September 9, 2014 Playlist

"Contact" by Silver Apples (1969)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Silver Apples  "Contact"  1969 (USA)
Silver Apples was one of the most important underground groups of the rock era. Originally a traditional NYC rock group called The Overland Stage Electric Band, all the members except drummer Danny Taylor quit after singer Simeon Coxe III got carried away incorporating the strange sounds of audio oscillators into their live show. The Silver Apples sound is thus a minimalist combination of Taylor's mathematical beats and Simeon's burbling electronics (he built a device known as The Simeon Machine which included "nine oscillators with 86 manual controls"), accompanied by Simeon's unusual singing and occasionally (just for yuks) - banjos! Thus they sound nothing like any other group of their era; their closest peers would probably be the 1970's groups Suicide (proto-punk minimalist electro-rock) and Kraftwerk (the Fab Four of electronica who built their own instruments). The Silver Apples duo released two utterly unique albums of electronic rock in the late 1960's: the self-titled debut is a true forgotten classic, and remarkably the follow-up Contact is every bit as good. A third album The Garden was recorded in 1970 but not released until 1998, and there are also two "reunion" albums from the 1990's which feature Simeon but not Taylor (though the original pair did tour together). After becoming active again at this time, the group sadly faced two tragedies in the early 21st century: Simeon broke his neck in an auto accident, and Danny Taylor died in 2005. Most recently Simeon has been playing festivals under the Silver Apples moniker, though at this point the group is a solo project and Simeon's injuries have limited his mobility and musical dexterity. One final interesting anecdote about this week's classic album: the front cover depicts the group sitting in the cockpit of a jet with the Pan-Am logo clearly visible, while on the back the group is playing music in the wreckage of an airplane crash. Thus Pan-Am airlines sued their record company, leading to their third album being shelved and the eventual breakup of the band!
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener Request
 
Artist Song Album Year Country
The CreationMaking Time (R)A-side 7" single (The Complete Collection Vol. 1 CD compilation) 1966
UK
GONNBlackout At GretelyA-side 7" single (Nuggets CD box set compilation) 1966
USA
The Black Angels Diamond Eyes
Clear Lake Forest (N)2014 (Blue Horizon)USA
Little Barrie PaulineShadow (N)2014 (Tummy Touch)UK
The Electric Mess Every Girl Deserves A SongHouse On Fire (N)2014 (Soundflat)USA
 
 
The Black LipsRaw Meat
Arabia Mountain2011
USA
The Black Lips Make You MineUnderneath The Rainbow (N)2014 (Vice)USA
King Khan & The ShrinesI Got Made
Idle No More2013
Canada
Elephant Stone Setting SunElephant Stone (N)2014 (V2)Canada
J Mascis Every MorningTied To A Star (N)2014 (Sub Pop)USA
Dinosaur jr.Flying Cloud
Green Mind1991
USA
   
 
Enoch Light & The Light BrigadeScarborough Fair (trad./Simon & Garfunkel)Permissive Polyphonics1970
USA
The Animated EggSock It My WayThe Animated Egg1967
USA
Richard HaymanGoing Out Of My HeadThe Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine1969
USA
   
 
Silver ApplesYou And IContact
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1969
USA
Silver ApplesYou're Not Fooling MeContact
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1969
USA
Silver ApplesI Have Known LoveContact
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1969
USA
The Fifty Foot HoseThe Things That Concern YouCauldron1967
USA
Jean-Jacques PerreyCybernautsMusique Electronique Du Cosmos1963
France
Perrey & KingsleyOne Note Samba (A.C. Jobim) - Spanish Flea (Herb Alpert)Kaleidoscopic Vibrations1967
France/USA
KraftwerkDas ModellDie Mensch-Maschine1978
Germany
   
 
Damaged Bug Sic Bay SurpriseHubba Bubba (N)2014 (Castle Face)USA
Trin Tran Hearts R SeriousFar Reaches EP (N)2014 (Castle Face)USA
Wildest Dreams (DJ Harvey) BooshWildest Dreams (N)2014 (Smalltown Supersound)UK
CaribouSandy
Andorra2007
Canada
The Notwist Run Run RunClose To The Glass (N)2014 (Sub Pop)Germany
Tobacco Bronze Hogan (bonus track)Ultima II Massage (N)2014 (Ghostly International)USA
 
  
The Luck Of Eden Hall The Happine$$ Vending MachineA-side 7" single (N)2014 (self release)USA
The Skull DefektsKing Of MisinformationDances In Dreams Of The Known Unknown (N)2014 (Thrill Jockey)Sweden
Fujiya & Miyagi FlawsArtificial Sweeteners (N)2014 (Yep Roc)UK
Liars Mess On A MissionMess (N)2014 (Mute)USA/Australia
Brian Eno & Karl Hyde DBFHigh Life (N)2014 (Warp)UK
The MonksBlast Off!
Black Monk Time1966
USA/Germany
 
  
VangelisPulstar
Albedo 0.391976
Greece
TONTO's Expanding Head BandThe Boatman (aka Ferryboat)
It's About Time1974
UK/USA
ClusterFotschi Tong
Zuckerzeit1974
Germany
Faust So Far
So Far1972
Germany
 
  
StereolabNomos Et Phusis
The First Of The Microbe Hunters2000
France/UK
      
   
   
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