Mixtape 8/1/08

Dance no more, whole lotta newbies, and even more kids storm the 'tape.

NERD, Santogold, and Julian Casablancas' little dance party at the top is over. "My Drive Thru" managed half of the summer on top which isn't too bad for a song that is primarily supposed to sell shoes. The run may not be over, but for this week, Wolf Parade's "Fine Young Cannibals" (it drives me crazy...woot woot) is numero uno. 80s references aside, the song's main appeal is its multiple grooves that seem to dance in and out of one another. One of Wolf Parade's strengths is the band's ability to craft subtly insistent riffs. They aren't loud or thrashy, but within a certain guitar or keyboard piece lies the energy contained in more overtly hard rocking songs. Wolf Parade just choose to let the energy contained within bubble just near the top of the lid; threatening to pour over, but never quite achieving boil.

A gaggle of new songs enter this week. For the uninitiated, a gaggle on the mixtape is exactly nine. I talked about the kids taking over last week...the Black Kids. Well, Cold War Kids show up to the party with the first single from their upcoming Loyalty to Loyalty, out on September 23. The Cool Kids make their premiere entrance with "'88," a little shoutout to twenty years ago when, not so coincidentally, I was a cool kid myself. Yeah, that's a lie. But I knew one or two cool kids and once in a while they would talk to me.

More new and returning acts enter the Mixtape this week. New Kings of Leon, The Walkmen, and Of Montreal tracks are highlights this week while Sneaky Sound System, Dr. Dog, Gaslight Anthem, and PAS/CAL all spend their first week on the 'tape.

Speaking of newbies, twenty of the week's forty songs are from artists who are experiencing their first song on the chart. That's a lot of new acts and a lot of new musical blood. It's what I live for. The mix of tried and true butting up against the brand spanking new is what keeps The Mixtape an interesting and unpredictable place to find new music. Cheers to that.



1. Fine Young Cannibals / Wolf Parade (1 week @ #1)iTunes Myspace
   
   
2. My Drive-Thru / NERD w/ Santogold and Julian Casablancas iTunes Myspace
   
   
3. You On The Run / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
   
4. L.E.S. Artistes / Santogold iTunes Myspace
   
5. Love Me Already / Black Kids (NEW) iTunes Myspace
   
6. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes iTunes Myspace
   
7. The Modern Leper / Frightened Rabbit iTunes Myspace
   
8. Call It A Ritual / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
9. GfC / Albert Hammond Jr. iTunes Myspace
   
10. Drivin’ Down The Block / Kidz In The Hall iTunes Myspace
    
11. Pot Kettle Black / Tilly and The Wall iTunes Myspace
    
12. No Social / The Shortwave Set iTunes Myspace
    
13. Glitter & Gold / Cheap Time iTunes Myspace
    
14. I Woke Up Today / Port O’Brien iTunes Myspace
    
15. Sequestered in Memphis / The Hold Steady iTunes Myspace
    
16. Burn You Up Burn You Down / Big Blue Ball iTunes Myspace
    
17. Eraser / No Age iTunes Myspace
    
18. Teen Creeps / No Age iTunes Myspace
    
19. Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo) / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
20. Discipline /Nine Inch Nails iTunes Myspace
    
21. Oxford Comma / Vampire Weekend iTunes Myspace
    
22. You In Color / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
23. Evil Urges / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
24. Crawl / Kings of Leon (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
25. Get Better / Mates of State iTunes Myspace
    
26. Heretic Pride / Mountain Goats iTunes Myspace
    
27. Something Is Not Right With Me / Cold War Kids (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
28. Hurricane Jane / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
29. Time To Pretend / MGMT iTunes Myspace
    
30. You Were Too Old For Me / PAS/CAL (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
31. I Told Her On Alderaan / Neon Neon (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
32. Chemtrails / Beck iTunes Myspace
    
33. Orphans / Beck iTunes Myspace
    
34. Id Engager / Of Montreal (NEW) iTunesMyspace
    
35. ’88 / Cool Kids (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
36. Rat is Dead (Rage) / CSS iTunes Myspace
    
37. The Ark / Dr. Dog (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
38. In The New Year / The Walkmen (NEW) iTunesMyspace
    
39. The ’59 Sound / The Gaslight Anthem (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
40. Kansas City / Sneaky Sound System (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
    
    
    

Mixtape 7/25/08

It must be the shoes, the Wolf Parade marches on, and the Kids are taking over on this weeks' Mixtape.

