We are two month into these mixes and they're still as hodgepodge as ever. Number Eight makes a distinct left turn at the end but I like it. And really, these mixes are about pleasing me first. Cover art photo taken by my friend Don -- not sure whether he meant for the eight toes poking through the shoes was meant to signifiy the mix number or not but I'd like to think so. There are still two mixes left after this so if you want to do art for one of them, drop a line and let me know.
Tracklist:
1. Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up
2. Sondre Lerche - Airport Taxi Reception
3. Stephen Malkmus - Phantasies
4. Syd Barrett - Octopus
5. The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next to Me
6. The Auteurs - Showgirl
7. BOAT - 200 Days, 59 Ways
8. The 1900s - Two Ways
9. Marty Robbins - El Paso
10. Pete & the Pirates - She Doesn't Belong to me
11. The Bats - Round and Down
12. Violens - Already Over
13. The Research - Lonely Hearts Still Beat the Same
14. Love - The Daily Planet
15. The Balancing Act - Red Umbrella
16. King of Luxembourg - Valleri
17. Little Frankie - Happy, That's Me
18. Lee Hazelwood and Nina Lizell - Hey Cowboy
19. The Trucks - Old Bikes
20. Donald Fagen - New Frontier
As I've said before, I actually mix these songs together (though
they're separate tracks) so the songs segue together. So set controls
to "gapless" or whatever it's called on the player you use. No shuffle
or you'll hurt my feelings!
And liner notes after the jump:
1. Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up | Opening track on the classic Nilsson Schmilsson, Harry could do no wrong around this time and I just love the way this song builds. When the horns come in halfway though... so good.
2. Sondre Lerche - Airport Taxi Reception | Talented Norwegian now living here in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Sondre released two albums last year and this is from the better of the two, Phantom Punch. (The other was the soundtrack to Dan in Real Life.) Great album, one of 2006's underappreciated gems.
3. Stephen Malkmus - Phantasies | From his first solo album which is still my favorite. There was a sense of fun to it that was lacking from Terror Twilight. He's still having fun these days, but most of that fun comes in the form of jamming. Which has it's place but these are tight little pop songs.
4. Syd Barrett - Octopus | I know Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a classic and all, but I prefer super-focused (and acoustic) Syd like Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne" or this.
5. The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next to Me | After the initial hubub about Alex Turner's side project with the guy from that band you've never listened to, it seems Last Shadow Puppets went and quickly as they came. But it's a really good album, worth a re-listen, even if it is just a pastiche of Scott Walker and Love.
6. The Auteurs - Showgirl | Opening track from The Auteurs' debut album, maybe the least venomous Luke Haines has ever been.
7. BOAT - 200 Days, 59 Ways | These funny Seattle-ites rarely leave the West Coast, but they're on a East Coast jaunt as we speak. This is from their latest album, Let's Drag Our Feet, which is highly recommended.
8. The 1900s - Two Ways | A bit of a VU jam here from one of Chicago's best bands. From the album, Cold & Kind.
9. Marty Robbins - El Paso | King of the cowboy ballads, this is arguably my favorite Marty Robbins song. The harmonies will get you every time.
10. Pete & the Pirates - She Doesn't Belong to Me | From their album Little Death, one of my favorites of the year so far. Londoners, but they sound like they should be from New Zeazland to my ears. Which leads to...
11. The Bats - Round and Down | A classic from one of Flying Nun's best bands, found on the album Daddy's Highway. The Bats are still going, by the way. And you should check out guitarist Kaye Woodward's side project, Minisnap, too.
12. Violens - Already Over | Some (all?) of the guys who used to be in Lansing-Drieden, but Violens are more of a band and less of an art project. Anxious to hear more than the 3-song EP they've got out now.
13. The Research - Lonely Hearts Still Beat the Same | Criminally underheard band from Wakefield, UK (also home of the Cribs) and this is from their 2006 debut, Breaking Up. The Research almost did break up while making their second album, which they reportedly recorded three times, being dropped by EMI in the process. Third time's the charm, right?
14. Love - The Daily Planet | Been trying to work Love into a mix since I started doing Summer Fridays bet haven't quite found the right fit. One of my favorites from Forever Changes.
15. The Balancing Act - Red Umbrella | Neo-folkies from L.A. whose first two releases were pretty special. I listened to Three Squares and a Roof, which this is from, a lot my freshman year of college and I find I come back to it a lot over the years. A true lost classic in my opinion.
16. King of Luxembourg - Valleri | Foppish pseudonym for Simon Fisher Turner as cooked up by El Records honcho Mike Alway. Turner's had a long, crazy career that I wouldn't even try to sum up in two sentences. This track was originally recorded by The Monkees.
17. Little Frankie - Happy, That's Me | One Kiss Leads to Another: Girl Groups Lost and Found is an endless well for great, obscure pop songs from the '60s and I think I've put a song from it on almost every mix. Here is another.
18. Lee Hazelwood and Nina Lizell - Hey Cowboy | From Lee's album Cowboy in Sweden, one of his weirder records (and that's saying a lot) and was also a TV special though only in Sweden I think. It's on YouTube of course.
19. The Trucks - Old Bikes | Current girl group from Seattle who I don't know a lot about apart from they are fun live and I like this song a lot. Coincidentally it segues perfectly into...
20. Donald Fagen - New Frontier | "She loves to limbo, that much is clear." I love this song and had to put it in somewhere eventually so here it is. They used to show the still-great video for this repeatedly on HBO Video Jukebox when I was a MTV-less kid. (Seriously, watch the video right now while this mix is downloading.) Also, The Nightfly, was the go-to album at electronics stores to show off the perfect sound of Compact Discs in the '80s. Still sounds good today.
I *love* New Frontier and haven't thought about it in years. Nice closer!
Posted by: Don | Friday, August 15, 2008 at 07:48 PM
Nice mixes, Bill! Some of this reminds me of the old Foxfire tapes we used to make back in the day. Especially when you throw in a Balancing Act song.
Posted by: Eric H | Monday, August 18, 2008 at 01:00 PM
excellent cover art! snippy dog, black nail polish, glittery mules.... totally summer, totally new condosburg.
Posted by: kate | Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 01:28 PM