Tag: Dan Base

Greetings, those of you who haven”™t been lucky enough to get to Glastonbury this year. I feel your pain. Out of the four of us here at Spotisfaction Towers, there can only be one! This time around the one who gets to head to Glastonbury was James TAE. He best enjoy it”¦

Anyway, today”™s playlist comes from Dan Base of The Cheltenham Underground. He is one of the lucky ones off to Glasto and as he felt bad for those not going, he put this playlist together, entitled “Hips Like Cinderella”. Enjoy.

[Thom]

76 Spotisfaction Wednesday (23 Jun) – DBase

Greetings Spotisfactioneers (ha! take that spellcheck!).  I bring today”™s playlist to you whilst in an over-excited pre-Glastonbury funk. To celebrate, I”™ve included a song from the band I”™m most looking forward to seeing there: Broken Social Scene. To anyone catching them at their own show, I salute you.

1. Pixies ”“ Tame
2. Pavement ”“ Summer Babe – Winter Version
3. Jurassic 5 ”“ Thin Line
4. Nina Simone ”“ I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
5. Manchester Orchestra ”“ Shake It Out
6. Wilt ”“ Dave You Were Right
7. Jetplane Landing ”“ Sequel
8. PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke ”“ This Mess We”™re In
9. Garbage ”“ Special
10. Skunk Anansie ”“ Charlie Big Potato
11. Queens Of The Stone Age ”“ Auto Pilot
12. Doves ”“ The Man Who Told Everything
13. R.E.M. (Featuring Q-Tip) ”“ The Outsiders
14. Broken Social Scene ”“ Windsurfing Nation
15. Ash ”“ Nicole
16. Titus Andronicus ”“ Fear And Loathing In Mahwah, NJ
17. My First Tooth ”“ Margaret Yen
18. Ramones ”“ I Believe In Miracles
19. Yeah Yeah Yeahs ”“ Little Shadow – acoustic
20. Bright Eyes ”“ Middleman
21. Death Cab for Cutie ”“ I Will Follow You into the Dark
22. Blind Melon ”“ Mouthful Of Cavities
23. Malcolm Middleton ”“ Death Love Depression Love Death

Anyway, to business: the title of this playlist comes from the ambiguous opening line of my opening song, Tame by the Pixies, probably the archetype of the Pixies often stolen quiet-verse-loud-chorus dynamic.

I first came across Manchester Orchestra at the Reading Festival a couple of years ago.  I”™m not sure how to describe them but have been meaning to rave about them for a while so give them a listen.  This is followed by a tune from Wilt, the band born from the ashes of Kerbdog.  A song called ”˜Dave You were Right”™ shouldn”™t be this affecting (it sounds like someone conceding defeat in a pub argument) but it packs an emotional punch.

”˜Margaret Yen”™, is my favourite song by Northampton”™s My First Tooth, whom we had the pleasure of seeing at a recent Cheltenham Underground night.  For a four-piece they”™re very versatile and well worth checking out.

To end, we have songs from the two bands that got me through winter with the insanity kept to a minimum (Bright Eyes and Death Cab For Cutie), followed by two for the summer. ”˜Mouthful of Cavities”™ is best enjoyed on a guilty, hungover Sunday afternoon in bed when you know you should be frolicking (or some more manly pursuit, chopping trees perhaps) in the sun. Malcolm Middleton”™s ”˜Death, Love, Depression, Death”™ rounds things off nicely, the double-M”™s jarring Scottish accent the perfect antidote to the countless mediocre bands who sing in a horrifying, soulless mid-Atlantic brogue.

Enjoy

Dan

Good morning! Feeling a lot happier today – found my little ginger kitty (thank buggery, tbh), and have just found out that Broken Social Scene are playing in Birmingham in June after I spent days moping around when London tickets sold out :D So, who”™s coming? SPOTISFACTION MEET-UP HAPPY TIMES ARE NAO!

Aaanyway”¦

It”™s Friday! We”™re alive! The weather is”¦ uh”¦ ok, I guess. So, today calls for an upbeat, uplifting playlist to celebrate. And, no better man for the job than Mr. Dan Base! *applause*.

