Mark's Un-Herd Music Mix

Ladies and gentlemen, the Un-Herd Music is honored to present its first guest blogger: the esteemed Mark, well-known in certain circles as a multi-talented man of the arts, bass slinger in fave rock 'n' roll combo Sour Jazz, and all-around debauched libertine. He has concocted a mix for the ages, which is presented below in all its unfettered glory.




Mark's Un-Herd Music Mix

01 Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males - Checkout Cutie

02 Americo - Damedyo

03 The Rats - Turtle Dove

04 Barry Adamson - Spend a Little Time

05 Doctors of Madness - Waiting

06 The Yellow Monkey - マリーに口づけ

07 Lieutenant Pigeon - Mouldy Old Dough

08 Tex Perkins - Darkside

09 Spencer P Jones - Terrorise Your Friends

10 Iggy Pop - Ready To Run

11 Silver Ginger 5 - Girls Are Better Than Boys

12 Rosso - 1000 のタンバリン

13 Rowland S Howard - [I Know] A Girl Called Jonny

14 Julian Cope - Dying to Meet You

15 The Butcher Shop - No Fear

16 Mo'some Tonebender - You Are Rock & Roll

17 Anita Lane - Jesus Almost Got Me

18 Hugo Race - Spirit World Rising

19 Louis Tillett - Liferaft [live version]

20 Thee Hypnotics - Kissed By the Flames

21 Mink DeVille - Heaven Stood Still

Mark sez:

I'm not really sure what -- if anything -- ties all these songs together, apart from the fact that I love these songs, and that I hope they'll be new and agreeable to anyone who bothers to download and knock an ear to them. I know that I truly love a song when hearing it makes me wish that I'd either written it or played on the session... and all twenty one of these do that to me.

'Checkout Cutie' by Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males definitely scoops up the prize for Single Of The Decade in my book, with the proper balance of raunch and catchiness. This is Australian, as are the tracks by Tex Perkins, The Butcher Shop, Spencer P Jones, Louis Tillett, Hugo Race and Anita Lane. 'Darkside' is Tex Perkins' contribution to a tribute album to Aboriginal legend Kev Carmody, and Tex also handles lead vocals on 'No Fear' by The Butcher Shop, which boasts a simple but soaring guitar solo. Spencer P. Jones is Tex's bandmate in the mighty Beasts of Bourbon, and this particular track, 'Terrorise Your Friends,' is just one of many highlights from his vast heap of solo albums. The Louis Tillett track, 'Liferaft,' is a cracking live recording, which builds very nicely into a storming horn section. Louis Tillett, like so many others, is a criminally under-rated artist deserving of much more recognition. Hugo Race, Anita Lane and Rowland S. Howard are all former bandmates of Nick Cave's, with Rowland's track, '[I Know] A Girl Called Jonny' being my pick for best track of 2009. Barry Adamson is another former bandmate of Cave's, and his recent 'Spend A Little Time' is one of this decade's finest.

Americo, The Yellow Monkey, Rosso and Mo'some Tonebender are all Japanese bands that manage to deliver, despite the language barrier. I stumbled upon Americo when they supported us in Tokyo, and they knocked me sideways before they even finished their soundcheck. There's very little that I'm able to say about Rosso, Mo'some Tonebender or The Yellow Monkey aside from the fact that Rosso features Yusuke Chiba on vocals and guitar... formerly of Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. The Yellow Monkey, now defunct, were absolutely huge in Japan, and wear their love for Mott The Hoople on their sleeves. That ain't a bad thing at all, in my book.

'Dying To Meet You' by Julian Cope is the best non-Iggy Iggy record ever... a remarkably riff-worthy accomplishment. 'Ready To Run' is proof positive that Iggy himself is still able to achieve greatness... although it remains a complete mystery as to why this track from the 'Skull Ring' sessions was left off the album and relegated to Japanese b-side status.

The Rats' 'Turtle Dove' and Lieutenant Pigeon's 'Mouldy Old Dough' are masterpieces of early 70s UK glam, while 'Girls Are Better Than Boys' gives a nod in similar direction. Modern man would be wise to search out Silver Ginger 5's lone album, 'Black Leather Mojo'... Silver Ginger 5 being a one-off side project from Ginger out of The Wildhearts. 'Waiting,' by Doctors of Madness, is another 70s UK track that makes me wonder what the hell the British Class of 76 was rebelling against. Seldom has the violin rocked so mightily. And as for 'Mouldy Old Dough,' this is the rare 1974 version of their 1972 smash hit, with some tasty guitar replacing the original version's plonking piano track, which was played by the drummer's elderly mother. That version can be dug here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy32skBSHs0

Thee Hypnotics were one of the very few great bands of the 90s, and 'Kissed By The Flames' is a track that I keep returning to all the time. Like 'Liferaft' by Louis Tillett, it builds and builds, sets itself alight, and really takes off in a way that not many songs do. Singer Jim Jones' latest band, the Jim Jones Revue, is well worth looking into, and can be found here: www.myspace.com/thejimjonesrevue

And that leaves only 'Heaven Stood Still,' by Mink DeVille... my favourite track by one of my favourite artists. Willy DeVille sadly passed away in 2009 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and will never be replaced.

Best of '09 (Vol. III)

A final volume in my on-going mixes of my fave songs of the year. This is all leading up to an eventual Un-Herd Music Top 20, which will arrive as soon as I can get off my ass and compile it.

So That's How It Is

1. Dan Mangan Tina's Glorious Comeback
2. Gin Wigmore Oh My
3. Sour Jazz Masquerader
4. Like A Martyr And By Coffee I Mean Drugs
5. Chuck Prophet American Man
6. This Modern Station Evangelina
7. Reno Bo You Don't Know
8. Cheap Star Willing Reason
9. The Raveonettes Bang!
10. Norfolk & Western So That's How It Is
11. Philadelphia Grand Jury Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night)
12. The Sun Watch Out
13. Heavy Trash Good Man
14. Paul Westerberg Drop Them Gloves
15. The Dirty Strangers Don't Come Easy
16. Rat Silo Oh, Fuck Off Tony
17. Band of Skulls Fires
18. Ike Reilly The Reformed Church of the Assault Rifle Band
19. Gidgets Ga Ga Hit By A Train
20. The DomNicks Party's Over (pt. 2)
21. The Almighty Defenders Bow Down And Die
22. The Kill Devil Hills I Don't Think This Shit Can Last Much Longer

25 Songs of Christmess

Ah... Christmas. If the consumerist pressures aren't enough to break you, then surely the non-stop holiday music will. Admit it, if you have to listen to another round of those earnest, choral hymns and/or chirpy yule ditties you may have to eat your own head to make it stop.

