September ’08 Mix

September 30, 2008

1) Tall Tall Glass – O – Tilly And The Wall

Tilly and the Wall drops all the tap dancing histrionics for this simple little love letter to rock n roll. As I’ve noted before, Love Letters to Rock N Roll is my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE GENRE.

2) Pop Lie – The Stand-Ins – Okkervil River

Some more Music About Music here, from Okkervil River. I don’t buy the premise here that honesty and integrity are imperative to music, but Will Scheff tries really hard to sell it. Still, a great pop song about pop lies.

3) A New Parade – Lunglight 128 – The Shaky Hands

While the Shaky Hands don’t sound like a Who cover band, there is is a definitely that tinge of British invasion here, with a helping of some loopy modern vocals.

4) New Scissors – We Breed Champions – Royal Bangs

With their lo-fi fuzz, the Royal Bangs remind me a bit of The Russian Futurists, except they hang their poppy melodies on ragged garage rock structures. Loose, warm and even a bit dancy.

5) Halfway Home – Dear Science – TV on the Radio

Speaking of fuzzy warmth, here’s some new TVOTR.

6) Highways of Gold – Take Me To The Sea – Jaguar Love

Whoever wrote the review that said he sounded like a baby getting tortured really nailed it. Baby torture is strangely musical, by the way.

7) Another Shot Of Whiskey – Frenching the Bully – The Gits

I watched the Gits documentary last week, about the life and tragic death Mia Zapata, so they ended back on rotation. Such a great singer.

8) Night Blooming Flowers – Finest Dearest – Finest Dearest

I’m always gonna have a soft spot for loud guitars and a female vocal. Finest Dearest feels a bit stuck in post-riotgrrl, but that’s a great era.

9) Black River Killer – Furr – Blitzen Trapper

One of my absolute favorite songs this year, Blitzen Trapper’s folky murder ballad with a G-funk synth line sounds turn of the century and new millenium all at once.

10) Acid Tongue – Acid Tongue – Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis’s followup to Rabbit Fur Coat lacks her debuts emotional weight, but she can still belt it.

11) Raincoat Song – Always the Bridesmaid – The Decemberists

This Decemberist b-side actually sounds a bit like that Moldy Peaches song that you couldn’t avoid last year thanks to Juno.

12) Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle – Black Pear Tree EP – Mountain Goats and Kaki King

A sad tribute to Toad, the little mushroom dude in Super Mario Brothers that told you the bad news at the end of every level. It’s about Super Mario Bros but it’s not about Super Mario Bros, you know?

Posted in Mixtape