The Italian Blob - Top 69 Italian Alt-Rock Songs on Spotify

We don't play mandolino. And we don't like brightly coloured t-shirts.
(source XL)

Please forgive me, but I must do it.

I must show to the (spoti)world that Italian music is not only Bocelli, Pavarotti, Pausini, Ramazzotti, old disco and even older opera. In the last twenty years, my country has been animated by a lively rock scene, coming from the underground. The big explosion happened in the middle of the 90s, with the simultaneous rising of very strong and varied acts like Afterhours (indie alt rock), Marlene Kuntz (noise rock), Subsonica (electro rock), Verdena (post grunge), Carmen Consoli (girl with guitar), Casino Royale (trip hop), Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc (hip hop), Modena City Ramblers (combat folk), 99 Posse (combat rap), La Crus (modern songwriting), Mau Mau (world/etno/rock) and many more. While big heavyweights like Vasco Rossi and Ligabue brought the mainstream rock into the stadiums, this bunch of younger artists spread in the country a new alternative & not-yet-hipsterized indie feeling. Little labels, indoor clubs and outdoor small festivals did the rest. Being a university student in the second half of the decade was a great thing: believe me.

00s haven't been the same. Much more quantity, but probably less quality. Less money, too. And the overwhelming and unfair comparison with the previous bright wave. Back to the pizza cave, again? Wait wait! Some of the best songs by bands emerged in the 90s have been published in the 00s. And some good signs have come out from the last years of the naughties. Young artists like A Toys Orchestra, Luci della Centrale Elettrica, Baustelle, Dente, Offlaga Disco Pax, Samuel Katarro are trying to write new and personal stories, to start a new season. Maybe, finally, it's the arrival of a new generation.

So, this playlist is a kind of best of Italian alternative music of the last 20 years. No sources but me. I chose songs, artists, order, everything. I shamelessly opened the door to a lot of guitars and locked it when folk and electro-guys were knocking. Anyway, "alternative" is intended in a wide and comprehensive meaning. Not just alternative rock. Most of the songs are in Italian: I guess you will find them rather odd-sounding, likely you won't understand what these guys are shouting, but for many years that has been a strong local attribute. Italian rock audience is heavily anglo-american-oriented, but they seem to prefer that national acts sing in the national language. Besides, Italians can't speak english very well. Look at my posts. :o)

Sixty-eight songs are written by contemporary Italian artists. The only exception is an old canzone from the 60s, recently covered by an American alternative rock icon. You will find him easily. I'm breaking my own rules, I know, but I really feel this playlist is the right place for that song.

No more words. Buon ascolto!

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THE PLAYLIST
(69 songs, about 4 hours)

69. Canzone di domani (Marlene Kuntz, from Catartica, 1994)
68. Due (Il teatro degli orrori, A sangue freddo, 2009)
67. Cornice Dance (A Toys Orchestra, Technicolor Dreams, 2007)
66. Trovami un modo semplice per uscirne (Verdena, Requiem, 2007)
65. Milano (Edda, Semper Biot, 2009)
64. Nel mio scrigno (Perturbazione, Pianissimo fortissimo, 2007)
63. Tungsteno (Scisma, Armstrong, 1999)
62. Istantanee (Subsonica, SubsOnicA, 1997)
61. Sempre più vicino (Casino Royale, Sempre più vicini, 1995)
60. La vedova bianca (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
59. Chiedi chiedi (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, Ero un autarchico, 2003)
58. Tempo alle mie voglie (La Sintesi, L'eroe romantico, 1998)
57. Acque sicure (Virginiana Miller, Il primo lunedì del mondo, 2010)
56. Ho picchiato la testa (Ottavo Padiglione, Ottavo Padiglione, 1993)
55. Bellezza (Marlene Kuntz, Bianco sporco, 2005)
54. Sogna (Ritmo Tribale, Mantra, 1994)
53. Pop Porno (Il Genio, Il Genio, 2008)
52. Mondo tempesta (Perturbazione, Del nostro tempo rubato, 2010)
51. Io mi rompo i coglioni (Bugo, Dal lofai al cisei, 2002)
50. In coda (Cesare Basile, Gran Cavalera Elettrica, 2003)
49. La sottile linea bianca (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
48. Spaceman (Verdena, Solo un grande sasso, 2001)
47. Charlie fa surf (Baustelle, Amen, 2008)
46. Come stavamo ieri (Marlene Kuntz, Il vile, 1996)
45. Terminally Illness Blues (Samuel Katarro, Beach Party, 2008)
44. In viaggio (C.S.I., Ko de mondo, 1994)
43. Universo (Cristina Donà, La quinta stagione, 2007)
42. Fausto (Massimo Volume, Cattive abitudini, 2010)
41. Direzioni diverse (Il teatro degli orrori, A sangue freddo, 2009)
40. Gente di merda (Zen Circus, Andate tutti affanculo, 2009)
39. Red Alert (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
38. La mia parte intollerante (Caparezza, Habemus Capa, 2006)
37. Aurora sogna (Subsonica, Microchip emozionale, 1999)
36. Tempi bui (Ministri, Tempi bui, 2009)
35. Sogni risplendono (Linea 77 feat. Tiziano Ferro, 2008)
34. Elefante (Verdena, Il suicidio del samurai, 2004)
33. Oceano (Ritmo Tribale, Psycorsonica, 1996)
32. In delirio (Marlene Kuntz, Ho ucciso paranoia, 1999)
31. Buon appetito (Dente, L'amore non è bello, 2009)
30. Non è per sempre (Afterhours, Non è per sempre, 1999)
29. Il liberismo ha i giorni contati (Baustelle, Amen, 2008)
28. Fuori dal tunnel (Caparezza, Verità supposte, 2003)
27. Incantevole (Subsonica, Terrestre, 2005)
26. Muori delay (Verdena, Requiem, 2007)
25. Inverno '85 (Massimo Volume, Lungo i bordi, 1995)
24. Potere alla parola (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, Verba manent, 1993)
23. Il cielo in una stanza (Mike Patton, Mondo cane, 2010)
22. Celentano (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
21. La glaciazione (Subsonica, L'eclissi, 2007)
20. Sonica (Marlene Kuntz, Catartica, 1994)
19. Male di miele (Afterhours, Hai paura del buio?, 1997)
18. Valvonauta (Verdena, Verdena, 1999)
17. Summer Teenage Girl (The Canadians, A Sky With No Stars, 2007)
16. Buongiorno buona fortuna (Perturbazione, Del nostro tempo rubato, 2010)
15. La guerra è finita (Baustelle, La malavita, 2005)
14. Acida (Prozac+, Acido Acida, 1998)
13. Amara (Ritmo Tribale, Mantra, 1994)
12. Nuvole rapide (Subsonica, Amorematico, 2002)
11. Lieve (Marlene Kuntz, Catartica, 1994)
10. Per combattere l'acne (Le luci della centrale elettrica, Canzoni da spiaggia depurtata, 2008)
9. Il primo Dio (Massimo Volume, Lungo i bordi, 1995)
8. Quello che non c'è (Afterhours, Quello che non c'è, 2002)
7. Quelli che benpensano (Frankie Hi-Nrg Mc, La morte dei miracoli, 1997)
6. Mystical Mistake (A Toys Orchestra, Midnight Talks, 2010)
5. Un romantico a Milano (Baustelle, La malavita, 2005)
4. Ballata per la mia piccola iena (Afterhours, Ballate per piccole iene, 2005)
3. Strade (Subsonica, Microchip emozionale, 1999)
2. Voglio una pelle splendida (Afterhours, Hai paura del buio?, 1997)
1. Nuotando nell'aria (Afterhours, Catartica, 1994)

