Mixtape Madness

[MadLucas]

I honestly didn't think this would be hard.

In approaching my mixtape this week, I wanted to introduce myself properly to all of you. In doing this, I ended up choosing some of my absolute all-time favorites. These were songs that inspire me when I am creating music, songs that make me want to turn up my stereo, songs that make the hairs stand up on my arms, songs that have guided me back to the light from the dark tunnel I sometimes had found myself in.

I ended up with enough for two mixtapes.

I spent some time separating them and ended up with two that I think best capture me: a mixtape of music that inspires me as a musician and an artist, and a mixtape that resembles late-night conversations between people who are not afraid to say anything to each other.

I am going with the first mixtape, because it is probably better to start a conversation with “hello” than a hot take (although, within 30 seconds of meeting my wife I told her a wildly inappropriate Neil Hamburger joke that to this day she claims won her over, so what do I know).

THE DISCARDED/ALTERNATE MIXTAPE: I honestly think that late-night conversations between people are where true, life-long friendships are made, but you have to be comfortable (or at least willing to be around) that person for them to be truly effective and be receptive to what they are saying. When I looked at the songs, they did very much match me: they were stories (Guru), ruminations (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, His Name Is Alive), celebratory (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), bold (Holst, Fela Kuti), sensitive (a Zimbabwe Mbira piece, Red House Painters), but sometimes confrontational (Russell Gunn) to the point of aggressive (Lightning Bolt, Penderecki). They were absolutely me, and I legitimately lost sleep as to if this should be the mix or not.

I think I made the right choice.

I also apologize in advance at the length of some of these, especially with this being a holiday week.

 

[MadLucas]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

 

[Taevis]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

Oooo I’ll have to listen. The only song I’ve heard is Joga. I first heard Homogenic only about a month ago and that song completely blew me away.

 

[Aron]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

Really enjoying this one this morning. Good way to start off a new (and short) work week, as well as a new month.

 

[RowBearToe]

Lemme know how it goes!

It wasn't quite night driving, more like dusk driving haha but it was the kind of drive where there aren't any other cars on the road and I knew where I was going, so I could just put cruise control on and my brain could go on cruise control too. This playlist was perfect for that, I just kind of zoned out into the mood the music was setting and it was a great drive home, so thank you! Really enjoyed it!

 

[RowBearToe]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

Really enjoyed listening to this this morning, thank you! I found it interesting how different the styles were that influence you, and it makes me curious as to what your own music sounds like.

 

[Teeeee]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

I just got completely lost in the first 3 songs. In a good way. Just staring at the ceiling, listening to those 3 songs with a smile on my face. So far, I am loving this mix. I am a casual YLT fan so that song was newish to me. I have not ever really been into Luna or Deerhunter, so those songs were new to me. Brilliant!

 

[Aron]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

I feel like the thought process/assembly of this playlist is pretty similar to the approach I take when making a lot of mine. Seems like you really put a lot of effort into bridging songs together, which I dig.

 

[olfashioncowboy]

MIXTAPE MAD(LUCAS)NESS.

All of the songs here inspire me as an artist, a musician, a songwriter, and a person. They fill me with an energy and a purpose and provide me with a permanent cure that a lot of other music provides as a band-aid, a wormhole for me to investigate and broaden my brain and cause me to think differently.

1. YO LA TENGO - “Blue Line Swinger,” from Electr-O-Pura. I cannot say enough nice things about this band. They've never made the same album twice, and sometimes it can sound like a different group altogether from one song to the next. I chose this song as an opener because of how it builds, one instrument at a time, from free-tempo to a locked-in groove. This song is the aural equivalent of a brain putting the dots together.

2. LUNA - “23 Minutes In Brussels,” from Penthouse. Featuring guitar-work from Television's Tom Verlaine, this is my favorite song off my favorite Luna album. I could listen to, play along with, and write words to this groove for days.

3. DEERHUNTER - “Nothing Ever Happened,” from Microcastle. Everything I said about the Luna track (minus Tom Verlaine) applies here. The instrumental expository section is a surprise journey to me every time I hear it.

