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What Music did anyone give/recieve this Christmas?

Haus of Mystery

21:19 / 26.12.04

Nicking this idea from Illmatic's thread in Books so we'll have the same protocol her please - no straight lists as they're pretty dull reading.

I gave my girlfriend a whole load of vinyl as she got a record player. Cue much scrummaging through second hand record shops by me - what a chore! I bought her:
Bowie - Space Oddity
not entirely sure why this particular album. It's certainly not his best. Maybe because of 'Memories of a Free festival'. Maybe because his odd-coloured eyes hypnotised me from the cover.
Simon & Garfunkel - The sound of Silence
because everyone should have access to 'Homeward Bound' coming of warm crackly vinyl.
The Best of ABBA
'There was something in the air that night, The stars were bright, Fernando..'
say no more. Plus great dual cover with the couple sitting on park benches in Autumn
A random Johnny Cash collection, the name of which escapes me
Hard-bitten doomed love songs for cold winter nights
Human League - Dare
because basically the song 'Seconds' nearly moves me to tears, 'the Sound of The Crowd' has a killer bass line, and the League fucking rule.

I recieved:
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
had a copy for ages, but just wanted to own the real thing. When albums are that special, you need to have the hard copy.
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
I didn't think I liked Neil Young until I heard 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart'. Yeeble.
The newest album by Tortoise
from my brother. I'm not even that huge a fan, but it's as traditional as arguments in my house at Christmas.

So come on - share the wealth...

22:55 / 26.12.04

I got a great, great, great complilation Down in the Basement, which is put together from the record collection of a bloke called Joe Bussard, "the King of Record Collectors". He specialises in 78s, and has been collecting for 50 years odd and now owns over 50,000 of the fuckers so it's no idle boast. It's filled with loads of jangly and crackly pre-war gospel, jazz, blues, cajun and bluegrass. I love it. Favourite track so far, "You've got to go down" (oh er) by Rev. Gary Davis, a stomping, preaching, hollering type of thing, telling y'all to treat yo woman/family/kids/neighbours right, or else. He has a website here and will knock up custom tapes. Didn't receive much else so have mde up for it by downloading Comets on Fire, Boredoms and Madvillain.

I gave Curtis Mayfield's Curtis LP to my sister, as it's a kind of family tradition that I buy her quality soul music. I was after Back to the World, an old favourite of mine, butcouldn't find it. I also got my girlfiend Rough Trade's Counter Culture compilation 'cos a) she asked for it and b) alll the other Rough trade comps have been on our "most played" pile all year, and we've got all the rest of'em now. Can't wait to listen to it.

Jack The Bodiless

01:08 / 27.12.04

Gave spooks the Delgado's Universal Audio. It's pretty cool. Apart from that - Strapping Young Lad and the Pogues, all the way.

14:17 / 27.12.04

i didn't get any music directly, but i got a gift certificate which i used to buy Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. because my music collection has gone on too long without having a copy of Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

All Acting Regiment

14:17 / 27.12.04

I got given Kraftwerk's "Autobahn", and it gave me a happy. It's so innocent- electronic music made before there was really such a thing as electronic music, free from both "street smarts" and "dark, art school" pretension- just pure. The song Autobahn- starting with that sample of a car starting, and then that moog opening- going into some tinny yet full major chords on a mellotron- then the lyrics- "fun fun fun auf der autobahn"- ahhh.

16:00 / 27.12.04

GAVE:

Velvet Underground & Nico
John Coltrane - a love supreme, giant steps
Alice Coltrane - journey in satchidinanda
Cass McCombs - not the way

RECIEVED:

Mastodon - leviathan
Bearsuit - cat spectacular
Joanna Newsom - the milk-eyed mender
Billy Childish - 25 years of being childish compilation
Comets on Fire - blue cathedral

Am I ever a happy bunny.

15:32 / 28.12.04

i gave the JOY DIVISION BOXED SET to my 18 year old cousin -- he had never heard of the band and i thought, now is the time to strike! unfortantely he had to leave before i was able to rip more than one disc. yes, i give what i covet.

fortunately, i WAS able to rip the BOB DYLAN BOOTLEG 1-3 set, which i gave to said cousin's father. that has maybe the best, funniest, fastest gear from bob's career.

i also gave the Joanna Newsom album, the Devandra album, and an early Elvis Costello to my girlfriend.

i didn't get anything -- no one knows what music to buy me -- altohugh i did buy myself the DEAD BOYS live at CBGB's 1977 DVD for myself, whilst shopping. those guys were so fuckin' punk rock that at one point in the show, the singer (Stiv Bators) crawls on the stage, finds a wad of chewing gun that has been stuck on the ground, bites into it and then stands up, singing into the mike with a long trail of pre-chewed dirt gum stretching from his mouth to the floor. let's see you try that one, Good Charlotte.

