Friday, December 15, 2023

Bill’s Rockpile  2023008

Hi! Thanks for checking this out. Here again is a list of my favorite songs over the course of the year. How do you I know? Well, particular songs that really grab me get filed immediately and then around this time of year I see what I bought and review to see if I am missing anything. But I own all these songs and I would encourage others to do same with your favorites. You never know if in 5, 10 or 15 years Spotify, Amazon, or Apple decides to take back your rights and make you pay for songs you love. Plus I want to be able to get high fidelity versions like FLAC for future needs (you know…like the Maxell commercial guy).

Once again, it was a good year for seeing bands back out on the road. We know that has become their lifeblood with the way the industry is managing artists royalties, but just the same was good to catch bands like Pinback, Wednesday, Yo La Tengo, Aimee Mann, Ratboys, and bar italia out on the circuit. And especially seeing Eyelids and Hallelujah The Hills in a matinee in a small club!

As with last year I am posting streamable links in both Spotify and Mixcloud to listen or download the list. And you can also check out each song (and buy if you like) on the list via the Bandcamp link for each.

Links for Spotify and Mixcloud below the list links.

 

Cheers,

 

Bill

 

1.   “Bang” Melenas
2.   “An Imposed Exile” The High Water Marks
3.   “Sixes and SevensJetstream Pony
4.   “The PresenceEmma Anderson
5.   “Little BroncoGolden Apples
6.   “Empty” Ratboys
7.   “Chosen To Deserve” Wednesday
8.   “Awakening” Las Robertas
9.   “Changer” bar italia
10.   “Paperback” Tape Runs Out
11.   “Here and GoneConstant Smiles
12.   “Anything” Frankie Rose
13.   “Give A Little TimeBelle and Sebastian
14.   “Wonder” En Attendant Ana
15.   “Give Myself Away” Withered Hand
16.   “The Sky Is Melting” Alex Lahey
17.   “CaesarThe Popguns
18.   “alifeSlowdive
19.   “Before” Blonde Redhead
20.   “Backwards ForeverWhitney's Playland
21.   “Desperation I Know” Nicole Yun
22.   “Love Affair” Maud Anyways
23.   “Right Hook” Corvair
24.   “Bright Lights” Flyying Colours
25.   “Scapa Flow” Drop Nineteens
26.   “Ikea Boy” HOORSEES
27.   “The Star” Grrrl Gang
28.   “Dead Meat” The Tubs
29.   “Snitch Olympics” Ringlets
30.   “Ahegao” Provide
31.   “Time For You” Cable Ties
32.   “Melancholy Molly” Seablite
33.   “No Patience” Hurry
34.   “Between Stations” Oyvind Holm
35.   “Aselestine” Yo La Tengo
36.   “All I'll Ever Be” Film School

     Here is the link the the Spotify stream:
Here is the link for the the Mixcloud stream:










Tuesday, December 20, 2022

 

Bill’s Rockpile  2022008

Winding down another year and chronicling favorite songs --- since 2005! What started as a CD compilation and mailed out has long ago evolved to a streaming endeavor, but you have to keep up the times. This is not meant to be any kind of “Best Of” list. These are just favorites of mine, songs I played repeatedly and probably played on Turntable. While the entire compilation is once again uploaded to Mixcloud, I am also posting on Spotify --- however --- that list will be missing a couple of songs because those artists don’t support that service. I’ve also included a streamable link to each song on Bandcamp. So..if sampling, come back to this page and hit the links. If streaming, hit the Mixcloud link and that will play the entire mix. And Spotify also has the list for convenience, minus great songs by The Loyal Seas and smiles. Please consider buying and downloading songs that you like to support the artists. 

2022 saw a lot more bands going back out on the road, as Covid waves continued to recede (but not completely go away). This was a welcome development, and led to many opportunities to go see bands. I probably went to more shows this year than any year since my college days. Similarly, there seemed to be a ton of releases during the year as many people went back to the studio to record songs written over the lockdown periods. And thankfully I don’t have to burn my favorites to a CD because I had almost 50 songs saved and could only reasonable cull it down to this year’s 38. Thanks for checking in! 

Links for Spotify and Mixcloud below the list links.


