Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #10

"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."

--Hunter S. Thompson

Challenge #10
Theme: Stoner music



Challenger: Marissa Mele

Title: I Got Lost in the Music

Playlist:
1. Twilight Zone - Opening narration
2. Labi Siffre - Doctor doctor
3. Here We Go Magic - Ahab
4. Zaza - Sooner or later
5. Beans - Mellow you out
6. CAN - Sing swan song
7. Clinic - For the wars
8. Orchestra Baobab - Dee moo woor
9. Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
10. Quix*O*Tic - Anonymous face
11. Delta 5 - Mind your own business
12. The Rapture - Out of the races and onto the tracks
13. Kinks - Lola
14. Burning Spear - The invasion
15. Fleetwood Mac - The chain
16. Edith Piaf - Padam padam
17. Warpaint - Billie Holiday
18. Ween - Buenos tardes amigos
19. Stereolab - Double rocker

Listen:



VERSUS



Champion: SPF

Title: Hi I'm Normal

Notes: I don't do drugs, but if I did this is the music I would listen to while on them.

Playlist:
01 - The Web - Rated G
02 - Peter Bjorn and John - Amsterdam
03 - The Notwist - Chemicals
04 - Com Truise - Sundriped
05 - New Riders of the Purple Sage - Death And Destruction
06 - Shearwater - Castaways
07 - Santo and Johnny - Sleep Walk
08 - Wilco - Sunken Treasure
09 - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Indiana
10 - Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
11 - Islands - Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby
12 - Hot Chip - Colours
13 - Yeasayer - Madder Red
14 - Menomena - Dirty Cartoons
15 - Bunny Wailer - Dream Land
16 - Built To Spill - Else

Listen:



Vote:

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #9

Update!
We gotta call this one at 1:46pm EST. Congratulations to SPF for a successful title defense, and a thanks to Josh Duncan for bringing a strong challenge. What sublime goodies await in the next showdown? Part the beaded curtain tomorrow.

* * * * *

I love you I hate you I need to see you I never want to see you again I'm going to text you I'm going to delete your number I hope I see you on the street I'm going to stay away from your part of town Charlie Sheen...

Challenge #9
Theme: Bi-polar



Challenger: Josh Duncan

Notes: I call this mix "Bipolar" because, well, "Wild Mood Swings" was taken. The idea is simple, it only contains upbeat songs, or songs that you would slit your wrists to. But, as in life, the manic episodes are frenetic and grandiose. The down ones can be sweet. And, often, the tension between these two can lead to some pretty eccentric ideas.

Playlist:
1. Untitled - The Cure
2. Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lennox
3. Is this Love - Bob Marley and the Wailers
4. The Facts About Jimmy - Shawn Colvin
5. Atlantis - Donovan
6. The World is not Enough - Garbage
7. Pathetique - Beethoven
8. Jump in the Line - Harry Belafonte
9. Five String Serenade - Mazzy Star
10. Miss Otis Regrets - Cole Porter, sung by Ella Fitzgerald
11. Vissi D'Arte - Verdi, performed by Maria Callas
12. Baby, Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss
13. If I had no Loot - Tony! Toni! Tone!
14. River of Deceit - Mad Season



VERSUS



Champion: SPF

Title: The Truth About Charlie

Notes: The higher the highs, the lower the lows. Turn off Access Hollywood. Put down your copy of People Magazine. Forget all that goop. Everything you need to know is here -- the last ten years of Charlie's life mixed in chronological order.

Playlist:
1 - Parts & Labor - The Gold We're Digging
2 - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - I Am Warm and Powerful
3 - Super Furry Animals - Sex, War and Robots
4 - The Thermals - I Might Need You to Kill
5 - Joseph Arthur - Even Tho
6 - Jets to Brazil - Lemon Yellow Black
7 - Big Star - Life is White
8 - Beck - Lost Cause
9 - Graham Parker - Between You and Me
10 - Positive K - I Got a Man
11 - Delta Spirit - Trashcan
12 - Girls - Laura
13 - Traffic - Dear Mr. Fantasy
14 - The Tough Alliance - Something Special
15 - Man Man - Van Helsing Boombox
16 - Cody Chesnutt - 6 Seconds
17 - Snowglobe - Happy

Listen:


Vote:

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #8

Update!!!

