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The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 3. INSTRUMENTALS – Playlists
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— 8 November 2023 Tom

We’re back with Season 2 Round 3 – and this round the brief was a simple one: find us all some instrumentals we haven’t heard. Note that I’ve decided to allow whistling in the instrumental category (if you want to be stricter than I was, that’s up to you, but the track is well worth hearing IMO). When you’ve had a listen, go vote in the Poll Post.

As usual we have a Spotify and YouTube playlist. The Spotify has all but the final song.

The missing track is “Ghana Postal Workers Cancelling Stamps”, a field recording. It’s the final track on the YouTube playlist:

Here’s our line up for this week!

  1. FOURPLAY STRING QUARTET – “Something Is Going Wrong”: from 2014’s This Machine.
  2. MOONLIGHT SORCERY – “The Moonlit Dance Of The Twisted Jester’s Blood-Soaked Rituals”: from 2023’s Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle.
  3. RATATAT – “Abrasive”: from 2015’s Magnifique.
  4. WIZZARD – “The Carlsberg Special”: B-Side of 1972’s “Ball Park Incident”
  5. KIBROM BIRHANE – “Mender”: From 2022’s Here And There
  6. CASINO VERSUS JAPAN – “Where To? / What For?”: From 2002’s Whole Numbers Play The Basics
  7. ASHRA – “Sunrain”: From 1977’s New Age Of Earth.
  8. BILL DOGGETT – “Sweet Slumber”: From a 1954 7″ on King Records.
  9. LAFAYETTE AFRO ROCK BAND – “I Love Music”: From 1974’s Malik.
  10. ALLEN TOUSSAINT – “Java”: From 1958’s The Wild Sound Of New Orleans.
  11. “Ghana Postal Workers Cancelling Stamps”: A 1975 field recording, included on the CDs accompanying the book Worlds Of Music: An Introduction To The Music Of The World’s Peoples

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 2.RELIGION – Results!
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— 8 November 2023 Tom

Apologies for the delay posting these and the new poll, though at least it’s given our 11 seekers after pop more time to work on the somewhat tricky Week 4 task..

Anyway, the white smoke has now issued from the Pop Vatican and I can announce the WINNER of Round 2’s Religion challenge.

In third place, SISTER WYNONA CARR took us out to the ball game! In second place, YELLOWMAN delivered some of the teachings of Jah. And the clear winner from was MARY LOU WILLIAMS, whose “Anima Christi” was the perfect combination of spirituality and awesome jazz chops. I think it’s the oldest recording so far to have won a League round – well done healingandy especially as his Round 1 pick came last! As you can see from the leaderboard this time there’s no clear front runner – Joe Kay with a double bronze has an early advantage, but all the top 8 players are within 4 points of each other.

Instrumentals will be up soon – for now, thanks again to your selectors for their handling of a tricky religious brief!

Latest comments (of 2)

actualee simpson   8 months ago

Appropriate, though!

healingandy   8 months ago

Just the most remarkable coincidence that the artist who inspired the week's theme was also the one I happened to pick. Bizarro.

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 2. RELIGION – Polls
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— 30 October 2023 Tom

This week’s League Of Tracks is the first theme to go beyond pre-existing pop polls – we are tacking RELIGION with a selection of devotional, heretical, or otherwise spiritual tunes from across the history of pop.

As usual the rules are simple.

  1. Go listen to the songs on the PLAYLIST POST
  2. Vote for up to 4 of them in the poll – but!
  3. You mustn’t vote for anything you already knew. New discoveries only!

Into the multi-denominational faith room of pop we go…

38
League Of Extraordinary Tracks S2E2: Religion!

Please pick up to FOUR of these tracks.

DO NOT PICK TRACKS YOU ALREADY KNEW!

Spotify and YouTube playlists in the playlist post.

The poll has expired!

Latest comments (of 20)

Leo Breebaart   8 months ago

Oh, you might be surprised. Care for a game of Diamondback?

Kit   8 months ago

If it helps, they didn't seek permission or offer payment...

vinnycrackers   8 months ago

I think I'm trying to find the sweet spot between NEVER WINNING and NEVER LOSING and that's my life metaphor!

Steffen Rayburn-Maarup ?   8 months ago

Oh, a rare fellow Cerebus reader! Not many of those around. […]

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 2. RELIGION – Playlists
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— 30 October 2023 Tom

For the second theme of the new season Dave chose RELIGION – go as broad as you like, he advised. Let’s see what you unholy lot came up with.

As ever, listen to the playlist and then vote in the POLL POST.

This time all but one of the tracks are on Spotify:

The final track, “All Things Bright And Beautiful” by The Goodies, is at the end of the YouTube playlist.

