Back by popular demand -- one reader requested it -- the following, my latest awesome mix tape, comes complete with witty, funny, satiric, musical, exciting, bizarre, political, thrilling, frightening, metaphorical, comic and/or sardonic comments. Enjoy!
1. Bill Janovtiz - "I'll Keep You Satisfied" [Beatles cover]
Buffalo Tom's lead singer on the horribly underrated "From a Window: Lost Songs of Lennon & McCartney" ... sounding eerily similar to Cracker's "100 Flower Power Maximum." Ah, who cares, this is a great song!
2. Bicycle - "Electrolux"
Speaking of underrated, the fact that none of your friends have this group's terrific genre-bending/shape-shifting debut from '99 (self-titled) borders on criminal. I would say it featured contributions from Presidents of the United States frontman Chris Ballew, but I'm not entirely sure that would help my cause. If Bicycle's Kurt Liebert was given a chance, I have no doubt in my mind that he would be the next Beck.
3. Death Cab for Cutie - "Your New Twin Sized Bed"
I usually don't pay too much attention to lyrics (I'm kind of a space cadet, so it's hard...), but I try to listen when Ben Gibbard says something. I usually find it alluring and heartbreaking all at once. This track from "Narrow Stairs" -- a terrific album, I must add -- is no exception.
4. N*E*R*D - " Sooner or Later"
While Spymob hasn't been doing a lot lately, I'm glad to hear two of its members are still connected to the Neptunes' N*E*R*D machine. This is a brilliant example of how well they work together.
5. Perfect - "Catch 'em Where They Land"
Consider me a horrible Tommy Stinson fan: I had no idea this was his group when I made this (awesome) mix tape! I recently found this track '98 Sam Goody compilation called "The Unvailed Alternative Collection" and just thought it was a great song. I saw one of the songwriters last names was Stinson, but I thought, No way, I would have had to hear about this guys before ... right? Wrong. I tried searching low and high for the album was credited to, "The Making of an ...," but, alas, I finally found this listing on Amazon under the name "Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe": "After legendary critics favorites the Replacements called it quits in the early '90s, founding ‘Mats member and bassist Tommy Stinson formed a new rock band in 1995 – Perfect. Their album, a near- (dare we say?) perfect mix of driving rock, sophisticated pop and smartass lyrics recalls the Replacements at the height of their rocking irreverence and should’ve been an instant classic. Unfortunately, record company politics intervened and the album was never released – until now!" Hail!
6. Radiohead - "Permanent Daylight" [Live from Dublin, Summer 2000]
I found this gem -- the original can only be found on the "My Iron Lung" EP (I believe) -- on a CD at the Park Point Rummage Sale for 50 cents. Again ... hail!
7. The Clash - "Complete Control"
I'll admit it; I'm a sucker for the "Guitar Hero" games. I mean, how sad is it that I was at Wal-Mart's midnight sale for the Aerosmith edition this past Saturday? Wait, wait ... don't answer that.
8. The Misfits - "Attitude"
Always a big Danzig fan, but never really got into the Misfits. I now think I may have been missing something.
9. Soundgarden - "4th of July"
This is so dark, so very, very dark. (Anyone for doomsday?)
10. The Oranges Band - "Ride the Nuclear Wave"
This song is so good, it's getting the ultimate seal of approval: When I die, I want this on my final mix tape -- you know, the one played at your "celebration of his/her life" party. (Used loosely, of course.)
11. Alex Ballard and Sugarfoot - "Talk of the Town" [Pretenders cover]
From the intriguing "Gag Me with a Spoon" compilation put out by Milwaukee's Don't Records -- of which other highlights will surely grace this mix tape series in the near future.
12. Bob Dylan - "Jokerman"
Probably not a track for casual Bobby "Die-lan" fans, but this one has really grown on me. A really good fit for those hot summer days.
13. Doomtree - "Slow Burn"
I've been listening to a lot of Wings recently (again, blame it on the Park Point Rummage Sale), so this McCartney-copping hip-hop anthem has been in heavy rotation in the Perrine household of late.
14. Girl Talk - "Still Here"
And the fact that this track lifts from Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" -- "The Big Chill" soundtrack was basically a second language for me, son of my mother -- is enough to forgive its horrendous segue from Blackstreet's "No Diggity" to a sped-up version of the Band's "The Weight." (Oh, and the Ace of Base sample? Priceless.)
15. Aerosmith - "Spaced"
In addition to the aforementioned "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" fetish, the wife and I have also been addicted to "Freaks and Geeks" of late -- for whatever reason, I can envision this track working on any given episode of that timeless, misunderstood/ill-fated show.
16. Sloan - "Living the Dream"
After the monumental "Never Hear the End of It," the release of "Parallel Play" was somewhat anticlimactic, but, on the other hand, it's quickly growing on me.
17. Drill Team - "Hold You Down"
For fans of *drumroll please* ... Sloan! (It's OK, I'll pat myself on the back for the killer sequencing job....)
18. The Engagement - "Behind"
Kind of a generic angsty punk sound, but there's a lot of melody here ... even if the leader singer sounds like he escaped from Diffuser.
19. 12 Rods - "Red"
I have to say, of all the bands in my record collection, 12 Rods is definitely one of the most uneven enjoyability-wise. BUT, when they're on, they're on. This track originally appeared on 1996's "Gay?" EP, which, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, received a "very rare" 10/10 rating from Pitchfork Media upon its release.
20. Sybris - "Oh Man!"
Someone's been listening to a little too much Sonic Youth -- "A Thousand Leaves"-era in particular -- but can you really blame Sybris? I saw the mighty SY live in support of that album, and it was a transcendental experience. (By the way: There's also a strong showing of Karen O influence here, so keep that in mind if you download this track -- I'm not totally full of it.)
21. Haley Bonar - "Something Great"
I hate to promote, like, all the time, but *ahem* from my review of "Big Star: "I can’t imagine what her parents must’ve thought at the time, but I’m sure glad Haley Bonar decided to drop out of the University of Minnesota Duluth to pursue her music career." (Read more here.)
22. Eels - "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" (listen here)
This is a little unprecedented -- especially considering what I admitted about lyrics earlier -- but this song, a masterpiece of the utmost brilliance, perfectly describes, in every way, how I feel about everything. So, with respect to songwriter Mark Oliver Everett and his upcoming book (that just happens to share its title with this song's), the lyrics to the most (personally) profound song I've ever come across:
i go to bed real early
everybody thinks it's strange
i get up early in the morning
no matter how disappointed i was
with the day before
it feels new
that i'm a very thankful man
i tried to make the most of my situations
and enjoy what i had
i knew true love and i knew passion
and the difference between the two
and i had some regrets
but if i had to do it all again
well, it's something i'd like to do
Thus concludes your twelfth dose of SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES.
1. Bill Janovtiz - "I'll Keep You Satisfied" [Beatles cover]
Buffalo Tom's lead singer on the horribly underrated "From a Window: Lost Songs of Lennon & McCartney" ... sounding eerily similar to Cracker's "100 Flower Power Maximum." Ah, who cares, this is a great song!
2. Bicycle - "Electrolux"
Speaking of underrated, the fact that none of your friends have this group's terrific genre-bending/shape-shifting debut from '99 (self-titled) borders on criminal. I would say it featured contributions from Presidents of the United States frontman Chris Ballew, but I'm not entirely sure that would help my cause. If Bicycle's Kurt Liebert was given a chance, I have no doubt in my mind that he would be the next Beck.
3. Death Cab for Cutie - "Your New Twin Sized Bed"
I usually don't pay too much attention to lyrics (I'm kind of a space cadet, so it's hard...), but I try to listen when Ben Gibbard says something. I usually find it alluring and heartbreaking all at once. This track from "Narrow Stairs" -- a terrific album, I must add -- is no exception.
4. N*E*R*D - " Sooner or Later"
While Spymob hasn't been doing a lot lately, I'm glad to hear two of its members are still connected to the Neptunes' N*E*R*D machine. This is a brilliant example of how well they work together.
5. Perfect - "Catch 'em Where They Land"
Consider me a horrible Tommy Stinson fan: I had no idea this was his group when I made this (awesome) mix tape! I recently found this track '98 Sam Goody compilation called "The Unvailed Alternative Collection" and just thought it was a great song. I saw one of the songwriters last names was Stinson, but I thought, No way, I would have had to hear about this guys before ... right? Wrong. I tried searching low and high for the album was credited to, "The Making of an ...," but, alas, I finally found this listing on Amazon under the name "Once, Twice, Three Times a Maybe": "After legendary critics favorites the Replacements called it quits in the early '90s, founding ‘Mats member and bassist Tommy Stinson formed a new rock band in 1995 – Perfect. Their album, a near- (dare we say?) perfect mix of driving rock, sophisticated pop and smartass lyrics recalls the Replacements at the height of their rocking irreverence and should’ve been an instant classic. Unfortunately, record company politics intervened and the album was never released – until now!" Hail!
6. Radiohead - "Permanent Daylight" [Live from Dublin, Summer 2000]
I found this gem -- the original can only be found on the "My Iron Lung" EP (I believe) -- on a CD at the Park Point Rummage Sale for 50 cents. Again ... hail!