4. IVY - “Wish It All Away,” from Lately. This group is probably best-known for their songs in the movies There's Something About Mary and Shallow Hal. They are probably equally as known for one of their members being a member of a much more popular band (Fountains Of Wayne). I wish they were known for their songs, for their lush instrumental backgrounds, and for their beautiful vocal and harmonic layering. Every time I put this on, I have to listen to it at least twice.

5. VELOCITY GIRL - “Formula 1 Throwaway,” from Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts. Few bands have ever made a “perfect” records, but in my opinion this band made three perfect albums before disbanding. I've been fascinated with how they approach their sound (many if not most musicians will tell you that the melodic guitar would require the heavier sound than the rhythm guitar, something they seem willfully ignorant or opposing to), and I am a sucker for competing melodies/harmonies in a pop/rock song. Someone once said Aimee Mann is a genius lyricist (I agree) because her lyrics are things you know you've thought to yourself but never said out loud; I think Velocity Girl's lyrics are genius because you KNOW you've said them (“did you have to go and bring that up again?”) but never thought to put to music.

6. ETTA JAMES - “I'd Rather Go Blind,” live recording from Live In San Francisco. So so so so SO many recordings of this I could have picked, including the one that this arrangement is based on (when she re-titled the song “Blind Girl” for her criminally overlooked Deep In The Night album), but I went with this because it's the version I first heard and fell in love with. I remember putting this car on in a moment of extreme heartbreak and finding my real singing voice for the first time.

7. JOHN COLTRANE - “Afro Blue,” from Live At Birdland. One might wonder why I chose this recording of all the Coltrane recordings out there: it's not Coltrane's most impressive or exploratory solo, McCoy's piano and Jimmy's bass are borderline obscured. My theory is that a microphone was ill-placed when this was recorded, making Elvin Jones the star of this show. The listener has two choices, like I do every time I listen: let the thunderstorm of Elvin cause them physical convulsions resulting in involuntary dancing, or truly listen past them to absorb what is happening underneath all of it, forcing your ear to hear things in a different way. I think even if this had been recorded “properly” it would still retain all of its glory and excitement.

8. ORBITAL - “The Box – Part 2,” from In Sides. I love electronic music, and this recording was the first one that ever forced me to take notice (thanks to a beautiful video directed by Luke Losey). This song opened me up to a world I didn't realize had a soul pulsing through all those wires and samplers and I am grateful for it.

9. BJORK - “Joga,” from Homogenic. It's one thing to blend classical instruments with electronics, it's another for both of those parts to stand up on their own as fully realized arrangements. The beauty is that they need each other: the bassline accompanying the octet's part transforms this song from a major-key love poem to a minor-key “state of emergency.”

10. XIU XIU - “Apistat Commander,” from A Promise. I spent years wondering what the hell an “apistat commander” was, and, if I believe Jamie's explanation from the “director's cut listening notes” that accompanied a recent reissue, then I am terribly disappointed. Fortunately, it does nothing to dampen my joy of this song. If you find a tear on your face and you are confused as to whether it is because you find what is happening beautiful or because you are terrified, you're not alone on this one.

11. VELVET CRUSH - “Why Not Your Baby,” from Teenage Symphonies To God. Velvet Crush is one of the most under-discussed bands of the last 30 years. It's no accident that a band devoted to power pop, beautiful vocal arrangements, and creating new memories from sonic nostalgia would name their second album the alternate title for The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. The first time I truly listened to this Gene Clark cover, I kept having to rewind the ending pedal steel solo. I bought a pedal steel the next day. Hardest instrument on earth? Possibly, but Greg Leisz makes it sound effortless.

12. BEACH BOYS - “I Can Hear Music,” from 20/20. My first music love was The Beach Boys, especially these out-of-print hard-to-find compilations that I bought on cassette when I was 8 (22 Sun & Surf Hits and Sunshine Dream, namely). Carl's voice has always been my favorite and has been featured on some of my absolute favorite Beach Boys songs (“Wild Honey,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations”). Whenever someone tells me they are a fan of Pet Sounds, my follow-up question is “but have you ever heard 20/20?” I have worn through a few copies over the years, and this song is one of the reasons I keep coming back.

13. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS - “Bridges, Squares” from Hearts Of Oak. Ted Leo is not necessarily overlooked as a songwriter or lyricist, but no song of his has caused me more pause and reflection on the lyrics than this one.

14. SLEATER-KINNEY - “Dig Me Out,” from Dig Me Out. Sometimes I just need to jump around the room and shout and throw things. Then I remember I am a grown ass adult, and I just play this really loud and for three minutes imagine doing that instead of dancing in my kitchen.

15. DAR WILLIAMS - “After All,” from The Green World. I am ending this on a personal tip. Dar Williams has at least one song an album that can reduce me to tears if I really am paying attention to her lyrics (“You're Aging Well,” “Mortal City,” “If I Wrote You”), and this is one of them. This song is different, though: it is not sad, although there is a sadness to it; it is not strictly about overcoming, although everyone in the song overcomes something; this song is not about joy, although there is a joy to it. I don't think I am the only one who has ever entered or come out on the other side of truly dark times. This song takes it a step further, confessing there was a point in her life where she thought about ending those times once and for all... only to realize, much, much later how grateful she was to not have gone through with it because of everything she would have missed out on. I know I identify with that, and I am sure many people reading this will too. In Dar's words, “I think that life chose me after all.”

I hope you enjoy the 15-songs that encompass this listening experience.

What did you like?
What did you hate?
What did you discover?
What did you take away?

Don't hold back. I am looking forward to talking with all of you!

Sincerely,

John

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness

Mixtape Mad(Lucas)ness · Playlist · 15 songs · 4 likes

open.spotify.com

All this made me eager to hear this mix on my way to work tomorrow! Really looking forward to it. Maybe one day we will able to hear the alt mix because the concept was very intriguing.

 

[Teeeee]

@MadLucas - John Coltrane into Orbital was my favorite sequencing. Amazing.

Xiu xiu was cacophonous. Not surprising. I haven't given up on this band. But man, they are tough to get into.

That's my favorite Etta James song as well.

SK.

 

[Woob_woob]

1st post updated.

@zomgbear is up next

 

[zomgbear]

Everyone had a nice write up so I feel a bit of an obligation to write up something. Although I recommend just listening to the mix, feel free to read if you're curious about it:

Although I originally planned to put up an old mix that I made that I love, I decided to create a new mix for you guys and have been tinkering around with it for over a month or so. There isn't really an underlying theme or genre underneath this mix. I was trying to put something together that is a bit eclectic but still sounds good together and I think its great. The mix is a bit cinematic the way it unfolds.

I'm not going to talk about every song on the mix because I could probably write forever about them - but I do want to bring up a few things that might have influenced how a few songs got into the mix.

1. I listen to Bebel Gilberto's Samba Da Bancao a lot. Like probably an absurd amount ever since I discovered it. I randomly came across this song and recognized the instrumental backing because I'm a huge Amon Tobin fan (She uses his song Nova). This song introduced me to Bebel Gilberto's music. She's the daughter of Joao Gilberto. I actually never made the connection to Joao until I put this into the mix but I ended up looking this up while putting it all together. I looked up Astrud's connection as well as a curiosity and never knew that she was married to Joao at some point but not Bebel's mother. Call me naive but I had just thought it was a common name! Even though I have loved Joao's music for a while, I never really looked him up or his life story. I ended up putting in Corcovado by Getz / Gilberto with Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim for that reason. Comes from the fantastic album Getz/Gilberto which is one of my favorites. Sadly this weekend, I've read that Joao had passed away - which is still a bit of a shock. Especially since I was just looking him up a few days ago.

2. More on Amon Tobin, I originally meant to put his song "4 Ton Mantis" on the mix but discovered that the song disappeared from Spotify & actually online in general! My guess is a sample clearance issue - like the posting for the sample in the song is even missing from whosampled database. ahem:
Not sure where to find it online now but despite being digitally removed everywhere, its definitely still on his album on vinyl and CD. I decided to put "Slowly" from the same album - which probably shaped a bit of how the mix sounds now.

