Sunday, August 10, 2008

sys17 :: YOU HEAR THE MUSIC THEY MOVE TO


Mix tape 17 in the SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES series equals happy, awesome happy.

1. City on the Make - "Chicks on Bikes"
Sounds like Lifter Puller ... fronted by Crew Jones' Burly Burlesque. Definitely a band to watch.

2. Radish - "Falling and Leaving"
While Ben Kweller's first band was limited to short bursts of genius (on par with his superb solo career, that is), this gem is still enjoyable from start to finish.

3. Syrup USA - "New You"
Pure joy.

4. Atmosphere - "You" [Live Acoustic Vers.]
How does Slug improve on 2008's best track? By stripping it down and *ahem* totally leaving Ant in the dust. (Tear.) Better yet, this terrific version of "You" was, to the best of my knowledge, only available on the now-unavailable Independents' Day 08 compilation. (Another tear -- for those who didn't grab it last month.)

5. Grieves - "Greedy Bitch"
Mac Lethal's Seattle (soon to be San Diego!) crony nearly puts Kenna to shame with this mesmerizing pop nugget. From his in-the-works sophomore release, which should finally put this worthy emcee -- whom my cousin may or may not have likened to a "hip-hop Napoleon Dynamite" during a recent set at Pizza Luce -- on the map.

6. The Modifiers - "Divine Hammer" [Breeders cover]
I know exactly nothing about this group (unfortunately), but this is one fine cover.

7. Joy Zipper - "Wave of Mutilation" [Pixies cover]
Same here (great cover), but Joy Zipper and I go way back, like to "American Whip," which was released, like, a couple years ago....

8. Grandaddy - "The Go in the Go-for-It"
Confusing title aside, classic Grandaddy = great song!

9. The Chemical Brothers - "Elektrobank"
I thought I'd be clever and use this to honor the Olympics (hint: Sofia Coppola), but, yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard NBC using this already during its coverage. Isn't that strange/sad?

10. Caviar - "Flawed Like a Diamond"
Like snortin' Pixy, this will turn you into a "hyper-hypo" in no time.

11. Northern State - "A Thousand Words"
In Northern State's early days, the girls' rhymes really ran the gamut, from clever ("The country's getting ugly / And there's more in store / But don't blame me / 'Cause I voted for Gore") to completely ridiculous ("Chekhov wrote 'The Seagull' / And Snoopy is a beagle").

12. Big Audio Dynamite - "Suffragette City" [David Bowie cover]
Pretty sweet cover, but I still can't get over how this group decided to market itself: "B.A.D." So, so ... lame.

13. Stone Temple Pilots - "Sex Type Thing" [Swing Type Vers.]
Actually more of a "lounge type" version, but, hey, who's counting?

14. Big Hate - "Beauty Mark"
Despite its close approximation of Alice in Chains' biggest hits, Big Hate's "You're Soaking in It" can be found in exactly every bargain bin across the nation.

15. Cracker - "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)"
With lines like "'Cause what the world needs now / Is another folk singer / Like I need a hole in my head," what's not to love?

16. Actionslacks - "Lying in Bed"
Come on, they're f------ named "Actionslacks"!

17. Doug Hoekstra - "On the Interstate"
Doug never ceases to amaze -- even on his brilliantly titled debut, "When the Tubes Begin to Glow."

18. Golden Smog - "Cure for This"
Beautiful, beautiful music.

19. Quicksilver Messenger Silver - "Dino's Song"
Recommended if you like Duluth's early '70s sensations QuickBreath. No joke!

20. Giant Sand - "El Paso/Out on the Weekend"
Since these guys will be in town soon supporting Neko Case, I thought I'd give them a shot. Verdict? Not bad ... not bad at all. After a sleepy intro, GS ventures heartily into early Neil Young territory. Will seek out more songs and report back.

Thus concludes your seventeenth dose of SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES.

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