Friday Collective Mixtape

FCM #16 - Song I loved In Elementary School

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:50:00 +0000

FCM #16 - Songs I Loved In Elementary School Wow, I totally feel dated. I bet you do too! Big Welcome to Dan today, glad we've got the QA department represented. It's Dan's birthday today, so be sure to wish him well. Click here to download the whole FCM #16 or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Songs about buildings and food!

"Saturday Night" Bay City Rollers - 1977
Dan writes: I was a huge Bay City Rollers fan was I was a kid. Couldn't get enough. Even bought the 16 Prix fan magazine (I think that's what is was called) when I had saved enough money and mom wasn't looking. When they became the stars of the Saturday morning Krofft Superstar Hour back in the late '70s, I was a very happy child, even though the show didn't last very long.

"Wot" Captain Sensible - 1982
Justin Step writes: I got my first cassette player from Santa in first grade, but with no cassette to play! My uncle grabbed an unlabeled, white mix tape from his room for me, and that collection of New Wave songs formed the cornerstone of my musical identity. I clearly remember singing this song in a highly affected accent many times as a young sprout -- in the backseat of the Dodge Aspen en route to Burdette pool, in a call and response with my friends after watching WWF. I loved it, but unlike the B-52s and other artists on the mix, I never learned who sang it. So I searched for years and years, singing the chorus to all my most musically knowledgeable friends. Many recognized the tune but none could name the artist. Then, in a strange and frustrating episode, a pranker called my friend's dorm room phone when I was hanging there. He had been pranking the room frequently whenever people gathered, and would somehow always play a song that mattered to someone present, but would never speak. He played the Pogues one day, presumably for for Jeremy Allen, and I decided to sing a few lines of Wot! Into the phone before hanging up. The pranker called back, played my song and refused to speak. I had been taunted. Someone connected to my circle who not only knew the song, but owned it! Eventually, in my first days in Chicago, some guy at a record store counter recognized the lines straightaway, handed me the vinyl, so my lifelong quest to solve the mystery of Wot ended not with a bang, but a whimper.

"Pinball Wizard" The Who - 1969
Sarah writes: I'm not trying to get out of admitting that I had bad taste for a good portion of my life by choosing this one. In junior high I went through a boy-band phase and then a serious pop-punk phase - complete with Blink 182 fansite. In elementary school, though, I was still solidly under the influence of my parents. In the car we listened to either public radio or Dick Biondi. Before my sister and I started playing instruments the only time our house was filled with music was on Saturday mornings when we cleaned. My mom's record of choice: Simon and Garfunkle - Bridge Over Troubled Water. My dad's: The Who - Tommy. I knew all the words to both albums by the time I was 8. Not until I was much older did I realize how creepy Tommy really is, and how inappropriate it probably was for an 8 year old to be dusting and singing along to 'Fiddle About' and 'Acid Queen'…

"Hey, Mister Sun" Bobby Sherman - 1970
Walt writes: I'm not proud to say that I was a Bobby Sherman fan when I was a kid but as the years have gone by I'm no longer embarrassed by it. Sherman was a mainstay of Tiger Beat and 16 magazines when I was young and was also on a short-lived TV show "Here Come the Brides" with David Soul (Soul went on to play Hutch on "Starsky and Hutch"). Sherman had some hits like "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Julie, Julie, Julie" but I've always enjoyed "Hey, Mr. Sun."

"Home on the Range" Vic Chesnutt - 1997
Jennifer writes: I loved this song in grade school because I had a strong affinity for the west due to too many readings of Laura Ingalls Wilder books. This song made me think of little Laura out on the plains.

"America" Neil Diamond - 1980
Ben writes: I spent A LOT of time at Super Skate when I was in elementary school. Almost every saturday morning (and some Friday nights) I would show up to wait in line and rent my skates. Anthemic songs like Diamond's "America" were so amazing to me - the perfect soundtrack for my deft maneuvers. I was never big on fancy skating, but I loved to skate fast, weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding certain colors of lights as they hit the floor of the rink.

"Photograph" Def Leppard - 1993
Jane writes: Fourth Grade was a music awakening for me. Mtv was now a household name, and they still played videos. The music coming out of the boomboxes at the park and the jukebox at the afterschool hangout had just reached this incredible level of relevance. I finally got it! I think I'd been a little young up until that year to begin to pick up on what music excited ME… not just listen to what music my big sister and her trashy boyfriend listened to (although he did introduce me to Ratt).

But the timing couldn't have been more perfect for my epiphany, it was bumpered on either side by what may have been the most important album releases of my youth -- Def Leppard's Pyromania in '83 and Van Halen's 1984. If I remember correctly, The Police and Duran Duran had ruled my world up until this point, but there was a different kind of passion and danger in this music that enthralled me. It's a funny thing to say now because listening to these today, they're so mellow & tame.

Does this mean I'm a jaded mess? …always.

"Casino Royale" Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - 1967
Walt writes: I was (and still am) a big James Bond fan, so it's only natural that one of the my favorite songs while I was in elementary school was the theme to "Casino Royale." Although the movie wasn't that good (and is not considered part of the movie canon), the theme by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass is outstanding. It was also the first 45 that I begged my parents to buy for me. I remember playing it over and over when I was 6 years old.

And yep, I'll be heading out to see Quantum of Solace this weekend.

"Slow and Low" Beastie Boys - 1986
Chris writes: As an elementary school student with friends who had wise, older siblings with infinite musical wisdom and interests, I had the privilege of being subjected to everything from Iron Maiden to Ice-T during my formative years. I didn't own much of my own music then, but I borrowed countless tapes and dug through my parents' vinyl for semi-relevant material. When I was about 8 years-old my mom, who was a skilled garage sale shopper, took me on one of her Saturday morning sojourns and it was amongst a pile of worthless items that I discovered the first vinyl record I would ever own: a bootleg rap compilation that included tracks from The Fat Boys, RUN DMC, KRS One, and "Slow and Low" by the Beastie Boys. This was the last track on the record and combined the shouting urgency of hair metal and the bass-heavy beats of Def Jam alumni. The music world opened a little wider and my love for listening (and crate digging) was just beginning.

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team - 1993
Margaret writes: This was one of the first tapes I ever owned - I think I was 8 or 9 when I bought it. I have no clue how I even came across this song in the first place, but I listened to that tape pretty much non-stop, until I knew all the lyrics - which I can still recite to this day.

"…a party over here, party over there, wave your hands in the air, shake your derriere"

with lyrics like that, what's not to love?

"Chariots Of Fire" Vangelis - 1981
Allison writes: The 80s brought us a handful of one-named wunderkinds, musical stars whose cultural gravitas exceeded the trappings of a cumbersome surname. Madonna. Prince. Vangelis.

And just who WAS this Vangelis? Self-taught Greek composer. Pianist. Scorer of films, like Blade Runner (the soundtrack for which I came to love when I was much older) and Chariots of Fire.

Seriously, Chariots of Fire seemed like it was all over the place in the early 80s. I loved it with all the pure triumphant joy of a pigtailed girl running in circles around the backyard. Kid-faved music just feels more earnest than the teenage-faved tracks that are so often filtered through the self-conscious lens of social identification. It's just VICTORY! And JUBILATION! And RUNNING! What could be better at that age?

"Concerto for 2 Violins & Strings in D Minor" Perlman/Zukerman - 1986
Felix writes: The bulk of the music I heard as a kid was mostly classical (I was taught violin at an early age). I trained under the Suzuki Method (which involves a lot of memorization), with ten books total. Both parts of the Bach Double were in the Suzuki books (the 2nd part was in Book 4, the 1st part in Book 5). I've played both sides of the double, and it's a song firmly etched into my childhood.

One neat sidenote: I was at a music camp one summer where all the kid were Suzuki students. As an exercise, they grouped about 20 of us in two circles of ten. One circle played the first part, another the second… and the instructors had us walk in a circle as we played. After both parts were going, the instructors combined the circles, and made us do figure eights - as we moved from one circle to the other, we had to switch parts. For as nerdy as music camp can be, that was a pretty cool experience that I still remember fondly.

"Nothing Lasts For Long" The Samples - 1992
Christine writes: Is it bad when you have to pull out a calculator to figure out how old you were in a year gone past? Anyways, I was 13 when this album came out which puts me in 7th or 8th grade at the time. I remember my sister had this tape and it just captured my attention for some reason. I've always loved this song but was disturbed by his acceptance of the inevitable disintegration of his relationships. Makes a little more sense now, but it's still one of my older favorites.

