6forty project

A few weeks ago, the guys from Alright the Captain got together with members of other Derby, UK bands to discuss how they could mobilize to further promote all of the great music happening in their city. There was a lot of ongoing chatter on Twitter about the event, and as I followed the threads, I decided that I would get involved also with a 6forty collection that featured several of the bands. I’m really pleased with this playlist – the songs work well together. I definitely plan on doing at least one more Derby collection, so hang in there if you’re from one of the bands that didn’t make it onto this playlist (I try to keep the files under 150MB).

Please support these bands by buying their records and going to their shows. All of these releases are available to download/purchase on bandcamp. And I would really appreciate it if you would let me know that you’re listening.

6forty on twitter ::  6forty on facebook ::  mike@6forty.com

Alright The Captain – Peanut Worm  -00:00-
Crash Of Rhinos – Gold On Red  -3:03-
Crushing Blows – Nightworker  -10:50-
Mascot Fight – There’s Something I Ought To Tell You, Emily  -15:57-
Grande Duke – Cut The Duck  -18:18-
Papayèr – Your Kids Ever Hear Of A Band Called Saxon?  -22:10-
My Psychoanalyst – We Disagree  -26:24-
These Waves – These Questions Need No Answers  -31:00-
Little Courage – Should Have Sent A Poet  -34:17-
Directions – Dreamer  -38:57-
Stay Classy San Diego – Wherever It Is You’re Running Too  -43:41-
Beyond This Point Are Monsters – Foreign Film  -50:09-
Emphemetry – Five Fields  -57:33-

640.038 playlist.pdf

The original image (before I messed with the colors) is courtesy of Martin Cordon. It’s a photo of the Shacklecross Lock (Borrowash, Derbyshire), which was part of the Derby Canal. The canal ran 14 miles (23 km) from the Trent and Mersey Canal at Swarkestone to Derby and Little Eaton, and to the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre, Derbyshire, England. The canal gained its Act of Parliament in 1793 and was fully completed in 1796. The canal’s main cargo was coal.

The drums were pounding out a battle beat as the Iron Victory swept forward, her ram cutting through the choppy green waters. The smaller ship ahead was turning, oars slapping at the sea. Roses streamed upon her banners; fore and aft a white rose upon a red escutcheon, atop her mast a golden one on a field as green as grass. The Iron Victory raked her side so hard that half the boarding party lost their feet. Oars snapped and splintered, sweet music to the captain’s ears.

He vaulted over the gunwale, landing on the deck below with his golden cloak billowing behind him. The white roses drew back, as men always did at the site of Victorion Greyjoy armed and armored, his face hidden behind his kraken helm. They were clutching swords and spears and axes, but nine of every ten wore no armor, and the tenth had only a shirt of sewn scales. These are no ironmen, Victorion thought. They still fear drowning…

…The Drowned God had not shaped Victorion Greyjoy to fight with words at kingsmoots, nor struggle against furtive sneaking foes in endless bogs. This was why he had been put on earth; to stand steel-clad with axe red and dripping in his hand, dealing death with every blow. They hacked at him from front and back, but their swords might have been willow switches for all the harm they did him. No blade could cut through Victorion Greyjoy’s heavy plate, nor did he give his foes the time to find the weak points at the joints, where only mail and leather warded him. Let three men assail him, or four, or five; it made no matter. He slew them one at a time, trusting his steel to protect him from the others. As each foe fell he turned his wroth upon the next.

By then the deck was slick beneath his feet, and the dead and dying lay in heaps on every side. He threw his shield away and sucked in air. “Lord Captain,” he heard the Barber say beside him, “the day is ours.”     (George R.R. Martin, ‘A Feast For Crows’ copyright 2005)

Please support these bands by buying their records and going to their shows. And I would really appreciate it if you would let me know that you’re listening. A note about the artwork – My real job has consumed my time this week, so I wasn’t able to create a cover for this collection. The image above is perfect, and is copyrighted to Raya Golden and George R.R. Martin (all rights reserved).

6forty on twitter ::  6forty on facebook ::  mike@6forty.com

Khuda – Antaeus   -0:00-
Swans – Eden Prison   -9:39-
Tesa – Part 37   -15:30-
Auternus – Bipolar   -19:56-
Atlantis – Mata Hari’s Kiss   -26:58-
Grande Duke – Earth-Wire Fire   -34:54-
Brux – Niflheim   -40:03-
Do Make Say Think – Reitschule   -44:44-
Killington Fall – This City Is Covered In Water   -54:02-
Alright The Captain – Honey Badger   -60:30-
Orders Of The British Empire – What Would You Do?   -63:44-

640.036 playlist.pdf

The hooded man was tall, enveloped in a larger version of the black-and-white robe the girl was wearing. Beneath his cowl all she could see was the faint red glitter of candlelight reflecting off his eyes. “What place is this?” She asked him.