Will hand you over to The Basinator shortly, but before I do I wanted to say a couple of things.

Part The First: Such a good shout on the Incubus track, man. Truly inspired.

Part The Second: Kids, thanks for all the submissions. Still steadily ticking over even after a couple of weeks, which is mind-bogglingly awesome. If you”™re reading/listening and are inspired to make one of your own, please do. We play every single one that gets submitted.

Safe as trucks!
David
(Twitter)

Get the playlist WHILE IT”™S HOT”¦

1. Ash – Walking Barefoot
2. The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
3. Pixes – Debaser
4. The Coral – Pass It On
5. The Futureheads – Decent Days And Nights
6. Radiohead – You
7. Sonic Youth – Kissability
8. Millencolin – No Cigar
9. Blind Melon – No Rain
10. Incubus – Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)
11. Ash – Angel Interceptor
12. Jimmy Eat World – A Praise Chorus
13. Skunk Anansie – Lately
14. Super Furry Animals – Hello Sunshine
15. The Cure – Just Like Heaven
16. Pearl Jam – State Of Love And Trust
17. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son
18. Infadels – Make Mistakes
19. The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
20. Queen – You”™re My Best Friend
21. R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
22. Madness – It Must Be Love
23. Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness
24. Supergrass – Moving
25. The Smiths – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

There is a light and it never goes out

It”™s spring and the sun is shining.  It”™s time to catch our collective breath before the insanity of this summer kicks off, so here are some songs to listen to whilst we do so.  The title song is of course The Smiths”™ classic and sets the tone I”™m looking for; uplifting songs to elate, inspire, brighten and (especially) embolden.

I saw the Infadels at Glastonbury a few years ago.  I was grumpy, exhausted and hungover after a brilliant (but sleepless) Friday night until I stumbled across these guys in one of the dance tents.  An ice cream, the Infadels”™ set and some of my trademark awful dancing was more than enough to renew my enthusiasm for the rest of the weekend.

I”™ve picked two Ash songs – what of it?  If there”™s a band that soundtrack the beginning of a summer better than Ash I”™m yet to hear them.  If you like The Futureheads, by the way, they”™re playing the Guild Hall in Gloucester on 7 May.  I”™m going, so should you.

“Debaser” by The Pixies is a glorious song and an explanation of why it”™s on here would be pointless.  A song about debasing morality through art it may be (as far as I can tell) but dammit, it”™s a singalong

The inclusion of R.E.M.”™s “Shiny Happy People” on a playlist of uplifting songs nicely sums up the limits of my imagination but if you can listen to this without smiling then you must be a cold, dead automaton with the personality of a cheap toaster.  Stay away from me you soulless freak.

“Motorcycle Emptiness” by the Manic Street Preachers may be a ludicrous cock-rock anthem from a band who loved to talk up their punk credentials but who cares?  Put on your daftest sunglasses, put your fist in the air and enjoy it.

I was roundly mocked at school for liking Radiohead: “Alright Base, are you going home to listen to some Radiohead and slit your wrists?  Durrr-hurr-hurr”.  I”™ve always found them pretty uplifting though and “You” is the best song on their first album.

And now an inspirational quotation to end on: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Michael Hutchence

Sorry.

Good lord, it”™s Friday. How fantastic was yesterdays playlist? Very. Good work David. For reasons I”™m not going to go into I feel a little worse for wear today, so I”™m infinitely glad Dan stepped up with today”™s update. Quite a few of you have shown interest in making a submission – so go for it and mail it to spotisfaction@googlemail.com. We want your playlists! Oh, and to all those who take the time out of their day to read this blog and have made lots of nice, supportive comments: we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. OK, I”™m going to hand you over to Mr Dan Base now. Keep it foolish, plastic heads.

[Thom]

05 Spotisfaction Friday (26 Feb) – DBase

Hi all, about time I made one of these mofos.  Sorry about the length but this is the cut-down version!  There isn”™t a particular theme beyond “here are some songs getting me through February, the month where the year”™s fun is planned”.  Some ramblings about some of the songs follow.