"Blood Money" Bon Jovi - 1990
Brian writes: Ah Bon Jovi … My guiltiest of pleasures. I was even embarrassed to admit I was a fan when I was 10. It's also when I was 10 that JBJ released his first solo album, "Blaze of Glory" (aka the "Young Guns II" soundtrack). One of my favorite songs from that album was "Blood Money". I used to, just barely, play it on guitar and sing it anytime no one was home (I was too embarrassed to do it front of anyone…Some things never change). That aside, I dug up the tablature recently, and I still love playing/singing this song. It survives on it's melody and simplicity. You just have to ignore the awful Pat Garrett and Billy "the Kid" themed lyrics. Please destroy this after reading it.

"Wannabe" Spice Girls - 1996
Renata writes: This one was a struggle … I was quite obsessed with the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston from very early on. But, I've gotta give this one to my fifth grade graduation song: The Spice Girls’ Wannabe. Zig-a-zig-ahhhh! C’mon. Lyrics don’t get better than that! I have no idea how my fifth grade class managed to get this one through, but hey, it was worth it! (In case you were wondering, Hanson Bothers’ Mmm Bop was also one of our graduation songs. I want to say that one was played to appease the boys, though I can’t imagine their ever choosing it! “Girl Pow-ah,” as Posh would say.)

"Down" 311 - 1996
Justin Sid writes: This song, this album has huge nostalgia for me. I had just gotten my first portable player a very large and in charge Sony and I was ecstatic to have it. It came with far from noise canceling headphones and when played at high volumes everyone around you got a little concert too.

This was back when lived in South Bend, IN and I had just moved there with my family in the middle of the school year. Before school I would grab my CD player and this album and go wait outside our apartment complex with a few other kids for the bus. When the bus arrived I would plant my ass in the back seat and blast this 311 album on full volume. And because of the generic crappy headphones that accompanied the player everyone else got a little morning taste of rock. This was my morning routine for a long time. After awhile of this I was called the "311 Kid" by the other kids on the bus which actually went very well with my AOL screenname "A311Manic" that I had at the time. I even got in trouble with the bus driver for playing it so loud she could hear it all the way from the back of the bus. She even tried to ban CD players on the bus because of me! I grew to love this album and this band. Never loved the bus driver though.

"Coma" Guns N' Roses - 1991
Brian writes: Coma - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion ITo celebrate the upcoming November 23, 2008 release of the new Guns N' Roses album, I've chosen a song from their last album ("The Spaghetti Incident" does not count). Released only 17 years ago, I was 11 years old when the "Use Your Illusion" double-album took over my life. I was already a huge GN'R fan from "Appetite…" and "Lies…", so I cracked open my piggy-bank and bought "Use Your Illusion" I and II the day they came out. I was pretty obsessed for a long time after. Not anymore though…Well, I start group therapy next week, so fingers crossed!

Anyway, one of my favorite GN'R songs then, and now, was "Coma". No verses, no choruses, just over 10 minutes of fantasticalness that I may or may not have (pretend) performed on occasion…From my stage (bed)…To my (imaginary) fans…When I was in elementary school (yesterday).

FCM #15 - Covers and (one) Mashup

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:04:00 +0000

FCM #15 - COVERS & (one) MASHUP This is our second round of covers, and I dare say that this one is even tastier than the last. Hats off to Chris, who provided the only real mash-up on this mix. Also, I forgot to welcome Justin (Step) last week, so i'll thank him for the excellent songs on this mix as well as the horrible delights he offered for FCM #14 Click here to download the whole FCM #15 - COVERS & (one) MASHUP or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Let's VOTE again for next week's theme! Vote in the comments for (a) Autumn, the season! (b) Songs I loved in elementary school (c) Songs about buildings and food

"Paint It Black" The Love Sitars - 1967
Justin Step writes: I downloaded this track from one of my all-time favorite blogs ever, OfficeNaps. DJ Little Danny, the guy behind the site, is a curatorial genius. He posts tunes ripped from his massive and massively impressive collection of 45s, generally on Mondays, and generally in groups of three. This gem was posted alongside other 60s rock songs employing that most psychedelic of instruments, the sitar - visit Office Naps.

"Many Rivers To Cross" The Walkmen - 2006
Ben writes: On a backdrop of bright cymbals, a simple rock beat, strumming acoustics and zum-zumming strings, three jets take off in the form of electric guitars to sing us the sweetest sliding riff. That's what I picture swirling around Hamilton Leithauser's head as he guts out this song. He was born to sing it, you see. The Walkmen take Harry Nilsson's cover of Jimmy Cliff's original to the next level - the music is crisper and more cinematic, the vocals more gutteral and desperate.

"This Land Is Your Land" Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 2006
Sarah writes: Folk/Funk = Best Genre Ever. I've been through both a Folk and a Funk phase over the past couple of years and this cover of Woody Guthrie's classic tune is a huge hit in my book. Even though "This Land..." has turned into the grade school theme song for all things wholesome, the lyrics aren't entirely shiney-happy:

"One bright sunny morning
in the shadow of the steeple,
down by the welfare office
I saw my people they stood there grumblin'
and I stood there wonderin'
if this land was made for you and me"

The change of key and tone totally emphasize the bittersweet, melancholic, introspective side of the song. And besides, who can resist those funky trumpet trills? You may recognize the Dap Kings from Amy Winehouse's album.

"What It's All About" Girl Talk - 2008
Chris writes: Girl Talk has become something of a phenomenon in the mixing/mashup world, finding a particularly fond audience in the indie dance crowd. His latest record, "Feed the Animals," condenses so many great samples and so many ridiculous mashups that it's hard to pick just one cut - this 4 minute track alone samples The Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, The Police, Ini Kamoze, Argent, KRS-one, Living Colour, and Paula Cole, to name a few. Listening to the album as a whole is a joy for total music nerds like myself who's knowledge of hooks spans a number of genres - there's a "what?! no way!" moment every 30 seconds or so on this record. Pick it up if you enjoy this kind of stuff, though I guess I should also mention that this may be the cleanest track on the record (there are a number of awesome mashups the use some of the filthiest lines from modern hip-hop mixed over the top of innocent and catchy piano lines from, say, Billy Joel).

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Devo - 1978
Jane writes: From their first album, and in my humble opinion, one of the finest examples of a complete rearrangement cover... or as Randy Jackson on American Idol would say "Makin' it your own, dude".

I know there was much gushing when Devo made a multi-album appearance in Friday Music last year, so I'll spare my own except to say, they were light years ahead of their time and one of the best live shows I've ever seen in my LIFE!

"You Really Got Me" Van Halen - 1978
Walt writes: I got into The Kinks relatively late — 1980, to be exact and grew to love their music. Ray Davies writes great songs and his first one out of the gate, "You Really Got Me," is a masterpiece that has not only been covered but copied by too many bands to mention. Van Halen covered "You Really Got Me" back in 1978 and it lead to a resurgence in the popularity of The Kinks and nudged The Kinks further towards arena rock.

My introduction to Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" happened late one Friday night at St. Francis College in Joliet. I was down visiting some friends and we were all imbibing waaay too much and an 8-Track of Van Halen's eponymous album was in the deck. Everyone was sprawled all over the room and too blasted to either turn the music down or off. Every 10 minutes or so, the deck would loudly ker-chunk to switch tracks and every time that would happen happen, everybody would rouse and every fourth time David Lee Roth would start in on that classic Kinks hit.

"Take Me To The River" Talking Heads - 1978
Christine writes: I have always been a fan of Talking Heads and this is one of their best. I have much respect for the Reverend and think these guys did him justice in their cover.

"Eleanor Rigby" Thrice - 2005
Justin Sid writes: A punk-rock version of the Beatles classic. I hope I don't offend any true Beatles fans. Enjoy!

"Just Like Heaven" Dinosaur Jr. - 1991
Justin Step writes: In my book, this is a well-nigh perfect cover. Dinosaur, Jr. takes a played-out post-punk pop classic from the Cure. They juice it with their grungy, 90s flavor, but don't depart far from the original in the first verse. Then when you've been lulled into comfort, and your brain is hungry for the saccharine sweet chorus that burned itself deeply into your synaptic pathways long ago, your expectations get shattered and your wig flipped. With one stomp on the pedal, Dinosaur, Jr. makes the song their own.

By the way, this MP3 file isn't borked... the song actually ends abruptly like this. As a bonus, here's a lo-fi video I found whilst searching for a digital copy.

