Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dark Clouds, Vol. 5: An Ode To Winter

(still from the 1948 weeper, Portrait of Jennie, dir. William Dieterle)



Hi friends! So for months I've had the idea floating around for a wintery themed mix, but was waiting for the weather to get cold, rainy, windy, just super duper gnarly so I'd have some kind of inspiration to draw upon. And I'm still waiting! I should know by now, being a native/naive Californian, that not a chance in hell was Mother Nature gonna grant us such prolonged weather. We might as well be ground zero for global warming! Not that I don't mind one bit, but I'd one day love to stare sullenly out the window at a torrential storm or play in the snow like most normal kids do... not admire colorful, fiery sunsets from my 15th floor office building or shuffle around the beach in ironic graphic tees, BBQing, sipping icy Tecates at the end of January/beginning of February. Siiiigh. But I digress...

Oakland did get several hours of rain and apocalyptic-like fog last week. And for that, I was ever so grateful to use that precious time to assemble a slightly eclectic mix of seasonal moody tunes for you, opening with the predictably distressing "Lonely Winter" (a song later covered by the Bee Gees), and drawing to an optimistic close, finishing with the haunting yet encouraging chorus on "Need Some Sunshine." This mix is slightly distinguished from its Dark Clouds peers in 1) genre: garage rock reigns, but I had to throw in some soft/sunshiny, folk rock, and a Joe Meek production that were just too rad to pass, and 2) location: with the occasional Canadian exception, you might've noticed my unintentional sense of patriotism in past mixes. But for this one I've gone global (thanks to a newly renewed passport) - bowing down to England, Norway and Australia! 

01 Steve & the Board - "Lonely Winter" [Spin EL 31997] (1966) Sydney, AU
02 Hollie Helloms & the Rhythm Kings - "Don't Blame It On the Rain" [Major 1015] (196?) Waynesboro, VA
03 The Whether Bureau - "White and Frosty" [Laurie 3431] (1968) New York, NY
04 The Unrelated Segments - "It's Gonna Rain" [Liberty 55992] (1966) Detroit, MI
05 Nocturnal Day Dream - "Dark Dreary Night" [Unknown] (196?) U.S.A.
06 Firebeats Inc. - "This Rain" [His Master's Voice NCLP 5] (1966) Oslo, Norway
07 The Rainy Daze - "Snow and Ice and Burning Sand" [UNI 73002] (1967) Denver, CO
08 The Kasuals - "Listen to the Rain" [GMA 4] (1964) Chicago, IL
09 The Early Americans - "It's So Cold Outside" [Paris Tower 106] (1967) Tampa, FL
10 John Leyton - "Wild Wind" [Top Rank International JAR 585] (1961) Essex, UK
11 The Fredric - "Saturday Morning With Rain" [Forte 80461] (1968) Grand Rapids, MI
12 Jan & Lorraine - "Snow Roses" [ABCS 691] (1969) London, UK
13 Brigadune - "Misty Mornin'" [Verve VK 10655] (1971) Los Angeles, CA
14 The New Dawn - "It's Rainin'" [Garland GR 70-4569] (1970) Salem, OR
15 Teen Tones - "Long Cold Winter" [T&T 2487/8] (1964) South Bend, IN
16 The Sinners - "Only On A Rainy Day" [Craig 210] (1966) PA
17 Sunset Love - "Winter's Day" [Collectables 0665] (1968) Odessa, TX
18 The Rising Storm - "The Rain Falls Down" [Remnant BBA 3571] (1966) Andover, MA
19 Philamore Lincoln - "The North Wind Blew South" [Epic BN 26497] (1970) UK
20 The Ill Winds - "Fear of the Rain" [Reprise 0423] (1965) Los Angeles, CA
21 The Rock Garden - "The Wind Is My Keeper" [Revise 300] (1967) Camden, AR
22 Electric Train - "Thru Winter and Sunshine" [Moxie M 106] (196?) Marin County, CA
23 The Magic Mushrooms - "Let The Rain Be Me" [East Coast 1001] (1968) Philadelphia, PA
24 The Morning Dew - "Winter Dreams" [Audio House Acetate] (1966) Topeka, KS
25 The Omen & Their Luv - "Need Some Sunshine" [Daisy 4825] (196?) Tuscaloosa, AL


Download 'Dark Clouds Vol. 5: An Ode To Winter' --> HERE!!
Download Vols. 1-3 --> right here
Download Vol. 4 --> and here







Hope you enjoy! Feedback (be it good, bad, constructive, creepy, off-topic, etc.) is always welcome. Thanks!

28 comments:

David W. said...

Whoa! Very very awesome! Amazing the number of bands I've discovered from your comps and how terrible Led Zeppelin is starting to sound in comparison. So thanks for that!

And don't knock it. This weather of ours is really fucking amazing. If you need inspiration for Dark Clouds VI, don't wait, just hit up those hurricane wind machines in the mall!

jose kortozirkuito said...

Good collection for winter days.
Here in Spain, the sun is wrapped in a scarf against the cold.
Spring is coming.
regards

Michelle said...

Jose - thanks so much! And hope you stay warm for the time being.

