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

Obviously, my new life’s goal is to find a reason to be at spaceland every Saturday Night. I mean it is the best ten bucks spent north of the Mexican border.

I feel like these two bands are probably new to TSS community as they are fresh to the Kittle dome.

Grails is an experimental, post-rock, noise band ala God is an Astronaut and Trans Am except a little on the lighter side. James Blackshaw is an acoustic guitar specialist whose songs embody more than their original point of origin. There are many rhythms and paces yet one person, ten fingers and six strings. Enigmatic. From JB, I recommend the album “The Cloud of Unknowing” which was released in 2007.

I am really interested in seeing James Blackshaw who just signed with YoungGodRecords (Angels of Light, Banhart, and formerly Akron Family). Michael Gira described listening to his acoustic sets as “exquisite in an ineffable way, and taps into a place, a dream place, or a pre-thought place, which each of us might recognize was always there inside of us and is suddenly revealed. Like coming home after a painful journey, I suppose…” Sentences such as that make me want to jump out of a building.

On balance I figured I could spend ten dollars on “Marley & Me” or explore spaceland. My choice was easy. What is yours?