Evan LeVine

Do You Believe? Here I Go Compiling A Mix Tape Again

New on Substack, a mix tape for paid subscribers only.

What do Tori Amos, Afghan Whigs, The Cardigans, and Thou have in common?

Subscribe to find out.

Every bit of press this receives makes me happy and sad in equal measure.

And, also, shout out to baseball. Some of my favorite arguments with Steve were about dumb baseball minutiae. Mounting side bets that were never collected. Declarative statements of crap or not crap. It really is the best.

YouTube video by Abaton Book Company Marissa Nadler: Tonic, October 28, 2005

ON THIS DATE twenty years ago: I was at Tonic in NYC (RIP) seeing this incredible lineup:

@marissanadler.bsky.social: youtu.be/04HFY1_-ndY?...

Paul Flaherty/Chris Corsano duo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypsk...

Jackie-O Motherfucker: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_sQ... (date in title is wrong)

Vitriol Crusts by Cavendish Sanguine on Apple Music Album · 2001 · 8 Songs

From list #119: Cavendish Sanguine - Vitriol Crusts

How could I ignore this review: "...swarming buzzing & muted electronic skree...warm waves of fuzzy hum...stuttering hiccuping samples beating against each other...underwater drum-roll-drone...dark and dreamy (but still creepy) ambience. So good."

YouTube video by heavyintodreaming [2000] D. Haines - Emo (FULL ALBUM)

From AQ mail order list #117: D. Haines - Emo

"Throughout the album, Haines weaves sublime slashes of digital squiggles between laptop-tricked-out drones probably originating from accordions & orchestral warm-ups...a fantastic dreamy album."

RIYL Jasper TX, Machinefabriek, Troum, Celer, etc

New post on Substack: In which I drag my wife across Venice, Italy in search of memorable locations from my all-time favorite film.

Yes, I know I am an insane person.

swanfungus.substack.com/p/pass-the-w...

La Prochaine Fois by Neotropic on Apple Music Album · 2001 · 13 Songs

No idea how Neotropic evaded me until now (esp. with the Low connection) but AQ List #115 hipped me to it.

"...A really abstract, non-linear collection of sounds & sort-of-songs; flutes, field recordings of children playing, organs, gently strummed guitars, chopped up sambas, processed vocals..."

Cercando Un Nuovo Confine (Parte Seconda) Or: How I Spent My Italian Vacation (Part 2)

New Substack post for all subscribers. The conclusion of my recent trip to Italy. Lots more food, lots less information. Why? Because I have one more story to tell about my stay in Venice, hopefully next week. Stay tuned...

Cercando Un Nuovo Confine Or: How I Spent My Italian Vacation (Part 1)

New Substack post for free and paid subscribers! The first installment in a two or three part series on my recent trip to Italy. The sights. The food. The...sheer quantity of food.

Follow along here:

Seeing them live on the '98 US tour kept me from caring at all about these reunion gigs.

Miasto Nie Spało - "Pieśni Żałobne I-VII" - YouTube Miasto Nie Spało - "Pieśni Żałobne I-VII", Obuh, 2000 Piotr Rhys - kontrabas/double bass Krzysztof Pawłowski - wiolonczela/cello Marek Turło - akordeon/accor...

Also from List 109: Miasto Nie Spało - "Pieśni Żałobne I-VII"

Polish chamber music trio. Their minimal Arvo Pärt-inspired threnodies are played on double bass, cello, and accordion. The group's name means "The City Didn't Sleep." On OBUH Records.

Open Close Open (2024 Remaster) - EP by Robert Lippok on Apple Music Album · 2001 · 4 Songs

List 109: Robert Lippok - "Open Close Open"

"At first, a few micro-second laptop samples...But then things find their way outside of that crystalline synthesis -- a gaggle of ducks quacking, door slams, Mahler. The effect is sheer yet textured, very lovely, fans of Oval will be pleased."

YouTube video by oscil_8 Douglas Quin - Weddell Seals (Underwater)

MORE! MORE!!!!!!!!!

Bałtyckie szepty, by Anna Nacher, Marek Styczyński 10 track album

Slightly further down list 107 is "Baltyckie Szepty" which aQ describes as, "Recordings of seals swimming in the Baltic Sea augmented with instruments & electronics...an aquatic musical document of bathing, breathing creatures & drifting, gorgeous, sometimes sinister, shimmering soundscapes."

Tristes Tropiques, by Ashtray Navigations 8 track album

List 107 introduced me to Ashtray Navigations, who has released gobs of music since 2001's "Tristes Tropiques," all of which is on Bandcamp. Says aQ:

"...gorgeous, hazy ambience from this UK mystery man. Droning & buzzing & humming with tinges of middle eastern flavor and NNCK style free chaos."

La Mente Vola And Soon Too, Will I...

New mix tape for paid subscribers on Substack: Grooving on some of my favorite Italian prog.

(Alphataurus is not included, but the album art felt right)

Was lucky enough to see Pat play these songs a ton at Tonic in NYC (RIP), then once or twice on harp (!) opening for Slint. He's a brilliant songwriter and musician, and I'm so happy to see this expanded reissue. A must-buy!

Oh we're really doing this.

I call this one "Guys From My Fantasy Baseball Past: The College Years"

(the messages function on my bsky account is broken both on the app and website, shoot me an email so I can see what you had to say)

Shut up and take my money

Glass Music by Angus MacLaurin on Apple Music Album · 2000 · 9 Songs

Oh, this one is pretty solid too. From aQ List number 105.

"...recording finely-tuned glasses (wine glasses) onto five different reel-to-reel machines, and then carefully splicing and mixing the tapes. A bit of theremin, kalimba and bass is added on two of the tracks as well."

YouTube video by k1d Brian and Chris - Vectors (2000)

Today's discovery comes from aQ mail-order list number 104. Brian And Chris' VECTORS (via Megalon Records)

"If Jim O'Rourke wasn't so afflicted with attention deficit disorder, if Boards of Canada weren't so s-l-o-w in making new records, if the Champs weren't on tour all the time..."

Same issue that eventually cut short Matt Harvey’s career.

Same issue that eventually cut short Matt Harvey’s career.

Can We Camp At Your Feet A Look Back At A Mixtape To Look Forward To

Today on Substack for paid subscribers only. August's monthly mix tape looks back at -- and forward to -- camping!

(it's slightly more interesting than it seems)

This is the worst possible news for us Mets fans who bleed orange (…and blue).

YouTube video by thisisaproxychannel Empress - Empress (2000) Self-Titled LP

Today's discovery -- from aQ list 102 -- is the self-titled Empress album released by Geographic in 2000.

"A bit like Movietone...but Empress replace the murk with a glowing diffused warmth and clarity, the equivalent of those little glowing orbs on a camera lens when it's pointed at the sun."

This is NOT the Fleetwood Mac reunion tour I assumed it was from a quick glance at the photo.

Does the Soto bobblehead do anything other than ground out to the second baseman?

Sincerely,
dejected Mets lifer.

Forgetting You Is Like Breathing Water Are Those Who Erase The Past Better Off?

Hey, maybe you remember my old website swanfungus.com ? I was thinking about deleting it. All 18+ years worth of blog archives. You can read more about it and share your thoughts on my Substack, should you feel inclined.