3. I came across "Wede Harer Guzo" by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band randomly. I was a bit familiar with this blog called "Awesome Tapes From Africa" a few years ago. I thought it was interesting because it was just a guy who was collecting tapes from different parts of Africa. He posted cassette rips on his site and wrote blurbs about them - and it was actually really awesome. I haven't followed it in about like 10 years... but Wede Harer Guzo actually popped up randomly in a spotify recommend after your playlist mix (is this cheating?) It's stupid catchy and is stuck in my head a lot during this month so I put it in. The album this is on is also fantastic. It's incredibly lofi sounding Ethiopian funk and is a recent discovery for me. Awesome Tapes From Africa is actually a label now I guess? They go about reissuing these old tapes they found on Vinyl, CDs, and tapes again. Tapes.

4. With all the hype about Bandana building up prior to it's release, I wanted to include a Madgibbs track in there. I've been playing Alex Goose's remix album of Pinata recently - which is fantastic. He's an amazing producer that I first heard of when he put beats rejected from Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 online, all of which were better than most everything on that album. Look it up if you haven't. The song I choose was his remix of Shame. It also has this sick flip of Apple & The Three Orange's My Baby.

Thats it for a write up, if you're curious about any of my other choices feel free to ask!

Jerry Goldsmith - Love Theme From Chinatown
Getz / Gilberto - Corcovado
Chrome Sparks - Marijuana
Giorgio Tuma / Laetitia Sadier - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine
Broadcast - The World Backwards
Amon Tobin - Slowly
Goldfrapp - Pilots
Sneaker Pimps - M'aidez
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo
Madgibbs - Shame (Alex Goose Remix)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow
Cortex - Sabbat, pt. 3
Spirit - The Other Song
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
Bebel Gilberto - Samba Da Bencao

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥ · Playlist · 15 songs · 5 likes

open.spotify.com

 

[Woob_woob]

Everyone had a nice write up so I feel a bit of an obligation to write up something. Although I recommend just listening to the mix, feel free to read if you're curious about it:

Although I originally planned to put up an old mix that I made that I love, I decided to create a new mix for you guys and have been tinkering around with it for over a month or so. There isn't really an underlying theme or genre underneath this mix. I was trying to put something together that is a bit eclectic but still sounds good together and I think its great. The mix is a bit cinematic the way it unfolds.

I'm not going to talk about every song on the mix because I could probably write forever about them - but I do want to bring up a few things that might have influenced how a few songs got into the mix.

1. I listen to Bebel Gilberto's Samba Da Bancao a lot. Like probably an absurd amount ever since I discovered it. I randomly came across this song and recognized the instrumental backing because I'm a huge Amon Tobin fan (She uses his song Nova). This song introduced me to Bebel Gilberto's music. She's the daughter of Joao Gilberto. I actually never made the connection to Joao until I put this into the mix but I ended up looking this up while putting it all together. I looked up Astrud's connection as well as a curiosity and never knew that she was married to Joao at some point but not Bebel's mother. Call me naive but I had just thought it was a common name! Even though I have loved Joao's music for a while, I never really looked him up or his life story. I ended up putting in Corcovado by Getz / Gilberto with Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim for that reason. Comes from the fantastic album Getz/Gilberto which is one of my favorites. Sadly this weekend, I've read that Joao had passed away - which is still a bit of a shock. Especially since I was just looking him up a few days ago.

2. More on Amon Tobin, I originally meant to put his song "4 Ton Mantis" on the mix but discovered that the song disappeared from Spotify & actually online in general! My guess is a sample clearance issue - like the posting for the sample in the song is even missing from whosampled database. ahem:
Not sure where to find it online now but despite being digitally removed everywhere, its definitely still on his album on vinyl and CD. I decided to put "Slowly" from the same album - which probably shaped a bit of how the mix sounds now.

