High On Love

Daníel Ágúst today, a last-minute replacement for my intended post when I discovered that a couple of archive Dubhed selections that I wanted to include have vanished into cyberspace.

Not that Daníel Ágúst is sloppy seconds, by any means. His work with GusGus alone is astonishing but back in April 2006, I discovered that Daníel had released a solo album and this is what I had to say about it on my former blog, twenty years ago today.

Swallowed A Star is the first solo album from the former lead singer with GusGus, whose dancefloor-friendly electronica is immensely popular in their native Iceland, but seems unfairly consigned to the periphery elsewhere. 

I fear the same fate for Swallowed A Star: initially available directly from label One Little Indian in September 2005, the album received a commercial release in January 2006; by April, it was lining the Virgin Megastore bargain bins, which is where I rescued my copy. 

Like many budget purchases, Swallowed A Star turns out to be a hidden treasure, a lavishly illustrated ‘hardback edition’ CD with delicately crafted music to match. Despite the album’s title, the impression is that Daniel Ágúst has swallowed an orchestra’s string section, as bass, cello, viola and violin provide the framework for his distinctive vocals. Björk is the immediate musical comparison, harking back to the spine-tingling orchestral remix of The Sugarcubes’ Deus way back in the late 1980s. 

Swallowed A Star also feels very much like a 4AD label release from that period, evoking both the sleeve and atmospherics of This Mortal Coil’s Blood. Oddly enough, Ágúst’s vocals effortlessly make the transition from GusGus’ (who, ironically, were with 4AD for a time) club-centric sound to this new, largely beatless setting. 

The English lyrics are basic, yet effective; the most extreme example of Ágúst’s minimalist approach being Nobody Else, which repeats the single refrain "You don’t want nobody else / ‘cause you got me babe" throughout. 

The album’s theme appears to be the struggle to see beyond the mundane and appreciate life’s inherent beauty. Agust sings about an existence "under the mainstream…on the outskirts of life" (The Stingray), noting that "the comforts of my yellow blue and white apartment block / block my vision" (Love And Respect). 

However, the narrative optimism seems firmly rooted in companionship: "We can open our eyes / and come to realise / we’re more able in life when we love" (Sparks Fly); or "We’re gonna make a day / and drive away / the gray" (The Gray). 

An instrumental 'Intersection' bisects the ten tracks, though there’s no discernible change in mood between the two halves. The songs could easily become overblown or pretentious, but Ágúst maintains a restraint, an intimacy that serves the songs well. 

With the music of Embrace (grandiose, pompous) and Sigur Rós (sweepingly epic) currently (back) in vogue, now would seem the perfect opportunity for Daniel Ágúst’s album to emerge - One Little Indian are evidently hoping to repeat the success of Björk’s Debut.

Sadly, I think Swallowed A Star may just miss the boat, through no fault of it’s own. I’ve played it dozens of times since buying it and am convinced it’s an album which, once owned, will be treasured constantly. 

Daniel Ágúst has swallowed a star and deserves an opportunity to illuminate people’s lives with his music. Watch the skies.

As a postscript, a year later Daniel returned to the studio with his GusGus compadres to record a new album. The Moss, a standout song on Swallowed A Star, was remade and reborn as the club banger that it was perhaps always meant to be, and it was brilliant.

Even better, GusGus got to perform The Moss at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2009.  Like the song, Daniel had also evolved in the intervening years. A compelling watch.

Not Quite Noughtie Enough

I'm going to spend a large chunk of this post talking about someone else's blog and posts, but bear with me, there's a brand new Dubhed selection waiting for you at the end.

SWC at the ever-excellent No Badger Required has just concluded The Noughty Forty, a countdown of the greatest albums of the 2000s. All voted for by a Musical Jury, assembled from music blog creators and commenters from around the globe. 

 

NBR is an essential read anyway, not a single one feeling like it's been dashed off in the seconds that the idea itself is forming (yes, I'm looking at myself here). There's something even more impressive about series like this though, not least the sheer amount of effort that goes into planning, coordinating and curating the posts. And of course it sparks debate, anticipation and - let's be honest - a degree of feverish excitement as it reaches the Top Ten. 

I was privileged once again to be a Musical Jury Member for this series. SWC assigns aliases to all and I won't reveal mine here, though my arch or overly earnest comments may be a giveaway. 

I was pleased with the #1 choice, an artist and album I voted for though not my top scorer (which made the Top 10, but not the Top 5). Back in the summer, when this was just a plan taking shape in SWC's mind, he invited potential Musical Jury Members to submit their own nominations. 

Over 300 nominations were submitted. Of these, SWC presented us with a longlist of 74, from which to pick our Top 20. After totting up the scores, The Noughty Forty was finalised, with a few surprises and an eleventh hour vote tipping the balance between the top two.

