Mixtape: I’m Your Dolly

DOWNLOAD: VA – I’m Your Dolly (zip)

01 NOMO “Waiting”
02 Paper “Out of it Into It”
03 We’ll Go Machete “All at Sea”
04 Fruit Bats “Primitive Band”
05 Fontan “The Bridge”
06 Tyondai Braxton “Uffie’s Woodshop”
07 White Denim “Regina Holding Hands”
08 The Big Pink “Dominos”
09 Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros “Carries On”
10 Mew “Repeater Beater”
11 Mother’s Auxiliary “A Short Crescendo”
12 The Flaming Lips “Convinced of the Hex”
13 Highlife “F Kenya Rip”
14 Musette “2 Mars”
15 Crocodiles “Refuse Angels”
16 Patrick Wolf “Hard Times”
17 Other Lives “The Partisan”

Mixtape: Death & Texas

My submission for Yewknee’s Summer Mix Series includes songs that are about or mention Texas. I tried to steer clear (forgive the pun) of country music. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: Death & Texas (zip)

01 ZZ Top “La Grange”
02 Roxy Music “Prairie Rose”
03 David Pajo “Bullet”
04 Spoon “Anything You Want”
05 AJ Croce “Texas Ruby”
06 Big Black “Texas”
07 Fiery Furnaces “Drive to Dallas”
08 Pavement “Texas Never Whispers”
09 Mountain Goats “The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton”
10 The Church “Texas Moon”
11 Silver Jews “Dallas”
12 7 Seconds “4 A.M. in Texas”
13 Unwound “Go To Dallas & Take a Left”
14 Hermeto Pascoal “Santo Antonio”

Mixtape: Where Was My Mind, Pts. 1-4

For a couple years now, I’ve been saying that I’m going to make some mixes of everything I really loved in the ’90s. I came of age in that decade: discovered classic rock with my dad, went to my first show, fell in love with my first radio station, and became punk rock’s underage love child. This is a four part mix, featuring songs and bands that helped define my formative listening years. Naturally there’s a bunch of stuff I listened to that isn’t here – I’m focusing on the dirty, gritty, pre-emo and loud this time. I cheat just a bit with a couple of softer tunes, but they belong here. Shoe-gazing depression mix comes next. Follow the jump for the rest of the discs.

DOWNLOAD: Where Was My Mind, Pt 1 (zip)

Disc One
01 Men’s Recovery Project “Domestic Phone Call (Artificial Leg Remix)”
02 Christie Front Drive “Dyed on 8″
03 Seam “Berlitz”
04 Manumission “Guillotine”
05 Ordination of Aaron “Parthenon”
06 Home “Bad Vibrations”
07 Hoover “Breather Resist”
08 Hum “Isle of the Cheetah”
09 Fingerprint “Liberation”
10 Policy of 3 “Jet Black”
11 Boys Life “Golf Hill Drive”

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Mixtape: I Am the Black Gold of the Sun

DOWNLOAD: I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (zip)

01 The Stranglers “Peaches”
02 Mew “Repeater Beater”
03 Abe Vigoda “Wild Heart”
04 Spiral Stairs “Maltese Terrier”
05 The Monks “Pretty Suzanne”
06 Indian Jewelry “Health & Well Being”
07 Robert Wyatt “Kew Rhone”
08 White Denim “I Start to Run”
09 International Waters “Salt & Sea”
10 The Feelies “Dancing Barefoot”
11 Jim Ford “Love On My Brain”
12 Final Fantasy & Ed Droste “Possibly Maybe”
13 Rotary Connection “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun”
14 Public Enemy “Welcome to the Terrordome”

Ghost Science: A Flux-Rad Mixtape

There’s quire a bit of variety on this mix, and I have to say it does reflect the corresponding listening moods I’ve had in recent weeks. After a thrilling Trash Talk show at Chaos in Tejas this week, a handful of random MySpace gems (Paper, Reading Rainbow) and a serious retro / post-punk habit, I’m fluctuating between needing a Xanax and a beach nap and beating cabin fever (and lots of looming deadlines) with sheer volume and musical density. There’s something for everyone here, and if you miss Iron Maiden, you’ll thank me for Mantic Ritual later. Though to be fair, I have Mondo Salvo to thank for that find.