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0247)

AOL Radio's Halloween Music Top 100 on Spotify

This is Halloween, this is Halloween!

(source)

Time to violate innocent pumpkins, again. Time to dress like witches or monsters. Time to send your drunk were-howls to the moon. Everybody's talking about this silly American thing called Halloween, quickly approaching on our social agendas. I joined the "everybody" category and I searched the Web for a good Halloween playlist. I found this one from AOL Radio Blog. You know, I'm deeply and passionately in love with horror movies. I even wrote a university thesis about splatter. So, me and my bloody nickname were really happy when we found so many classic horror musical sweeties in this playlist: from Psycho shower to Psycho Killer, from Halloween to Suspiria, from Iron Maiden to Black Sabbath, from the little dead animals of Pet Sematary to the little dead everythings of Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a great and funny ride on the land of macabre. I think it can also be a great and funny soundtrack to your upcoming bloody and crazy Halloween night. Even if you wisely decide not to celebrate it... well... enjoy it! 

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THE PLAYLIST
(72 tracks out of 100, 72%, about 4 hours)

100. The Misfits – Halloween
99. Stephen Lynch – Halloween
98. Ramones – Pet Sematary
97. John Carpenter – Halloween (1963)
96. Christopher Young – Theme From Hellraiser
95. Girls Under Glass - Halloween
94. Mannheim Steamroller – Hall Of The Mountain King
93. Cher – Dark Lady
92. Helloween – Halloween
91. Rob Zombie – Living Dead Girl
90. Elvira - Haunted House
89. Susan Sarandon – Over At The Frankenstein Place
88. Ministry – Everyday Is Halloween
87. Daemonia – Demon
86. Andrew Gold – It Must Be Halloween
85. Fred Molin - "Friday the 13th: The Series" Intro
84. Marilyn Manson – This Is Halloween
83. Hollywood Symphony Orchestra – Mars Attacks (Main Titles)
82. Horrorpops – Walk Like A Zombie
81. Rob Zombie/Ghastly Ones - Halloween (She Get So Mean)
80. Goblin – L'alba dei morti viventi
79. Oingo Boingo - Weird Science
78. The Cranberries – Zombie
77. Ozzy Osbourne – Hellraiser
76. Mike Stewart - Casper, the Friendly Ghost
75. Metallica - Enter Sadman
74. Bing Crosby – The Headless Horseman
73. Matt Fink – Theme From "Candy Man"
72. Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hell
71. Mannheim Steamroller – Rite Of Twilight (Twilight Zone Theme)
70. Rob Zombie – What?
69. Ghastly Ones - Diabolo's Theme
68. Donovan – Season Of The Witch
67. Nerf Herder - Buffy the Vampire (Theme)
66. Danny Elfman – Jack's Lament
65. Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark
64. Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
63. Los Straitjackets - The Munsters Theme
62. John Carpenter – The Boogie Man Is Coming
61. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
60. Golden Earring – Twilight Zone
59. Danny Elfman/Disney Characters – Oogie Boogie's Song
58. Rob Zombie - Everybody Scream
57. Mannheim Steamroller – Toccata In De Mole
56. Jace Everett – Bad Things
55. Julianne Baird - Dark Shadows Theme
54. Alice Cooper – Feed My Frankenstein
53. Billy Lee Riley - Nightmare Mash
52. Bobby "Boris" Pickett – Monster's Holiday
51. Kay Starr – The Headless Horseman
50. The Doors – People Are Strange
49. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
48. Ozzy Osbourne – Bark At The Moon
47. Danny Elfman - Prelude 
46. The Cramps – I Was A Teenage Werewolf
45. Various Artists – Puppet Master
44. Screamin' Jay Hawkins – I Put a Spell on You
43. Jeff Alexander – Alfred Hitchcock Television Theme
42. Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaaa!
41. Godsmack – Vampires
40. Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wojciech Kilar – Bram Stoker's Dracula: Vampire Hunters
39. Rob Zombie – House Of 1000 Corpses
38. All Stars Orchestra – The Addams Family: Main Theme
37. Mannheim Steamroller - Monster Mash
36. Shiny Toy Guns - Ghost Town
35. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – A Nightmare On My Street
34. Stevie Wonder – Superstition
33. The Eagles - Witchy Woman
32. The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
31. Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
30. AC/DC - Highway To Hell
29. Bauhaus – Bela Lugosi’s Dead
28. Daniel Caine – The Munsters
27. Black Sabbath – Iron Man
26. Charlie Daniels – the Devil Went Down To Georgia
25. Nine Inch Nails – Dead Souls
24. The Marketts – Out Of Limits
23. Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London
22. Sheb Wooley - The Purple People Eaters
21. Mark Ayres - The Shining (Opening Theme) 
20. Goblin – Suspiria
19. Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare
18. Danny Elfman - Beetlejuice
17. Blue Oyster Cult – (Don't Fear) The Reaper
16. North American Pops Orchesta/Marious Constant – Twilight Zone Theme
15. Goblin – Profondo Rosso
14. Gerard McMann - Cry Little Sister
13. Ray Parker, Jr. – Ghostbusters
12. Charles Clouser - Hello Zepp
11. Bobby "Boris" Pickett – Monster Mash
10. Marco Beltrami – Trouble in Woodsboro/Sydney´s Lament
9. Rob Zombie – Dragula
8. Danny Elfman - Tales From the Crypt
7. Richard O'Brien – Time Warp
6. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells
5. Buddy Baker and Xavier Atencio - Grim Grinning Ghosts (The Screaming Song)
4. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra/Bernard Hermann – The Murder (Psycho)
3. Michael Jackson – Thriller
2. Danny Elfman/Disney Characters – This Is Halloween
1. John Carpenter – Halloween Theme