3. I came across "Wede Harer Guzo" by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band randomly. I was a bit familiar with this blog called "Awesome Tapes From Africa" a few years ago. I thought it was interesting because it was just a guy who was collecting tapes from different parts of Africa. He posted cassette rips on his site and wrote blurbs about them - and it was actually really awesome. I haven't followed it in about like 10 years... but Wede Harer Guzo actually popped up randomly in a spotify recommend after your playlist mix (is this cheating?) It's stupid catchy and is stuck in my head a lot during this month so I put it in. The album this is on is also fantastic. It's incredibly lofi sounding Ethiopian funk and is a recent discovery for me. Awesome Tapes From Africa is actually a label now I guess? They go about reissuing these old tapes they found on Vinyl, CDs, and tapes again. Tapes.

4. With all the hype about Bandana building up prior to it's release, I wanted to include a Madgibbs track in there. I've been playing Alex Goose's remix album of Pinata recently - which is fantastic. He's an amazing producer that I first heard of when he put beats rejected from Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 online, all of which were better than most everything on that album. Look it up if you haven't. The song I choose was his remix of Shame. It also has this sick flip of Apple & The Three Orange's My Baby.

Thats it for a write up, if you're curious about any of my other choices feel free to ask!

Jerry Goldsmith - Love Theme From Chinatown
Getz / Gilberto - Corcovado
Chrome Sparks - Marijuana
Giorgio Tuma / Laetitia Sadier - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine
Broadcast - The World Backwards
Amon Tobin - Slowly
Goldfrapp - Pilots
Sneaker Pimps - M'aidez
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo
Madgibbs - Shame (Alex Goose Remix)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow
Cortex - Sabbat, pt. 3
Spirit - The Other Song
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
Bebel Gilberto - Samba Da Bencao

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥ · Playlist · 15 songs · 5 likes

open.spotify.com

I just started listening to this, and it probably has the most songs I was previously unaware of before, so I'm excited about that. I'll add it to the first post later today.

 

[Woob_woob]

@Joyless Division you're up next week.

 

[Aron]

Everyone had a nice write up so I feel a bit of an obligation to write up something. Although I recommend just listening to the mix, feel free to read if you're curious about it:

Although I originally planned to put up an old mix that I made that I love, I decided to create a new mix for you guys and have been tinkering around with it for over a month or so. There isn't really an underlying theme or genre underneath this mix. I was trying to put something together that is a bit eclectic but still sounds good together and I think its great. The mix is a bit cinematic the way it unfolds.

I'm not going to talk about every song on the mix because I could probably write forever about them - but I do want to bring up a few things that might have influenced how a few songs got into the mix.

1. I listen to Bebel Gilberto's Samba Da Bancao a lot. Like probably an absurd amount ever since I discovered it. I randomly came across this song and recognized the instrumental backing because I'm a huge Amon Tobin fan (She uses his song Nova). This song introduced me to Bebel Gilberto's music. She's the daughter of Joao Gilberto. I actually never made the connection to Joao until I put this into the mix but I ended up looking this up while putting it all together. I looked up Astrud's connection as well as a curiosity and never knew that she was married to Joao at some point but not Bebel's mother. Call me naive but I had just thought it was a common name! Even though I have loved Joao's music for a while, I never really looked him up or his life story. I ended up putting in Corcovado by Getz / Gilberto with Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim for that reason. Comes from the fantastic album Getz/Gilberto which is one of my favorites. Sadly this weekend, I've read that Joao had passed away - which is still a bit of a shock. Especially since I was just looking him up a few days ago.

2. More on Amon Tobin, I originally meant to put his song "4 Ton Mantis" on the mix but discovered that the song disappeared from Spotify & actually online in general! My guess is a sample clearance issue - like the posting for the sample in the song is even missing from whosampled database. ahem:
Not sure where to find it online now but despite being digitally removed everywhere, its definitely still on his album on vinyl and CD. I decided to put "Slowly" from the same album - which probably shaped a bit of how the mix sounds now.

