naked mix #12 (9/07/08)
Posted on September 7, 2008
in Undressing the Internet, music, naked mix
tag »
naked mix
Photo via ffffound.com
This mix is a seven-hour road trip, conveniently depicted by seven songs traveling from afternoon sunshine to nighttime calm. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers begin the trip with a small bit of upbeat oldies; a two-minutes-and-forty-four-seconds injection of smiles and light. Hour two rolls in, and with it comes Ben Sollee, loose and airy and easygoing. Home is still close behind, and every now and then a voice from the passenger seat still sings along. Yes, the second hour strolls by with optimism and brightness, and it isn’t until the third hour that the conversation slowly peters out, replaced by a growing landscape. John Vanderslice understands this. He understands there comes a point where you realize the situation you’ve entered. But maybe We/Or/Me understands better, because that realization doesn’t mean doom. It just means four hours have passed by, and the landscape’s had time to bloom into open fields and rows of trees that overpower the asphalt and traffic lines. And staring out the window in silence isn’t bad. And it isn’t bad. And it fills that whole hour, and pushes into the fifth. But as the sixth hour looms over the horizon, the bright lights and big cities come back into your mind, and with Chad VanGaalen alongside you can almost hear the train rumbling past on the opposite track. That is, until the sun goes down, and with it the windows, letting the cool breeze blow in to wake you up. Optimism wrapped in a sweet, uplifting chill. Optimism wrapped in I laugh more often now, I cry more often now, I more free and the other day, this new friend of mine said something to me (”just because something starts differently doesn’t mean it’s worth less”), and just as to prove how right he was, then you came. Six hours of driving, hard trekking it across hard roads, and you more alive than you ever were then.
The last hour? All Beulah, all giddiness.
Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers - Little Bitty Pretty One
Ben Sollee - A Change is Gonna Come
John Vanderslice - White Dove
We/Or/Me - Tell Sarah
Chad VanGaalen - Rabid Bits of Time
Peter Bjorn and John - Objects of My Affection
Beulah - S.O.S.
Stream from imeem:
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Waiting for the Beat to Kick In (naked edit)
At seven minutes long, with nothing but spoken word and some droning loops, “Waiting for the Beat to Kick In” is going to strike many as pretty terrible. Boring. Except this is Scroobius Pip on the mic and dan le sac on the beats, and this isn’t a song: this is a story. Scroobius Pip drags you along as he falls through the rabbit hole, and it isn’t until the end, when you start to see the ground rushing faster and faster to meet you, that you even realize you’ve been knocked off your feet.
Now quite accepting of the totally surreal time I was having I rounded a corner,
And continued onto my next encounter,
Resigned to the fact this was some dream or hallucination,
I made my way through the now dark street,
To the one window that had a light on,
I walked through the unlocked door which incidentally had blinds down,
And a sillhouetted figure like a film noir scene,
But sadly no sign saying Private Eye.
As I entered a voice promptly said..“This journey’s almost over, I’m the only one left,
Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Walter Nepp,
The other guys have taught you things of great positive worth,
But I’m afraid I’m here to bring you back down to Earth,
See you can live your life in control and be nice,
But even that will not promise you a happy life,
You may think yourself in general to be a nice guy,
But I’m telling you now - that right there is a lie,
Even the nicest of guys has some nasty within ‘em,
You don’t have to be backlit to be the villain,
Whether it be greed lust or just plain vindictiveness,
There’s a level of benevolence inside all of us,
You can paint yourself an image and live in your own little dream,
But this ain’t a dream, it’s one big silver screen,
So when you think you’ve got your happy ending don’t ever forget it,
It ain’t over til you hear the sound of your end credits,
You’ll be waiting for the beat to kick in,
But it never does,
Waiting for you feet to grow wings,
That lift you above,
All of these tiresome things,
That you know and love,
Waiting for the beat to kick in,
But it never does,
Waiting for the beat to kick in,
But it never does,
Waiting for you feet to grow wings,
That lift you above,
All of these tiresome things,
That you know and love,
Waiting for the beat to kick in,
But it never does.”
naked mix #11 (8/12/08)
Posted on August 12, 2008
in Undressing the Internet, music, naked mix, the best things in life are free
In 1998, HUSH opened shop, fueled by the burgeoning technology of CD burners. In the ten years since, HUSH has subsisted on the passion and community of the Portland music scene. But they are offering a gift not just to local fans and friends, but to the entire world. DECA: A HUSH 10th Anniversary Compilation is a tribute to the changing record industry, and a small and beautiful peek into the long list of wonderful acts HUSH has worked with over the years. And it is as free as you want it to be.