SWC not only delivered The Noughty Forty, but preceded it with ten of Not Quite The Greatest Albums Of The 00s, also sharing the albums that made #41 & #42 in the final list. The series was then bookended with four Honorable Mentions, meaning that NBR readers were treated to 56 albums in total. 

 

I won't spoil things by posting the various lists here. If you haven't already followed the countdown on No Badger Required, go and check it out. You'll get to experience some great music, some controversial voting decisions and best of all, some top notch writing that brings the whole thing to life. 

No Badger Required is 3 years old this month and November will see another series, this time focusing on the number 3. Not in the way that you might expect, of course, but naturally it's going to be required reading for the next 30 days. SWC sets the bar high, so much so that I'm on the Dubhed ladder, head tilted as far back as it will go, straining to see the bar up above me. 

A constant inspiration and pace setter. Here's to you, SWC, and many more years of NBR to come.

So... what of today's selection?

Well, back at the beginning, when I was invited to submit nominations for the best albums of the 2000s, I applied some rules of my own. The most obvious one being that I had to own the albums, either physically or digitally, in their entirety. 

 

This - and the subsequent Noughty Forty - immediately highlighted how many contenders where I had a few songs, but not the entire album. Examples being The Streets, Radiohead, The Strokes and Grandaddy.

The other dawning realisation when following the final run down was how many albums from the 2000s I'd never even heard in full at all. Arctic Monkeys, Art Brut, The Horrors, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Long Blondes. I'm working on it now.

The other rule which I mostly followed was to exclude nominations for an album which I thought would receive multiple votes from the MJMs and would therefore be a shoo in for the longlist, if not the final 40. Therefore, I left out LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes, to name a few. 

Not that my 20 nominations were by any means albums that I didn't consider to be anything other than essential listens. Or, so obscure that mine would be the only nomination. I mean, White Bread Black Beer by Scritti Politti had to be Top 30, if not higher, surely?

Of my 20 suggestions, 1 made the Not Quite The Greatest Albums Of The 00s list, 1 featured in the Honorable Mentions and 1 in The Noughty Forty...the Top 30 in fact, though it's no spoiler to say that it wasn't Scritti Poliiti.

So, 17 of my 20 nominations didn't get even a whiff of fame. One other artist did make the lower reaches of the countdown, though not with the album that I nominated!

However, all of this of course inspired today's selection. Without fear or favour, I've randomly selected 12 to create a snappy compilation to entertain for the next three quarters of an hour. 

 

Hopefully, a few of them will provoke an "Oh, yeah!" response. Others may be unfamiliar, but inspire a search to check out the rest of the album, which will undoubtedly be worth your time and effort.

It's an eclectic mix, as always. Back in 2000, it was hard to imagine that it would be 2024 before The The's next full band, non-soundtrack album would appear. Sadly, we're still waiting for Green Gartside's follow up to White Bread Black Beer, and each year hope diminishes. A couple of artists - Mark Linkous and Mark Lanegan - have passed on, leaving us with a rich musical legacy, these collaborative albums included.

Mark Lanegan's association with electronic artists Soulsavers was perhaps no surprise, given his voracious appetite for working with others across multiple musical genres. What was unexpected was N.A.S.A.'s 2009 album The Spirit Of Apollo, not least from it's dizzying spread of guest artists, but that their number included Tom Waits, here 'duetting' with rapper Kool Keith.

There are a few albums that didn't make my nominations list, partly because I thought that no-one else would submit them, partly because I will deliver on my promise to SWC a seeming eternity ago to submit a Nearly Perfect Albums guest post for his consideration. I need to get on with it!

In the meantime, enjoy this companion piece/celebration of an inspirational blog, as it's likely back to the usual nonsense on Saturday.

 

1) The Whisperers: The The (2000)

2) Paris Is Burning: Ladyhawke (2008)

3) Superstylin': Groove Armada (2001)

4) It's A Funny Thing: Edwyn Collins (2002)

5) Road To No Regret: Scritti Politti (2006)

6) Pain: Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse ft. Iggy Pop (2009)

7) Ghosts Of You And Me: Soulsavers ft. Mark Lanegan (2007)

8) The Moss: Daníel Ágúst (2005)

9) Something Inside Of Me: The Coral (2005)

10) Huddle Formation: The Go! Team (2004)

11) Young Bride: Midlake (2006)

12) Spacious Thoughts: N.A.S.A. ft. Tom Waits & Kool Keith (2009)

2000: Naked Self: 1

2001: Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub): 3

2002: Doctor Syntax: 4

2004: Thunder, Lightning, Strike: 10

2005: Swallowed A Star: 8

2005: The Invisible Invasion: 9 

2006: The Trials Of Van Occupanther: 11

2006: White Bread Black Beer: 5 

2007: It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land: 7

2008: Ladyhawke: 2

2009: Dark Night Of The Soul: 6

2009: The Spirit Of Apollo: 12

Not Quite Noughtie Enough (46:09) (KF) (Mega)

I Know What You Did Last Sombre

Side 1 of a mix CD-R, burned on 4th December 2006. This was originally compiled for my brother, who was living overseas at the time so in an uncharacteristic feat of organisation, I had this and a clutch of other gifts ready in time for the last airmail posting date for Christmas.

