So it seems that some of you have already received your cd shaped Christmas cards in the post. (Thanks to M for remembering to post them). I used the addresses sent in response to the Christmas Card List email I sent a couple of weeks ago so if you haven't yet received a copy, then you apparently don't know your own address.....Oh and the Ks will be receiving their copy with the stuff we’re mailing home after Christmas. Abba and Hanoi Rocks should totally be on this compilation. You’ll see why in a minute. Anyways – these songs tie together a lot of our eventful year in Vancouver. Some predate our trip but have featured strongly in the soundtrack. Attached are some brief explanations of exactly why. Hope youse enjoy and let us know what you think.
Warning : those of you bored by words without pictures, or by excessive muso ramblings, may skip straight to the interactive CD.
We Send One Kisses
1. Minus The Bear | Absinthe Party At The Fly Honey Warehouse
Our infamous undanceable “first dance” music opens proceedings. We got engaged in Paris see? And got locked on absinthe (and cheap champagne among many other things) the night we got engaged, yeah? So this song is basically about us and it’s therefore fitting that it’s undanceable-to :) Even though it always makes us *want* to dance.
2. Metal Hearts | Socialize
Two 18 year olds putting the rest of us to shame. “Socialize”…..Advice for life. Maybe not for Canadian life though. Pinbacky to the max. Not such a bad thing. Found this late on in the year.
3. Great Lake Swimmers | Moving Pictures, Silent Films
This is an overly long rambling piece of acoustic emo. But we likes it.
4. Sunset Rubdown | Shutup I Am Dreaming
This song will forever remind us of our Canadian (off) roadtrips. We saw these guys playing in Richards at the start of the summer with Dave (supporting Frog Eyes). It’s Spencer Krug from Wolf Parade’s “dramatic” side project and they were so tasty that I drunkenly purchased their entire 3 CD back catalog for a haggled 20 bucks before they’d even finished their set. This CD came with us on all our roadtrips and we love this song. We had an adventure with damp homeless people on the way home that night aswell – remember that Dave? Such a great adventure was it that I didn’t make it into work the next day :) Don’t make a sound.
5. The Mountain Goats | This Year
Holding hands, locking eyes. Twin High Maintenance Machines. We made it through this year without it killing us. Hopefully next year will be equally as kind. Does anyone remember dancing to this at our house cooling party this time last year? Frankie, I’m lookin at you.
6. The National | Mr. November
One of my favourite songs from the album. Cos I’m a self obsessed Scorpio.
7. AC Newman | Miracle Drug
A great guitar pop songwriting extravaganza. Thank you Buck from Thumped.
8. Elliott Smith | St Ides Heaven
“It’ll go around with anyone but it wont come down for anyone”. They should’ve just let him stay high. Maybe he’d still be around.
9. I'm From Barcelona | We're From Barcelona
More crazy Scandanavians. If this song doesn’t make you want to dance with the shocking lack of decorum a drunken aunty displays at a wedding, then you’ve misspent your endorphins. I’m still entertaining notions of relocating to Barcelona. That is all.
10. The Whitest Boy Alive | Burning
Perfect pop. I think Erlend Øye (the singer……from Norway!!) sings on the James Figurine tune “All the way to China” aswell. I’m freaked out in a Nordic kind of way. It’s not the Koreans we need to worry about apparently – the Vikings are coming!.
11. Pinback | Cut
Awwwwww STICKIT! Every compilation I’ve ever made post discovering Pinback contains a Pinback tune. Another favourite band of mine which I finally got to see play live in Vancouver. No Scandanavian connection at time of writing.
12. Trio | Da Da Da
Sitting in Fat Burger on Denman listening to some 80s radio station one rainy Vancouver evening, sober, and this came on and it changed my life. Well at the very least it changed my digestive patterns. I got the album this song appears on and very strange it is too.
13. James Figurine | All The Way To China
Another Vancouver download – from the guy who brought us the Postal Service, DNTEL etc. Another great pop song.