And you can't fight it. Nope. It's Christmas, ferchrissakes. In order to fight you'd either have to declare war on friends, family, and immediate culture - maybe go live in a cave or forage in the snowy forests for seeds and berries - and that's not gonna happen if you're even halfway sane.

So instead of an outright fight, why not offer a compromise? And by compromise, I mean this mix. Slip it in the player at the next family Christmas event, settle back, and bliss out over the 80 minutes of actual decent music - and make sure to appreciate it, because once it's over you know you're doomed to return to Burl Ives bleating "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". Or the Dogsbum Township Middle School Choir's version of "Silent Night". Or those barking dogs. Or even... (shudder)... the jingle cats. You know what I'm talking about. Yep. We're all in this together. Download now. Thank me later.

25 Songs Of Christmess

1. Pointed Sticks Power Pop Santa
2. Manic Street Preachers Ghost of Christmas
3. Joey Ramone Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
4. The Hives w/ Cyndi Lauper A Christmas Duel
5. Barely Pink Come On Christmas
6. Imperial Drag Please Leave Me Home For Christmas
7. The Holidays Sleighbell Bop
8. The Fleshtones I Still Believe In Christmas
9. The Yobs Another Christmas
10. Jeffrey Foskett Christmas Time Is Here
11. Slow Santa Claus Is Back In Town
12. The Del-Lords Merry Christmas Baby
13. The Media Whores All I Want For Christmas
14. Hello Saferide Ipod Xmas
15. Redd Kross Super Sunny Christmas
16. Carpet Frogs Christmas Would Not Be Christmas
17. Black Halos Homeless For Christmas
18. The Raveonettes Christmas Song
19. Aimee Mann & Michael Penn Christmastime
20. The Smithereens Merry Christmas Baby
21. Tom Petty Christmas All Over Again
22. Fountains of Wayne I Want An Alien For Christmas
23. Spooner The Saddest Time Of The Year
24. Dreams So Real Red Lights (Merry Christmas)
25. Wonderful World of Joey What Sweet Child O'Mine Is This?

Thanksgiving Mix

Just a quickly assembled, oddball mix meant as something that can be played while a group of family and friends devour multiple birds, told from the POV of the bird.

This one's mostly mellow, oozing a kind of late-night vibe. Y'know, that twilight moment, walking rain-slicked streets reflecting the flash of neon light from surrounding bars and hotels of ill-repute - the natural habitat of the domestic turkey.

Of course, I'm not above abandoning my own theme just to include a completely unrelated song that I happen to dig. Like Luke Doucet's "Cleveland", for instance, tossed in just because the ambience fits (and the fact I just totally love the extended guitar solo during the coda). Likewise the Kid Koala song, which is some of the most amazing turntablism I've ever heard, but absolutely nothing to do with a turkey in any way whatsoever.

Actually, forget I ever said anything about a turkey.

Consider The Chicken

1. Ivor Cutler Questionaire
2. Chuck Prophet The Hurting Business
3. The XX Teardrops
4. Heavy Trash Isolation
5. AM Darker Days
6. Diane Birch Fools
7. Marykate O'Neil Traffic Jam
8. The Ettes Modern Game
9. P. Hux Do Ya
10. J. Roddy Walston & the Business The Times Are A-Staying
11. Panurge Sweet Fannie Annie
12. Luke Doucet & White Falcon Cleveland
13. Grant-Lee Phillips Buried Treasure
14. Jersey Budd Shotgun Times
15. Loveless You Wore Me Out
16. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Heads Will Roll
17. Morphine Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer
18. Portishead Revenge of the Number
19. Kid Koala Drunk Trumpet
20 Zero 7 Swing

Wet Winter Holiday mix

I don't really do autumn and spring. To me, it's either summer or winter - that inbetweeny stuff is for fence sitters and committment-phobes. So in that spirit, here's a new mix perfect for the upcoming cold 'n' nasties.

The mood here is melancholy, but it's not weepy acoustic folkie melancholy. This is essentially a companion piece to the "Allergic To Fun" punky poppish etc. mix from last summer - lots of guitar jangle 'n' fuzz, melody, and momentum - but the key here is a distinct note of sadness for those winter blahs.

There's no rhyme or reason behind the bands picked; they come from many eras and genres. Lead-off track "Now It's On" is a great track from a few years ago, even though everything else that particular band has done has left me cold. Gidget's Ga Ga, Philadelphia Grand Jury, the Modern Station, the Tomorrows, and Raveonettes are some faves from this year. Teenage Fanclub, Sammy, the Odds, and Material Issue are starting to feel like transmissions from an ancient world. The others are a grabbag from the last few years. Or so. Pretty much all of it deserved a much greater audience.

Wet Winter Holiday

1. Grandaddy Now It's On
2. Teenage Fanclub Sparky's Dream
3. Junior Panthers California
4. Attic Lights Bring You Down
5. Javier Escovedo Tonight Is Gonna Be Better
6. Gidget's Ga Ga Dreamer
7. Ambershades Clap Clap Clap
8. The Raveonettes Breaking Into Cars
9. Philadelphia Grand Jury Wet Winter Holiday
10. The Modern Station Evangelina
11. The Redwalls Love Her
12. The Oranges Band White Ride
13. Planet Melvin Chromacolor Dream
14. Sammy Neptune Ave. (Ortho Hi Rise)
15. The Mayflies USA The Greatest Thing
16. The Odds Eat My Brain
17. The Breakers Tried So Hard
18. Material Issue Ordinary Girl
19. Watts One Below (The All Time Low)
20. The Tomorrows Don't Worry About Me
21. Ice Cream Hands Weak At The Knees

Note: if you're using skipscreen you'll want to turn it off for megaupload

History Lesson Pt. 1 Mix

Overtly stealing Minutemen song titles here, but thought I'd start compiling some songs by some bands that artists were in before they got any fame (and the word "fame" is applied somewhat loosely in this exercise - I ain't no mainstream type).

This mix starts with a song by the Iveys, who were signed to the Beatles Apple label in the late 60s. They put out one album (Maybe Tomorrow) before changing their name to Badfinger. Badfinger had only a slightly better fate, hitting with McCartney's "Come and Get It" and penning "Without You", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson, but (as everyone probably knows) the band could never catch a break and, after a strange bit of litigation involving their shady manager, ultimately ended when songwriter Pete Ham hung himself in 1975. Eight years later, after some attempts at reunions, Badfinger's other main songwriter Tom Evans committed the same deed.

Next up is a slightly happier story. During the late '70s U.K. punk explosion the Nipple Erectors never made much of a dent in the charts, and not much changed even after shortening their name to the Nips and releasing the awesome "Gabrielle" in 1980. But singer Shane McGowan went on to form the Pogues, and after flirting with a premature demise for decades he seems to finally appear clean and sober (with brand new teeth) these days. See? Not everything ends in tragedy.

