Summer 2012

Got a feeling you're gonna have to nab this one fast, because I decided to compile it the old fashioned way, meaning it's full of tracks I like regardless of era, label, hipster cache or genre. Like all my summer mixes, these aren't necessarily songs about summer - just songs that feel like summer. It's pretty laid back this time out, and with any luck there'll be no artists annoyed to be on it. In fact, I'm hoping they'd download it themselves and feel pretty awesome about being included among such stellar tunes. But we'll see about that... like I said, get it quick.


Keepin' Summer Spirit Alive

1. The Feedbacks Keepin' Summer Spirit Alive
2. Fancey Rock 'n' Roll Rhythm
3. The Breakdowns Summertime Twist
4. The Aggrolites Feelin' Alright
5. Yukon Blonde Oregon Shores
6. Gizelle Smith & the Mighty Mocambos The Time Is Right For Love
7. The Semis Fun in the Sun
8. Pagliaro Lovin' You Ain't Easy
9. Nick Waterhouse Indian Love Call
10. The Ashes Somebody (Come and Shake Me)
11. Miles Nielsen The Grain
12. Electric Guest This Head I Hold
13. Audra Mae & the Almighty Sound Smokin' The Boys
14. The Long Beach Dub All-Stars Sunny Hours
15. Aimee Mann Charmer
16. Hans Rotenberry & Brad Jones Count On Me
17. Asa Why Can't We
18. Imani Coppola Raindrops from the Sun
19. Jet Electro Buckle Up
20. Mink Deville Spanish Stroll
21. The Stompers Coast to Coast
22. Jimmy Cliff Outsider
23. The Lordz Uh Oh
24. The Format Dead End

Re-Ups

Since the attack on the fine folks at MegaUpload there's been quite a few of my old links that led nowhere. I'm trying to re-up all of them, but it's just gonna take some time. It doesn't help that iTunes won't recognize the tracklist of any of the old mixes I burned to CD using iTunes - I mean, in a just world that sort of willful retardation should be the cause of a company going out of business and its chief executives getting nailed inside a burning outhouse. If Jobs was still alive I swear I'd punch him square in the meatpods for that.

Anyway, here's a batch of 'em:

Don't Call Me Honey - a mix of grrl group-ish groovology
History Lesson Pt. 1  - a mix of bands that went on to greater fame after a name change or personnel change
Shade and Honey - a mix of mellow tuneage for warm summer nights or, in a pinch, Sunday mornings
Faves of 2011 (vol. 3) - a seriously awesome mix of awesomely serious Un-Herd serious awesomeness
Wet Winter Holiday - a mix of melancholy power pop and punkamacallit

Twang Mix

Admission: I don't much care for country music. I've tried - and occasionally I've found an artist or a song I can get down with - but for the most part a two-step beat accompanied by a nasal twang will send me running for the hills. On the other hand, I totally love Gram Parsons, and a C&W influence never did any harm to the Stones, and it's pretty heretical to say anything bad about Johnny Cash.

So here's a mix that isn't country music, but it's about as close as I go. A lot of it might have been termed alt.country or country punk in earlier times, but really it's just good ol' rock 'n' roll - which was more or less created when white hillbilly music mated with black rhythm 'n' blues, so it's only natural some bands are gonna lean a little more one way or the other.

I'll put up a similar mix in the near future that even leans a little more in that direction (Country Monger).  In the meantime, I'm gonna try to re-up some of the lost links in the MegaUpload fiasco.  Also, keep an eye out for a 2nd volume of my 2012 faves (it's a goodie) and the annual summer mix (and day now). Cheers!

Let 'Em Run

1. Stewboss Time
2. Lucero Tears Don't Matter Much
3. Richard Buckner Jewelbomb
4. Drive-by Truckers Gravity's Gone
5. The Glossary Lonely is a Town
6. Tift Merritt Stray Paper
7. The Mendoza Line An Architect's Eye
8. Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders Hell's Half Acre
9. Stacie Collins I Won't Do Ya Like That
10. The Cur Dogs Apology With Every Song
11. Sons of Bill Life in Shambles
12. Marah East
13. Go To Blazes All Wrapped Up
14. The Honeydogs Losing Transmissions
15. Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle Too Sober To Sleep
16. I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House Westboro Baptist Church
17. Tommy Womack Tellin' You What You Want to Hear
18. Neko Case Karoline
19. Deadstring Brothers Sacred Heart
20. John Moreland Good Book
21. Justin Townes Earle Baby's Got a Bad Idea
22. Maxim Ludwig & the Santa Fe Seven Stacy, C'mon

50,000 Hits

Here's a mix to commemorate the 50,000 visits to this blog (the overwhelming majority of them unintentional, I'm sure). And, really, what other blog would throw together a mix as uselessly themed as this one?

As for "1969" and "1970", I figured most potential downloaders will be very familiar with the Stooges originals, so I went with worthy cover versions. Ditto the Clash's "1977".

I would've liked to have linked 22 or so years straight, but this is as close as I could get. Michael Monroe's "'78" was so tempting, but ultimately his choice to abbreviate the title disqualified it. Bowie's "1984", Giant Sand's "1972", Robyn Hitchcock's "1974" and Clem Snide's "1989" were all bumped for what I thought were superior songs. And if there's any others I missed I'd like to hear about 'em.