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0246)

Mucchio Classic Rock #3 - Dark (1980-1985) top 20 albums

Dark Siouxsie and her blonde Banshees

Third rock history lesson, courtesy of italian magazine Il Mucchio. After Punk and New Wave, this time we wander in the Dark (or maybe, we should say, in the Gothic...). 

On the magazine, Federico Guglielmi wrote:

"First half of the 80s: dark - label used only in Italy, abroad they call it gothic - gained visibility as a branch of new wave. Not just a sonic phenomena, but also a lifestyle one, full of contaminations with punk, metal, electronica, psychedelia and more. The 20 albums you will find here cover all the different variations of dark in 1980-1985: for musical languages and for lyrical references to death, magic, esotericism, horror movies, religion, phobias. Maybe we should talk just of Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees and of their sons. It would be formally more correct but, you must admit, less interesting".

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The Playlist

(12 albums out of 20, 60%)

10 Pivotal Albums

Bauhaus - Mask (Beggars Banquet, 1981)
Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain (Frontier, 1982)
Cure - Pornography (Fiction, 1982)
Dark Day - Exterminating Angel (Lust-Unlust, 1980)
Flesh Eaters - A Minute To Pray A Second To Die (Ruby, 1981)
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Factory, 1979)
Killing Joke - Killing Joke (Malicious Damage/Eg, 1980)
Sex Gang Children - Song and Legend (Illuminated, 1983)
Siouxsie & the Banshees - Join Hands (Polydor, 1979)
Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always (Merciful Release/WEA, 1985)

10 Albums More
Alien Sex Fiend - Who's Been Sleeping In My Brain? (Anagram, 1983)
Birthday Party - Junkyard (4AD, 1982)
Clock DVA - Advantage (Polydor, 1983)
Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us (IRS, 1980)
45 Grave - Sleep In Safety (Enigma, 1983)
March Violets - Natural History (Rebirth, 1984)
Misfits - Walk Among Us (Ruby, 1982)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Talk About the Weather (Red Rhino, 1984)
Uk Decay - For Madmen Only (Fresh, 1981)
Virgin Prunes - If I Die, I Die (Rough Trade, 1982)

Listen to it on Spotify:

Mammoth (full albums, 149 tracks, about 9 hours): HTTP Link, URI. (SR0243)

Lite (3 songs each "pivotal" album, 2 songs each "more" album, 31 tracks, about 1 hour): HTTP Link, URI. (SR0244)

Mucchio Classic Rock - 20 Top Albums series:

1. Punk '77

2. New Wave
3. Dark 1980-1985

The Age's Best 50 Australian Albums Ever

Do Australian toilets really swirl the other way? If you know Bart Simpson, you also know this is a very delicate question. Today, while accidentally re-seeing that old intercontinental Simpsons episode, another rather serious question came to my mind: which are the best Australian albums ever? I asked Google and... dingo!... it gave me this answer: a Top 50 chart compiled in 2008 by a panel of musicians, critics, record shop owners, djs for Melbourne newspaper The Age. You can find it in all its beauty here (or here). It has also an official website, but my browser can't read it: do Australian flash animations swirl the other way, too? :o)

Unfortunately, Australia is not spotified and just 50% of the albums is available. And the panel evidently didn't love Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (only one album). Anyway, I think this is a quite good rock-tinged (no Kylie or Men At Work) bunch of playlists. Enjoy!

