Yer Ol' Uncle D
Well-Known Member
Damon & Naomi - The Earth Is Blue
Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 28 - October 2021 /// Blonde Redhead - Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
- Thread starter MadLucas
- Start date
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
It's technically Monday in some parts of the world, so here's your next clue!
Why I would have chosen it: As soon as the idea of an N&G album-of-the-month was a thing, I instantly in my head chose this album. It is a genre-bending trip through hip-hop, rap, trip-hop, rock, folk, and overall expert layering. The vast number of music guests on this album really made it feel like a community-based creation, rather than simply the mastermind of two people. It blew open the doors for me as a listener when I first heard it in 1998, and my admiration has only grown since.
Why I didn't chose it: It's out of print... and not necessarily one of the easiest to find on wax when it was in print.
YOUR CLUE: There's a lot of people involved with the making of Psyence Fiction. In the case of my AoTM, one of the people involved with its creation was actually part of a previous N&G AoTM.
REJECTED ALBUM #3: U.N.K.L.E., Psyence Fiction
Why I would have chosen it: As soon as the idea of an N&G album-of-the-month was a thing, I instantly in my head chose this album. It is a genre-bending trip through hip-hop, rap, trip-hop, rock, folk, and overall expert layering. The vast number of music guests on this album really made it feel like a community-based creation, rather than simply the mastermind of two people. It blew open the doors for me as a listener when I first heard it in 1998, and my admiration has only grown since.
Why I didn't chose it: It's out of print... and not necessarily one of the easiest to find on wax when it was in print.
YOUR CLUE: There's a lot of people involved with the making of Psyence Fiction. In the case of my AoTM, one of the people involved with its creation was actually part of a previous N&G AoTM.
my guess is produced by fugazi
WhiteDahlias
Active Member
Maybe Blonde Redhead - Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
Wikipedia claims it was about the relationship between Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace and it was produced by one of the members of Fugazi.
Wikipedia claims it was about the relationship between Kazu Makino and Amedeo Pace and it was produced by one of the members of Fugazi.
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Excellent guess. 5th album, Blonde Redhead was active in the 90s but this album was released in 2000. Arguably their most popular/critically acclaimed record is was released a couple albums later with 23, the aforementioned relationship, lastly produced by Guy Picciotto (of Fugazi).
Also, “For The Damaged Coda” soundtracks one of the biggest reveals in Rick & Morty history…
…EVIL MORTY!
My only concern would be availability, they did just put out a 20th anniversary edition but they seem a bit hard to come by currently.
FWIW. Whether this turns out to be ROTM or not it’s a fantastic album regardless and if you don’t mind picking up a copy off the secondary market…
Blonde Redhead - Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2011 Vinyl release of "Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
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WhiteDahlias
Active Member
Excellent guess. 5th album, Blonde Redhead was active in the 90s but this album was released in 2000. Arguably their most popular/critically acclaimed record is was released a couple albums later with 23, the aforementioned relationship, lastly produced by Guy Picciotto (of Fugazi).
Also, “For The Damaged Coda” soundtracks one of the biggest reveals in Rick & Morty history…
…EVIL MORTY!
My only concern would be availability, they did just put out a 20th anniversary edition but they seem a bit hard to come by currently.
FWIW. Whether this turns out to be ROTM or not it’s a fantastic album regardless and if you don’t mind picking up a copy off the secondary market…
… I own this 2011 reissue that was repressed from the same master plates as the original and cut & pressed at RTI and it looks like there are several copies available for around $20 US.Blonde Redhead - Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons
View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2011 Vinyl release of "Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons" on Discogs.
That's true, I looked on Discogs and saw it had just had a reissue in 2020 but I didn't check to see how widely available it was.
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
Nailed it!
For the record, no pun intended, evil Morty was going to be a clue later this week, right after the clue I had about the band's not having a bass player... And their live bass player being a member of a previous clue.
Full write up and links to buy will be posted later today!
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Fantastic pick! Since I already own it I think I am gonna purchase one (or two) other of their albums.
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
Did I mention I will have recommended swaptions?
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
I’ve am always willing to add more but I think I found a copy of OOP 23 for retail price so I am gonna jump on that.
Also, did you find a retailer that currently has Damaged Lemons in stock? There’s a relatively healthy amount currently available on Discogs but has having a tough time finding copies in stock from most of your typical online record selling spots.
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MadLucas
Well-Known Member
I did find a handful of places domestically and internationally that have it in stock, yes.
For example, it is in stock through their label (Touch And Go) and through their Merchbar page, if anyone want to jump on that
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NewsFedora
Well-Known Member
Great pick, and perfect timing after last night's Rick and Morty season finale...
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
In honor of the ROTM, figured I should break out my Blonde Redhead records to celebrate the occasion…
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
That didn't even register with me until now!
