It's Got to Be Mellow

Stay in tonight. Kill a bottle of wine.

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01. Leon Haywood - It's Got to Be Mellow
02. Bloodstone - What Did You Do to Me, Pt. 1
03. Brenda and the Tabulations - Where There's a Will (There's a Way)
04. The Choice Four - Just Let Me Hold You For a Night
05. Ponderosa Twins + One - You Send Me
06. The Montclairs - Make Up For Lost Time
07. The Dynamic Superiors - Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
08. Black Ivory - No If's, And's, or But's
09. Billy Stewart - We'll Always Be Together
10. The O'Jays - I Swear I Love No One But You
11. Terry Huff and Special Delivery - That's When Love Hurts
12. Skip Mahoaney and the Casuals - Bless My Soul
13. The Fuzz - I Love You for All Seasons
14. The Lovations - I Don't Want You
15. The Presidents - The Sweetest Thing This Side of Heaven
16. Tyrone Davis - Was I Just a Fool
17. Windy City - Good Guys Don't Always Win
18. Phil Upchurch / Tennyson Stephens - Don't I Know You
19. The Dramatics - In the Rain
20. The Group - Say Girl (Where Have You Been)
21. The Dells - Love Can Make It Easier
22. The Chi-Lites - What Do I Wish For
tirefire

The 2:22 Mix for 2/22

Originally posted at my blog.

Here's my mix of songs that are 2:22 long. It's just a zip folder of mp3s but here is the tracklist. Mostly tried to keep it halfway consistent throughout and applicable for some sort of social gathering (not that anyone is going to listen to this in that way) but I think it's pretty good. 30 songs, though I guess I should have narrowed it to 22. silly me. it's almost all rock n roll, soul, country/rockabilly and a couple punkish songs. Some of the mp3s come out as 2:23, but they are actually 2:22 in length when they play. Itunes is just weird sometimes. again, i didn't retag because i just did this pretty quick for fun, so if you add these files to your itunes or whatever, just add them to a playlist in this order.

1. bullion - i just wasn't made for these times
2. al green - ride sally ride (single edit)
3. rufus thomas - i think i made a boo boo
4. jr. walker & the all-stars - do the boomerang
5. them - just a little bit
6. herbie duncan - hot lips baby
7. boyd bennett - move
8. patsy cline - stop, look & listen
9. speedy west & jimmy bryant - old joe clark
10. meat puppets - buckethead
11. blondie - hanging on the telephone
12. the clean - billy two
13. the rolling stones - rip this joint
14. johnny thunders & heartbreakers - baby talk
15. lizzy mercier descloux - wawa
16. the rumblers - clap hands
17. james bell & the turner brothers - the funky buzzard
18. the bar-kays - soul finger
19. sly & the family stone - everyday people
20. the soul seven - the cissy's thang
21. mel & tim - ain't love wonderful
22. the pretty things - there will never be another day
23. the animals - baby let me take you home
24. lightnin' hopkins - my little kewpie doll (bad boogie)
25. johnny cash - blistered
26. wanda jackson - tongue tied
27. the troggs - come now
28. the kinks - animals in the zoo
29. billy nichols - london social degree
30. the beatles - no reply

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Andy

Before I Grow Too Old

Category: Sad Bastard Music

Sounds like: Last gasps and last rites.

A compilation of the last recordings of artists who died before their time. I include Joe Strummer in that subset. Each is either the last song on the artist's last album or something recorded after that. It's intentionally a pretty dour experience but the songwriting talent heard here, on songs written mostly before the artist knew he or she was short on time, is nothing short of amazing. Use this mix when you want to be reminded of your own impermanence.

Before I Grow Too Old.