We’ve decided to offer this exclusively as a digital download because we’re intrigued by the idea of creating something that takes up more space in your heart and your head than in your house, or in our house, or on the postal truck.
This naked mix is a smattering of the tracks offered on DECA. If you hear even one moment of one song that you like, I implore you to go to the website and download the entire compilation. (If only for the Colin Meloy track you won’t hear anywhere else.)
1. Novi Split - Hollow Notes - There is that inevitable point in the generic Hollywood romantic comedy when the star boyfriend does something terrible to his star girlfriend and loses her, seemingly forever. Filled with anger as he is thrown out of his own apartment, he walks the streets aimlessly, realizing he has lost the one thing that matters most in the world: love. Slowly this regret melts into determination, and he rushes back to reclaim her heart in hand.
This is those moments wrapped up in a song; not because the song is saccharine or banal, but because, like those scenes, they tug at your heart despite their predictability. They hit just the right notes, reach just the right crescendos, have just the right feeling to accompany those weak journeys home at night.
4. Run on Sentence - The Afterlife Pt. 1
7. Norfolk & Western - Hiding Home
10. Loch Lomond - Elephants & Little Girls
21. Casey Dienel - Asleep at the Wheel
27. Dat’r - Humm-na
Photo by barbecution
Sometimes it feels like inspiration refuses to come, no matter how many bottles of vodka you pour down your throat in honor of the muses. But after awhile, the music slowly sneaks up on you, and suddenly this weird mixture of hip hop and hip pop and pop rock coalesces right before your eyes. Like a stream of light beating in the night, there it is.
Ghostface Killah - Jellyfish (Feat. Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs & Trife) - Look, I have no idea how to talk about rap. The whole genre is defined by its grit, speed, and pulsating rhythm, so all of that is out. What is left? The scenery? The community? Okay, fine, this song is four best friends freestyling around a case of beer; a three-act play about heartache and temptation; an ode to the oldest story in the book.
Devil’s Gun - Million Miles - This song is a trick. Underneath the uplifting dance beats is a melancholic reflection of a downward spiral. The music imbues the words with optimism, but suddenly the music drops out, and we’re left wondering how hopeful the singer really is: “I see the way you’re moving, and I worry about you. I can see you falling, and I want to catch you.”
Thrushes - Heartbeats (DtheNextLevel Mix)
Islands - Kids Don’t Know Shit - Continuing the peppy trend of deceptively sobering tunes, “Kids Don’t Know Shit” is the anti-anthem. It is the song you write after years of failure, when the cynicism finally gains a firm hold. “Kids don’t know shit,” Islands’ Nick Thorburn sings, “everything we learned is wrong. Deep down we knew it, we knew it all along.” But you have to wonder just how jaded Islands are when they wrap the words up in rock and catchiness.
Somone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - I Think I Wanna Die
Festival - Valentine - If all you knew about “Valentine” was that it is thirty seconds short of the perfect pop song, you might get a good understanding of the song. “Valentine” is, appropriately, for all intents and purposes, a tease. It starts slow, turns it up a notch a third of the way through (0:48), and then when another third passes (1:15) it turns it up a notch again. By this time you are primed for greatness, and the next 45 seconds are spent in anticipation. So when the fade-out starts at 2 minutes, all you can do is throw up your hands in disgust and hit play again.
Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm - When Scott Hutchinson sings “you won’t find love in a hole,” the whole thing seems adolescent. But he keeps repeating it over and over again until the absurdity falls to pieces. What remains is this bare, honest song that wasn’t hiding in the first place, and you realize the candidness isn’t scary, it’s refreshing.
I recently picked up My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead, a collection of short stories revolving around love. But included are not bubblegum pop stories filled with victory and fields of roses. No, Jeffrey Eugenides felt it prudent to fill the pages with the sort of love stories that “give love a bad name”; that are best read alone in bed whilst letting “everybody else suffer”.
Now I hope you understand the impetus behind this naked mix, even if all of the songs were chosen before I knew the book existed.