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THE AGE'S BEST 50 AUSTRALIAN ALBUMS

50. Get Born (Jet, 2003)
49. A Toast to Panama Red (Masters' Apprentices, 1972)
48. Starfish (The Church, 1988)
47. Diorama (Silverchair, 2002)
46. Eternal Nightcap (The Whitlams, 1997)
45. Tu Plang (Regurgitator, 1996)
44. Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express (Go-Betweens, 1986)
43. Woodface (Crowded House, 1991)
42. Post (Paul Kelly, 1985)
41. Face to Face (The Angels, 1978)
40. Lovetown (Stephen Cummings, 1988)
39. The Swing (INXS, 1984)
38. The Low Road (Beasts of Bourbon, 1991)
37. Highway to Hell (AC/DC, 1979)
36. The Good Son (Nick Cave, 1990)
35. Anthology (The Easybeats, 2000)
34. Toward the Blues (Chain, 1971)
33. Icehouse (Flowers, 1980)
32. Since I Left You (The Avalanches, 2001)
31. Let There Be Rock (AC/DC, 1977)
30. Less is More (Even, 1996)
29. Rose Tattoo (Rose Tattoo, 1978)
28. Charcoal Lane (Archie Roach, 1992)
27. Prayers on Fire (The Birthday Party, 1981)
26. Daddy Who? (Daddy Cool, 1971)
25. Goodbye Tiger (Richard Clapton, 1977)
24. Doughboy Hollow (Died Pretty, 1991)
23. East (Cold Chisel, 1980)
22. Hourly, Daily (You Am I, 1996)
21. Circus Animals (Cold Chisel, 1980)
20. Prehistoric Sounds (The Saints, 1988)
19. 16 Lovers Lane (Go-Betweens, 1988)
18. Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies will Float By (The Drones, 2005)
17. Sunnyboys (Sunnyboys, 1981)
16. High Voltage (AC/DC, 1976)
15. Human Frailty (Hunters and Collectors, 1986)
14. Crowded House (Crowded House, 1986)
13. Born Sandy Devotional (The Triffids, 1986)
12. Easy (The Easybeats, 1965)
11. Magic Box (Loved Ones, 1967)
10. Back in Black (AC/DC, 1980)
9. Diesel and Dust (Midnight Oil, 1987)
8. Kick (INXS, 1987)
7. (I'm) Stranded (The Saints, 1977)
6. Gossip (Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, 1986)
5. Stoneage Romeos (Hoodoo Gurus, 1984)
4. Hi Fi Way (You Am I, 1995)
3. Living in the 70s (Skyhooks, 1974)
2. Radios Appear (Radio Birdman, 1977)
1. 10-1 (Midnight Oil, 1981)

Listen to it on Spotify:
Mammoth (complete albums, 300 tracks, about 19 hours): HTTP, URI. (SR0240)
Graduated (1 track #41-50, 2 tracks #31-40, 3 tracks #21-30, 4 tracks #11-20, 5 tracks #2-10, full album #1, 80 tracks, about 5 hours): HTTP, URI. (SR0241)
Lite (1 track each album, 25 tracks, about 1 hour): HTTP, URI. (SR0242)

The Rudy Van Gelder Editions on Spotify (234 Blue Note & Concord Jazz Classic Albums)

A message to you, Rudy

(source image)

Last saturday I went to a concert with a friend of mine. While driving to the venue, we spoke a bit about music. I made her listen to one of my last iPod playlists. She gave me a cd by Herbie Hancock. Thinking about it, later, I realized the easy availability of rock music (my favourite) is taking me away from all the other genres. No jazz anymore. No world music. Just few pop or electronics. Nada heavy metal, nada black music, nada classical. It's like an ocean of indie got a complete control of my music life. That's not good. So, as a first reaction, I spent some day listening to something different, starting from Herbie Hancock and jazz. Easy came the idea to make a jazz playlist on Spotirama, too. Then, I met Rudy Van Gelder.

From Wikipedia:

Rudy Van Gelder (born 2 November 1924, Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz. Often regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder has recorded several thousand jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics, in a career spanning more than half a century. Bringing an unprecedented clarity to jazz recording, Van Gelder has recorded many of the great names in the genre, including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and many others. He worked with many record companies, but he is most closely associated with Blue Note Records, now a division of EMI. (...) Since 1999, he has been busy remastering the analog Blue Note recordings he made several decades ago into 24-bit digital recordings in its ongoing RVG Edition series.

The full list of these remastered recordings is here and the good news is that all the 168 titles are available on Spotify. Unfortunately, they're not always appropriately tagged. Sometimes they appear as "Rudy Van Gelder Edition", sometimes as "RVG", sometimes the engineer's name appears only in some songs, sometimes it doesn't appear at all. I collected all the 168 albums (in italics, the ones I'm not 100% sure they're RVG remastered editions). Then, as a bonus, I collected also the other albums that appear as Rudy Van Gelder remasters on Spotify (both from Blue Note and Concord Records) but are not on the official Blue Note website. Total: 234 albums! I put them in two different playlists. The first one is made with the complete recordings. Take it as a kind of huge encyclopedia of classic jazz. The second one includes just one song each album: it's a sort of radio station, good to get a taste without diggin' too deep in live versions, alternate takes, etc. etc. The order of the first 168 albums follows the publication of the remastered recordings from 1999 to 2009. Enjoy!

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THE PLAYLISTS

1. Unity (Larry Young)

2. The Real McCoy (McCoy Tyner)

3. Blowin' the Blues Away (Horace Silver)

4. Volume 2 (Sonny Rollins)

5. Midnight Blue (Kenny Burrell)

6. Somethin' Else (Cannonball Adderley)

7. Speak No Evil (Wayne Shorter)

8. Soul Station (Hank Mobley)

9. Empyrean Isles (Herbie Hancock)

10. Go! (Dexter Gordon)

11. Out To Lunch (Eric Dolphy)

12. Moanin' (Art Blakey)

13. Song For My Father (Horace Silver)

14. The Sidewinder (Lee Morgan)

15. Page One (Joe Henderson)

16. Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock)