Another Year For You and Me

1. Anti-Flag 1915
2. Sugar Mountain 1964
3. The Meows 1966
4. The Auteurs 1967
5. The Hoodoo Gurus 1968
6. Joey Ramone 1969
7. Superdrag 1970
8. Josh Rouse 1972
9. Mental As Anything 1973
10. Ryan Adams 1974
11. Chris Difford 1975
12. The Baseball Project 1976
13. Electric Frankenstein 1977
14. Lucero 1979
15. Media Whores 1984
16. White Mystery 1985
17. Summer Camp 1988
18. The Rakes 1989
19. The Mortals 1992
20. Caves 1993
21. The Hellacopters 1995
22. The Wombats 1996
23. Rancid 1998

Faves of 2012 (Vol. 1)

Anyone who's ever followed this blog knows what to expect on these samplers. The planet has been scoured and sifted in a search for those few nuggets that fit comfortably in my wheelhouse, and that wheelhouse is all about the rock and the roll. Now, my definition of such is admittedly a bit chaotic - rock, power pop, reggae, glam, 60s girl groups, soul, rhythm 'n' blues, Americana, and punk all get squeezed into this same category - but ultimately it all boils down to that sacred truism: it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. And if it makes you swing from the rafters, all the better.

Someday, There's Gonna Be A Revolution

1. One Like Son Start the Show
2. Yukon Blonde Radio
3. Lucero On My Way Downtown
4. Howler Told You Once
5. Crusaders of Love Dreaming
6. Free Energy Electric Fever
7. Spy Island The Punchline
8. The Connection I Think She Digs Me
9. The Afternoons Moving City
10. Foxy Shazam Wasted Feelings
11. Diamond Dogs Lay Me Down on Solid Ground
12. Chuck Prophet Temple Beautiful
13. Prima Donna Puta, Te Amo
14. The Honey Wilders Hey Hey
15. Throwback Suburbia Give and Take
16. Teenage Kicks I Get What You Give
17. Heartless Bastards Parted Ways
18. Alabama Shakes I Ain't The Same
19. The Undecided by Default Way Too Cool
20. Gentleman Jesse Word Gets Around
21. Nude Beach Walkin' Down My Street
22. Minky Starshine Cinematic Mojo
23. The Perms The Mess
24. Cowboy Junkies Fuck, I Hate The Cold

Hello My Name Is Mix (vol. 4)

At one point I figured I'd be lucky to manage a single collection of songs named after public figures, and here we are at Volume 4. The weird thing is that the quality of songs continues to stay high (if not get stronger). For example, three of these tracks ("Paul Stanley", "Samantha Jones", and "Fats Domino") are three of my favorite songs from last year, period.

I owe big thanks to Marc Friedlander for generously offering "Benmont Tench" from his awesome '90s band Salt Peter (which he accurately describes as "Uncle Tupelo but poppier") as well as "Maria Bartiromo" from the impressive Tan Sleeve. Both bands are well worth further investigation. Kudos to you, sir!

Who You Want In Your Corner?

1. Gustav Nilsson Paul Stanley
2. The Someloves Jack Robinson
3. Psychotic Youth Goldie Hawn
4. The Features Fats Domino
5. The Krayolas Gordon Lightfoot
6. The Breakdowns Samantha Jones
7. Jr. Gone Wild Martha Quinn
8. Ghost Trains Michael Caine
9. Avocadoclub Geraldine Ford
10. Tan Sleeve Maria Bartiromo
11. KC Bowman Harry Truman
12. The Huntingtons Judy Jetson
13. Salt Peter Benmont Tench
14. The Breakup Society Robin Zander
15. The Posies Grant Hart
16. The Makes Nice Anna Karina
17. The Hoodoo Gurus Gene Hackman
18. The Tights Howard Hughes
19. Highschool Hellcats Andy McCoy
20. Local H Eddie Vedder
21. The Jesus and Mary Chain Moe Tucker
22. Cymbals Eat Guitars Gary Condit
23. Art Brut Axl Rose
24. Saturday Night Karaoke Caroline Andersen

Covers Project Vol. IX

It's been over half a year since I posted a covers mix, and this one comes just as a boatload of the Un-Herd links have been destroyed by the recent attack on MegaUpload. I doubt that bodes well for the future of posts like this, but in the meantime... fuggit.

This mix features some of the best songs ever written. It's also shot through with an air of nostalgia, which is appropriate for any covers mix although even more pronounced on this one. Let's just say it's no mistake it starts with "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio" and ends with "Rock and Roll." Keep the faith.

It's Just a Shot Away

1. The Feebles Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio (The Ramones)
2. Tranzmitors Between Planets (Jesus and Mary Chain)
3. Barreracudas Come On, Come On (Cheap Trick)
4. Suzy & Los Quattro He Could Be The One (Josie Cotton)
5. The Like You Belong To Me (Elvis Costello)
6. The Gore Gore Girls Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (Little Eva)
7. The Hellacopters Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
8. Turbonegro Suffragette City (David Bowie)
9. Faster Pussycat Jessie's Girl (Rick Springfield)
10. DM3 Zero Hour (The Plimsouls)
11. Dipsomaniacs Can't Hardly Wait (The Replacements)
12. Smithereens I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles)
13. The Fondas Yeah Baby (Nolan Strong & the Diablos)
14. Spazzys My Boyfriend's Back (The Angels)
15. Gaslight Anthem Refugee (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
16. Butch Walker & the Black Widows In Bloom (Nirvana)
17. The Dahlmanns Dancing With Joey Ramone (Amy Rigby)
18. The Methadones Back Of My Hand (The Jags)
19. The Nomads Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White (The Standells)
20. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (The Ramones)
21. Me First & the Gimme Gimmes Rich Girl (Hall & Oates)
22. Bazooka Jones These Boots Were Made For Walking (Nancy Sinatra)
23. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Black Betty (Ram Jam)
24. The Atlantics Rock and Roll, Parts I and II (Gary Glitter)