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After hurricane Gustav, I was deluged with a few emails from the American Red Cross asking for donations (both monetary and otherwise) to help out in the relief efforts.  And yes, they were asking for blood donations - which made me start thinking of a certain Pete Townshend song.  Pete’s song dovetailed into searching for other songs that either have blood in the title or mention blood in the lyrics, and here we have today’s “Bloody Hell” mix.

“Give Blood,” Pete Townshend (download)

Because this is the song that started me thinking about this mix, why not put it first? I did see the film White City when it was released in ‘85, and had a tough time following the storyline, but I’ve always had a fondness for this solo album — even though it feels incomplete. It’s like Pete had these grand plans for a rather lengthy project and then scaled it back to a collection of songs that, while very good at times, seem like they were part of a larger narrative. (more…)

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The other day I was purifying myself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka and I started thinking about all the cruel, I mean, cool things Prince has done to me over the years. You know, when I covered “Nothing Compares 2 U,” I did so without his permission, and he invited me over to his house and started punching me. Because I’m a pacifist, all I could do was spit on him. And then there was this one time when I was hangin’ at Club 3121, and Prince walks up to me and says the club is only for “the select.” I replied that I wish he hadn’t disbanded the Revolution, and then he just went off on me. He took off his purple bandanna, put it around my neck, and said, “Don’t you make me ruin my favorite bandanna by chokin’ the life outta you, sucka.” I said “It’s coo’ … it’s coo’,” and Jerome personally threw me out of the club.

I love Prince!

Seriously, I do love Prince’s music, and have since I first heard him in high school. The album was Controversy, and while my high school soundtrack consisted of a lot of new wave, hard rock, and pop, soul music (which Prince’s music was considered prior to the release of 1999) was not a big genre in my record collection. I remember showing my older brother the Controversy album cover and asking him, “Hey, have you heard this guy?” He pulled out a copy of Dirty Mind from his record collection and said, “Yeah.” Stuck to the cover of his copy was a news story from the Associated Press wire (yellow paper and all) that basically recounted how shocked people were when they heard all the sexual references and noises on Prince’s records. Considering how sexually open many songs are nowadays, it seems kind of quaint to read stories like that. But the early ’80s were another time.

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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…)

DOWNLOAD THE FULL MIX HERE (download)

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.

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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…)