At the corner of Lodovico Street, she looked back. The house had not capitulated to the forces unleashed within. It stood now as quiet as a grave. No, quieter.
As she turned away, somebody collided with her. She yelped with surprise, but the huddled pedestrian was already hurrying away into the anxious murk that preceded morning. As the figure hovered on the outskirts of solidity, it glanced back, and its head flared in the gloom, a cone of white fire. It was the Engineer. She had no time to look away; it was gone again in one instant, leaving its glamour in her eye.
Only then did she realize the purpose of the collision. Lemarchand’s box had been passed back to her, and sat in her hand. Its surfaces had been immaculately resealed and polished to a high gloss. Though she did not examine it, she was certain there would be no clue to its solution left. The next discoverer would voyage its faces without a chart. And until such time, was she elected its keeper? Apparently so.
(The Hellbound Heart, Copyright © 1986 by Clive Barker)
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Bleaklow – Margravine / The Vagrant -00:00-
Rest – Operation: Impending Doom -10:14-
Naisian – Take Me To The Mountain Dew Mountain -16:50-
Cosmonauts Day – Rift -24:20-
Annapurna – Lester -28:11-
Russian Circles – Mladek -35:54-
On Wings Of Wax – The Approach -43:34-
UpCDownC – Wolves In The Walls -46:22-
Khuda – Marchmen -53:17-
Refraction – Until We Reach -57:37-
Colaris – Reconsidering -65:12-
Damascus – Khalida -70:42-
Oak – Last Day Of… -76:18-
‘I have dreamed your Wall, Jon Snow. Great was the lore that raised it, and great the spells locked beneath its ice. We walk beneath one of the hinges of the world.’ Melisandrea gazed up at it, her breath a warm moist cloud in the air. ‘This is my place as it is yours, and soon enough you may have grave need of me. Do not refuse my friendship, Jon. I have seen you in the storm, hard-pressed, with enemies on every side. You have so many enemies. Shall I tell you their names?’
‘I know their names.’
‘Do not be so certain.’ The ruby at Melisandre’s throat gleamed red. ‘It is not the foes who curse you to your face that you must fear, but those who smile when you are looking and sharpen their knives when you turn your back. You would do well to keep your wolf close beside you. Ice, I see, and daggers in the dark. Blood frozen red and hard. and naked steel. It was very cold.’
‘It is always cold on the Wall.’
‘You think so?’
‘I know so, my lady.’
‘Then you know nothing, Jon Snow,’ she whispered.
(A Dance With Dragons, Copyright © 2011 by George R.R. Martin, Bantam)
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each band name for more info.
Happy New Year!
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Labradford – Sliding Glass -00:00-
This Is My Normal State - A Glimmer Of Hope -06:13-
Arab Strap – Revolution -13:38-
Junius – A Day Dark With Night 18:55-
The Burning Paris – The Sun Also Rises -27:00-
In Violet – Half Full -33:11-
All Shall Be Well – History Is Ever Ours For The Reliving -39:35-
Atlantic Drop – Fields Of Life -48:16-
The Eternal Twilight – Another Quiet Night -52:00-
Mender – Note To Self -56:15-
Rachael Boyd – Don’t Be Selfish Now -61:19-
Anoice - Aspirin Music -65:18-
Clear Horizons - A Child’s Eyes -71:05-
Sigur Rós - Ný Batterí -73:55-
The 50th 6forty project collection! And the timing is perfect – the site was born two years ago today. Twelve more winners here, including new music from Rumour Cubes, Panzer Queen, and The Day We Left Earth. Hopefully you enjoy this collection as much as I do – I’ve been listening to it non-stop since it was compiled. Originally, I had planned on pulling the playlist for #50 from my vinyl archive, but the new Rumour Cubes song is so good, and I wanted to wrap a collection around it, so the vinyl playlist will come later. I did include a classic from Jessamine since it’s a great record, and was a good fit with the rest of the songs. Much more from Jessamine yet to come – one of my most favorite bands…
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Sioum – Collapse -00:00-
Alpha Male Tea Party – Bakers Dozen -03:36-
And So I Watch You From Afar – Search:Party:Animal -07:30-
Jessamine – Ordinary Sleep -12:48-
Cloudkicker – We’re Goin’ In. We’re Going Down. -16:27-
You Slut! – MyBloodyJesusExplorerOnFire -21:43-
Rumour Cubes – The Gove Curve -25:51-
Bridges of Königsberg - Formations -31:36-
Kalouv – Agripa -37:36-
The Day We Left Earth – Shape & Sound -43:48-
Versa – Uncommon Things II -52:49-
Panzer Queen – Flight From The White Shores -58:06-
‘Sound houses’ first went online in September 2010. I’ve been listening to this one a lot lately, and thought that it was time to pull it out of the archives. This is a really excellent collection of music. Put on the headphones, turn up the volume, and enjoy.