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
BLONDE REDHEAD – Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
I grew up in a small (for Connecticut) town which at the time had a population of less than 7,000. The town itself was very proud of having kept out all outside influence, which, for a teenager fed on indie rock, was a very frustrating venture. The nearest gas station was a 10-minute ride, the nearest supermarket was 15 minutes, and the sad excuse for a mall that was just as far was slowly losing every last record store that populated it. Fortunately, I was able to stay somewhat connected through two sources: the magazine rack at the CVS 10 minutes up the road, who did a phenomenal job of inexplicably stocking magazines beyond Spin and Rolling Stone, such as Raygun, Magnet, and Alternative Press; and the closest (at the time) college radio station, 91.7 WXCI out of Danbury. I remember spending a lot of time with the radio receiver on my parents tuner trying to get the least fuzzy reception possible to be able to hear these sounds that no one else seemed to care about.
I didn't hear Blonde Redhead until September of 2000, but I was very aware of who they were. Rolling Stone made that possible when BR released La Mita Violenta. One thing that really, really bothered me about all of the reviews was the inescapable and outwardly unkind comparisons to Sonic Youth (an all-time favorite for me). Even as a high schooler it made no sense why this was necessary. I don't remember Nirvana being ragged in every single review about being overly influenced by Hüsker Dü; in fact, to my knowledge, the only person I have ever heard make that blatant comparison was Krist Novoselic himself. I don't remember Posies reviews being all about how influenced they were by Big Star. Why wasn't Radiohead thrown under the bus for being influenced by Miracle Legion when Pablo Honey came out? None of these things mattered if the songs were good.
But where to FIND the records. The closest record stores at the mall or on main drags of shopping plazas were not exactly havens for indie bands (although sometimes they did surprise me). I was very aware of a store called Secret Sounds, but it would not be until I was 17 with a driver's license that I would be able to drive the extra five minutes out of “comfort range” to be able to give them all of my allowance. In fact, Secret Sounds closed for good before this album even came out. Then there was Trash American Style in Danbury... talk about a pipe dream in knowing how to get there or find an excuse to otherwise make the 40 minute drive.
In September of 2000, I was a college sophomore. It was one particular Thursday that I was on my way home from classes and had on WXCI, the aforementioned radio station who just so happened to be the station of my university. “Hated Because of Great Qualities” came on. Was this the band I had been hearing about for five years? The woman's vocals fit the profile of what I had read in reviews... there was no discernible bass guitar... I ended up detouring my drive to wait for the DJ to name off the songs recently played to confirm. I went out and bought this album that day.
I was not in the greatest place then, and honestly, I had a very difficult time with this album. It is an album of driving on a cold autumn night trying to beat the rain before you pull into your driveway and not quite succeeding. It is the sound of dread and uncertainty. It is the sound of resignation to your sadness in a way that is supposed to be comforting but is really just defeat.
...or is it?
Because when I came back to this album a few years later, I was in a very different place and heard it completely differently. Perhaps this album is driving when the sun is beating down and you're not sure if it's rising or setting, you're just happy it's there. Perhaps what I thought was dread and uncertainty was actually the suspense you feel through the anticipation of something great around the corner. Maybe it's not resignation to sadness after all, but a full, complete exhale that you have been needing for so very, very long.
...or is it?
“Equally Damaged” starts the album off, with the sound of flute-like theremin sounds for about 40 seconds. In one light, the album starts with a bird in your window; in another light, it is a funereal, disconcerting warning.
“In Particular” follows with equal confusion. I cannot pin down what these vocals are supposed to be... Sexy? Empowered? Worried? Mournful? And the music which is unrelentingly consistent for its 6-minute runtime... is this happy? A danceful banger? A meditation on loss?
“Melody of Certain Three” arrives with a hammer. I honestly cannot tell whether the idea was to be suspenseful or victorious. The lyrics are no help:
“Sometimes I spin around for days
Skip and chase and say
Forget about tomorrow
Until I realize
This valid and logic motion
Is what keeps me from moving
I don't understand...
When I am so timid
You'll be my words
When I am most effective
You act like a stone
Whatever it takes forever it seems
But despite of all that all is well.”
Later, in “This Is Not,” we find this couplet:
“And then by chance she met you & your brother.
The moment she saw you.
She knew you were made for her”
And, of course, “For The Damaged” offers this:
“Maybe again he will be alone
Guess we're equally damaged
Find your name do it all the same equally
Signal when you can't breathe no more
Say you were me then you could see the view
You'll know we are equally damaged
Don't be a fool, make it easier
You'll learn to say when
Signal if you can't say, 'no more'
Don't cross your finger
Sundays will never change
They keep on coming
You'll be a freak
And I'll keep you company”
What???
Are we rejoicing in connection or lamenting the trappings of connection? Are we celebrating our best qualities or viewing them as handicaps? Is this love and comfort or Stockholm Syndrome?
This album is not an album.
It is an emotional Rorschach test that plays/preys upon the experiences, circumstances, and emotions of the listener differently every single time.
Which means it commands repeated listening.
Happy listening, everyone!
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
SWAPTIONS!