Signed to Dawn Records in 1974, and evidenced by the song "Rough Kids", Kilburn & the High Roads were a band stuck between glam and pub rock, and generally going nowhere until singer Ian Dury struck out on his own, releasing the remarkable debut New Boots and Panties in 1977. In a similar situation almost exactly, the 101'ers were stuck in pub rock hell between '74 and '76 and probably wouldn't have been remembered at all if their singer Joe Strummer hadn't gone on to form the Clash.

That first rush of punk led to an avalanche of new bands. Riff Raff came about in 1977, released a couple singles on the Chiswick label ("Romford Girls" being one of them), and disbanded in 1981 when the singer Billy Bragg up and joined the army. Likewise, Johnny & the Self Abusers formed in '77 and also released their song "Dead Vandals" on the Chiswick label. A slight line-up shuffle prompted them to change their name to Simple Minds.

Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club only released one record, 1980's English Garden, but that album included the original version of "Video Killed The Radio Star", a song Woolley cowrote with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, who took the song to the bank in the Buggles (trivia note: the trio also wrote Dusty Springfield's hit "Baby Blue"). Bruce Woolley went on to a more behind-the-scenes role in music, eventually being eclipsed in fame by Camera Club bandmate, Thomas Dolby.

"City of Fun"was recorded as a demo in 1974 by England's Glory, a band that never officially released an album. Band leader Peter Perrett had considerably more luck with his next band the Only Ones, who re-recorded this song on their debut. Despair were kicking around at the same time as England's Glory, but it wasn't until they hopped aboard the punk train and changed their name to the Vibrators that they found any acclaim. Tigerlily existed alongside those other two bands and even released their version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" as a single, but their fortune didn't come until they ditched that bandname and became Ultravox. During this same era the apocalyptic glam/prog band Hawkwind was killing brain cells in the U.K. When they kicked out their bassist for too many drug busts, Lemmy took his song "Motorhead" as the name for his new band.

When the Soft Boys broke up, main songwriter Robyn Hitchcock went solo and guitarist (and less prolific songwriter) Kimberley Rew formed the Waves. The Waves put out the Shock! Horror! ep in 1983 (which "I Caught The Milk Train" is from), but they didn't release a full-length album until after they recruited American ex-pat Katrina Leskanich on vocals, and by that time they were about to be much better known as Katrina and the Waves.

In those weird mid 70s years before punk and new wave, there were a lot of artists trying to figure out a musical direction that veered away from the stagnant sound of mainstream rock. Richard Otcasek and Benjamin Orzechowski were two such musicians, first trying their hand at country rock in Milkwood before slightly streamlining their names (to Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr) and forming the Cars. Somewhere around the same time, Peter Holsapple was kicking around in the H-Bombs, before hooking up with Mitch Easter and Chris Stamey (from the Sneakers) and starting the dBs. That same year (1978), way over on the other coast of North America, a singer/songwriter by the name of Jules Shear, fresh out of his involvement with the Funky Kings, formed Jules & the Polar Bears (his solo career continues to this day, but he probably remains best known for writing hits for Cyndi Lauper and the Bangles). The New York band Piper put out their debut in 1977, and was formed when leader Billy Squier left the Sidewinders (with the Paley Brothers).

L.A.'s the Nerves only ever managed to put out a single ep (in 1976), but the band launched the careers of Paul Collins (of the Beat) and Peter Case (of the Plimsouls and solo career) as well as introducing the planet to the short-lived flash of Jack Lee (who wrote the Blondie hit "Hangin' On The Telephone", which first appeared on that Nerves ep). Candy's lone album appeared in 1985, and it's an uneven affair, although the song "Whatever Happened To Fun?" remains one of the greatest power pop one-shots in history. Guitarist Gilby Clarke would later find fame as Izzy Stradlin's replacement in Guns n' Roses.

Jumping around a tad in chronology now, Maow was an all-female Vancouver trio that put out their only album The Unforgiving Sounds Of Maow in 1996 on Mint Records. The album is sloppy and fun, but really only jumps to life when the band's drummer steps up to the mike on her two songs. That drummer later developed a critically acclaimed solo career as Neko Case.

The Moving Sidewalks were a 1960s garage band, compiled on the Nuggets set as well as various other garage collections. Songwriter and guitarist Billy Gibbons is much better known for his subsequent work in ZZ Top. Also in the 60s, the Jynx included a young Chris Bell, who would later show up with Alex Chilton in Big Star (and die tragically before a promising solo career had a chance to even begin).

In the early 80s, L.A.'s paisley underground scene brought forth a wealth of great bands, two of them being the Dream Syndicate and the Rain Parade. When guitarist Dave Roback left the Rain Parade he teamed up with Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith and released the Happy Nightmare, Baby album under the name Opal in 1984. Kendra's sultry vocals gliding on top of Roback's fuzzy chording certainly formed the framework for his next band, Mazzy Star.

The Bis-Quits self-titled album came out on John Prine's Oh Boy label in 1993. If there's any questions over why the band never quite made it, let's just say that song titles like "Anal All Day" proved them just too clever (or wiseass) for their own good. Of course, in his subsequent solo career Tommy Womack hasn't exactly become a household name, but that's more due to the more typical unfairness of the market place than any fault of his own.

Finally, the two ringers of the compilation (and probably the most well-known). Heatmiser were a band out of Portland, releasing three full-length albums between 1993 and '96. The band splintered into No. 2, Quasi, and, most famously, the tragic solo trajectory of Elliott Smith. The Go are from Detroit and their debut came out in 1999. They somehow missed out on the great garage rock revival/trend of the early '00s, which must be a tad hard for them to swallow, seeing as then-bandmate Jack White is the guy who helped kickstart that very trend with the White Stripes.

The early version of this mix contained 34 songs. I had to whittle it down to fit onto an 80 minute CDR, so I suspect it's safe to suggest you keep an eye out for History Lesson Pt. 2.

