Since its launch in 2001 (under its original name Another Late Night), U.K. compilation series
Late Night Tales has served up an intriguing array of excellent records curated by artists like
Four Tet,
the Flaming Lips, and
Air. By allowing musicians to become tastemakers, the
Late Night collections tend to take a lot of surprising twists and turns as the artists reveal many of their personal influences. Getting their turn at the decks are London-based indie quartet
Django Django. Listening to their Mercury Prize-nominated 2012 debut album, it's apparent they came to their unique folktronica sound via extensive record collections of their own. The inclusion of tracks like
the Millennium's "To Claudia on Thursday" and
the Beach Boys' classic "Surf's Up" mirror
Django's own affection for artfully arranged pop with richly layered harmonies. Experimental electronic fare like TNGHT's "Bugg'n" or
Roy Davis, Jr.'s house classic "Gabrielle" also each reflect a part of the band's aesthetic. The inclusion of outliers like
Leo Kottke and
Philip Glass also add a glimpse of where they're coming from, as does the slightly progressive "Sweet Green Fields" from '70s soft rockers
Seals & Crofts. Following the
Late Night Tales format,
Django Django also get to record a cover song of their own and they've whipped up a truly magical rendition of
the Monkees'
Head theme "Porpoise Song." As with the previous several
Late Night releases, this one also concludes with actor Benedict Cumberbatch reading from the Simon Cleary poem "Flat of Angles." ~ Timothy Monger