 

The mix runs for the maximum burn time, just under 80 minutes, with a split into two 'sides'. I'd loosely describe this as the 'downtempo side'. The title itself is both a twist on the popular horror film franchise and perhaps a comment on the winter chill surrounding me as, on the other side of the world, my brother was experiencing a seasonal opposite. 

 

In the summer of 2005, my wife and I also travelled to stay with my brother and his wife for a week, I think the first time we'd seen each other in person for nearly six years, so the title is probably a nod to the sadness of separation, 18 months on. Ho ho ho and festive cheer, indeed. Bloody hell, I should have sent a jangly pop compilation, in retrospect...!

Glancing at this tracklist, you'd be forgiven for thinking that I only bought one album in 2006, although if that had been the case, it still would have been White Bread Black Beer by Scritti Politti. The rest of the collection is made up of songs from the previous 5 years, a couple of which I had discovered in the bargain bins of Virgin Megastore in Bristol.

 

On such discovery was Your Love Means Everything by Faultline aka David Kosten. I was drawn in by the photo of a wrench on the cover and the list of guest vocalists on the back cover: Michael Stipe, Jacob Golden and Wayne Coyne. Okay, Chris Martin also pops up on a couple of tracks, but I didn't let that stop me from shelling out a couple of quid for what turned out to be a good record. I was surprised to find that this was the second and final (to date) Faultline album. Even more surprisingly, The Colossal Gray Sunshine was released as a promo single in 2004, with a remix by Paul Oakenfold, Apart from a one-off cover of Send In The Clowns featuring Lisa Hannigan in 2017, David Kosten seems to be largely working as a producer and programmer these days, with the likes of Bat For Lashes, Keane and Steven Wilson.

 

Another favourite at the time was Pony Club, not to be confused with New Young Pony Club. Much as I'm loathe to admit it, Pony Club first came to my attention in 2004 via cover mounted CD with NME, curated by the Manchester Racist. The track in question was from the debut Pony Club album, 2002's Home Truths, and I was sufficiently intrigued to pick up a copy, again troubling the bargain bins in the local megastore. Pony Club is essentially a vehicle for Mark Cullen and Home Truths is a claustrophobic and cutting depiction of a life trapped in housing estates and martial discord. Cullen also co-wrote a number of songs with Ian Broudie for Lightning Seeds, which is about as diametrically opposed as you can get.

 

Amongst the other sombre gems are Daníel Ágúst, on his first solo detour from GusGus, the much-missed Anita Lane, a Calexico rarity, a classic from former Voodoo Queen Anjali and Jah Wobble dropping his trademark bass into a remix of Norwegian Sami musician Mari Boine's 1994 song, Ĉuovgi Liekkas. Luke Haines resurrected The Auteurs in 2003 to air a combination of new songs and re-recordings on the excellent Das Capital, whilst The Go-Betweens returned for what would sadly prove to be their final album of new material, Oceans Apart, which is also one of their finest.

 

Likewise, Scritti Politti. Hard to believe - or accept - that it's now been sixteen years since White Bread Black Beer, with no immediate prospect of a further album. This is the third outing for Petrococadollar on the Dubhed blog, following it's appearance in my opening series 50@50 in December 2020 and again as part of a Scritti Politti selection in October 2021. I make no apologies, it's an exceptional song, even by Green Gartside's standards.

1) The Gray (Album Version): Daníel Ágúst (2005)

2) The Next Man That I See (Album Version By Mick Harvey): Anita Lane (2001) 

3) Ballad Of Cable Hogue (Version Française): Calexico ft. Marianne Dissard (2000)

4) The Colossal Gray Sunshine (Album Version): Faultline ft. Wayne Coyne & Steven Drozd (2002)

5) Lazy Lagoon (Album Version): Anjali (2000)

6) No Reason To Cry: The Go-Betweens (2005)

7) Satan Wants Me (Album Version): Luke Haines & The Auteurs (2003)

8) Ĉuovgi Liekkas (Jah Wobble Remix II): Mari Boine (2001)

9) CCTV: Pony Club (2002)

10) Petrococadollar: Scritti Politti (2006)

2000: Ballad Of Cable Hogue EP (French promo CD single): 3

2000: Lazy Lagoon EP / Anjali: 5 

2001: Remixed / Oðða Hámis: 8 

2001: Sex o'Clock: 2

2002: Home Truths: 9

2002: Your Love Means Everything: 4

2003: Das Capital: The Songwriting Genius Of Luke Haines & The Auteurs: 7

2005: Oceans Apart: 6

2005: Swallowed A Star: 1

2006: White Bread Black Beer: 10

Side One (38:36) (KF) (Mega)