1. Le Tigre – Deceptacon
2. Sleater-Kinney – Call The Doctor
3. Gabby Young & Other Animals – We”™re All In The Together
4. Mark Hole – Dirty Base
5. Howling Bells – In The Woods
6. Midlake – Roscoe
7. Sonic Youth – Purr
8. Maximo Park – Books From Boxes
9. Kyuss – Hurricane
10. Teenage Fanclub – What You Do To Me
11. Ride – Birdman
12. Clayton Blizzard – Ya Basta Hermanos
13. The Smashing Pumpkins – Lanslide
14. Idlewild – A Modern Way Of Letting Go
15. Gogol Bordello – Wonderlust King
16. Dropkick Murphys – kiss Me I”™m Shitfaced
17. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – This Love Is Fucking Right
18. Radiohead – Exit Music (For A Film)
19. Stellastarr* – Jenny
20. Eels – Hey Man (Now You”™re Really Living)
21. Faith No More – The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
22. The Vines – Spaceships
23. The Low Anthem – To Ohio
24. Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
25. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Am I Only

“Deceptacon” by Le Tigre was really the only sensible way to start this.  Born from the ashes of Bikini Kill, this is what happens when you mix riot grrrl (not sure how many Rs to use here) and electroclash.  2 Pigs was a better place when they played this on a Saturday night.  Also check out Sleater-Kinney who inspired them – surely owners of one of the most instantly recognisable sounds in all music.  They”™re on hiatus at the moment but the day they reform I”™ll probably do some sort of highly embarrassing jig/pants-wetting combo in front of people I”™m trying to impress.  I can”™t wait.

I saw Gabby Young and other Animals and Mark Hole at the amazing Onetaste festival towards the end of 2009.  Utterly different to each other, Young delivers thoughtful yet huge (almost Arcade Fire sized) folk rock infused with swing and whatever else she fancies, whereas Hole brings in your face showmanship to the table with his piano led, dark pop.

I know Thom already included a Midlake song but I couldn”™t resist “Roscoe”.  I heard it by accident once and it got stuck in my head for about a fortnight before I could work out what the devil it was.  In response to Dave”™s tentative Sonic Youth inclusion, “Purr” is one of their best songs (from their best album, Dirty).

A reminder of how great so many somewhat forgotten 90s bands were is provided by Teenage Fanclub and Ride.  The former peddle catchy American alternative college-rock and the latter a guitar-drenched British shoegaze that absorbs you for so totally you”™ve grown a beard by the time it lets you go.

Clayton Blizzard is a Bristolian chap who plays guitar, sings and raps in a full on Brizzle accent.  His songs are mostly political and always hilarious.  Added bonus: he plays in Cheltenham every few months too.

Smashing Pumpkins”™ cover of Fleetwood Mac”™s “Landslide” is starker and colder than the original version but it really suits the song.  It”™s easy to forget how many styles the Pumpkins covered in their career when you listen to their last couple of albums, so here”™s a reminder of what they could do at their best.

Gogol Bordello and Dropkick Murphys had to go on as they made some of the best drinking music of the last decade.

Stellastarr* first showed up on the Base radar when I saw them support Jane”™s Addiction in 2003 in the winter of bleakest Wolverhampton.  They were good enough that I dragged my sorry self to see their own show in a tiny venue in Bristol (the Fleece and Firkin to be precise) a few months later, supported by some young upstarts called The Killers.

Like many a boring, ageing bastard, I”™ve got into plenty more mellow stuff as I”™ve got older, hence the inclusion of “To Ohio” by The Low Anthem, a mellow slice of Americana.  Surely they must be influenced by Mr Neil Young and his gorgeous “Heart of Gold” is my penultimate song.  This song feels like the end of a summer.  Finally, “Am I Only” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  They”™re more famous for their unsubtle, driving rock songs but this song has an air of finality that closes the playlist nicely.

Peace

Dan Base
Riot nrrrd