We're calling this one at 3:5s EST. Your winner, by split decision, SPF!

* * * * *

It's like that time when the jukebox was playing that song, you know that song, that one that reminds you of that song you like?

Challenge #8
Theme: Same Same, But Different



Challenger: SPF

Notes:
The theme is to have songs that sound like you've heard them before but are slightly different. I tried not to limit it too much so the person who has to match just needs music that fits one of the criteria:
-Is a cover
-Is an original with a better known cover
-Song samples an older work
-Artist sounds like an older generation (RE: Amy Winehouse and Michael Buble would be great fits if you had the courage to put them on a mixtape!)

Playlist:
1 - Al Green - I Want To Hold Your Hand
2 - Johnny Copeland - Tumblin' Dice
3 - Mayer Hawthorne - Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'
4 - Marcia Griffiths - Band of Gold
5- Alice Russell - Seven Nation Army
6 - The Professionals - (Theme From) The Godfather
7 - William Bell - Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
8 - The Four Tops - Walk Away Renee
9 - Grovesnor - Nitemoves
10 - The Jackson 5 - You've Really Got A Hold On Me
11 - White Town - Your Woman
12 - Patti Drew - Hard to Handle
13 - James Hunter - Carina
14 Bettye LaVette - All My Love

Listen:



VERSUS:



Champion: Eric Jones

Title: Old is the New New

Notes:
Here are some of my favorite songs that have had renewed life over the decades. This is mostly a laid back mix but don't confuse the slower tempo for a lack of power: from the juggernaut riff of the Green Manalishi to Tina Turner's parental advisory ad libbing on I've Been Loving You Too Long, we find out that going through the ringer slowly ends up hurting more.

Playlist:
1. House of the Rising Sun - Frijid Pink
2. Dirty the Moocher - Ol' Dirty Bastard
3. I'm Your Man - Nick Cave
4. Because - Elliot Smith
5. Sketches of Spain (for Miles) - Buckethead
6. La Vie En Rose - Louis Armstrong
7. The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown) part 1 - The Melvins
8. The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown) part 2 - The Melvins
9. Brahms 3rd Symphony, Third Movement - The Mermen
10. Famous Blue Raincoat - Marissa Nadler
11. I've Been Loving You Too Long - Ike & Tina Turner
12. Lay Lady Lay - Ministry
13. Midnight Cowboy - Faith No More

Listen:


VOTE:

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #7

Think you're a smart guy, huh?

Please note that this week's showdown is going to be an exhibition match without voting. Phenedate kicked so much ass that he's being retired for a short spell. Since we don't have a defending champion to take on this week's challenger, I've enlisted some old friends to help out and submit some tracks, making sure you have two new mixes to keep things fresh for when your workplace shuts Pandora off for the afternoon.

NO MORE ADO!

Challenge #7
Theme: Trivia Night



Challenger: Eric Jones

Notes:
A few months ago I had the chance to host trivia night at a Margaritas in Nashua, New Hampshire. Part of a trivia-guy’s responsibility is to play songs while people look up the answers on their smart phones. I went through my music collection, which I have taken great pains to keep as un-Margaritas of Nashua as possible, and hand picked all the songs that I thought would go over well enough. I tried to pick some songs that people would mostly recognize but maybe hadn't heard in a while. Boy did I blow it! They called the next day and asked me not to come back. I therefore present a selection of the songs I played that night for the enjoyment of those who still presume to be smarter than their phones.