"Jump" Mary Lou Lord - 1997
Felix writes: I know precious little about the artist (Mary Lou Lord), but I somehow got a hold of this track via Ben... and it's been a little gem that I've kept in my library ever since. Doing some quick searching this morning, I found out that this track is part of a tribute album entitled Everybody Wants Some: A Loose Interpretation of the Musical Genius of Van Halen. This song makes me feel like I'm sitting in a bar at 3PM, or 5AM.

"Here's to the State (Live)" Eddie Vedder - 2004ish
Brian writes: Originally written by Phil Och, "Here's to the State of Mississippi" was the closing track on his 1965 release, "I Ain't Marching Anymore". The song has been re-worked and covered many times, including Och's own re-worked version, "Here's to the State of Richard Nixon".

This re-worked version of "Here's to the State" saw the light of day around 2004. The rest of the story is in the song. And as inspiring/soothing as I have always found it, it just got better.

"$1000 Wedding" The Mekons - 1989
Jennifer writes: It is a shame that the death of the CD means the death of compilation and tribute albums because I have a certain fondness for comps and tributes.

This song comes from a tribute album for Gram Parsons. He was an amazing song writer from the Bakersfield scene that died far too early. The tribute album is great from start to finish so I suppose that is testament to what a great song writer he was. It was difficult for me to pick just one - but I like the way Jon Langford makes the song sound like a real bender.

"Across The Universe" Rufus Wainwright - 2002
Margaret writes: This song is truly beautiful, and I think Rufus did it justice for the "I Am Sam" soundtrack.

"Let Down" David Bazan's Black Cloud - 2007
TJ writes: This is a cover tune of Radiohead's "Let Down" from O.K. Computer. The entire cd has been redone by artists such as Doveman, Vampire Weekend, John Vanderslice, Cold War Kids, The Twilight Sad and more. So this is in a way a cover and a mashup contribution. You can stream it in it's entirety here - enjoy.

"Believe" Macha Loved Bedhead - 2000
Ben writes: This cover of Cher's "Believe" has been in my iTunes library since 2004, but at some point I deleted the ID3 tags and have never, UNTIL TODAY, been able to determine the artist that released it. Back-story aside, this is a clever and mopey version of a song that is so dramatic and over the top - the original makes me want to hide under a table. It begins with dial-tone phone beeps and just sort of sucks me in after that. A re-interpretation of the highest order. Remember when autotune was new?

"(Anew Hope) Star Wars" Meco - 1977
Walt writes: I've never been a BIG Star Wars fan, Star Trek was more my style but I'll always have a soft spot for the first film (really, the fourth chapter). At the time the film came out, disco was still quite popular and a guy named Meco came out with a bunch of disco inspired covers of the popular movies of the time. So it's time to put on your leisure suits and slinky cocktail dresses and dance on over to a galaxy far, far away!

And how about a disco-themed FCM?

FCM #14 - Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:57:00 +0000

FCM #14 - HALLOWEEN We're BACK baby, and we're killing it. Click here to download the whole FCM #14 - HALOWEEN or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Cover Songs #2!

"Halloween - Main Theme" Gareth Williams - 1978
Walt writes: The original Halloween remains one of my all-time favorite horror movies. I like John Carpenter movies and while several of them are cheesy, this one hit all the right notes. Carpenter wrote the theme and there's nothing like hearing those piano keys twinkling to get the blood rushing.

"Dream Warriors" Dokken - 1987
Felix writes: I have a sneaking suspicion that Brian L may also be submitting this track, Nightmare on Elm Street fan that he is. While I was never one for scary movies, I really got into these films when I was in middle school. When the third Nightmare film came out, I got to see two things I loved combined into something even more fantastic. Like a raisin covered in chocolate, or a monkey in a cowboy suit... I present to you a horror movie backed with heavy metal, in the form of Freddy Krueger and Dokken.

"Dr. Stein" Helloween - 1996
Jane writes: So, a year ago, when New Music Fridays was very young and we were trading entire albums, I made a HELLOWEEN comp on Halloween... but since it's now a year later (which means we should have had a birthday theme sometime recently), I feel like enough time has passed for a band repeat. And there really is, in my mind, no substitute for the rousing Germanic vibrato and militaristic drumming this time of year as we celebrate all that is dark.

"Dr. Stein grows funny creatures
let's them run into the night
they become great rock musicians
and their time is right"

"Zombie Graveyard Party" Be You Own Pet - 2008
Christine writes: "life is lame so let me eat your brain." Words that are sure to convince your mortal lover to let your zombie-self enjoy their innards as a little snacky. Then you both may enjoy the unded life together - until the comedic yet loveable zombie killer comes after you and shoots you both in the head.

"Smack Jack" Nina Hagen - 1982
Justin Step writes: This is a nicely operatic and dubbed-out selection to drop at your next death disco party. I like the tension between disco glamour and back-alley depravity in this song. Nina Hagen has a very powerful, dynamic voice, and reallly kicks up the gravelly alto notes here for a freaky, spooky effect. She sounds a bit like an undead, half-decomposed junkie zombie that's stepped from of the shadows of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

"Zombie Prescription" Snapcase - 1997
Justin Sid writes: This was my favorite song off of this particular album, Progression Through Unlearning from Snapcase. I was handed this album when I was in high school from a friend. Snapcase was the beginning of my Victory Records obsession where I found a bunch of hardcore rock outfits I grew to love.

While the title of this track is a bit more of a metaphor than an actual song about the undead. I felt that it has merit for our Halloween themed mix.

"This Is Halloween" Marilyn Manson - 2008
Jennifer writes: This song is from the "Nightmare Before Christmas - Revisited" soundtrack. I am not sure what the thought process was to reissue this CD with different artists covering the songs but I felt this was the best song on the CD. Marilyn is one of the best at cartoon-y goth covers.

"Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" Type O Negative - 1993
Brian writes: Certain seasons call for certain bands. Every time Autumn rolls around, I get in the mood for Type O Negative. Everything they've done on their 8 releases captures the essence of the season. Narrowing it down to Halloween only, I could single out at least an album's worth of Type O songs. And while I will almost always go directly to the album "World Coming Down" when Fall creeps in, no song is more fitting for this mix than "Black No. 1" from the 1993 album "Bloody Kisses". By the way, the story behind the song is that most girls coming to Type O shows had their dyed black hair. When asked what type of hair dye they used, the most common answer was Black No. 1. Or so the legend goes...

"John Wayne Gacy, Jr" Sufjan Stevens - 2005
Margaret writes: If there was ever a song that could be described as both haunting and beautiful, this would be it. The last line of the song is one of my favorite lyrics of all time:

"And in my best behavior I am really just like him. Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid"

"Skeleton Key" Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - 2006
TJ writes: I'm going to be "that guy" that puts the song on the Halloween mix only because Skeleton is in the title and that relates to Halloween. I really like the strings in this mix and have been wearing this CD out lately so I wanted to share.

"Season Of The Witch" Luna - 2006
Allison writes: Allison is silent on this one.

"Nah Und Fern" Wolfgang Voigt - 2008
Nick writes: This is Wolfgang Voigt's "Nah und Fern," a way old unreleased track. I know I've used his work before, but if this song doesn't creep you out then I don't know what I can do for you.

"Experiment In Terror" Henry Mancini - 1962
Walt writes: I figured that we were going to have a Halloween-themed FCM so I planned in advance and had Henry Mancini's Experiment in Terror lined up but Brian beat me to the punch back in FCM #10 with the cover by FantÙmas. But that's okay, I'm a big fan of covers (hey, let's do another round of those). Anyway, here's the original by the great Henry Mancini (this is my second Mancini pick).

When I was a kid back in the 1970s, WGN-TV used to run a Friday night Horror-themed show called Creature Features and I loved it. It's where I first saw the Universal horror movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Creature form The Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, and my all-time favorite ... The Wolfman. The movies had commercial breaks, of course, and when they came back from break, WGN would play a little bit of Experiment in Terror and show a drawing of Lon Chaney Sr. from London After Midnight. In my room, with the lights out on on my old B/W TV, it all looked very spooky. It's one of my favorite memories.

"DaDa" Alice Cooper - 1981
James writes: Camp has always ruled Alice's take on horror in rock, but I've always found this particular track chilling as fuck.

Don't buy the album; it's awful. Instead, enjoy this track and seek out "Love it to Death," "Billion Dollar Babies," and "Welcome to My Nightmare."

