Interactive Poll 3some: 3 Tracks for 3 Decades

The 1990s:

I associate the 90s with house dance music and clubbing -- not seals or anything horrid, but going to night clubs -- I even DJed a bit and worked as a bartender in a club for a while (n Australia at first). I also taught children and teens in the 90s, mostly in Japan, but not at the same time as any bartending or DJ work. It was an awesome decade for me. Much of the music was off-kilter and kind of disturbing (at least when I DJed). This is a real oddity from Swans, a dark, perverse, disturbing dance track.

Swans - Volcano (off SOundtracks for the Blind - 1996) Note: adult themes.



The 2000s:

Various acts who had been going the trip hop roots had been moving away from that into the 2000s to a more "direct" sound. Post-industrial experimental rock was in, and a more modern-sounding take on Krautrock grooves was gaining ground (the Krautrock sound really came back in the 90s).

Portishead - Silence (off Third - 2008)


The 2010s:

In the 2010s I notice that a lot of my favourites are of the Neoclassical Darkwave ilk I like atmosheric music of any decade, but these kind of kinds of dark industrial and neocalssical sounds seem very prevalent in the 2010s.

Linga Ignota - May Failure Be Your Noose (off Caligula - 2019) Strong warning: use of the F word in angry sexual manner (I would not play this out loud amongst my family, and if anyone wants to skip this track for that reason even if nominated, feel free).



Yes, I had mentioned a Portishead track earlier, and in an earlier Interactive Poll, and that Lingua Ignota I posted in another one of my polls recently. I love Swans, but normally I would not highlight this oddity -- Helpless Child off that album is one of favourite tracks by anyone, and I wanted fairly short songs from all. Unless I change things, this will be my nomination. Much as I love Silence, my favourite is May Failure Be My Noose. So if you are going to listen to just one trio of mine earlier than nomination time, choose these three.

One might notice that H have been favouring female vocals in my selections, and I usually do. If people know some of my selections (or all) on their own and/or from other topics, that's fine it save on people's listening as I know people are busy with other things.

Edited by Logan - August 30 2022 at 16:13

My three songs:

1) La Crus: Lontano

2) Paolo Conte: Frisco

3) Francesco Guccini: L'ultima Thule


Edited by jamesbaldwin - August 29 2022 at 17:30

jamesbaldwin wrote: My three songs: 1) La Crus: Lontano 2) Paolo Conte: Frisco 3) Francesco Guccini: L'ultima Thule

^ I think Lorenzo has serious access to the internet issues (thus why he was not able to provide descriptions nor links -- methinks may be not being able to write descriptions is down to his device which makes it harder for him to type) and not easy access to his collection, so it's not as easy for him to check the dates and remember names as us (I have a weirdly good memory for such things). I enjoyed those artists songs, anyway, and this did start off as being a loved by us kind of personal thing that indicated your particular taste.

I brought up Portishead again, twice, although I'm not saying I have decided on that trio and already have another trio in mind, but want to wait for some songs from others before posting those.

Lorenzo is handicapped by circumstance, although he might have chosen those anyway.

It does get increasingly hard to choose acts that one hasn't mentioned multiple times before without researching (especially if one is going with ones already loved that have been meaningful to oneself, rather than, say, choosing ones that one thinks others will like even if not that special to you).

Edited by Logan - August 30 2022 at 09:42

I will start adding my next trio, will edit more in later:

I expect that some may listen to my lists and think, who knew so mnay decades could sound so much the same? Sorry if that is the case.

The 1990s:

This is a rare song in these things that I actually knew and liked when it came out and got back into of late. It definitely has a strong 90s feel and vibe to me (pretty sure had I never heard it before that I would guess 90s). It's quite hauntingly beautiful and features what is one of my very favourite singers, Liz Fraser. If everyone knows it, that's fine by me. Great song imo from one of the great bands of the 90s.

Massive Attack - Teardrop (off Mezzanine 1998)



The 2000s:

One thing about the early 200s is that it was often very hard to distinguish from the last 90s, especially when bands were making much the same music, which is hardly unique to this time. So I see this as an extension of the 90s. Nevertheless, the early 2000s do continue to represent that revival in lounge, psychedelia and space-age pop for its progressive art pop and chamber pop artists.

Stereolab - Suggestion Diabolique (off Sound-Dust 2001)



The 2010s:

The 2010s are really mostly about kinds of ethereal, ambient and experimental art pop. It also is a very strong era for women who acts as composers, musicians, arrangers and producers on their own albums. I have found more interesting female artists of the past ten years than male, but that's probably because that's what I have been interested in (so there is a sort of confirmation bias).

Jenny Hval - The Great Undressing (off Blood Bitch 2017)




I am tempted to do a Jenny Hval from the 2020s ("Year of Love" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i2oJJwgLTk ) ultimately for this topic. Not we can mix and match our trios or add any other ones up until next Monday when we decide our nominations (just in case people think that they are stuck with any mentioned trios -- mix and match, shake it up, come up witha new one, only mention one trio etc.).


