August 22, 2008

New Old Portastatic - "Some Small History"

thubmnail icon: New Old Portastatic - "Some Small History"

Superchunk founder/Merge founder/Portastatic founder/book blogger/presidential hopeful Mac McCaughan is a man containing multitudes. If the aforementioned modifiers weren't enough to make you wonder what you've done with your life, brace yourself for Some Small History, a forthcoming comp of covers and Portastatic rarities from 1990 through last year, available on his little label. Including takes on tunes from Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Mag Fields, and Galaxie 500, the comp features 44 tracks over two discs culled from sessions in various studios and bedrooms. The highly recommended, ultra melodic track that gives the release its name is where you can start. "Small" history my arse.

Portastatic - "Some Small History" (MP3)

So very good. "Some can throw a switch and they can sell you some half truths / So lie and tell me you miss me." Nobody would be lying if they told you that, Mac. Some Small History is out 9/9 via Merge. Here's a full tracklist:

DISC ONE
01 "Starter"
02 "Sandals With White Socks"
03 "Oh My Sweet Carolina" (Ryan Adams)
04 "Lousy Penpal"**
05 "A Cunning Latch" (acoustic) **
06 "Teenage Kicks" (The Undertones)
07 "Too Trashed to Smoke" **
08 "Skinny Glasses Girl"
09 "Trajectory"
10 "Power Supply"
11 "Josephine" (The Magnetic Fields)
12 "Race You Home"
13 "Make You Up" **
14 "Your Own Cloud"
15 "Love Breaks Down" (Prefab Sprout) **
16 "Portraits from Before the War"
17 "Soft Fruit"
18 "Easily Aroused"
19 "Guessing"
20 "Little Fern"
21 "All I Need Is You" (Sandy Denny & the Strawbs)
22 "You Love to Fail" (The Magnetic Fields)

DISC TWO
01 "Some Small History"
02 "San Andreas Crouch"
03 "Not The Same"
04 "Boy from School" (Hot Chip)
05 "Spying On The Spys"
06 "Too Close To The Screen"
07 "Weighted Raft"
08 "Dragging A Crow"
09 "Gray Robins"
10 "I Wanna Know Girls" (acoustic demo)
11 "Feel Better"
12 "Useless Switch"
13 "Had" (full band) **
14 "Secret Session"
15 "Tugboat" (Galaxie 500)
16 "Codes, Runes, Dunes"
17 "Candy Cigarettes"
18 "Firefly" (American Music Club)
19 "La Pelicula"
20 "Look, Honey, Peaches"
21 "Replacement Parts" **
22 "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (Bob Dylan)
** previously unreleased