by SHANE SINNOTT

Like many of you folks, I would imagine, I’ve gone through phases where a particular compilation is listened to with such restless intensity that when you look back, it more or less defines a certain period of your life. This happened to me most recently last year with my (late) discovery of Sonic Boom’s Spacelines compilation (www.sonic-boom.info/spacelines.php). Mr. Boom (or Kember, as his buddies call him) spent the second half of the ’80s creating the seminal drone-rock of Spacemen 3, before going off to form Spectrum and Experimental Audio Research. With Spacelines—and more artists should do this, it’s a great idea—he’s made a compilation of his influences and favourite songs, the majority of which were recorded in the ’60s.

The opening track, a gorgeous gospel standard by the Staples Singers called “This May Be the Last Time” is very much worth an emusic sign-up (you can get that track and others at www.emusic.com/album/10896/10896478.html, but the jerks at emusic make you sign up for a free trial before you can download ’em).

On his Web site, Sonic Boom also recommends you seek out an obscure compilation released in the ’70s called Jukebox at Eric’s Vol 1. I did just that, and you can download it at rideyourpony-twighlightzone.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html (scroll down for the link, and remember, the password is “rideyourpony”). Among other things, it contains the near-perfect head-bobber “Elevator Operator” by the Rays (also on the Spacelines comp), and a great garage/surf number from 1959 by the Playboys called “Jungle Fever.”

If you’re interested in listening to music recorded less than 40 years ago, you should visit Elbows (elbo.ws), another entry, alongside Hype Machine (hypem.com), in blog aggregation. The site keeps track of music blogs and provides a front-end (or “portal,” as Web-savvy douchebags like to say) by which you can search them for specific bands and mp3s. Its interface is easier to use than the Hype Machine’s, and it has more of a focus on independent music. It’s also much faster, which is great for those of us who, say, have to find a lot of mp3 links.

May be the last time… ssinnott@gmail.com