“A place of peace.” His voice was gentle. “You are safe here. This is the House of Black and White, my child. Though you are young to seek the favor of the Many-Faced God.”

“Is he like the southron god, the one with seven faces?”

“Seven? No. He has faces beyond count, little one, as many faces as there are stars in the sky. In Braavos, men worship as they will…but at the end of every road stands Him of Many Faces, waiting. He will be there for you one day, do not fear. You do not need rush to his embrace.”  George R.R. Martin, ‘A Feast For Crows’ copyright 2005

Please support these bands by buying their records/merchandise and going to their shows.

6forty on twitter ::  6forty on facebook ::  mike@6forty.com

Orders Of The British Empire – Rebuild With Gunpowder   -00:00-
If These Trees Could Talk – What’s In The Ground Belongs To You   -06:10-
A Time For Burning – You Don’t Look Too Bad (Here’s Another)  -10:24-
Overhead, The Albatross – Forgive Me Not   -15:43-
Last Lungs – Oh, Good Morning   -19:36-
The End Of The Ocean – A Dividing Line   -26:58-
The American Dollar – Bump   -31:09-
Moonlit Sailor – Hope   -34:27-
Waking Aida – Nothing In Me (Disturbs A Thing)   -39:30-
Beyond This Point Are Monsters – 10th Floor   -46:04-
Explosions In The Sky – Have You Passed Through This Night?   -53:21-
Orders Of The British Empire – Freaky Jackson   -60:44-

640.034 playlist

My back yard is covered by several inches of undisturbed snow, topped with a thick layer of ice, from a recent storm. The wind during the initial snowfall positioned the snow into perfect little waves, and these “forms” were frozen by the sleet that followed. At night, the combination of the moonlight and the shifting clouds created shadows that made my ice-stiff yard appear as if it were in constant motion, like the waves on the ocean. Those images inspired me to compile a playlist that was calm, and yet had an inherent feeling of movement. Here are twelve very excellent songs that fit that description perfectly. I hope you find this collection as enjoyable as I do, with or without snow and ice…

6forty on twitter :: 6forty on facebook :: mike@6forty.com

Motionless – Winter Heat    -00:00-
Finglebone – Flogiston    -04:24-
Hrsta – Blessed Are We Who Seem To Be Losers   -08:40-
Ithaca Trio – The Oxen Can Plough, I Will Still Work    -11:47-
If Wishes Were Horses – A Flea Could Carry An Elephant   -15:15-
Invisible Elephant – You Can Have It All   -16:25-
Mender – Retrotoric   -21:31-
Goodnight, Sleep Well – We’re Phantoms In Fifteen    -26:26-
Puffin On My Side – Love Conquers All   -33:00-
Timonium – Californian   -39:22-
Eucalyptus – Nooks & Crannies   -46:45-
MinionTV – Robot Meets Girl   -54:20-

640.032 playlist.pdf

This playlist was prepared the other day while I was deep into the final chapters of George R.R. Martin’s “A Clash of Kings” (Book 2 of the Song of Ice and Fire series). It’s an amazing and epic adventure – highly recommended.  The songs were working really well in the background while I finished the last 150 pages. And they made an excellent mix for a new 6forty release, so I fired up Audacity and a few hours later, 640.028 was live. I really enjoy this collection – it’s on a lot in the office these days…

As always, please support these bands by buying their records and attending their concerts. Join me on twitter and facebook, or send me an email (mike@6forty.com) if you need any additional information about any of the bands or records included here.

This collection has been archived. Send me an email if you are interested in hearing it (mike@6forty.com).

640.028 playlist.pdf

Félperc – And Then They Pushed The Button
52 Commercial Road – 24
Sky Architects – Reflections (Intro)
Sky Architects – This Day On Our Side
Yeti Island – Lifelight
Sey Hollo – World Trade Center
Her Name Is Calla – Pour More Oil
417.3 – -3
The End Of Science – The Day Began Like A Fish
The Picturesque Episodes – The Still Silent Years (Hydrocodone)
Sleepmakeswaves – I Will Write Peace On Your Wings And You Will Fly Over The World
MinionTV – Yardsticks