History Lesson, Pt. 1

1. The Iveys See Saw, Granpa (Badfinger)
2. The Nips Gabrielle (Shane McGowan)
3. Kilburn & the High Roads Rough Kids (Ian Dury)
4. The 101'ers Letsgetabitarockin' (Joe Strummer)
5. Riff Raff Romford Girls (Billy Bragg)
6. Johnny & the Self Abusers Dead Vandals (Simple Minds)
7. Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club No Surrender (Thomas Dolby)
8. England's Glory City Of Fun (The Only Ones)
9. Despair Sweet Sweet Heart (The Vibrators)
10. Tigerlily Ain't Misbehavin' (Ultravox)
11. The Waves I Caught The Milk Train (Katrina & the Waves)
12. Milkwood We've Been All Through (The Cars)
13. Maow Ms. Lefevre (Neko Case)
14. The H-Bombs Big Black Truck (Peter Holsapple/ The dBs)
15. Jules & the Polar Bears You Just Don't Wanna Know (Jules Shear)
16. Candy Whatever Happened To Fun? (Gilby Clarke)
17. Piper Who's Your Boyfriend? (Billy Squier)
18. The Nerves One Way Ticket (Peter Case, Plimsouls, Paul Collins' Beat)
19. The Moving Sidewalks 99th Floor (Billy Gibbons)
20. Hawkwind Motorhead (Lemmy/ Motorhead)
21. Opal She's a Diamond (Mazzy Star)
22. Heatmiser Pop in G (Elliott Smith)
23. The Bis-Quits Anal All Day (Tommy Womack)
24. The Go You Can Get High (Jack White)
25. The Jynx Little Girl (Chris Bell/ Big Star)

13 Songs by Artful Dodger

Ever since the Beatles stopped performing live, it's usually been a mark of commercial doom for a band to get tagged as "power pop", and there's no better example than Artful Dodger. Like a perfect cross between the Raspberries and the Faces, this was the ultimate coulda-shoulda-woulda band. Passionate, energetic, unafraid to rock, and armed with a songwriting team (vocalist Billy Paliselli and guitarist Gary Herewig) that tossed off classic singles almost effortlessly, Artful Dodger dropped their self-titled debut in 1975. It boasted concise, hook-filled gems like "Think Think" and "Wayside", but that was the year that Frampton Comes Alive sold a bajillion copies, so let's chalk that one up to bad timing.

In '76 they followed up with the even stronger Honor Among Thieves (with songs by Gary Cox rivalling the Paliselli/Herewig axis). The band was certainly gaining a cult audience, but nothing big enough to impress the bean counters at the label. Possibly due to the exhaustion of touring, possibly due to desperation for sales (probably both), Artful Dodger's next move was disastrous. Coming out in 1977, at the height of the punk explosion, Babes On Broadway was exactly the wrong album at the wrong time. The mix was mainstream and dull, the band sounded tired, and, worst of all, the songs just weren't up to the gold standard this band had set for itself.

It looked like a tragic end - and it would have been - except that 3 years later, in 1980, they returned for one last stand. Against all odds and all reason, they created the album of their lives: the self-produced Rave On was by far their best work. It burned with an energy and desperation, like the band knew it was a final shot. The song "Forever" could be read on one level as a love song, but it's clear its real meaning is much more a statement of purpose - put simply, the band meant everything to these guys, and you can hear it in every note of Rave On. Unfortunately, even the flawless single "A Girl (La La La)" couldn't find a toe-hold in the trendoid new wave/disco days of 1980, and the life of one of my fave bands came to a close (but at least they did it in heroic fashion).

This collection is compiled chronologically. Three songs each from their first two albums, two songs from Babes on Broadway, and four from Rave On. The tracks from the latter are upped from a vinyl source, as I don't think it's ever been released on CD (and if it has, please do the band a favor and buy it - you won't be disappointed). As an added bonus, I've started the mix with an early version of "Long Time Away" from back when the band still called themselves Brat.

Artful Dodger

1. Long Time Away (Brat)
2. Wayside
3. Follow Me
4. Think Think
5. Honor Among Thieves
6. Remember
7. Dandelion
8. Can't Stop Pretending
9. Mistake
10. She's Just My Baby
11. Now Or Nevermind
12. Forever
13. A Girl (La La La)

#1 from Yellow Pills: Prefill - A Power Pop Prescription
#2 - 4 from Artful Dodger (1975)
#5 - 7 from Honor Among Thieves (1976)
#8, 9 from Babes On Broadway (1977)
#10 - 13 from Rave On (1980)

RE-UP: Full-On Monger Vol. XXV

For whatever reason these monger mixes generally aren't as popular as other mixes. I guess trashy, foul-mouthed, horn-laden punk-fueled rock 'n' roll doesn't carpetbomb as wide a demographic as a gentleman might suppose. This is worth the dl if only for the Jackie Wilson/Laverne Baker duet that'll make a feller blush - which is the song I nicked the title from.

INSTRUCTIONS: try not to play in front of the chillen.

YOU KNOW HOW TO EAT ICE CREAM?

1. The Flamin' Groovies The First One Is Free
2. The Fondas What To Do
3. Herman Brood & His Wild Romance Rock 'n' Roll Junkie
4. Thunder Express Get Back In
5. Fred Wolff Combo Somebody Else Was Suckin' My Dick Last Night
6. The Helgas Don't Wanna Be
7. The Sick Fits Every Day Is Sunday
8. The Backsliders Last Call
9. The Dictators Pussy and Money
10. Goodman County Anarchy In The Southern States
11. Johnny Thunders Little Bit of Whore
12. Slash City Daggers TV and Pills
13. Jim Carroll Band Wicked Gravity
14. Trash Mavericks Crown Of Thorns
15. The Paybacks Black Girl
16. The Cinders Jet Set Gypsy
17. Prima Donna Soul Stripper
18. The Smoke Cut The Brakes
19. Frankie Miller Guilty of the Crime
20. Jackie Wilson & Laverne Baker Think Twice
21. Peter Wolf You're Breakin' My Heart
22. Diamond Dogs Somebody Have Mercy
23. The Black and Whites You're The Only Girl
24. The Swingin' Neckbreakers Rip It, Rip It Up
25. Reverb Motherfuckers Love Juice (In All 3 Holes)

20 songs by the Diamond Dogs

There's just no getting around it, the Diamond Dogs sound like they should have emerged out of the 70s. But hey, at least they cherry-picked the greatest parts of that maligned decade. This band takes the sloppy, booze-fueled, wounded soul of the Faces and pairs it with their own healthy obsession with the Stones of Exile On Main Street. Punked-up Chuck Berry riffs, raspy vocals, honking sax, gospel-style back-up singers, and lyrics straight out of an ESL rhyming dictionary - they're all piled on top of each other in the true spirit of '70s excess. The result is the kind of good time rock 'n' roll that sounds like it should have always existed (even though it really didn't until these guys came along). It's a stroke of minor genius, a testament to the transcendental power of 3 chords and a bad attitude, and exactly the sound any worthwhile weekend needs. This mix is compiled chronologically, and it includes a few songs from two of lead vocalist Sulo's solo albums.

20 songs by the Diamond Dogs

1. Lovestoned Again
2. Honked!
3. Black As Sin
4. Bite Off
5. Every Little Crack
6. Passing Through My Heart
7. From Now On
8. I'll Drink To Ya
9. Lift It Up
10. Gotta Be Gone (It's Alright)
11. Scunthorpe Avenue
12. Yours Sincerely
13. You've Got A Song To Sing
14. Generation Upstart
15. Down In The Alley Again
16. I Love You Baby, Sing Me A Song
17. Soul Folks
18. Make It All Up To You
19. Cold Blue Summer
20. Chimes Of Love

#1 - 3 from Honked! (1994)
#4 from Among The Non Believers ep (2000)
#5 from Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough (2002)
#6 from Shortplayer ep (2002)
#7,8 from That's The Juice I'm On compilation (2003)
#9,10 from Black River Road (2004)
#11 from Atlantic Crossover split with Jeff Dahl (2004)
#12,13 from Sulo's Just Another Guy Tryin' (2005)
#14,15 from Up The Rock (2006)
#16, 17 from Sulo's Hear Me Out (2008)
#18 - 20 from It's Most Likely (2008)

Covers Project Vol. IV

Another collection of cover versions. A lotta rock and power pop, salted with a few choice change-ups.

Songs From Under the Floorboards

1. The Films Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones)
2. Mick Medew & the Rumours Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones)
3. Luke Doucet & White Falcon The Lovecats (The Cure)
4. The Backsliders Keep A-Knockin' (Little Richard)
5. The Jayhawks Bad Time (Grand Funk)
6. The Hold Steady Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (Bob Dylan)
7. Gigolo Aunts Why Can't This Be Love (Van Halen)
8. Jason Falkner Song From Under The Floorboards (Magazine)
9. Silver Sun Art School (The Jam)
10. The Donnas Roll On Down The Highway (Bachman Turner Overdrive)
11. Bazooka Jones Sugar Sugar (The Archies)
12. Willie Nile Police On My Back (Eddy Grant, by way of the Clash)
13. Sour Jazz Messin' With The Kid (The Saints)
14. Cobra Verde Rock 'n' Roll Queen (Mott the Hoople)
15. Dipsomaniacs A Million Miles Away (The Plimsouls)
16. The Dream Syndicate Let It Rain (Eric Clapton)
17. The Cribs Bastards of Young (The Replacements)
18. Bobby Bare Jr. Sister Golden Hair (America)
19. The Grays Outdoor Miner (Wire)
20. Fetchin' Bones Super Freak (Rick James)
21. The Replacements Gudbye T' Jane (Slade)
22. Rich Hope & His Evil Doers Stray Cat Blues (Rolling Stones)

Hello My Name Is Mix

Sometimes, you do things just because you can. And as unlikely as it may seem, every song is a keeper.

Hello My Name Is...

1. Dan Bern Tiger Woods
2. Vic Goddard Johnny Thunders
3. The Leaving Trains Bob Hope
4. You Am I Doug Sahm
5. The Dexateens Neil Armstrong
6. Young Fresh Fellows Amy Grant
7. Veal Judy Garland
8. New Cassettes Huey Lewis
9. The Chevelles Angelina Jolie
10. The Blondes Suzi Quatro
11. The Bis-Quits Yo Yo Ma
12. Ze Malibu Kids Fiona Apple
13. The Beards T.S. Eliot
14. The Gay Robert Smith
15. Jerry Jerry & the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra Jimmy Reeves
16. Paul Melancon Jeff Lynne
17. The Replacements Alex Chilton
18. Thelonious Monster Michael Jordan
19. Ass Ponys Donald Sutherland
20. Hadacol Gerald Ford
21. Bottle Rockets Nancy Sinatra
22. Forgotten Rebels Rona Barrett
23. The Dirtbombs Tina Louise
24. Action Swingers Courtney Love

Best of '09 (Vol. II)

Another mix of some faves from '09. A bit louder and more energetic than the previous volume, but still nothing that'll peel the paint off walls.

Let's Jump Around Some

1. The XX VCR
2. Cornershop Who Fingered Rock 'n' Roll?
3. Lucero The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo
4. Cheap Trick Sick Man Of Europe
5. The Films Holiday
6. Rancid Last One To Die
7. The Aggrolites It's Time To Go
8. Robyn Hitchcock Saturday Groovers
9. The Dead Trees Shelter
10. The Fate Lions Ride The Artifact
11. The Weight Had It Made
12. Deadstring Brothers The River Song
13. Reigning Sound Call Me
14. The Greatest Hits Electric Blanket Boogie
15. The Shazam Hey Mom, I Got The Bomb
16. Radio Faces Coffee Cup
17. Bazooka Jones You Suck
18. The Beat Strings My Medicine
19. Rich Hope Let's Jump Around Some
20. Cracker Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey
21. Brendan Benson Don't Wanna Talk
22. Bad Veins Gold And Warm

Spoon - B-Sides and Rarities

For my money, one of the best bands of the past decade. Deceptively simple, incredibly melodic, hook-filled, groove-based, and cool as fuck. Their detractors sniff that they're just straightforward rock. They're wrong. And they're right. And they're missing the point entirely. There's something much deeper going on than just catchy songs - and, anyway, when did catchy songs become a point of embarrassment?

This compilation collects 22 non-album cuts. It's not comprehensive; there's plenty of odds 'n' ends left off. But all of it is high sound quality and, at the very least, filled with interesting additions to the Spoon catalogue.

Spoon - B-Sides & Rarities

1. Got Nuffin
2. Revenge!
3. Stroke Their Brains
4. My First Time, Vol. 3 (Light Version)
5. Carryout Kids
6. Well-Alright
7. Monkey Feelings
8. It Took A Rumor To Make Me Wonder, Now I'm Convinced I'm Going Under
9. I Turn My Camera On (John McEntire remix)
10. Sunday Morning, Wednesday Night
11. I Could Be Underground
12. The Underdog (demo)
13. Deep Clean
14. Bring It On Home To Me
15. The Book I Write
16. Shake It Off
17. Irrigation Man
18. If You Say So
19. You Get Yours
20. Let The Distance Keep Us Together
21. Is This The Last Time
22. In The Right Place, The Right Time

#1,3 - from Got Nuffin single
#2, 11 - from 30 Gallon Tank +3 ep
#4 - from My First Time, Vol. 3 ep
#5 - from Gimme Fiction bonus disc
#6 - from Dark Was The Night compilation
#7, 8 - from Sister Jack UK single
#9,10 - from Sister Jack US single
#12 - from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga bonus 7"
#13 - I-Tunes exclusive
#14 - Sam Cooke cover, from B-Sides And Demos
#15 - from Stranger Than Fiction OST
#16 - from Anything You Want single
#17, 18 - from If You Say So Motherfucker compilation
#19, 20 - from Home, Vol. 4 ep
#21,22 - from Stay Don't Go single

