Mixes Updated (Again)...

Updated the Pop Kulcher CDR Mix page again. Couple new single artist mixes. First, a tribute to the Vulgar Boatmen, a hastily-collected sampler from the 3 early/mid-90s releases from this Midwestern (sort of) jangle-pop band. VB were actually a pair of songwriters based in Indiana and Florida, who swapped and recorded songs but toured as two separate units. They (obviously) never made it big, largely due to being somewhat anachronistic (mining the same college radio jangly-guitar sound played out by early R.E.M., the Connells, Winter Hours, etc. a decade or so earlier, albeit with a bit more country twang in spots) as well as lacking much dynamic range (they pretty much alternated between mid-tempo folky pop and slower country-tinged tunes, with the former dominating this mix). Still, for those who like melodic, melancholy acoustic-ish Americana, this is certainly likeable, and even occasionally quite good.

Here's a live Vulgar Boatmen video for you:


Also added: A mix commemorating the early, psychedelic-tinged pop years of ye olde Brothers Gibb (or, as it's titled, The Mildly Psychedelic Bee Gees, 1967-1969). A somewhat guilty pleasure, mining the brief period when they walked a fine line between respectable (if typically bland) Beatles-inspired mildly psychedelic pop and sappy baroque balladry. A few legitimately great songs and a lot of entertaining if not terribly adventurous numbers. Mostly culled from the first 3 (recently reissued) albums, plus a smattering from 1969’s Odessa, their much-touted “classic” double album which, while overly orchestrated and pretentious by a long shot, established them as (almost) deserving a spot alongside some of their psychedelically-inspired British peers of the day. (After that, they briefly splintered, reuniting for a series of relatively lackluster sunshine pop albums in the early 70s before stumbling into disco glory.)

And the video...