Edited by Logan - August 30 2022 at 12:23

Edited by jamesbaldwin - August 30 2022 at 14:28

^ Sharing and discovering new music is what keeps things going. We have to put some effort in to get there.

Edited by Mila-13 - August 30 2022 at 18:17

Nice posting!

Here's another track that I'm going to add to my initial post. here

Edited by Mila-13 - August 31 2022 at 16:56

Lorenzo: You may well have had that idea of sentimental attachment with that first poll that people, starting with TCat picked up on which helped lead to this being a series, but it was not explicitly expressed (at least in your OP or others subsequent polls) and so I would not have shared your expectation that they would mostly be songs we grew up with. That said, I know it's important to you from various comments you have made subsequently (but I did not approach the polls made by people that way -- may be with one I've forgotten. I made a list so I could review most) Lewian brought in a specific theme which like your first poll idea, caught on, others brought in some all prog ones and some some prog ones. I like the variety. I like that people come up with different ideas and expectations and variations. I don't think that had it stayed like the first poll it would have had momentum. I think the longevity is due to people adapting, come up with new rules and expectations, variation, and individuality coming into play for each person who conducts one of these. My OP would look very different than if, say, David_D did one with a different approach.

I try to be quite open in my themes generally, at least in leaving room for interpretation (I've seen it expressed that it is harder to choose without a defined in past poll or more). And look at Cristi's post here:

"Three songs from three different decades is quite difficult to choose TBH. Where do i start? Why style of music do i choose? What country even? ".

I'm not nearly as sentimentally attached to music that I discovered long ago as many others at PA are. I often see people in polls say, I vote for because I have known it for four decades and it has meant a lot to me. I genuinely tend to be more attached and want to listen to newer-to-me music. By the way when I spoke of newer music and the way I interpreted Mila's use of new music as new to others, and possibly new-to-you no matter how modern it is. I continue to discover music from the 60s up that is new-to-me. I was interpreting it as sharing music that is new to the other participants in the thread no matter when they music was released or recorded. Sometimes with music I post for Interactive Threads, I have also shared those in other topics.

That said, while I think we can expect people to adhere to the rules in a person's thread who participated (as well as point where we think they could be improved), I do think we should avoid telling people wat they do generally. I may have communist sympathies but I am also an individualist. I value that people take different approaches, I value that the polls are not all the same, I value that people value different art, I value that we each have our own ways to express things and respond to such topics. As long as we are respectful of each other, and not too domineering, and team players while appreciating the individualism.

Each poll has been done rather differently depending on the poll starter, and that's the beauty of these to me, that it's a team effort and an individual effort, and we each bring in our own expectations for the polls we do. I like the individualism of the polls. I also think the themes played a major role in the longevity of this. Coming up with themes has been a lot of fun for me, and trying to think within those boxes has been a challenge that I have enjoyed. I like that each new poll can bring something different to the table and the individuality of the poll starter comes into play in how the topic is approached, how the OP is expressed, and how that person interacts. Without the different approaches and expectations from different posters, and the fun I have had in coming up with Interactive Poll ideas, I would have lost interest in these long ago..

For my topic, we aren't "competing" with others (not that I treat these as competitions anyway), it's seeing which three you choose to nominate others appreciate most in part. For that exercise, I did want to not allow one Prog track from each person, and I have done various in and out of PA topics.

I have sometimes voted for the Prog choice and very often not. I don't care that much about the poll results. Generally I do prefer to hear ones not in PA. Most of what I listen to now is of the past decade, and most of it is not in PA (well, I have been listening to a lot of Anna von Hausswolff, and modern Swans over the past months). But I would say a lot of what I listen to could be described as art pop, chamber pop, experimental and progressive pop. In my nine mentions, I have only mentioned one deemed Prog by PA inclusion, Swans, and I chose an oddity that I would not describe as Prog (and in fact, I wouldn't describe Swans as Prog to others even though I think it should be in PA).

I haven't paid much attention the the results of when Prog is mixed with non-Prog.

By the way, I can get a really strong attachment (and a sentimental-feeling one although I am not a sentimentalist) to music that is new to me. I have only known Nick Drake's River Man for about five years, yet almost immediately when I heard it I felt a sentimental attachment to it. The vast majority of music I now love is not from my distant past, yet it moves me as much and seems more meaningful in a way as it relates to ne as I am now with my current interest more.. I too do not favour the technically perfect.

By thee way, prog like many other genres (or subgenre) has music I love, am meh about and dislike. What David_D might call the modern Prog proper does not tend to interest me.

^ and thank you Nickie, I'm glad that you appreciate this theme. And indeed, thank you Lorenzo for putting so much thought into that post.

Edited by Logan - August 31 2022 at 13:13