Don't Call Me Honey

Not exactly a collection of 60s girl groups, but more a comp of female-led songs that mine the sound of that particular era. There's something from every decade since the 50s here, including the relatively well-known rockabilly vixen Wanda Jackson as well as forgotten treasures like Billie Davis and the totally untamed Tammy St. John. Genya Ravan appears twice, once on the lead-off track from her gritty '78 masterwork Urban Desire and before that as leader of Goldie & The Gingerbreads (one of the first ever all-girl hard R&B bands). The Prissteens show up twice as well (sort of), once as themselves and once as Purple Wizard. Also lots of stuff from the punk/new wave era (Pearl Harbor, Holly & the Italians, Ellen Foley, Pretenders, Josie Cotton, Catholic Girls, Rachel Sweet, and Lost Durangos). The more modern era is represented by the likes of Ruby Ann, Raveonettes, the Pipettes, Amy Faris, and the Detroit Cobras. And even if you're sick of Amy Winehouse give her a fresh listen in this context - the woman definitely delivers.

DON'T CALL ME HONEY

1. Pretenders Stop Your Sobbing
2. Catholic Girls Boys Can Cry
3. The Angels Get Away From Me
4. Goldie & The Gingerbreads V.I.P.
5. Ruby Ann Don't Call Me Honey
6. Purple Wizard I'm Gonna Get You Yet
7. Ellen Foley What'sa Matter Baby?
8. Holly & The Italians Tell That Girl To Shut Up
9. Genya Ravan Jerry's Pigeons
10. Tammy St. John Boys
11. Pearl Harbor & The Explosions Everybody's Boring But My Baby
12. Maria McKee I'm Gonna Soothe You
13. Patti Scialfa Baby Don't
14. The Prissteens Scandal, Controversy, and Romance
15. Rachel Sweet B-A-B-Y
16. Lost Durangos Evil Town
17. Billie Davis & The Leroys Whatcha Gonna Do?
18. Amy Farris Anyway
19. The Raveonettes Ode To L.A.
20. Ronnie Spector All I Want
21. Amy Winehouse Me And Mr. Jones
22. The Pipettes Pull Shapes
23. Shelby Lynne Your Lies
24. Josie Cotton Jimmy Loves Maryanne
25. Wanda Jackson Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad
26. Detroit Cobras Bye Bye Baby

RE-UP: Power Lounging Vol. II

Not sure why this one disappeared.

A second volume in the power lounger series. Power lounging means hanging around in the sun with a serious commitment to wasting time, preferably while on the drink. This mix is fringely mongerous with a slightly time-warped 50s sock hop mentality (and one old 60s chestnut for good measure).

A Sack of Monkeys - Power Lounging Vol. 2

1. Roman Candle Why Modern Radio Is A-OK
2. Wilco Sunny Feeling
3. Noisettes Never Forget You
4. Vetiver More Than This
5. Tim Armstrong Take This City
6. John Fred Judy In Disguise
7. Genya Ravan Stubborn Kind Of Girl
8. Herman Brood & His Wild Romance Hit
9. The Hellcats Don't Fight It
10. Albert Hammond Jr. Miss Myrtle
11. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Soft Shock
12. Baby Shakes Come On Babe
13. Brownsville Station Let Your Yeah Be Yeah
14. The Fondas Might As Well Go
15. Cracker Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out With Me
16. The Kilians Said & Done
17. The Damwell Betters Subway
18. The Weight Closer Than A Friend
19. Robbers On High Street You Don't Stand A Chance
20. The Iguanas If You Should Ever Fall On Hard Times
21. Four Hours Sleep w/ Paul Kelly If I Had My Way

20 Songs by Rancid

Put away all of the preconceptions that band name might suggest (well, maybe not all of them) and give a listen with unprejudiced ears. This mix isn't meant to reaffirm the band's punk cred, it's aimed at demonstrating their amazing range - Rancid incorporate elements from punk, reggae, dub, ska, Stax R&B, rockabilly, good ol' 50s rock and roll, stolid Americana, and hardcore, and mix it all into breathtakingly perfect 3 minute (and under) pop drama. They can beat the clock with a full throttle blast like "Maxwell Murder" (which comes and goes in a mere 1:26 and still somehow manages to work in an incredible Matt Freeman bass solo), they can slow it down to the lazy summer skank of "Things to Come" and the drunken roots ballad "Civilian Ways", or they can simply pile hooks on top of hooks while they rock the rafters in honest-to-god anthems like "Roots Radicals" and "Start Now". I didn't want to be a fan at first - I'm just old enough that the punk/reggae moves and Tim Armstrong's slurred rasp made me want to jump automatically to comparisons to the Clash - but these guys forced my fandom by just being plain awesome and gave my punk snobbery the swirly it deserved. And those Clash comparisons? Man, turns out they totally work in Rancid's favor. Don't believe me? Give a listen.

RANCID

1. Maxwell Murder
2. Roots Radicals
3. Time Bomb
4. Olympia, WA
5. Bloodclot
6. Hooligans
7. Backslide
8. Radio Havana
9. Rwanda
10. Antennas
11. Axiom
12. Red Hot Moon
13. Start Now
14. Fall Back Down
15. Tropical London
16. Things To Come
17. Last One To Die
18. Dominoes Fall
19. Liberty and Freedom
20. Civilian Ways

#1 - 4 from "And Out Come The Wolves" (1995)
#5 - 7 from "Life Won't Wait" (1998)
#8 - 11 from "Rancid" (2000)
#12 - 15 from "Indestructible" (2003)
#16 from "B-sides and C-sides" (2008)
#17 - 20 from "Let The Dominoes Fall (2009)

Nothing on the mix from their first two albums ("Rancid", 1993 and "Let's Go", 1994) because the volume levels are so much lower than the later albums. So apologies to anyone who wanted "Salvation" on here.

Best of '09 (vol. I)

Not exactly the usual mix for my tastes. Nothing mongerous, nothing too punk, nothing that throbs, pulses, pounds, nor beats. Just a bunch of songs from the first half of 2009 that brighten up the random play. Ranges from the neo-soul/doo wop/whatchamacallit of V.V. Brown, to the faux britpop of Takeover UK (who are from Philly, btw), to the folky-R&B vibe of Vetiver, to the horn-driven indie of Generationals, to trad rock of Jersey Budd, to the torchy My Brightest Diamond, to the funky Sharon Jones, to the elder statesman cool of Ian Hunter, to the retro slink of Those Darlins, to the latin R&B of the Krayolas, to the full-on power pop of the Tomorrows, and touches down on a few other points during the journey. Volume II will bring more of the rawk, but this one you can play at dinner parties.

