Topic: What song are you listening to right now?

[Laura Hunt]

Didn't get a good night's sleep, need something to get me going today. I need some… voodoo!

Love this album so much! Is it considered bragging if I say I saw her live on this tour?

[Snarky]

Justified bragging, in that case. I'm jealous.
When she was on her White Chalk tour I took a trip to NYC specifically to see her in concert at the Beacon Theatre (and also to see the Blade Runner Final Cut in the cinema). She was great, and played songs from throughout her career. (I think she did "Working for the Man" from TBYML.)

[Laura Hunt]

Justified bragging, in that case. I'm jealous.
When she was on her White Chalk tour I took a trip to NYC specifically to see her in concert at the Beacon Theatre (and also to see the Blade Runner Final Cut in the cinema).

That's a nice double program! And White Chalk is such a beautiful album.

[manannan]

Confession: this is the first PJ Harvey song I have ever heard. Sounds like a rawer Alanis?

In 1990s Canada, we had these youth television 'program jockeys', referred to as 'PJ' for short (i.e. PJ Phil, PJ Lauren, etc). They were always seen as fairly sad attempts by network television to be  hip and cool among kids. Unsurprisingly, the networks got it wrong and PJs tended to be loathed by most youths. I remember on occasion they would read the mountains of hate mail they received on air, which was probably the only time young Canadians were actually entertained by them. Anyway, you see where I'm going with this, whenever I heard people talking about 'PJ Harvey', I just assumed she was one of these clowns with a record deal.

[manannan]

Fav GNR song...

Haha oh, the times.

I'm listening to this right now to give me energy while I clean the house:

Cool! Has a bit of that folky feeling to it that reminds me of...

[Laura Hunt]

Cool! Has a bit of that folky feeling to it that reminds me of...

Oh wow, now that's a blast from the past. One of the craziest gigs I've been to for sure!

[manannan]

Haha I bet. That's cool you saw them live!

[Stupot]

I saw PJ Harvey live in 2001 at the Reading Festival . I was only aware of one song of hers at the time but after seeing her at Reading, I got quite into her. I haven’t really followed her in recent years, though. I will rectify that.

——

Whenever I open this thread I don’t happen to be listening to anything (which is why I rarely post) but in the last few days I’ve been looping one track loads. Those Anarcho Punks are Mysterious by Against Me! Man, this is a good song.

[Snarky]

man n fist, PJ = Polly Jean.

I saw PJ Harvey live in 2001 at the Reading Festival . I was only aware of one song of hers at the time but after seeing her at Reading, I got quite into her. I haven’t really followed her in recent years, though. I will rectify that.

If you missed White Chalk, I'd say that's the only one of her albums since 2001 that's a required listen. After that, I'd pick her second John Parish collaboration, A Woman a Man Walked By, and the compilation The Peel Sessions 1991–2004 unless you already have most of the tracks. Let England Shake was well received (it won the Mercury Music Prize), but I've never cared for that or for Uh Huh Her. The Hope Six Demolition Project has a couple of good tracks, but in general I think her current overtly political phase has been pretty weak both musically and lyrically.

[Laura Hunt]

man n fist, PJ = Polly Jean.

I saw PJ Harvey live in 2001 at the Reading Festival . I was only aware of one song of hers at the time but after seeing her at Reading, I got quite into her. I haven’t really followed her in recent years, though. I will rectify that.

If you missed White Chalk, I'd say that's the only one of her albums since 2001 that's a required listen. After that, I'd pick her second John Parish collaboration, A Woman a Man Walked By, and the compilation The Peel Sessions 1991–2004 unless you already have most of the tracks. Let England Shake was well received (it won the Mercury Music Prize), but I've never cared for that or for Uh Huh Her. The Hope Six Demolition Project has a couple of good tracks, but in general I think her current overtly political phase has been pretty weak both musically and lyrically.

Also tangentially related, in 2005 she contributed some songs to Marianne Faithfull's "Before the Poison", which is a fantastic album and also has some great songs from Nick Cave in it (has it really been 14 years? ?? Oh god, now I'm depressed.)

