(new mix-a-roonie)
When I make mixes, there are really only three kinds I make.
So I present...
I don't know where I came up with the title from, but I made a pretty cool album cover from the title, included in the zip. True story, that picture is from inside the limo at my brother's bachelor party. I think it ended up making a pretty cool album cover...somehow. I also did something else I don't usually do, which is give you a track-by-track breakdown of why each song was chosen, maybe a little bit about it or the band, to give you a little insight to my process maybe.
1. The Black Keys - Just a Little Heat: Rip-ass gutbustin' blues rock. This song gets me right from the opening guitar licks, it's freaking awesome. There's just something....I don't know, authentic feeling about the way these guys tear it up. And you just can't help but sing along when he says "Aaawwwwwwwww" along with the guitar each time. The main guitar part reminds me of "Oceans" by Led Zeppelin, which is one of my favorite Zep tunes. It's the only way to start this album out, as far as I'm concerned.
2. Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites - Hot Girls in Good Moods: Things I love about this song are as follows:
3. The Fratellis - Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night: I have to confess, I have a non-sexual man-crush on this band. Their whole cd is just too much fun, and this track in particular is one of the stand-outs. I love the idea of the taunting, nyah-nyah nannie-nannie-boo-boo title of a song like this. Parts of the song takes that kind of little-kid-making-fun-of-another-kid cadence, enough to give it some youthful character. It's great, trust me.
4. Gotye - Learnalilgivinganlovin': This song has a really cool 40's/50's era throwback sound that's just immediately engaging (a sound we'll revisit later in the mix). The song's about learning about good things, giving and sharing 'em, and hey man, that's lovin'! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? The line "if it's good/then you should/share it round/'what's the use of keepin' all the good things that you've found/to yourself?" is the whole reason I make these damn mixes for you people. Just don't ask me to try and pronounce dude's name.
5. Jeremy Warmsley - Dirty Blue Jeans: First, if I were to write a book, I would probably use the name Warmsley for a character's last name, it's a good last name for fiction. Lots of piano and violin tick along at a jaunty pace for the majority of the song. I love the girl's voice in the back of the chorus who just says "talk" in a way (and cleverly put in strategic places) that really make you feel like your girlfriend is nagging you to open up and talk about your feelings or some crap.
6. The Maccabees - X-Ray: Ok soooo...Not much to say about this song or the band actually, they sound a good bit like Bloc Party. Sometimes you just put a song in a mix and that's all there is to it. It's quality.
7. !!! - Sweet Life: !!! is pronounced Chk Chk Chk, and is also the only way you can search for them in Google. I really like the pacing of this, the ebb and flow from a slow tension built up to a crescendo and back again, all building on top of the simple but catchy acoustic guitar riff.
8. Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine: So...this isn't quite out yet I don't think (shh!), but it's a slow banjo-driven ditty that -as far as I can tell- is an ode to a mountain as if it were a person. Nice and calming, makes me want to take a slow canoe ride down a river through the mountains.
9. Xavier Rudd - Messages: He sounds like Paul Simon. A lot. Not like he's copying him, but really close. He's Australian, and in some of his songs he plays digeredoos (Google says I spelled that right) which is a fairly cool talent. He seems to have a kind of surfer/hippie/do-good-while-you-are-on-this-earth vibe, and that's something I can get behind as long as it's presented intelligently, which he does.
10. Jill Cunniff - Lazy Girls: From one-time (maybe still?) lead singer of Luscious Jackson, off her recent solo album. Like much of LJ's work, it's a great laid-back summertime tune. Makes me want an ice cold beverage on a back porch while somebody grills some burgers. And there's something about hearing her voice again after so long that reminds me of the first time I heard LJ, and what fun they are. De-stressor.
11. Amy Winehouse - Rehab: I've recently developed a small crush on Ms. Winehouse, and this song is a big part of why. This song hearkens back to the doo-wop R&B era (again), but with an updated set of lyrics. The (true) story behind this song is...she's a big-time drinker, and had a few of her shenanigans and antics made public and all over the UK press, and her management company tried to make her go to rehab to shape up because she was becoming a liability, and she pretty much said (as she does in the song) "no no NO". She ended up firing the aforementioned management company, and went on to make this album (all great) and be a huge success, because honestly...she's really good the whole album through, even if she is a beautiful lush. Alcohol abuse never sounded so good.
12. Cool Kids - Mikey Rocks: Kind of stupid, kind of fun. The production is like a low-budget Neptunes, big fat beats with little blips and bleeps over the top, sparse but not bereft. Basically, it's just Mikey telling us who he is, and that he rocks. I like the idea of a group calling themselves the Cool Kids.
13. Timbaland - Way I Are (feat keri Hilson and D.O.E.): From Timbo's latest. It was hard to choose a track from the album to put on this mix, but the beat and semi-self-deprecating attitude made this one a winner. The beat is like something that came soaring in from space, sweeping and up-tempo and booty-shaking good fun. It is everything I want a beat to be. The premise lyrically, (though not a new one in hip-hop) is more or less "Would you still like me if I were just some dude who didn't have all this money?" The jokey lyrics from D.O.E. help sell it, as he starts off his verse saying "Baby girl/I don't have a huge ol' house/I rent a ROOM in the house" All kinds of fun.
