Weekly Mix #84

Deal with it it's happening more than it should, indie music is sort of groovy. I know it's just a bullshit music industry thing but good music, rock music is now under the dumb moniker of Indie. Unfortunately it's all sort of still self aware without being  balls out. It's the legacy of Nirvana, how to be a Rock Star without losing street cred. I guess wearing clothes from the thrift shop still works.
Listen and enjoy!

 




1. You got Nothing On Me by Mando Diao
They just deliver and maybe it's in that Tom Jones way but I don't care, they make me want to boogie. 


2. You Gotta Lose by Obits
Proving that Sub Pop is still a label and proving that music still happens there.

3. Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) by The Icicle Works
This is one of my favorite 80s one hit wonders and apparently Eddy Vedder's as well, just listen to Evenflow.

4. Bridge Burning by Foo Fighters
Another good song off the Wasting Light album 


5. Heatseaker by AC/DC

Fucking ridiculous and fucking awesome and that's why AC/DC is so great. They get away with the dumbest stuff and make it sound do good, especially when you want to rock out like a fifteen year old.

6. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie by The Red Hot Chili peppers

They've lost it, they've gotten old and they can't hack it anymore. I wonder if they feel embarrassed for recording Punk Rock Classic now?

7. New York Groove by Ace Frehley

I got into this little jam after hearing it as the them song to some tattoo show taking place in NYC. Frehly's solo album was part of those four solo KISS albums that all came out at the same time.

8. Go Outside by The Cults

It took me a little time to warm up to these buys but now I dig their indie sound.

The Cults: They look like Mazzy Star but aren't

9.Pressure and Time by Rival SonsThese guys give it a solid punch as they try to rock out but the sound is too big for the rest of their surroundings


10. Where Have All the Good Times Gone! by Van Halen

Good question Dave. Sometimes an old rock band still sounds more rock than a modern rock band and they're not even rocking their hardest. Also this song will begin our little voyage to Southern California

11.Each and Every Day by Best Coast
 A lot of energy in the beginning of this tune about trying to convince 


12.This Town by The Go-Go's
Maybe they were inspiration to groups like Best Coast, I don't know. The dark side of the Go-Go's, singing about Hollywood shit and how jaded and desperate the place makes people.

 
13.Beverly Hills by The Circle Jerks
L.A. Punk is so aware of Hollywood and glamor it's a little funny


14.Take the World by She Wants Revenge

I would have never guessed I would like a She Wants Revenge album as much as I do Valleyheart their love song to the Los Angeles they grew up in. This song gets them away from their Joy Division roots and graduates them to Wang Chung

15.To Live and Die in L.A. by Wang Chung

Say what you'd like about this group because I have hated them and then liked them. This is my favorite song of their by far. Why would a British band be right for a movie about crime and police in Los Angeles? This concludes out SoCal musical voyage but the glam still continues.

16.Suicide Blonde by INXS
This was the first single off their X album the follow up to the enormously popular, Kick. The Album didn't do very well due to it's  . . . well I have no idea why. The songs were great but the audience had changed I guess. Maybe the harmonica just didn't sit well with people but This is in my top 10 INXS songs.


17.Scheiße by Lady GaGa

What's the German word for Shit? This song will make you want to go all Euro disco if you haven't already. I'm not a fan of GaGa's latest album as most of the songs sound like scheiße but this one is funny enough to transcend the poop.

18.Otis by Jay-Z & Kanye West

This is what the world has been waiting for, this is the greatest hip hop team up ever, right? Maybe, maybe not but this is a great first single off The Throne

19.Is This It by The Strokes

When I saw them live about eight years ago this was the encore and I thought that it was a weird last song as it's so calm.

 20.I Know You Love me by Peter, Bjorn and John

Another of my favorite albums of 2011, The song off of Gimme Some has that great Scandinavian rock music understanding that American's can't quite seem to get a hold of. With that said it would have been the last song on the mix but I had to pay tribute where tribute was due.

