March ’07 Mix

March 24, 2007

1) When The Lights Go Out – Rubber Factory – Black Keys

Craig Brewer’s use of the Keys’ sweaty blues to open up Black Snake Moan was the best music cue this month, although it didn’t have a lot of competition.

2) Weapon of Choice – Baby 81 – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

BRMC’s return single is one of those perfectly manufactured rockers that go from awesome to overplayed in about a month. Enjoy it while you can!

3) Phantom Mountain – Saltbreakers – Laura Veirs

I never expected Laura Veirs to bring it with big drums and fuzzy guitars, but here she is, with a wonky distorted vocal to boot.

4) I Feel It All – The Reminder – Feist

This track has a folky feel but with a driving, modern pulse. Feist hypnotically repeats a few lines over and over again before breaking out a cathartic reading of “I’ll be the one who’ll break my heart, I’ll be the one to hold the gun. I love you more…”

5) Silently – 23 – Blonde Redhead

Kazu Makino’s vocals seem more dreamy than ever over the faux-electronica backdrop here. No swirling guitar noise to be found, but it still works.

6) Listen Up! – Burn To Shine / Portland – The Gossip

This live version is a bazillion times better than the album cut. By toning down the cowbell and deepening the bass groove, the recording tones down the campiness of the original and amps up Beth Ditto’s ridiculously soulful voice.

7) Who Do You Love? – Living With the Living – Ted Leo / Pharmacists

Leo’s Stax/new wave crossbreed feels like reliving moments of Elvis Costello’s Get Happy!!!, topped off with Ted’s unabashed falsetto.

8) People as Places as People – We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank – Modest Mouse

With its spooky guitar line and creeping bass line the track reads a bit like an old Cure single, except that it’s infected with a jittery nervous energy that seems to be in almost every Modest Mouse song.

9) Gardening At Night (Different Mix) – In The Attic – R.E.M.

This song was written 20 years before R.E.M. entered the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame… and there’s still nobody that can explain it to me. In a lot of ways, it’s still the prototypical R.E.M. song, with a great rhythm section and Peter Buck’s folk arpeggios distracting everyone from the fact that Stipe’s lyrics don’t make a lot of sense but sound like genius.

10) Blood Red Blood – Voxtrot – Voxtrot

Voxtrot’s long awaited debut record is a touch of disappointment, weighing a little too heavily towards wistful wimpiness instead of deferring to its knack for musical muscularity. The earnestness of the chorus is kind of staggering, and it’s a minor miracle Ramesh gets away with it.

11) Minneapolis – Retreat from the Sun – that dog.

that dog. never put together that perfect record, but Retreat from the Sun has about 4 or 5 perfect pop tunes that stand up to just about any summer song of the early 90s. Anna Waronker’s flat line readings are filled out by some unreal backing vocals from the Haden sisters. It’s a shame it all went sour, but it’s a record I dip back into almost every month.

12) If I’m Gonna Sink (It Might As Well Be To The Bottom) – B-Sides and Rarities – Neko Case

Is it just me or is Neko Case almost a little TOO happy to hit rock bottom? This is actually off a Johnny Paycheck tribute record that I can’t quite find the name of right now. Nevertheless, shout out to the cowgirls paying attention to this.

Posted in Mixtape