14. Phonte feat Carlitta Durand - Take On Me: Phonte from rap group Little Brother does his take of Ah-Ha's "Take On Me". I wasn't sure whether or not to keep this one, but he does a surprisingly good job singing it, and they keep the same pacing as the original...you'll be singing along in no time. If they just lost the little dorky-voiced computer-jerk who talks over parts of it, it'd be great.
15. Modest Mouse - Missed the Boat: You know them, and you've probably heard this album already, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get a spot on this mix. This is one of three tracks from the new album that features additional vocals by James Mercer of The Shins. I've heard some old-time MM fans are saying that their sound has changed too much on this album and yadda yadda, but to me it's a welcome evolution. The songs featuring Mercer are some of my favorites, and his melodic voice is a great counter, and help to balance out MM's traditionally herky-jerky yelping singing style.
16. The Boy Least Likely To - Rock Upon a Porch With You: A B-side from some-or-other single they put out. It's almost a little TOO silly and xylophone-tastic, but its endearingly poignant lyrics, like "it might sound stupid but/the worst part about growing up/is that I will never think/that I'm Spiderman again" are enough to give it a solid listen.
17. Eliot Morris - Anyway: I really like this guy. I put one of his songs on one of my other mixes, and I ended up buying his whole album and really growing to love it. This song's got a bright, fresh sound that makes you want to belt it out with all you've got, an unabashed song to some girl who brightened up his day, and made him see the world in a new way, just by seeing her. Springtime driving in the car. He's just put out his first video for another song that's completely on the other end of the spectrum (though no less enjoyable) "Fault Lines" if you want to see a little more.
18. Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) - Maria: I almost didn't listen to this song, because their name sounded like a musical version of PETA or something, and screw those pro-animal/anti-human jackasses. Luckily, they're not affiliated with PETA, and lucky for me I listened to them anyway. I can't quite put my finger on what they sound like, but it's light, earnest, heartfelt and a little southern-rock-y. Apparently, they like this girl named Maria, and they wrote a pretty good song about it. Most times, that's all you need.
I think 18 tracks is enough, come and get it!
- Mixes for me, and me alone
- Mixes made on request for friends, which is rare
- Mixes I make to expose people to new kickass music
So I present...
I don't know where I came up with the title from, but I made a pretty cool album cover from the title, included in the zip. True story, that picture is from inside the limo at my brother's bachelor party. I think it ended up making a pretty cool album cover...somehow. I also did something else I don't usually do, which is give you a track-by-track breakdown of why each song was chosen, maybe a little bit about it or the band, to give you a little insight to my process maybe.
1. The Black Keys - Just a Little Heat: Rip-ass gutbustin' blues rock. This song gets me right from the opening guitar licks, it's freaking awesome. There's just something....I don't know, authentic feeling about the way these guys tear it up. And you just can't help but sing along when he says "Aaawwwwwwwww" along with the guitar each time. The main guitar part reminds me of "Oceans" by Led Zeppelin, which is one of my favorite Zep tunes. It's the only way to start this album out, as far as I'm concerned.
2. Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites - Hot Girls in Good Moods: Things I love about this song are as follows:
- The name of the band - Who doesn't want to go out tonight? Maybe some grandpa-jerks somewhere, but all the cool kids are going OUT. Going out is awesome, especially when it sounds like this
- The name of the song - What's better than hot girls in good moods? Nothing, my friend....absolutely NOTHING. They're hot, which is freaking GREAT on its own, and in good moods too? Count me in!
- The dude is from Atlanta - So it's peppered with little ATL references, and who doesn't like to hear their hometeam shouted-out?
3. The Fratellis - Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night: I have to confess, I have a non-sexual man-crush on this band. Their whole cd is just too much fun, and this track in particular is one of the stand-outs. I love the idea of the taunting, nyah-nyah nannie-nannie-boo-boo title of a song like this. Parts of the song takes that kind of little-kid-making-fun-of-another-kid cadence, enough to give it some youthful character. It's great, trust me.
4. Gotye - Learnalilgivinganlovin': This song has a really cool 40's/50's era throwback sound that's just immediately engaging (a sound we'll revisit later in the mix). The song's about learning about good things, giving and sharing 'em, and hey man, that's lovin'! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? The line "if it's good/then you should/share it round/'what's the use of keepin' all the good things that you've found/to yourself?" is the whole reason I make these damn mixes for you people. Just don't ask me to try and pronounce dude's name.
5. Jeremy Warmsley - Dirty Blue Jeans: First, if I were to write a book, I would probably use the name Warmsley for a character's last name, it's a good last name for fiction. Lots of piano and violin tick along at a jaunty pace for the majority of the song. I love the girl's voice in the back of the chorus who just says "talk" in a way (and cleverly put in strategic places) that really make you feel like your girlfriend is nagging you to open up and talk about your feelings or some crap.