21.Love Is A Losing Game (demo) by Amy WinehouseI was putting this mix together the same time as Ms. Winehouse' passing and was compelled to include one of her songs. This demo version of this song is just her and a guitar and it is stark, painful and a hard tune to pay attention to but it is beautiful.

RIP Amy

Swedish Rock!

Just because. Yeah, I think I like Swedish popular music.
Here are my top ten favorite songs by Swedish bands in no particular order.

Waterloo by Abba
Not ashamed to admit what I like

Tick, Tick, Boom by The Hives
Automatic Schmuck by The Hives
They are the only band matters, just ask them.

Young Folks by Peter, Bjorn & John
Breaker Breaker by Peter, Bjorn & John
It's  a big, big year for these guys

Living In America by The Sounds
The No No Song by The Sounds
They sound like they could be from any year in the past 30, love it!

Gloria by Mando Diao
You got nothin' on them because they are bring the 60s and 80s back with big force!

Buffalo Stance by Neneh Cherry
C'mon you remember this girl, right? She was the IT girl in music for a summer. 

My Favorite Game by The Cardigans
I wish these guys would have kept putting out good music but after three albums they got weak

Swedish bands I hate, Europe, Ace of Base and Roxette

ick!

Swedish band I fear all that black death metal

skwisgaar skwigelf

Weekly Mix #83

Sometimes I feel that the more I make these mixes the less known the songs are but then I'll look back at the list and feel like I've heard each song a million times. This mix has a section that gets into some sould real and otherwise but that's really the only neat transition . . . well the last two songs work really well together but if you have any heartbeat you'll be a slobbering mess after listening to them.

1. Rope by Foo Fighters
Keeping the hopes and dreams of Rock alive after a longer stretch of success than I would have ever though.
2. Heartbreaker by Led Zeppelin
I never think of this as one my favorite Zep songs but it always satisfies, always gets me feeling good.
3. Impressed by Charlie Sexton
This was a minor hit back in 1985. He had big hair and the video was very 80s

4. Punching In a Dream by Naked and Famous
the best music I've heard from New Zealand since . . . Crowded House?
5. California by EMA
"Fuck California, you made me boring" EMA laying it down like a punk but sounding like a performance artist. There aren't too many anti California songs out there but this number fills that void for 2011.

6. Come Undone by Duran Duran
One of my favorite DD songs.
7. Two Against One  by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi
Jack White sings the vocals on this song, I think it's from the TV series Rome
8. My Body by Young the Giant
It's a sing along and sing alongs are very dangerous ans subversive as is dance music! Think about what dance music gets people to do.
9. Angela Surf City by The Walkmen
I always want The Walkmen to be better than they are but they haven't done better than The Rat. This song is pretty enjoyable in it's surf type feel.

10.Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys
Groovy song from 1963, a song that creates something that doesn't really exist anywhere but in our imagination.
11.Taken for a Fool by The Strokes
I though this new album would be great but it was sort of flat. This is one of the high lights however.
12.Come Closer by Miles Kane
This song sounds like Beady Eye but it's not. So it's catchy Brit pop sounding stuff.
13.Gloria by Mando Diao
Damn this song is good! Scandinavia out performs America again. It may ll be show tunes but the passion behind this song is powerful sounding. It's got a great slick video too!
14.Sinister Kid by The Black Keys
They got opne speed and that's soulful funk without soul of funkiness, impressive.
15.Respect by Otis Redding
The original before Aretha Franklyn got her hands on it and made it huge. Otis' version is more brassy and funky and just as enjoyable.

16.Old Tyme Religion by Hugo
Is this song a joke? It sounds like it might be with it's modern take on low-fi soul
17.Even Flow by Pearl Jam
Happy 20 years guys. Eddy belts it like nobody's business even if back then everybody wanted his business.

18.New Direction by Black Lips
There was a buzz about this band that never triumphed above that murmer
19.The No No Song by The Sounds
So catchy and so cool. I always wonder why these guys never had a monster hit.
20. Goodbye, Dear Friend by Deer tick
Really this song should only be listened to if you want to be depressed, if the mood is dark and you can take it. It makes me want to cry in no good way.
21.Bridge Over troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
On the other side of tears this will give you hope if you were feeling lost after that list track.