14. Mew | The Zookeeper's Boy
We were accidentally jaw droppingly introduced to these guys – this song in particular - when we saw them at the Commodore in Vancouver as a support act (thanks for the wedding anniversary tickets Matt & Niamh). I could tell they were from somewhere in Scandanavia based only on the empirical evidence of their stage outfits (neck scarves featured prominently). I came straight home and sought out this song on the interweb – not easy when you don’t know the name of the band, nevermind the name of song. Fair play to me. Live they kind of reminded me of Rollerskate Skinny – remember the first night we saw them Marc? That kind of a revelation. 5 guitars and 5 massively reverbed/delayed vocals. Great Danes. Fair play to them.
15. Icebreaker | Song For NATO
Icebreaking for NATO is such a noble exercise I think. Full on EcoTourism. Picked this up in the bargain bin of Scratch Records (so called we believe because there’s a BC health board notice on constant display in the musty smelling hallway warning about the presence of bed bugs!....in a bedless hallway!!). Donal Dineen used to play this years ago and I’ve been in love with it ever since. The rest of the album unfortunatley is not nearly so spine tinglingly ethereal :) They totally use icebreakers off the coast of Norway.
16. The Knife | Hearbeats
When I heard this first I thought it was a bad, sub standard Gary Numan ripoff. Not a good thing. But it grows on you. And I couldn’t find yer man’s acoustic cover version in any of the free online virtual record shops. *ahem*. Just noticed….more fuckin’ Scandanavians!
17. Modest Mouse | 3rd Planet
We like Modest Mouse. Mostly beacuase they’re not from Denmark.
18. Deathcab For Cutie | Soul Meets Body
All our visitors got a copy of DCFC’s plans on departure (if you didn’t I’m very sorry but you probably got something else so stop feeling sorry for yourself). This is one of the highlights. “I do believe it’s true there are roads left in both of our shoes” More blatant travel references.
19. Broken Social Scene | Anthems For A 17 Year Old Girl
M goes gooey eyed for this one. Another road trip favourite, and another Canadian band redressing the negative impact The Tragically Hip are having on the worldwide impression of Canadian music. This song Resulted in me buying Leslie Feist’s album cos I liked the vocals on this song so much. Turns out it’s not her doing the singing on this song.at all Fuckin’ “collectives” hah?
We Send Two Kisses
1. Elliott Smith | Angeles
One of my favourite songs ever. There’s a video of him playing this here. And even tho he fucks up a couple of times (it's a pretty complicated finger picking/vocal line for a stoned man) it’s still captivating viewing - particularly the guitar playing. Mesmerisingly talented dead man.
2. The Wrens | She Sends Kisses
This song mentions Cape May. This song totally ripped off it’s title from the name of this compilation. But that’s OK cos the harmonies are so pretty.
3. The Album Leaf | Always For You
4. Wolf Parade | Grounds For Divorce
Vancouver Island’s answer to Lennon and McCartney, Wolf Parade have 2 completely different songwriters. This is one of Spencer’s and it rocks. Whales and babies with tiny little hands and heads crushed to a wedding cake pulp. What more do you want? Bumped into Dan Broekner in the video shop on Davie a couple of times. Another favourite band ticked off the live list this year. Look like a newlywed.
5. The New Pornographers | The Bleeding Heart Show.
Hay La. Hay Laaaaa. AC Newman and Neko Case. The most uplifting chorus known (and very well known...) to our neighbours. When it comes on we turn it up loud and DANCE – we cant help it, we’re such great dancers. Great drumming at the end aswell. Thanks to Buck from thumped for introducing me to the songwriting talents of AC Newman.
6. The National | Secret Meeting
One of the best gigs of the year. Saw them at Richards (having missed them in Whelans just before we left) and they created the most perfect sound. Seeing the drumming reproduced live was pretty special. A real eccentric perfectionist percussionist. Graham got my copy of this album thrown in when I sold him the car. Everyone should buy a copy of “Alligator” at least once in their lives. My Black Asstra .....Optional.
