Sound Bites

Summer Fridays #10

That's all she wrote. Labor Day weekend is upon us and another summer has sped by at an alarming rate. Where did it go? To close out this little series is... a double album! The idea, in my mind at least, was that Disc One is August and Disc Two is September. Artwork for the first "disc" is by frequent contributor Kate; the second was appropriated from my friend Don's Flickr page. As I'd like to get started with the long weekend, I'm going to be lazy and not do liner notes for these so check back for that next week. Hope you've enjoyed these. They're fun to make, at least.

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS DISC 1

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS DISC 2


Tracklist:

DISC 1: AUGUST

1.     TV on the Radio - Golden Age   
2.     School of Seven Bells - Connjur   
3.     Violens - Trance-Like Turn   
4.     The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song
5.     The Slickers - Johnny Too Bad
6.     The Flaming Lips - Slow Motion
7.     Jacques Dutronc - On nous Cache Tout, On Nous Dit Rien
8.     Klark Kent - Don't Care
9.     Super Furry Animals - Northern Lites   
10.    Jeremy Warmsley - How We Became
11.    Sam Champion - Dead Moon   
12.    Animals That Swim - Madame Yevonde
13.    New Order - Way of Life
14.    The Aluminum Group - A Boy in Love
15.    Orange Juice - I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive
16.    American Analog Set - The Kindness of Strangers   
17.    The Shortwave Set - Better than Bad


DISC 2: SEPTEMBER

1.     Small Factory - A Suggestion
2.     Minisnap - New Broom
3.     The Turtles - Elenore
4.     T-Rex - Mambo Sun
5.     Grandaddy - Hewlet's Daughter
6.     Claudine Longet - Nothing to Lose
7.     The Dø - At Last
8.     Fats Waller - My Very Good Friend the Milkman
9.     Dudley Moore and Peter Cook - Bedazzled
10.    Revolving Paint Dream - In the Afternoon
11.    The High Llamas - The Hot Revivalist
12.    Al Green - Call Me
13.    Arthur & Yu - There are Too Many Birds
14.    Acetone - I Don't Really Care
15.    Lack of Afro - For You
16.    The Shangri-Las - Out in the Streets
17.    Echo & the Bunnymen - My Kingdom
18.    The Velvet Underground - Rock n' Roll
19.    Aberfeldy - Summer's Gone 

As you should know by now, though they're separate tracks, the songs segue together -- so set controls to "gapless" or whatever it's called on the player you use. No shuffle!

Summer Fridays #9

When I finished this one I thought it was the weirdest, most disjointed yet with obscure synthpop, Northern Soul, reggae, '90s indie rock, new Fugiya & Miyagi and one of the weirdest records of the year. (Wild Beasts.) It's also got my first-ever attempt at ripping vinyl -- The Gist's "This is Love" -- which I've also included here as a separate download because I figured somebody might want it on it's own and it's never been released on CD (or digitally). But after walking around with it on headphones, I declare it a success. Hope you like it. We've got a week left of Summer as we celebrate it, so make the most of it. Cover art this time is by Kate (by way of Jim Davis, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein), who you may remember also did #4.

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS #9

Here's the tracklist:

1.  The Passions - I'm in Love with a German Filmstar
2.  Henry Badowski - Henry's in Love
3.  Fat Truckers - I Love Computers
4.  Franz Ferdinand - All for You, Sophia
5.  N.F. Porter - Keep on Keepin' On
6.  Phoenix - Everything is Everything
7.  The Be Be See - You K Gold
8.  The Dambuilders - Shrine
9.  The Cardigans - Fine
10. Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
11. The Boo Radleys - Lazarus
12. Wild Beasts - Devil's Crayon
13. Nazz - Open My Eyes
14. Ultra Vivid Scene - Staring at the Sun
15. The Gist - This is Love (downoad the MP3)
16. George A Penny - Win Your Love for Me
17. Dan Solo - You Make That Sound
18. That Petrol Emotion - It's a Good Thing
19. Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker

As always, 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!

Liner notes after the jump...

Summer Fridays #8

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.