Tracklist:
1. When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
2. Oooh - De La Soul
3. Come Together - The Supremes
4. Don't Sweat the Technique - Eric B. & Rakim
5. The Goonies R' Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper
6. Ready or Not - The Delfonics
7. Halftime - Nas
8. Look What You Done for Me - Al Green
9. Passing Me By - The Pharcyde
10. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
11. The High Road - Broken Bells
12. The Windmills of Your Mind - Dusty Springfield
13. There is an End - The Greenhornes

Listen:



AND ALSO:



Mixers: Cat Celebrezze, Phenedate, and King Slender

Tracklist:
1. Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures
2. Mastermind - Deltron 3030
3. I Wish - Skee Lo
4. Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band
5. Funky Dollar Bill - Funkadelic
6. Dirty Love - Frank Zappa
7. Oh Yeah - Yello
8. Game Show - Ministry
9. A Shot in the Dark - John Zorn
10. Peace Frog - The Doors
11. Ghostwriter - RJD2
12. Mighty Mighty - Earth, Wind, and Fire
13. Be True to Your School - The Beach Boys
14. Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie
15. Where is My Mind? - The Pixies

Listen:

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #6

UPDATE !!!
We must declare a victor at 12:12pm. Carl made a furious comeback on the last day, but Phenedate held on for his unprecedented fifth straight victory. With the end of this mix comes the end of the winter. It's all Polynesian cocktails from here on out. Check back tomorrow night for the next set of mixes...

* * * * *

This is a fun theme week because everybody loves the hell out of freezing cold snowy winters. Shoveling is the best, and so is falling face first on ice while your iPod and cell phone batteries come out and skate across the ground while a car full of teenagers slides by and one of them yells "Cocksucker!" out the window. MIXTAPE SHOWDOWN #6!!!!

Challenge #6
Theme: Winter Storm



Challenger: Carl

Tracklist:
1. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes / Fleet Foxes
2. Lights / Archive / Lights
3. Winter Must Be Cold / The Apples in Stereo / Fun Trick Noisemaker
4. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! / Do Make Say Think / Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
5. A Little Bit, Sometimes / múm / Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy
6. Honest James / Thurston Moore / Trees Outside The Academy
7. Bleak / Audrey / The Fierce And The Longing
8. Batteri generator / Under Byen / Det er mig der holder træerne sammen
9. Polygyne / Efterklang / Parades
10. Hands Are Tied(part 2) / Scraps of Tape / Read Between The Lines At All Times
11. Days are Years / Blue Sky Black Death / A Heap Of Broken Images
12. Hands in the Snow / Saturday Looks Good To Me / Fill Up The Room
13. Finally, as That Blazing Sun Shone Down Upon Us, Did We Know That True Enemy Was the Voice of Blind Idolatry; and Only Then Did We Begin to Think for Ourselves / Red Sparowes / Every Red Heart Shines Towards The Red Sun

Listen:



VERSUS:




Champion: Phenedate

Title: Into the White

Notes: Songs with the words cold, snow, ice, storm, winter, or something else that makes you think of cold weather, in the title. I don't care if one of the songs is about cocaine.

Tracklist:
1. Lyn Taitt & The Comets - Storm Warning
2. Manu Chao - Siberia
3. Tom Waits - Cold Cold Ground
4. Blockhead - The First Snowfall
5. Jared Louche, Robin Storey, Mark Spybey - Record Snowstorm
6. Sasha - Magnetic North
7. RJD2 - Iced Lightning
8. Coil - The Snow
9. Pink Floyd - The Thin Ice
10. Black Sabbath - Snowblind
11. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Is This Home On Ice
12. The White Stripes - In The Cold, Cold, Night
13. The Fall - Winter 2
14. Cop Shoot Cop - Coldest Day Of The Year
15. Devo - Snowball
16. Pixies - Into The White

Listen:


VOTE:

Monday, February 7, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #5

Update!!!! We're calling this one at high noon on Saturday. It was our fiercest showdown yet, and Phenedate reigns supremo A1 once again. It's fair to say both contestants are taking their aspirin and drinking lots of water this afternoon. Thanks to everybody for voting, I loved the turnout. Let's do it again next week.