Running With The Wasters
Best of '09 (so far, vol. I)

1. V.V. Brown Quick Fix
2. The Takeover UK Running With The Wasters
3. The Smoke Defeat Retreat
4. 1990s Local Science
5. The Wooden Birds False Alarm
6. Vetiver Another Reason To Go
7. Loxsly Lamprey Eels
8. Generationals Nobody Could Change Your Mind
9. Jersey Budd Bright Soul
10. Sean Riley & the Slowriders This Woman
11. Tim Easton 7th Wheel
12. My Brightest Diamond Feeling Good
13. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings Inspiration Information
14. Ian Hunter Arms and Legs
15. Roman Candle I Was a Fool
16. The Backsliders Twisted
17. Those Darlins Snaggle Tooth Mama
18. The Krayolas A Frame
19. The Damwell Betters Just Another Girl
20. The Tomorrows Goodbye

Covers Project Vol. II

I wasn't going to post this one, but what the hell.

 Six Feet Under and Ten Feet Tall  

1. Flaming Stars Brickfield Nights (The Boys) 

2. The Ramones Time Has Come Today (Chambers Bros.) 

3. The Muffs Kids in America (Kim Wylde) 

4. Maria McKee Opelousas (Victoria Williams) 

5. Supersuckers w/ Steve Earle Before They Make Me Run (The Rolling Stones) 

6. Cracker Shake Some Action (Flamin' Groovies) 

7. The Saints Security (Otis Redding) 

8. The Clash I Fought The Law (Bobby Fuller Four) 

9. You Am I White and Lazy (The Replacements) 

10. The Joneses Crocodile Rock (Elton John) 

11. Mike Ness Don't Think Twice (Bob Dylan) 

12. Star Star You Drive Me Nervous (Alice Cooper) 

13. Bill Lloyd & Tommy Womack Picture Book (The Kinks) 

14. The Swingin' Neckbreakers Good Good Lovin' (James Brown) 

15. Tsar Rebel Rouser (The Sweet) 

16. Steve Earle Breed (Nirvana) 

17. Freddy Lynxx & the Corner Gang Respectable (Rolling Stones) 

18. The Detroit Cobras Shout Bama Lama (Otis Redding) 

19. The Nomads She Pays The Rent (The Lyres) 

20. Filthy Lucre Can't Kick (Johnny Thunders) 

21. Backyard Babies Babylon (Faster Pussycat) 

22. Country Dick Montana Party Dolls and Wine (Dean Martin)

Covers Project Vol. III

Another volume in the monger covers series. Two of the tunes here have appeared on previously posted mixes (Nikki Corvette's "Under My Wheels" and Brett Anderson's "California Sun"). A couple of notes: 1) the Heavy Metal Kids "Girl of My Dreams" isn't technically a cover, as Bram Tchaikovsky's version was a cover of an unreleased song by, yes, the Heavy Metal Kids 2) if you're familiar with the Troggs original version of "Wild Thing" then you'll understand why I threw their weirdo '75 reggae version of the song on this collection. 

Here Comes Success 

 1. Jeff Dahl One of the Boys (Mott The Hoople) 

2. Diamond Dogs Connection (The Rolling Stones) 

3. Matthew Sweet American Girl (Tom Petty) 

4. John P. Strohm Somebody's Baby (Jackson Browne) 

5. Sarah Borges Stop & Think It Over (Compulsive Gamblers) 

6. Nikki Corvette Under My Wheels (Alice Cooper) 

7. Heavy Metal Kids Girl of My Dreams (Bram Tchaikovsky) 

8. Amanda Jones The First Time (The Boys) 

9. Bleu You Might Think (The Cars) 

10. Per Gessle I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (The Ramones) 

11. Crash Kelly Lonely Planet Boy (New York Dolls) 

12. Patti Smith Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones) 

13. Tim Krekel Version City (The Clash) 

14. Kelly Willis Success (Iggy Pop) 

15. Garland Jeffreys 96 Tears (? and the Mysterians) 

16. Beagle Love Grows (Edison Lighthouse) 

17. Hutch Maybe Baby (Buddy Holly)

18. The Yo-Yos Hey Tonight (Credence Clearwater Revival) 

19. Myracle Brah Too Many People (Paul McCartney)

20. Dramarama Hitchhiking (Willie Alexander)

21. Michael Monroe High School (MC5) 

22. Brett Anderson California Sun (Joe Jones... later the Rivieras)

23. The Troggs Wild Thing (The Troggs)

The Covers Project Vol. I

Pretty self-explanatory. Great versions of (mostly) great songs. This is an older mix that I recently re-listened to on a long car drive - totally hit the spot. Volume II wasn't quite so much a bullseye.

 Covers I  

1. Frank Black & the Stax Pistols Breathless (Jerry Lee Lewis) 

2. Joan Jett ACDC (The Sweet) 

3. The Sights Stay With Me (The Faces) 

4. The Smithereens The Slider (T.Rex) 

5. DMZ Cinderella (The Sonics) 

6. The Dirtbombs Ode to a Black Man (Phil Lynott)

7. Jason & the Scorchers Country Roads (John Denver) 

8. The Jam In The Midnight Hour (Wilson Picket) 

9. Phantom Helmsmen Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves (Cher) 

10. Bram Tchaikovsky I'm A Believer (The Monkees) 

11. Generation X Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon) 

12. The Pogues Honky Tonk Women (Rolling Stones) 

13. Jon Spencer All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 

14. The Inmates Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six) 

15. Waco Brothers The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff) 

16. Supersuckers Eastbound & Down (Jerry Reed) 

17. Georgia Satellites Games People Play (Joe South) 

18. The Yayhoos Love Train (The O'Jays) 

19, J. Geils Band Where Did Our Love Go (The Supremes) 

20. Webb Wilder Slow Death (Flamin' Groovies) 

21. Mojo Nixon Girlfriend in a Coma (The Smiths) 

22. The Coolies Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)

Dom Mariani mix

Dom Mariani must be one of the most unjustly ignored rockers of the past two decades. He's been the main songwriter/singer/guitarist for (by my count) six different bands in that time, three of which are responsible for absolute classic albums (the Stems' debut "At First Light... Violets Are Blue", the Someloves' only full-length "Something Or Other", and the DM3's "Road To Rome"). Of course, none of those albums have made the tiniest ripple in North American charts, so I can only hope Mariani sells truckloads in his native Australia. After all, there's gotta be some kind of justice in this world, doesn't there?