Six weeks on top. Not to toot my own horn, but yeah, I saw the Converse-created collaboration spending most of the summer on top from the first time I heard it. Now that the song is in a commercial maybe the rest of the country will catch up to this sugary pop confection that is summer in a nutshell. Just typing that makes me want a candy bar. And to dance. Wolf Parade is threatening at number two with a song that isn't a single from their brilliant At Mount Zoomer. Number six's "Call It A Ritual" was the first release and the second is supposed to be "Language City," a great song in its own right, but not Mixtape worthy...at least yet.

Despite receiving a ridiculous review from Pitchfork, the Black Kids are in the top 10 for the third time this year with this week's highest debut, "Love Me Already." "Hurricane Jane," which is at #25 after almost nine months on the 'Tape (and nine weeks at #1), and "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" were the other two Kids' tracks to hit the upper tier this year. They are also at #20 with "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)" this week.

New singles from No Age, CSS, and Neon Neon enter this week. On the horizon: new Kings of Leon, One Day as a Lion, Grand Archives, and The Gaslight Anthem.

1. My Drive-Thru / NERD w/ Santogold and Julian Casablancas (6 wks @ #1) iTunes Myspace
   
   
   
2. Fine Young Cannibals / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
   
3. L.E.S. Artistes / Santogold iTunes Myspace
   
   
4. You On The Run / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
   
5. The Modern Leper / Frightened Rabbit iTunes Myspace
   
6. Call It A Ritual / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
7. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes iTunes Myspace
   
8. Love Me Already / Black Kids (NEW) iTunes Myspace
   
9. Drivin’ Down The Block / Kidz In The Hall iTunes Myspace
   
10. GfC / Albert Hammond Jr. iTunes Myspace
    
11. Discipline /Nine Inch Nails iTunes Myspace
    
12. No Social / The Shortwave Set iTunes Myspace
    
13. Pot Kettle Black / Tilly and The Wall iTunes Myspace
    
14. Evil Urges / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
15. Sequestered in Memphis / The Hold Steady iTunes Myspace
    
16. Eraser / No Age iTunes Myspace
    
17. Burn You Up Burn You Down / Big Blue Ball iTunes Myspace
    
18. Glitter & Gold / Cheap Time iTunes Myspace
    
19. I Woke Up Today / Port O’Brien iTunes Myspace
    
20. Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo) / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
21. You In Color / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
22. Chemtrails / Beck iTunes Myspace
23. You Can’t Stop Me Now / RZA (ft. Inspectah Deck) iTunes Myspace
    
24. I’m Amazed / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
25. Hurricane Jane / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
26. Time To Pretend / MGMT iTunes Myspace
    
27. Heretic Pride / Mountain Goats iTunes Myspace
    
28. Doves / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
29. Paper Planes / MIA iTunes Myspace
    
30. Get Better / Mates of State iTunes Myspace
    
31. Teen Creeps / No Age (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
32. Oxford Comma / Vampire Weekend iTunes Myspace
    
33. I Told Her On Alderaan / Neon Neon (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
34. Orphans / Beck iTunes Myspace
    
35. Fools / The Dodos iTunes Myspace
    
36. Shut Up and Let Me Go / Ting Tings iTunes Myspace
    
37. Rat is Dead (Rage) / CSS (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
38. Long Division / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
39. Mercury / Bloc Party iTunes Myspace
    
40. Criminal / The Roots iTunes Myspace
    
    

Mixtape 7/11/08

A new week brings seven new entries on the 'tape. New songs from anticipated albums by Beck, Black Kids, and The Verve enter alongside new-to-the-Mixtape bands Port O' Brien and Mountain Goats as well as Mates of State and Bloc Party.