Nana Grizol - Tamborine N Thyme - This is the sound of that first high school dance, when you stood off to the side with your friends, conversing listlessly as the whole group tried to hide any enthusiasm over being at school on a Friday night, except you could hardly pay attention as your eyes kept falling on the girl off in the corner, the one you fell in love with instantly back in seventh grade, whose hand you have been building up courage to ask for, but no matter how smoothly the saxophone played in your head, sometimes the words just came out wrong.
Okay - My - “More than you know, more than I can show, it’s my heart you got” croons Marty Anderson on the opening track from the new album, Huggable Dust. Due out on May 20, “My” is such a perfect, moving piece of psychedelic pop. Somehow, even with the instruments piling on top of each other, Anderson manages to piece together a song with a sound as simple as its emotion is deep.
Aimee Mann - Little Tornado - Dan Beirne described Aimee Mann’s voice as “like a prayer probably sounds, like, a real one,” and there is little more than I can add to that. “Little Tornado” is her sitting alone in the desert at night, softly beseeching the gods. Lightning crashes in the distance, and for a moment you can hear the gods rumbling in the background, but then the sky dies back down as Mann whistles a closing lullaby.
Constantines - Time Can Be Overcome - Much of the Constantines’ first releases could be compared to sitting behind a camera and panning over a scene of ripped furniture, drug addicts, and party monsters as the first light of morning rips through the many holes in the window shades. And so it is with great surprise, trepidation, and eagerness that I am passing along “Time Can Be Overcome”, a slow tribute to maturity and regret that throws away all the speed without sacrificing any of the grit.
Constantines and Feist - Islands in the Stream - The best covers are those that reveal a new layer in a song, and this is one of those. The Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers original was too saccharine to ever convince me of any real emotion, but Steve Lambke and Leslie Feist spew chemistry. Imagine Michael Cera and Ellen Page singing to each other at the end of Juno, except they are sitting on a broken sidewalk outside a run-down diner a few hours before sunrise, tired, but strong enough together to not give into the cold insensitivity of the city at night.
of Montreal - Feminine Effects - Kevin Barnes is a surprising man. By day he fronts a band responsible music that is sort of like attending a carnival on acid, but by night he is creating songs like this. Songs like the south; like hard rain; dry porches; old rocking chairs.
Micah P. Hinson - The Leading Guy
And he had moved on to god knows where
And he had moved on none of us care
And he had moved on to god knows where
And he had moved on none of us care
61 degrees outside, bright and sunny, with big, fluffy clouds spotting that old upside-down sea. Spring is here, for real this time, and I would be remiss in my duties to not act accordingly: eleven songs for laying around in fields of cool grass and soft breezes. So without further ado, let’s take a trip.
These United States - First Sight - I was very hesitant to post this song, let alone as the lead track. I am a sucker (oh my heart melts instantly!) for a song with a slow crescendo before a wild crash. But “First Sight” just builds and builds and builds, until my only recourse is to play the song over and over until it magically rewrites itself. But what’s to rewrite? It’s too beautiful already.
Memorable quotes: You can get home, but you can’t get in. Locks are like longing (an ever-changing thing), and keys are just clouds made of metal and spark. We knew exactly who we were, and yet couldn’t quite say who we still are.
Trip Planner: Hangovers off, shoes on, and out the door.
Alamo Race Track - Stanley vs. Hanna - It may be the first verse (quoted below), or the ghostly chorus singing “don’t forget that number I wrote on the back of your hand”, or a million other things…but I listen to this song and I am suddenly a decade younger, sitting in the middle of a three-ring circus, tripping on acid. It is an odd experience.
Memorable quotes: Don’t trust a man with the creepy little eyes. He is at once a friend, but you’re scared inside. Then, he beats you up ’cause you bust his lip, and you ask yourself, “What have I done?” Then, he locks you up in the trunk of his car.
Trip Planner: It is around that time for feet to begin hurting, but with the destination finally in sight, who can help but get a little skip in their step?
The Owls - Isaac Bashevis Singer - Such a sweet little song about nothing. A three-and-a-half-minute biography about, not the Nobel Prize-winning author, but Isaac Bashevis Singer the man. The sort of man you want as your best friend: well off, far from snobby, comfortably hospitable, and always has a stocked bar.
Memorable quotes: Isaac Bashevis Singer, he didn’t always live in New York, but he knows about the ladies.
