Who? Portrait of David

What? Melancholic Slowcore

Sounds like? Low, Spain, The White Birch

So, I started this way too confusing attempt to trade all my unwanted cds that keep piling up in my room for ones that are more suited to my taste, and I had no reponse this far. Logically, cause it’s way too confusing. And the list is too long.

So i decided to just introduce all these bands on my blog, so that if you listen to this, and think “Wowww, i like this!”, you can perhaps dig in your own pile of unwanted stuff (books, cd’s, dvds), and offer me something in return. And, as said before, I don’t need one on one trading. You can have two (or even three!) things of my list, for just one thing in return. Not that I accept everything, but I’m a very willing guy.

Anyway, first album featured here is Portrait of David – These days are hard to ignore. A typical slowcoustic album from Ola Flottum, who is also part of the band the White Birch, which is perhaps more known to some of you guys.

I’ve never been too much a fan of slow stuff like this, but if you are, it’s highly recommended, cause it’s undoubtedly good. As you can check for yourself with these mp3’s. If you like this, you could perhaps trade it together with Savoy Grand or Ida, which is the same genre.

If you’re not really eager to trade stuff, just enjoy the songs then!

Portrait of David – Beautiful flimsy Kite

Portrait of David – Nine-Day Wonders

I’ll try to write about bands I do like later this week.

PS: latest additions to the Trade list

Retribution Gospel Choir (sideproject of Low)

Radar Bros – The Fallen Leaf Pages

Sarandon – Kill Twee Pop

Von Spar – A. XAXAPOYA

Tortoise – It’s All Around You

Ida – Lover’s Prayer (promo)

Savoy Grand – People And What They Want

Who? Frontier Ruckus

What? snowed country town melancholy, the farmers are locked in their barns, and they just have their banjos.

Sounds like? Timesbold, Whip, Will Oldham, Bonnie Prince Billy

Winter is to be seen at the horizon. If you don’t watch out, it’ll catch you. I heard from a friend that it was snowing in the United States. This seems like the beginning of an eternal winter. Luckily there is Frontier Ruckus.

It keeps you warm, evne if it’s sad. It’s something you should drink during heavy snow storms, while you’re thinking you can never get out of this. that nature finally has shown you that it’s stronger.

I’m not posting any songs from their album The orion Songbook. No, i’m just posting the demos that are freely available on their websites. Just the demos are amazing already. You can perhaps imagine how the album is. If so, go buy it here or here

Frontier Ruckus – Animals need Animals (demo version)

Frontier Ruckus – Ephiphanies & Revelations (demo Version)

You find a lot more demo songs here.

PS: still no reactions on my trade list plan. I guess it’s too complicated. (or should i tag them all?)

Below you’ll find the list of everything that I want to get out of my house as soon as possible. You can Find the rules about how I am trying to do that here.

I know this is just a list, so over the next days (or weeks), I’ll try to go into further detail and provide you with mp3s and youtube links of the artist. That way, you might get to know some new stuff you like and have the album immediately there for you. You just need something that I want to trade with. Woohoo, this is fun!