6. The Maccabees - X-Ray: Ok soooo...Not much to say about this song or the band actually, they sound a good bit like Bloc Party. Sometimes you just put a song in a mix and that's all there is to it. It's quality.
7. !!! - Sweet Life: !!! is pronounced Chk Chk Chk, and is also the only way you can search for them in Google. I really like the pacing of this, the ebb and flow from a slow tension built up to a crescendo and back again, all building on top of the simple but catchy acoustic guitar riff.
8. Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine: So...this isn't quite out yet I don't think (shh!), but it's a slow banjo-driven ditty that -as far as I can tell- is an ode to a mountain as if it were a person. Nice and calming, makes me want to take a slow canoe ride down a river through the mountains.
9. Xavier Rudd - Messages: He sounds like Paul Simon. A lot. Not like he's copying him, but really close. He's Australian, and in some of his songs he plays digeredoos (Google says I spelled that right) which is a fairly cool talent. He seems to have a kind of surfer/hippie/do-good-while-you-are-on-this-earth vibe, and that's something I can get behind as long as it's presented intelligently, which he does.
10. Jill Cunniff - Lazy Girls: From one-time (maybe still?) lead singer of Luscious Jackson, off her recent solo album. Like much of LJ's work, it's a great laid-back summertime tune. Makes me want an ice cold beverage on a back porch while somebody grills some burgers. And there's something about hearing her voice again after so long that reminds me of the first time I heard LJ, and what fun they are. De-stressor.
11. Amy Winehouse - Rehab: I've recently developed a small crush on Ms. Winehouse, and this song is a big part of why. This song hearkens back to the doo-wop R&B era (again), but with an updated set of lyrics. The (true) story behind this song is...she's a big-time drinker, and had a few of her shenanigans and antics made public and all over the UK press, and her management company tried to make her go to rehab to shape up because she was becoming a liability, and she pretty much said (as she does in the song) "no no NO". She ended up firing the aforementioned management company, and went on to make this album (all great) and be a huge success, because honestly...she's really good the whole album through, even if she is a beautiful lush. Alcohol abuse never sounded so good.
12. Cool Kids - Mikey Rocks: Kind of stupid, kind of fun. The production is like a low-budget Neptunes, big fat beats with little blips and bleeps over the top, sparse but not bereft. Basically, it's just Mikey telling us who he is, and that he rocks. I like the idea of a group calling themselves the Cool Kids.
13. Timbaland - Way I Are (feat keri Hilson and D.O.E.): From Timbo's latest. It was hard to choose a track from the album to put on this mix, but the beat and semi-self-deprecating attitude made this one a winner. The beat is like something that came soaring in from space, sweeping and up-tempo and booty-shaking good fun. It is everything I want a beat to be. The premise lyrically, (though not a new one in hip-hop) is more or less "Would you still like me if I were just some dude who didn't have all this money?" The jokey lyrics from D.O.E. help sell it, as he starts off his verse saying "Baby girl/I don't have a huge ol' house/I rent a ROOM in the house" All kinds of fun.
14. Phonte feat Carlitta Durand - Take On Me: Phonte from rap group Little Brother does his take of Ah-Ha's "Take On Me". I wasn't sure whether or not to keep this one, but he does a surprisingly good job singing it, and they keep the same pacing as the original...you'll be singing along in no time. If they just lost the little dorky-voiced computer-jerk who talks over parts of it, it'd be great.
15. Modest Mouse - Missed the Boat: You know them, and you've probably heard this album already, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get a spot on this mix. This is one of three tracks from the new album that features additional vocals by James Mercer of The Shins. I've heard some old-time MM fans are saying that their sound has changed too much on this album and yadda yadda, but to me it's a welcome evolution. The songs featuring Mercer are some of my favorites, and his melodic voice is a great counter, and help to balance out MM's traditionally herky-jerky yelping singing style.
16. The Boy Least Likely To - Rock Upon a Porch With You: A B-side from some-or-other single they put out. It's almost a little TOO silly and xylophone-tastic, but its endearingly poignant lyrics, like "it might sound stupid but/the worst part about growing up/is that I will never think/that I'm Spiderman again" are enough to give it a solid listen.
17. Eliot Morris - Anyway: I really like this guy. I put one of his songs on one of my other mixes, and I ended up buying his whole album and really growing to love it. This song's got a bright, fresh sound that makes you want to belt it out with all you've got, an unabashed song to some girl who brightened up his day, and made him see the world in a new way, just by seeing her. Springtime driving in the car. He's just put out his first video for another song that's completely on the other end of the spectrum (though no less enjoyable) "Fault Lines" if you want to see a little more.
18. Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) - Maria: I almost didn't listen to this song, because their name sounded like a musical version of PETA or something, and screw those pro-animal/anti-human jackasses. Luckily, they're not affiliated with PETA, and lucky for me I listened to them anyway. I can't quite put my finger on what they sound like, but it's light, earnest, heartfelt and a little southern-rock-y. Apparently, they like this girl named Maria, and they wrote a pretty good song about it. Most times, that's all you need.
I think 18 tracks is enough, come and get it!