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Q: What was Brenda and Dylan’s break up song from 90210?

A: “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.

Q: What the hell does that have to do with breaking up?

A: Clearly, if you have to ask, you don’t watch 90210.

Q: Wait. It’s the same person doing the Q & A, so why are you getting all snippy with me?

A: I don’t have to answer you.

Q. You don’t? Why not? I mean you’re “A” — which means “Answer.” So answer me A-hole!

A: Here’s an answer: we’re breaking up.

Q: Fine. I don’t really need you … do I?

A: [Silence]

Q: Why won’t you talk to me?

A: [Humming]

Q: A-hole? I mean Answer?

A: What?

Q: Don’t you love me?

A: Let’s look at the Magic 8 Ball for an answer since you have a problem calling me by my proper name. Hmm…It says “Ask again later.”

Breaking up is hard to do, isn’t it? But once you’ve broken up, the song that best reflects your feelings might be something a little abstruse like “Losing My Religion,” or maybe it’s something oh-so-obvious like “Love Stinks.” Whatever the case, here are six songs that say pretty much the same thing in different ways: “It’s over.” (more…)

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When you’re a young adult and trying to find your way in the world, it can be a very liberating period.  It’s a time when your tastes aren’t solidified, and your mind is open to musical forms that people older or younger than you may find utterly abhorrent.  The science of this phenomenon is detailed in the book This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin, but I’m fairly certain we’ve all experienced what Levitin writes about:  the music of our teen years (and early 20s) is just so much better than the crap that’s produced today.

I was going through my LPs the other day and found an inordinate number of soundtracks.  Yeah, the Footloose soundtrack was in there, but I started to find others that reminded me how intently I listened to the music used in films.  If I heard something I liked, I would usually drive down to Tower or Rasputin Records to see if I could get a copy after seeing the movie.  That was back in the days when, despite making just a little more than minimum wage, I had a disposable income for things like records.  Nowadays, while I still have a disposable income for music, there’s a kind of “download and forget” mentality that’s crept into my listening habits.  Sure, it’s more convenient to buy music as a digital download, but I would argue that it comes at a price.  And that price is the loss of anticipation and excitement about a record you bought at a brick and mortar store.

Dropping the needle on a new LP meant that you had to do more than just click a button.  It meant tearing off the cellophane wrapping, taking out the inner sleeve of the record (pausing to eye the cover art, if there was any), gingerly extracting the LP from the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, and carefully putting the needle on the vinyl.  For me, it was a ritual that reinforced the importance I placed on really listening to music.

While the music was playing, I would pore over the credits, liner notes, album art, and lyrics (if any).  I would file away nuggets of information gleaned from those notes, which would enhance the experience of listening to the music.  I can’t quite explain why, but knowing that composer X scored a film for director Y was important to me.  Somehow I think it made me feel more connected to the movies I was watching because I was able to enjoy the film on multiple levels. It is that total devotion to the music experience I find myself missing these days.  You know, getting completely lost in the music as you either cranked it up on the stereo speakers, or cranked it up on your headphones.

Alas, I find myself doing that less and less these days. Rediscovering the soundtracks presented here, however, has rekindled those memories of listening to music back in the day.  And the lesson learned is that I have to slow down and really start to listen again.

Because it’s Vinyl Record Day today, here we go with six selections from soundtracks that have all the snap, crackle, and pops that you may remember from those days of LPs and 45s. Oh, and this time I’m offering this mix in the usual “full mix” format and as individual mp3s. (more…)

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This mix started as most of them do: with one song, or in this case a whole collection of songs.  The culprit was Jakob Dylan’s new album, which made me think about children of famous musicians who have music careers as well. Some of these kids who have famous parents have done quite well, but none have reached the level of success their parents archived. You can call it “born in the shadow of giants,” or just exceptional talent is not genetic, but you gotta admire these kids for following their musical passion — even if it leads to a spotty career.

Ready? Steady? Go!

“Say You’re Wrong,” Julian Lennon

He not only looks like dear old dad, but he sounds like him, too!  Curses. Well, maybe not since Valotte did quite well in terms of album sales, was nominated for a Grammy and had a couple of top 10 singles.  This was the third single off the album, and it didn’t do well at all.  However, I’ve always been partial to “Say You’re Wrong” because, simply put, I didn’t get burned out on it. (more…)

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Well, here we go again! Another week, another mix from yours truly. I admit that this week’s mix is kind of strange in that the grouping of artists runs the gamut of musical duos. However, it’s not necessarily about the particular artists represented but how well they mix together in a set. On with the show!

“Dio,” Tenacious D

Probably the most famous duo in rock music — ever. Just kidding, but when you do a Google search with the following terms — “rock duo,” “history of the world,” “Satan,” “cock pushups” — you get one billion hits that say “Tenacious D.” This tune is aided by the furious four-on-the-floor drumming of some guy named Dave Grohl. Anyone heard of him? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

(more…)

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A big hello to you fans of ye olde Mix Six. As you know, I was away on some R&R. Pinch hitter Jack Feerick took over the mixing duties so I wouldn’t have one of those “Oh shit!” moments on my vacation where I completely forgot my deadline and flaked on posting. Thanks again, Jack!