Regrettable Juvenilia

16:33 / 28.12.04

Received: Alphabetical by Phoenix, from my SO. It's a good choice because I might not have got round to buying it myseld despite lots of people whose taste I share recommending it. Not what I expected, really - not exactly downbeat, but quite subdued. Certainly everything here is more subdued than 'Too Young', which is the only Phoenix song I was familiar with beforehand - 'Everything Is Everything' is as close as this album comes to that kind of pop, and even then the melancholy streak is much stronger, as you might expect from a song that begins "Things are gonna change... and not for better". What's really interesting is the way this album combines this very either mellow or lovelorn vibe with a sound that's frequently reminiscent of recent r&b or hip hop production - 'Victim Of The Crime' specifically seems to be a homage to Dr Dre's 'Still'. Anyway, other highlights: 'If It's Not With You', 'Love For Granted'. Verdict: cautiously recommended.

Gave: little worth mentioning... An Eminem DVD for my brother, and a CD of bird songs (yes, bird songs) for another relative.

20:24 / 28.12.04

I gave my girlfriend the Kylie album, 'Body Language' and my dad Nick Drake's 'Pink Moon'.

I received no music in return.

Locust No longer

20:39 / 28.12.04

Gave:

-Subtle (I actually forget what it's called) CD
-Some apparently rare Sage Francis CD
-Grant Green "Green Street"
-Cat Power's first album

Recieved:
-Sakada "live" CD
-Alice Coltrane - journey in satchidinanda (looks like Rizla and my sister have the same taste).
-Mark Wastell "Vibra #1"
-A noise Cdr that doesn't work but looks cool.
-Burkhard Stangl CD
-Frank Wright "One for John" LP

I'm pretty happy about it all.

09:09 / 02.01.05

Schubert - die winterreise

12:42 / 05.01.05

I gave:

The Go! Team- Thunder Lightening strike
Ella Fitzgerald- A compilation the name of which i can't remember
Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer

i got no music!
(its my birthday on the weekend though so the hint is out that I want more music...)
but i did spend cash given to me on...

Devandra Banhart- Nino Rojo
Tubeway Army- Republic
Bob Dylan- slow Train coming
Siouxsie & The Banshees- singles collection
Human League - Dare

(the last four on vinyl, in a very special second hand record shop i always visit when seeing the folks back in somerset for 2 quid each! Bargaintastic)

13:10 / 05.01.05

replicas, not republic dumbass

15:01 / 05.01.05

i remember now, i do actually have something to contribute to this thread. i went to the brighton undie hiphop emporium and they were doing three twelve inches for a tenner, so i got three o those for the girlfriend for christmas/birthday, all bought pretty blind. one was a sampler for the third def jux collection - shite. another was by a someone called mescalito, only got because of the name - shite. the third was a boombip single, nice melodic expansion upon the same styles as the memorable tracks off the last clouddead album, the jerry lewis of rap doing his thing as ever over the top - good.

i also got my mum a dvd of james taylor which she liked (not a huge fan myself but fire and rain'll bring a tear to anyone's won't it?).

and no-one got me any records at all, though i burneded a copy of the franz ferdinand album for myself. it's one of my mum's fave records of the year, but i've still only listened to the singles really. the first forty seconds of take me out is up there with the best of all things, but the rest of the time their apelike aproximations of yr standard byrneisms get a bit wearing.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

09:22 / 06.01.05

Gave: a ticket to see the Belmont Ensemble of London at St Martin's. (It was lovely, but I was a little distrcted by the double-bass player and one of the violinists making funny faces at each other during the hard bits).

Received: from mono, a ticket to Julian Cope in a couple of weeks. Sing yay for the Archdrude!