3. I came across "Wede Harer Guzo" by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band randomly. I was a bit familiar with this blog called "Awesome Tapes From Africa" a few years ago. I thought it was interesting because it was just a guy who was collecting tapes from different parts of Africa. He posted cassette rips on his site and wrote blurbs about them - and it was actually really awesome. I haven't followed it in about like 10 years... but Wede Harer Guzo actually popped up randomly in a spotify recommend after your playlist mix (is this cheating?) It's stupid catchy and is stuck in my head a lot during this month so I put it in. The album this is on is also fantastic. It's incredibly lofi sounding Ethiopian funk and is a recent discovery for me. Awesome Tapes From Africa is actually a label now I guess? They go about reissuing these old tapes they found on Vinyl, CDs, and tapes again. Tapes.

4. With all the hype about Bandana building up prior to it's release, I wanted to include a Madgibbs track in there. I've been playing Alex Goose's remix album of Pinata recently - which is fantastic. He's an amazing producer that I first heard of when he put beats rejected from Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 online, all of which were better than most everything on that album. Look it up if you haven't. The song I choose was his remix of Shame. It also has this sick flip of Apple & The Three Orange's My Baby.

Thats it for a write up, if you're curious about any of my other choices feel free to ask!

Jerry Goldsmith - Love Theme From Chinatown
Getz / Gilberto - Corcovado
Chrome Sparks - Marijuana
Giorgio Tuma / Laetitia Sadier - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine
Broadcast - The World Backwards
Amon Tobin - Slowly
Goldfrapp - Pilots
Sneaker Pimps - M'aidez
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo
Madgibbs - Shame (Alex Goose Remix)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow
Cortex - Sabbat, pt. 3
Spirit - The Other Song
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
Bebel Gilberto - Samba Da Bencao

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥ · Playlist · 15 songs · 5 likes

open.spotify.com

I'm about 1/4 of the way through this one, but I'm really enjoying it. Very chill and exotic mix of songs. Starting to feel that the playlist that I already turned in weeks ago is a bit of low brow pop compared to some of these mixes you guys have been coming up with. But I'm sticking with it.

 

[Woob_woob]

Very chill

Chill AF. This would be a perfect pool side mix on a not too hot day with a perfect breeze.

 

[zomgbear]

I just started listening to this, and it probably has the most songs I was previously unaware of before, so I'm excited about that. I'll add it to the first post later today.

Kinda surprised! I was looking thru your discogs the other day and I think we have very similar tastes!

I'm about 1/4 of the way through this one, but I'm really enjoying it. Very chill and exotic mix of songs. Starting to feel that the playlist that I already turned in weeks ago is a bit of low brow pop compared to some of these mixes you guys have been coming up with. But I'm sticking with it.

Different mixes is what keeps it interesting!

 

[Woob_woob]

Kinda surprised! I was looking thru your discogs the other day and I think we have very similar tastes!

We do, and I know a decent amount of your mix but I had never heard that song with the Laetitia feature even though I love Stereolab. I know of Chrome Sparks and Sneaker Pimps, but never really listened to them before (outside of 6 Underground) That Dahlak Band song is also new to me. Lovely all around though.

 

[zomgbear]

We do, and I know a decent amount of your mix but I had never heard that song with the Laetitia feature even though I love Stereolab. I know of Chrome Sparks and Sneaker Pimps, but never really listened to them before (outside of 6 Underground) That Dahlak Band song is also new to me. Lovely all around though.

I actually have Spotify to thank for that Giorgio Tuma / Laetitia discovery! I was playing a playlist with Stereolab in it and it suggested it after and I loved it! Sometimes I just like to leave playlists going after they finish to suggest new things. I highly recommend Sneaker Pimps! Their first album is the only one with singer Kelly Ali but honestly I enjoy their other two without her just as much. The track I selected was on their final album as Sneaker Pimps before the singer Chris Corner went solo as IAMX.

 

[Teeeee]

Everyone had a nice write up so I feel a bit of an obligation to write up something. Although I recommend just listening to the mix, feel free to read if you're curious about it:

Although I originally planned to put up an old mix that I made that I love, I decided to create a new mix for you guys and have been tinkering around with it for over a month or so. There isn't really an underlying theme or genre underneath this mix. I was trying to put something together that is a bit eclectic but still sounds good together and I think its great. The mix is a bit cinematic the way it unfolds.