17. Idle Moments (Grant Greene)

18. Cool Struttin' (Sonny Clark)

19. Life Time (Tony Williams)

20. Juju (Wayne Shorter)

21. Hub-Tones (Freddie Hubbard)

22. Point of Departure (Andrew Hill)

23. A Blowing Session (Johnny Griffin)

24. A New Perspective (Donald Byrd)

25. Groovin' at Small's Paradise (Jimmy Smith)

26. A Night at the Village Vanguard (Sonny Rollins)

27. Una Mas (Kenny Dorham)

28. The Sermon (Jimmy Smith)

29. Six Piece of Silver (Horace Silver)

30. The All Seeing Eye (Wayne Shorter)

31. No Room For Squares (Hank Mobley)

32. House Party (Jimmy Smith)

33. The Prisoner (Herbie Hancock)

34. Whistle Stop (Kenny Dorham)

35. Birth of the Cool (Miles Davis)

36. The Eminent J.J. Johnson - Volume 1 (J.J. Johnson)

37. The Eminent J.J. Johnson - Volume 2 (J.J. Johnson)

38. Wizard of the Vibes (Milt Jackson)

39. Miles Davis - Volume 2 (Miles Davis)

40. Miles Davis - Volume 1 (Miles Davis)

41. Genius of Modern Music - Volume 2 (Thelonious Monk)

42. Jazz Immortal (Clifford Brown)

43. Memorial Album (Clifford Brown)

44. At the Cafè Bohemia - Volume 1 (Art Blakey)

45. At the Cafè Bohemia - Volume 2 (Art Blakey)

46. A Night at Birdland - Volume 1 (Art Blakey Quintet)

47. A Night at Birdland - Volume 2 (Art Blakey Quintet)

48. At the Golden Circle - Volume 1 (Ornette Coleman)

49. Sonny Clark Trio (Sonny Clark Trio)

50. Cool Blues (Jimmy Smith)

51. Dialogue (Bobby Hutcherson)

52. Open Sesame (Freddie Hubbard)

53. Hustlin' (Stanley Turrentine)

54. Lee-Way (Lee Morgan)

55. Roll Call (Hank Mobley)

56. Green Street (Grant Green)

57. Hub Cap (Frebbie Hubbard)

58. The Natural Soul (Lou Donaldson)

59. Volume One (Sonny Rollins)

60. Grantstand (Grant Green)

61. Our Man in Paris (Dexter Gordon)
62. Blue Train (John Coltrane)
63. Indestructible (Art Blakey)
64. Adam's Apple (Wayne Shorter)
65. Search for the New Land (Lee Morgan)
66. Let Freedom Ring (Jackie McLean)
67. Mode For Joe (Joe Henderson)
68. Ready For Freddie (Freddie Hubbard)
69. Never Let Me Go (Stanley Turrentine)
70. Conquistador! (Cecil Taylor)
71. Prayer Meetin' (Jimmy Smith)
72. The Cape Verdean Blues (Horace Silver)
73. Newk's Time (Sonny Rollins)
74. The Thing To Do (Blue Mitchell)
75. Breaking Point (Freddie Hubbard)
76. Inner Urge (Joe Henderson)
77. Dexter Calling (Dexter Gordon)
78. Buhaina's Delight (Art Blakey)
79. Home Cookin' (Jimmy Smith)
80. The Sixth Sense (Lee Morgan)
81. Black Fire (Andrew Hill)
82. Doin' Allright (Dexter Gordon)
83. Tender Moments (McCoy Tyner)
84. Destination Out (Jackie McLean)
85. Blue Spirits (Freddie Hubbard)
86. In 'N Out (Joe Henderson)
87. One Flight Up (Dexter Gordon)
88. Free For All (Art Blakey)
89. True Blue (Tina Brooks)
90. A Night in Tunisia (Art Blakey)
91. Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers (Horace Silver)
92. Night Dreamer (Wayne Shorter)
93. Speak Like a Child (Herbie Hancock)
94. Feelin' the Spirit (Grant Green)
95. Inventions and Dimensions (Herbie Hancock)
96. Symphony for Improvisers (Don Cherry)
97. The Big Beat (Art Blakey)
98. Time For Tyner (McCoy Tyner)
99. Oblique (Bobby Hutcherson)
100. Judgment (Andrew Hill)
101. That's Where It's At (Stanley Turrentine)
102. Joyride (Stanley Turrentine)
103. Horace-Scope (Horace Silver)
104. The Gigolo (Lee Morgan)
105. Workout (Hank Mobley)
106. Gettin' Around (Dexter Gordon)
107. A Swingin' Affair (Dexter Gordon)
108. Mosaic (Art Blakey)
109. Live at the Club Mozambique (Grant Green)
110. The Cooker (Lee Morgan)
111. Another Workout (Hank Mobley)
112. Royal Flush (Donald Byrd)
113. Doin' the Thing: The Horace Silver Quintet at the Village Gate (Horace Silver)
114. City Lights (Lee Morgan)
115. Demon's Dance (Jackie McLean)
116. Happenings (Bobby Hutcherson)
117. Here To Stay (Freddie Hubbard)
118. Off to the Races (Donald Byrd)
119. Introducing (Johnny Griffin)
120. Undercurrent (Kenny Drew)
121. Compulsion (Andrew Hill)
122. Clubhouse (Dexter Gordon)
123. The Cat Walk (Donald Byrd)
124. Bossa Nova Soul Samba (Ike Quebec)
125. Lee Morgan Sextet: Volume 2 (Lee Morgan)
126. Lee Morgan Sextet: Volume 3 (Lee Morgan)
127. Flight to Jordan (Duke Jordan)
128. Bass on Top (Paul Chambers)
129. Delightfulee (Lee Morgan)
130. The Magnificent Thad Jones (Thad Jones)
131. Takin' Off (Herbie Hancock)
132. Afro-Cuban (Kenny Dorham)
133. Gravy Train (Lou Donaldson)
134. Back at the Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith)
135. Midnight Special (Jimmy Smith)
136. Candy (Lee Morgan)
137. Indeed! (Lee Morgan)
138. The Latin Bit (Grant Green)
139. Live at Club Baby Grand: Volume 1 (Jimmy Smith)
140. Live at Club Baby Grand: Volume 2 (Jimmy Smith)
141. Blue and Sentimental (Ike Quebec)
142. Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims (Jutta Hipp, Zoot Sims)
143. Look Out! (Stanley Turrentine)
144. Further Explorations By the Horace Silver Quintet (Horace Silver)
145. The Soothsayer (Wayne Shorter)
146. Shades of Redd (Freddie Redd)
147. Here 'Tis (Lou Donaldson)
148. Jimmy Smith Plays Fats Waller (Jimmy Smith)
149. J.R. Monterose (J.R. Monterose)
150. Hank Mobley Quintet (Hank Mobley)
151. The Opener (Curtis Fuller)
152. Lou Takes Off (Lou Donaldson)
153. Dearly Beloved (Stanley Turrentine)
154. Dimensions & Extensions (Sam Rivers)
155. Evolution (Grachan Moncur)
156. Peckin' Time (Hank Mobley)
157. Leapin' and Lopin' (Sonny Clark)
158. A Chip Off the Old Block (Stanley Turrentine)
159. Rollin' With Leo (Leo Parker)
160. One Step Beyond (Jackie McLean)
161. Grant's First Stand (Grant Green)
162. Paul Chambers Quintet (Paul Chambers Quintet)
163. Spring (Tony Williams)
164. Stop and Listen (Baby Face Willette)
165. The Tokyo Blues (Horace Silver)
166. Some Other Stuff (Grachan Moncur)
167. Bluesnik (Jackie McLean)
168. Street of Dreams (Grant Green)


