June ‘07 Mix

June 24, 2007

1) Mutiny, I Promise You - Challengers - The New Pornographers

Directly from AC Newman’s notes: ” I think this has the most Bacharach/Webb/Wilson in it, in terms of structure and time signature, all the added half-bars in the progression. We rocked it up quite a bit, but slowed down and with a few other changes, it could go on a 5th Dimension album. That’s hubris, I know.”

2) Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman? - B-Side - The Pipettes

Available on the “Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me” single, this song has a sticky piano line, lovely girl group antics, slight gender politics and a few sweet little shalalas for extra throwback authenticity. This was one of the better “new” songs they played when I saw them, but they were pretty much playing everything they had to fill out the set.

3) You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

Like all great Spoon tracks, this song is rhythmically addictive but they do a great job of folding in extra textures with the xylophones and the horns.

4) You’ll Never Change - Tied & True - The Detroit Cobras

The Cobras tackle this Betty Lavette song and come up with something stellar, full of swagger and heartbreak. Their knack for unearthing old tunes is a bit unnerving.

5) You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told) - Icky Thump - The White Stripes

This sounds like something Jack White may have written for Loretta Lynn and pocketed for himself. They’ve rocked it up a bit, but I still get that sassy country feel from it.

6) You Don’t Need This Song (To Fix Your Broken Heart) - Everything Last Winter - Fields

Like my favorite tracks from the National’s Boxer, the Fields record worked best for me when they layered soft melodies over those big propulsive drums.

7) You Can Make Him Like You - Live at Fingerprints - The Hold Steady

Reading John Roderick describe The Hold Steady as “a medley of the greatest hits of the E Street Band, Bad Company, Foreigner and Styx. As played by your uncle�s friends” killed me, because I said the same thing when I saw them live a few months back. I like ‘em well enough, but it’s still true.

8) Think About Me - Bridging The Distance - The Decemberists

Found on the PDX cover record, this Fleetwood Mac cover is actually really old, as evidenced by the lead vocals by Rachel Blumberg, who hasn’t been with the band for 2 records now.

9) C’mon Sea Legs - Fables - Immaculate Machine

This is kind of a weird song. It’s basically a buck-up, stick-with-it anthem, but it’s couched in this really awkward seasick metaphor. So the resulting chorus essentially says “stop puking! Things are about to get awesome!”

10) We Win (Haha) - Make History - Thunderbirds Are Now!

The Thunderbirds show was probably the emptiest one I’ve been to in a long time, with the front row comprised of the opening band seeding the audience. Still, they rocked the shit out of Spaceland, with their keyboard player doing David Lee Roth flying splits and pounding his instrument with a tambourine that he wore on his head like a crown of thorns.

11) Kiss Kiss - Is Is EP - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The Is Is EP is mostly songs written during the Fever to Tell tour, and this is the best song on it. I’m glad the YYYs are going back and recording all these tracks that have been floating around as live tracks and b-sides, but let’s get some new material already.

12) White Tooth Man - The Shepherd’s Dog - Iron & Wine

This song is almost rocking. Trust me, I was really surprised. It has drums and everything.

13) The Chinatown Bus - The Broken String - Bishop Allen

Bishop Allen uses the semi-legendary cheap ass transpo for Boston/NYC as a backdrop for a wistful daydream about love, life and loss and other weird Asian things.

14) Oh No - B-Side - Colin Meloy