Work continues on the playlist for 640.050. There have been several new releases over the last few weeks, including an excellent new song from Rumour Cubes. I’m looking forward to featuring it on the collection. It should be ready for upload in a week.
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each band name for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Sleepless Dreams – Close the Door, I’m Trying To Freeze -00:00-
God Is An Astronaut – Tempus Horizon -07:30-
Maybeshewill – Seraphim & Cherubim -12:38-
Rumour Cubes – Rain On Titan 15:55-
Alright The Captain – Soundtrack Your Death -21:07-
Detwiije – Bee -24:51-
The Quivering Forest – Any Place That You Could Go -29:48-
The Lanterne Rouge – Trying To Cross The Line -33:41-
The Declining Winter – Come On Feel The Willingness -38:13-
The Rachels – Evening -40:40-
Poisoned Mind Keeps Dreaming – Brave Steps Into The Endless Future -46:13-
There, in the distance, approaching over the rock and grass of Minnesota, rolling out of nowhere, there came a glittering sea.
(Clive Barker, Abarat, ©2002, HarperCollins)
Here are a few of the songs that have been soundtracking my latest reading adventure. All are excellent, and can be found online for download and/or purchase. Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.
I love this collection. Play it loud, and often. And spread the word!
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Soup – We Share The Same Breath -00:00-
Miniontv – Arecibo -05:12-
Pg.Lost – Crystalline -12:27-
Calista Divine – Conflicts On Venere -22:37-
The Rock Of Travolta – Super 8 -28:42-
Vasquez – McLovin -32:22-
Talons – Commiserations Buff Orpington -34:40-
Pet Slimmers Of The Year – The Faith Of Our Hate (Heaven’s Gate Part One) -39:47-
TotorRo – Isang Tao -49:30-
What The Blood Revealed – They Will Sow Guns, And We Will Reap Bullets -54:00-
If These Trees Could Talk – The Sun Is In the North -60:02-
Soup – We Share The Same Breath pt2 -65.46-
today is my birthday.
This was a busy week in the home office – no travel, and so much focused work, which meant that I had time to listen to a lot of great music while I stared at the laptop screen. And with the release of excellent new songs from Listing Ships and Wiltz, along with my recent discovery of the wonderful music of 3epkano (no idea how I missed hearing about them before now), a really nice 6forty playlist took shape. This is part 1 of a series that I’ll be releasing over the next few weeks, leading up to the 50th 6forty project collection! The new EP from MinionTV should be arriving any day now, so I can guarantee that part 2 (640.049) will come soon after. The songs on this playlist were selected also as the soundtrack to my latest reading – Clive Barker’s Abarat. He just released book 3 in the series, so I’m reading through #1 and #2 again so I’m fresh on the story and ready for the magic of #3 Absolute Midnight. This is a really great collection of music. Play it often and enjoy.