Trip Planner: Kick off those shoes, and feel the grass beneath your feet.
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here - Actress Zooey Deschanel is the she of She & Him, and M. Ward is the he. And…I don’t know, when was the last time M. Ward produced something bad? In other news, Deschanel’s voice rings with such soft innocence, but where does it come from? A prize to whoever can tell me her secret; my guess is sun showers and rainbows.
Memorable quotes: Why don’t you sit right down and stay a while? We like the same things, and I like your style. It’s not a secret, why do you keep it? I’m just sitting on the shelf.
Trip Planner: Can’t you take a hint? Just sit right down and soak in the day.
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position - John Cusack in High Fidelity spoke on the problem of starting a mix with the best song. Give a person what they want straightaway, and who knows if they’ll ever make it past track one? A song like this has to be buried in the middle, tucked away until the sun and birds have infused you with such hope and love that you can’t even imagine things getting any better.
Memorable quotes: It’s you who puts me in the magic position, darling. Now, you put me in the magic position to live, to learn, to love in the major key.
Trip Planner: Oh fuck! The ice cream man is here!
But don’t worry, there’s always more.
Side Two: Set the dial to random and volume up to awesome:
Hospital Bombers - The Devil’s Music
Two Hours Traffic - Nighthawks
The LK - Private Life of a Cat
Evan Voytas - We’d Be Good Together
Feist - Feel It All (Britt from Spoon Remix)
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - I Can’t Tell In His EyesTrip Planner: Stomachs full, the only thing left to do is wait until the sun sets and the moon rises, dancing and lazying all the meanwhile.
Atlas Sound – Winter Vacation - Let’s start this mix off with a little reminder of winter. This slow churner comes from the solo project of Bradford James Cox from Deerhunter. This sonic atmosphere of ambience has so much to pick out of it, but only works as its magnificent whole.
Born Ruffians – Hummingbird - Next, an upbeat groover from Canadian indie-rockers Born Ruffians takes us away from the chill and right into a warm happy place. The “uh-uh-oh-oh’s” from singer Luke Lalonde are sure to get you smiling, and bopping along.
Fleet Foxes – Mykonos - Now, after all that joy, we need a cool soother. This Seattle five-some are perfect for this. Taking their cues from CSNY, they create calming melodies in a style which they like to call “baroque harmonic pop jams.” Harmony, oh yes.
She & Him – This Is Not a Test - When Zooey Deschanel decides to record an album, she chooses M. Ward to work with. Resulting is the Volume One album of her ‘60s pop type of songs. “This Is Not a Test” certainly sounds this way with its simplicity…take a listen!
Miracle Fortress – Little Trees - Another calm one, this song has vocals very similar to Loney, Dear with music providing a similar simple cheer as well. You will certainly get lost in its breezy feel.
Ra Ra Riot – Dying Is Fine - Time to pick up the beat a bit with another groover from a band from Syracuse University. The seven members play a variety of instruments, and with how they use their strings, they get a fair comparison to Arcade Fire. You’ll definitely be a-toe-tapping here.
Plants and Animals – Good Friend - Even more Canadians bring this song with light intensity. You can feel it in their vocals and in the continuous plunking of the guitars. If that’s not enough, wait for the arrangements at the end.
Grand Archives – Sleepdriving - Easily the saddest sounding (and easily the best) pop song I’ve heard in awhile, this one comes from former-Band of Horses’ member Mat Brooke and his new band. Its bittersweet harmonies and slow progressions should completely cloak your ears with amazement.
Destroyer – Leopard of Honor - Daniel Bejar is back with his own odd style of song-writing (and his odd voice, of course). He tells his story set to truly Destroyer music until the song fades away with some nice “la-la’s” from Bejar.
Man Man – Doo Right - Just Honus Honus at the piano, playing and singing his song about heartbreak, “Doo Right” is another truly unique Man Man song. A perfect closer to this mix.
naked mix #6 (3/18/08)
Posted on March 18, 2008
in Undressing the Internet, music, naked mix, quotes
There are two days left of snow and cold, two days before the skies clear and warmth pours down again on this side of the world. A running thread through the last few naked mixes was a strong disdain for everything winter, and the songs tried to keep the cold at bay until at least a moment or two of dancing and smiles could be had. But with the dreaded season finally coming to a close, I am dedicating this mix to sitting alone in bed with the covers drawn tight while the wind beats at the window.