"Sinister Exaggerator" The Residents - 1986
Justin Step writes: I discovered this song, and this band, thanks to a cover version on Primus' Miscellaneous Debris, and became a huge fan all through college. It was music was like nothing I'd ever heard, like the soundtrack to a nightmare. A perfect blend of the dark and the childish, it was nervous-making music, and elicited emotions that most other music seeks to avoid. I got hooked, but consistently failed to convince my friends to share my appreciation. They formed in the late 60s, and are still together, and have gone to great lenths to never reveal the identities of individual members, like performing in tuxedoes and eyeball masks, backlit behind screens.

"I'm Evil, Jack" The Frogs - 1996
Ben writes: This song is a terrible bad song. A song to never play around your mother or your kids. Felix, Justin, Matt, and I realized it was also a song never to play loud at work sometime around 2003 when Rey kindly asked us to never play it aloud again. He's Evil, Jack. You will feel a bit evil too, laughing along to this one, unless you quickly delete it and vow to never listen to The Frogs again.

"Tubular Bells" Mike Oldfield - 1973
Walt writes: This piece of music always brings me back to the early 80s. I was a seminary student of the Archdiocese of Chicago living in the Niles College dorms on Harlem and Touhy. Almost every Friday or Saturday night, a bunch of us priests in training would drive downtown, hide some beers in our coats and take in a movie (I remember one of us knocking over a bottle of beer at a showing of Bo Derek's signature film,10, and listening to it roll all the way to the front of the theatre). On one such trip, we decided to see The Exorcist (we figured it was job training). One of my fellow seminarians decided that the movie wouldn't be bloodcurdling enough on its own so he bought a tab of acid from an enterprising gentleman in the bathroom. Luckily he made it though the movie in one piece. I, on the other hand, discovered a great film that mixed spirituality, psychology, science, and horror al in one neat little package.

We seminarians used to have retreats to the Sait Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, IL. It was rumored that the technical advisor Fr. John Nicola had done much of his research on exorcism while a seminary student there. It was also rumored that his former room was under lock and key due to some strange phenomenon that happened in it while he was doing his research. While I never found his room, I gave it several good tries on my trips there.

Perhaps I was asking too much!

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:41:00 +0000

So... the verbs have come in very slowly - some without photos. I'm going to extend this concept one more week in hopes of getting some great content from all of you. And, just to get your brains-a-moving, i thought i'd share renata's post in advance of the complete mix.

"Ridin' Dirty (Feat. Krayzie Bone)" Chamillionaire - 2006
Renata writes: It’s almost routine for me now … They see me rollin’ / They hatin’ patrollin and tryna catch me ridin’ dirty

FCM #12 - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:12:00 +0000

FCM #12 - PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES Lots of transportation related songery here and nothing about those two pillows. (we'll save that for booty-shaking theme week!) Click here to download the whole FCM #12 - PTA or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next friday's theme - VERBS! So pick a song that deals with one of your favorite action words and (if safe for work) submit alongside your song and description a photo of you or someone else performing that action.

"Paper Planes" M.I.A. - 2007
Margaret writes: I've been obsessed with this song for the past month or so - it's dang catchy and fun. She mentions planes, trains, trucks and pumping gas - apparently she's all about transportation. That's all I got.

"The Letter" Box Tops - 1967
Christine writes: Hold up Mister, the trainís not fast enough for this reignited lover, get him an airplane! Put aside the fact that she mailed him a letter that probably took at least two weeks to reach him and could be over him again by now, itís a pretty endearing song. This Memphis-bred group led by husky-voiced sixteen-year-old Alex Chilton broke free from the bubble-gum pop so many were apt to chase after in this era and instead relied on more local influences. Their first and probably best single skyrocketed to #1 but the rest of their "best of" CD still has some charmers like "Cry Like A Baby" and "Neon Rainbow."

"Flight 180" Bishop Allen - 2006
Ben writes: "My friends, my friends, I'm coming' home." Bishop Allen wrote a bunch of great songs in 2006 - this is only one of them. It's the lyrics and vocal delivery that keep me coming back to this tune. I love the way he weaves the flight narrative together with his own thoughts and preoccupations. It reminds me of the way I think and so it strikes me as being "true" - if you know what I mean.

"Red Eye" Ace Enders - 2008
TJ writes: This song is from the singer of a band I used to love back in my own band days called The Early Novemeber. I don't know if I've put anything from them on here bit I feel like I have. Anyways, whatever, here is a song called "RED EYE" by Ace Enders.

"Mission Control" No Knife - 1998
Chris writes: The second offering this week comes from an oft-overlooked post-rock band by the name of No Knife. They embody the opposite of the Louvin Brothers, though many things remain the same: two voices, an ambiguous story, travel to places unknown, and a lamentable fate. No Knife, however, is a pounding, swerving, diving ship of distorted guitar and throaty vocals that might certainly seem futuristic to the Louvin Bros. Here, No Knife is happily losing their shit over a botched space mission ("Monkey's a goner!"), whereas the Louvin Brothers were just saying goodbye to a girl they'd never see again. Ahhh, simple times.

"Planes Over the Skyline" Swervedriver - 2005
Nick writes: I am pretty convinced that every single Swervedriver song could fit this mix somehow, so here is one of them.

"No Train to Stockholm (Lee Hazlewood)" Dax Riggs - 2008
Brian writes: I know, I know..."Another Dax Riggs song? Isn't this thing supposed to be about discovering and posting new/different music?" Well, hear me out. I've only actually posted 1 Dax song so far, and the others that have followed are just really, really good songs made even better by Dax. So, I look at it as a 2 for 1 deal.

Dax has introduced me to the music of Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Nick Cave, Nick Lowe, Nick Drake and countless others not named Nick. In this case, Dax introduced me to the music of Lee Hazlewood (RIP).

In 1970, Hazlewood released Cowboy in Sweden as a soundtrack of sorts to accompany the TV show, also called Cowboy in Sweden, that Hazlewood starred in. Being an album for a TV show, it is somewhat on the poppier side, and very, very catchy. Near the middle comes a song that is fantastically catchy (especially the chorus), but with lyrics that are extremely powerful and way too relevant today. That song is No Train to Stockholm.

I had never heard of Hazlewood at the time, but in early February 2008 I came across this video of Dax performing No Train... It was instantly in my head. I looked up the lyrics and learned to play it on guitar immediately.

A couple weeks later, I saw Dax at Double Door, and he didn't play it. I was talking with him afterwards, and I mentioned the video and how great I thought it was. He asked if I wanted to hear it, and when I managed to form the word "YES", he grabbed his guitar and took me "backstage" (which at Double Door is pretty much like a boiler room in the basement...but with a couch and chair) to play it. It was just me, Dax and a girlfriend of his, and he played the hell out of this song, and a couple new songs, for me. It was a pretty awesome experience.

Anyway, here's a bootleg version of No Train to Stockholm from a couple weeks after that night. I believe it was the last show of the tour.

Wow! This is really long again...Ah well...

"In The Pines" The Louvin Brothers - 1956
Chris writes: I'm bringing two to the table this week because it was so damn hard to choose between the past AND the future of transportation. First up is an old country classic that dates back to days when a loved one could get on a train and never be seen or heard from again. It's "In the Pines", a number that's been covered and recreated throughout the last 100 or so years, but no one's done it quite as well as the Louvin Brothers (Smog came very close, however). Just try and get that train-whistle-like mournful harmony out of your head!

"Train Song [Live]" Tom Waits - 1988
Jane writes: Something tells me that the train songs for this theme are going to be waaaaay under-represented. I hope I'm wrong, because trains are fantastic.

Anyhoo, here's my contribution. I promise not to lay too much Tom Waits on the FCM, though it is by far my largest collection from any one artist. Blame it on me being a drunk in college and friends in record stores (records!!). I chose the live version of this song because it kicks off with a humorous story... a humorous story that leads into the most gutwrenching of laments. Weird juxtaposition. A rollercoaster of emotions. The tears of a clown.

I love this line:
"a steeple full of swallows that could never ring the bell"

I picture them, and it's the saddest part of the song for me. But I'm a sucker for birds and animals.

"Love In Vain" The Rolling Stones - 1969
Brian writes: This is one of my favorite Stones songs from possibly my favorite Stones album. It also happens to be a great train song (and it sort of sounds like Mick Jagger says blueline and redline when he's actually saying blue light and red light). It was originally written by Robert Johnson in the '30's, and later re-worked by the Stones on the album Let it Bleed. So, there you go...2 for 1.

