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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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:

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