REGULAR CDs

• Isobell Campbell – Milkwhite Sheets
• Pokett – Crumble
• Portrait Of David – These Days are Hard To Ignore
• Anni rossi – Afton
• Nicolas Bernier – Jacques Poulin-Denis – Sur Fond Blanc
• Mario Massullo & Andrea Gabriele – Les Couleurs Ne Meuvent Pas
• Sarandon – Kill Twee Pop!
• Rose Kemp – Unholy Majesty
• John Callaghan – It Might Never Happen
• Holopaw -Quit or Fight
• The Innocence Mission – Befriended
• Nina Kinert – Pets & Friends
• Jasmina Maschina – The Demolition Series
• Audiotransparent – (Minicd)
• Sparklehorse – Good Morning Spider
• An Pierlé – Mud Stories
• David Gray – White Ladder
• Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love
• Calla – Strenght in Numbers
• Badly Drawn Boy -About A Boy
• Badly Drawn Boy – Have You Fed The Fish
• Whiskeytown – Pneumonia
• Nona Mez – Cast In Concrete
• Boy Omega – I Name You Isolation
• Thomas Truax – Full Moon over WowTown
• Tracker – Blankets OST
• Swell – For All The Beautiful People
• For Stars – We Are All Beautiful People
• Papa Roach – Infest
• Love Wollberg – Restless Farewell
• Chris Brokaw – I was Born, but .. OST
• Lawn – Silver
• Panther – 14KT God
• Dan Bern – Fifty Eggs
• Lowgold – Welcome To Winners
• Stearica – Oltre
• The Meices – Tastes Like chicken
• The Mendoza Line – Fortune
• Shipping News – Three-four
• Now It’s Overhead – Fall Back Open
• Son, Ambulance – Key
• Tobin Sprout – Live at The Horseshoe Tavern
• Blind Melon – Soup
• Dan Bern – Fleeting Days
• Loud Lucy – Breathe
• Silver Jews – Tanglewood Numbers
• The River Curls Around Town – More Than A Break
• Thalia Zedek – Trust not Those In Whom Without Some Touch Of Madness
• Six Organs of Admittance – Shelter From The Ash
• Tortoise – It’s all Around You
• Von Spar – A. Xaxapoya
• Radar Bros – The fallen Leaf pages
• Retribution Gospel Choir – S/T
• Savoy Grand – People And what They Want

A picture of Santa with a List, just so you can have a break.

PROMOTIONAL CDs

(remark: they mostly don’t have a jewel case, but are in this flat cardboard box thing. Some of them are cd-r)

- Wheat – Everyday I Said a Prayer For Kathy & Made A One Inch Square
- Katamine – Stories go First
- Holy Ghost Revival – Twilight Exit
- Cache – Monochrome
- Dirty Three – Cinder
- The Decemberists – Oh Valencia (Singletje, one song)
- Son Ambulance – Someone Else’s Deja Vu (back cover slightly damaged)
- Hubbub – Four Songs
- Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek – Drawn (Cd-r)
- Annelies Monseré – Somewhere Someone (Cd-r)
- Annelies Monseré & Jessica Bailiff – (No title, 4 songs)
- Essie Jain – We Made This Ourselves
- Essie Jain – The Inbetween
- People Like Us & Ergo Phizmiz – Rhapsody In Glue (Cd-r)
- Greg Weeks – The Hive
- Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Heartcore
- Ida – Lovers prayers

I have been planning to use this blog a bit for my own benefit (and a lot for yours). How? I have cleaned out my cd-collection and came up with quite a lot of albums that need to get out of my house as soon as possible. I also have a box of cds that i still need to listen, to see if they have to get out of here. So the list is growing as we speak. (Just decided to get rid of ‘Tanglewood Numbers’ by Silver Jews e.g)

I am however not interested in your money, for various reasons. I get a lot of these cds for free because I write reviews. It’s not fair gaining money, just because i think a cd sucks. Next to that, I know i’d use the money just to buy new cd’s (or books), so.. why would i do that? Giving away for free, leaving me with a lot of delivery costs, is not really my favourite solution.

AN INSIDE OUT SOCK’s BIG TRADE MACHINE!!

So i came up with An Inside Out Sock’s Big Trade Machine. I’m gonna trade my cds like I trade my unwanted books. but because there are no good cd-swaps sites on an international level, I’ll have to organize it myself.

I’m gonna make it interesting for you, my reader.  Cause you can trade your stuff through my site as well. I’m not really sure how I am gonna manage to do that, but i’ll figure it out. First see how the response is off course.