Tracklist:
01: Exploding Hearts - We Don't Have to Worry Anymore
02: The Gits - A Change is Gonna Come
03. Elliott Smith - A Distorted Reality is Now A Necessity
04. Nirvana - Autopilot
05. Ten Grand - Now You Got What I Got
06. Joy Division - Decades
07. Joe Strummer - Silver & Gold
08. Nick Drake - From the Morning
09. Peter Laughner - China
10. Jeff Buckley - Satisfied Mind
11. Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos
12. Otis Redding - Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay
13. Gram Parsons - In My Hour of Darkness
14. Hank Williams - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
15. T. Rex - Dandy in the Underworld

Ben

Play This Only At Night

Category: Random Hip-Hop

Sounds like: 2:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m.

Get home. Put it on. Starts slow. Gets high fast. Comes down easy.

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01 Doug E. Fresh - Play This Only At Night
02 Jay-Z - (Always Be My) Sunshine
03 Ol' Dirty Bastard - Shimmy Shimmy Ya
04 Ice Cube - The Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit
05 The Notorious B.I.G. - Things Done Changed
06 Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
07 Boogie Down Productions - Dope Beat
08 Skee-Lo - I Wish
09 Naughty By Nature - O.P.P.
10 Raekwon - Incarcerated Scarfaces
11 Ghostface Killah - Walking Through The Darkness
12 Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause
13 Common - I Used To Love H.E.R.

Rob

Pure Misery

Category: Various Artists

Sounds like: The captain going down with the ship.

In slight parody of the conventions of those Pure Moods comps you see on TV, this mix chronicles a progression of dour moods. Pianos and piano-like sounds feature as a sonic motif throughout many of the tracks, and there's also a bit of a watery theme, the ship lost at sea but still blundering onward. I tend to pull this out in the dead of winter; the upbeat mixes show themselves once spring's in session.

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01. The May Family Reunion - Henry's Ghost
02. Christina Carter - For All Death/Be Come
03. Blonde Redhead - Four Damaged Lemons (Third Eye Foundation remix)
04. Spokane - The Absentee
05. Mus - Caseria
06. Black Heart Procession - A Light So Dim
07. Rachel's - All is Calm
08. This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren
09. Eluvium - There Wasn't Anything
10. The Angels of Light - Praise Your Name
11. Afghan Whigs - My Curse
12. Xiu Xiu - Dr. Troll
13. Rosewater Elizabeth - How You Break
14. Songs: Ohia - Blue Factory Flame
15. Black Tape for a Blue Girl - Again, to Drift

Dare

Sugar In My Soul

Category: Various Artists

Sounds Like: Just like it says on the box

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A little late for Valentines Day, I know; but do we really need an excuse to share a little love? Smooth soul grooves and old fashioned sentiments to warm your heart and set your toes tappin'. Definitely not ADA approved.

edit: re-upped, as the original was missing a few tracks. 

sorry folks.

Tracklist:

01. Sam Cooke - You Send Me

02. Walter Egan - Magnet and Steel

03. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Fish In The Dish

04. David Ruffin - I've Got A Need For You

05. Bill Withers - Use Me

06. Van Morrison - Moondance

07. Dusty Springfield - Spooky

08. Elvis Presley - Teddy Bear

09. Raphael Saadiq - 100 Yard Dash

10. Amy Winehouse - Cupid

11. William Bell - Never Like This Before

12. The Exciters - Blowing Up My Mind

13. Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - I'll Roll With You

14. Love - She Comes in Colors

15. The Sonics - Have Love, Will Travel

16. Etta James - I Just Want To Make Love To You

17. Ken Parker - How Strong

18. Astrud Gilberto - Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)

19. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - I Love You (Yeah)

janey

The Powerpop Tape

Category: Various Artists

Sounds Like: Worthless youth with skinny ties


Your basic powerpop mixtape. I've done several since, but none ever came out this good.