World Series 2011

The St. Louis Cardinal will be hosting the Texas Rangers in the World Series starting October 19th and at this point I just don't care. Yeah, Texas is big, bad and powerful and seems destined to get their championship after being sacrificed to the arms of the San Francisco Giants last year. The Cardinals will be going for their second World Series victory in five years while making their third appearance in seven. Why does the sports media always seem to count them out from getting into the playoffs? I thought it was a simple.

As horrible as it may seem the teams are reduced to this. A Texas team with this guy as their brightest star.

Josh Hamilton who is a born again Christian who was a party animal throwing away his extremely rare talents, skills and millionaire career with drugs and alcohol. (and questionable women it seems)

There's also a St. Louis team that thought hiring  Mark McGuire as the hitting coach was a smart step. This guy?

Pujols was psyched!

Anyway, I guess in the end I'm pulling for Ron Washington and his Rangers to steam roll the National League team.  Not only does Wash look like the grandfather I always wanted but he reminds me in some ways of gentlemen who inhabit the Tenderloin.

One last thing, who did the Cardinals get Jeff Reardon young again? This year's beard belongs to Jason Motte who grew out his whiskers and became the clone of one of the 80s best relievers.

Jason Motte

Jeff Reardon: The Eliminator

Maybe Brian Wilson has been paying tribute to Reardon as well. Though he's beard apparently has nothing but fastballs beneath it.

Brian Wilson

Go Rnagers!

Weekly Mix #82

There's some new music worth listening to on this mix as well as some older gems that I needed to have on here for whatever reason was so crucial at that time. This almost seems like a party mix with a couple exceptions
go and find these songs and listen to 'em

1. I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses

Some songs should have been used already like this one. I love it to death in all of it's Madchesterness!

2. So Far by Buckcherry

This is actually the same type of song as above but it sounds nothing like it. These sleazy Hollywood boys were supposed to bring back the glory days of the Sunset Strip but it just never happened.

3. White Limo by Foo Fighters

Welcome back boys! going on and going strong.

4.Make Some Noise by Beastie Boys

Still funky after all these years! This is the best song they've released in over a decade and one of the best songs of the year. the video is funny too.

5.Blow by Ke$ha

This is a party jam and it is dumb but what can you do.

6.Hold Back the Rain by Duran Duran

So funky, so English. I love the classic Duran Duran a little too much

7. Yeah Yeah Yeah by The Sounds

I love their keyboard sound and their Blondie look

8. Lies of the Beautiful People by Sixx A.M.
Nicky Sixx' other band
9. Beatles and Stones by Beady Eye
Not the song by the House of Love
10.Dance The Night Away by Van Halen
I don't usually think about dancing when I think of Van Halen
11.Degeneration Street by The Dears

I have no clue if this is parallel or crosses Fascination Street or Desolation Boulevard.

12.Needle In The Hay by Elliott Smith

and then he killed himself

12.For 12 by Other Lives
This s dream rock . . . I think.
13.Poison Ivy by Faster Pussycat
Sucky Glam Rock but I get into it
14.The Boy looked at Johnny by The Libertines
Back when this band was the buzz, back when people though they mattered

15.Tomorrow Has To Wait by Peter Bjorn and John
Love these guys, beards and all.
16.You're So Right by The Strokes
Another song from their 2011 album
17.Be Your Bro by Those Darlins
This is just a funny song about wanting to be friends with a boy

18.Tiny Dancer by Elton John
This is a very famous song! Not just Almost Famous
19.Rave On by Buddy Holly
I think this is my favorite song by him
20.Going Out In Style by Dropkick Murphys
In love with Boston? Well, here's the band for you!

Weekly Mix #81

On this mix I got a little retro blues stretch going which can either be really enjoyable or really dull depending where you are and what you are doing.  There are new songs and old song, there's music from Scotland, Australia, Spain, New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada so you can enjoy some "world" music.

Mix # 81 from Solidpants on 8tracks.

1. Party Poison by My Chemical Romance
If anything it seemed like the right song to start the mix off with
2. I Want You Back by Hoodoo Gurus

What good song that has been lost in time because they were Australian. This isn't even my favorite song by them as Miss Freelove '69 is a little more fun.

3.There Is a Light That Never Goes out by Dum Dum Girls

The gall to cover the smiths! Dum Dum Girls do a great job o joke, they maintain that nice melody and never seem to get worked up about it. Which way us better to be hit by a double decker bus or a ten ton truck?

4. Sometimes by My Bloody Valentine

There are people believe modern rock started and ended with their album Loveless, I'm not one of them. I get it, I do, the fuzzy guitars and layers and all that is great.

5. When I'm With You by Best Coast
This song grew on me slowly but when I heard this iTunes studio version I was smitten by it! Granted it is an indie rock piece of ear candy but when I hear it I always hear a Phil Spector girl group. I shoved this song down my friend's throats for two weeks trying to make them submit and love the song the way I do. Who cares if they're hipsters?

6. The Roller by Beady Eye

What is it that lacks from this music, is it Noel Gallagher?

7. Around My Head by Cage the Elephant
I heard this song and suddenly it was clear that bands were still being influenced by the Pixies. Think Dig For Fire.
8. Ana by The Pixies

This is one of my favorite Pixies songs even if it is about an alien. Without the Pixies there would be no Nirvana as we know it.

9. Tambourine Girl by Ringo Deathstarr

Is their name awesome of awful? The song isn't bad between guitar surges, there's actually a catchy tune here. It has a certain 80s underground vibe a band that I can't quite recall.

10.April Skies by The Jesus & Mary Chain

There are people who are so crazy for this band it's funny. I like them and do understand that their influence reaches beyond the bands who don't know they're copying them. Scottish rock doesn't get much better, or does it?

11.Young Blood by Naked and Famous

This is what the US gets from New Zealand in the way of music. I like them but I couldn't tell you why.

12.Stick w/Me Kid by The Dears

Do I really wish this band was as big as they deserve to be? They sound like they shold have hits but it just never happened, did it? Oh, Canada!

13. Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine by The White Stripes

Let's get electric bluesy and such

14.Wail by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

A band that I assume influenced Jack and Meg. They always seemed to never quite live up to what I expected from them but this song is alright.

15.Stray Cat Strut by The Stray Cats
"Gettin' my dinner from a garbage can" Brian Stetzer has come years since this 1982 song even though you wouldn't always know it. In comparison to all the New Wave that was going on this song was a blast of sort of sweatiness that seemed far more genuine despite the reality of it. After all The Stray Cats were a retro rock band.
16.Boogie de la Muerte by Guadalupe Plata

Spanish retro rock in the rockabilly style sounds just as good as when the Americans were doing it in the fifties and again in the eighties. I'll say this for them, they seem to be having more fun than anybody else.

17.She's Long Gone by The Black Keyes
It all fits together if you hear these songs back to back. These guys get real into a groovy sound here but man do the rip off the White Stripes  Ball and Biscuit.
18. Runaway by Del Shannon

Is this the real deal? He was a man of a good voice RIP Del.

19.We Are Everlasting by Standing Shadows

Alright, we're back with some 2011music that frankly is not that great.

20.Baby's Arms by Kurt Vile
A dreamy little sweet song for the lovers.
21.House of Pain by Van Halen
I was so down with this song for like a three week period that I drove myself crazy. This bad boy is from the bands last album, 1984. Hagar does not count! By the way this starts another linear part of the mix, are you smart enough to get it?
22.Superhuman by Velvet Revolver

Abrasive at first and then it gets going into the mind of Scott Weiland. So are they still a band or what?

23.Cocaine Chest Pain by Kopek
I heard this song and thought the band would be awesome but they were not, this was the best they had to offer on this album. They're named after a breed of dog, so that's cool.