A Track List to a Recent Mix

A track list has been demanded and I must respond to my fans. This mix CD was a commissioned project. Meaning I did not make it on a whim or out of boredom. It was requested. All I knew at the beginning was that I had to include the song 'Sea Legs' by The Shins. The entire mix was created with that in mind. These things tend to have a mind of their own once I start them. Many songs that I wanted to put on there just didn't fit into the overall sensibility of the album. Wait. What was that last sentence? I might be taking this too seriously. Seriously. What I meant to say was the mix needed to have mad steez.

One might also notice that this CD is similar to the mix I made for the Puddle Cutter exchange. It includes some of the same artists and genres. This might be considered a companion to that disc. For the next exchange I plan on finishing the trilogy. Anyfuckingways, on the the track list.

1. Cantor de Mambo - Os Mutantes
From what I remember this song is a sarcastic take on the whole mambo craze. I believe it is about a conceited mambo artist who wishes to make it big in America so he can have a nice Cadillac and live in Hollywood.

2. Take it Easy My Brother Charles - Jorge Ben
One thing I have noticed about some of the songs in the tropicalia movement is how repetitive the lyrics can be. Some people have told me it's annoying. I dig it.

3. Subway Bound for Hell - Exuma
I want people to know about Exuma! I will put him on every damn mix ever! Well. Probably not. A song about Satan or Hell or something was requested so I dug this one up. In retrospect I would put 'Exuma the Obdeh Man' instead.

4. Intimate Secretary - The Raconteurs
Jack White and friends put on a sorta Beatles meets Zeppelin vibe. It's forgettable pop music with nonsensical lyrics. Sorta a guilty pleasure for me.

5. Sea Legs - The Shins
Another 'The' band. As I mentioned before this is the song that this whole mix revolves around. Kinda a late era Beck thing going on here. I should have put 'Go it Alone' by Beck after this but couldn't think of the song at the time. I guess this CD is kinda a rough draft.

6. Mambo Sun - T-Rex
One of the best band names ever. One time a co-worker told me my new boss was in a T-Rex cover band called T-Rextasy. This is a real band. My boss, however, was in no way associated with it.

7. You're so Vague - Queens of the Stone Age
It should be noted that I meant to put QOTSA covering 'Never Say Never' by Romeo Void. Oh well. Even Pete Muthafuckin Moss screws up sometimes. This song is kinda a cover of 'You're so Vain'. I think. Not really. Moving on...

8. Lion's Teeth - Mountain Goats
The driving rhythm of this song seemed to go well with the previous track. It is always hard to pick one song off of a concept album since they are meant to be listened to as a whole. This song stands pretty well on its own though.

10. Turn it Up - The Flaming Lips
Though Wayne Coyne has bought a little too much into his own hype lately I still love this band. This is a track from way back when they made fun acid soaked indie rock. I first heard it on the soundtrack to Love and a .45. If I recall correctly this movie was pretty sweet. Well. I was doing a lot of drugs back then. Maybe I should re-watch it. Nah. Why ruin a good memory. Kinda like the time I saw Toy Story on acid. It was a damned amazing experience. I refused to watch the movie since then in fear that it won't live up to the impossible expectations I have.

11. Three is a Magic Number - Blind Mellon
I always think of the scene in Mouse when I hear this song. All you need is an In n Out Burger, a giant skateboarding mouse, and this song. Bliss.

12. This is the Way - Devendra Banhart
Part of the new freak folk movement, Banhart's voice quivers like a Doves era Mark Bolan. Oh yeah. This song has the line, "This is the beard/I'm always growing". So, like, I can totally relate to this shit.

13. Loretta - John Prine
I was first introduced to Townes Van Zandt through the tribute album Poet. (Well technically I was exposed to him much earlier when Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson covered Pancho and Lefty but I had always thought that was a Willie song.) Loretta remains one of my favorite songs by Townes. Great lyrics throughout and just a tad bittersweet.

14. Return of the Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
I'm not sure if I can think of a better vocal pairing than Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris. This song is my favorite. The imagery he invokes is stunning, especially the Elvis reference at the end. "I met up with a king/On his head an amphetamine crown". One can only hope for a good saloon in every town dammit.

15. Nasty Dan - Johnny Cash
I felt compelled to put a Johnny Cash song on this here CD. I chose this one 'cause I wanted a little levity at the end of this thingy.

16. You can Count on Beer - David Allen Coe
I like David Allen Coe. I like beer. Again, a little fun and the end of the CD. I think this song is from the Take This Job and Shove It movie. I haven't seen it yet but the album cover shows a monster truck crashing through the foreman's trailer. Awesome.

17. Buyin' Back - Lee Hazelwood
I love this guy. He's kinda considered an outsider artist by some. This category doesn't quite fit when you consider he wrote a little hit with Nancy Sinatra called 'These Boots are Made for Walking" and Phil Spector's sound owes a lot to him.. Most of his songs deal with lost love and booze but he has a wry sense of humor about it no matter how low things get.