7. The Mountain Goats | Color In Your Cheeks
A song for travellers. One of three Mountain Goats songs on this comp. We like the Mountain Goats. When he plays live solo shows , he still introduces himself with "Hi we're the Mountain Goats". Glen Hansard should start playing solo acoustic shows and introducing himself with "Hi I'm the Frames". Incidentally Mountain Goats have an album called Sweden.
8. Rilo Kiley | Pictures Of Success
We’re ready to go. More west coast guitar pop from the great download blizzard of 2003. Jenny Lewis played here over the Summer. We didn’t make it to the show. She apparently didn’t miss us.
9. Kleenex Girl Wonder | Why I Write Such Great Songs
From the bowels of Scratch Record’s bargain bin. I burned a copy of this before I gave it to Siamak as part of a collection of CDs I gave himself and Linda as part payment for a Sandbar Dinner. This guy (who also brought us Ravishing Tonight) writes such great songs.
10. Islands | Rough Gem
A Vancouver purchase. A deadly tune. These guys are from Montreal and some of the songs on the album features members of Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. A semi re-incarnation of the Unicorns. Great band.
11. Explosions In The Sky | Day Six
Emo Instrumentals have always been my weak spot. This is from an album from the notoriously slow working Kansas band who generally take forever to record an album. Here they set themselves the task of writing and recording one song a day for 12 days and releasing the result in album form. This song is Day Six.
12. Aubrey Adams/Rico Rodriguez | Stew Peas and Cornflakes
A Studio One Ska delicacy. Infectious horns. We love the infectious horns. As far from Scandanavia as you're likely to get.
13. Deathcab For Cutie | Follow You Into The Dark
Skip if if it makes you cry. Definitely one of the highlights if the year was seeing these guys with Louise and Stephen down at the Sasquatch Festival. And this song was probably the highlight of the set.
14. David Kitt | Haunt Me (Jape Cover)
I love this song especially the way Kittser has cleverly plugged it in to the mains.
15. The Mountain Goats | The Mess Inside
Another cracking gig at Richards. This guy writes some brilliant narrative lyrics to go with his primitively recorded but brilliant songs (he brings lo-fi to new lows). He looks (and dances) like KD Lang, which is more distressing in the flesh than it may sound.
16. The Rolling Stones | Sweet Black Angel
I “discovered” Exile On Main Street this year. I have re-appraised the Rolling Stones following my involuntary mental block after seeing Mick Jagger in that green shiny shirt in the video for Dancing In the Street, coupled with my general aversion to white boy blues. Keith Richards - very high but harmonising perfectly. You have to love Keith Richards.
17. The Album Leaf | The Light
Electronic instrumental. Missed this guy when he played at the Media Club in November. But he did play Vancouver while we were here. So in she goes. Instrumental E-mo to the max.
18. Aphex Twin | Crying In Your Face
This fella is mad. But he’s a great electrician.
19. Incredible Bongo Band | Apache
Read an article somewhere about how this song (particularly the drum interlude in the middle) was single handedly responsible for inventing hip hop in the late 70s which is interesting when you hear the state of the song. A late entry.
Warning : those of you bored by words without pictures, or by excessive muso ramblings, may skip straight to the interactive CD.
We Send One Kisses
1. Minus The Bear | Absinthe Party At The Fly Honey Warehouse
Our infamous undanceable “first dance” music opens proceedings. We got engaged in Paris see? And got locked on absinthe (and cheap champagne among many other things) the night we got engaged, yeah? So this song is basically about us and it’s therefore fitting that it’s undanceable-to :) Even though it always makes us *want* to dance.
2. Metal Hearts | Socialize
Two 18 year olds putting the rest of us to shame. “Socialize”…..Advice for life. Maybe not for Canadian life though. Pinbacky to the max. Not such a bad thing. Found this late on in the year.
