Day 29 of the blog post a day in May with something a bit different – the A-Z iPod Challenge written and posted live
I – Cheatahs
Interesting start – 41 seconds of largely fuzzy noise. Not even enough time to think of something interesting to write, let alone write it.
I Ain’t Got No Home – Billy Bragg
As my musical tastes completed their trip from indie guitar jangle to Americana, the Big Nosed Boy from Barking completed the same trip with his Tooth & Nail album.
He’s been pretty much a constant in my life for 30-odd years and (when we get there, possibly in several years) one of his songs will have the rare distinction of a blog post all of its own.
Not his best era but he did coin the best definition of Americana – “Country music for people who like The Smiths.”
I Ain’t Tha 1 – NWA
Added to the collection when Straight Outta Compton was part of a bout of adding supposedly classic albums. Several failed to live up to the billing, but this is always pretty welcome when it pops up. Even with my limited rap knowledge.
I Ain’t The Same – Alabama Shakes
Never really looked ahead to see what was coming on this section of the iPod, just knew it was a load of tracks beginning with I.
One of those bands who got talked up a lot for a while and downloaded this pretty much unheard. Much of it has remained that way. It’s perfectly OK, just….
I Almost Fell – Axxa/Abraxas
Nope, absolutely no idea what this is doing here. But this is pretty good, sort of psychy, vaguely California-type sound (although quick check on Wikipedia reveals he is from near Atlanta.
Ooh, Michael Palin’s on the TV. Sadly, on The One Show, not travelling.
I Almost Killed You – Billy Bragg
Told you he was pretty much a constant. This was when he was emerging from the part of his career when our paths had sort of diverged.
Not among his best, but that’s a pretty long list and what’s on it could make a lengthy debate – The Saturday Boy, Levi Stubbs’ Tears, Tank Park Salute… this could run and run.
I Always Fell Apart – Sharon Van Etten
Had an end-of-year ritual since first really started buying music, scouring the music papers and magazines’ best of lists to see what had been missed.
It inevitably ended in an armful of CDs or a load of downloads, not all of which got as much attention as they deserved, purely due to a lack of time – it’s sort of what this A-Z idea was about to dig out some overlooked stuff.
Sharon Van Etten has made the end-of-year shoppings spree more than once and falls very much in that last paragraph.
I Always Knew – The Vaccines
Yeah, it’s OK but… Am away watching baseball the weekend of Glastonbury so will have limited chance to roll out the phrase indie landfill. Will do it now.
I Am A Rock – Red House Painters
Finally a song long enough to think of something to write… if only wasn’t trying to work out how they have produced a cover about twice as long as the original. That’s Mark Kozelek for you.
Red House Painters are littered through my iPod, courtesy of raiding the music collection of the friend who gave me a home on return from my first bout of travelling.
Perfectly welcome visitors and Kozelek went on to soundtrack much of my Trans Africa trip with his wonderful Benji album (which manages to mention his role as the bassist in the band in Almost Famous).
I Am A Rock – Simon & Garfunkel
A friend once got very upset because none of his colleagues were old enough to know who Simon & Garfunkel were. Which is a sad reflection on both the ageing process and the education system – they should be among the music people are taught about compulsorily.
I Am A Wanderer – Steve Earle
Told you had wandered off into Americana. No idea where picked this one up from but looks like sometime after Earle had been playing a recovering drug addict in The Wire – the greatest TV series of them all (no debate on this one).
Just checked this is actually working and appears some people are actually reading it (or one person is clicking on it a lot). Hi, whoever it is. Not watching the football?
I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumprint Scar – Fleet Foxes
Remember buying this album, no recollection of listening to this but almost certainly did. Prefer their early stuff which is much better, controversial view, than Father John Misty.
I Am Columbus – Guided By Voices
It’s all been a bit gentle up to now, time to crank it up. One of those bands was aware of for ages but was never familiar with. Like it, but does sound rather like a Sugar B side.
I Am Fire – The Afghan Whigs
Have to pick my words carefully, given the high esteem The Afghan Whigs are held in by at least one person who might be reading this. Never quite got them to that extent – one of those bands you enjoy when you hear, but rarely seek out. Ducks for cover…
I Am Gonna Watch You Sleep – Hamell On Trial
Bought this album on the strength of a track on an Uncut magazine sampler which still pops up occasionally when wandering through old playlists. The album not so much.
I Am Goodbye – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
The Prince wandered in to my collection in the same raid on a friend’s collection as Red House Painters (we had no TV or internet).
Also one of the subjects of the overheard line: “Want to come back to mine and listen to some miserable music?” Remarkably, she did.
I Am Here – Savages
Sort of shied away from Savages because kept being told would really like them – sort of the musical equivalent of being told to clean your bedroom – so came to them late. This backs up the feeling that should have listened earlier (my bedroom is tidy, but could do with a vacuum, thanks for asking).
I Am Home – Massive Attack
Wow, been doing this an hour and struggling to shake the feeling that really should have looked at what was coming up in the A-Z before trying this.
It does happen sometimes on this journey, you get a load of album tracks, stuff cribbed from compilations or have just not listened to. Other times it is just loads of tracks which bring back a load of memories.
I Am Not A Game – Ty Segall & White Fence
Fits in the much-touted category, bought unheard and largely remains that day. His stuff does pop up from time to time and feel he suffers from Ryan Adams syndrome (not that one), bit too prolific for his own good sometimes.
Got over-excited for a minute then, the comment icon flashed. Just checked it, take it nobody is posting comments in Russian on an old post about travelling?
I Am Still What I Meant To Be – Will Oldham
Refer you to the comment under his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy moniker. Otherwise going to start repeating myself.
What’s happening in the football?
I Am The Cosmos – Chris Bell
Just had to look him up as had no idea (this one’s another from an Uncut CD when it was my regular source of music reading).
He was in Big Star with Alex Chilton – could probably have worked that out from listening to this -for which we owe him huge thanks. If only for being a huge influence on Teenage Fanclub.
I Am The Mob – Catatonia
Just a couple more – been doing this long enough, getting hungry and, having just checked, not sure can stomach back-to-back Beatles (work it out).
There was a time when living in Cardiff when it seemed illegal for any pub not to go more than 10 minutes without playing Catatonia, the Manics or the Stereophonics. Believe me, we did a lot of research on that.
Used to wander past Cerys Matthews a lot by our house. Chances are one of us was going to Chapter or The Cameo Club (it would have been her going to the Cameo).
I Am The Past – Eleanor Friedberger
Another in the Sharon Van Etten end-of-year list purchases. Sounds a bit like Thea Gilmore.
One more track, just the first outing for it as it’s more than eight minutes long. Gives you some time to work it out.
I Am The Resurrection – The Stone Roses
It has just taken me about four goes to spell resurrection… time to wrap this up.
Am a member of a closed Facebook group which features a load of music fans – some of them music journos and the odd member of bands you might have half heard of -who basically post a load of tracks, sparking debates and sending us off down memory lane and voyages of discovery.
Been quiet in there for a while before indulging my Fontaines DC obsession the other day.
One member ranted against The Stone Roses to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of their debut album. Get where he was coming from and while never a huge fan, still think it was a really good record if sounding a little dated.
And to the last strains of John Squire’s guitar, thanks for following this live effort (just checked, people have actually been reading, remarkably) or catching up later.
Normal service will be resumed next time.