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS #8

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:

Summer Fridays #7

Here we go again... lucky number seven. Wasn't aiming for a theme this week, though there's certainly a epic sweep to a lot of them. Cover art this time provided by my good friend Erinn, once again saving you from having to look at one of my creations. Three more Summer Fridays (in the Office sense of the term, six more if you're going seasonally) to go and still a couple open slots for any creative types out there who'd like to contribute graphics to an upcoming one. Also a lot of strings this time.

Download Summer Fridays #07

Tracklist:
1.    Cocoanut Groove - The End of Summer On Bookbinder Road   
2.    Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Con   
3.    Scott Walker - The Old Man's Back Again   
4.    Chairlift - Evident Utensil
5.    David Byrne & Brian Eno - Strange Overtones
6.    The Buggles - I Love You Miss Robot
7.    Larry Jon Wilson - Sheldon Churchyard
8.    The Week That Was - The Airport Line
9.    Can - Vitamin C   
10.    Clor - Dangerzone
11.    Tomorrowpeople - Youth in Orbit   
12.    Frank Pourcel - Francis Francis
13.    Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance with You
14.    Jape - I Was a Man
15.    Blancmange - Living on the Ceiling
16.    The Bridal Shop - From Seas

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!

I also wrote liner notes for this one, which I shoulda done on the last six:

1.    Cocoanut Groove - The End of Summer On Bookbinder Road
We're not quite to the end of summer but I didn't want to wait any longer to use this fabulous song. Mysterious Swede who makes enticing singles. Full-length due anytime now.

2.    Serge Gainsbourg - Requiem Pour Un Con   
Fulfilling the requisite French quotient on Mix #7, and one of Serge's greatest sounding songs. Those bongos are out of this world. I always think of Stereolab's "Metronomic Underground" when I hear this.

3.    Scott Walker - The Old Man's Back Again   
Recluse and oft-cited as an influence (Most recently the Last Shadow Puppets) Scott Walker's records can be a bit of an acquired taste. But this track, from the landmark Scott 4, is pretty easy to digest. Dig that groovy bass-line!

4.    Chairlift - Evident Utensil
I'm not convinced of their live show but these NYC oddballs are much more palatable on record. Very '80s but very good.

5.    David Byrne & Brian Eno - Strange Overtones
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Pt. 2 this is not. Which is fine because, serious, how awesome is this song? It's greatness sort of sneaks up on you, and when it does you're already dancing. Cannot wait to hear the rest of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

6.    The Buggles - I Love You Miss Robot
The Buggles had more than just "Video Killed the Radio Star," and this is the a somewhat undiscovered gem off The Age of Plastic. Sounds very modern to me still.

7.    Larry Jon Wilson - Sheldon Churchyard
You can get this on a compilation called Country Got Soul and this track certainly does. You'll wanna hear more after this... but sadly almost all of LJW's classic '70s catalog is out of print.

8.    The Week That Was - The Airport Line
I'm coming of the opinion that The Week That Was' debut is the best Field Music-related record yet, with a Big 80s vibe without cheese, and amazing songs. One of the albums of the year.

9.    Can - Vitamin C   
Krautrock legends at their most accessible -- 1972's Ege Bamyasi which has been sampled a lot...thanks to the amazing Jaki Liebezeit's amazing drumwork (among other things).

10.    Clor - Dangerzone
Criminally-ignored UK group whose sole album will be ripe for rediscovery sometime soon. In the meantime pick it up super-cheap. This wasn't a single but shoulda been.

11.    Tomorrowpeople - Youth in Orbit
The Dallas band that shoulda woulda coulda if it wasn't for dumb Major Label problems. From the album they recorded for Geffen in 1999 that never saw the light of day...till now.

12.    Franck Pourcel - Francis Francis
I know absolutely nothing about this track other than its inclusion on the second Sound Gallery compilation, which collected a bunch of posh '60s instrumental music originally recorded for TV and commericals. And endless supply of groovy transitions.

13.    Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance with You
Orland Oye is kind of a genius and I anxiously await his next thing, be it more from KoC, The Whitest Boy Alive, or something new. Until then, there's this. You've seen the video for this, right?

14.    Jape - I Was a Man
I love the couplet, "I popped my cherry to 'November Rain'/I think she liked it but don't think she came." Thanks to Nialler9 for turning me on to this one.