Cheers,

Bill


* Does not appear on Spotify

1.   “Off Motion” Fontanarosa
2.   Pretty” Arts & Leisure
3.  “Paradise” Healees
4.  “Wretched Lie” Cotton Crown
5.   “Fastest Frontperson
6.   “Lola” Lande Hekt
7. “Still Life” Flasher
8.   “Beggar” Launder
9.   “No Other Way” Ex-Void
10.   “Should I” fine.
11. “Patterns” Stars
12.  “Option 8” Horsegirl
13.  “Into” Castlebeat
14.  “Full of The Joys of Spring” The Sundries
15.  “Nobody Knows Me, Anyhow” Cozy Slippers
16. “I Never Thought I Was Clever” The Orchids
17*.  "(So Far From) Silverlake The Loyal Seas
18.  “Behind Her Lovely Smile” My Raining Stars
19.  “Velveteen” Alvvays
20.   “Ink Bleeds” seablite
21.  “1000%” Panda Riot
22.   “Foreshadowing” Submotile
23.   “Only You Know” Beach House
24.   “Take It Slow” Bleach Lab
25.   “Wide Eyed” Thought Forms
26*.  “nothing matters anymore” smiles
27.  “Good Time” Young Guv
28.  “Clover” The Radio Field
29.  “Eyes Wide Shut” The Shop Window
30.  “define myself” wake up
31.  “Kidney Bingos” Vietnam (NZ)
32.  “When You Know You Know” The Beths
33.  “Pinos Altos” Terra Pines
34.  “Lighthouse” Mattiel
35.  “Delia Smith” sprints
36.  “Rain Song” Whitney's Playland
37.  “Mistakes” Sharon Van Etten
38.  “Your Time Doesn’t Exist” Elk City
 

 Here is the link the the Spotify stream:

Here is the link the the Mixcloud stream:



Sunday, December 12, 2021

Rockpile 2021

 Bill’s Rockpile  2021008

Although we did not have the “return to normal” we all had hoped for, it still was a pretty good year on the music front. Bands returned to clubs --- albeit with some caveats --- and artists emerged with records that many recorded while quarantined or otherwise holed up. That made for a tough task to winnow the list down. The Rockpile used to conform to the capacity of a CD (about 20 songs) but since we expanded with the cloud and streaming, I’ve been able to expand the list. Such was the case this year. I have saved over 40 songs as potential favorites and was only able to winnow down to 34 this year. These are the songs that I listened to repeatedly throughout the year and would put on playlists. In many cases the albums they were on were so good it was tough to pick a favorite track.

I’ve also expanded the ways to consume the Rockpile here. For the first year, all my favorites were also on Spotify, so I’ve included a link to the Spotify stream in addition to the Mixcloud steam I have done the past few years. Note: on the Spotify stream I had to substitute a Reds, Pinks & Purples alternate song (“The Record Player and the Damage Done”) since Glen Donaldson for some reason made the song I downloaded Private on Bandcamp and removed elsewhere. You can hear it on the Mixcloud stream. And, with each song, I’ve also included a streamable link to that song on Bandcamp. Please consider buying and downloading songs that you like to support the artists. As with last year, Bandcamp Friday when the site forgoes its share of the song royalties, made for good opportunities to grab stuff and crowdsource targets.

I hope we can get back to a more relaxed posture on shows next year. There are many scheduled, and festivals that would address the pent up demand…but we will have to see how things go. Nothing crystallized the state of things this year than seeing Wayne Coyne at Flaming Lips show sing inside his bubble without a mask, and then step outside for songs and sing through one. Would be great if next year he doesn’t need to do that, and we all can feel safe at indoor shows. 

 

Cheers,

 

Bill


1.   “Try To Change My Mind” The Laughing Chimes
2.   “Comeback Girls” The Crystal Furs
3.   “Only To Go On” Semihelix
4.   “You’re Not Always On My Mind” Quivers
5.   “Made of Moods” Massage
6.   “Ritchie Sacramento” Mogwai
7.   “The Wishing Well” Ovlov
8.   “Crystal Ball” The Tubs
9.   “Strong Feelings” Dry Cleaning
10.  “Not So Bad” Painted Shrines
11.  “Green (Mean Time)” Corvair
12.  “True Love” Hovvdy
13.  “Fade” Aeon Station
14.  “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes In My Head” Torres
15.  “Dealers” Savak
16.   “Broadway” Pardoner
17.   “Silver Twin” Motrik
18.   “Waiting For The Night“ Tape Waves
19.  “Too Late Now” Wet Leg
20.  “Sea Life Sandwich Boy” Horsegirl
21.  “Honey, Baby” Grrrl Gang
22.  “Daffodils” Dummy
23.  “Time Trials” Flowertown
24.  “I Only Ever Wanted To See You Fail” The Reds, Pinks, & Purples
        (artist has now removed the song from music sites)
25.  “Never Available” The Umbrellas
26.  “Dream a Better Me” David Christian And The Pinecone Orchestra
27.  “It’s The Hope That Kills You” Fortitude Valley
28.  “E39” I Was A King
29.  “Deep Purple Girl” Pia Fraus
30.  “I Don’t Mind” The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness
31.  “Wait Your Turn” Chime School
32.  “Lonely Pines” Mt. Misery
33.  “Osa Polar” Melenas
34.  “Take What You Need” Film School

 

Here is the link the the Spotify stream:


Here is the link the the Mixcloud stream: