This one happened very quickly. PJ Harvey's song came up on a shuffle and suddenly I was following a thread from one song to the other. A dozen songs later, a Dubhed selection was born.
The less obvious connection between all of these choices is that I haven't listened to the source albums in quite a while, the various EPs even more so, a timely reminder that I need to dig them out for the full experience.
Swansway is a gentler version of Siouxsie's debut solo single Into A Swan from 2007 and it's stunning. Likewise, the Tanya Donelly and Kristin Hersh songs, which subsequently appeared on the Lovesongs For Underdogs and Sky Motel albums respectively but which I only own due to the versions appearing on EP releases.
The Deep Field by Joan As Police Woman was lent to me by a friend and every listen reminds me what a great album it. As is i don’t know who needs to hear this..., the debut album from Sarah Tomberlin, a chance discovery when she supported Angel Olsen on tour a couple of years ago.
Rita Lynch has been a staple of the Bristol live music scene for decades and her albums have continued to capture her on-stage fire and lyrical bite, as evidenced by her eighth (I think) in 2022, Mrs. Lynch. Smile is taken from her 2010 album, What Am I?
Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen collaborated on a one-off single, the 80s power ballad-infused Like I Used To, so their pairing here seemed an obvious choice. I have pretty much everything that Angel has recorded; conversely relatively little by Sharon, which I need to address.
On a similar note, there were slim pickings in my collection for Julia Holter and Phoebe Bridgers. Both of these choices came from music magazine cover-mounted CDs and I've yet to buy the source albums in either case. Another reminder that I just don't have the time or money to keep up with all of the music that I'd like to explore more....
Lisa Germano first came to my attention via the Inconsiderate Bitch EP on 4AD, label boss Ivo Watts-Russell taking her debut album Happiness (at the time only released in the USA) and remixing several tracks to stunning effect before releasing it to a wider audience. Puppet is a prime example of this, the versions on the 4AD EP and album proving to be standout tracks on both releases. I got the original album many years later, which if nothing else proves that Puppet was a great song to begin with. So, what better way to wrap up this selection?
1) Big Exit (Album Version): PJ Harvey (2000)
2) Les Jeux To You: Julia Holter (2018)
3) Swansway: Siouxsie (2007)
4) Smile: Rita Lynch (2010)
5) Chinese Satellite: Phoebe Bridgers (2020)
6) Nervous: Joan As Police Woman (2011)
7) Swoon: Tanya Donelly (1996)
8) collect caller: Tomberlin (2022)
9) Echo (Single Version): Kristin Hersh (1999)
10) You Shadow: Sharon Van Etten (2019)
11) Intern: Angel Olsen (2016)
12) Puppet (US Album Version): Lisa Germano (1993)
1993: Happiness (USA): 12
1996: Sliding And Diving EP: 7
1999: Echo EP: 9
2000: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea: 1
2007: Into A Swan EP: 3
2010: What Am I?: 4
2011: The Deep Field: 6
2016: My Woman: 11
2018: Aviary: 2
2019: Remind Me Tomorrow: 10
2020: Punisher: 5
2022: i don’t know who needs to hear this...: 8
The Hurt In My Heart (46:06) (KF) (Mega)