* * * * *

It's like John Wayne vs Charles Bronson. It's like Egg Shen vs Lo Pan. It's most like Superman vs Drunk Superman. It's Mixtape Showdown #5. Thanks for listening, thanks for voting.

Challenge #5
Theme: There's Gonna Be a Hangover Tomorrow


Challenger: King Slender

Notes: Going for a story with this one. A night of fun gets a little aggressive, turns melancholy, there is some vomiting involved, some reflection, then the promise of a new beginning.




Tracklist:
1. Steve's Last Night in Town (Ben Folds Five)
2. It's Martini Time (Reverend Horton Heat)
3. Tequila (The Champs)
4. Alabama Song (The Doors)
5. Hey Bartender (The Blues Brothers)
6. Knock 'Em Down (Firewater)
7. Hottest Party in Town (My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult)
8. We Be Clubbin' (Ice Cube)
9. Drug Ballad (Eminem)
10. Power Player (Clutch)
11. You're Pretty When I'm Drunk (Bloodhound Gang)
12. Don't Ask Me Why I Drink (Mojo Nixon)
13. Move Bitch (Ludacris)
14. Too Drunk to Fuck (Scissorfight)
15. Do Not Go Quietly Unto Your Grave (Morphine)
16. How Many Cans? (Soul Coughing)
17. The Piano has Been Drinking (Tom Waits)
18. One More Cup of Coffee (White Stripes)
19. Magic Mountain (Lightning Bolt)
20. Covered in Punks Blood (Desert Sessions)
21. Clean it Up - edit (Butthole Surfers)
22. Sunshine (Atmosphere)
23. Saturday Morning (Eels)

Listen:



VERSUS


Champion: Phenedate

Notes: This was a tough one. I definitely had a few drinking songs in my head, but beyond that, I had certain nights in my head. Nights that you could mark on the calendar and say before or aftward, "I WAS SO FUCKING DRUNK THAT I DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE SIZE OF MY SHOES!" Or so drunk that you spit beer in the air like a fountain. Or drunk enough you tell the person next to you just how much of an asshole he really is. So drunk you almost fight a girl. That invincible, screaming, fratboy, I might mosh tonight kind of drunk. I'm proud to say that I've had a one night stand with a few of these scenarios. While you're hoooking up it's all peacful and nice and playful, but when it comes to pay that tax, it's crushing. I think the first bunch get you in the mood. Like pre-gaming it at your buddies house. Maybe you have a bourbon, a scotch, a beer and get stoned. After that it's full tilt intoxication time. I think "The Gates of Steel" is my sobriety being twisted away.

A lot of these songs I've had personal experience with live. Some are just good when they come on, and others give me daydream flashes of me putting down drinks with wild abandon and clearly no regard for what might happen the next day, or even that night. Somewhere in the second half of the mix, tequila rears it's ugly head. He's such an asshole. After that, things get a little messy. The next songs feel drunk to me. With some feelings of invincibility in the middle. "Fix Me Up" might be that wobbly trip to the bathroom, quite possibly to pull the trigger. After that you probably have another drink and continue the action but it's short lived and the lament is near. The night ends with a bittersweet tribute. You won't want to see morning... cause there's gonna be a hangover.

Tracklist:
Ennio Morricone - Sepcialtmente La Fisarmonica
Tom Waits - Singapore
John Lee Hooker - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
RJD2 - 1976
Baboon - Gates Of Steel
Desert Sessions - Screamin' Eagle
Toadies - Mister Love
Torn Main Vain - Breed
Queens Of The Stone Age - Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
Clutch - Electric Worry
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Pop
Molotov - Puto
Klute - Tequila Slammer
Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
[Error] - Brains Out
Pixies - Head On
Cut Copy - Going Nowhere (SebastiAn remix)
Eagles of Death Metal - Flames Go Higher
KMFDM - Fix Me Up
Dan Auerbach - I Want Some More
DJ DLG - Paramount (Roger Seventy Two Remix)
Battles - Snare Hanger
Firewater - Borracho (Ponzi's Relapse)
Gogol Bordello - Alcohol

Listen:

________________________________________
VOTE:

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #4

Update!!! Mixtape Showdown #4 is official as of 3:48 pm EST. Phenedate is rolling with precision. can anybody knock him into the gutter? We'll meet his new challenger tomorrow evening.