Okay, here are the rules

1. In my list (see my next post on the blog), you’ll see a difference between regular Cd’s and Promo copies. I’ll trade 2 regular cd’s against 1 cd or book that I desire. So how will that work?  You say “I’d like to have “Tanglewood Numbers” by Silver Jews and “Infest” By Papa Roach”. You’ll give me a list of things that you are willing to get rid of. If there’s a cd or a book on that list that I like, I say: “allright, send me that one. And I’ll send you those two you want.” It’s as simple as that.
2. If you have 3 promotional cd’s, that’s worth 1 cd or Book. So, you take three promotional cd’s from me, you’ll give me one item in return.
3. if you want a combination of promotional cd’s & regular things? 1 regular cd + 2 promos = 1 item in return. 1 promo + 2 regular cds = 1 item in return.
4. damn, this is complicated
5. I have also a box of Gonzo’s Mind The Gap ‘Compilation’-cd’s. You get four if you give me one thing in return. great experimental stuff most of the time. I’m not really eager to type all tracklists, so I’ll send four random ones
6. Most cds are in mint condition.
7. if you have items that you want to get rid of yourself, you can send me the list, and I’ll just add them to my list. If someone’s interested in your stuff, i’ll give you eachother’s contact information. Of some sort.

Well, if I’m forgetting something, I’ll notice soon enough I guess.

Edit: if you want to trade something, leave a comment or mail me at tOMBLExxxxweed at telexxxnet dot be (without the dots, capitals and x’s. You’ll figure it out)

Now, my next post: The List

The concept of trading summarized in a Google Image Image.

So, i have been reading quite a lot the last month, as i always do, though i always have the feeling i’m not reading enough. That’s how bookminded I’ve become over the years. Anyway, What did i read? There were quite some Dutch books in there, which I’ll talk about in English. Most of them aren’t available in translations I guess, but maybe it’s nice to see what Belgian writers write about (well, the same shit basically).

Herman Brusselmans – Ex-drummer

Herman Brusselmans is one of the more famous writers in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, mostly because of his Fuck you-attitude towards the world. His style is irony at its busiest (not always the finest, because he can exaggerate being ironic). His books are especially beloved by rebellious teens and people who like to read about losers. I used to read a lot of his stuff when I was sixteen (he’s got quite the back catalogue, writing a book almost every year), but after a while i saw he kept on writing the same book over and over. He can be extremely funny, but he’s sensitive at times too. (although he’s not known for that, and it depends on the book). Anyway, ex-drummer is about some guys forming a band of people with some deficiencies. The I-person, a famous Belgian writer, gets to be the drummer in the band, because he can’t drum. Probably not available in English, but there is a movie made of it. In Dutch, but you can find it on Play.com. Haven’t seen the film, but it is a bit weird. Here the trailer:

Karel Van Bever – Dokter in Overall

In this non-fiction book, Karel Van Bever, a doctor with leftist sympathies, goes working under cover in a big factory in Antwerp for nine months (or a year, i can’t remember). IT’s like Günter Wallraf disguising himself and then finding out things aren’t going as smooth in factories as they need to go. A lot of social problems. Too much to explain, and it’s not gonna be translated i guess, but an interesting read if you’re anticapitalist. (that last sentence was a joke).

PAul Baeten Gronda – Nemen wij samen afscheid van de liefde (translation: let’s say goodbye to love together)

A debut novel by some hyped young Belgian author, who happens to be an aquaintance of a collegue. So i asked him if i could borrow the book, quite curious. The read was enjoyable, but not really as thrilling. And quite the average story.

David Mitchell – Black Swan Green

Look, I’m a huge David Mitchell fan, but this book just didn’t do it for me. Mitchell writes a coming-of-age story, and it just seemed a bit plain. I could relate to the feelings of the main character, but having read all the previous novels by Mitchell, I know he can do a lot better. Just hope his next one is back to the old style. I read it in Dutch by the way, so maybe that had something to do with it too?