When possible, lyrics will replace any prosaic exposition.
BARR - Untitled - The melancholy of this song, more than any guilt from consistently cheapening an entire season, is the soul of this mix. Listening to Brendan Fowler slowly speak to us about a friend too into something that is destroying their life, sounding as if he is reading a letter directly to that friend, is heartbreaking. This is an intervention backed by fragile music. And when Fowler finally sings (and it’s just two lines, just “you have to make it out” and “when you make it out“), you want to hug and assure him things will be okay as soon as the snow clears.
I don’t know if I can save everyone, but I’m taking you with me, ’cause I need you and you need you, and we… you and I need you, and this world needs you. Even this world… not this small dark world, but the big earth, even with less room has space for you, and that’s a really important space.
Jason Anderson - On Vacation - Jason Anderson speaks here through old telephone lines and faraway geographies, filled with a nostalgia one could only know with eyes closed and mind imagining endless white plains. This is the song you sing softly to an answering machine after you’ve killed an entire bottle of liquor and found that box of old love letters under your bed, hidden away in that corner you were so sure at the time you would never find again. (thx eca records)
And you just sort of sat there, and you had a cigarette… then it burned down, right to… right down to your fingers, and you let it drop on the cold asphalt. And I think of that, and I think that’s, like, really the night that we sort of fell for each other, you know? As people, as friends, and… I know that so much has changed since then, but I’ll always remember that night on the street.
The Avett Brothers - If It’s The Beaches
If it’s the beaches…if it’s the beaches’ sands you want, then you will have them. If it’s the mountains’ bending rivers, then you will have them. If it’s the wish to run away, then I will grant it. Take whatever you think of while I go gas up the truck. Pack the old love letters up; we will read them when we forget why we left here.
Okkervil River - Listening to Otis Redding During Christmas - New Hampshire must have soil soaked with pensiveness and heaviness. This song is dedicated to all those who have drove through their hometowns feeling like strangers, reminiscing over the past when a surreal and grand future seemed right around the corner. Alternatively, to that first real love that never leaves your head. (thx okkervil river)
I know that it’s home because that’s where the stereo sings “I’ve got dreams to remember.” But not even home can be with you forever. It’s Christmastime and the plane flies me over white hills to a town in a dream, where the sky is frozen and still, and a room (that’s not mine but it’s just like I left it before, with the wax from the candles all dusty and locks on the door) where I held you so tenderly, and where in summer I opened your letter to me.
Nathan Larson - Aviva Pastoral - Brooding and haunting, this track has been slowly permeating my head for the past few weeks. Most well known for soundtracking the demise of a chocolate bunny, I warn you it is the sort of track that ingrains itself deep, and you may not realize it until you turn off the lights to sleep, only to hear it emanating from phantasmal speakers.
Mechanical Bride - Umbrella - Mechanical Bride completely rips the lyrics from their pop shell and runs them through a dark blender. The airy bells, sharp piano, and reverberating vocals make this cover much different than the original R&B track, and maybe even more ghostly than “Aviva Pastoral” above.
Jaymay - Gray or Blue - Okay okay okay, it is due time for something with a little pace to it. “Gray or Blue” is nothing profound, but it is everything unrequited romance is: quiet and unpredictable and hopeful and sad. On their own, the lyrics may seem trite even, but Jaymay sings with such sincerity and emotion that you can’t help but develop a crush of your own.
And I’m winning you with words because I have no other way // I want to look into your face without your eyes turnin away // Last night I watched you sing because a person has to try // And I walked home in the rain because a person cannot lie
Kat Flint - Go Faster Stripes - Don’t say I never bring you nice things.
The next naked mix will be more upbeat, I promise. All puppy dogs and hand grenades hand jobs happiness and everything else that goes into all that Spring pandemonium. We’ll enter the new day with bang.
It is three weeks into February, and I have had it up to here with this winter business. Punching the wind hasn’t had much effect, nor have the many concerned letters to a number of gods, so a naked mix is in order. 11+2 songs to brighten those blues, whatever color they may be.
Tracklisting:
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining (The Avalanches Good Word for the Weekend Remix) - Every bit as smooth as the original, this Avalanches remix injects the somber Badly Drawn Boy version with a few ounces of sunshine. What better way to begin the day then by listening to this song? “And suddenly you’re in love with everything,” croons Damon Gough, and you can just imagine the blue skies and bright sun rising behind him.