*****

Mixtape Showdown #4: It's the unstoppable mixtape-making juggernaut vs. the babyfaced assassin. The challenger is paying homage to the decade he was born in, while the champion is repping the decade he came of age in. Listen to the playlists, vote on your favorites, and we'll see the champion return next week.

Challenge #4
Theme: 80's Teen Angst


Challenger: Josh Hendrick

Notes: Teen angst, the weight of the world, the coming of age - We've all been there. If I were a bedroom kid going through these complex emotions in the 80s (and not being "created" in a bed in the 80s) this mix would sum it up. How do you deal with your developing feelings and new-found identity in a world of confusion and chaos? You tell me.

Tracklist:
1. The Stone Roses – I Want to be Adored
2. The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again
3. The Associates – Dogs in the Wild
4. The Cure – Jumping Someone Else's Train
5. Tom Waits- Clap Hands
6. Daniel Johnston – Speeding Motorcycle
7. Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun
8. R.E.M – Radio Free Europe
9. The Cars – Heartbreak City
10. New Order – Sunrise
11. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Darklands
12. The Pixies - Cactus
13. Dinosaur Jr. – In a Jar
14. The Replacements – Unsatisfied
15. Sonic Youth – Teen Age Riot
16. Talking Heads – Listening Wind
17. Bruce Springsteen – Highway Patrolman
18. House of Freaks – Broken Bones
19. Peter Gabriel – Biko

Listen:



VERSUS


Champion: Phenedate

Title: Guaranteed to Explode

Notes: This mix makes me hate everything I was too young to understand in the eighties. I had no idea things sucked so bad when I was in 4th grade. Wham! made it seem like everything was going so well. Little did I know. I have an idea that no one's going to like this mix. In most places, it's abrasive and noisy and pissed off. If the songs lack a certain punch in your nuts, don't worry, The Clash is here. You can dance and be happy listening to The Clash but for God's sake, don't pay attention to the lyrics. They just let you know that everyone's a slave and you're doing it wrong, life that is. And didn't everyone think Devo was a bundle of joy? They're not...not at all. Try not to get too upset. We live in much easier and happier times. Everything's a lot less of a push and a struggle than it was livin' in the eighties.

Tracklist:
Killing Joke - Eighties
Big Black - Kerosene
Foetus - The Throne of Agony
Cop Shoot Cop - Smash Retro!
Devo - Race Of Doom
The Clash - The Magnificent Seven
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
Black Flag - Rise Above
Minor Threat - Steppin' Stone
Pailhead - No Bunny
Nirvana - Scoff
The Pixies - Tame
Metallica - Battery
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole
Ministry - Stigmata (live)
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Listen:

VOTE:

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #3

Update: We must declare this contest closed at 12:45pm EST. We have our first defended title, and isn't that nice? Thanks to each contestant for providing an excellent mixtape. We'll have a new showdown ready tomorrow night.

*****

It's the third week of the Mixtape Showdown, and it's poised to be a doozy. The challenger is strong, the champion is confident, and the theme is solid. As always, I hope you find some time to listen to each mix and discover some cool new music. Please take a moment to vote for your favorite mix so a deserving champion may return next week.

Challenge #3
Theme: The Complications of Postmodern Love



Challenger: Eva Furmanska.