7. The Clash - "Complete Control"
I'll admit it; I'm a sucker for the "Guitar Hero" games. I mean, how sad is it that I was at Wal-Mart's midnight sale for the Aerosmith edition this past Saturday? Wait, wait ... don't answer that.
8. The Misfits - "Attitude"
Always a big Danzig fan, but never really got into the Misfits. I now think I may have been missing something.
9. Soundgarden - "4th of July"
This is so dark, so very, very dark. (Anyone for doomsday?)
10. The Oranges Band - "Ride the Nuclear Wave"
This song is so good, it's getting the ultimate seal of approval: When I die, I want this on my final mix tape -- you know, the one played at your "celebration of his/her life" party. (Used loosely, of course.)
11. Alex Ballard and Sugarfoot - "Talk of the Town" [Pretenders cover]
From the intriguing "Gag Me with a Spoon" compilation put out by Milwaukee's Don't Records -- of which other highlights will surely grace this mix tape series in the near future.
12. Bob Dylan - "Jokerman"
Probably not a track for casual Bobby "Die-lan" fans, but this one has really grown on me. A really good fit for those hot summer days.
13. Doomtree - "Slow Burn"
I've been listening to a lot of Wings recently (again, blame it on the Park Point Rummage Sale), so this McCartney-copping hip-hop anthem has been in heavy rotation in the Perrine household of late.
14. Girl Talk - "Still Here"
And the fact that this track lifts from Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" -- "The Big Chill" soundtrack was basically a second language for me, son of my mother -- is enough to forgive its horrendous segue from Blackstreet's "No Diggity" to a sped-up version of the Band's "The Weight." (Oh, and the Ace of Base sample? Priceless.)
15. Aerosmith - "Spaced"
In addition to the aforementioned "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" fetish, the wife and I have also been addicted to "Freaks and Geeks" of late -- for whatever reason, I can envision this track working on any given episode of that timeless, misunderstood/ill-fated show.
16. Sloan - "Living the Dream"
After the monumental "Never Hear the End of It," the release of "Parallel Play" was somewhat anticlimactic, but, on the other hand, it's quickly growing on me.
17. Drill Team - "Hold You Down"
For fans of *drumroll please* ... Sloan! (It's OK, I'll pat myself on the back for the killer sequencing job....)
18. The Engagement - "Behind"
Kind of a generic angsty punk sound, but there's a lot of melody here ... even if the leader singer sounds like he escaped from Diffuser.
19. 12 Rods - "Red"
I have to say, of all the bands in my record collection, 12 Rods is definitely one of the most uneven enjoyability-wise. BUT, when they're on, they're on. This track originally appeared on 1996's "Gay?" EP, which, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, received a "very rare" 10/10 rating from Pitchfork Media upon its release.
20. Sybris - "Oh Man!"
Someone's been listening to a little too much Sonic Youth -- "A Thousand Leaves"-era in particular -- but can you really blame Sybris? I saw the mighty SY live in support of that album, and it was a transcendental experience. (By the way: There's also a strong showing of Karen O influence here, so keep that in mind if you download this track -- I'm not totally full of it.)
21. Haley Bonar - "Something Great"
I hate to promote, like, all the time, but *ahem* from my review of "Big Star: "I can’t imagine what her parents must’ve thought at the time, but I’m sure glad Haley Bonar decided to drop out of the University of Minnesota Duluth to pursue her music career." (Read more here.)
22. Eels - "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" (listen here)
This is a little unprecedented -- especially considering what I admitted about lyrics earlier -- but this song, a masterpiece of the utmost brilliance, perfectly describes, in every way, how I feel about everything. So, with respect to songwriter Mark Oliver Everett and his upcoming book (that just happens to share its title with this song's), the lyrics to the most (personally) profound song I've ever come across:
i go to bed real early
everybody thinks it's strange
i get up early in the morning
no matter how disappointed i was
with the day before
it feels new
i don't leave the house much
i don't like being around people
makes me nervous and weird
i don't like going to shows either
it's better for me to stay home
some might think it means i hate people
but that's not quite right
i do some stupid things
but my heart's in the right place
and this i know
i got a dog
i take him for a walk
and all the people like to say hello
i'm used to staring down at the sidewalk cracks
i'm learning how to say hello
without too much trouble
i'm turning out just like my father
though i swore i never would
now i can say that i have love for him
i never really understood
what it must have been like for him
living inside his head
i feel like he's here with me now
even though he's dead
it's not all good and it's not all bad
don't believe everything you read
i'm the only one who knows what it's like
so i thought i'd better tell you
before i leave
that i'm a very thankful man
i tried to make the most of my situations
and enjoy what i had
i knew true love and i knew passion
and the difference between the two
and i had some regrets
but if i had to do it all again
well, it's something i'd like to do
Thus concludes your twelfth dose of SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES.
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