It might be coincidence, but Wolf Parade hold down numbers 5 and 6 this week. Fine Young Cannibals is flying up the 'tape while "Call It A Ritual" spends its tenth week in the top five. Maybe I'm just purposely listening to them more since I'll see them in concert next week (therein lies the coincidental factor) but I doubt it. They have been one of my favorite acts since I first heard their debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary in '05. The new album is as excellent as their first. And live...well, they bring it. Hard.

The aforementioned Fine Young Cannibals enters the top ten this week as does Kidz in the Hall's summertime hip-hop cruisin' jam / shoutout to A Tribe Called Quest, "Ridin' Down The Block" and "White Winter Hymnal," the Fleet Foxes' folked out Beach Boys sermon. Lots of movement and new blood this week, but the top three isn't moving for anyone quite yet.



1. My Drive-Thru / NERD w/ Santogold and Julian Casablancas (4 wks @ #1)iTunes Myspace
   
   Finally, a video. It was well worth the wait too. Except for the fact the song is butchered by almost a minute and a half. Regardless, it remains aesthetically true to Converse’s current marketing of the song on its website while taking the art to a whole new level. And yeah, the song’s been on top here for a month now.
   
   
   
2. LES Artistes / Santogold iTunes Myspace
   
   
3. The Modern Leper / Frightened Rabbit iTunes Myspace
   
   
4. You On The Run / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
   The Black Angels continue their crawl toward domination. It’s a slow and sludgy ascent to the top which is fitting for their dense, droning style.
   
5. Call It A Ritual / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
6. Fine Young Cannibals / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
7. Evil Urges / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
   
8. Drivin’ Down The Block / Kidz In The Hall iTunes Myspace
   
9. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes iTunes Myspace
   
10. Discipline /Nine Inch Nails iTunes Myspace
    
11. GfC / Albert Hammond Jr. iTunes Myspace
    
12. Chemtrails / Beck iTunes Myspace
    
13. No Social / Shortwave Set iTunes Myspace
    
14. You Can’t Stop Me Now / RZA (ft. Inspectah Deck) iTunes Myspace
    
15. Eraser / No Age iTunes Myspace
    
16. I’m Amazed / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
17. Sequestered in Memphis / The Hold Steady iTunes Myspace
    
18. You In Color / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
19. Pot Kettle Black / Tilly and The Wall iTunes Myspace
    
20. Burn You Up Burn You Down / Big Blue Ball iTunes Myspace
    
21. Doves / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
22. Hurricane Jane / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
23. Time To Pretend / MGMT iTunes Myspace
    
24. Glitter & Gold / Cheap Time iTunes Myspace
    And now. It's time. To kick out the jams!!! I don’t know much about this band other than they sound like they do this kind of thing in their garage all day long.
    
25. Criminal / The Roots iTunes Myspace
    
26. Shut Up and Let Me Go / Ting Tings iTunes Myspace
    
27. I Woke Up Today / Port O’Brien (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
28. Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo) / Black Kids (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    Finally, some new Black Kids songs. Their full-length debut drops next Tuesday in the states, but was released in the UK this week. All four songs from the band’s debut EP Wizard of Ahhs are reworked slightly – more expensive, though not always sonically superior production – and loyal fans will recognize a couple of tracks from leaked demos last winter. This is one of the new tracks recorded exclusively for Partie Traumatic and in my opinion, the best of the bunch. It’s ok. Admit it. Reggie Youngblood is your new hero.
    
29. Violet Hill / Coldplay iTunes Myspace
    
30. I Will Possess Your Heart / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
31. Heretic Pride / Mountain Goats (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
32. Paper Planes / MIA iTunes Myspace
    
33. Oxford Comma / Vampire Weekend iTunes Myspace
    
34. Love Is Noise / The Verve (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    Slightly more intriguing than the Smashing Pumpkins’ reunion of last year, Richard Ashcroft’s gang sounds great on this advance single from the band’s upcoming album, Forth.
    