3. Great Lake Swimmers | Moving Pictures, Silent Films
This is an overly long rambling piece of acoustic emo. But we likes it.
4. Sunset Rubdown | Shutup I Am Dreaming
This song will forever remind us of our Canadian (off) roadtrips. We saw these guys playing in Richards at the start of the summer with Dave (supporting Frog Eyes). It’s Spencer Krug from Wolf Parade’s “dramatic” side project and they were so tasty that I drunkenly purchased their entire 3 CD back catalog for a haggled 20 bucks before they’d even finished their set. This CD came with us on all our roadtrips and we love this song. We had an adventure with damp homeless people on the way home that night aswell – remember that Dave? Such a great adventure was it that I didn’t make it into work the next day :) Don’t make a sound.
5. The Mountain Goats | This Year
Holding hands, locking eyes. Twin High Maintenance Machines. We made it through this year without it killing us. Hopefully next year will be equally as kind. Does anyone remember dancing to this at our house cooling party this time last year? Frankie, I’m lookin at you.
6. The National | Mr. November
One of my favourite songs from the album. Cos I’m a self obsessed Scorpio.
7. AC Newman | Miracle Drug
A great guitar pop songwriting extravaganza. Thank you Buck from Thumped.
8. Elliott Smith | St Ides Heaven
“It’ll go around with anyone but it wont come down for anyone”. They should’ve just let him stay high. Maybe he’d still be around.
9. I'm From Barcelona | We're From Barcelona
More crazy Scandanavians. If this song doesn’t make you want to dance with the shocking lack of decorum a drunken aunty displays at a wedding, then you’ve misspent your endorphins. I’m still entertaining notions of relocating to Barcelona. That is all.
10. The Whitest Boy Alive | Burning
Perfect pop. I think Erlend Øye (the singer……from Norway!!) sings on the James Figurine tune “All the way to China” aswell. I’m freaked out in a Nordic kind of way. It’s not the Koreans we need to worry about apparently – the Vikings are coming!.
11. Pinback | Cut
Awwwwww STICKIT! Every compilation I’ve ever made post discovering Pinback contains a Pinback tune. Another favourite band of mine which I finally got to see play live in Vancouver. No Scandanavian connection at time of writing.
12. Trio | Da Da Da
Sitting in Fat Burger on Denman listening to some 80s radio station one rainy Vancouver evening, sober, and this came on and it changed my life. Well at the very least it changed my digestive patterns. I got the album this song appears on and very strange it is too.
13. James Figurine | All The Way To China
Another Vancouver download – from the guy who brought us the Postal Service, DNTEL etc. Another great pop song.
14. Mew | The Zookeeper's Boy
We were accidentally jaw droppingly introduced to these guys – this song in particular - when we saw them at the Commodore in Vancouver as a support act (thanks for the wedding anniversary tickets Matt & Niamh). I could tell they were from somewhere in Scandanavia based only on the empirical evidence of their stage outfits (neck scarves featured prominently). I came straight home and sought out this song on the interweb – not easy when you don’t know the name of the band, nevermind the name of song. Fair play to me. Live they kind of reminded me of Rollerskate Skinny – remember the first night we saw them Marc? That kind of a revelation. 5 guitars and 5 massively reverbed/delayed vocals. Great Danes. Fair play to them.
15. Icebreaker | Song For NATO
Icebreaking for NATO is such a noble exercise I think. Full on EcoTourism. Picked this up in the bargain bin of Scratch Records (so called we believe because there’s a BC health board notice on constant display in the musty smelling hallway warning about the presence of bed bugs!....in a bedless hallway!!). Donal Dineen used to play this years ago and I’ve been in love with it ever since. The rest of the album unfortunatley is not nearly so spine tinglingly ethereal :) They totally use icebreakers off the coast of Norway.