DOWNLOAD: Ghost Science (zip)

01 Mount Kimbie “Maybes”
02 The Bony King of Nowhere “Everything I Like”
03 Jacuzzi Boys “I Fought a Crocodile”
04 Wildildlife “Shining Son”
05 Random Patterns “Corruption in the Licorice Den”
06 Pink Mountaintops “Holiday”
07 Head of Wantastiquet “Mortange”
08 The Paper Chase “The Common Cold”
09 Eve Risser “Line”
10 Paper “Out of It Into It”
11 Reading Rainbow “In the City”
12 Teeth Mountain “Ghost Science”
13 Zombi “Cosmic Powers”
14 Wilco “Bull Black Nova”
15 Pajo “Angelfuck”
16 Mantic Ritual “Death and Destruction”
17 Trash Talk “Revelation”

Lonesome, On’ry & Mean: A Flux-Rad Mixtape

Here’s what I listened to while getting ready to go out of town.

01 Caddywhompus “This Is Where We Blaze the Nuggz”
02 Abe Vigoda “House”
03 David Bowie “Word on a Wing”
04 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy “Theme for the Young at Heart”
05 James Chance & the Contortions “Contort Yourself”
06 Pavement “False Skorpion”
07 Queen “All Dead, All Dead”
08 Pterodactyl “First Daze”
09 The Nation of Ulysses “The Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken By Storm”
10 Paul Westerberg “Born for Me”
11 Unwound “Go to Dallas and Take a Left”
12 Waylon Jennings “Lonesome, On’ry & Mean”
13 Wu-Tang Clan “Shame on a Nigga”

Download: VA – Lonesome, On’ry & Mean (zip)

Mixtape: 30 Ton Press

VA – 30 Ton Press (zip)
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Mixtape: I Want to Believe

DOWNLOAD: I Want to Believe (zip)

01 Sholi “All That We Can See”
02 Bibio “Over the Hills & Far Away”
03 Takeo Toyama “Bobbin”
04 Corto Maltese “The Kiss Off”
05 Prefuse 73 “Preparation’ Kids Choir”
06 Elvis Perkins in Dearland “I Heard Your Voice in Dresden”
07 Mountains “Sheets Two”
08 Deradoorian “Weed Jam”
09 Blk Jks “Lakeside”
10 Akron/Family “Everyone Is Guilty”
11 Prefuse 73 “Sexual Fantasy Scale”
12 The Veils “Sit Down By the Fire”
13 John Stewart “July, You’re a Woman”
14 Wetnurse “Life at Stake”

Mixtape: You Look Like a Kitty

I’m burning this one for the car – it’s that much fun. The kitty mix includes a couple tracks from the upcoming HIV/AIDS awareness compilation by 4AD Dark Was the Night, two incredible songs from Austin upstarts (Corto Maltese, Leatherbag), a pinch of flashback (Richard Swift, Thom Hell), a dash of Seattle (J Tillman) and a hop across the pond for the Hot Chip collaboration that didn’t involve Peter Gabriel, the Geese-remixed EP with Robert Wyatt. Oh, and make it all the way through for a special treat from David Byrne, covering Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Just perfect.

DOWNLOAD: VA – You Look Like a Kitty (zip)

01 The Books & Jose Gonzalez “Cello Song”
02 Thom Hell “A Day and a Half”
03 The Middle East “Fools Gold”
04 Here We Go Magic “Everything’s Big”
05 Leatherbag “Autumn Leaves”
06 Hot Chip w/ Robert Wyatt & Geese “Whistle for Will”
07 Richard Swift “Lady Luck”
08 Big Star “Morpha Too” (Rough Mix from Ardent Session)
09 DM Stith “Just Once”
10 Dirty Projectors & David Byrne “Knotty Pine”
11 Vetiver “More of This”
12 Andrew Bird “Master Sigh”
13 J. Tillman “New Imperial Grand Blues”
14 Corto Maltese “Answer, Answer”
15 Koen Holtkamp “You Mean the World to Me”
16 Scott Tuma “Heeler”
17 David Byrne “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
18 Eric Copeland “Untitled 5″

Mixtape: Flux-Rad 2008, Pt 4

This might be my favorite part of the series. This collection was really fun to put together, and a handful of the songs were late discoveries for me, so I’m still excited about them. The Clash tune is from Santogold and Diplo’s Top Ranking. The Pavement tune is from the Nicene Creed edition of Brighten the Corners, out tomorrow on Matador. Roger Damawuzan’s song is from this year’s African Scream Contest compilation. Tomorrow’s Friend, the Silver Jews song and the Sam Jayne tune (my favorite on this mix) are all from the Living Bridge compilation. If you hadn’t given Paul McCartney’s new album a chance, maybe the Fireman song will change your mind – the record is shockingly good, very low on sap. Arms is Todd G. from Harlem Shakes, “Pocket” is a fantastic tune. California Raisins released a split 10″ with Cave this year, they’re incredible but mysterious.

DOWNLOAD: Flux=Rad’s 2008 Mixtape pt 4 (zip)

01 The Clash “Ghetto Defendant”
02 Pavement “Neil Hagerty Meets Jon Spencer in a Non-Alcoholic Bar”
03 Roger Damawuzan “Wait for Me”
04 White Denim “I Can Tell You”
05 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds “Lie Down (& Be My Girl)”
06 California Raisins “Prospectre to the Stars”
07 Circle “Connection”
08 Tomorrow’s Friend “Hats vs. Headbands”
09 The Fireman “Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight”
10 School of Language “Rockist, Pt 2″
11 Torche “Healer”
12 The Present “World I See”
13 Arms “Pocket”
14 The Silver Jews “Self Ignition”
15 No Age “Cappo”
16 Gang Gang Dance “First Communion”
17 Sam Jayne & the Simpson Sound System “Darker Still”

I think I’m done shoving mixtapes down your throat for a while … maybe.

Mixtape: Flux-Rad 2008, Pt. 3

Well, I guess I let myself get away from … myself. There are four 2008 mixtapes. Here is part three. A bit about these songs, quickly. The Shearwater song was recorded for the Esopus Magazine compilation. The Telepathe song is from the Living Bridge compilation from Rare Book Room Records. Mediums are a local instrumental outfit that quietly released one of the prettiest albums of the year (Altogether), and the Eastern Sea are also local and quite talented. And yes, the entire Sonar Kollektiv Orchester album is smooth ’70s stuff – brilliant. Finally, it looks like Fennesz will end up on several year end lists belonging to discerning and thoughtful listeners, so he’s not here — listen to Travis & Fripp instead.

DOWNLOAD: Flux=Rad Mixtape 2008, Pt 3 (zip)

01 My Two Toms “Handsome Dog”
02 The New Year “The Company I Can Get”
03 Sonar Kollektiv Orchester “l.o.v.e and you & i”
04 Travis & Fripp “Curious Liquids”
05 Baby Dee “Fresh Out of Candles”
06 Mediums “Not Until Now”
07 School of Seven Bells “Iamundernodisguise”
08 Arthur Russell “Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart”
09 Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh “Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa”
10 Telepathe “I Can’t Stand It”
11 The Eastern Sea “The Snow”
12 The Notwist “Alphabet”
13 Ilyas Ahmed “Under the Singing Sea”
14 Shearwater “Helix”
15 Fleetwood Mac “Never Forget (Cut Copy Lifelike Mix)”

Enjoy! Part four coming soon.

Mixtape: Flux-Rad 2008, Pt. 2

There are, naturally, a few things that didn’t make it on to part one or two of my year end mixtape, but they’ll reappear when I share my worthless list of favorites from the year. This mix is pretty all over the place, but you’ll forgive – there’s a nice mix of eclectic and straight pop (the Mother Mother song in particular, though I was turned off by the record as a whole). Yes, there are two Lambchop songs. Wagner released OH and a tour only CD this year, and both are totally incredible. The tour only disc is entirely live covers, and I picked my favorite, a tune by the Buzzcocks. I was slow to crack on the Deerhunter record, mostly because everyone goes nuts and it makes me put it off … bad habit of mine. Yet, “Nothing Ever Happened” could very well be one of the finest songs released this year. I have Matt Dewitt to thank for pushing me to stop everything and listen. You’ll recognize Joose Keskitalo’s voice from the Nosedive mix, his ensemble Paavoharju released a gorgeous record this year. Unlike the first mix, which featured songs belonging to albums I could get behind in their entirety, this mix has a few stragglers, I bet you can pick them out. Hint: I’m a huge Grubbs fan but am so far underwhelmed by An Optimist Notes the Dusk. The Ruby Suns song is a cover of an El Guincho song, but I can vouch for their entire album, it was a quiet stunner for me this year.

DOWNLOAD: Flux=Rad 2008, Pt. 2 (zip)

01 Deerhunter “Nothing Ever Happened”
02 The Ruby Suns “Palmitos Park”
03 Okkervil River “Blue Tulip”
04 Young Widows “Old Skin”
05 Guapo “The Planks”
06 Goldmund “Finding It There”
07 Final Fantasy “Blue Imelda”
08 Hauschka “Rode Null”
09 Lambchop “Why Can’t I Touch It”
10 Tindersticks “The Organist Entertains”
11 Joose Keskitalo “Saimaan rannalla”
12 Mother Mother “Wrecking Ball”
13 David Grubbs “Holy Fool Music”
14 Helios “Fourteen Drawings”
15 Fleet Foxes “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”
16 Department of Eagles “Herring Bone”
17 Mount Eerie “Moon, I Already Know”
18 The Alps “Cloud One”
19 Benoit Pioulard “Ahn”
20 Nico Muhly “Skip Town”
21 Lambchop “Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King Jr.”

Mixtape: Margot Tenenbaum, Chapter 1

Earlier this week, Aaron reminded me of a fun mixtape challenge we worked on a couple years ago. The idea was to take two female film characters and create mixtapes for them – stuff we imagine they’d listen to in their car, things that seem to belong to them even though we could never be sure. In a lot of ways, the experiment has no right or wrong answers until you’ve really found a lot of good fits. One or two solid matches paves the way for the rest of the exercise, and obviously the strength and appeal of the character helps shape that process.

Aaron chose Urban Cowboy’s Sissy, which initially made me really jealous because I was totally head over heels for Boz Scaggs at the time. I knew he’d get to use “Lido,” (even though that’s cheating, because it was on the soundtrack) and it killed me. His mix turned out great, and includes tracks from Heart, Anne Murray, Randy Van Warmer, Dolly Parton and one of my favorite duets ever (not ironically, not as a guilty pleasure, for real): “You Belong to Me” by Michael McD and Carly Simon. Great mix, which you can download at Elastic Heart.

I chose Margot Tenenbaum, which is probably obvious at this point. I tried to choose songs that straddled the line between being things I feel like she’d like, and things that could easily be about her. I think I found a nice balance. This version has been cleaned up a bit, has new art than it did when I originally posted it on (now defunct) Swoon, and I removed a couple tracks that always nagged at me. There was a Feist song, it just didn’t work in the end. I removed John Cale’s “Antarctica Starts Here” and used “You Know More Than I Know” instead. Seems better to me. So, here’s the track list:

01 Elvis Costello & the Attractions “You Belong to Me”
02 Lou Reed “Perfect Day”
03 John Cale “You Know More Than I Know”
04 Silver Seas “Imaginary Girl”
05 Yes “Sweetness”
06 Big Star “I’m In Love With a Girl”
07 Crowded House “Not the Girl You Think You Are”
08 Cat Stevens “Wild World”
09 The Soft Boys “I Wanna Destroy You”
10 The Modern Lovers “Hospital”
11 Pavement “Summer Baby” (7″ version)
12 The Rolling Stones “Love in Vain”
13 Van Morrison “And It Stoned Me”
14 MC5 “Come Together”
15 Bob Dylan “4th Time Around”
16 Colin Blundstone “Say You Don’t Mind”
17 The Zombies “The Way I Feel Inside”

DOWNLOAD: VA – Margot Tenenbaum, Chapter 1 (zip)