"I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo" Glenn Miller - 1942
Renata writes: Perhaps a loose interpretation of our Trains, Planes, and Automobiles theme, Kalamazoo is a song my cousins and I grew up with as we spent time together on our annual Kouka family vacation up at Moose Lake in Wisconsin (Kouka = mom’s side of the family). The song is about a guy about to travel to Kalamazoo, MI (via plane!) to visit his love—the toast of Kalamazoo, of course! A loose fit, but a fit nonetheless :)

Grandpa always had the radio set to a big-band station and so Kalamazoo, along with other classics such as The Chattanooga Choo Choo and Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing), are songs I will always hold a certain fondness for! To add the story, this past April I drove through Kalamazoo on my way to a student advertising competition. I found this hilarious and immediately texted my cousin, Kimberly (who now lives out in California) to share in the excitement.

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-IIIIIIII got a gal in Kalama-zoo-zoo-zoo-zoo …

"The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side" Magnetic Fields - 1999
Felix writes: I remember someone mentioning this album to me while in grad school (2000), but I didn't pick it up until after I arrived in Chicago. At the time, I was dating someone still living in Ohio, and from time to time would make the brutal drive from Barrington, IL to Columbus, OH after work on a Friday (oftentimes not arriving until 1AM, factoring in the time change).

Back when I was still listening to actual CD's, Volume 1 was one of my favorites of this album. This was a great song to sing to, and that final high G note at the end of the song is just... ridiculous.

"Motorway" The Kinks - 1972
Walt writes: Okay, it's been a couple of weeks since I tossed a Kinks song out there. Here's Motorway from the Everybody's in ShowBiz album from 1972 . Motorway food is the worst in the world!

"Always Crashing in the Same Car" David Bowie - 1977
Allison writes: Okay, here's a Bowie track from a seminal Bowie album (Low, circa 1977) that apart from a lyrical metaphor about crashing a car, also provides me a vehicle (Ha! Vehicle! Get it?!) for me to link to the video for one of my most favorite, most hilarious bits by Flight of the Conchords, "Bowie in Space."

"Passenger" Deftones - 2000
Justin writes: This is probably one of my favorite songs on the White Pony album, if not my favorite. I absolutely adore Maynard's singing voice and at the time was a really big Deftones fan. I felt the title and lyrics fit well for this week's theme and I thought I would share this with you.

"This time won't you please, Drive faster!"

"Flipside (featuring Peedi Crakk)" Freeway - 2003
Justin writes: I feel like there isn't enough rump shaking hip hop in the mixes so I'm ever so slyly inserting this into the list. Mostly because the artist has dubbed himself "Freeway" and discusses many automobiles in the rhymes that he drops. I mean just examine the first few lyrics he spits in this energetic piece.

"Cars (Jlab Mix)" Gary Numan - 1998
Walt writes: It's the only way to live...

"The Glass Is Half... Awesome" Inkwell - 2005
Justin writes: I found this band a few years ago whilst I was attempting to start a clothing line of the same name. Upon my "is this copyrighted" searches I found this group and generally liked their stuff a lot. I thought is was funny that had I not been pursuing the name check I would've never found them.

Anyway this one is very much about automobiles and it's catchy too!

FCM #11 - Dance Party

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:25:00 +0000

FCM #11 - DANCE PARTY I'm glad to see this mix come together organically and STILL include the "Cha Cha Slide." Admittedly, there are a LOT of different ways to dance and I'm sure you could go through most of them through the course of this mix. Don't miss Felix's link to "Partydance" which has been an office comedy favorite for some time. Click here to download the whole FCM #11 - Dance Party or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

We're voting again for next week's theme. Choose one or these. (1) Break Up Mixtape, (2) Planes, Trains & Automobiles, (3) Fight Songs

"Twistin' the Night Away" Sam Cooke - 1962
Felix writes: Really difficult time with this one. I don't tend to dance all that often (it's a rare thing for me, and usually only happens when I'm alone). While I was tempted to make my pick Ed Shepp's "Partydance", I decided to go with a more traditional pick: Mr. Sam Cooke.

"Genius of Love" Tom Tom Club - 1981
Sarah writes: I love funky dance parties! The first Wednesday of every month is Funk and Soul night at Danny's in Bucktown. The DJ duo Sheer Magic play the funkiest music ever recorded, and the tiny dance floor is packed with people who can't resist the beats! One of my favorite things - I look forward to it every month.

At first I had trouble narrowing it down to one song, but when I remembered 'Genius of Love,' the choice was clear. It speaks for itself. "Who needs to think when your feet just go?"

"Nobody Dances Anymore" Brandston - 2006
TJ writes: Well, this track is from the band Brandtson, a late high school/college fav of mine. This song is totally about people not dancing anymore so I figured it would fit perfectly. And it's always made my rump shake. Any for reals yo, please go check out the video. The whole thing is just people dancing to the song. Enjoy.

"Don't Leave Me This Way" Communards - 1985
Walt writes: Imagine a large ballroom dance floor with three dozen dancers in pink and champagne taffeta gowns with hoop-style skirts just rockin' out to this song ... well that's what I do.

"September" Earth, Wind and Fire - 1978
Margaret writes: I had never listened to funk music before I met Justin, but he's a big fan and now I'm hooked as well. We have a Saturday morning ritual where we blast funk music and dance around our living room like a couple of dorks, and this song is a standard on the playlist. It's impossible for me not to move to this song.

"Let's Pretend We're Married" Prince - 1983
James writes: Only Prince could pull off a line like this without taking a knee to the tenders:

"Excuse me but I need a mouth like yours
2 help me forget the girl that just walked out my door
Let's pretend we're married and do it all night"

"Paper Tiger" Spoon - 2002
Chris writes: I'm a big electro fan and there are a number of fantastic speaker-destroying tracks I thought I might like to include on this mix (see works from Justice, Boys Noize, Calvin Harris) but I decided to go with something more personal - hence this track from Spoon's Kill the Moonlight. When I first moved to Chicago I lived in a big, empty apartment in the Ukrainian Village for the first month and a half while waiting for a roommate. I had a chair, a desk, my computer, a bed, and a little TV stacked on a milk crate. I had no cable and no phone, and I didn't have a job either. I spent my time putting my portfolio together and doing a smattering of freelance work to keep myself alive. I didn't know a single soul in the city, but for that first month and a half it didn't really matter. I played my music loud, I became fascinated with Korean television (see: Age of Warriors), one of the few channels that I could get on my TV, and I sang and danced to break up the time I spent working away at my desk. I wore the grooves out (so to speak) on Kill the Moonlight, and Paper Tiger was the star of the show. I would stand up from my desk and shuffle around the bare living room whenever this song played, dancing a sort of soft shoe that seemed to perfectly fit the mood. Spoon have an acute minimalist's touch when it comes to instrumentation and they have perfected the science of finding just the bare essentials needed to create a beautiful song. Britt Daniel's closing lyric inspired daydreams of what the city might hold for me: someone to be with when I turned out the light.

"Strength Beyond Strength" Pantera - 1994
Brian writes: I was 14 years old when Pantera's Far Beyond Driven was released. I ditched school so I could get my hands on it immediately when the record store opened. My first listen was a magical one, and the thousands that followed were so inspiring and therapeutic to me in my youth. I still get chills when I hear it.

I was almost 15 when I saw Pantera live for the first time at The Aragon Ballroom in 1995. That was the first show I had ever been to like that, and I've never seen one like it since.

Just like the Far Beyond Driven CD, they opened up with Strength Beyond Strength. To this day, I have never seen a crowd move like they did at that moment. And I do mean the entire crowd...from front-to-back and side-to-side, that entire place was DAN-CING! I saw Pantera at least 5 more times after that show, and the reaction was nowhere near the same. Not your typical dance music I'm aware, but this is the dance music I grew up on.

"Cuttin' In" Chris Farlowe - 1966
Jane writes: Couples's skate time!! Oh my... hope I'm not the only slow dance in the mix this week.

Chris Farlowe is an incredible guilty pleasure of mine. Mostly known for very self-indulgent covers, it's a study in disbelief to listen to his music then find out that he LOOKS LIKE THIS!

"Beat Connection" LCD Soundsystem - 2002
Ben writes: Everybody here's afraid of fun. Dance-tastic. LCD Soundsystem opened their (2005) set in at The Metro with this song which (until that point) was never one of my favorites. The energy of that performance was like nothing i've experienced. I hear it in a different way now - and I LOVE it. I've listened countless times and nearly every time I bounce involuntarily, just like the crowd at The Metro and the drunk girl next to me who really wanted to grind... Yeow :(

"Wish" Ellen Allien - 2003
Allison writes: Ellen Allien is a kick-ass DJ from Berlin, and this super-danceable number, "Wish", is from her 2003 album Berlinette. The lyrics are at once oversimplistic and wistful, but the real star of the show are those shuddering, grinding (yet vaguely clinical) German beats. Yum!