Tracklist:
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
The World's A Mess It's In My Kiss - X
Love - The Cult
Ribbons - Sisters of Mercy
What Love Is - Dead Boys
She's A Rainbow - The Rolling Stones
Auburn and Ivory -Beach House
Sunday Morning -The Velvet Underground
Necessary Separation - The Gris Gris
Never See Me Again - Vivian Girls
Suffocated Love - Tricky
Searching For Mr Right - Young Marble Giants
Baby Drives Me Crazy - Thin Lizzy
Russian Milk - Volcano the Bear
Beat City - The Raveonettes
My Conscience Tells Me No - Television Personalities
Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Heartbeats - The Knife
Black Rice - Women
A Dream Goes On Forever - Todd Rundgren
Soon Be Seeing You Later - The Trans Megetti
Two Girls Kissing - The Swirlies




VERSUS



Champion: Phenedate

Notes: When I heard the theme of the challenger mix I got really excited. I was halfway through my Post-Mortem Love Mix, filled with Rob Zombie songs, when Eva clarified that it was actually Post Modern Love. I was crushed, but I needed to press on.

This was hard for me cause I listen to music more than lyrics and I knew this was going to be a bit more of an introspective, lyrical mix. Most of these are pretty straight-forward if you listen to them. Massive Attack's One Love is about someone who sees the complications of postmodern love for everyone else but her. She believes in One Love. Regular John is about violence and exes. Vera Blue is a song about a guy in love with a girl who deals drugs and might run guns... he knows it's wrong but it feels so very right. I love all these songs. They come directly from my collection and it wasn't easy but a lot of fun. I even nerded out and arranged my playlist in a certain way so music geeks will think I'm being cute. Thanks to Eva for the great challenge and inspiring my nerdiest mix idea ever.

Tracklist:
Polly - Nirvana
Other People - Prick
Sex Is Violent - Jane's Addiction & Diamanda Galas
Tainted Love - Deathline International

Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew
One Love - Massive Attack
Da Ya Think I’m Sexy - Revolting Cocks
Eraser (Polite) - Nine Inch Nails
Regular John - Queens Of The Stoneage
Never For Fun – PIG

Little Girl - Death From Above 1979
One Day - RJD2
Vera Blue (96/69) - Chemlab
Emotion - Daft Punk

Listen:


Sunday, January 16, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #2

Update!!!!!! We're calling this one at 10:21am EST. The results are in and the winner is definitive. Congratulations to Phenedate for winning his first title, and big ups to Madore for defending. We have our next showdown in the hopper. Check back tomorrow night.

*****

The mixtape showdown returns for its second week. Our first champion, P.H. Madore, is back to defend his title against a canny new challenger, whose chosen theme is revealed below. Check out each of the mixes, find some cool new music to listen to, and vote for your favorite mix at the bottom.

Challenge #2
Theme: Music I wish I was into when I was in high school


Title: Bands I didn't actively listen to until after my birthday in August of 1998.

Challenger:Phenedate

Note:My criteria here was fairly simple. Each song had to come from a band that I didn't listen to when I was a teenager. The song had to be from that time or before. Also, I chose only songs from artitsts whose catalog I'm currently celebrating. I didn't choose individual songs I liked from artists I never fully embraced. That may have been too easy. I probably have a collection of one-offs that I got into over the last decade-plus that otherwise eluded me in my formative years. That would make a pretty sweet mix too. I wanted to highlight artists (and the part of their catalog that was released before I turned 20) who I felt I either overlooked or just plain never knew to listen to cause I had to figure it out all for myself. I didn't have a cool older brother OK!?!?! This also opens me up to the even cooler people who go, "You weren't into so and so...how!?!?" It's like admitting I've never seen the Godfather. Get over it, my older sister liked Bon Jovi and Jodeci.

Tracklist:
Robert Johnson - Stop Breakin' Down Blues
Aphex Twin - Milkman
Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth
The Clash - The Guns of Brixton
Talking Heads - Girlfriend is Better
Fugazi - Waiting Room
Primus - Over The Falls
Tom Waits - Big Black Mariah
Soul Coughing - Bus To Beelzebub
Butthole Surfers - Cough Syrup
John Lee Hooker - Burning Hell
Johnny Cash - Rock Island Line
Clutch - Cracker Jack
Daft Punk - Oh Yeah
Kraftwerk - Tour de France
Devo - Freedom of Choice
The Ruts - Babylons Burning
The Police - Next To You
The Pixies - Alex Eiffel
Fatboy Slim - Going Out of My Head
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel

Listen:



VERSUS


Champion: P.H. Madore

Title: Stuff I didn't discover until after HS which came out while I was in HS.

