November ’05 Mix

November 26, 2005

1) Kevin Is Gay – Hearts And Unicorns – Giant Drag

Giant Drag’s Annie Hardy can be quite childish, from the schoolyard taunt of the title to her drummer to the goofing off at the end of the track.

2) Red Receiver – The Repulsion Box – Sons and Daughters

It sounds like Nick Cave singing a Violent Femmes song for a little bit. Oh, did I mention handclaps?

3) Sons of Cain – B-Sides and Rarities – Ted Leo / Pharmacists

New Ted Leo, is a mix of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and some ska dub breakdowns in the bridge. Typical Leo, but if feels like it’s missing just a little something to really blow the doors off. Recorded live.

4) City Pavement – Young For Eternity - Subways

Pip pip, we’re the British Von Bondies. Cor!

5) Walking With A Ghost – B-Sides and Rarities – The White Stripes

The Stripes covered Tegan and Sara by fucking up the entire song. Love it.

6) Grown So Ugly – Black Keys Live – Black Keys

This Robert Pete Williams cover just rips live… it’s so damn unruly! Yoinked from the live DVD that came out recently.

7) Biology – Chemistry – Girls Aloud

I swear UK pop is miles ahead of us. This starts off like Karen O and ends like a disco remix of an 80′s sitcom theme.

8) Inside And Out – Let It Die – Feist

I was never that big of a Broken Social Scene fan, but BSS never did Bee-Gees covers.

9) The Power Is On – Thunder Lightning Strike – The Go! Team

This popped up on random, and it’s hilarious. Imagine “Bring it On” as a 70s cop show, and this would be the theme song.

10) Silver Lining – The Coast Is Never Clear – Beulah

Their recent DVD release reminded me how much I miss Beulah. “Silver Lining’s” love letter to punk rock is strangely unpunk, but so catchy.

11) Could We – The Greatest – Cat Power

Chan Marshall’s newest material has her reinvented as a blue-eyed soul singer, complete Memphis session players from both Hi and Stax Records. It’s an odd fit, but it’s lovely nonetheless.

12) Handle with Care – Rabbit Furcoat – Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

twisted credit time: the Jenny Lewis “solo” record includes a credit with the Watson Twins, but this track is a Traveling Wilburys cover, with Ben Gibbard (Deathcab), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) filling in for Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan. Got all that?

13) Toxic – B-Sides and Rarities – The Chapin Sisters

Just like there was a rash of “Baby, One More Time” covers, there’s quite a few covers for “Toxic.” Both the Local H and Nickel Creek versions are campy fun, but the Chapin Sisters strip out that hypnotic violin line and play it some sort of folky murder ballad. I love the way the vocals swoon, as if they were on the verge of passing out on every line.

14) Streets Of Fire – New Pornographers – Twin Cinema

This must be what it’s like when the New Pornographers go camping and sit around a fire and sing. It’s better than “Kumbaya”, no? The harmonies are absolutely killer.

Posted in Mixtape