This is a self-made mix from a number of Mariani's bands and albums. One thing that's immediately impressive throughout is Mariani's consistency. Whether in the context of the garage/psyche revivalism of the Stems, or the sweet pop of the Someloves, or the more muscular power pop of the DM3, his emphasis is always on indelible hooks. It's almost hard to believe that someone so good can be ignored for so long. If you're a fan of Big Star, Badfinger, the Hoodoo Gurus - or any ultra-melodic power pop/punk band of the last twenty years - then this collection is guaranteed to amaze you.

Dom Mariani

1. 1 Time 2 Times Devastated
2. Dead Star
3. Second Floor
4. Just Like Nancy
5. I Thought That You Were Foolin'
6. Soultop
7. Something Heavy
8. Show You
9. Far From Here
10. Homespun Blues
11. Quicksand
12. Rock 'n' Roll Boys (Rock 'n' Roll Girls)
13. At First Sight
14. Sunshine's Glove
15. Don't Talk About Us
16 TV Sound
17. Snapshot
18. When It Ends (acoustic version)
19. Cold Cup
20. The Golden Ones (DJ Moogy remix)

#1, 9 from DM3 1 Time 2 Times 3 Red Light (1994)
#2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16 from DM3 Road to Rome (1996)
#4 from DM3 Garage Sale Vol. 2 (Italian Style) (2003)
#10, 19 from Dom Mariani Homespun Blues and Greens (2004)
#11 from DM3 Rippled Soul (1998)
#12 from the Stoneage Hearts Guilty As Sin (2004)
#13 from the Stems At First Sight, Violets Are Blue (1987)
#14 from the Someloves Something Or Other (1990)
#15 from the Someloves It's My Time (1986)
#17, 18, 20 from Dom Mariani Shell Collection (2006)

10 songs by Silver Sun

It's possible Silver Sun may have been popular in their UK homeland, but they never made so much as a squeak in North America. They deserved better. Although their timing was a little off for this kind of music... aw shit, scratch that - I'm being an idealist again. This kind of music hasn't been trendy since the early days of the British Invasion. Cool, yes. Trendy, no. Silver Sun are what I always hoped Jellyfish would sound like back when I hadn't heard them yet - ultra melodic, kinda Queen/Beach Boys harmonies-upon-harmonies, and the fuzz, buzz, and momentum of punk. Oh yeah, this is power pop, but the type that doesn't shirk from the word "power" and just puts the pedal to the metal and rocks. Plain awesome, in other words.

Silver Sun

1. Golden Skin
2. Dumb
3. Last Day
4. This 'n' That
5. I'll See You Around
6. Scared
7. Hey Girlfriend
8. Only A Girl
9. Jody
10. She Wants A Puppy, She'll Have A Puppy

#1, 2, 3, 4 from Silver Sun (1997)
# 5, 6, 7, 8 from Neo Wave (1998)
#9, 10 from Disappear Here (2005)

PG13 mix

Yeah, what the hell - this month has been a frenzy of mixes, so why not one more? This one was put together as a request. The challenge was to compile a mix for a teenage daughter that wouldn't induce mom to stick an icepick in her ear. It also works as an apologia for the previous mix - completely free of dirty words and nasty thoughts. Well, maybe a nasty thought or two. But overall so clean you could eat your lunch off it. No guarantee about the icepick though. And it's 66% pure female too. Although, somewhere, there should be some fine print about the definition of "purity" in this context.


HEADACHES & ICEPICKS

1. Brett Anderson California Sun
2. The Riff Randels When You Go
3. The Yum Yums It's Gonna Be A Hit
4. Nikki Corvette Under My Wheels
5. Suzy & Los Quattro Freak Show
6. Josie Cotton He Could Be The One
7. The Muffs Honeymoon
8. The Donnas Can't Keep It A Secret
9. The Successful Failures All I Can Take
10. Les Hell on Heels Ain't So Cool
11. The Prissteens I'm Devastated
12. Tammy & the Lords of Misrule Wig Wam Bam
13. The Wildhearts One Love, One Life, One Girl
14. Ben Kweller I Don't Know Why
15. The Fondas Don't Come Back
16. The Pandoras I Didn't Cry
17. Detroit Cobras Shout Bama Lama
18. Edna Swap Next To You
19. Silver Sun Jody
20. Slender Means Hidden Grove
21. The 88 Love You Anytime
22. Volumizer I Promise You, Thomas
23. American Heartbreak Last of the Superheroes (of the 1970s)
24. Joan Jett Riddles

Slowcore Vol. IV

The slowcore series has been going for a while now. This is music for the wee small hours of the morning, either while getting up or while coming down. Head full of regret, stomach full of Advil, rear-view mirror full of nothing but wrong turns - then throw on some slowcore and... wallow.

SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO THE JUNKMAN

Slowcore Monger Vol. IV1. Greg Brown Whatever It Was
2. Terry Boylan Subterranean Homesick Blues
3. Chris Cacavas The Crying Shame
4. Frankie Miller Baton Rouge
5. Bob Forrest Memphis
6. Goodman County Drugstore Wine
7. Ian Hunter Silver Needles
8. Pat Todd & the Rank Outsiders Your Heart, Your Soul, & Your Ass
9. The Circus In Flames The Cuckoo
10. Beads Queen Anne
11. Four Hours Sleep Original Lover
12. Tim Easton Stones Throw Away
13. The Cinders Snow
14. Mick Flannery Safety Rope
15. Genya Ravan Junkman
16. Chris Mills Signal/Noise

Power Lounging Vol. II

A second volume in the power lounger series. Power lounging means hanging around in the sun with a serious commitment to wasting time, preferably while on the drink. This mix is fringely mongerous with a slightly time-warped 50s sock hop mentality (and one old 60s chestnut for good measure).

A Sack of Monkeys - Power Lounging Vol. 2

1. Roman Candle Why Modern Radio Is A-OK
2. Wilco Sunny Feeling
3. Noisettes Never Forget You
4. Vetiver More Than This
5. Tim Armstrong Take This City
6. John Fred Judy In Disguise
7. Genya Ravan Stubborn Kind Of Girl
8. Herman Brood & His Wild Romance Hit
9. The Hellcats Don't Fight It
10. Albert Hammond Jr. Miss Myrtle
11. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Soft Shock
12. Baby Shakes Come On Babe
13. Brownsville Station Let Your Yeah Be Yeah
14. The Fondas Might As Well Go
15. Cracker Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out With Me
16. The Kilians Said & Done
17. The Damwell Betters Subway
18. The Weight Closer Than A Friend
19. Robbers On High Street You Don't Stand A Chance
20. The Iguanas If You Should Ever Fall On Hard Times
21. Four Hours Sleep w/ Paul Kelly If I Had My Way