Bonus albums:
(Blue Note)
169. Like Someone in Love (Art Blakey)
170. A.T.'s Delight (Art Taylor)
171. Face To Face (Baby Face Willette)
172. The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 1 (Bud Powell)
173. The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 2 (Bud Powell)
174. The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 3 (Bud Powell)
175. The Scene Changes (Bud Powell)
176. Time Waits (Bud Powell)
177. At the Half Note Cafè: vol.1 & vol.2 (Donald Byrd)
178. Byrd in Hand (Donald Byrd)
179. Free Form (Donald Byrd)
180. Fuego (Donald Byrd)
181. Slow Drag (Donald Byrd)
182. Sweet Honey Bee (Duke Pearson)
183. At the Five Spot: Volume 2 (Eric Dolphy)
184. The Night of the Cookers (Freddie Hubbard)
185. The Complete George Braith Blue Note Sessions (George Braith)
186. Goin' West (Grant Green)
187. Hi-Voltage (Hank Mobley)
188. The Turnaround (Hank Mobley)
189. My Point of View (Herbie Hancock)
190. Up and Down (Horace Parlan)
191. Finger Poppin' (Horace Silver)
192. Horace Silver Trio (Horace Silver Trio)
193. Serenade To a Soul Sister (Horace Silver)
194. It Might As Well Be Spring (Ike Quebec)
195. 4, 5 and 6 (Jackie McLean)
196. A Fickle Sonance (Jackie McLean)
197. Action (Jackie McLean)
198. Capuchin Swing (Jackie McLean)
199. Jackie's Bag (Jackie McLean)
200. Right Now (Jackie McLean)
201. Rockin' the Boat (Jimmy Smith)
202. The Sound of Jimmy Smith (Jimmy Smith)
203. Our Thing (Joe Henderson)
204. Little Johnny C (Johnny Coles)
205. The Complete 'Round About Midnight at the Café (Kenny Dorham)
206. Let Me Tell You About It (Leo Parker)
207. Lush Life (Lou Donaldson)
208. Here Comes Louis Smith (Louis Smith)
209. At the Golden Circle: Volume 2 (Ornette Coleman)
210. Dial S For Sonny (Sonny Clark)
211. Ballads (Sonny Rollins)
212. Never Let Me Go (Stanley Turrentine)
213. The Spoiler (Stanley Turrentine)
214. Davis Cup (Walter Davis)

(Concord Records)
215. 'Round Midnight (Andy Bey)
216. Farmers Market (Art Farmer)
217. The Freedom Book (Booker Ervin)
218. Settin' the Pace (John Coltrane)
219. Coltrane (John Coltrane)
220. Traneing In (John Coltrane)
221. Mating Call (John Coltrane)
222. Kirk's Work (Roland Kirk with Jack McDuff)
223. Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet (Miles Davis)
224. Steamin' (Miles Davis)
225. El Hombre (Pat Martino)
226. Groovy (Red Garland)
227. Soul Junction (Red Garland)
228. Dig It (Red Garland Quintet with John Coltrane)
229. We Three (Roy Haines)
230. This Is Criss! (Sonny Criss)
231. Moving Out (Sonny Rollins)
232. Plays For Bird (Sonny Rollins)
233. Monk (Thelonious Monk)
234. Thelonious Monk Trio (Thelonious Monk Trio)

Listen to them on Spotify:
Mammoth (full albums, 1686 tracks, about 1 week): HTTP, URI. (SR0237)
Lite (one track each album, 234 tracks, about 1 day): HTTP, URI. (SR0238)

Dead Air Spotify - Radiohead Office Charts throughout 2010

Welcome to Radio Radiohead

Tell me what you're listening to, and I will know who you are. Since november 2008, Radiohead are periodically publishing on their website Dead Air Space charts of songs they "might be listening to in the office". 2010 charts are mostly signed by singer Thom Yorke. I don't know if that means these are the songs he is personally listening to, or he has been appointed chart-publisher for all the band, or he gained a dictatorial control of the studio hi-fis. The important is that these are truly fascinating playlists. So far from my normal tastes. With jazz, electronica, hip hop, 8-bit, Scott Walker, piano beauties and even a mass in B minor. New horizons, new landscapes, new roads where slowly walk, far from the boring chaos of the commercial highways (...while waiting for the new Radiohead album: is it maybe that this music influenced it?...).

For each "office chart", I made its own Spotify playlist. If you prefer, at the bottom of this post, you can find a mammoth playlist, comprehensive of all the songs. Enjoy!