Note: In high school I listened almost exclusively to bands on Epitaph records, like Pennywise and Bad Religion. Unfortunately, I did discover the Black Keys with the release of Rubber Factory in 2003, so I don't get to use them, which would certainly solidify my victory. I never really got into Third Eye Blind until I fell in love with a girl who was into them a year or two after that. I never gave Eve 6 a chance in those days, and I should have, and the same thing for Death Cab. And how the fuck did I miss out on Neutral Milk Hotel? There's been so much good music in the past 15 years or so, so this was hard for me to decide on. But here goes nothing.

Tracklist:
1. King of Carrot Flowers, Part 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel
2. Spread Your Love - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
3. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists
4. Gleaming Auction - Snow Patrol
5. Wannabe Gangster - Wheatus
6. Hate Every Beautiful Day - Sugarcult
7. 29 Years - The National
8. A Movie Script Ending - Death Cab for Cutie
9. The Face of the Earth - The Dismemberment Plan
10. Bang - Eve 6
11. Mercy Me - Alkaline Trio
12. Misfits - Third Eye Blind

Listen:


Sunday, January 9, 2011

Mixtape Showdown #1

Update!! We're calling this contest at 10:02pm, Friday evening. Congratulations to Madore for winning the first challenge! It was a close-as-hell contest, razor thin. Will he come back top defend his title? Stay tuned! We'll have a new contest starting late Sunday.

* * * * *

Thanks for checking out the inaugural showdown, featuring two mixtapes dueling over the theme of music acquired (not released) in 2010. You'll definitely find some interesting new music to listen to. I hope you vote for your favorite mixtape, and I hope the winning mixer returns to defend their title next week. I hope the word "dueling" isn't thought to be too violent but sometimes I watch cowboy movies.

Let's get right into it.

Challenge #1
Theme: Music Acquired in 2010



Mixer: Cat Celebrezze

Note: Challenge to Matt's 2010 recap: I'll see his 21 deep or otherwise and raise him one colossal earful.

Tracklist:
These Boots Are Made For Walking - Crispin Hellion Glover
Zombie - Fela Kuti
Kool Thing - Sonic Youth
With My Own Bare Hands - Ween
Just a Friend - Biz Markie
Are Friends Electric? - Gary Numan
White Meat Featuring - Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Atlas - Battles
Welcome to My Room - Vietnam
Coup d'Etat - The Circle Jerks
Woolie Bullie - Pere Ubu
Daddy's Gone - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse
Head with Wings - Morphine
Ink Mathematics - Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
Is It All Over My Face? (Female Version) - Loose Joints
This Is Radio Clash - The Clash
The Rooster - OutKast
Dr. Funkenstein's Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication Medley - Parliament
Ride the Flume - Jello Biafra & NoMeansNo
Seasick - The Jesus Lizard
Good Golly Miss Nancy - Cleve Pozar

Listen:



VERSUS



Title: There's Nothing Common About Sense

Theme: 2010 Wasn't The Easiest Year

Mixer: P.H. Madore

Track listing:
1. Dead Disco - Metric
2. This is Nowhere - The Airborne Toxic Event
3. Old Enough - The Raconteurs
4. Nothing Lasts Forever - Echo & The Bunnymen
5. I Am A Scientist - Guided by Voices
6. No Place Like Home - Charlie Mars
7. Apartment Story - The National
8. A Place to Hide - White Lies
9. Dead American Writers - Tired Pony
10. 40 Dogs - Bob Schneider
11. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups
12. Pike St. / Park Slope - Harvey Danger
13. Rain - Breaking Benjamin
14. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand - Primitive Radio Gods
15. Dublin Blues - Guy Clark

Listen: