As followers of our Twitter are more than aware, Kenny Bloggins has been straight fiendin’ the past few weeks. It’s probably been annoying as all hell, and I suppose I’m somewhat sorry. But not really – the final season of LOST begins tonight, and we are throwin’ down. In the traditional way this blog celebrates all the stupid shit going on in my life, it seemed necessary to throw a Super Swingin’ Mix in your vicinity to lift John Locke’s name on high. And hey, it also can serve as sort of a peace offering to you all for the general numberskullery that will occur on the Twitter account over the next few months. So… all the songs below relate to themes, storylines, etc. from LOST. Can you find all the connections at home, kids? Oh, and of course 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 are well represented in this mix. What kind of a blogger do you think I am?

I’m not entirely sure many or any of you care about some of the theories that myself, L-Train, and our friends have hypothesized. I’ll just leave it at this – John Locke will resurrect and Jacob’s ass is evil. Believe.

Much love to the Vintage DHARMA Flickr pool for providing the image above.

MP3 :::
Nethers – It’s an Island
Brian Eno – Burning Airlines Give You So Much More
Trap Door – International Psychedelic Mystery Mix Untitled 15
The Advisory Circle – Farmland Freeland
Broadcast – Never Trust a Rusty Bolt
Fairport Convention – Eastern Rain
Silver Apples – Program
Blonde Redhead – 23
Battles – Bad Trails [Live]
The Wilderness – Your Hands
The United States of America – Stranded in Time
Flying Saucer Attack – To the Shore
The Conet Project – Counting Control
Can – Mushroom
Brian Wilson – Cabin Essence
The Great Northwest – Chief John
No Age – Things I Did When I Was Dead
13th Floor Elevators – May the Circle Remain Unbroken
The Zombies – Imagine the Swan
Leadbelly – Don’t You Love Your Daddy No More?
The Incredible String Band – Nightfall
Animal Collective – Don’t Believe the Pilot
Bachelorette – The End of Things

Post-punk pioneers Wire were oft recognized as a group in a strange nether region – one that was too artsy to be punk, too punk for the art kids.  Wire was angular and minimal, with gorgeous melodies remaining subtle and rewarding.  As such, it makes total sense to extract those under-the-surface pop structures, add dense layers of sound that the band sometimes hinted at, and reimagine this begrudgingly poppy gem as shoegazing, whose artists also tended to be begrudgingly poppy. 

Covers of the song “Outdoor Miner” (from Chairs Missing) spanning ten years or more eventually all ended up on a limited release compilation called A Houseguest’s Wish from the Words on Music label.  Flying Saucer Attack’s reimagining of the song, with a 1995 copyright date, indicates one of the last recordings from the original Flying Saucer Attack before Dave Pearce disappeared for a while. Flying Saucer Attack, as expected, provides the loudest rendition.

Lush’s dream pop interpretation keeps closest to the original structure of “Outdoor Miner,” while Austin neo-shoegaze collective Experimental Aircraft tastefully expands the song into a bombastic, anthemic, hummable wall of sound with a driving groove.  Enjoy this rare treat!

MP3 :::
Flying Saucer Attack – Outdoor Miner
Experimental Aircraft – Outdoor Miner
Lush – Outdoor Miner

One of the obvious standout tracks from the compilation, and his most standout collaboration in my opinion, is “Untitled Sketch” featuring Jessica Bailiff. This song originally appeared on his 2005 EP also titled Untitled Sketch, which I rocked religiously that summer. Jessica also contributed throat duty on the similarly titled but totally different “Untitled Three.” “Three” is slightly better than “Untitled Sketch,” but unfortunately didn’t make it on Pretty Swell Explode. Both are more than worthy for serious late night headphone listening. “Untitled Sketch” has some takeoff time, so be patient as it fades in. Let it envelope you, drop some science on ya’ dome.

Odd Nosdam feat. Jessica Bailiff – Untitled Sketch

This EP was, more or less, a teaser to his statement to the world, Burner, a much more focused follow up to his No More Wig for Ohio album and his work with Clouddead. Burner featured a dissonant, frantic instrumental piece called “Flying Saucer Attack.” This was no ode to sci-fi, this was a nod to Jessica’s work with David Pearce (who she later formed Clear Horizon with) and Rachel Brook (of Movietone), who were Flying Saucer Attack from 1992 to 2000 (or thereabouts).

Flying Saucer Attack is probably my favorite shoegazing group ever. And it makes me sad how under-appreciated FSA was then, and well, now too. Of course, there’s the paradox in the injustice one feels when a band isn’t recognized for their innovation yet annoyed when everyone’s bumpin’ their favorite tunes from said artist. Regardless, it’s time for their due props. Flying Saucer Attack wrote the loudest, fuzziest, most gorgeous, most embryonic sounding shimmering space rock ever laid to analog tape. Despite the fact that the production wonderfully sounds like shit, David Pearce’s crystalline voice is smooth and trenchant, paradoxically complimenting the swells and washes of Flying Saucer Attack’s intense rural psychedelia. “Make Me a Dream,” from their eponymous record, is dangerously loud, and as such, you should respect this arc of covenant jam hive by rotating your volume dial clockwise.

Flying Saucer Attack – Make Me a Dream

Flying Saucer Attack and Clear Horizon eventually split ways, and Jessica Bailiff took that time to pump out some excellent solo work for local heroes Kranky Records. Her last album, Feels Like Home, couples light touches of psych folk and slowcore for a heady, beautiful listening experience. “Evidence,” like, fuckin’ brings total damage around the 1:33 mark, so be prepared.

Jessica Bailiff – Evidence

Did ya follow all that? Very good. So there you go, the man who brought you Clouddead’s syrupy, disintegrating beats blew the dust off of some amazingly innovative, distinctive, but terribly underrated shoegaze. And on his journey to tonal divinity, Odd Nosdam brought along the amazing talents of Jessica Bailiff with him. And for that, among other reasons, I will forever love Odd Nosdam.