16. The Knife | Hearbeats
When I heard this first I thought it was a bad, sub standard Gary Numan ripoff. Not a good thing. But it grows on you. And I couldn’t find yer man’s acoustic cover version in any of the free online virtual record shops. *ahem*. Just noticed….more fuckin’ Scandanavians!
17. Modest Mouse | 3rd Planet
We like Modest Mouse. Mostly beacuase they’re not from Denmark.
18. Deathcab For Cutie | Soul Meets Body
All our visitors got a copy of DCFC’s plans on departure (if you didn’t I’m very sorry but you probably got something else so stop feeling sorry for yourself). This is one of the highlights. “I do believe it’s true there are roads left in both of our shoes” More blatant travel references.
19. Broken Social Scene | Anthems For A 17 Year Old Girl
M goes gooey eyed for this one. Another road trip favourite, and another Canadian band redressing the negative impact The Tragically Hip are having on the worldwide impression of Canadian music. This song Resulted in me buying Leslie Feist’s album cos I liked the vocals on this song so much. Turns out it’s not her doing the singing on this song.at all Fuckin’ “collectives” hah?
We Send Two Kisses
1. Elliott Smith | Angeles
One of my favourite songs ever. There’s a video of him playing this here. And even tho he fucks up a couple of times (it's a pretty complicated finger picking/vocal line for a stoned man) it’s still captivating viewing - particularly the guitar playing. Mesmerisingly talented dead man.
2. The Wrens | She Sends Kisses
This song mentions Cape May. This song totally ripped off it’s title from the name of this compilation. But that’s OK cos the harmonies are so pretty.
3. The Album Leaf | Always For You
4. Wolf Parade | Grounds For Divorce
Vancouver Island’s answer to Lennon and McCartney, Wolf Parade have 2 completely different songwriters. This is one of Spencer’s and it rocks. Whales and babies with tiny little hands and heads crushed to a wedding cake pulp. What more do you want? Bumped into Dan Broekner in the video shop on Davie a couple of times. Another favourite band ticked off the live list this year. Look like a newlywed.
5. The New Pornographers | The Bleeding Heart Show.
Hay La. Hay Laaaaa. AC Newman and Neko Case. The most uplifting chorus known (and very well known...) to our neighbours. When it comes on we turn it up loud and DANCE – we cant help it, we’re such great dancers. Great drumming at the end aswell. Thanks to Buck from thumped for introducing me to the songwriting talents of AC Newman.
6. The National | Secret Meeting
One of the best gigs of the year. Saw them at Richards (having missed them in Whelans just before we left) and they created the most perfect sound. Seeing the drumming reproduced live was pretty special. A real eccentric perfectionist percussionist. Graham got my copy of this album thrown in when I sold him the car. Everyone should buy a copy of “Alligator” at least once in their lives. My Black Asstra .....Optional.
7. The Mountain Goats | Color In Your Cheeks
A song for travellers. One of three Mountain Goats songs on this comp. We like the Mountain Goats. When he plays live solo shows , he still introduces himself with "Hi we're the Mountain Goats". Glen Hansard should start playing solo acoustic shows and introducing himself with "Hi I'm the Frames". Incidentally Mountain Goats have an album called Sweden.
8. Rilo Kiley | Pictures Of Success
We’re ready to go. More west coast guitar pop from the great download blizzard of 2003. Jenny Lewis played here over the Summer. We didn’t make it to the show. She apparently didn’t miss us.
9. Kleenex Girl Wonder | Why I Write Such Great Songs
From the bowels of Scratch Record’s bargain bin. I burned a copy of this before I gave it to Siamak as part of a collection of CDs I gave himself and Linda as part payment for a Sandbar Dinner. This guy (who also brought us Ravishing Tonight) writes such great songs.
10. Islands | Rough Gem
A Vancouver purchase. A deadly tune. These guys are from Montreal and some of the songs on the album features members of Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. A semi re-incarnation of the Unicorns. Great band.