Stay in touch with the new playlists!
Follow Spotirama on Twitter and Facebook

  Follow @spotirama


The Playlists
(updated 18/02/2011)

Tue, 09 February
1. Murderer by Low from Drums and Guns
2. Hotel Freund by Black to Comm
3. If you go away by Scott Walker
4. Ancestors by Gonjasufi
5. Turn it on (instrumental) by Mark Pritchard & Steve Spacek
6. These Words ft. dbridge by Martyn
7. I think UR a Contra by Vampire Weekend
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI (SR0228)

Wed, 03 March
1. Intro: Live At Skateland by Cutty Ranks
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out by Public Enemy
3. Cyclic Bit by Raymond Scott
4. Audience No. 2 by Autolux
5. New York Is Killing Me by Gil Scott-Heron
6. Natty by DVA
7. Sing by Four Tet
8. Ambre by Nils Frahm
9. Take Me Back by Aloe Blacc
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI (SR0229)

Mon, 15 March
1. Twilight Speedball by Mos Def
2. Fancy Clown by Mavillain & Viktor Vaughn
3. Baiafro by The Gaslamp Killer
4. Exhibit C by Jay Electronica
5. Penny's Confession by Ras G
6. Lose My Fuse by Muhsinah feat. Flying Lotus
7. MIA by MIA
8. Holidays by Gonjasufi
9. It's Important by Samiyam
10. Purify by Untold
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0230)

THU, 06 May
1. The Lunatics (Have taken over the Asylum) by Fun Boy Three
2. Splitting the Atom by Massive Attack
3. Les Folies Françaises by Matmos
4. Sticky Situation (Toddla T & Seiji Mix) by Lady Chan
5. Veni vidi vici (Diplo rmx) by Black Lips
6. Mass in B Minor BWV 232, Credo: Chorus: Et Incarnatus Est Bach Mass in B minor by Münchner Philharmoniker & Sergiu Celibidache
7. Into Dust by Mazzy Star
8. My Beautiful Leah by Pj Harvey
9. Analogue Talk(Claknib) by AFX
10. Backdoor. Spyboter.A by AFX
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0231)

MON, 24 May
1. 1977 by Ana Tijoux
2. Ante Up by Danny Drive thru
3. Formula by Aphex Twin
4. Naima by John Coltrane Quartet (village vanguard recordings)
5. The Heist by Jaylib
6. Fram by Blawan
7. Pneumonia by Bjork
8. Chapel of Ghouls by Boy 8-bit
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0232)

SAT, 19 June
1. The Big Ship by Brian Eno
2. Slurs and Slowly by Isan
3. Triangle Folds Inside Out by James Holden
4. Magnetic Warrior by Archie Bronson Outfit
5. Goodmorning Sunshine by Quasimoto
6. 3 Tot 1 Zonder Toaster by Aardvark
7. Fog Bank by boy 8-bit
8. Leuk He by Aardvark
9. Bite It & Believe It by Archie Bronson Outfit
10. Claptrap Joe
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0233)

FRI, 25 June
1. Nothing to See by Four Tet
2. Shadows of Tomorrow by Madvillain and Quasimoto
3. Mad Again (Boy 8-bit) by South Rakkas Crew
4. 3hree by Aardvarck
5. Aftermath by Nightmares on Wax
6. 9 by Aphex Twin
7. Silversand by Mesak
8. Xerrox Sora by Alva Noto
9. Lady Jane by The Rolling Stones
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0234)

SAT, 9 October
1. Pitter by Ramadanman
2. Back Down by Dj Nate
3. Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
4. Man Out of Time (Major Space dub) by Redshape
5. My Only Friend (Hezus rmx) by Gonjasufi
6. No More by Billie Holiday
7. Jeep's Blues Duke Ellington (Ellington at Newport 1956)
8. Teknitian by Dj Rashad
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0235)

The Mammoth (47 tracks from all the playlists, about 3 hours)
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0236)

Guardian's New Band of the Day (June 2010)

Mountain Man: female beardless Fleet Foxes

Today I suddenly discovered the power of patience. 

Until now, Guardian's New Band of the Day series had been rather disappointing. Not because of musical choices by Guardian's music wiz, but because of scarcity of the bands on Spotify. So I decided to be a little more patient and to wait to update the playlist for a couple of months more after Guardian's original publication. And... it worked! Most of the new bands highlighted by the Brit website in June are in the playlist: 14 out of 18. The fact is Guardian often writes about artists even before they publish their debut single. Spotify doesn't leak, so you must wait a little for them to appear on the catalogue. 

Patience is good for a better playlist. 

Day by day, I'm getting wiser. 

Am I not?

Enjoy Jamaica, ceo, The Magic Kids and (almost) all the young dudes of June.

The Playlist 

(june 2010, 14 new bands out of 18, 77,77%)

1 June: Cerebral Ballzy

2 June: Ghost Poet

3 June: Jamaica - I Think I Like U 2

Guardian's Paul Lester says: "We celebrate New Band of the Day's 800th edition by bringing you a French duo who are tantalisingly close to pop perfection"

4 June: Bear Driver - Wolves

"This Leeds band combine the sprawling intensity of Canada's Arcade Fire with the Welsh psychedelia of Super Furry Animals"

7 June: Mountain Man - Animal Tracks

"Inspired by the traditional folk, country and Appalachian stylings of Gillian Welch, this trio are the female Fleet Foxes"

8 June: Civil Civic - Run Overdrive

"This duo's brainiac mix of math rock, prog and electronica is never less than clever, intricate and complex"

9 June: Larsen B - Codeine

"These Home Counties lads play grandiose music with a rustic charm, like Coldplay jamming with Mumford & Sons"

10 June: ceo - Come With Me

"This enigmatic Swede's carefully constructed persona is slightly undermined by his pretty and perky synth pop"

11 June: Liam Bailey

14 June: Ollie Wride

15 June: Teeth - See Spaces

"If Girls Aloud did a duet with New Young Pony Club, then it would probably sound like this Dalston dance trio"

16 June: Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me

"This young rapper from the States is not really a rapper – he just keeps telling everyone he is"