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. All of these releases are available to download and/or purchase online. Click on each band name for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Listing Ships – The 100 Gun Ship -00:00-
Wiltz – Ba Ba Ching -04:24-
3epkano – Cesare’s Theme -09:22-
Dorena – To Floor Thirteen, Part 2 -12:35-
Broken Cities – Book Of The Living -19:13-
In Violet – Headlights -26:44-
Hood – How Can You Drag Your Body Blindly Through? -31:55-
Red Room Cinema – Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten -37:36-
New Century Classics – Children Of An Uncertain Future -42:20-
Sey Hollo – Thank You Very Much -48:21-
Beyond This Point Are Monsters – Blues Shoes -55:06-
Bleaklow – The Sunless Country
The guys from Bleaklow did this one right – they knew that the final mix was going to be 20+ minutes long, so they leaked teasers, a few minutes at a time, over a period of weeks leading up to the release date, wetting our appetites for the final product. And the wait was definitely worth it – the full version clocks in at a massive 23 minutes and 58 seconds and is truly an epic rock beast. It’s textbook Bleaklow – relentless, pummeling, and absolutely perfect. If you’re already a fan of the band’s music, you’ll be pleased with this EP (especially if you managed to get one of the 25 hand-stitched CDs). If you’re not familiar with Bleaklow, here’s what I think…
I really enjoy being consumed by the books that I’m reading, and I often try to find music that “fits” with the intensity of the story (for 6forty playlists, of course). Lately, I’ve been enjoying The Arthur Series by Bernard Cornwell. In the books, the combined forces of the British kingdoms repeatedly face the invading Saxons in a battle formation know as the shield wall. A shield wall was a “wall of shields” formed by soldiers standing in formation shoulder to shoulder, holding their shields so that they overlap. Each man benefits from the protection of his neighbor’s shield, usually the man to his right, as well as his own. The soldiers in front have small swords for thrusting (no room for swinging large weapons), while the ranks behind use spears to reach the enemy. It’s brutal, slow, close combat. Described here by Derfel Cadarn (the main character) in book three, ‘Excalibur,’ during the battle of Mynydd Baddon:
“Aelle’s forces had pulled back a half-mile from Aquae Sulis before forming their line and now they waited for Arthur’s attack. Tewdric’s men marched under the Christian God, and at last, after straightening their shield wall, they closed on the enemy. I expected to see a conference between the lines as the leaders of the armies exchanged their ritual insults and while the two shield walls judged each other. I have known shield walls to stare at each other for hours while men summoned the courage to charge, but those Christians of Gwent did not check their pace. There were no meeting of opposite leaders and no time for the Saxon wizards to cast their spells, for the Christians simply lowered their spears, hefted their oblong shields that were painted with the cross, and marched straight through the roman graves and into the enemy’s shields. We heard the shields clash on the hill. It was a dull grinding sound, like thunder from under the earth, and it was the sound of hundreds of shields and spears striking as two great armies smashed head to head. The men of Gwent were stopped, held by the weight of the Saxons who heaved against them, and I knew men were dying down there. They were being speared, being chopped by axes, being trampled underfoot. Men were spitting and snarling over their shield rims, and the press of men would be so great that a sword could hardly be lifted in the crush.” (Excalibur, Bernard Cornwell, copyright 1997)
This EP is like a shield wall, solid, heavy guitar riffs on top of a trudging/driving rhythm section. It’s an excellent match for Pendragon legends – the kingdoms loyal to Arthur (500 AD) were fighting to rid England of the Saxon advance and life was a constant struggle. Bleaklow provides the perfect soundtrack to this desperate and dark story. No post- labels necessary for this record. ‘The Sunless Country’ is simply 24 minutes of perfect rock music. Or to describe it using Cornwell’s words, it’s “thunder from under the earth.”
The band has generously offered The Sunless Country as a ‘name your price’ download via their Bandcamp page. And definitely be sure to check out their other releases – all are great.
This playlist was compiled while Jen and I were enjoying a recent roadtrip to Chicago for a wedding. Everything about the weekend was perfect – great friends, gorgeous weather, and a really wonderful celebration. No, none of these songs made it into the rotation during the reception, but Jack (the groom) made sure that there was plenty of other great music throughout the evening.
