A number of years ago, a close friend offered me a substantial sized collection of CDs that he was otherwise intending to throw out after deciding to cull his collection. As Charity Chic will testify, there are very few charity shops now really willing to accept old CDs to sell on for good causes, mainly as the bottom has more or less dropped out of the second-hand market and my friend, being unwilling just to throw them into the rubbish where they would be destined for landfill, thought that I might be interested. I said yes, gladly accepted the box that was handed over, and put it up on a shelf where it has lain untouched ever since.
All the CDs came from music papers/magazine give-aways, and while I always had intended to give them a listen at some point just in case there was something I had missed back in the day, time soon got the better of me. But I’m finally turning to them now as a way of filling up the blog over the festive period when I kind of take a break from writing and I know many regulars take a break from reading.
Please note, these will only appear midweek days, as I’m keeping the regular series for Saturdays and Sundays going.
First up is Spring Offensive, given away free with the NME on 5 April 1999. The accompanying notes for all 14 songs are lifted from the description given by the paper.
mp3: Suede – Popstar
First released as an accompanying track to last month’s ‘Electricity’ single on Nude, ‘Popstar’ is Suede tripping the light fantastic with ‘Head Music’‘s engineer Ben Hillier at the controls.
mp3: Cast – Dreamer
Rousing, Power-driven preview track from Cast‘s long-awaited third album, ‘Magic Hour’, due for release on Polydor on May 17.
mp3: Pavement – The Hexx
Spooky band-composed trailer for the highly regarded forthcoming ‘Terror Twilight’ LP, out on Domino on June 7.
mp3: Basement Jaxx – Same Old Show
Sampletastic KRS-One and Selecter-driven taster for the top-tipped dance smash ‘Remedy’ album, out on May 10 through XL.
mp3: Regular Fries – Dream Lottery
Spaced-out, saxed-up stinky skunkadelia from the Fries‘ debut album, ‘Accept The Signal’, released through JBO on June 7.
mp3: Underworld – Moaner
Pumping electronica, slippery as a conger eel, taken from this March’s critically-acclaimed JBO album, ‘Beaucoup Fish’.
mp3: Mogwai – Small Children In The Background
Rare B-side from Chemikal Underground’s guitar heroes whose recently released ‘Come On Die Young’ album went straight to the top of the indie charts.
mp3: Add N to (X) – Robot New York
Dial-shattering machine overload from NME‘s Album Of The Month, the insanely genius ‘Avant Hard’ on Mute, in a store near you since April.
mp3: Mishka – Bring A Man Down
Cool, laid-back reggaefication from Creation’s latest surfdude signing. The eponymous debut LP is released on June 7.
A very big and very clever prog blast from Ultrasound‘s debut LP, ‘Everything Picture’, released in April through Nude.
mp3: Sebadoh – Flame (exclusive acoustic version)
Special acoustic solo live version of a Lou Barlow song originally available on NME fave ‘The Sebadoh’ LP, which came out on Domino in February.
mp3: Super Furry Animals – Download
Remixed version of a track from their 1998 ‘Radiator’ LP, something to keep you going until the new Super Furries album, ‘Guerrilla’, comes out on Creation on June 14.
mp3: The Flaming Lips – The Spark That Bled
An early slice of sonic genius from the Lips‘ forthcoming masterpiece ‘The Soft Bulletin’, out over here on Warner Brothers on May 17
mp3: Travis – She’s So Strange
Big Bowie-esque ballad from the rocking new Independiente album ‘The Man Who’, due out on May 24.
I have to say that it’s a long long way from being the worst free compilation CD to ever have been foisted upon an unsuspecting public. Still available on Discogs from as little as 24p plus P&P….with the latter becoming increasingly ridiculous with each passing month.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Fame Thing was literally the only decent song that ultraworld had.
Moaner remains a truly magical thing.
Swc