september 2002
If you've heard this month's mix, please leave a comment -- what you liked, what you didn't -- at the bottom of the page. Album links are to Amazon; if you like something, consider buying via that link so I get a cut and keep the mix club going.
After three alphabetically themed months, we're back to the thrilling anarchy of the themeless mix. Much rejoicing there was in the hills.
The insert card for this month's mix is available in PDF format (524k).
1. Ivan Meets G.I. Joe / The Clash. On Sandinista! (1980). "The United Nations said it's all fair" -- words to live by in these days of geopolitical turmoil, no?
2. Keep It Close to Me / Superdrag. On In the Valley of Dying Stars (2000). A lot of power pop is smiley or shy or sounds like it just peed its pants. I like this because it's got a little angry edge, like Matthew Sweet in his pissed-off moments.
3. Follow Your Heart / The Paladins. On Million Mile Club (1999). Picked this up a couple years ago in a dollar bin purely because it was on the 4AD label, home of faves like the Pixies, Mojave 3, and the Red House Painters. Then I realized the Paladins are downright Stevie Ray Vaughnesque -- an odd match for the label. But just try to avoid cranking up the air guitar on the solo. Just try.
4. Red Spot / A-Z Consolidated. On A-Z Consolidated EP (2000). Ever find a random MP3 on your hard drive and not have any idea (a) who the artist is, (b) what the song title is, or (c) how it got there? I had an Untitled.mp3 not long ago and tried to do some detective work. Eventually, I figured out it was this Chicago so-postrock-it's-actually-prerock band. And that is was pretty good.
5. Central Reservation (Then Again Version) / Beth Orton. On Central Reservation (1999). She sure sings purty.
6. Virginia Reel Around the Fountain / Built to Spill. On Live (2000). This is a cover of the Halo Benders song -- but is it really a cover if Doug Martsch plays in and sings for both bands? Crabwalk.com: Never afraid to ask the deep, meaningful questions.
7. Bang / The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. On Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP (2002). Is there room on the NYC rawk bandwagon for still another band? Eh, probably, I suppose. At least vocalist Karen O adds a feminine touch to the too-masculine state of that scene nowadays.
8. It's About Time / Evan Dando. On 120 Minutes Live (1998). I've already been outed at a Dando apologist, but he's a talented guy, I swear! Lots of MP3s here.
9. Goodbye / Silver Scooter. On The Blue Law (2001). An Austin band that said goodbye themselves and retired last last year.
10. Sick of Food / American Music Club. On Everclear (1991). Eleven years later, this remains the perfect just-been-dumped-think-I'll-get-drunk-alone album.
11. Agaetis Byrjun / Sigur Ros. On Agaetis Byrjun (2001). Everybody needs a little non-Bjork Icelandism in their lives.
12. Everything Will Flow / Suede. On Head Music (1999). Probably Suede's weakest album, but a nice single.
13. Easy Way Down / Snowpony. On The Slow Motion World of Snowpony (1999). Snowpony's the project of a couple of ex-My Bloody Valentine and ex-Stereolab members. Shame it never reaches up to the standards one would expect from those grand names.
14. There Goes My Gun / The Pixies. On At the BBC (1996). Speaking of the Pixies. Originally off Doolittle, of course -- this is from the John Peel Show, Oct. 9, 1988.
15. Slut / Big Star. On Columbia (1993). A Todd Rundgren cover. Memphis' Big Star is a classic critical fave, ignored while performing but given eternal life through five-star ratings and power-pop lovefests. This is from the famed Big Star reunion show at the University of Missouri, which has since spawned countless more reunion shows. Trivia: Big Star bassist Andy Hummel is now an engineer and lives in suburban Dallas. He also doesn't sound like a very cool guy, talking about how lots of Ayn Rand led him to ditch the rock and go on (apparently unironically) about how he's "totally absorbed in making money and that requires pretty much all of one's resources."
16. One Armed Scissor / At the Drive-In. On Relationship of Command (2000). The late great El Paso rockers.
17. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) / Pet Shop Boys. On Disco (1986). This is the extended remix, not the original from Please. Their second U.S. single, after my favorite song in sixth grade, "West End Girls."
18. The Last Polka / Ben Folds Five. On Ben Folds Five (1995). I still stand by BFF's debut album as their finest.
