So over the past few days the rest of the country has been pounded with snow fall that has seriously crippled many portions of the infrastructure and caused innumerable problems for the folks who had to deal with it. I fell bad for them, I understand their plight, I get it, I really do. The thing is I was born and raised in Boston where the winters were so cold and dry that my lip would crack open and when there was a snow storm it was comparable to the worst there has been in this country. I remember the wind knocking down street signs and cars disappearing into the white out. The aftermath was definitely a winter wonderland/nightmare as people lost power as well as mobility. In my neighborhood in the town of Summerville the kids built tunnels and a mountain of snow with the interior hollowed out which I was dropped into and laughed at as I begged to be pulled out of. I remember it being about ten feet deep but more than likely it was half that; either way the thought of being stuck in that pit made me cry like a  . . . well, like a five year old.

Later in life there was another huge blizzard in 1994 which I was foolhardy enough to head out into with a friend of mine; we thought it would be fun. Truth was that it actually was fun as we helped people move their cars and got Mexican food all on the way to a friend's place who thought that would be a good night for a party. Sometime around midnight a warm front moved in with a lightning bolt and it's thunder clap, the air warmed up and things began to melt; it was truly some of that strange New England weather that has been talked about to death.
Anyway, the truth is after that winter I made up my mind to make new start and now I just laugh and laugh and laugh at all the pour suckers stuck in the snow.

Weekly Mix Tape Pt 1

So obviously I am a huge music fan/geek and with that it is without a doubt I love creating mix tapes; I've been doing it since the 80s! So what I'm gonna start doing is suggesting a weekly mix based off the CD's I started making over a decade ago which will explain why there's nothing too recent. You might find the songs ridiculous or you might find them awesome, who knows. Anyway give it a go or just let me know what you think. Each of these mixes will indeed fit on an 80 minute CD. I would love just to give you the music but that could get hairy.




1. Goin' Out West by Tom Waits
This is definitely in my top five tom Waits songs; it's not very representative of his work as it really rocks but then again it is off of Bone Machine

2. Fed Up by Lemonheads
Punkabilly! One of the Boston bands that people seem to always remember even though they just had the one hit with It's a Shame About Ray.
3. Tin Machine by Tine Machine
 David Bowie never rocked this hard! I'm glad he got down to it though.
4. Search & Destroy by The Stooges
Can there be Bowie without Iggy? They were linked  in so many ways back in the 70s. This song is really what punk is all about, sloppy, dirty, angry and loud!

5. Gloria by Them
Van Morrisson's band before he went solo. This song has been covered by everybody from the The Doors to Patty Smith but the original is still the best.
6. Jack-Ass by Beck
Beck gets mellow. This is off that great album Odelay
7. Five to One by The Doors
They were great and they were copied by almost everybody . . . well Jim Morrisson was. Truly one of the most dynamic,  mysterious and drunk front men of all time.
8. Kool Thing by Sonic youth
Maybe my favorite Sonic Youth songs and not because Chuck D's on it and not because it's about LL Cool J.
9. Hot Stuff by Donna Summer
Disco diva number one!
10.Horny by Mousse T.vs. Hot n' Juicy
I thought this song was great but now I find it unbearable.
11.Dangerous Type by Letters to Cleo
More Boston on Boston action. A band from Bean town covering another of the Hub's best, The Cars.
12.Rocks by Primal Scream
Primal Scream is one of those bands that critics praise as the innovators of Madchester and who am I to argue. I kept hearing this was a rolling Stones cover but the Rolling Stone's song doesn't sound like this.
13.More Than A Feeling by Boston
Because I'm from Boston I have no choice but to say I like this song even if I'm not really that fond of it.
14. Spanish Eyes by U2
This was a B side from the Joshua Tree days. You know you're good when your leftovers are better than many people's best.

15.That's The Way (I Like It) by K.C. & The Sunshine Band
Why do I disco so hard?
16.Bodies by Sex Pistols
British Punk was outrageous and these guys were at the forefront of it all!
17.Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz
Not Lenny's best but it wasn't bad, this is when he started to put his music in commercials
18.That's Entertainment by Morrissey
 Morrissey covering the Jam. he slows it down and makes it his own.
19.Starfuckers, Inc by Nine Inch Nails
When I first heard this song I couldn't believe Nine Inch Nails came through but the rest of the album The Fragile wasn't quite as awesome.
20.Plaster Caster by KISS
The biggest band in the world, at least that's what they will tel you. The merchandising kings, the biggest sellouts is what others will say. This song however is ALRIGHT!

Lastly I should also note that as I begun making mix CDs I was trying to continue from where the mix tapes left off so I didn't use any songs that I had used before but as time went on I through that idea away and used anything that hadn't been part of the CD series. The reason for this was I realized it was going to make the mixes stronger and more awesome for listening pleasure. Things I've also learned about mix tapes is they can't be rushed; they must grow organically and be fussed over until all is sound and feels complete. I've rushed a mix before and I regretted it as I had to go back a rework it which made me feel like some time traveling freak.