Pop Kulcher

gravatar
Member Since: 7/1/2002
Total Mixes: 376
Total Feedback: 895

It's Angular!

Artist Song
Gang of Four  I Found That Essence Rare 
The Fall  Prole Art Threat 
Brian Eno  Third Uncle 
Pixies  Break My Body 
The Cure  Grinding Halt 
Dead Milkmen  Dean's Dream 
100 Flowers  Horizontal 
Franz Ferdinand  Take Me Out 
Oh-OK  Guru 
Minutemen  I Felt Like A Gringo 
Talking Heads  Animals 
Swell Maps  Read About Seymour 
XTC  Burning With Optimism's Flames 
Helium  Pat's Trick 
Wire  Men 2nd 
Beatles  Everybody's Got Something To Hide
(Except Me And My Monkey) 
Public Image Ltd.  Death Disco 
Young Marble Giants  Constantly Changing 
Interpol  Obstacle 1 
Pere Ubu  Cloud 149 
Television  Friction 
Pylon  Beep 
U2  Stories For Boys 
Pavement  Debris Slide 
Joy Division  These Days 
Soft Boys  Sandra's Having Her Brain Out 
Modest Mouse  The View 

Comment:

"Angular" is one of those words that rock critics throw around like crazy despite its lack of a clear definition (see also "seminal," "plangent," "post-punk," "Beatlesque," etc.). Google it and you'll find, like, a billion album reviews (most of which will also compare the music to Gang of Four or maybe Wire). For the most part, I think the most widely accepted understanding of "angular" contemplates a staccato guitar sound, a sharp, jagged, and largely clean, non-distorted guitar attack with little or no sustain or reverb. Secondarily, the music generally strays from traditional blues-based riffing and standard 3- and 4-chord hooks, instead opting for more jarring chord and key changes. Finally, the term gets used as a sort of catch-all for minimalistic post-punk music cha-racterized by a rough, unpolished studio sound. Of course, variations on all of these concepts can be found.

As noted, Gang of Four is probably the most widely-accepted purveyor of the style, though a lot of the punk/post-punk bands of the late 70s used an "angular" style (presumably out of a rejection of the more dense, studio-polished hard rock and prog popular at the time). I also included some pre-punk predecessors, as the Brian Eno song is such a great example of angular guitar playing (and, of course, because I like to think the Beatles are ultimately responsible for everything that's ever happened in rock & roll).

Some 80s and 90s bands revisted this sound (though bands like Pavement and the Pixies mixed a more traditional distorted-guitar sound with less traditional chord structures), and in recent years its made an even stronger comeback with bands like Franz Ferdinand and the like.

Shout-out to Rob Conroy for the Pere Ubu and Swell Maps tracks.

Feedback:

gravatar
Funky Ratchet
Date: 10/20/2008
Dean's Dream was always one of my favorite DM tracks. Lots of great stuff here, from top to bottom.
gravatar
anthony lombardi
Date: 10/20/2008
yeah i've always looked at "angular" as a term with no clear definition, but a term that music geeks alike can kind of hear in their head in an indescribable form. always one of my favorites, too, as i te nd to gravitate towards lots of post-punk stuff - i love tracks 1-5, 11, 15-21, & that closing 24-27 stretch. really cool idea, marc...
gravatar
Rob Conroy
Date: 10/20/2008
Thanks for the shout-out. I was going to ask if you made this with me in mind, as so much of this figures so heavily in my personal playlist... then I realized that it's not all about me. *I'd smile and wink here, but the site won't let me* Great stuff, though, almost the whole way through (could do without Interpol, Modest Mouse, or U2, although the latter's tune that you chose is pretty decent).
gravatar
p the swede
Date: 10/20/2008
lots of old favs here , esp 1,3,5,8,11,12,17,21 and 25 of course
gravatar
doowad
Date: 10/21/2008
Angular, totally angular, man!
gravatar
gabechouinard
Date: 10/21/2008
Huhn.

My arse is angular.

Love the mix, though.
gravatar
G-Sphere
Date: 10/21/2008
Everything on here is awesome. A great collection from any angle.
gravatar
bufo alvarius
Date: 10/21/2008
Many faves of mine on here, Good Sir Popkulcher. Great 0pening pair, of course. Also love the Pixies, FF, Minutemen, Talking Heads, Helium, Beatles, U2 (one of their best tracks!) and Pavement tracks, among others. Solid, solid mix.
gravatar
Mixxer
Date: 10/21/2008
Best definition of "angular" that I have seen.
gravatar
Mixxer
Date: 10/21/2008
Best definition of "angular" that I have seen.
gravatar
sammyg123
Date: 10/24/2008
This is a great, and highly original (ever been done on aotm before?) idea. The resulting mix is quality through and through.
gravatar
avocado rabbit
Date: 10/26/2008
Whatever the definition, I like your angle on this mix.
gravatar
Vlad the Accountant
Date: 10/28/2008
Liking the Fall, the Cure, the Milkmen, Wire, the Beatles, and Television, among other things.