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Side A:
The Reds – Whatcha’ Doin’ to Me
Humans – I Live in the City
The A’s – After Last Night
Great Buildings - …And the Light Goes On
Rubber City Rebels – Paper Dolls
The Dazzlers – Lovely Crash
Bram Tchaikovsky – Girl of My Dreams
The Romantics – Tell it to Carrie
Badfinger – Baby Blue
Dwight Twilley Band – You Were So Warm
Epicycle – Biological Reaction
The Poppees – If She Cries
The Regular Guys – It’s a Secret
J.P. McClain & the Intruders – Baby Don’t Laugh
The Marquis’ – Viddy This
The Plimsouls – Now

Side B:
The Boys – (Baby) It’s You
The Wigs – Tell it All
Arlis! – I Wanna Be
The Table – Do the Standing Still (Classics Illustrated)
Strangeways – Wasting Time
The Jags – Back of My Hand (I’ve Got Your Number)
Paul Collins’ Beat – The Kids are the Same
The Smirks – To You
20/20 – Tell Me Why (Can’t Understand You)
Marshall Crenshaw – There She Goes Again
Sorrows – Teenage Heartbreak
The Nerves – One Way Ticket
The Phōnz – She Wants to Be a Man
The Rubinoos – I Never Thought It Would Happen
Boyfriends – I Don’t Want Nobody (I Want You)
Yachts – Box 202
tirefire

New York Trip Mix

Category: Various Artists

Sounds Like: My recent trip to New York

This is a cross section of the sounds I heard and the things I saw while in New York recently. Next to each song is an explanation of why it has been included.
Enjoy.

NYC Mix

1. Sonic Youth - I Dreamed I Dream (I missed a Thurston solo show while up there)
2. The National - So Far Around The Bend (Saw them play at the Tibet House Benefit)
3. Creaky Boards - The Songs I Didn't Write (I got to hang out at the studio where Coldplay mixed their rip-off of this song)
4. Vampire Weekend - M79 (Saw them play at the Tibet House Benefit)
5. Matt & Kim - Don't Slow Down (Just a good NYC band that just put out a new album)
6. Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome (what NYC comp is complete without PE?)
7. Beastie Boys - An Open Letter To NYC (A little cheesy, but this song kind of summed up the whole trip, plus the song is built on a killer sample)
8. The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer (one of their pics was stolen from it's spot on the wall at Manitoba's; one of my favorite old school NYC bands; my band even covers this song)
9. Iggy Pop w/David Bowie - Raw Power (Two different tastes that taste great together when in NYC)
10. The Thermals - No Culture Icons (Saw them play at the Bell House in Brooklyn)
11. Bad Brains - Attitude (Saw posters for the Bad Brains Vans shoe line all over The Village)
12. The Sonics - Strychnine (Heard this song played by two different DJs at two different bars on the same night; how can you not love a city where that happens?)
13. Patti Smith - Rock n Roll Nigger (Saw her play at the Tibet House Benefit, she spit on the stage but wiped it up after; so raw and yet so polite)
14. Fear - New York's Alright If You Like Saxaphones (saw posters for an upcoming John Zorn show all over the East Village)
15. The Ramones - Howling At The Moon (Sha La La) (It's the fucking Ramones! Did you think I'd leave them out of a NYC comp?)

Sonicgabe

Loves Me/Loves Me Not

Category: Various Artists

Sounds like: Either you love someone or you wish you didn't.

A lot of songs we all know. Two discs. Pick your poison.

(thanks to Joe for mixing)

Valentines Day

Loves Me

01. Bill Withers - Kissing My Love

02. Junior Senior - Can I Get Get Get

03. The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

04. The Cardigans - In The Round

05. Air - Radian

06. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Words Of Love

07. Al Green - Love and Happiness

08. George Harrison - Your Love is Forever

09. Mylo - In My Arms

10. Graham Reynolds - Strawberry Pie

11. Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness

12. Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness

13. Richard Hawley - Early Morning Rain

14. Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings - You're Gonna Get It