ORDER OF SERVICE

  1. MARY LOU WILLIAMS – “Amina Christi”: From 1964’s Mary Lou Williams
  2. FREDDIE AND THE HITCHHIKERS – “Sinners”: From a 1961 single.
  3. SISTER WYNONA CARR – “The Ball Game”: From a 1953 single.
  4. SIERRA FERRELL – “Bells Of Every Chapel”: From 2021’s Long Time Coming
  5. AMMA – “Sri Krishna Sharanam Mama”: From 2014’s Amritapuri Bhajans Vol.15
  6. YELLOWMAN – “Natty Sat Upon The Rock”: From 1982’s Mister Yellowman.
  7. ALY & AJ – “Church”: From 2019’s Sanctuary EP.
  8. BEASTIE BOYS – “Something’s Got To Give”. From 1992’s Check Your Head
  9. SPERMBIRDS – “My God Rides A Skateboard”: From 1986’s Something To Prove.
  10. GREGORIO ALLEGRI (composer) – “Miserere Mei, Deus”: From Choir Of Kings’ College’s Allegri Miserere (1984)
  11. THE GOODIES – “All Things Bright And Beautiful”: From 1973’s …Sing Songs From The Goodies

Latest comments (of 3)

koganbot   9 months ago

Great choice of theme. Damn!* Dave, you win everything. If I were playing I'd have gone into agonies over whether to choose the Staple Singers' "This Could Be The Last Time" (I had put it in the […]

vinnycrackers   9 months ago

WILD!

actualee simpson   9 months ago

Wow…the impetus for choosing “Religious Songs” was that I was listening to Mary Lou Williams’ “St. Martin De Porres” from this album and thinking about how I’d love an opportunity to nominate it for […]

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 1. NOT IN ENGLISH – Results
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— 30 October 2023 Tom

A close fought first week ends and it’s time for the RESULTS of the non-English selections. As last time, points are allocate Eurovision style (12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0), with voting ties all getting the higher score. This means a skinny gap in votes can lead to a sizeable – perhaps ultimately crucial – gap in points.

In this week’s results, for instance, we have a joint gold and a bronze. South Africa’s TSHETSHA BOYS landed in 3rd, but in joint first we have Sweden’s FAMILJEN and Japan’s CENT. Which means Steffen Rayburn-Maarup and Jel are our Week 1 joint leaders. Congratulations to them and thanks to everyone else for an extremely high quality round.

Week 2’s RELIGION picks are going up imminently, and I can announce that the Week 3 theme – chosen by this week’s last-placed contestant – is INSTRUMENTALS.

Latest comments (of 2)

j_e_l   8 months ago

It’s a long season, so joint top is fair :) I have a feeling I won’t be near the top this week, but off to a good start!

Steffen Rayburn-Maarup ?   9 months ago

Woohoo! If at the end of the League you need a photo finish, Tom, by all means give it to Jel who certainly won the commentaries this week.

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 1. NOT IN ENGLISH – Playlists
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— 18 October 2023 Tom

We’re BACK! The League Of Extraordinary Tracks returns with 11 new players and 8 new (well, maybe new) themes. As before the rules are simple. You listen to the songs picked by our players each week, and each week you vote for your 4 favourites. The catch? You can only vote for songs you didn’t already know. It’s all about discovery and hearing new things, and I hope you enjoy it!

Vote in the Poll Post once you’ve listened.

The first week theme is Not In English – and here’s the YouTube playlist:

There’s also a Spotify playlist – BUT bear in mind this doesn’t include Tracks 10 and 11 (by Deckadas and Jeans Team).

https://spotify.link/lEwDNDiTZDb (this isn’t embedding for some reason – sorry)

Your 11 tracks are:

  1. FAMILJEN – “Det Snurrar I Min Skalle”: Sweden. From Det Snurrar I Min Skalle (2007)
  2. MC SOLAAR – “Bouge De La”: France. From Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo (1991)
  3. VAUDOU GAME – “Camisole”: Togo. From NOUSSIN (2021)
  4. PRINS POLO – “París Norðursins“: Iceland. From París Norðursins (2014)
  5. TSHETSHA BOYS – “Nwampfundla”: South Africa. From the 2010 compilation Shangaan Electro.
  6. MC YALLAH & DEBMASTER – “Miniboss”: Uganda. From Yallah Beibe (2023)
  7. THE LEMONS – “Monad”. Mongolia. From III (2015)
  8. CORRY BROKKEN – “Dansvijsje”: The Netherlands. From the Eurovisie Songfestival 1963 EP (1963).
  9. CENT – “決心 (Determination)”: Japan. From PER -> CENT -> AGE (2023)
  10. DECKADAS – “Espectros”: Peru. From Espectros (1991)
  11. JEANS TEAM – “Oh Bauer”. Germany. From Musik Von Oben (2005)

Latest comments (of 2)

Steffen Rayburn-Maarup ?   9 months ago

And I actually considered Dansevise as my nomination.

rabbitfun   9 months ago

Hi there, yes, I'll be the first to comment here, and also hopefully the last to correct: Corry Brokken's song is titled "Danswijsje", with a w instead of a v. A half-expected mistake, I guess, […]

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