35. Mercury / Bloc Party (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
36. They Say / Scars on Broadway iTunes Myspace
    
37. Long Division / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
38. Fools / The Dodos iTunes Myspace
    
39. Get Better / Mates of State (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
40. Orphans / Beck (NEW) iTunes Myspace
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Mixtape 7/04/08

Longevity is a true sign of a great song. Sure, the initial love buzz with a tune can fade, but a well-crafted track can last you a lifetime. In terms of The Mixtape, a song spending over four months on the 40 has probably had a significant initial impact on the eardrums and has that certain something that keeps me coming back for more. We are definitely on the flip side of 2008 and only three songs remain that started this year on the 'tape.

Black Kids' "Hurricane Jane" is in its 32nd week (that's eight months, three seasons, and a helluva lot of listens)- nine of them were spent at #1. I've been in love an equal amount of time with their debut EP, Wizard of Ahhs . A newly recorded version of "Hurricane Jane" and new tatkes of the other Ahhs' songs will appear on the band's full-length debut Partie Traumatic, out in a couple weeks.

MGMT's "Time To Pretend," this week at #21, also first grabbed me in its under-produced EP (also called Time To Pretend) incarnation. The song is in more polished form on the band's first longplayer, Oracular Spectacular, but the rawness of the original take has endeared it to my ears for 30 weeks. It may not have hit the top, but it did spend an impressive 11 weeks in the top five.

Finally, down the Mixtape at #35 is The National's former 'tape-topper of five weeks, "Apartment Story." Next week will mark nine months on the Mixtape. Can it make it? Oh the drama.

Happy Birthday America. Let's give ourselves a present in a few months mmmkay?



1. My Drive-Thru / NERD w/ Santogold and Julian Casablancas iTunes Myspace
   
   
   Three weeks on top for the Converse collabo. Just one thing...where's the freakin' video?
   
   
2. LES Artistes / Santogold iTunes Myspace
   
   
   
   
3. The Modern Leper / Frightened Rabbit iTunes Myspace
   
   It's been a few weeks, but Frightened Rabbit returns to the top three for the second time. Again...a video would be nice. If you make it, they will watch.
   
   
   
4. Call It A Ritual / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
5. Evil Urges / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
   
6. You On The Run / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
   
7. Eraser / No Age iTunes Myspace
   
8. You Can’t Stop Me Now / RZA (ft. Inspectah Deck) iTunes Myspace
   
9. Chemtrails / Beck iTunes Myspace
   
10. Sequestered in Memphis / The Hold Steady iTunes Myspace
    
11. Discipline /Nine Inch Nails iTunes Myspace
    
12. GfC / Albert Hammond Jr. iTunes Myspace
    
13. I’m Amazed / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
14. No Social / Shortwave Set iTunes Myspace
    
15. Fine Young Cannibals / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
    
16. Drivin’ Down The Block / Kidz In The Hall iTunes Myspace
    
17. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes iTunes Myspace
    
18. You In Color / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
19. Criminal / The Roots iTunes Myspace
    
20. Hurricane Jane / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
21. Time To Pretend / MGMT iTunes Myspace
    
22. Burn You Up Burn You Down / Big Blue Ball iTunes Myspace
    
23. Doves / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
24. They Say / Scars on Broadway iTunes Myspace
    
25. Violet Hill / Coldplay iTunes Myspace
    
26. Pot Kettle Black / Tilly and The Wall iTunes Myspace
    
27. I Will Possess Your Heart / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
28. Troublemaker / Weezer iTunes Myspace
    
29. Handlebars / Flobots iTunes Myspace
    
30. Old Enough / The Raconteurs iTunes Myspace
    
31. Squalor Victoria / The National iTunes Myspace
    
32. Shut Up and Let Me Go / Ting Tings iTunes Myspace
    
33. Spaz / NERD iTunes Myspace
    
34. Salute Your Solution / The Raconteurs iTunes Myspace
    
35. Apartment Story / The National iTunes Myspace
    
36. Paper Planes / MIA iTunes Myspace
    
37. Oxford Comma / Vampire Weekend iTunes Myspace
    
38. Long Division / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
39. Glitter & Gold / Cheap Time iTunes Myspace
    
40. Fools / The Dodos iTunes Myspace
    
    
    

Mixtape 6/27/08

1. My Drive-Thru / NERD w/ Santogold and Julian Casablancas iTunes Myspace
   Not so much a video as a collage of related images by a YouTube user, this clip is only going to serve as a holder until the real video is out in July. At least Converse’s website says it will be. I am pretty sure that this track will still be top 3 when the vid does come out. Two weeks at numero uno for the collabo of the summer.
   