"High Fidelity" Daft Punk - 1997
Nick writes: So I picked a Daft Punk song called "High Fidelity", which was featured on their first album, Homework. This predates their being robots by a few years. I picked this one because it seems like many people don't realize that Daft Punk had much of a career before Discovery beyond "Around the World". But their first album was and remains ridiculously influential in house music, especially among DJs, and it (along with, yes, "Around the World") gave them the popularity and money to turn into robots and record Discovery.

On Homework they called clicks 'n cuts with "High Fidelity" five years before Luomo and Akufen; they called progressive house with "Alive" three years before Sasha and Digweed; they recorded a synth line so ridiculous that they reprised it at the end of the album by playing it backwards, and it still managed to sound good.

This video of a rave in Milwaukee(!?) from 1994, three years before Homework came out, gives some good perspective. A few way-old Daft Punk tracks are duly chopped up and thrown in, but the majority of it is Detroit techno and acid house. Daft Punk have some interesting roots.

"21st Century Life" Sam Sparro - 2007
Justin writes: This Australian-Singer-Songwriter-Producer I discovered on one of my many internet surf-a-thons. Upon hopping website to website I fell upon this former child star's homepage and that's when I was entranced by this funktastic music video that immediately started playing without anyone's permission. Needless to say my ass began to shake. And then I got this stirring sensation in my legs and it quickly spread to my upper body. "My God!", I said to myself, "I can't stop the jive!"

That was a while ago, since then I've been plagued with the Chronic Jive. Every time this album plays my body is riddled with fits and vibrations. It's an overwhelming sensation that should not be under-whelmed. I recommend this song and album to everyone but listen at your discretion. You will not be able to stop the groove, funk, dance-pop, or jive. You know it, I know it, our asses know it. Enjoy!

"Whoo! Alright - Yeah... Uh Huh" The Rapture - 2006
Ben writes: This comes from The Rapture's second album, which is no where near as good as their first. I don't do a lot of dancing, but when this is on and I am home in my underwear I tend to gallop around a bit and enjoy myself.

"Casper Cha-Cha Slide (Live Platinum Band)" Casper & Col'Ta - 2000
Renata writes: I cannot dance. At all. Except to this lovely track. And by this track, I mean this exact version, which has played at every Junior High and High School dance I can remember … and almost every wedding I've ever attended. And I'm good. Real good. See you on the dance floor …

"Closer" Nine Inch Nails - 1994
Brian writes: I think it's pretty imperative that this band/song be in the mix.

FCM #10 - From the Movies

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:58:00 +0000

FCM #10 - FROM THE MOVIES Turn your cell phones and pagers off, we're headed to the cinema. We've got everything from Superman to Rosemary's Baby represented in this mix. Click here to download the entire FCM #10 - FROM THE MOVIES or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - Dance Party! That's right, bring out the most danceable tracks you've got. Doesn't have to be "dance" music, but it MUST be danceable!

"Superman - Prelude and Main Title March" John Williams - 1978
Walt writes: The theme to Superman - The Movie is one of my all time favorites. I still get chills every single time I hear it. I love the majesty and joy of it and its ability to get the blood pumping. And when I watch the movie, I'm amazed that a 26-year-old unknown actor was so completely able to master the duality of the Superman/Clark Kent relationship and portray two believable and distinct characters. So here's to you Christopher Reeve, you never gave up!

P.S. I have a photo of me with Christopher Reeve from 1980. I'll try and dig it up tonight.

"Going Up The Country" Canned Heat - 1968
Christine writes: Appears in: Woodstock: The Movie (the original one - Margaret) and in Meet The Fockers (1994). The song was also used in the "Northern Exposure" episode when Dr. Cappra was travelling to replace Dr. Joel Flieschman as the town doctor (thank you google!). Anyways, this is one of those songs that I remember listening to when I was a kid and it just made you feel good. I was recently reminded of it when my sister put it on a comp CD for me. The singer has a really interesting voice that you can't help but try to imitate (poorly) and it is one of the few songs where I really appreciate the addition of a flute to the musical lineup... if only there were cowbells too...

"Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers - 1971
Ben writes: From "Notting Hill." Yes, I love the Julia Roberts. This fantastic song is used in a great scene where a year passes while Hugh Grant walks through Notting Hill. I love that scene, and the song is just perfect for it.

"Kaze Wo Atsumete" Happy End - 2003
Felix writes: Though I've seen "Lost in Translation," I never really heard this song until Liz played it for me. It's one of her favorites and she can sing it all the way through, word for word (despite the fact that she has no idea what the lyrics mean). Personally, I love the key changes and the slow, rolling tempo throughout. For some reason, in trying to figure out how to best describe the happiness this song elicits: it's like having someone hand you a large sum of money, but in slow motion. Good stuff.

"Are You Ready For The Sex Girls?" Gleaming Spires - 1984
Jane writes: Wha wha WHAT??!!! This incredible song just happened to be nestled inside the most pivotal movie from my pre-adolescent years?? The one that convinced me it was not only OK, but COOL to be in Scholastic Bowl??! It's true. Not only nestled in, but MADE FOR. You can tell by the brainstorm-style lyrics that someone involved with the movie said "OK, so we need a song about the Omega Mu's coming over for their first mixer at the Nerds' frat house... Riff on it!"

This is a splendid work of art. A bit long, but just try to keep its catchy chorus out of your head for the days to come.

"Dead Already" Thomas Newman - 1999
Masha writes: Here's an arrangement by Thomas Newman for the American Beauty score. I first heard it on a mix tape (remember those?) played in the background of an hs art class. Enjoy!

"I'm Shipping Up To Boston" Dropkick Murphys - 2005
Ben writes: From "The Departed." I was so completely blown away by the film, the anxiety and energy of it, particularly in regards to DiCaprio's character as he gets deeper and deeper undercover. This song was just perfect for the film and it was also my ringtone for some time. My kids and I used to run around the house like crazies with this song blaring.

"Big Bad Wolf" Bunny and the Wolf Sisters - 1985
Justin writes: I had to include this classic. It is probably one of the most ridiculous songs ever created for a film. And one of the catchiest. I inspire you to drop what your doing and do the "Big Bad Wolf".

In case you need some inspiration...

"Less Than Zero" Glenn Danzig & the Power and Fury Orchestra - 1987
Jane writes: If you're ever playing "8 Degrees of Separation" and get stuck trying to connect 80's Brat Pack chump Andrew McCarthy with Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig, never fear because this sweet tidbit is the missing link that will save your hide. Believe me. That situation happens more than you're probably thinking it does.

Boasting over-production, female backing vocals, and general syrup, I'm positive that this concoction remains the ugliest of stepchildren in Danzig's catalogue, but MY GOD it's a guilty pleasure.

"Tommib" Squarepusher - 2001
Nick writes: Squarepusher's "Tommib" was featured on Lost in Translation. It's a short song, but very good - it doesn't need to do a whole lot to get the point across.

"Child Psychology" Black Box Recorder - 1999
Margaret writes: I am a huge Gilmore Girls fanatic. I love the quirky characters, the rapid dialogue and witty banter, and getting bombarded with hundreds of pop culture references in each episode - on a good day I'll catch about 1/3 of them. I got the soundtrack as a gift, and this has got to be one of the most obscure songs I've ever heard in my life - but totally fitting for the show. It surprises me that I like this song, but I find myself listening to it fairly often.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Theme" Jon Brion - 2004
TJ writes: Jon Brion has made some very awesome soundtracks to some of my favorite films including this theme for the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He also did the "I Heart Huckabees" soundtrack. Check it out. Hope you like it.

"Hide and Seek" Imogen Heap - 2005
Justin writes: This is a song off the soundtrack of the film, The Last Kiss. For those not familiar with Imogen Heap she is one half of the group Frou Frou. And Frou Frou is well know for their song that was featured in another Zack Braff film, Garden State. Because I was a huge fan of the Garden State soundtrack, and Frou Frou it was easy for me to spot Imogen's track in The Last Kiss.

I saw her live around a year ago and she had an awesome performance. She talked a lot with the crowd and shared some of her stories, methods, and ways she made her music. This track is also featured on her album "Speak For Yourself" which is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love it, and I hope you do too. :)

"Mad World" Gary Jules - 2001
Allison writes: Is the end of the world nigh? Is the tangent universe near collapse? Hell if I know. Rent the Donnie Darko DVD for more on that note (however abstracted). More to the point, however, this is a Gary Jules heart-swelling cover of the Tears for Fears 1983 track "Mad World". The lyrics are gripping, sad, and -- especially these days -- immediate.