15.    Blancmange - Living on the Ceiling
From the '80s when there was no such thing as "too melodramatic vocals." Surely Blancmange were the best '80s synthpop group to ever name themselves after Monty Python sketch.

16.    The Bridal Shop - From Seas
Mysterious dreampop-meets-Italodisco from some enigmatic Swedes. And by "enigmatic" I mean "I don't know anything about them and am too lazy to research but this song is good." (Anyway, Swedes tend to be either mysterious [The Knife] or totally in-your-face [The Hives] so it's a safe bet they're the former.) Also the latest signings to Magic Marker Records. And this song concludes in a way that says "The End." But only till next Friday.

Summer Fridays #6

Tomatoes and corn and longer shadows. That's August to me. Here's #6 in this Summer series. Forgetting to bug any of my more artistic friends to make cover art, I did this one myself... and it shows. But musically, this one turned out pretty good. Have a good weekend.

DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS #6

Here's the track list:

1. The Kinks - Party Line   
2. Envelopes - I'd Like 2 C U   
3. The Wedding Present - California
4. The Answering Machine - Silent Hotels
5. The House of Love - Sulfur
6. The Chills - Heavenly Pop Hit
7. Vivian Girls - Where do You Run to?   
8. Felt - Ballad of the Band
9. The Format - She Doesn't Get It
10. The Banana Splits - I Enjoy Being a Boy (in Love with You)
11. The Fall - Shoulder Pads
12. Of Montreal - Forcast Facist Future
13. Komeda - Victory Lane
14. Luv'd Ones - Up Down Sue
15. The Pastels - Comin' Through
16. Let's Active - Every Word Means No   
17. Pale Saints - Insubstantial
18. YellowFever - Cats and Rats
19. Fanfarlo - You Are One of the Few Outsiders That Understand Us
20. The High Llamas - Apricots

As always: This in an actual mix, the songs segue together despite being separate tracks... so no shuffle, please! This mix will be available for one week only. If you'd like to contribute cover art to a future mix (please?), drop me a line.

Summer Fridays #5

My vague idea for this week's Summer Fridays mix was that I wanted it to rock. Which is why it includes 10cc, the most rocking band ever. Well this is my idea of rocking, anyway. It's also fairly cheesy (Mud's "Hypnosis" is pretty indefensible) but these are all fun "turn it up dude" songs... all of which I genuinely like. No irony here. Cover art and concept this time comes from my friend Kelly who has already left the office today to start her Summer Friday (though I bet she's still in line at Shake Shack). Enjoy.

Download Summer Fridays #5

1. Sloan - She Says What She Means   
2. The Wannadies - Sweet Nymphet
3. Mud - Hypnosis
4. The Bees - Horsemen   
5. 10cc - Rubber Bullets
6. The Ark - Rock City Wankers
7. The Damned - Billy Bad Breaks
8. Oranger - Wolfy
9. Cheeseburger - Derby Day
10. Teenage Fanclub - What You Do to Me
11. Badfinger - No Matter What
12. Shakane - Love Machine
13. New Pornographers - Chump Change
14. The Who - Armenia, City in the Sky
15. Diamond Nights - The Girl's Attractive
16. Switches - Step Kids in Love
17. The Cribs - Martell
18. The Sweet - Love is Like Oxygen
19. Adam & the Ants - Antmusic

As always: This in an actual mix, the songs segue together despite being separate tracks... so no shuffle, please! This mix will be available for one week only. If you'd like to contribute cover art to a future mix, drop me a line.

Summer Fridays #4

Hey look -- it's a Summer Fridays mix that's actually up on Friday!

Please note the non-sucky cover art this time, courtesy my friend Kate. Not sure why there is a turtle in the sky. (Would you like to contribute to a future mix? Drop me a line.) French artists on this mix are there so the "Quatre" part makes some kind of sense.

As for themes, there isn't one...though there are a whole lot of songs with "girl" in the title. Not on purpose.

Download Summer Fridays Quatre.