   
2. Evil Urges / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
   
   
   
3. LES Artistes / Santogold iTunes Myspace
   Look out!! Santi White with two songs in the top 3. There’s a reason. Some dismiss her as MIA-ish or this song as a Tegan and Sara soundalike, but Santogold is her own thing and is just getting started. This song and her new self-titled album should break her out, but it’s a strange and fickle musical climate out there.
   
   
4. Call It A Ritual / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
   
5. The Modern Leper / Frightened Rabbit iTunes Myspace
   
6. Chemtrails / Beck iTunes Myspace
   
7. Eraser / No Age iTunes Myspace
   
8. Sequestered in Memphis / The Hold Steady iTunes Myspace
   
9. You On The Run / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
   
10. You Can’t Stop Me Now / RZA (ft. Inspectah Deck) iTunes Myspace
    Apparently you can't stop the Rizza. Last year was the Wu Tang's interpretation of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" which spent a considerable chunk of time in the top 5, this year it's Clan man RZA with fellow Wu Inspectah Deck reppin' for chess players and ninjas alike.
    
11. No Social / Shortwave Set iTunes Myspace
    
12. Discipline /Nine Inch Nails iTunes Myspace
    
13. You In Color / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
14. GfC / Albert Hammond Jr. iTunes Myspace
    His Strokes mate Julian Casablancas is at the top of the 'Tape, but AH Jr keeps bouncing up on its way to top ten status. I don't know what GfC stands for or if it even does, but it rocks in a summery, old school kind of way.
    
15. I’m Amazed / My Morning Jacket iTunes Myspace
    
16. Violet Hill / Coldplay iTunes Myspace
    
17. Hurricane Jane / Black Kids iTunes Myspace
    
18. Time To Pretend / MGMT iTunes Myspace
    
19. Criminal / The Roots iTunes Myspace
    
20. I Will Possess Your Heart / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace
    
21. Handlebars / Flobots iTunes Myspace
    
22. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes iTunes Myspace
    
23. Doves / The Black Angels iTunes Myspace
    
24. Spaz / NERD iTunes Myspace
    
25. They Say / Scars on Broadway iTunes Myspace
    
26. Drivin’ Down The Block / Kidz In The Hall iTunes Myspace
    Every once in a while some rap hits the Mixtape. Maybe I'm getting old, but I just ain't feelin' much of the new new. Could be because most of it sucks. This, however, is an exception.
    
27. Fine Young Cannibals / Wolf Parade iTunes Myspace
    
28. Old Enough / The Raconteurs iTunes Myspace
    
29. Troublemaker / Weezer iTunes Myspace
    
30. Squalor Victoria / The National iTunes Myspace
    
31. Salute Your Solution / The Raconteurs iTunes Myspace
    
32. Paper Planes / MIA iTunes Myspace
    Four and a half months on the Mixtape and the song still goes. In a year full of great dance jams (Hot Chip, Hercules and Love Affair, and this week's #1 come to mind), this one is a stand out. It should own the airwaves this summer, but the brilliant gun shot-driven chorus will likely disturb parents and advertisers alike.
    
33. Pot Kettle Black / Tilly and The Wall iTunes Myspace
    
34. Burn You Up Burn You Down / Big Blue Ball iTunes Myspace
    Big Blue Ball is a collaboration between Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger (of World Party) and a bunch of their friends. The album's been in production for the last decade and a half and is finally seeing the light of release. It's a truly international affair with musicians from all corners of the globe.
    
35. Shut Up and Let Me Go / Ting Tings iTunes Myspace
    
36. Apartment Story / The National iTunes Myspace
    
37. Sour Cherry / The Kills iTunes Myspace
    
38. Torn Blue Foam Couch / Grand Archives iTunes Myspace
    
39. Oxford Comma / Vampire Weekend iTunes Myspace
    
40. Long Division / Death Cab For Cutie iTunes Myspace