It's one of those three-minute gems I wish was twice as long. It plays and I wish it was playing me just a little bit longer.

"Simple Man" Graham Nash - 1971
Renata writes: I stumbled upon Graham Nash's Simple Man semi-recently while renting the movie Reign Over Me. As the opening scenes played, I remember being overcome by the song … it really spoke to me that day, having struck my mood just right. I was moved. I immediately jotted a few of the lyrics down on a Post-it with the intention to later Google them in hopes of finding the song title so I could then download the track.

I ended up watching the movie for a second time a few weeks later with my mom. As the song played, I told her how much I enjoy this song and, because of this movie, had downloaded and now play it regularly. Her smile widened. She was very familiar with the song and even had a few records from the various guys’s attempts at solo careers (which she immediately whipped out of storage from the family room)—one of which had Simple Man on it! It would up being a really neat bonding experience as mom shared stories of her various concert-goings and reminisced over her favorite artists and albums.

"Ben" Michael Jackson - 1972
Chris writes: Ben was a horror film released in 1972. Here's the synopsis:

A police detective investigating the death of a young man named Willard makes the shocking discovery that the victim was attacked and mutilated by a pack of rats. Ben, the leader of the pack, was Willard's pet, and now the nasty rodent has a new master.

The synopsis neglects to mention that the "new master" is actually a 10-year-old kid with an upper-register voice who cries when the pack of killer rats is decimated by the townspeople. (SPOILER ALERT! Ben survives.) Despite a dismal showing at the theaters, Ben managed to come away with an Academy Award Nomination. Why? Because Michael F'ing Jackson sang the theme song. A young, silver-tongued Michael Jackson who melted hearts with a song about a killer rat and sung for a horror film's end credits. It's a touching song and it makes me think of our very own Ben - Ben, you've got a friend in me.

As a final note, the fairly recent Crispin Glover film "Willard" was set up as a prequel to Ben. Here is Glover's video from the Willard DVD, featuring him singing the title song. It's a gem (and slightly NSFW, but whatever).

"Rosemary's Baby" Fantômas - 2001
"Experiment In Terror" Fantômas - 2001
Brian writes: Named after a super-villain from a series of old French crime novels, Fantomas are an endlessly unique and interesting band, featuring members of Faith No More, The Melvins, Slayer and Mr. Bungle. How could a lineup like that possibly go wrong? The answer is, it can't. In 2001, Fantomas released one of the greatest albums of all time, The Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is a 16-song album consisting of various movie theme songs. They are covers, but just barely. They really took the originals and put their own insane twist on them. I slowly narrowed down my selection from 16 to 2, and I just can't decide. So, I'm including 2 songs. These are the themes from "Experiment in Terror" and "Rosemary's Baby". Also, the band will be performing this album in it's entirety for the Don't Look Back series in December of 2008. For more info on that and a full track-listing, click here.

FCM #9 - Colors

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:39:00 +0000

FCM #9 - COLORS We've put together a fun one this week. Lots of good things to listen to and think about. A warm welcome to Sarah, who's joining us for the first time. Also, a big thanks to Allison for making this week's cover. If you want to do the next one, drop me a line! Click here to download the entire FCM #9 - COLORS or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's Theme - From the Movies! Could be a song from a soundtrack or a song featured in a movie, whatever. Get your thinking caps on!

"Green" Ken Nordine - 1966
Allison writes: Please know that this track, GREEN, is part of an entire delightful album of colors by the great voiceover artist and word jazzist Ken Nordine. 34 tracks, each for a certain hue, from black to blue and crimson to puce! Funnily enough, this album's origins were in a handful of mid-60s radio spots Nordine recorded for a household paint company. People began calling in asking where they could find the music, and shortly thereafter, his record COLORS was born.

"Pretty Green" The Jam - 1980
Jane writes: I went through a huge Jam phase back in college, and this song was always one I would skip over because it's such a diversion from their 70's sound I'd grown to love. This was 80's, and I didn't dig it. What was this, disco?

But, like most of my music obsessions go, once you leave it behind for a while, you're much more able to say "This one song was my favorite by so and so" or "Looking back, I can see where they were going with this...", etc.

This was not my favorite song by the Jam, and I'm still not sure where they were going with it, but when I go back and play these records, I no longer skip it. That's saying something, right? In fact, I think Pretty Green is Pretty Great. And it's talking about buying fruit and jukebox plays with everyone's favorite green. The money kind.

"The Village Green Preservation Society" The Kinks - 1968
Walt writes: The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks is a great little song about the loss of tradition and how old things should be preserved and passed down while still leaving room for what's new. This version of the song is from the BBC sessions that many British artists performed in studio. And it's a Kinks song, so there, Ben! ;P

"Red and Purple" The Dodos - 2008
Nick writes: Here is a very good song by indie folk band The Dodos, who are from San Francisco.

"Blue" The Jayhawks - 1995
Felix writes: I first heard this song while an undergrad, but didn't really get hooked on it until late in my grad school career. Mostly it makes me think of being single, or of those transitional periods where friends are moving away... or you're moving away from friends.

"Red" Okkervil River - 2002
Ben writes: This is the first Okkervil River song that I ever heard. I love it for its soothing rhythm and the lovely melody.The lyrics in general and the way it comes together at the final climax - "...she still remembers your touch. I know that it's not much, but you still haven't lost her" - beautiful.

"Silver Lining" Rilo Kelly - 2007
TJ writes: This is a track from the latest Rilo Kiley cd. I really love Jenny Lewis for mainly her voice :) AND the fact that she was in "The Wizard" (I'm pretty sure I've stated this on one of these mixes already so sorry for the broken record :)

"Blackpowder" Jucifer - 2008
Brian writes: Sorry this is long, but I like to talk about music...

I wasn't sure about this theme at first, but upon searching iTunes for colors I came across so many random songs/bands I never would have thought of. I'm listening to one of them (Black Flag) as I type this. The color black seemed to bring back the best results, and I narrowed it down to two; The Black Art of Deception by Goatwhore and Blackpowder by Jucifer. In the end, I chose Blackpowder by Jucifer (sorry Goatwhore)!

Jucifer gets big points in my book for many reasons.
1. They are a guitar/vocal and drum duo (who also happen to be married)
2. The sold their home 8 years ago, and replaced it with an RV that they take around the world touring, almost non-stop
3. The guitarist/vocalist, Amber Valentine, is BEAUTIFUL and badass. She literally plays through a "wall of amplifiers" to create a textured guitar tone and bass guitar substitute.
4. The release that Blackpowder appears on, L'autrichienne, is a 21-song concept album about the French Revolution (with some songs sung in French). It was supposed to be a double album, but they squeezed it onto one disc to keep the price down for fans.

"I Think It Is Beautiful That You Are 256 Colors Too" Black Moth Super Rainbow - 2007
Chris writes: Black Moth Super Rainbow is an explosion of color and light and sound. It's a fuzzy, washed-out landscape of motion trails, blown out television tube hues and a bouncy late-70s PBS fantasy. It's visions from a softer sphere that are all played out in the swirling hiss and buzz of their music (bonus: no drugs needed). This is music that emanates from technicolor children's shows lost to the ether, re-bottled by this band in the form of sound collage. Listen to some of their other material and prepare to relive some faint, hauntingly happy childhood memories that aren't even your own.

"Black Hole Sun" Soundgarden - 1994
Justin writes: This track is a perfect addition to this weeks theme for color. Being post Temple of the Dog and pre Audioslave I loved this is a song as a kid and is really drew me in to become a big Soundgarden fan. Remember the creepy video with all the characters and their distorted expressions? It was a definitely a music video I will never forget.

"Sunken Cathedral" Claude Debussy - 1991
Sarah writes: When I think of colors and music, I think of timbre. Timbre (tone color) is what makes an oboe sound like an oboe, a tuba sound like a tuba, and Art Garfunkel sound like a cherub.

Impressionist painters emphasized how light effected subjects and focused more on the overall 'impression' of an image rather than the details - Debussy was an impressionist composer. Sunken Cathedral is for solo piano, but the piece is all about colors - especially when you listen to it with Monet's series of paintings of the Rouen Cathedral at different times of day in mind.

It moves pretty slowly, but try to make it to 3:30!

"Mellow Yellow" Donovan - 1966
Margaret writes: An old Gap commercial from the late 90's introduced me to this song, and I've had it stuck in my head ever since. I love the simplicity of it, and I also love the word "saffron" -- so it's a win-win for me.

"Green" Locash - 1998
Christine writes: So I was going through my collection trying to decide what to choose for this week's topic. After self-eliminating any bands that had a color in their name I came to realize that I was narrowed down to about 5 different versions of "Blue Moon". After contemplating for a moment why everyone and their mother covers that song, I kept scrolling and came upon this little gem. This is actually Rob's kid brother's band from highschool. Obviously now defunct, but for a group of teenagers, they really could put on a show. I have to admit their album fell short of what they could do live. I have to give them credit though for mixing in a DJ prior to Linkin Park coming on the scene. They've all pretty much moved on as most kids do except they can claim that one "made it" - their bass player Allen is now in Story of the Year on Epitaph Records.

"Little Green" Joni Mitchel - 1971
Masha writes: I confess! I used to love Joni Mitchell. The acoustic arrangements on her album "Blue" struck with me in high school. Here is "Little Green," a personal song written about the child she had to give up for adoption. "All I Want" "River" and "California" are other great ones on that album.

"99 Red Balloons" Nena - 1983
Walt writes: 99 Red Balloons is the English cover of 99 Luftballoons (99 Balloons) by the German band, Nena. The song made a big red splash in 1984. The song is about an over reaction between nations but most importantly it references both Captain Kirk and super-heroes.

FCM#8 - Labor

noreply@blogger.com (ben) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:15:00 +0000

FCM #8 - LABOR Most of us really like the work we do. That's how we know eachother, in fact. However, I'm certainly happy it's Friday and I think we all are. Click here to download the entire FCM #8 - LABOR or hunt and peck below. If you like something or hate something or whatever, please make a comment! Some of these files are m4a format, so you should download them all with the link above or right click and save them to your machine.

Next week's theme is not yet determined. Let's have another vote! The choices for next week are (a) Get Political (b) From the Movies (c) Colors. Vote in the comments, please! Voting closes tuesday at noon!

"Government Center" The Modern Lovers - 1973
Jane writes: There are some artists that conjure vivid imagery of landscape and love and loss and joy... but Modern Lovers' songwriting tends to sound like the lyrics were made up about 2 minutes ago about something that just happened. I love it.

Here's the essence of "Government Center". Dude was waiting in line at the post and thought the workers looked bored. In his mind he daydreamed about rocking the joint and cheering up the staff in the process. The end.

"Bang The Drum All Day" Todd Rundgren - 1983
Walt writes: What better way not to work than bang the drum all day? Matt B says that you get tired of a song after hearing it 200 times. For this song, I say ... nonsense! Enjoy the day off, I know I will!

"Found A Job" Talking Heads - 1978
James writes: It's the American Dream! True entrepreneurial spirit! The bored protagonists of this song decide to start their own reality show (decades before the genre dominated television, I might add), and save their relationship in the process.

Consider this song a gateway drug to a near-perfect Talking Heads album.

"Working Man" Rush - 1974
Chris writes: The summer I turned 16 years old my family and I moved to Florida from Virginia, a move I both welcomed (thanks in part to the promise of sunny beaches and sun-kissed women) and despised (gaining vehicular independence while losing all your friends is a downer). Being a one-car family kept me from doing much exploring on my own, but after scoping out the local sunny beaches and sun-kissed women (it was all true!) I decided my life in Florida would be much improved with my own set of wheels. So I, like any red-blooded American worth a damn, went to work at the nearest Wendy's fast food restaurant. I worked my skinny, teenage ass off and before long I was working the drive-thru, the grill, and other positions of power within the Wendy's institution. Within four months I'd saved a grand, drove up to the outskirts of Alabama with my dad and drove back in an $800 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 that had sat in a yard for more than a few years.

It was in reasonable shape, and after tweaking the engine timing, rewiring the whole damn vehicle and spit-shining every piece of chrome, I roared (literally - this car had original glass packs!) off toward school with my sister next to me on the bench seat. My sister was later replaced with a girlfriend, and there were other things in that vehicle that were replaced and improved - the best of which was a CD player installed under the dash and a pair of bass-heavy 6x9 speakers I cut into the rear deck. I loved the way music mixed with the rumble of the muffler - everything was loud, proud, and probably obnoxious. I continued to work at Wendy's through high school, and this song became something of an anthem as I drove home at 10 or 11 following a closing shift. I'd roll down the windows, crank this song and drive my way down a mostly deserted street, feeling very much like the rough-and-tumble blue collar worker this song epitomizes. I was, of course, just another obnoxious teenage fast-food worker driving a car that was as painfully loud as the music I was playing, and I wasn't going home to crack a cold beer like the song suggests. No, I was just going home to climb into bed, wake at seven, and do it all again - just like the working man. This song takes me right back to those days, that car, and my pure love for heavy guitar. Just have a listen to that solo, would ya?

"I Hate My Fucking Job" Moto - 2003
Jane writes: May I also submit the super-catchy "I hate my fucking job" by MOTO? You can't get more base than this one. That's why I felt compelled to put a little more thought into our theme (see above). Well... that, and I DON'T hate my fucking job.

"For The Workforce, Drowning" Thursday - 2003
Justin writes: I'm going to have to leave this week's description up to Geoff Rickly the lead singer of Thursday. Here is an excerpt of his thoughts about this week's theme:

"Falling from the top floor your lungs
fill like parachutes
windows go rushing by.
people inside,
dressed for the funeral in black and white.
These ties strangle our necks, hanging in the closet,
found in the cubicle;
without a name, just numbers, on the resume stored in the mainframe, marked for delete."

"9-5ers Anthem" Aesop Rock - 2001
Ben writes: We the American working population hate the fact that eight hours a day is wasted on chasing the dream of someone that isn't us. And we may not hate our jobs, but we hate jobs in general that don't have to do with fighting our own causes. We the American working population hate the nine-to-five day-in/day-out when we'd rather be supporting ourselves by being paid to perfect the pasttimes that we have harbored based solely on the fact that it makes us smile if it sounds dope.

I think any artist can relate with this statement.

"Why Don't You Get A Job" The Offspring - 1998
Christine writes: Offspring is one of those guilty pleasure bands for me. This song is awesome because it's catchy and hilarious. Who doesn't know a friend (or maybe yourself) that is constantly complaining about a friend or significant other who is a constant moocher? These people have Labor Day everyday.

"Surf Wax America" Weezer - 1996
TJ writes: This is just about blowing off the day and going surfing. Pretty basic yet when I think about it... I wish I could just do that (if I only knew how to surf and lived near an ocean). At least thats what I want this to mean so cause I want it to, it does, enjoy :)

"East Bound and Down" Jerry Reed - 1977
Felix writes: I probably first heard this song from the seminal first Smokey and the Bandit movie. However, I was re-introduced to it by my friend Ron Fuhler, who was my Flash mentor back in 2000... the first guy who showed me the ropes, and taught me a lot of the fundamentals of the program.

He and I worked for a small company in Barrington, and this was a song he'd play whenever there was a rush project, a fire, or something that required a lot of focused energy/attention. It was a playful thing, but it stuck with me over the years.

I tend to employ this song during all nighters, and have had it blasting, full-volume, from my computer more times than I care to remember. But it's a great tune, and it works. At 3:30 AM, when you're bleary-eyed and wanting an extra burst of energy... this song is as good as a strong cup of coffee or a cigarette.

"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" Tom Waits - 1992
Brian writes: This was a difficult theme for me. I really have no Labor Day/song connection in my mind...Which is very odd, because I have some sort of music-related connection to pretty much everything else in my life. Well...As of today, I can now say I have a Labor Day song. While it's not really a song about the working man/woman, or taking a break from the grind, it is a song that celebrates having a mind free of the responsibilities and headaches that come with being a working citizen in the U.S. of A. It's also a reminder to not let the complexities that come with being an adult (like a job), overshadow the simple joys in life. And on top of all that, it's just a great f'ing song. Covered by The Ramones, Cold War Kids, and more, here's the original I Don't Want to Grow Up by Tom Waits.

"Fred Jones Part 2" Ben Folds - 2001
Margaret writes: Poor Fred Jones - he got canned and no one even notices. This is basically Milton from "Office Space". This song depresses the hell out of me...I wish I could find this guy and give him a hug and tell him that it'll all be okay.

"Yulquen" Autechre - 1994
Nick writes: I listen to this pretty often at work.