14:51 / 06.01.05

Gave;

A mix cd to Mrs The Ball (TBC), featuring;

As long as I have you - Garnet Mimms
Never leave you - Lumidee
You're still my baby - Otis Redding
Right here, right now - Jesus Jones
Beautiful - Snoop Dogg
Woman to woman - Joe Cocker
I see you baby shakin that ass - Groove Armada
Detroit city - Soloman Burke
What are you to me? - Unkle
I got the will - Otis Redding
The youth of today - Musical Youth
Simply BEautiful - Al Green
Soul to feet - Kathryn Williams
Hang on to your hang ups - ?
Put a little love in your heart - Dusty Springfield
Crystalline green - Goldfrapp
My love is your love - The Isley Brothers
You sure love to ball - Marvin Gaye
Can't get you out of my head - Kylie
Respect - Norma Fraser

and a couple of other mix cds for various folk. They make good presents.

Also bought Mrs The Ball a box set anthology of Otis Redding stuff (We're both suckers for that man).

All seemed very happy indeed.

Got;
Daddy G, DJ Kicks album (really mellow, some great songs on there, and just a fantastic, base filled, ready mixed party album)

And another album, which I can't remember in my jet-lagged state, but from a collection of re-releases that includes Candi Stanton.

Both really good.

Haus of Mystery

17:25 / 06.01.05

Jesus Jones??????

20:22 / 06.01.05

Yeah, and it sounds exactly as bad as it did when it was released. I just saw it on my itunes list and thought it would be funny. It isn't, it's rubbish.

12:26 / 07.01.05

The other album was Bettye Swann - fantastic voice.

Haus of Mystery

14:31 / 07.01.05

I used to own 'Doubt' Benny, so my post comes with a certain amount of empathy. God they were shit though... Mike whatsit had perhaps the crappest voice in pop history.

15:01 / 07.01.05

**utter threadrot**

the guardian did an interview last year with the guy from jesus jones in which he was paid to reform the band and play at some sales convention... or rather just play "right here right now" at a sales convention- THE sound of corporate America- this article will make you never want to hear this song again.

'International Bright Young Thing' is still up for grabs however....
link

07:15 / 08.01.05

Got:
Rite Time by Can. Their eighties reformation album. Not that great but nice to see Malcom Mooney out of the loony bin and back on vocals. A completist's pleasure.

White Line Fever - the Lemmy autobiography. The most hedonistic biog I've read. It's all dictated to the co-author so it's like sitting down whilst your evil uncle Lemmy tells you about the time his mate accidentally shot up rat poison. Beats Copey's Head On for frequency of ridiculous antics but isn't as well written.

Gave:
Nothing. HAH! (nothing musical anyway)

Goodness Gracious Meme

18:40 / 09.01.05

MacG: damn right on Dare, found it in a charity shop recently and have been playing it to death.

Got:
Nick Cave: Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues/No More Shall We Part.

And as a result, am having a major rediscovery of NC. Haven't really listened much to Cave since Murder Ballads, but these 3 are astonishing. AB is just edging at the moment, 'Get Ready For Love' grabs you by the neck and drags you into Cave's world, and powerful though it is, there's much better on the album.

'Let The Bells Ring' does a more full-on Gospel thing than I think I've ever heard on a Nick Cave record, and is magical for it.

One to be played loud.

Money's tight, so much cd gifting this year:
Bro:
Mr.Scruff - Keep it Unreal. A bit cheeky this, as I bought it on impulse, but he really enjoyed it.
Ab.Blues/Lyre of Orpheus - he's dubious but is gonna give 'em a go.

Sis:
Dot Allison: afterglow. She thought it was 'okay'.

Then I gave her Badmarsh and Shri - Dancing Drums. Which she, my bro and my parents all loved. My dad wants a copy.

So we spent much of our family day dancing around the lounge to Outcaste's finest. Who'da thought?

00:17 / 10.01.05

my girlfriend gave me a few vinyls-

call on me / eric prydz
open letter to NY / beastie boys
intensity in ten cities / slam
she said / pharcyde

i gave my mum the gwen stefani album, my brother american idiot(green day), and bought myself about ten different plates while i was christmas shopping. one for you, five for me, innit.

it wasnt much of a music swap in my family this year. my brother gave me vouchers for a couple of shops, but no one seems confident enough to get me tunes these days...
its probably a good thing in terms of keeping my record bag spacious and filled only with bangers, but i do miss the surprises.

i should maybe do a wedding-style birthday/christmas list somewhere.
do any shops do that, i wonder?