• Submit Date: 8/21/2006
  • Format: CD
  • Category: Theme

Tomorrow's Sounds Today! - Rediscovering Spector's Wall of Sound

Artist Song
Flaming Lips  Do You Realize?? 
Splitsville  The Popular 
Saturday Looks Good to Me  No Good with Secrets 
Mercury Rev  In a Funny Way 
Adventures in Stereo  Long Live You 
Manic Street Preachers  So Why So Sad 
Ken Stringfellow  When You Find Someone 
The Heavy Blinkers  He Heard his Song 
Spiritualized  Oh Baby 
The Raveonettes  Ode to LA 
Richard Hawley  Run for Me 
Adventures in Stereo  Ghosts 
Brendan Benson  Pledge of Allegiance 
Eugene Kelly  Lady 
The Concrete  Say Something New 
The Divine Comedy  Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World 
Vanity Project  So. Cal 
The Sleazy Beats  Happy Birthday Phil Spector 

Comment:

Ok, this is the latest installment in a line of Spector mixes I've uploaded during the last couple of weeks. This time my mix is devoted to modern recreations of the wall of sound or at least songs copping some elements from it. I think all of the compiled songs are brilliant and would not have chosen them if they were simply braindead, uninspired Spector clones. In contrast, I think that these artists really take the tried formula and add something new and refreshing without loosing any of the retro shine that I'm so fond of.

In all fairness some of the above acts might not even consider their chosen songs as Spector tributes and may not even know that much of his music. Even so, I find more or less obvious Spector touches in all of them. Tinkling glockenspiels, dramatic use of echo, a flood of strings surrounding a mass of ringing guitars, thunderous drums - you name it. The influence of the wall of sound can manifest itself in a thousand ways it seems.

I'm always on the lookout for new stuff in this genre, so if any of you guys know of any songs that could have gone on a mix such as this, let me know. To P the Swede: you left feedback at my latest mix indicating that you're preparing something like this yourself. I'm looking very much forward to see what you have up your sleeve.
image for mix

Feedback:

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Rob Conroy
Date: 8/21/2006
Looks shimmeringly great to me.
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slipperyhangdoglook
Date: 8/21/2006
excellent idea for a project kwan, i love the spector sound too & have also been collectin some of the 60's 'soundalikes' stuff. not too sure about the 'modern' soundz? but will give it some thought. look forward to a vol.3!!
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sammyg123
Date: 8/21/2006
Magic!
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DJ Karen Adams
Date: 8/21/2006
Enchanting effort!Congratulations on the motw here at aotm.
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The Misfit
Date: 8/21/2006
Looks great! Congratulations!
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Barrydali
Date: 8/21/2006
Hearty congrats for this. Excellent concept.
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p the swede
Date: 8/22/2006
yes, great one, I was planning somthoing like this myself
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Moe
Date: 8/22/2006
Lotsa & lotsa cool stuff here -- Mercury Rev, Lips, Heavy Blinkers, Concretes, AIS, etc. Many have appeared on My Pet Soundalikes mixes. Some Belle & Sebastian might be at home here.
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Salman1
Date: 8/22/2006
Congrats. This mix looks particularly stunning from start to finish.
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Sean Lally
Date: 8/22/2006
Dig it!
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Siobhan
Date: 8/25/2006
I thought I had commented on this...! Well, I certainly meant to. I wanted to say that I thoroughly approve of this as the choice for MotW and is a fantatsic concept for a mix. Really love the opener, and that is my favourite ever Mercury Rev track. Really nice, and well done.
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Laback123
Date: 8/25/2006
Tomorrow's mixes today! I want all music to be produced like Instant Karma (John Lennon). Good concept and a really important mix.
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blasikin
Date: 8/25/2006
a new perspective on some familiar tunes, and some new things for me as well. Love to hear it and congrats!
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Angry_MOGS
Date: 8/26/2006
Bravo!
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GambleOn
Date: 8/27/2006
This is freakin' awesome by the way, and congrats on MOTW.
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kwan_dk
Date: 8/28/2006
Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Nice to know I'm not the only one suffering from a bad case of Spectormania... :-)
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musicgnome
Date: 8/28/2006
Lovely stuff. Very well done, indeed.
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AndyJ
Date: 8/28/2006
Hey Martin. Congrats on getting 'Mix of the Week'. It seems only fair, that this mix should recieve the honour.

See ya 'round
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tubesock
Date: 8/30/2006
Great concept and great results. Only other current Spector-like I could think of is Johnny Boy, though there must be hundreds of others influenced by him.
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kwan_dk
Date: 8/30/2006
Johhny Boy? Is that an artist or a song? I've just recently come across 'Chico' by the Concretes, which has an uncanny 70s Spector feel. It could have been on here as well...
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tubesock
Date: 8/30/2006
Johnny Boy is a band. Probably the most obviosuly wall of sound influenced of the bunch. Boy-girl duo. Made a minor mark with the single "You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve" in 2004 and released a self-titled album last year. It's worth seeking out.
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kwan_dk
Date: 9/1/2006
Hey, thanks for the tip. Judging from the samples on their Myspace site they're right up my alley. Their album has been ordered.
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jonpoi
Date: 9/4/2006
This is just so superb looking. An extremely wise choice for MOTW. Congrats!
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Music Man
Date: 9/4/2006
Very well made. excellent work.
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valis
Date: 9/9/2006
DAMN! I was on "hiatus" when this was garnering rightful praise. BRAVO kwan_dk!!!
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Nomates
Date: 9/10/2006
Almost speechless -- you wish... Well done.