Cassettes For All-Hours

Exactly a week ago, and three hours from now, I was entering my school's library. Little did I know -- or hadn't I planned it? -- I wouldn't leave for another fifteen hours.

Do any other schools do this? Set up a 24/5 library program during the last few weeks of school, I mean? They should. It saved me, in a way -- or, if it didn't, and I was totally distracted anyway (which I was), at least I got to experience my first three all-nighters (I'm a real live college student now!), and at least I got to experience going wayyy over my prescribed dosage of Adderall for a few days straight. But that's three all-nighters, and the first two are their own stories. And they lack a musical context from which to draw inspiration for posting. Regrettably, they also happen to be about the more drug-induced all-nighters. Sorry.

So this one is about the third all-nighter, and it involves me, staying in front of the same computer from 12:30AM to 4:30PM, with a brief half-hour break at some point between 5AM and 6AM to eat a Clif Bar and some Fruit & Nut mix. And some bathroom breaks, duh.

Here's the part where I throw this whole "theme" away and just say, okay, when I was listening to the following albums, I didn't "study" very much. I was barely productive or lucid at all -- or maybe I was, and that's why I remember listening to them? And if I was barely productive, why do I remember them helping me finish that essay? Had I only become more productive after I started listening to The Disintegration Loops? Am I losing my mind and writing more about the things that this post isn't about than what it is about?

Yes.


Death Chants - Ether Works, Vol. 1 & 2
Four songs over the span of an hour, originally released in 2006 separately on two cassette tapes. I had forgotten about this for a while, which was easy because it lands right after Death Cab For Cutie and right before Death From Above 1979 in iTunes. Pretty unfortunate, because this is probably one of my favorite psych/drone/folk releases ever. Reminds me of John Fahey, Grouper, and hell, a lot of shit from the same labels as the two releases below.


Peaking Lights - Imaginary Falcons
Another release I inexplicably forgot -- at least this one's from 2009. Somehow, I had "Silver Tongues, Soft Whispers" stuck in my head for weeks, and didn't figure out who it was until December rolled around. Worth getting just for that track.


Koi Pond - Volcano
How did I not realize the theme of "inexplicably forgotten" until I started writing these descriptions? Whatever. This one is ridiculously better than I remember it being, but it is best suited for late-night listening. Putting it on in daylight will only confuse you. Reminds me of Tortoise's first album except it's mostly post-apocalyptic in an Epitaph One kinda way. All underground and brain-scrambling. Mmm.