December ’06 Mix

December 30, 2006

1) Victory – Peel Sessions – PJ Harvey

Listening to the Peel Sessions has been total flashback city, particularly the songs from that first album. Victory hits another gear during that “COME ON BOYS” line.

2) Into The Open – All This Time – Heartless Bastards

The cute little piano line is just a decoy for the big swirling mess of guitars to come later.

3) Hunting for Witches – Weekend in the City – Bloc Party

Bloc Party’s foray into electronic blips and beeps is one of the best tracks on the record. Bloc Party’s never rocked my world, so maybe going dance may be a better tactic.

4) Scenic World – The Gulag Orkestar – Beirut

This song is whiny but beautiful, particularly the harmonies in the second verse.

5) She Can Do What She Wants – Tones of Town – Field Music

It sounds a lot like that Essex Green song I used earlier in the year, simultaneously twee and bouncy. Great opening bassline.

6) Sunndal Song – New Magnetic Wonder – Apples in Stereo

Hilarie Sidney takes lead on vocal and turns in a sweetly childlike performance alongside some kickass vocoder tricks. Suck it, Frampton.

7) Mixtape=Love – The Heat Can Melt Your Brain – Viva Voce

The title says it all.

8) Split Needles – Wincing the Night Away – The Shins

The Shins have this weird quiet greatness to them. I’m never really blown away by them, but then a little melody here or a guitar line there will sneak up on me and I’ll get suckered in again.

9) Sea of Love – Orphans – Tom Waits

Tom Waits converts the classic song to a junkyard ditty, and it creaks with a new pain and longing.

10) Pillar of Salt – The Body, the Blood, the Machine – The Thermals

We don’t want to die /Or apologize / For our dirty god / Our dirty bodies

11) Bridge to Canada – What’s The Time Mr Wolf? – The Noisettes

An unfortunate name for a band, but a great name for a song. Even better than Erase Errata’s song about Canada.

12) Plenty for All – Thunder Down Under – Hot Snakes

This live radio show from Australia’s JJJ is a great epilogue to the Hot Snakes career.

13) Stuck Between Stations – Boys and Girls in America – The HoldSteady

The biggest compliment I can give Stuck Between Stations is that the intro sounds absolutely stolen from a Bruce Springsteen track. I don’t think it is though. Maybe.

14) Dreams – Live – The New Pornographers