Okay, on with today’s mix. I remembered that my wife liked the Outfield back in the day, and I downloaded “Play Deep” so she could sing along to those somewhat long forgotten ’80s gems. After listening to that album a few times this weekend, I started thinking back to my salad days in radio when I was just starting out on the air. It was the mid-’80s and, let’s be frank, it was a rather amusing time in music. I was working weekends at a Top 40 station, and these songs were played over and over and over and over and over in any given shift. It got to the point where I couldn’t really listen to these songs for years after I left that gig. But time heals all wounds, right? So here we go with a trip down memory lane for yours truly.

“Your Love,” the Outfield

How could I not start the mix with this top of the hour cooker! Since I’ve been listening to this album for a few days now (and how many of you out there actually do that these days?), I started to think of ways of weaving “Josie” into everyone of their songs. Try it! It’s not as hard as you think. (more…)

Greetings from the bottom of my glass of bourbon! Okay, my vacation wasn’t a complete alcoholiday, but I have to admit to a few hazy nights in Hawai’i. So, to help me out of my time zone/hangover stupor, our good friend Jack Feerick is going to continue mixing some tunage for you this week. So here we go with an Avatar- inspired mix to celebrate the return of this imaginative series.

–Ted

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One of my favorite animated shows of recent years is wrapping up its run this month — to surprisingly little fanfare. Avatar: The Last Airbender –known overseas as Avatar: the Legend of Aang — is miles removed from the anarchic humor of its Nickelodeon channel mates, Spongebob Squarepants or The Fairly OddParents. I’ll let the trailer below make the case:

Avatar is an ambitious exercise in long-form storytelling and character development, an action-fantasy epic on a massive canvas, unfolding over three meticulously-planned seasons. With a broad cast of characters and cultures, the series is by turns funny, rousing, and tragic, and always a triumph of design—something like a Zhang Yimou wuxia picture as reimagined by Hayao Miyazaki.

“The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water” Libana (more…)

Hey, Mix Six fans! I’m on a much needed vacation this week, so Jack Feerick is going to be in charge of the mixing duties for a couple of weeks. This mix is a tail tale of the complex nature of love and loss — with a very cute creature in the center of the narrative. So, click the link to the tunes, read on, and I’ll meet you back here in a couple of weeks. Take it away, Jack! –Ted

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…or, “I Got 99 Problems But a Bitch Ain’t One.”

This is the bitch in question:

The name they gave her at the shelter was Katya. When we adopted her in May, they told us she was about two years old.

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Okay, Mix Six fans, if you’re also a reader of the Pop Politico posts you’ll know that I’m not a gun advocate when it comes to home defense.  But that doesn’t mean that I can’t “cross the aisle,” light up a big Cuban cigar, throw some meat on the BBQ, and celebrate Guns! Guns! Guns!  So here we go with a mix that’ll make you want to either shoot some guns in happiness, or run for cover!  Also included are some memorable movie clips for some .44 caliber fun.

“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” Nancy Sinatra

Sure you probably remember this from the Kill Bill Vol. 1, but how many versions have you heard with Terminator dialogue mashed in to the intro?  You’re welcome. (more…)

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If it wasn’t for Scott Malchus, this week’s mix would have been missing from the Popdose lineup.  But, because of his suggested theme — and a few song selections — I got out my mixy mix machine and started blending away. To be honest, it’s been a tough week in the life of yours truly, so being able to get back into familiar territory has been quite nice.

So here we go with six songs about that highlight the fine line between love and obsession.  This is scary territory — especially if you’ve recently had to take out a restraining order on someone — but let’s us be brave as we face the stalker without and within.

“Tear You Apart,” She Wants Revenge

The first time I heard this tune, it was obvious that Joy Division was a huge influence for this band.  The second time I heard this song, I kept thinking it was about a robot in love with a human — mostly because of Justin Warfield’s vocal delivery.  The third time I heard this song, I prayed my young daughter would never ever go on a date when she got older. (more…)

Once again kids, yours truly is handing over the mixing duties to Jack Feerick — who brought us a mix that “gave the drummer some.” This week’s mix celebrates a season that, at least for me in the Bay Area, lasts from May to October. I’m talking about summer, and all the good (and not-so-good) things that go with it. See ya next week!

–Ted (AKA Py Korry)

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There’s a website I like, called One-Minute Vacation. The content is simple enough—an ever-growing collection of digital field recordings donated by the site users themselves—but even more than the clips themselves I love the idea; that sound alone, even out of context, can transport us, can take our heads somewhere else in space and time.

It’s not just ambient sound that does this. We’ve all got our personal pantheon of “summer songs,” and it’s about this time that the blogs and the corporate sites start running polls about our favorites. (Not so long ago, it would have been the radio stations doing that.) But what’s a “summer song,” anyway? Is it a song that sounds best when you hear it in the summertime? Or is it a song that, whatever time of year you hear it, reminds you of summer? Or is it a little of both?

Try this; download this mix, and wait a while. Wait until winter comes to your hemisphere, for a day when the sky is the color of slate and the wind is rattling around your windows. Then listen. Close your eyes, as appropriate; where do you end up?

Open on the sound of the Campo del Principe in Granada, Spain, on a sunny day in May. You’ve got the morning free and you’re meeting your best friend at the café across from the park. She’s got a table on the terrace; the day is already hot, and she’s already ordered you iced coffee, sweet and creamy. (more…)