Tracklist:

1.     Katerine - Mon Coeur Balance   
2.     Kelley Stoltz - To Speak to the Girl   
3.     Galaxie 500 - Parking Lot   
4.     The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Sister Surround
5.     Tiger - On the Rose   
6.     Stereolab - Miss Modular   
7.     Bertrand Burgalat w/ Robert Wyatt - This Summer Night   
8.     Cut Off Your Hands - Oh Girl   
9.     Sic Alps - Message from the Law   
10.    The Rolling Stones - The Last Time
11.    The Modern Lovers - The Old World
12.    Hefner - Christian Girls
13.    Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Glue Girls
14.    Urge Overkill - Bottle of Fur
15.    The Jazz Butcher - Southern Mark Smith
16.    Billy Nichols - Girl from New York   
17.    The Girls - Lust for Life
18.    The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group - The Urban Gentleman
19.    Esser - I Love You

As always: This in an actual mix, the songs segue together despite being separate tracks... so no shuffle, please! This mix will be available for one week only.

Summer Fridays #2: Thursday Edition

As tomorrow is a holiday here in the U.S. (Independence Day), seemed only right that this week's Summer Fridays mix should come a day early. At first I thought I'd do an all-American one, then I thought about making it all British (Bizarro world Independence Day where the redcoats won!) and then thought about making it all female-fronted bands... but in the end it's another weird hodgepodge of songs I wouldn't mind hearing at a BBQ.

Download Summer Fridays #2

Tracklist:
1.  Noah & the Whale - Five Years Time
2.  We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It - Love is the Slug
3.  Ida Maria - Louie (demo version)
4.  Haircut 100 - Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)
5.  The Free Design - Bubbles
6.  Cornershop - Topknot
7.  The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods
8.  Dick Hyman - The Liquidator
9.  Ride - Twisterella
10. The Experimental Pop Band - The Hippies Don't Know
11. The Feeling - I Love it When You Call
12. Belle & Sebastian - You're Cover's Blown
13. Love Is All - Wishing Well
14. The New Shapes - I Didn't Know Her Name
15. The Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
16. The Bangles - Hero Takes A Fall
17. The Exciters - He's Got the Power
18. The Fleshtones - Cold, Cold Shoes
19. The Darkness - Friday Night

Reminder: This in an actual mix, the songs segue together despite being seperate tracks... so no shuffle, please! This mix will be available for one week only. And again, if anyone wants to contribute artwork to a future mix, drop me a line.

Welcome to Summer Fridays

One of the better things about working for a Big Company is Summer Fridays. Nothing like leaving the office around lunchtime and knowing don't have to come back till Monday. The idea being you need a head start on traffic for that weekend getaway or whatever. I usually used them to go to the movies. (Wall-E, anyone?) Anyway, with that in mind, I'm going to be offering up a mix every Friday now through Labor Day.

These will be actual mixes, the songs segueing together, but it's still individual songs so you know what you're listening to. They'll be an hour long so you can burn them to CD if so desired, and each comes complete with limited edition jpg artwork! Here's the tracklist:

1. Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable
2. The Muslims - Beside Myself
3. The Woodentops - Do it Anyway   
4. Built to Spill - Center of the Universe
5. Mystery Jets - Young Love
6. Sloan - Cheap Champagne   
7. Steely Dan - Any Major Dude
8. The Dodos - Red and Purple   
9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo
10. The Left Banke - She May Call You Up Tonight
11. Kim & Co. - Look Up   
12. The Monochrome Set -He's Frank (Slight Return)
13. Five O'Clock Heroes - NY Chinese Laundry
14. Nick Lowe - So it Goes
15. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - This Love is Fucking Right
16. Cats on Fire - The Smell of an Artist
17. The dB's - Big Brown Eyes
18. David Bowie - Kooks
19. XTC - Life Begins at the Hop
20. This is Ivy League - London Bridge
21. Tommy James and the Shondells - Mirage

Download the inaugural Summer Fridays mix (zip file).

No theme to this, apart from I went all guitar-based pop that I thought felt summery -- I tried to do an even mix of new and old. If anyone would like to contribute art to future mixes, drop me an email. I could certainly use the help in that department. Will credit you, obviously.

These mixes will be available for one week only. Have a good weekend!

Picture swiped from my friend Don's Flickr page.