Guest Music Thread [Joe Mannix]

One thing that appears to be on the wane is the specialty music label/record company. There have always been the majors like Capitol Records and the like, of course, but the funky or specialized little labels were fun for two reasons: once you found one, you could assume that something from some other band on that label was probably worth checking out, and the demo discs/tapes from those labels were usually a killer value with decent stuff on them.

Two that spring immediately to mind are Vegas Records and 4AD. Vegas Records was (is? - I can't quite tell) a California-based label specializing in ska and punk. 4AD is still around. It's a British label that used to specialize in alt rock, dream pop, shoegaze and various slightly off-center music genres.

In some ways, this is to be expected. It's easier than ever to be an independent thanks to cheaper good equipment, computers, services like Bandcamp and access to streaming platforms and that's probably a good thing. I do still like - at least nostalgically, anyway - discovering a label that was worth going back to. Do any labels stand out in your collections or preferences?

NOTE: As always, the intro is just a conversation starter if needed. You're welcome to go off-topic, just please keep it to the world of music!

Exceptional Weird as Hell Live Performances
Remember when those paragons of mainstream normality Bjork and PJ Harvey collaborated to perform a cover of the Rolling Stone's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" at the 1994 BRIT Awards? If not, you're in for one of the odder big TV performances I can think of.

Bonus PJ Harvey
Non-musical Bjork, where she explains how a TV set works in typically bizarre Bjork fashion, including such gems as "you shouldn't let poets lie to you."

Great Covers
Several years ago, Natalie Imbruglia put out an entire album of covers. One of the tracks on that album was a cover of "Instant Crush" by Daft Punk. Her rendition - really, a full reinterpretation of the track - is distinctly hers and stands distinct from the original. Apparently, she once commented that she really liked the original but wasn't happy that she had trouble understanding the words and wanted to do a cover that was clearer and easier to listen to. Mission accomplished.

Bonus Natalie Imbruglia

Cool Music Videos
The Shins are a vaguely poppish indie group that formed in the 90s. I'm not overly fond of them, but I think the music video for their track "Simple Song" is excellent. It tells a very complete story, is cut together really well, the musical cues and action are nicely put together and it's overall produced nicely. I think it's a great video.

Bonus The Shins

Semi-Arbitrary picks from my collection
In no particular order and no implications of quality, here are two songs from the aforementioned labels and two others the randomizer has sent me recently.

Jeffries Fan Club - I Want More (Vegas Records)
It's never enough.

Lush - Ladykillers (4AD)
Sometimes, even a pick-up artist hits a brick wall.

Velvet Revolver - Fall to Pieces
Don't do drugs.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Killing the Blues
My neighbor told me about the couple of albums they did together. They're a good combo.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

posted by Joe Mannix at 07:30 PM

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