Saturday, April 26, 2008

NME/Rough Trade C81

Gist - Greener Grass
The Specials - Raquel
Orange Juice - Blue Boy

I was digging around the old iTunes '80s playlist this morning and came across something I had forgotten I had - the NME C81 compilation. Originally a cassette only release, it was given away free with two coupons and £1.50. Compiled by the NME and Rough Trade Records, it contained a a great array of acts and styles, both established and up and comers. It was the first of several of these compilations by the NME, the best known being C86. C81 proved wildly popular and sold out quickly. It veers from artsy electronic experiments (Cabaret Voltaire) to blues funk (James Blood Ulmer) to ska (The Beat) and post-punk (Buzzcocks). It also marked some of the earliest appearances by several Postcard Records acts - Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and Josef K. In the post-punk primer Rip It Up & Start Again author Simon Reynolds refers to C81 as "post punk's swan song". It is a fun, occasionally challenging listen. Today I offer 3 diverse tunes - The Special assault you with ska punk fury, Orange Juice bring the Velvets jangle, and Gist (Philip and Stuart Moxham, who went on to form Young Marble Giants) deliver a gorgeous instrumental.

________________________

I'm a big fan of chef/author/TV show host Anthony Bourdain, so I have posted a few links over at siart.tumblr.com for you to peruse. Both are audio interviews - one with another celeb chef, Andrew Zimmern, and the other with Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot from NPR's Sound Opinions.
________________________

I made a new muxtape - go have a listen...
Landscape - Einstein A Go-Go
Scars - All About You
Crystal Castles - Air War
Grateful Dead - Estimated Prophet
Cameo - Back and Forth
David Bowie - Space Oddity (1980)
Sly & Robbie - Don't Stop The Music
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Boz Scaggs - Lowdown
Elvis Presley - Crawfish
Average White Band - If I Ever Lose This Heaven
Panico - Transpiralo (featuring Crazy Girl)

No comments: