I recently attended the second gathering of the Earful Club. Set up by Famous Record Producer as an evening in which some of his friends (and me) could come together and play eachother their favourite bits of music. It's a genteel version of those soirees one had as a teenager when everyone slumped around stoned going "Wow" to the latest sounds. A big "Alright!" to the teenagers reading this. The last Earful Club was over two years ago, it was the first time I heard Girls on Pill's "Being Scrubbed" (played by Acid-house Popstar Pioneer) and Peaches (played by our host).
The Earful Club has a distinct set of rules, each attendee can play only 5 pieces of music (any format allowed, we heard mp3s, LPs, a White Label 12", CDs, 7"s and a 78), everyone has to bring a piece from the genre dictated by the Host (this month Musicals, next time Protest Songs). Everyone must write down the names of the tracks they played, and these are all recorded by the host, who then forwards a CD of the evening to all Earfuls. In attendance were Glamorous 80's Popstar, Former Indie Star/Record Store Boss, Deep Electronica Engineer, Jazz Hammond Maestro, Brainstormer, Advertising Copywriter and me. In stark contrast to the usual TWANBOC policy of dropping as many names as can reasonably be squeezed into a sentence, I've decided to preserve the anonymity of these particular suspects.
What piqued my interest this time:
1) Metro Area : "Orange Alert DFA Remix"
I like Metro Area, particularly their number 3 EP (that's the best) but this was also really brilliant, unfortunately it's a limited edition thing. While I get the arguments about this being retro disco, it triumphs through sheer gourgeosness and expansiveness (the originals of this era can sound quite claustrophobic and compressed). Maybe it's a shallow victory of modern production techniques?
2) Girls in the Garage: "...er sorry didn't get this down"
Brought along by Brainstormer as part of her Ladies do Metal set. We got one from this Nuggets style compilation. Very tasty.
3) Anthony Quinn : "I Love You"
7" by the actor in which he does speaky over period rock. Would be kitsch if it wasn't wonderful.
4) Sindri and Otto Von Shirach: "Plasiq Phantom People."
This was a really tasty pink 7" (more impossible to find beatnik-elitist music) which had a Tony Conrad sawed electric viola sound over discreet beats. OVS I know just did an LP on the now maligned Schematic label. Maybe it's worth checking out......
5) Jimmy Scott: "Love is a Wonderful Thing."
Played by Advertising Copywriter, we got the story too of Jimmy's aborted LP on Ray Charles's label. Jimmy suffered from some genetic disorder and consequently sings soprano. I know Church of Me did a sermon on him recently, so read that if you want to know more. Jimmy is now is in his eighties, after working as a doorman since collapse of aforementioned deal, did a gig at Ronnie Scott's that was, I imagine, like the recent Brian Wilson transfusion. I got in trouble for this comparison from Earful's who attended the Wilson show (some twice, oh dear!) Advertisng Copywriter also expanded on the genealogy of Sex, Boots and Dread, the pre-Morris Gay Rasta 10".
6) Ive Mendes: "If you leave me now"
My personal highlight. A brazilian cover version of Chicago's track. Stunningly romantic, deeply moving and intensely erotic. Aaaaaaaaaah...........You must hear this!!!!!!!!!!!
7) Herbie Hancock: "Succotash"
Off Inventions and Dimensions, one of the Blue Note Era records. This was pure maths. Very attractive stark modernism. Now that all the Pan-Futurist Global meltdown stuff is looking a bit, well Nineties, we should do Herbie a favour and examine more deeply. This prompted a cool story from Glamorous 80's Popstar who had met Herbie whilst on tour in Japan. Hey name-dropping by proxy is allowed!
8) Johnny Cash: "Personal Jesus"
Spun by the host who rounded off the proceedings by playing a blues 78 (show-off!). The original is of course Depeche Mode's, you can almost hear the bleeps in this. Johnny sounding scarily authoratitive (and queerly not unlike Warren Zevon in patches). This is obviously suggestive of a whole new genre Country Electronica TM. We can immediately lump in Boards of Canada and Lee Perry.
It was generally agreed that this month's was a cracking Earful. The Musicals section brought forth innovation on the theme too in the form of John Coltrane's "My Favourite Things" and a choice bit of Bollywood Lata Mangeshkar's "Aaona Wohi Rehta Hai". Naturally what I played will remain a closely guarded secret, snicker. Really looking forward to my CD, and if you're curious enough (dear reader) you can have a copy off me too.