Elvis Peeters – De Ontelbaren (translation: The Uncountables)

Another Belgian writer (i normally only read foreign authors, this month i read 3 … weeird). A novel of ideas about immigration. Imagine the entire southern hemisphere trying to enjoy the richness of Europe & The United States. The entire society would just stop working, people would steal… This book is about that. about uncountable people coming to Europe. A very scary book, in a way, especially because of the gruesome ending. I’m normally not very into Dutch literature, but this could be an international success in literary circles i think.

Flannery O’Connor – (collection of stories, in Dutch)

One of the more well-known authors that I hadn’t read yet. What can I say? After reading ab ook like this, you always understand why they are classics. A bit sentimental at times, but the typical Southern way of life (well, at least i think it was like that), is depicted in her stories in a very sharp way. Racism, class differences. Classic.

David Small – Stitches

I also bought some new graphic novels, after a couple of months not paying attention to stuff that got released. So i was very surprised to hear quite a few amazing comics were suddenly available. One of them was this autobiographical comic by David Small. Stitches is about Small’s cold relationship with his parents, especially his mother, with quite a scary plot (but as far as i know, it really happened). I’m not gonna spoil to much, but you just read it.

Frank Horschmeier – The Three Paradoxes

A small graphic novel that I have to read again, cause I can’t tell what it was about. well, it was about some comic book author, who is visiting his parents, and will leave the next morning. he has a walk with his dad in the evening, talking about this women he met online and who’s flying over to him the next week. They also bring up old memories, and next to that you’ll read the story he’s writing himself. Nice, but not very understandable at first.

Dash Shaw – The Bottomless Belly Button

A great graphic novel that i just finished (yes, i’m getting tired of typing this, damn) and that is haunting me a little while typing this. About a family, where the parents are getting divorced after being married for forty years. Their adult children don’t understand it, and deal with it in their own way (next to the problems they have themselves). It’s so incredibly subtle and emotionally nice.

Things I’ve been reading but not finished yet

I started in Don Quichote, but having a hard time reading it. It’s really good, but it’s a slow read. Next to that, I’m reading ‘The Lazarus Project’ by Aleksandar Hemon. But the great thing i’m really enjoying is David Eagleman’s Sum. I’ll write more about that next time.

Don’t know if you made it to the end, but if you did. Good job

That means i’m preparing my annual Top 50 list. Relistening all the albums. I counted them.

320 albums of 2009 on my computer, (and every day more coming in, although there also disappear some)

It’s gonna be a tough couple of months.

I’ll try to keep the focus on 2009 bands low for the rest of the year. I’ll post a “what did i read the last month & a half” list somewhere this week.

I don’t have enough time to fulfill all my blog wishes.

Damn.

But i’m still here.

Who? Squanto

What? Lo-fi folk with samples et al.

Sounds Like? Mount Eerie, Tunng

I’m not gonna use a lot of a words on this nice after summer day. Just head over here and download the album.

That’s it.

Who? RuRu (now known as Isaac Russell)

What? Softness on a guitar, Indian Summer music

Sounds like? Vandaveer, Josh Ritter, Josh Rouse

So, I’m back. I was kinda wasting my evening, so i thougth: well let’s upload a song of some good music. I’m still looking for other ways to keep this blog going, cause i would like to give musical tips. I just don’t like spending time writing about it I guess. (And i hate the uploading as well, that’s how lazy i am) (well, most of the time it’s just lack of time)

Anyway, this album is one of the finest I’ve heard this year. It sounds like pretty average singersongwriter pop, but I can be a sucker for plain and simple (next to being a sucker for complex and weird voices)

So, You just enjoy this, while the Indian Summer is blowing away the last bits of Summer. Time to let the leaves fall. This is a little bit of fire to prepare for the cold.

Amazing by the way that the guy was only fifteen when he made this.

RuRu – Elizabeth

RuRu – Why?

You can listen to more songs here:

And buy the album please!

Since the computer with my music on, is broke, i can’t post some music stuff, although i have lots of brand new stuff to offer to you. But right now, let’s talk about books.

