ArchaSung.com » Alison http://www.archasung.com A nice and simple music blog for the masses. If you like Joy Division, New Order, Slowdive, Mojave 3 and other great music, then this is the blog for you. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:00:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Neil Halstead: Alison http://www.archasung.com/shoegazing/neil-halstead-alison http://www.archasung.com/shoegazing/neil-halstead-alison#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 15:00:48 +0000 Archa http://www.archasung.com/?p=477 I don’t really have much to talk lately, but I went to  the mojave 3 website and I found a gem. For all those Slowdive fans out there, Neil Halstead did a live version of “Alison” at a concert in Chicago. When Mojave 3 was on tour last time (which seems like eons ago), they played “Dagger” and I thought they played one more Slowdive song, but I can’t really remember.  Neil’s version is quite interesting and he plays it as if he just wrote the song for his latest solo album. Folksy, organic and more acoustic comes to mind. It’s not bad at all, but what can beat the original with all the typical shoegazing sounds from whatever effects pedal they were using at the time. “Alison” takes me back and will always have a place in my heart.

Here’s the original Alternate video for Slowdive’s “Alison”

P.S. I mentioned on my last post about the latest Legends album being released on May 6th. Well, I messed up again and it’s actually being released here in the U.S on June 16th. May 6th was the released date for all the other cool countries I guess.  Sorry for the confusion.

]]> http://www.archasung.com/shoegazing/neil-halstead-alison/feed 0 Archa’s Top 10 Slowdive Songs http://www.archasung.com/shoegazing/archas-top-10-slowdive-songs http://www.archasung.com/shoegazing/archas-top-10-slowdive-songs#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:18:40 +0000 Archa http://www.archasung.com/?p=117

This was probably one of the hardest posts that I have ever written. I know I only have four post, but believe me it was difficult. I decided to pick my all time top 10 Slowdive songs. Listed below, and not in any particular order, are my favs. I pretty much determine my prime cuts by nostalgia  and the all important I will never hit the skip button to this song on my ipod or cd player rationale. Yes, I took the scientific approach on this one. I also added some videos under the lists as a treat for you as well.

And as a cop out I added the honorable mention list. These songs should of been on the top 10, but the title said 10 and not 13, so I did as any other human would of done in this situation and found a work around. Here’s the list:

  • Avalyn I – From the first note you are instantly hooked. Hearing the drums come in, you know deep down this song is going to be epic. Rachel’s voice is so damn good and adds that ethereal feel you get when listening to dream pop. One of the best songs for night time driving.
  • Morningrise – Tired, drunken, maybe drugged, swirling beautiful noise that surrounds you when you listen to this classic.
  • Catch The Breeze – With a song that starts with “Feels like all the days are gone”. You know damn well that you are in for a treat. Near the end of the song, the guitars just blares in and it seems like it just washes everything away.
  • Alison – I just love this track. It feels like I’m just sinking when I listen to this song and I don’t mean in a crazy, panic, Titanic kind of way either.
  • When the Sun Hits – Probably one of the most catchiest Slowdive songs ever made.
  • Dagger – This song puts me at ease, probably because it reverts me back to the time when I started going out with my wife in college.  Going for points right there!
  • Blue Skied An’ Clear – Every time I hear this track I feel like I should be in some type of David Lynch movie and I don’t know why. The song starts off like you’re in a hazy state just wandering around hearing the these voices around you.  Then all of a sudden the chorus starts to build  up and breaks into this beautiful opera like song. I have no idea how to truly describe this track. I just know I like it. Blue Skied An’ Clear is one of the more popular songs from Slowdive’s last album Pygmalion.
  • Primal – This song will captivate you and will not let you go until you hear its chaotic ending.
  • Celia’s Dream – I only wish I had dreams that sound like this.
  • Here She Comes – Now this is a good make out song.

Honorable Mentions

  • Machine Gun – If you ever want to introduce Slowdive to someone and want to know if they like them, this is a good measuring stick. If they hate them, then just walk away and don’t look back.
  • I Believe – This song is actually off of the soundtrack that Slowdive produced and recorded for the movie I am the Elephant You are the Mouse. This song is so perfect for a movie.
  • Ballad of Sister Sue – A worthy ballad indeed. If only I had a sister named Sue…

I hope you enjoy these songs and I do have many more songs that I love from Slowdive, but I think an Archa top 50 Slowdive songs might be overkill. Yeah you’re right it’s not.

Videos

Alison

Ballad of Sister Sue

Catch the Breeze

Morningrise

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