Why I would almost chose it: Damon & Naomi have not gotten anywhere near the respect that they deserve compared to their former Galaxie 500 bandmate and Luna frontman Dean Wareham. From the first sounds on this debut album, you knew they were going down once-flirted with paths, creating music with far denser and textural soundscapes than they ever had with Galaxie 500 or that Dean would explore with Luna. It is these ideas that they refined through their works that followed.
Why I didn't chose it: Numbers. The album is currently only in press through the Damon & Naomi owned label 20/20/20. I don't know what their stock currently is, and I don't know how many forum members buy the N&G AoTM's. Long story short, I didn't want to risk an out-of-print-before-people-could-get-it situation. But it's still really, really good and I hope you buy it at some point.
Why I would almost chose it: If this album had come out in the 80's, they would be... well, maybe not a household name, but at the very least as well regarded as electronic-based groups of the era. This album is a direct callback to an era of all-analog synthesizers, pop melodies, and reverb so cold that it is almost comforting.
Why I didn't chose it: Because I actually have met and worked with Liz and her husband (the unknown third member of the band, directly responsible for the live mixing and manipulation of their sound) in real life. I don't know, I just felt weird about doing that. But it you like the sound of swirling analog synth pop, I cannot recommend this album enough!
Why I almost chose it: This is a fantastic album hailing from the dying days of the golden age of hip-hop. Lyrically and musically superior, hard hitting storytelling from front to back.
Why I didn't choose it: Honestly, it didn't seem appropriate as a white guy who was 11 when it came out to write about why this album is fantastic or its significance to music or culture. That being said, I truly enjoy this album though, and hope you check it out.
SWAPTION #1: Damon & Naomi, More Sad Hits
Why I would almost chose it: Damon & Naomi have not gotten anywhere near the respect that they deserve compared to their former Galaxie 500 bandmate and Luna frontman Dean Wareham. From the first sounds on this debut album, you knew they were going down once-flirted with paths, creating music with far denser and textural soundscapes than they ever had with Galaxie 500 or that Dean would explore with Luna. It is these ideas that they refined through their works that followed.
Why I didn't chose it: Numbers. The album is currently only in press through the Damon & Naomi owned label 20/20/20. I don't know what their stock currently is, and I don't know how many forum members buy the N&G AoTM's. Long story short, I didn't want to risk an out-of-print-before-people-could-get-it situation. But it's still really, really good and I hope you buy it at some point.
SWAPTION #2: Xeno & Oaklander, Hypnos
Why I would almost chose it: If this album had come out in the 80's, they would be... well, maybe not a household name, but at the very least as well regarded as electronic-based groups of the era. This album is a direct callback to an era of all-analog synthesizers, pop melodies, and reverb so cold that it is almost comforting.
Why I didn't chose it: Because I actually have met and worked with Liz and her husband (the unknown third member of the band, directly responsible for the live mixing and manipulation of their sound) in real life. I don't know, I just felt weird about doing that. But it you like the sound of swirling analog synth pop, I cannot recommend this album enough!
SWAPTION #3: PETE ROCK & CL SMOOTH: Mecca and the Soul Brother
Why I almost chose it: This is a fantastic album hailing from the dying days of the golden age of hip-hop. Lyrically and musically superior, hard hitting storytelling from front to back.
Why I didn't choose it: Honestly, it didn't seem appropriate as a white guy who was 11 when it came out to write about why this album is fantastic or its significance to music or culture. That being said, I truly enjoy this album though, and hope you check it out.
MadLucas
Well-Known Member
WHERE TO BUY BLONDE REDHEAD'S MELODY OF CERTAIN DAMAGED LEMONS
This is not an exhaustive list, and it is to be considered a living document as I add links. I mean, there's third party sellers like eBay, Discogs, and (uggghhhh) Amazon, but if you don't want them, try here:
TOUCH AND GO (the label it's on)
SHUGA RECORDS
Import CD's
VINYLMNKY (magenta vinyl)
Good Records To Go (magenta vinyl)
10,000 Hz Records (magenta vinyl)
Torn Light (1 magenta left!)
Programme HQ (1 magenta left!)
Norman Records (magenta vinyl; based out of UK)
Denovali Records (European company?)
RecordShopX (based out of Finland, apparently)
Ground Zero (based out of France)
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Blonde Redhead - Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons (20th Anniversary Pink Vinyl)
Equally DamagedIn ParticularMelody Of Certain ThreeHated Because Of Great QualitiesLoved Despite Of Great FaultsBallad Of LemonsThis Is NotA CureFor The DamagedMother
goodrecordstogo.myshopify.com
If anyone decides to go this route today there is a promo code via the Vinyl Deals Thread…
NewsFedora
Well-Known Member
Appreciate the promo code, I bought a record!
WhiteDahlias
Active Member
Ordered! It's been a while since I last heard this album (BR was one of my college roommate's favorite bands, but I don't know if I've listened to it straight though since then) and I was very happy to revisit it.