I have not seen The Dodos live in awhile and the last time was at the horrid Echoplex. I miss them.

You might be tired of AK by now, but in case you are not I found this bootleg on another website. Since then I have re-spliced the nodes and created an album cover and tagged the songs appropriately. It is now in mp3 format.

There is a song on here that I have never heard before called “Small Shapes”. Additionally Akron plays a Seth Olinsky song from the Best of Seth album titled “Ali, Ali”.  It is a beautiful love ballad about that moment when you see a young woman across the way and are set in a momentary trance.

“Just so you know; if you buy our records, we can eat. And that is awesome.” — Miles Seaton

Track List:

1. Suchness
2. Moment
3. Running, Returning
4. Small Shapes
5. Blessing Force
6. Ali, Ali
7. Raising the Sparks

back in high school 1990-1995 there was no internet, no myspace, no pitchfork. we had NME (courtesy of the local public library), Select Magazine (courtesy of the bookstore at the mall), Rodney on the Rock, MARS 103.1 (first time I heard Field Mice was on MARS) and catalogs from labels like Creation, 4AD, Merge, K,  Sarah, and Slumberland.  So many great bands on Slumerland, I miss them all.

Rocketship, The Ropers, Lilys, Velocity Girl, Stereolab, and now The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (SLR 89, released February 2009).

I also miss watching Are You Being Served and Eastenders on Friday nights (courtesy of KOCE), but we’ll save that for another post. Or not.

My good British friend named Brain at work shared this URL with me today.  He is a member of this site but has issues with perfectionism; subsequently, rendering him unable to post a comment or post. Therefore, I shall share his link with you all.

Asobi Seksu – Me and Mary from their new album Hush

Asobi Seksu is the purest form of  “shoegazer” that I know still releasing albums today (My Bloody Valentine does not count because their album has been pending for 7 years).

Enjoy.

With the announcement of My Bloody Valentine playing on Sunday night at Coachella, it is only fitting that we here at TSS should all become more well versed in the genre of shoegaze. Personally, I am hoping to sail through previously uncharted waters of the shoegaze movement. For those of you who are not familiar with the genre, you might be asking yourself,  “What the ****  is this shoegaze?” Well, to be honest I am not really sure myself. What I do know is that it is used to describe MBV; consequently, it is heavily layered with sprinkles of a light female voice. Other descriptors one might use are: Sonic, Dream-like, Meditative, etc. In the end, my belief is that shoegaze is any form of music which helps define the truth through introspection.

I asked five regular participates of the TSS crew to give us their selections which meet their own criteria for shoegaze. Some of our more versed listeners might debate whether these songs fit the true definition of shoegaze but remember these monthly cds are about expansion of the musical mind, attempting to melt away the prejudices keeping us from fully experiencing sound.

I am just as excited as the next guy about exploring these tunes. Enjoy.

(Click the Album to start downloading)

Thank you everyone who submitted their playlists.
Capt AKAK

As many of you probably read two weeks ago, George Pants gave the cyber world an exclusive insight into the underpinnings that have sculpted his musical palette. Next, he asked each of us to dive within our own playlists to discover those secret gems which lay hidden beneath the surface of common day music sites. Here is an abridged version of my response to his call to arms as well as the disc download he requested:

Download : Capt AKAK’s Top Ten Esoteric Tracks

10. The Ohsees – Quadrospazzed
Found out about this band when they opened for Dodos on one of their first tours.

9. Isotope 217 – Beneath the Undertow
Jazz song for my life as a character in a David Mamet movie or the real song that should have been playing for the Beastie Boys Sabotage video.

8. James Chance – Almost Black Part 1
Just cant help myself with this one.

7. Daniel Higgs – Living in the Kingdom of Death
The first time I heard this song it was 1 am, I needed to sleep but started copying the song to my itunes library. I had the option on autoplay once it is copying. So it started playing without me telling it. I was sent into a trance. I sat staring at my screen for an hr within surfing the internet. I just listened and looked at the screen.

6. Fire on Fire – Grin
I am just mad I missed them playing at the knitting factory 5 wednesdays ago.

5. Gastr Del Sol – Dictionary of Handwriting
John McEntire on drums to this song speaks to that 12 year old girl you spoke of GP. This song just fucking rocks.

4. James Blackshaw – The Cloud of Unknowing
One minute into the song I always want to float into space, too bad about gravity.

3. Shrimp Boat – Collecting Me
This one is perfect (well near perfect or I would have it number one)

2. Seth Olinsky – Dirt Road Cloud of Light
Tantric. His lyrical style and tone speaks to my core. “You hold on til its safe”

1. Michael Gira – Blind
Buy this song off some site if you dont have it. It is my life. It is my darkness. It is my truth. It is my hope. It is my never again. Basically take the first four chapters of the Big Book and replace it with the lyrics to this song.

For my full response:  Comments Section for George Pant’s Post&lt

What up Lil Nigglets:

We are gathered here today to witness a somewhat historic day in the short existence of TSS; the unveiling of our collective consciousness collaborative cd. This is hopefully a first of many cds to be “released” here at your home for new musical sources. The contents of this disc are the work of 5 regular writers for the site’s content. There was no guidance given to them on picking these songs other than each person was allowed 15 minutes of contributions. Consequently, the name of this album is called The Unfocused Theme.

The intention of this album is not to expliot artists or condone the download of lincensed material. My hope is that these songs might spark your interests into a new source of music which will in turn lead to future purchasing of these artists albums, merchandise or concrete tickets. One thing for certain is that one song  is not a substitute for a whole album and the real magic of an album (in my opinion) is the song sequences. For instance, the reason why Deerhunter’s Microcastle is feking incredible is the journey which each song leads into the next. I guess what I am trying to say is that please support the artists who are probably being explioted by the production of this and future TSS compilations.

Contained within these disc’s DNA are genres ranging from punk to indie to blues; I hope you enjoy this all you can eat buffett. Any suggestions for future themes…I am ears.

Click Here to Download –> TSS : Volume I – The Unfocused Theme

http://www.mediafire.com/?ycizmozijnn

“Only 200 limited edition cassettes were made of the session (100 in orange, 100 in pink). The orange versions were given away free to the audience at Deerhunter’s Halloween show in their home town of Atlanta, Georgia last week. The pink versions will be given away on the 4AD site. This is the only way anyone will be able to get hold of physical versions of this session.

This session was recorded during the evening of the 15th of September at Studio Plateaux, a DIY studio nestled on the Platts Eyott island – a nature reserve with the western end designated as Green Belt – on the Thames, London.

The idea behind the session was in memory of John Peel and his famous Radio 1 sessions. The studio equipment is a rare collection of vintage Ribbon microphones, pre-amps tape machines and effects, all researched over many years and sourced from around the world.

Bradford Cox recorded songs “like a continuous stream of consciousness; the session is intended to be listened to in order and uninterrupted.” Kristian Craig Robinson (Capitol K) produced and engineered the session, while Bradford reworked several songs from Microcastle, a new version of ‘Spring Hall Convert’ from Cryptograms and a couple of unreleased songs.”

I hope you don’t mind me jumping on this post JP. I just found this vid from Microcastle as well. 

~Capt AKA

Deerhunter – Microcastle from Adam Bruneau on Vimeo.

http://www.mediafire.com/?yr4iy2jgmzz