Dave - haha! If you ever see me step foot in a mall, please slap some sense back into me!
I'm not one to diss bands (heh), but I could never understand the appeal of Led Zeppelin. I don't deny their talent... but I find them overrated, dull, and most of their output truly pointless. Was that a diss? Sorry. I guess I just can't listen to music that doesn't move me in some way (and I don't mean negatively). But yeah, glad I'm pointing you in the right direction! Drunken record shopping again soon, yeah?

michael vee said...

very nice and moody comp, Milady, great listing whilst the snow is meltig.... I hope you'll prepare Clouds VI with a special Springtime-hommage

thx a lot and warm hugs!

michael vee said...

very nice and moody comp, Milady, great listing whilst the snow is meltig.... I hope you'll prepare Clouds VI with a special Springtime-hommage

thx a lot and warm hugs!

David W. said...

Totally, Michelle!
Sorry I couldn't meet up in LA. But I'd rather come up there and check out 1-2-3-4 Go! Records and any other shops you frequent that don't involve the words, Hot Dog On A Stick :-)

Anonymous said...

your comps are chola-licious!

Michelle said...

Appreciate you stopping by, Eric. Many thanks!

Anon (James?) - Que onda! Thanks for checking out my version of Lowrider Oldies, esse.

Dave - Rats! And here I thought you were desperate for a Nightmare Before Christmas fannypack from Hot Topic :) 1-2-3-4 GO! just moved to a newer, bigger space and there are tons of amazing neighborhood record shops popping up that are just as good, if not better, than Amoeba. Pair that with Beer Revolution and we gots ourselves the ideal inebriated outing. You're welcome here anytime, buddy!

Michael - Aw, so glad you dig! I'd like to think a new comp or two will come with the turning of the seasons as there never seems to be a shortage of fantastic tunes to share and hard earned money to spend! Thanks so much, kind sir.

Anonymous said...

I have been waiting soooo long for this. Worth waiting for for sure. thanks so much

Michelle said...

No prob, Anon! Thank YOU!

jose kortozirkuito said...

Happy spring.
When "Shining Clouds"?
Grettings

The Dark Rags said...

thanks for a great comp once again! they've been perfect companion for a long time now! cheers

Michelle said...

Ahh sweet! Thanks for the kind words! Now I'm gonna check your band out..

Nils said...

Yay! I love these! Impeccable taste.

Dan said...

Way cool! Thanks!

ms. xtro said...

i've been revisiting your wintery dark clouds v. 5 the past few days ... better than central a.c. for keeping my mind off the greenhouse temps we've been having!

ms. xtro said...

oh! and i am finally going back in time to get your first 3 - 4 dark cloud comps. esp. must hear v. 2. the only counts track i know is their killer take on "trick bag" ... so maybe they weren't just a one-trick-bag pony!

Anonymous said...

Please make more !

ms. xtro said...

i've been playing the four dark clouds mixes a ton since finding them here. so many great bands and tunes, most new to me. thank you, your mixes are a blast!

tippo said...

mediafire have binned your compilation, can you try again please
great work anyway

Michelle said...

Fixed! Thank you!

Unknown said...

A fine pot-pourri of moodies.
Faves here are Rainy Daze, Magic Mushrooms, and New Dawn.

Tracks 03 and 25 are both from 1967.

Unknown said...

You say we should support all these bands(labels)by buying their stuff.This is what i did for f*30 years!!!For 30 consecutive years i spent ALL(to the last penny)my f* money on LPS,CDS,45S,zines,etc.I ve been sick of all!!!!!Now i believe i have the inalienable right to download all this stuff from the f* net.Google,YouTube and this crap,all suck!!!Moreover, now i m f* broke.Do you know about the f* economic crisis,my dear?Here in Greece(and the rest of Europe)things are very tough.And all this happens cause of the f* politicians.F*politicians,f* banks!!!Music may be a consolation.May have been but now is not.SONGS I KNEW(as far as i can remember):3,4,18."the rain falls down",one of the f* BEST EVER HEARD in my f*life!!!!!TONY THOMPSON sang this outer limit-mind blower!!!!!ALSO LIKED:2,9,24.BEST SONGS:1,6,7.F*haunted psych-punk ballads from the frost Winter to my f* loneliness.I knew STEVE & BOARD(STEVE KIPNER was a short guy with dark hair)from the average version of "farmer John" but this here f* RULES!!!!!You could ve included on this the f* AWESOME-CLASSIC "when rain is black" by RUSTY EVANS(THE DEEP),the f* exotic(from India!!!!!)psychedelic-punk "mist" by GREAT BEAR,the f* HUGE instro-wishperin lyrics "the ocean song" by WATERMELON and DANNY PARRA lament "ode to the wind",a f* Winter sunset somewhere in Texas!!!!!TONY THOMPSON f* lied to me.These f* lyrics can not be real.See you on volume 4,Michelle!

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mroth8 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mroth8 said...

It's 2am, there's a snowstorm outside and I stumbled upon this killer comp. Perfect. I do a radio show here in Massachusetts and you've given me much to go on. Thank you! Here's an *old* episode with some similar vibes if you're interested: https://www.mixcloud.com/escapism-radio/escapism-radio-wmua-amherst-52816/
(the garage stuff starts around 25:00)
Also, I used to live in Oakland/went to high school in Berkeley! wish i was there now

obat disfungsi ereksi alami said...

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Karawanji Ughlou said...

Hi,
I once downloaded your comp an ode to winter 5 and whenever i want to listen again to the tunes i go on yt now, i just like the order you chose for the songs and keep it.
Thank you again and please can you reissue new links as the old ones are dead by now.
Thank you :)