Weekly Mix 86

Another week, another mix. I try to mix it up but it's typically always rock and indie rock at that, how did this happen? the Wavves are here, Billy Joel is here, The Bangles are back from the dead! There's new music from Rose Hill Drive a band from Boulder Colorado which means they're a college band.
Enjoy!

1. I'm Bad by LL Cool J

How stupid and how awesome was this jam back in 87'. He's the pinnacle he rained supreme, he crushed you like a jelly bean!

2. Days Forgotten by Kasabian

The band that should be better than they wind up sounding

3. Gren-Eyed Lady by Sugar loaf

So funky is the guitar that I just want to have the riff repeat forever.

4. Dig a Little Deeper by Peter Bjorn and John
More sweet ass pop from Sweden! Their album, Gimme' Some, really is the best.
5. Open My Eyes by The Bangles

Yes, the bangles are back and this song is a good come back as it's may start of sounding like the Who's Can't Explain it ends sounding like their own, In Your Room. Actually this one has been produced to sound like current indie rock. Susannah Hoffs' vocals however are probably better than most current indie groups. I don't see the Go-Go's doing this stuff.

6. Carazy For You by Best Coast
This version is from the iTunes Sessions. It's also a good example of what the current state of cool music is.
7. State Of Love And trust by Pearl jam

From the Singles soundtrack I wasn't too crazy about this song until recently but now I can listen to it happily.

8. N**as in Paris by Kanye West and Jay-Z
It's cool. It almost sounds like, Forgot About The Dre. 
9. Little Stars by She Wants revenge
They are doing the 80s as good as anybody these days. The Sounds also do a good job.
10.Nasty Secretary by The Hives

The only band that matters! This is from their 3 song release of covers that came out in 2010 called Tarred and Feathered.

11.Lie Down In The Darkness by Moby

Moby has made some beautiful soundscapes and this is one of them. His high vocals however freak me out in that castrodi type of way.

12.You Know What I Mean by Cults
Almost a do-wop but definitely an old sounding tune.
13.Bad, Bad Leroy brown by Jim Croce

Clap your hands and a sing along, this one from 1973 is a feel good tune despite it being about the baddest guy around.

14.Überlin by R.E.M.
Sounding like Drive this is off the bands final album unless they reunite for some halfhearted garbage down the line. thanks for all the music guys.
15.The Boat Song by The Black Angels

I may be the only dork who loves this band. This is from an E.P. released in 2011

16.Bug by Wavves
They are a San Diego rock band that sounds cool but I don't know if I'll ever hear anything else from them. They are living the power pop dream.

17.Paparazzi by Greyson Chance
This is that little kid who covered Lady Gaga's song in front of his classmates with just a piano. That live performance was quite good probably because he was nervous and had some passion but this studio cut has been auto tuned and is a bit too clean sounding. Maybe he did it at home, I don't know.
18.New York State of Mind by Billy Joel

Before the 80s he was a really cool cat . . . maybe he still is, I don't know.

19.Psychoanalyst by Rose Hill Drive

Modern rock and getting loud! There are many bands that sound like this now but that's always the case. They're kind of psychedelic and kind of 70s sounding, little bluesy and totally from Boulder.

20. White Punks on Dope by The Tubes
San Francisco's own WPOD! They were better known for their song, She's a Beauty but this one is just so much more fun. I love a song about failing so enormously that one has to celebrate the act!

Weekly Mix #85

Made in the heart of 2011 I got pretty current with the songs on here, maybe too much emphases on the modern rock and not enough classic stuff but whatever it's good stuff.
Now try this, you can listen to the mix from here



1. Planetary (GO!) by My Chemical Romance

More music that apparently only me andn13 year old goth chicks like!

2. Abducted by The Cults
This is what college kids listen to, or so I hear. I like this one better than Go Outside.
3. Ages of you by R.E.M.

Good time 80's college music or indie music or alternative music or whatever, here we go!

4. Left OF The Dial by The Replacements

REM's Minnesota counterparts in critical darlinghood. This song is all about bands who weren't main stream

5. Nodding Off by Wavves (feat. Best Coast)
"I wanna' meet Dave Grohl, I wanna be Dave Grohl" Yeah well who the hell doesn't! Guess what band's next!
6. I'll Stick Around by Foo Fighters

You believe they've been around for sixteen years? This is off their first album

7. Wild Boys by Duran Duran

When this song I liked it because of the driving beat and and the sliding/whiny vocals; it was why a good friend of mine hated the song. The video is . . . well you be the judge.

8. Dance With Somebody by Mando Diao

This is not the Whitney Houston  song about being tired of one night stands this is Swedish awesome music that shares that Duran Duran spirit I think.

9. Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

I had no idea they were gay, all the girls in the video seemed to love so much!

10.Lazy Bones by Wooden Ships
I don't know if this song rocks or it's just silly
11.Endless Blue by The Horrors

This is from their newest album. Why do they get more and more ethereal and weird, what happened to their creepy nervous angst and rocking spirit?

12.Summer of '89 by Butch Walker and The Black Widows

This song is actually pretty dumb but it's funny and feel good rock so it gets on the mix. Also because I quite enjoyed 1989.

13. Hey Ladies by the Beastie Boys

Yup, from 1989's masterpiece, Paul's Boutique. Okay, I don't know if that's a step too far but the album m did shake asses and get sampling into the next level.

14.No Church in the Wild by Kanye West and Jay-Z

A good beat goes a long way, y'all! I really like some of the songs on Watch The Throne. I don't think it's my favorite album of the year but it's definitely in the top 5! "Your Love is my scripture" That's some cool ass lyrics.

15.Apple Blossom by The White Stripes

On the other side of things this is just a man and his guitar.

16.Maggie M'Gill by The Doors

I used to not care for this sing, thought it was dumb but now I enjoy the bluesiness of it and like to get it on just like the people Tangie Town.

17.Irresistible Forse by Jane's Addiction

Welcome back boys, welcome back with a song that's not great but enjoyable on some level of unoffensive.

18.Olé by Pearl Jam

I like when old bands can keep their energy up. This is a new 2011 song by the old boys that I find quite cool.

19.Silver by Nirvana

I don't know if you can have one without the other. Peral Jam without Nirvana is like The Beatles without the Stones, sort of.

20.Mama, I'm Coming Home by Ozzy Osbourne
and you can't have grunge without metal. This is a great, big stupid sing along that Lemmy of Motothead wrote.

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!