siiky
2023/01/31
2023/01/31
en
Just today Fecking Bahamas released their 8th compilation! Like the previous ones, it's pay-what-you-want with no lower limit.
VIII. U.S. West Coast // Pacific Northwest
It's been a really long time since I last was this excited about an album! I'm about halfway and it's pretty good. But there's this little something in Ireland and Australasia, even in France, missing here...
At first I was planning only a quick mention in the tinylog, but that doesn't make justice to how much I appreciate these compilations. So let's make a short summary of my favorite compilations and songs.
It's almost unfair to say this, but there's not one song from VIII that beats the opening for France, Chevalier Bulltoe by Totorro. That PHAT BASS! HM HM HM! Pneu makes an appearance in track 6, nice. Didn't know any of the other bands.
1. Totorro - Chevalier Bulltoe
10. Deer Belling Café - Abstract Dynamics
6. Pneu - Municipal Geographic
21. Papier Tigre - I'm Someone Who Dies
III is an obvious good contender, closing with Plini -- anything with Plini is a good contender out of the bat. But that opening by Sparkspitter? Perfect. Didn't know any of the bands other than Plini.
1. Sparkspitter - Sunrise Above Clouds (I'm All Yours)
What was most impressive to me about the Portugal (VII) was that I didn't know most of the bands! It has the mandatory Memória de Peixe and PAUS, of course! Although there's no way to make the wrong choice when it comes to these two bands -- easily two of my favorite Portuguese bands -- that wasn't the best choice for PAUS in my opinion. Quelle Dead Gazelle also makes an unexpected, though pleasant, appearance. And those are the three bands that I knew.
Otherwise, not that great a contender, sadly; there were no REALLY memorable tracks... To make it clear, VII is not one of my favorites, I enjoyed Japan (I) and Russia (II) more, and even those are probably behind Argentina (VI)! (short way of saying that VII is probably my least favorite)
1. Memória de Peixe - Supercollider
7. Quelle Dead Gazelle - Abismo
And so we reach my favorite: Ireland! I knew none of the bands before. The opening is not as punchy as Australasia or even Portugal, but still a plusgood track. And what I think differs from this compilation to the others is that it's so consistent. This compilation isn't my favorite because of two or three fucking awesome tracks; it's my favorite because all the tracks are fucking great! You don't feel like in a rollercoaster -- now we're at the top, next we're at the bottom. Instead, the tracks fluctuate in a children-safe rollercoaster up there around the clouds!
18. Adebisi Shank - World In Harmony
4. Leo Drezden - Green Fire Magic
17. Philharmongrel - 100th Monkey
It was hard not to list the whole thing here...
It would be awesome if the next compilation was from somewhere more "exoctic"! I'd love to see Turkey or Greece, or just about any country from Africa, Asia or the middle east.