17 June: Sunbirds - River Run

"It's been a while since we heard a bunch of jangling 60s west coast acolytes quite this fine"

18 June: The Diamond Rings - Show Me Your Stuff

"Like the lovechild of Neil Young and Neil Tennant, this newbie's songs are part grunge, part laptop pop"

21 June: The Roseville Band - Boxer

"If you need a budget Kings of Leon for your wedding or bar mitzvah, look no further"

22 June: Magic Kids - Hey Boy

"This Memphis band are a budget version of the Beach Boys, aiming to capture California's finest in their early glory days"

23 June: Ergo Phizmiz - Late

"Is he a genius or a hoaxer with too much time on his hands? Possibly both"

30 June: Tennis - Marathon

"Anyone for Tennis? Yes, please, if it involves fuzzy, aching chords topped with stories of sailing around the US east coast"

Listen to it on Spotify:

Active Playlist (changing every month, with only newest songs): HTTP Link, URI.

Moloch Playlist (growing every month, with all 2010 songs): HTTP Link, URI.

Mucchio Classic Rock #2 - New Wave top 20 albums

Joy Division: new wave of isolation

Second rock history lesson, courtesy of italian magazine Il Mucchio. Some months ago, we dived into a swamp of lurid, filthy, stinky and swindlin' 1977 punk. Today, it's time to ride the New Wave. 

On the magazine, at the end of the 90s, Eddy Cilia wrote:

"Twenty years later, giving a definition of New Wave is still a hard task. We start (...) telling what it wasn't: not a genre, but a group of subgenres born under the punk influence. (...) Punk was a matter of guitar? New Wave answered with electronics. Punk came from the streets? New Wave from art schools. Anyway, the latter was not a reaction to the first, but an aftermath: both punk and new wave were reactions against progressive, songwriters and disco music. (...) Which was the best peak for New Wave? From 1978 to 1981".

Stay in touch with the new playlists!
Follow Spotirama on Twitter and Facebook

  Follow @spotirama

The Playlist

(17 albums out of 20, 85%)

10 Pivotal Albums

Cure - Three Imaginary Boys (Fiction, 1979)

Devo - Q: Are We Not Me? A: We Are Devo! (Warner Bros, 1978)

Joy Division - Closer (Factory, 1980)

Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (Blank, 1978)

Public Image Ltd. - The Metal Box (Virgin, 1978)

Siouxsie and the Banshees - The Scream (Polydor, 1978)

Suicide - Suicide (Red Star, 1977)

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (Sire, 1978)

Television - Marquee Moon (Elektra, 1977)

Ultravox! - Systems of Romance (Island, 1978)

10 Albums More

Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out (Beggars Banquet, 1982)

B-52's - B-52's (Warner Bros, 1979)

Clock DVA - Thirst (Fetish, 1982)

Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here (Korova, 1981)

Gang of Four - Entertainment (Emi, 1979)

Killing Joke - Killing Joke (EG, 1980)

Pop Group - Y (Radar, 1979)

Wall of Voodoo - Call of the West (IRS, 1981)

Wire - 154 (Harvest, 1979)

XTC - Drums and Wires (Virgin, 1979)

Listen to it on Spotify:

Mammoth (full albums, 189 tracks, about 12 hours): HTTP Link, URI. (SR0226)

Lite (3 songs each album, 51 tracks, about 3 hours): HTTP Link, URI. (SR0227)

Mucchio Classic Rock series:

1. Punk '77

2. New Wave

Pitchfork Best New Music of 2010 (october update)

BLOGGER
 IMAGE UPLOADER
ON STRIKE
NO PICTURE, THIS TIME
(Sorry, Deerhunter)

Five new entries on our beloved Pitchfork Best New Music of 2010 spotiplaylist. The first one is a very recent album (Deerhunter), the others are four records missing from previous updates (Janelle Monae, Tame Impala, CEO, Curren$y).

The song-rules remain the same: three songs each album featured on the Pitchfork Best New Music page. In bold, the albums I added today. Enjoy!

The Playlist

(114 tracks, 38 albums out of 49, 77,55%, about 7 hours)

Featuring three songs each from:

Contra (Vampire Weekend), Heartland (Owen Pallett), Astro Coast (Surfer Blood), There Is Love in You (Four Tet), Teen Dream (Beach House), IRM (Charlotte Gainsbourg), One Life Stand (Hot Chip), I'm New Here (Gil Scott-Heron), Gorilla Manor (Local Natives), Black Noise (Pantha du Prince), Sisterworld (Liars), Plastic Beach (Gorillaz), The Monitor (Titus Andronicus), Fang Island (Fang Island),Big Echo (The Morning Benders),The Wild Hunt (The Tallest Man on Earth), Swim (Caribou), Subiza (Delorean), Crystal Castles II (Crystal Castles), Forgiveness Rock Record (Broken Social Scene), High Violet (The National), Treats (Sleigh Bells), This Is Happening (LCD Soundsystem), CMYK EP (James Blake), Gemini (Wild Nothing),Body Talk Pt.1 (Robyn), Before Today (Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti), Does It Look Like I'm Here? (Emeralds), King of the Beach (Wavves), Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Big Boi), Love King (The-Dream), Crazy For You (Best Coast), Black City (Matthew Dear), Halcyon Digest (Deerhunter), The ArchAndroid (Janelle Monae), Innerspeaker (Tame Impala), White Magic (CEO), Curren$y (Pilot Talk)

Missing:

Have One On Me (Joanna Newsom), A Sufi and a Killer (Gonjasufi), Clinging To a Scheme (The Radio Dept.), Cosmogramma (Flying Lotus), Nothing Hurts (Male Bonding), Mare (Julian Lynch), The Suburbs (Arcade Fire), Lisbon (Walkmen), Sit Down Man (Das Racist), Love Remains (How To Dress Well), Evertything in Between (No Age). 

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP Link, URI.