September 15, 2004 | Posted by Blair at 9:56 AM

sad bastard music, variations

Turn
"Rabbit in Your Headlights (Underdog Remix)" by UNKLE -- here's a nice little bit of late-90s nostalgia for you - remember the first UNKLE album, Psyence Fiction? the one produced by James Lavelle and DJ Shadow, with loads of good guest vocalists, like Thom Yorke here. This remix comes courtesy of Underdog, AKA Playgroup, AKA Trevor Jackson, label-head of still-white-hot Output Recordings. His remix catalog is quite sizable, and is marked, like this song, by dark tones, and his signature hard drum patterns. The original version of this song was one of my favorites, being a big Radiohead fan, and the song is just so pretty and sad. Anyway, this remix is solid too (and check the amazing packaging and design by Futura!), so I'm glad I was in the mode of trying to get every MoWax release I could get my hands on when I lived in the UK. Also, its worth noting that although the recent UNKLE album wasn't that good, the historical significance of the band is important, not only because of the Shadow project, but the earlier work, Time Has Come and Berry Meditation, both seminal 'Trip-Hop' works, produced by Lavelle with KUDO, and Tim Goldsworthy, who is now half of the DFA. Anywho, pick up Psyence Fiction, because there really are some very good songs on there (aside from the one with Mike D), and have a look through your local CD store's used bin for the single if you want to hear the other mixes (by 3D from Massive Attack, and a weird string-section-y one by David Axelrod).


Turn
"I Lied" by Spain -- This comes off of The Blue Moods of Spain, an album I discovered during my sophomore year of college, and I listened to it more than a little bit then - lets say it was a rough year, so sad bastard music like this helped me out. I still like to listen to this album on occasion, and this song, along with "Untitiled #1," in particular, well I guess they really touched something in me at the time - now older and wiser, I look back on them and smile.
Spain formed in 1993; After years of playing punk rock, singer-bassist Josh Haden wanted to take his music someplace more subtle than rage. (Josh's blood seems to run with music - He is the son of bass-playing jazz great Charlie Haden; his father's family performed throughout the South and Midwest in the thirties and forties; his mother's parents played in a mandolin orchestra; his triplet sisters are fine musicians as well.) The band is rounded out by drummer Evan Hartzell and guitarists Ken Boudakian and Merlo Podlewski (the drummer was replaced by Chris Reeves in late 96). Their sound, part bar-room jazz and blues, part old-time country storytelling, is slowed to a dreamy pace, but is very much alive. I still find it very touching seven years later, so I hope you like it too. Buy 'Blue Moods' here, and check out their 1999 album, She Haunts My Dreams.

Comments

Woa woa woa! The recent UNKLE album not that good? yer breakin' my heart!

Posted by: Trachalio at September 15, 2004 11:08 AM

I remember when I saw in MTV presented by Moby. It was (for him an me) one of my favorites.


Kudos to your persona, and thanks to open my ears to new senses.


All said.

Posted by: Dario at September 15, 2004 11:11 AM

always loved the video - definitely in my top five.

Posted by: JC at September 15, 2004 12:16 PM

Super-geeky note:
Tim Goldworthy (of DFA fame) did production on the 'The time has come' ep you mentioned. It was I think, his earliest published work.

I bought up everything Mo-Wax produced around that time as well. Unfortunately, with hindsight it means I now have a lot of crap in my collection. With the exception of a few gems, like the Noel Gallager remix of Drums of death (the mike D UNKLE track). I hate Oasis, but the rock'n roll swagger he brings to that track is irresistable.

Shame James Lavelle puts out shit music these days.

Posted by: Nick at September 15, 2004 12:18 PM

most mo wax releases seem/ed to take a lot of exciting possibilities and then work out the average, levelling out the interesting bits. a lot of good stuff came out, but its almost in spite of the label. anyone who has followed the career of james lavelle will know (a) he could only be described as a 'producer' in a very broad, minimal sense - like andy weatherall for the screamadelica sessions except less weird; (b) he has a load of friends in the music industry (his dad owns a stake in a few major labels), and will always be able to manipulate the press to his (financial) advantage (though the unkle album was roundly slagged, all of the column inches devoted to slagging it-defending it-slagging it again drowned out coverage of albums which were supposedly 'good'); (c) he occasionally is involved in a great record. (a) doesn't bother me as much as (b) - in turn, (c) annoys me most. its incredibly easy to be cynical about a man who releases a record by DJ Shadow and Q-Bert and devotes a large portion of the sleeve art to his own name in a fancy font...

Posted by: Geek at September 15, 2004 1:41 PM

yuck. "rabbit in your headlights" is the only song on psyence fiction that i DON'T like.

Posted by: matt at September 15, 2004 2:59 PM

I found the Rabbit Headlight EP with all the remixes once, it's excellent, actually I'll listen to it now!

Posted by: Matthew at September 16, 2004 5:51 AM

Never mind UNKLE, can anyone help me with Underdog. He (they?) did a remix of 'Stay (Faraway, So Close)' by U2, which whilst not revolutionary certainly should have made them think about a slightly more interesting new direction, something they obviously failed to do when making their latest record. Any help? I had it on cassette from an old magazine covermount but can't find it now, let alone find something to play it one.

Posted by: lexwheels at September 16, 2004 8:59 AM

check the playgroup site - he used to have his full remix catalog on there in all of his guises... from there, i'd say slsk is probably your best chance, maybe?

Posted by: robot blair at September 16, 2004 11:39 AM

I enjoyed Spain. They reminded me of Big Head Todd.

Posted by: Reagan's Youth at September 16, 2004 1:27 PM
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