February 25, 2007

play.list 1.1 [2.25.2007]

playlist for blog.cast to air
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2007 8-10pm EST.

POST PUNK 2.0?
this month i've been revisiting much of the music from my youth. i was and still am a huge fan of the factory records label and the original post.punk music scene in england circa 1978-1984. for me the music reflected an era of edgy, and moody contemplation. hints of the original punk aesthetic were clearly audible but there was something a bit darker at work. much of "fuck-off" attitude had been replaced with a more introspective approach to the music. for whatever reason, this is what appealed to me. i was always a fan of the slower or moodier tracks on records growing up, so when i discovered bands like the chameleons, crispy ambulance, gang of four and of course joy division in the mid-80's i was pretty elated to say the least. here were some artists not afraid to write an entire record of slower moody tracks with lyrics that spoke from heart. then the second wave of post-punk appeared circa 1984-1989. many of these bands were from the original genre but were embraced by the original "gothic music" crowd. siouxsie and the banshees & the cure were two of its major victims. around 1990, the whole post-punk scene seemed to transform into a moody wall of noise that became known as shoegaze. (which i'm planning on addressing in a future blog.cast). post.punk as an actual genre faded out. now let's fast-forward a decade or so. i'm listening to the radio in my car in 2002. i hear this song that is obviously new, but totally sounds like it was culled from a factroy records sampler in the tony wilson heyday. the band was interpol and i credit them/ blame them for what has now been tagged as the post-punk revival. since the release of interpol's debut record "turn on the bright lights" in 2002, which was a very good album, there have been more band than i care to count that have ventured back two decades to draw from the original post.punk well. is there anything wrong with this, well, yes and no. being a self proclaimed music snob, it pisses me off that many in younger crowd that love the bravery, interpol, editors, art brut etc... have no awareness or care about the genre history. another slight irritation is many people seem to think this style is totally original and has been created by these bands. but the flip side is if people do become curious when echo and the bunnymen are referenced as an influence and then check them out hopefully they buy some of the echo back catalogue. it's a double edge sword that so many musical genres have faced over the years. it's just odd getting to that age where you hear yourself sounding like your parents. i'll never forget in 1987 my mom walking in my room when i was playing "siamese twist" from flesh for lulu's "long live the new flesh" and her saying it sounded a led zeppelin track. i was like "what?!?!, no way!!" but now in retrospect, i can see why she thought that. the irony is now i see myself doing the same thing. some questions i have to ask is what twist, if any, have these bands put on the genre. how is it speaking to this new generation and can they seriously build a legit career or hope for longevity by drawing so literally from a dead genre? i think interpol are one example of a band that made a killer first album, but when they released their second, fell into the slump of not knowing where exactly to go. it will be interesting to see what happens and who lasts and who fades after the debut release.

it's in this spirit i present this month blog.cast. i've selected some of my favorite original post.punk tracks/bands and have woven them together with my favorite tracks from this second coming of post post punk if you will.

enjoy.


PLAYLIST [comments to be added throughout the live blog.cast]:
the chameleons // second skin // script of the bridge // 1983 // 6:51
flim school // activation // alwaysnever e.p. // 2003 // 4:03
the cure // at night // seventeen seconds // 1981// 5:54
interpol // leif erikson // turn on the bright lights // 2002 // 4:00
a certain ratio // winter hill // to each... // 1981 // 12:45
bloc party // compliments // silent alarm // 2005 // 4:43
joy division // heart and soul // closer // 1980 // 5:51
dead can dance // a passage in time // dead can dance // 1984 // 4:03
crispy ambulance // travel time // the plateau phase // 1982 // 3:51
and also the trees // shaletown // shaletown 12" // 1982 // 4:10
southern death cult // false faces // southern death cult // 1983 // 3:41
editors // someone says // the back room // 2005 // 3:13
the bravery // no brakes // the bravery // 2005 // 3:04
the danse society // women's own // women's own 12" // 1982 // 3:31
art brut // my little brother // bang bang rock and roll // 2005 // 2:23
gang of four // it's her factory // entertainment // 1979 // 3:08
wire // a touching display // 154 // 1979 // 6:55
longwave // wake me when it's over // the strangest things // 2003 // 4:05
section 25 // be brave // always now // 1982 // 4:39
ambulance ltd // stay where you are // ambulance ltd. // 2004 // 5:54
the stockholm monsters // kan kill (7" version) // 1984 // 4:06
pinback // AFK // summer in abaddon // 2004 // 5:13
tv on the radio // dreams // desperate youth, blood thirsty babes // 2004 // 5:09
new order // turn the heater on (john peel session) // 1982 // 5:01
low // down // i could live in hope // 1994 // 7:29

posted by jason sloan @ 1:57 PM 0 Comments