( continues...) there and this one is my favorite of the four or five I heard clips of. I’m sure Hec can tell us actual interesting things about it. Oh! And in the beginning of the song there is the line about him traveling (touring, I assume) across the United States – therefore I call it a song about travelling.
10 A song that does not feature a guitar or a piano as the main instrument
Mobbin’ (feat. Perserve and Vin Roc) • Peanut Butter Wolf • My Vinyl Weighs A Ton
The lyrics are a little rough – but listen to this song at least once for the masterful scratching. PBW is the founder of Stones Throw records and, apparently, the owner of a lot of vinyl.He puts it to great use here.
11 A song by a band that you could have, but didn't, write about for Lost in The Grooves
3 Legs • Paul McCartney • Ram
McCartney haters – you are on notice. I think Ram (the only McCartney studio album co-credited to Linda) is a criminally ignored album. Yes, it’s now viewed more favorably than when it was released, but even many fans think of it as that album with “Uncle Albert” on it. “3 Legs” is in particular often referred to as ‘filler’. Filler??!! Listen to this song. I don’t care if Linda is singing off-key. Ram has been one of my favorite albums since college, and I think is vastly underappreciated.
12 An upbeat song about a sad thing
Evil Will Prevail • the Flaming Lips • Clouds Taste Metallic
Like a precursor to “Do You Realize?,” “Evil Will Prevail” features Wayne and the boys singing happily about human weakness and frailty in the face of which we only have each other.
13 Midnight driving in the rain music
Wheat Kings • Tragically Hip • Yer Favourites
I know the Tragically Hip aren’t cool, but before my ex-roommate went nuts on me, he forced them on me year after year. I guess it finally worked. We used to drive up to his parents’ house in Wisconsin on Friday nights/Saturday mornings after sobering up from the bars, and we’d listen to “Wheat Kings” a dozen times or so on the way singing our lungs out. It’s a great night car song.
14 More cowbell
Soul Limbo • Booker T & The M.G.’s • Stax: The Best of Booker T & The M.G.’s
It was on iTunes cowbell list. Booker T. is always good.
15 A song that reminds you of your first love
She Divines Water • Camper Van Beethoven • Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Oh jesus. The year was 1989. The boy was Andre E____, the only boy I am 1000% sure I was ever in love with. We used to leave tapes in each other’s mailboxes, and I can’t quite remember who gave whom this album. I do remember that he broke my heart about four million ways. We ended up going to college together. It took me six years to get completely over him. We’re still very close friends. Man. I would never want to date that guy again, but this song can still punch me directly in the gut.
16 A song that references some kind of technology
and
A song that is in some way about science
Helicopter • M. Ward • Transfiguration of Vincent
OK. I realize I stretched things a bit here. This song isn’t about technology or science, really. But I was really good about sticking to the other categories. M. Ward is my Music Find of the Year. I haven’t heard one bad song by him and I have heard them all.
17 A song with a chorus that compels you to sing along
Nugget • Cake • Fashion Nugget
I am twelve. I have put this song on so many mixes. I don’t even like Cake that much. But I love this song. Even if you’ve only heard it once (given that you are down with F-bomb usage), you immediately start singing the chorus.
18 A song that starts with a bassline
Guns of Brixton • the Clash • London Calling
One of three songs written by bassist Paul Simonon who was born in Brixton, a part of London with a large Jamaican population. (That fact, on edit, makes no sense without hearing the song first; it has a strong reggae influence.)
19 A song you sing (or would (continued...)
( continues...) sing) to your pet and/or child
Good Day Sunshine • the Beatles • Revolver
OK. Yeah. I like Paul McCartney. I like him a little more than I like John Lennon. I’ve even seen him live. Take all my cool points away – I’ll just sit over here with my Wings albums. I sing this song to my cats on weekends. They like Paul, too.
20 A song that haunts you
Needle in the Hay • Elliott Smith • Elliott Smith
If it wasn’t for the fact that this song is about shooting up, if it wasn’t for that scene in The Royal Tennenbaums, if it wasn’t for how he killed himself, this song would still haunt me because of five small words: “dead sweat in my teeth.” And that hiss at the end when he says “You ought to be proud that I’m getting good marksssss.” Yikes.
21 A song that you would sing to yourself if you were ever in a dire situation and needed it to keep going
Baba O’Riley (original version) • the Who • The Who: Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Box Set
This is my can’t-go-on-must-go-on song. Greatest rock anthem of all time. Seeing the movie Summer of Sam in a real theater (Spike Lee’s worst effort in my opinion) was worth it just for that scene set to this song.
22 A song by a band with an awful name
Division Day • We Are Telephone • To: Elliott From: Portland
I hate “We are” or “This is” names for anything. It’s so redundant. Yes, the entire concept of a name or title is that that thing IS whatever it is named or titled. That’s why we invented naming things. Really love this cover, though.
23 A song that even when you know it's time to leave the bar someone can put on the jukebox to make you stay
Everybody Knows this is Nowhere • Neil Young • Everybody Knows this is Nowhere
I didn’t think this song could mean more to me until I moved away from home. I love it first chord to last. God. I. Love. This. Song.
Two things:
1) "Barnburner" was one of the first Split Lip songs I ever heard, and it made me go daaaaaamn. Fantastic choice.
2) Likewise for "Happy", for whose bridge I've heard more praise than some whole albums get. Gives me chills. It'd be hard for me to tease out of its own album, though; I find it hard to put a "The Meadowlands" song on a mix for the same reason I'd have trouble buying one of a litter of kittens--I feel so bad taking it away from its brothers and sisters. I kind of have to listen to the whole album every time; I can't not.
Kate, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! If you could email, that would be great. my profile addy is good.
Sue, I'll look that song up and see how it fits in... I have 20 eps to match, some songs I match in tone, some in subject matter... I've been trying to vary it, so that kind of song could definitely work.
Thanks!
Nora, here are the lyrics to the song (the formatting is not mine):
Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call
Let the waitress put the chairs up, let the glasses that she broke form a picture of our leader with a halo made of smoke. Let the Golden Oldies station crackle and come through with a final benediction we'll hum along to, before we say goodnight. Let our talk about the ballgame and the weather show we care, like a sound we didn't notice until it stopped and left us there with the traffic and our heartbeats beating in straight time. Let our hatred and affection march in the same line, before we say goodnight. Oh, protect our secret handshake. Once more, with feeling, let the toast to absent members push through the ceiling, before we say goodnight.
Kate, as long as you're emailing, I've been wanting to give Atom (and his package, too) a listen for a while, so a taste of what he really sounds like would be good....
Been sick as a dog for a couple of days. Finished the mix, but didn't have the patience to upload it. Poor excuse for a round robin admin dude = me.
What a great mix, Tina! I can't wait to start downloading this stuff.
I was late to work this morning because (a) I was working on my mix and (b) my train caught on fire thus paralyzing the entire downtown muni system.
You know what's disconcerting? Being in a train, stuck between stations and the car starting to fill up with smoke. It wasn't that thick, though, and we pulled into the stop and exited fairly quickly. But that was definitely a We Are So Trapped sensation.
