January ’04 Mix

January 30, 2004

1) Song for Myla Goldberg – Her Majesty - The Decemberists

I listened to this song enough that I think the next book on the reading list should be Myla Goldberg’s Bee Seasons. I hope it’s good or else I’m going to go pick a fight with Colin Meloy.

2) Ain’t It The Truth – Arkansas Heat - The Gossip

Of all the songs I heard at the Gossip show, I think this is the quintessential Gossip tune: raunchy, brash and really, really short.

3) Ambulance – Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes - TV on the Radio

TV On The Radio makes all those barbershop quartet/corner doo-wop comparisons concretely obvious on this pretty little ditty.

4) Seven Chinese Brothers – Reckoning - R.E.M.

The Decemberists played the open string run that opens this track during one of their concert segues and it reminded me to play Reckoning again. What a timeless album that turned out to be.

5) A House Is Not A Motel – The Forever Changes Concert – Love

I picked up this DVD and watched it last month, and I swear to god, I had no idea Arthur Lee was Black. I’m such an idiot.

6) Heavy Metal Drummer – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco

I was watching the Wilco doc I Am Trying to Break Your Heart and this song stuck, mostly because of that bizarre Tweedy/Bennett argument over the noisebreak intro to this song, and that little bit where Tweedy’s kid plays the drum intro with his hands.

7) Flint – Michigan – Sufjan Stevens

I think Michael Moore would love this song.

8) Honest Mistake – Other Songs – Ron Sexsmith

Ron Sexsmith is my favorite artist to fall asleep to.

9) Satisfaction – Live at the Old Waldorf – Television

What a weird song to cover for Television… it’s a pretty straight cover, with a virtually identical guitar line.

10) Vaseline – Radio One Sessions - Elastica

This popped up on the IPod random run once, and it stuck out as being so perfectly dumb. That’s tough to hit.

11) Feel Good Hit of the Summer – Rated R – Queens of the Stone Age

nicotinevaliumvicodinmarijuanaecstacyalcohol…. c-c-c-c-cocainnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Is it really a surprise that their tourbus is always getting pulled over?

12) Helpless- Copper Blue - Sugar

I remember in high school I totally fell in love with this song because I couldn’t quite understand how Mould could play with so much distortion and open chords and still get those great ringing tones.

13) Guns of Brixton - From Here to Eternity – The Clash

This version starts with the classic Bo Diddley beat before getting to one of my favorite Clash tracks.

14) Hearts of Oak – Hearts of Oak – Ted Leo / Pharmacists

I saw Ted Leo. He played this song and I went woo.

15) Track 17 – Live * Los Angeles – DJ Z-Trip

It’s Rage Against The Machine’s “Testify” tracked up to an instrumental version of “Billy Jean.” It’s fucked up and brilliant and done live on two turntables.

Category Posted in Mixtape