Oh, excuses. But it's sent out. For reals.
This mix reflects a mix I made back in 2003. It was about midnight and I was making a mix CD in a fit of different emotions. I suddenly realized I'd been creating a driving mix and it struck me that I needed to get the hell out of Dodge City. As Rexburg is called sometimes. I got up, filled a duffel bag, grabbed a new loaf of bread from my roommate and a jar of PB and a jar of Jam, drained my bank account and started driving. I flipped a coin. Tails was south and I started driving. I listened to my Mix CD over and over until I arrived in L.A.
This is not the mix. This is just a tribute. I'm sure that mix would be a lot more melodramatic. I wouldn't put you through it. But it's got a lot of the same elements. Self-destruction, girls, anti-establishment, the push and pull of hometowns, and yes, melodrama, and a few covers in tribute of Darren's blog entry.
The first song is more of that feeling I get before I have to get up and leave. It progresses from there. Some songs are echoed feelings, most are lyric based.
Preview:
1. The Horse You Ride - Department of Eagles
2. Walcott - Vampire Weekend
3. Damnit Anna - The Morning Benders
4. West Coast - Coconut Records
5. Anti-Anti - Snowden
6. Ghost on a Hill - Tenlons Fort
7. Runway to Elsewhere - Pacific!
8. Wet and Rusting - Menomena
9. Black Cab - Jens Lekman
10. Miss Idaho - Ox
11. Elephant Gun - Beirut
12. Home By Saturday - Hayden
13. Talking Crap About a Pretty Sunset - Modest Mouse
14. Strange Powers - Magnetic Fields
15. Heart It Races - Dr. Dog (Architecture in Helsinki cover)
16. Jealous Guy - Donny Hathaway (John Lennon cover)
17. Bye Bye Blackbird - Joe Cocker (Etta James cover)
21 comments:
Wow James. I have to thank you in advance. About a month ago I was listening to my favorite online streaming radio hour and the dj played a track by a band called (as he claimed, and pronounced it) "Ten Lawns Fort".
I loved the song and looked hard for some material. You have just taken a load off my obsessing mind.
danka.
That's so weird you should say that. Because the first time I heard this song, I thought, and I'm not lying, that you would like this song. Cosmic.
That song may be one of my favorites on the CD. They are great.
James, I shoulda known you'd known Dr. Dog. I started passing around Dr. Dog tracks to some friends of elite musical tastes a few months back and they hated me for it, so I kept him out of the CPG mix....bless for you being more loud and proud than I was.
What a great soundtrack to the rest of my "get the hell out of here" summer that's been raging rampant since May 4th when school let out and my responsibilities flushed themselves out of my system like a bad case of salmonella. I will both use and abuse the upcoming tracks and let you know my states of mind accordingly. Oh, and Elephant Gun....the second of my top two favorite Beirut tracks. And all the rest of your songs are new to me.
oh, except Lennon's "Jealous Guy"...I've put that on a melodramatic mix or two in my past as well....
I'm glad you like the Dr. Yeah, this track is one of those rare tracks where you wonder if the cover is better than the original. Depends if you like Architecture in Helsinki though, too. But I've really enjoyed Dr. Dog and especially this cover.
i'm really interested in hearing something by arch in hels. they were one of the biggest letdowns at sasquatch last year. i think they came on after witnessing the awesomeness of band of horses with wayne coyne. that's hard to follow.
Talking shit and or crap is my fav. MM song.
That's my own inside joke. My brother and I were listening to that song one day and my Mom came down and looked over our shoulder at what we were listening to and gasped.
"You shouldn't be listening to a song with that kind of word in it!"
We told her it's really "crap" not "shit". Honest.
My family tries to pull out some piety here and there and it's all farce. Sacred is a real hit or miss thing in my family. The above quote coming from my Mom who pointed out where I was conceived.
Rice,
Architecture in Helsinki is real hit or miss for me. I've got a friend who just loves beyond loves them. And so I gave them a real good listen. I'll be into a few of their songs for a while and then I suddenly can't stand listening to them for a while. Not a good sign for me. I have their albums on my I-Tunes but almost never listen. But this cover is excellent.
More covers almost made it to this mix once I got started. Strange Powers is a great song and I almost used The Shins cover of it instead but I love the original so much. I recommend The Shins version too.
I apologize I didn't send this until this week. The story is long and embarrassing. I promise the USPS has them.
I got the mix. To put it simply; I love it. Good tracks, good flow!
Jimmny:
As expected, you delivered with goodness. The Tenlons Fort song is good, and I still have to thank you for helping me sort the name out.
I have never listened to Dept. of Eagles, probably because I get Don Henly visions upon mention, but that track is superb. It is all over the map in a good way. Menomena, the Beirut track, very fine. The Modest Mouse was a nice touch, and I really like the outro trifecta, which says a lot because I have always loathed Architecture in Helsinki. Joe Cocker owns it.
thanks seamus
James, I was out of town so I just got this, and others, and I have to say a hearty thanks. Great mix. I will post more after a few listens, but upon spin 1, I rikey.
James you have really come through with this mix...it was worth the wait and then the anticipation and then the wait again.
Loved the Dr. Dog. They have oft been a hard pill to swallow but sometimes they just nail it.
Hayden is always good, as is Magnetic Fields, but for the most part these were new songs and I love new songs...especially ones that I end up enjoying.
Nice.
Aw geez. Thanks, guys.
Joe: I'm glad you like Department of Eagles. I think they're great. Not everyone's cup o' teeth but I really dig them. Architecture in Helsinki is something weird in my head. I think the only reason I listen to them every eight months or so is because of a someone (I think you know him) who worships them. (Hint: A past mixtaper from your old club.) But I dislike that band for the most part.
Darren: I love the Magnetic Fields and I love that song. I'm glad I was able to find some new songs for thee. It's hard to surprise and please amongst such aficionados.
Enigma,
I think you made my day with the "good flow" comment. That's always a big concern for me with mixtapes.
Love,
Twittery
you really should be proud of Enigma's comment, Jamesy. He really does hold a lot of stock in the flow of a mix and gave me hell for lacking any type of rhyme or reason for my choice of songs. (Though, for the record, I really did attempt a flow....but...my brain doesn't flow the same way other people's do. In any case, yes, I heard it from Enigma in person that your flow was spot on, and I would have to agree, me being flow-challenged regardless *big grin*)
wow.
first time spinning was today, took it on a little drive of my own. Hayden's a good love of mine, was even going to try and work him into my mix.
Fairly unfamiliar with a few of the artists and know I'm going to obsess over it for a while.
merci bien.
Aw, thanks. I'm glad you dug it, Wajok. Hayden is a love affair of mine, too. The number of times Hollywood Story has played on my computer is obscene.
And I'm happy I was able to introduce some new ones. Super sweetness.
to the concept of "flow," i say: bah!
such subjectivity. any one of us could establish flow between any string of songs.
not that your mix didn't "flow," james, but bah! BAH to the concept. If we wanted to max out flow, we would probably just send out a disc with a single symphony.
Hey flow,BAH!
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