15. Prefuse 73 - Perverted Undertone

16. Ween - She's Your Baby

17. Circulatory System - The Lovely Universe

18. Alan Braxe and Friends - In Love With You

19. The Beatles - The End

20. Daft Punk - Make Love

Friday the 13th

Loves Me Not

01. The Breeders - Fortunately Gone

02. The Soft Boys - I Wanna Destroy You

03. Cibo Matto - Sunday Part 1

04. Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down

05. Procul Harum - Too Much Between Us

06. The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her

07. Mark Mulcahy - In Pursuit Of Your Happiness

08. The Mountain Goats - love love love

09. Okkervil River - Song of Our So-Called Friend

10. Calexico - Alone Again Or

11. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Back of Love

12. Bat For Lashes - What's A Girl to Do

13. Hall & Oates - She's Gone

14. Chris Isaak - The End of Everything

15. Broadcast - Tears in the Typing Pool

16. Dennis Brown - Black Magic Woman

17. Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On

18. Emiliana Torrini - Hold Heart

19. You Am I - Heavy Heart

20. Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

clockout dan maguire

Decemberists: A Best Of

Category: Indie Pop

Sounds Like: Awesomely gay pirate music

A compilation of my favorite Decemberists tracks. A bit of emphasis on their earlier work but I feel that that was when they were at their best.

Decemberists: A Best Of

Tracklist:

01. The Engine Driver
02. The Bachelor and the Bride
03. Sixteen Military Wives
04. July, July!
05. The Soldiering Life
06. O Valencia!
07. Shiny
08. California One Youth and Beauty Briagde
09. Red Right Ankle
10. Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
11. Summersong
12. Angel, Won't You Call Me?
13. The Gymnast, High Above The Ground
14. Grace Cathedral Hill
15. Leslie Anne Levine
16. My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist
17. I Was Meant for the Stage

Mcwop23

Until a Single Spark Ignites

Category: Various Artists

Sounds like: Watching autumn fade into the long winter ahead.

This mix tape collects electronic songs mostly from the last few years. It's a follow-up of sorts to another mix I did a few years ago that featured a similarly melancholy, downbeat roster. At the same time it's playful in parts, and it takes a flippant turn toward the end.

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01. Psapp - Calm Down
02. Andi Teichmann - Tape
03. Midaircondo - Perfect Spot
04. m83 - Don't Save Us From the Flames (Boom Bip remix)
05. Ensemble - All We Leave Behind (feat. Mileece)
06. Hanne Hukkelberg - Ticking Bomb
07. Caural - Cold Hands (feat. Hrishikesh Hirway)
08. Bracken - Safe Safe Safe
09. Clark - Frau Wav
10. Apparat - Birds
11. AGF - PRIVATEbirds
12. Carrie - Complicado
13. Popnoname - Fuck You
14. Alex Smoke - Make My Day
15. Matthew Dear - Deserter

Dare

Skate Vol. 1 - Shufflers Only

Category: Various Freestyle Electro

Sounds like: The middle of a Miami roller rink in the late 80s.

Thanks to Gareth for living it.

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Tracklist: 

01. Freestyle - Don't Stop the Rock (Original)

02. Debbie Deb - Look Out Weekends

03. Planet Patrol - Plat At Your Own Risk

04. Cybotron - Clear

05.  Judy Torres - No Reason To Cry

06. Expose - Point of No Return

07. Rockell - In A Dream

08. HASHIM - Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)

09. TKA - Maria

10. Nice & Wild - Diamond Girl

11. Shannon - Let the Music Play

12. Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music

13. Lil Suzy - Take Me In Your Arms

clockout dan maguire

on an island

Category: Various Artists

Sounds Like: meaty, beaty, big, bouncy

on what island? i don't know.  it gets sort of depressing at the end. 

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tracklist: 

1. Harmonic 313 - Music Substitute System

2. DJ Signify - Costume Kids

3. Oh No - Presidential

4. Tobacco - Dirt

5. Harmonic 313 - Cyclotron C64 SID

6. Mira Calix - Sparrow

7. RZA - Creep

8. Kid Cudi - 50 Ways To Make A Record

9. Outkast - Pink & Blue

10. Sarah Beck, Consumer Meat Specialist - Prime Choice Good

11. Gang Gang Dance - Inners Pace

12. John Baker - JB Dubs

13. Luke Vibert - Eleventy One

14. Lykke Li - Complaint Department

15. Matmos - For The Trees

16. Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree

17. Autechre - notwotwo

18. Hell Interface - The Story of Xentrix

fuckles