Hello Saferide - San Francisco - “It’s time to call in sick, and pack your bags,” because we’re going to San Francisco. I wrote previously on Maia Hirasawa, who does backup vocals for Hello Saferide and learned much of her trade from her time in this Swedish twee-pop band. Listen for: hand claps, lead singer Annika Norlin.
Pelle Carlberg - Riverbank - It really seems impossible to compose an upbeat mix of warm songs for warm weather days without drawing heavily on those damn Swedes. Xylophone, light guitars, and is that a kazoo? Pelle Carlberg, you had me at do do do.
Benji Cossa - Sunset - I am convinced Benji Cossa created this song solely to defy expectations. How fun, he must have wondered, can a song entitled “Sunset” really be? Take all the languor typical of the early evening hours and throw them away. Cossa’s builds his sunsets from hand waving and playing under the covers.
Voxtrot - Soft and Warm (Daytrotter Session) - I want to rough things up for a moment. Voxtrot is an Austin, TX band introduced to me by the illustrious Christina Hood, and the combination of them, Okkervil River, and Spoon makes me think someone should rename the city to New Sweden. You know, because the city breeds some fantastic bits of music. Also, my first-choice Voxtrot song was “Kid Gloves”, but it was scrapped when I realized it wasn’t a Counting Crows cover.
Pinewood Derby - October - A catchy, rough (I warned you) song, made even rougher by the poor recording quality. Maryn Jones manages lead vocals, mustering all the buttery goodness she can. Fans of this song will have to settle for a few MySpace tracks; the band is on hiatus until April, just in time for spring.
Boris Smile - Adventures with Rockets - “The stars are in your eyes, and that’s just a stupid pickup line, but I’ll use it since there are no planets in sight. I love your pearl white boots, and your skintight rocket suit.” RIYL: swooning, astronomy, punk rock pop star love.
Jens Lekman - Boisa-bis-o-boisa - One last trip to Sweden, I promise. This time the kids are coming with, and they’re bringing strings.
Mallu Magalhães - J1 - History shows hand claps, singing children, or steel drums are all you need for a good song. So who is Mallu Magalhães? Likening her to un Feist (o Cat Power) pequito is a good start, but for now she’s just a 15-year-old from Brazil with a little pop in her dreams.
Over the Rhine - I’m On A Roll - Somewhere between settling on Americana and folk, Over the Rhine decided to record a song that sounds straight from Cat Power’s The Greatest. “I’m On A Roll” is for that lazy bike ride through the country alongside dirt roads and horse-drawn carriages. Pink cotton candy clouds and pet tyrannosaurus rexes.
Jason Anderson - Tonight (live) - The eponymous track from Jason Anderson’s latest album, this one headlines the act on the record, but I wanted to end the show with a bang. “Tonight” is straightforward indie pop rock, eight minutes long and never boring. Plus, it uses that secret ingredient of goodness: crowd participation. (Anyone falling in love with this live rendition, Tonight the album is every bit as energetic.) In the musical of my life, it is night time in the city, and I am singing this song, dancing down the street with a smile on my face and stars in my eyes.
Bonus tracks for Japanese release only:
Maritime - Boy From School - Something about Davey von Bohlen’s vocals make this Hot Chip cover an even darker vein of pop than the original. Best for climbing the stairs toward a New York City apartment at night, neon signs glowing through the window, party at the end of the hall with good friends and pretty girls to keep the cold away.
The Elected - Would You Come With Me - Would you?
This is a mix to remind you of the winter. Start it knowing full and well that it’s cold out, but forget that and take off your clothes and feel the music anyway. Then, remember the cold and enjoy the frost-bite!
Tracklisting:
1. Evangelicals – Snowflakes - This mellow song about the snow in the air and on the ground will get you in that comfortable mood as the surreal music plays with those soft vocals that soothe you into a daze.
2. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ghost in the Graveyard - Then, let the daze continue with the dissonant fuzz of these siblings from Philadelphia. The far-off vocals let you slip out from reality (and the cold), and into your own little world.
3. The Owls – Welcome to Monday - Now you’ve left the cold and you listen to this light twee pop song that literally welcomes you. It may seem too calm, but that’s just how the music gets you trusting enough to undress.