I'm not going to talk about every song on the mix because I could probably write forever about them - but I do want to bring up a few things that might have influenced how a few songs got into the mix.

1. I listen to Bebel Gilberto's Samba Da Bancao a lot. Like probably an absurd amount ever since I discovered it. I randomly came across this song and recognized the instrumental backing because I'm a huge Amon Tobin fan (She uses his song Nova). This song introduced me to Bebel Gilberto's music. She's the daughter of Joao Gilberto. I actually never made the connection to Joao until I put this into the mix but I ended up looking this up while putting it all together. I looked up Astrud's connection as well as a curiosity and never knew that she was married to Joao at some point but not Bebel's mother. Call me naive but I had just thought it was a common name! Even though I have loved Joao's music for a while, I never really looked him up or his life story. I ended up putting in Corcovado by Getz / Gilberto with Astrud Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim for that reason. Comes from the fantastic album Getz/Gilberto which is one of my favorites. Sadly this weekend, I've read that Joao had passed away - which is still a bit of a shock. Especially since I was just looking him up a few days ago.

2. More on Amon Tobin, I originally meant to put his song "4 Ton Mantis" on the mix but discovered that the song disappeared from Spotify & actually online in general! My guess is a sample clearance issue - like the posting for the sample in the song is even missing from whosampled database. ahem:
Not sure where to find it online now but despite being digitally removed everywhere, its definitely still on his album on vinyl and CD. I decided to put "Slowly" from the same album - which probably shaped a bit of how the mix sounds now.

3. I came across "Wede Harer Guzo" by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band randomly. I was a bit familiar with this blog called "Awesome Tapes From Africa" a few years ago. I thought it was interesting because it was just a guy who was collecting tapes from different parts of Africa. He posted cassette rips on his site and wrote blurbs about them - and it was actually really awesome. I haven't followed it in about like 10 years... but Wede Harer Guzo actually popped up randomly in a spotify recommend after your playlist mix (is this cheating?) It's stupid catchy and is stuck in my head a lot during this month so I put it in. The album this is on is also fantastic. It's incredibly lofi sounding Ethiopian funk and is a recent discovery for me. Awesome Tapes From Africa is actually a label now I guess? They go about reissuing these old tapes they found on Vinyl, CDs, and tapes again. Tapes.

4. With all the hype about Bandana building up prior to it's release, I wanted to include a Madgibbs track in there. I've been playing Alex Goose's remix album of Pinata recently - which is fantastic. He's an amazing producer that I first heard of when he put beats rejected from Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 online, all of which were better than most everything on that album. Look it up if you haven't. The song I choose was his remix of Shame. It also has this sick flip of Apple & The Three Orange's My Baby.

Thats it for a write up, if you're curious about any of my other choices feel free to ask!

Jerry Goldsmith - Love Theme From Chinatown
Getz / Gilberto - Corcovado
Chrome Sparks - Marijuana
Giorgio Tuma / Laetitia Sadier - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine
Broadcast - The World Backwards
Amon Tobin - Slowly
Goldfrapp - Pilots
Sneaker Pimps - M'aidez
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo
Madgibbs - Shame (Alex Goose Remix)
BADBADNOTGOOD - Time Moves Slow
Cortex - Sabbat, pt. 3
Spirit - The Other Song
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
Bebel Gilberto - Samba Da Bencao

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Mixtape Madness ♥ · Playlist · 15 songs · 5 likes

open.spotify.com

Holy crap, @zomgbear - your mix is AWESOME!!!!! I love that you started it off with the love theme from Chinatown. That song is so atmospheric - it really paints the picture of Cali in that era. Marijuana was both frustrating because I wanted it to break out into the Jamie XX song but also wonderful because of its chill take on the song. You're right, the Hailu Mergia, Dahlak Band song is catchy as hell.

I love this mix!