As we explored the city, I couldn’t help but think about how the mood of this playlist so perfectly fit the incredible architecture and amazing public art that’s on display throughout the downtown area. I just wish that we had more time to explore. If you go, be sure to visit Hot Doug’s, The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium – I guarantee that it will be the best hot dog you will ever eat.
Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. All of these releases are available to download and/or purchase online. Click on each band name for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Damascus – Ambition -00:00-
Caspian – Crawlspace -05:43-
Crash of Rhinos – Big Sea -12:20-
Bats – Andrew Wiles -19:37-
Lights at Sea – The War Came Home -25:20-
Overhead, the Albatross – Pigonometry -30:46-
My Education – Oars -35:45-
Lavinia – Windmills -41:19-
Ten Past Seven – Orientation -46:20-
Set and Setting – Trails -53:55-
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be re-posting several of my favorite 6forty collections. ‘The Extension’ was born in October 2010, and has been on heavy rotation in the home office ever since it first went live on the site. Six epic instrumentals – 60 minutes of excellent music. I hope that you enjoy this collection as much as I do. All of these releases are available to download and/or purchase online. Click on each band name for more info.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Sunlight Ascending – Out Of This Place II -00:00-
Years of Rice and Salt – Plankton -5:21-
Johnnytwentythree – Fall Of Swords -13:30-
Stubborn Tiny Lights vs Clustering Darkness Forever OK – Riverrun -28:35-
Our Last Hope Lost Hope – Sosjo 1 -37:05-
Oriin – We Will Rebuild -49:50-
I’ve been listening to a lot of great old vinyl lately, and really wanted you to enjoy it along with me, so I compiled a playlist that featured many of the bands that were on heavy rotation on my radio show in the late 80s / early 90s. I found a setlist from a Sunday afternoon show (March 1991), and only had to make minor changes (a few of the songs from the original list were from records that lived only in the radio station stacks). The end result, 640.046 ‘the nearly man,’ really turned out great. Unlike many of the other 6forty collections, these records are going to be much harder to find. So please let me know if you are interested in hearing more from any of the bands featured here. Although now that we have the Internet, I guess there are very few records that are truly unobtainable, especially with sites like Discogs. I’ll never forget the thrill of flipping through a stack of vinyl and finding that one rare item. For me, some of my best finds were from the Philadelphia Record Exchange – gems from IPR, Factory, 4AD, Sweatbox, Creation, and more.
I’ll be curious to hear what you think of ‘the nearly man.’ Since I started the 6forty project, it seems that collections of older music tend to be streamed much less than those featuring primarily new releases. Not sure why. There are 20 great songs here, and there’s still so much more yet to come. I would really appreciate knowing your opinions – do you enjoy an occasional collection from the archives? I’m definitely going to continue making them, so I hope you’re going to hang in there with me. I haven’t even touched my Legendary Pink Dots (and family) collection yet – that alone is over 50 records! Feel free to post your thoughts here, or over on the FaceBook/Twitter pages, or via email.
6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com
Ear Trumpet – The Nearly Man -0:00-
Big Black – Bad Penny -4:17-
Big Black – L Dopa -7:20-
Sonic Youth – Inhuman -9:11-
Ethyl Meatplow – Car -13:05-
Psychick TV – In The Starlit Mire -15:32-
Steaming Coils – Forth Family -21:04-
Waldo The Dog Faced Boy – Worship Him -23:55-
Butthole Surfers – Perry -26:17-
Minimal Man – Loneliness -29:47-
Sink Manhattan – Autocratic / Unsung -33:26-
Dust Devils – The Freeze Whistle -39:25-
Kilgore Trout – Wayzgoose -42:31-
A.C. Temple – Mincemeat -45:32-
Reptilicus – Snakes -49:31-
Hovercraft – Epoxy -53:20-
Coil – The Anal Staircase -58:25-
Virgin Prunes – We Love Deirdre / Rhetoric -62:23-