4. Shocking Pinks – Second Hand Girl - The grooves begin now with this upbeat song. It still has the calming vocals and fuzzed out guitars that should win you over completely.
5. wheat – Move=Move - And, if you haven’t fallen captive to the music yet, this is the one to do it. The serene voice of Scott Levesque assures you that “the things that you love come naturally” and you know it with how easily this song enters your heart.
6. Vampire Weekend – M79 - The cold is long gone as you listen to M79, easily the most catchy, complex song from the amazing debut by these guys from Columbia College. It is truly magnificent with its fleeting strings and Ezra Koenig’s unrestrained yelp-y vocals. If you haven’t started undressing yet, you soon will.
7. The Tough Alliance – The Last Dance - Once the dancing begins, the clothes start coming off. Close your eyes and jump around the room to the synth-ed out music from this Swedish duo. Know, however, that this is not your last dance, as the song’s title suggests.
8. Studio – Out There - Contradicting the previous song’s title, the dancing continues in a much more dazed out manner. Perhaps this is because the cold starts to come back to you just a bit, but the clothes are still falling off, as the music commands. Another Swedish group, Studio takes their cues from New Order and makes incessantly groove-able electronic music. For these 16 minutes, the music works itself into you, and that’s exactly what you want.
9. Les Savy Fav – Comes & Goes - As soon as Studio ends, Les Savy Fav brings you back to the real world with the help of Emily Haines, and the clothes are all gone! You don’t mind too much as this bittersweet song assures you that it’s better not too care too much and let it all happen as it should.
10. Yeasayer – Wintertime - Then, Yeasayer kicks in with their post-apocalyptic music that brings the frost in full effect. The chill sets in with Chris Keating’s vibrant vocals giving you a sense of unease as this mix comes to a close and you are completely frozen. However, just know that it’s all solid, solid gold.
Just under the wire, here it is: the naked mix: Holiday Special Funk Hop Dance Extravaganzarama.
Rosko - Peacemaker - I hear it’s a holiday, but my work is never done, and funk doesn’t stop for anything. I’m the earth shaker, the earth quaker. Codename: Peacemaker. Put this one on with the lights down low, spotlight on the doorway as you burst through for your grand entrance. The family will love it.
C-Mon and Kypski - Shitty Bum - You’ve had your entrance music playing for three and a half minutes now, building the tension. All eyes on you. So get on that dance floor, and bust a groove. It’s time to get funky fresh.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Keep On Looking (Kenny Dope Remix) - Break it down. Kenny Dope stretches out this originally 3-minute wonder, keeping faithful but infusing the song with even more funk. (Who even knew that was possible!) This is where you get out of the spotlight, and let the whole family get to jumping.
Kira Neris - Open Doors - We’re going to take a break here. A couple tracks worth of relaxation; just enough to trick everyone into thinking that’s the end of the show. Let the crowd disperse a little, conversations rising slowly over the downtempo beats of Kira Neris. Take a breather yourself. Your time will come again soon enough.
Micky Green - Oh! - Nap time isn’t over yet, but let’s see if we can’t get some of the family back onto the dance floor. I don’t know if this song owes more to Renaud Létang’s production or Micky Green’s, but it has that perfect combination of electronic beats and subdued vocals that says there’s some energy coming right around the corner.
Dujeous - Shades of Green (featuring Jigsaw and Delta) - Fuck yes. Infectious beats. Vitriolic lyrics. The formula for opening eyes and getting patrons swaying in their seats.
Outlines - Now That I’m Free (featuring RZA) - You probably don’t realize this, but I was raised on New Jersey ska, top 40 stations, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Yes. So excuse my affinity for anything featuring one of the founding members, but this track features great rhymes and a built-in mashup sound that I can’t resist.
Johnnie Taylor - Rome (Wasn’t Built in a Day) - A dedication to all those hurting for love on this wintery eve: How would Romeo feel if his Juliet had turned down his advances and played hard-to-get? He wouldn’t have let this bother him, I know, because where there’s life, there’s hope. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The naked mix as it was meant to be. Eight great tracks, a ninth one to use as you see fit, and an introduction that is done right now.
Tracklist:
1. The Acorn - The Flood Pt. 1 - The naked mix is intended more as a trail mix than a full-fledged mixtape, but when those hard drum beats came, and hand claps followed, I knew “The Flood Pt. 1″ was a perfect opener. Recommended listening session: middle of the day, driving on back roads on your way to the wine vineyards in northern California, hand floating outside the window.