[dactylopus]

Lots of good tracks.

PJ Harvey is cool.  I like Down By The Water.

Crystal Castles are great.

And I finally listened to the new Tool album.  It's fantastic at being what it is, a Tool album.  Nothing particularly new or groundbreaking, just more good music from Tool.  I was disappointed at first, but it's growing on me.  I particularly like Pneuma, Descending, and 7empest.

I just finished listening to this:

And now I'm listening to this:

[Laura Hunt]

And I finally listened to the new Tool album.  It's fantastic at being what it is, a Tool album.  Nothing particularly new or groundbreaking, just more good music from Tool.  I was disappointed at first, but it's growing on me.  I particularly like Pneuma, Descending, and 7empest.

Same here! When I actually think about the album, I'm like eh, it's too wanky, eh, most tracks should be 3 minutes shorter, eh, MJK's vocals are kinda weak, etc etc etc. But when I listen to it, it just stirs something inside me. I've even teared up listening to Descending, ffs. If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

And now I'm listening to this:

I had never heard of this band until literally a couple of days ago, when I bumped into this while watching other videos from this series of concerts:

...and now I think I'm in the phase of slowly falling in love with them. So dreamy!

[manannan]

Yeah nice find with Beach House. They sound so familiar but still unique.

Dact, are you trying to make everyone cry with the Maxence Cyrin track? Just kidding - thanks for the lead. I hadn't heard of that guy.

Just to ride our dreamy tangent a bit further:

[manannan]

Actually, I did a doubel take on the Maxence track's screen cap. Thought it was radiator girl's little number from Eraserhead!

[dactylopus]

That was a nice Beach House performance video.  I was expecting a single song, but it was quite the intimate set.  This must be an early show for them, since all of the songs are off their first album.  I like quite a few of their songs, like The Hours and Rough Song for example, but I think my favorite Beach House track is probably this one from that same album:

I really enjoy that track from Múm.  Lovely mood and vocal.  This is probably my favorite track by that band:

As for how I came across that Maxence Cyrin cover of the Pixies, I heard it used in Dave Chappelle's Sticks & Stones on Netflix.  Lovely rendition.

So I'll try to stay with the mood a bit.  Here's a song by a defunct Atlanta band that I'm listening to at the moment:

I love this one, always makes me feel good.  So nostalgic and pretty.  It's got a bit more of a beat and groove to it than Beach House and Múm.

Edit:  I just realized I posted this one here a couple of years ago.  Still love it. 

So how about some Air?  Similar mood and theme:

[Laura Hunt]

All this makes for such a nice late Sunday mood! Mum and Air are both lovely.

[Cuiki]

Long time no see!

Here's a rather long one.

[manannan]

Nice tracks, guys. Dact, never heard of Shampoo. Got them on the list for a balcony chill session with my family this weekend. Cheers dude. 

Yeah Air is always the right answer. My personal fav:

When I lived in China, we'd get these huge downpours that would just go and go. I remember a few times getting myself into super weird headspaces by having this on repeat while out on the balcony watching the rain with a few drinks. 

[manannan]

Chilly looking concert:

[dactylopus]

That Pink Floyd song is a great pick.  I fell in love with this one when I was 15, roughly 20 years after it was released, and it still sounds amazing.  Easily among their top songs.

And that track by Air is a beauty.  Spooky.  In the beginning, it somewhat reminds me of Alain Goraguer's songs from the soundtrack to Fantastic Planet (La Planète Sauvage), like this one:

It goes much further though, and has a great mood beyond the initial spookiness.  French music is great.

Sigur Rós is fantastic.  I love that album, and Olsen Olsen is one of their best.  As moody as the song can be, there's a wonderful optimism there.  Very cool video, too.  I would love to see them perform in such a beautiful setting.  I was reminded of this song when I watched The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (by Studio Ghibli) a while ago and heard this:

My favorite Sigur Rós track might be Ný Batterí:

Thanks for posting such good tunes, everyone!  Sorry for posting a collection each time.  Maybe next time I'll just post one?