11. Explosions In The Sky | Day Six
Emo Instrumentals have always been my weak spot. This is from an album from the notoriously slow working Kansas band who generally take forever to record an album. Here they set themselves the task of writing and recording one song a day for 12 days and releasing the result in album form. This song is Day Six.
12. Aubrey Adams/Rico Rodriguez | Stew Peas and Cornflakes
A Studio One Ska delicacy. Infectious horns. We love the infectious horns. As far from Scandanavia as you're likely to get.
13. Deathcab For Cutie | Follow You Into The Dark
Skip if if it makes you cry. Definitely one of the highlights if the year was seeing these guys with Louise and Stephen down at the Sasquatch Festival. And this song was probably the highlight of the set.
14. David Kitt | Haunt Me (Jape Cover)
I love this song especially the way Kittser has cleverly plugged it in to the mains.
15. The Mountain Goats | The Mess Inside
Another cracking gig at Richards. This guy writes some brilliant narrative lyrics to go with his primitively recorded but brilliant songs (he brings lo-fi to new lows). He looks (and dances) like KD Lang, which is more distressing in the flesh than it may sound.
16. The Rolling Stones | Sweet Black Angel
I “discovered” Exile On Main Street this year. I have re-appraised the Rolling Stones following my involuntary mental block after seeing Mick Jagger in that green shiny shirt in the video for Dancing In the Street, coupled with my general aversion to white boy blues. Keith Richards - very high but harmonising perfectly. You have to love Keith Richards.
17. The Album Leaf | The Light
Electronic instrumental. Missed this guy when he played at the Media Club in November. But he did play Vancouver while we were here. So in she goes. Instrumental E-mo to the max.
18. Aphex Twin | Crying In Your Face
This fella is mad. But he’s a great electrician.
19. Incredible Bongo Band | Apache
Read an article somewhere about how this song (particularly the drum interlude in the middle) was single handedly responsible for inventing hip hop in the late 70s which is interesting when you hear the state of the song. A late entry.
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4 comments:
No worries Linda. The Blind Artists are down a few bob cos we won't be buying their christmas cards (anyone else find those cards distressing?) but I'm doing my bit for the Samaratins :) I was gonna call the compilation Depressing Indie Christmas I and II but that would be totally unfestive. At least the suicide machine (or the DiePod) will maintain it's reputation. I was gonna throw some Jolie Holland on there aswell but I discovered I dont have any decent songs of hers anywhere accessible. Any plans for the Christmas / New Year? How you guys doing with your business partnership?
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Djasha said : Vielen vielen dank...I have to say I was very confused. I love getting post and guessing who its from, I had actually tipped you guys but the stamp mark really put me off. Then I thought you changed all your plans and went back home to Ireland for Christmas. So we decided to check hollowsolid and all are questions have been answered. Siamak said thats the best christmas card he ever got!!!! Very nice idea thanks a lot we are really enjoying them bringing back all the holiday memories.Thank you both sooo much...
Annon Dave,
Cheers for the cd, it grows on me each time i listen to it, especially with such festive song titles as grounds for divorce and the mess inside. Only joking. Lovin the mountain goat track, 'this year' and how can i 4get 'Shutup im dreaming', crazy night.
Most recent news, sharon & kiran moved to mealth, gaff is apparently deadly according to grainne. Grainne still working and doing really well in radio station. Met steve and co there recently at primal scream gig in olympia, alrite gig (i've seen better from the scream). Im still 'hacking' away at job, its going well. Have a happy christmas and happy new year.
hey anonymous dave. maybe i should have sent you an emotionally sanitised version of the CD. i'm such a thoughtless bastard. sorry for any emotional breakdowns caused. you have a HAPPY christmas now y'hear?
Annon dave
Ha, ha, do i detect sarcasm, i really do like the cd (honest), i plan to send you a festive cd as well full of festive songs by skinny puppy and throbbing gristle : ) Have a happy 'holiday' as the politically correct canadians would say, are you all set for the new year, new country buzz?
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