2. Bishop Allen - Click Click Click Click - Every mixtape needs a track you know everyone already loves. Thank you, Bishop Allen, for pushing that sun high into the sky with this radio-friendly pop ditty.
3. Broadcast 2000 - Get Up and Go - I am nothing if not a sucker for indie songs with strings. And xylophone?! Broadcast 2000 has been reading the handbook for my heart. (Andrew Bird, I blame you for sharing my secrets. I thought we had something special!)
4. Bon Iver - Skinny Love - Let’s turn the lights out for a moment. Let’s go out into the night for a moment, and listen to the insects singing softly. Let’s listen to Justin Vernon singing around a low fire, like some austere TV On The Radio, armed with only an acoustic guitar. Let’s see the love and heartbreak dripping from his lips.
5. Tulsa - Mass - Another song to fill that late night air. Pop this one in the tape deck when the sun’s coming up, and your ears aren’t quite ready for anything that doesn’t sound like its covered in grit.
6. Service Group - Summer Sunn - Well, the sun had to rise sometime. And sometimes waking up is like getting into a pool: you need to blast some catchy powerpop and jump right in.
7. Springfactory - Get Out of Bed - Can Sweden do no wrong? I am convinced the sun never sets there, and everyone is raised on a diet of sugar and smiles. (Not like Iceland, which exports mostly post-rock, orchestra, and tears.) Add Springfactory to an ever-growing list of pop wonders coming from the same country that gave us Sondre Lerche and Peter Bjorn and John.
8. Maia Hirasawa - Crackers - And the list grows longer. This year marks Maia’s foray into the spotlight, and I am thankful for it. Consider her Sweden’s response to that Canadian vixen Leslie Feist.
Spare tire:
Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost - Use only if Tulsa is out of commission, or if you are looking for something with a bit more kick at the end to lead into Service Group. You know, like those “organic” alarm clocks that slowly raise the levels of the music and lights to wake you up as Mother Nature intended. Another simile: “Is There a Ghost” is like taking the stairs to ever-so-gently get into the pool, only to have that hot next door neighbor come along a minute later and pull you in.
The naked mix is a new offering brought to you by the undressed internet (and sponsored by us beautiful automatons at UMR). Every Monday, an assortment of sweet sounds will be posted, culled from the endless web of free (legal!) music floating around the internets. Some will be new, and some will be new to you, but hopefully all will be a delight. So have a listen, attire optional.
This grand-opening mix is a collection sure to get rid of those winter blues (or whatever it is that doesn’t have you out of your chair and dancing). I promise to not harp on nudity next week, but Josh Ritter starts off, asking “did I mention how I love you in your underwear?” From there we turn to a Death Cab for Cutie spin-off, Iron Man’s late sister, and finally end the whole show off with the most hand claps this side of the Mississippi.
Download: 1. Josh Ritter - To the Dogs or Whoever, 2. Jack Penate - Second, Minute, or Hour, 3. Chris Walla - Sing Again, 4. Annuals - Bleary Eyed, 5. Cheyenne - The Whale, 6. Devin Davis - Iron Woman, 7. Ham1 - Hare Lipped Bust, 8. Duquette Johnston - Babies and Diamonds, 9. Madeline - I Left the Light On
undressing the internet
Photoshop CS 4WES0MEWhy so serious?
You’ve Got Regret!
Proud to be a Parody
Lando Carter
music
Nana Grizol - Love It Love ItGablé - 7 Guitars with a Cloud of Milk
Why? - Alopecia
Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
Rings - Black Habit
graphic novels
Astonishing X-Men #23The Umbrella Academy #1
Rex Mundi #7
Doktor Sleepless #1 & #2
The Last Fantastic Four Story
concerts
Man Man, The Extraordinaires (3/22/08)The Walkmen, White Rabbits, The Triggers (1/16/08)
Electric Six, We Are The Fury, The Resistors (11/07/07)
Jens Lekman (10/29/07)
interviews
SymeJamie Tanner
Texas is the Reason
Jason Anderson
Body Without Organs
movies
Tropic ThunderIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Ruins
There Will be Blood
No Country for Old Men
features
USA NUMBA 1Best Musical Albums of 2007, Belated
Spotlight on Hong Kong Six