This holiday, two weeks US, i’ve been reading a lot of books. I tend to read a lot, even if i do a lot of stuff, i always find the time to go sit in a corner and read. This is what i have been absorbing.

Nick Hornby – Housekeeping Vs. The Dirt

This book fo essays by Nick Hornby, who first got published in the magazine The Believer, is a very entertaining read for people who love to read. Every month, he writes about the books that he bought and read that month. it’s an interesting insight in the life of a reader instead of that of a writer. I’m planning to keep track of that now as well. It’s easy plagiarism, but imitation is necessary.

Andrey Kurkov – Death & The Penguin

Oddly enough, Nick Hornby mentioned this book in one of his essays. I happened to have it with me, so I started writing this absurd tale of a writer who writes obituaries for people who aren’t dead yet and who has a pet penguin, which he got from the zoo, because they could no longer feed the animals. It’s a heartwarming tale.

Oscar Wilde- The Picture of Dorian Gray

I’m planning to read more classics. AFter reading ‘Dorian Gray’, you suddenly realize why these books will be there forever. The writing is superb, stunning. The wittiness is great and the tale is one of all times. I sometimes was a bit annoyed by the the depiction of women, but that’s because i’m a big woman lover. And I wouldn’t let a personal issue like that influence my opinion. Wonderful. The next Classic on the List is a big one, Don Quichote.

How to Dress for every occassion by the Pope

Baby Be of Use-books

A McSweeneys book, one of the many i bought during their garage sale. A funny style guide written by the pope. You should read it yourself. Also funny are the “Baby Be Of Use” books, like “Baby Fix My Car”, “Baby Do my Banking” and “Baby Make Me My Breakfast”. As soon as I have kids, i’ll learn them all that.

Stephen Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner – Freakonomics

I normally don’t read non-fiction. If i have one non-fiction book a year, it’s a lot. BUt this accidentally crossed my path, and so took advantage of that. Enjoyable read, and it’s helps me to strenghten me in my beliefs that the one thing we are all trying to do – understanding the world and reality, and by doing that trying to predict our future and determine our own happiness – is impossible. Reality is so complex and doesn’t follow the rules. One guy told me the book was propaganda. That was funny too, cause he tried to create his own reality by denying another existing one.

Read, but not finished yet:

Donald Barthelme – Flying to America

I’m not finished with this one, but it was a bit disappointing this far. Maybe it’s because i’m not a native speaker and don’t get to see all the nuances and language complexities, but though i’m a big fan of the absurd, these stories seem to lead to nowhere. Too bad, cause I was very anxious to read his stuff after reading articles about him, thinking he’d be my kind of writer. It’s postmodern for the sake of being postmodern, and that doesn’t really appeal to me. If someone can tell me if his forty or sixty stories volumes are the same, i’m glad to hear that.

Walter Abish – How German it Is

I started reading this, but didn’t finish it, because it just couldn’t keep my attention. It’s a story about german guilt, and though i’ve studied English-German in college, it isn’t really fascinating. Maybe because the whole issue of this German guilt seems to have disappeared for the most. I guess i’ll start reading it somewhere further in the next couple of days, just because i think there’s this big ending where it all comes together, but still…disappointing. He’ll end up on my bookmooch-list i think (where i got it in the first place).

Gabriel Garcia Marquez- collected Stories

HAdn’t read him in a while (since i was nineteen, which is six years ago). I’ve only read 5 stories thus far, and because they are in chronological order, the first stories are very much alike. You can see a young existentialist Marquez imitating Borges & Kafka, but with a certain subtleness. IT’s exciting to witness the evolution while reading his story, and i can’t wait till I get to the stories where he finds his own voice.

That’s it.

I’ll try to keep an update on what i read from now..maybe once a month or so. As soon as i got internet on my music computer, i’ll let you know some new bands who are eagerly waiting for you attention.

Hi

I’m off for two weeks United States. Quite exciting for someone who never left Europe.

After that, i’ll try to revitalise this blog.

See you then.