Thursday, October 23, 2008

sys28 :: JUB JUB THE TROUBLED M.F.


I'm sad: Walt Dizzo's KUWS radio show (only the best in the Twin Ports) has been pre-empted for SPORTS. And I'm not talkin' 'bout no Huey Lewis album ... oh, the humanity! Nevertheless, we will soldier on, and these 22 glorious tracks are sure to make it a little easier. Jebus be praised!

1. The Terrordactyls - "Decoration Daniel"
I don't know if you know this, but these Seattle kids -- sorry, Vashon Island kids -- recently played a show at Duluth's Bohemia Arts (the venue's first, actually) with Bri from Best Friends Forever and the Tangier 57 side project Perfectini, and it was utterly inspiring. I haven't experienced such a solid performance since, probably, Dance Band at Diorama-rama 3. And this is how they started their set. Hail!

2. Hand Over Fist - "Hand Over Fist"
I still can't get over how mind-blowing a majority of the Hand Over Fist debut is. Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak oughta be mighty proud of themselves.

3. Bluebird - "Falling Back to Earth"
The definition of power.

4. Slim Whitman - "I Remember You"
After a certain ultraviolent montage in "House of 1,000 Corpses," I can't listen to this song without getting a weird chill. Still, this beauty's going right up there on my "spreading of my ashes at Gooseberry and Estes Park" mix tape. Quite morbid, no?

5. The Handsome Family - "So Much Wine"
Along similar lines to that previous C&W classic, this modern tale of tragedy is 100 percent beautiful. A recommened listen. (Not like the rest of these aren't....)

6. Nirvana - "On a Plain"
Supposedly inspired by "The Stranger." Regardless, it didn't take that knowledge to draw me to this track in elementary school, and it's not necessary now either.

7. The Dames - "Outside"
Like a "Falling Back to Earth" slowed down and formatted for extensive radio play. Why oh why isn't Tony Bennett a multimillionaire yet?

8. Tub Ring - "Friends and Enemies"
I'm not a violent person, but this relentless track kind of makes me want to break something.

9. The Beatles - "I'm Looking Through You"
Recently covered by folk rock duo Storyhill (only the best!) at their University of Minnesota Duluth performance. Weber Hall sure has some great acoustics, eh?

10. Beloved Binge - "(Got) Married on MySpace"
For fans of Grnd Ntl Brnds, the Geraldine Fibbers and myriad Calvin Johnson projects (most notably his work with Built to Spill's Doug Martsch in the Halo Benders), this is truly a great "find." Though technically they found me....

11. Mindless Self Indulgence - "Never Wanted to Dance"
For whatever reason, I feel this group's sound would really go over well with the Norm's Beer and Brats crowd. Hey, Screaming Mechanical Brain played there!

12. Jake One feat. Posdnuos and Slug - "Oh Really"
Despite what I said in my review of "White Van Music," hearing members of Atmosphere and De La Soul together on one track is pretty amazing. And Slug's lines, while "phoned in," are some of his best.

13. David Bowie - "Never Get Old"
The Thin White Duke never ceases to amaze. Seriously, how has he kept it up for so many decades?

14. Death Cab for Cutie - "Long Division"
A more-aggressive DCfC? I like.

15. The Wannadies - "You and Me Song"
A staple of these here mix tapes.

16. The Greycoats - "Goodbye, Sweet Youth, Goodbye"
Kinda like Keane, but we won't hold that against these "melodramatic" Minnesota boys.

17. Black Francis - "You Can't Break a Heart and Have It"
Why can't Kim Deal make music as fresh as this anymore?

18. White Zombie - "Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)"
I miss the good ol' days....

19. Five Man Electrical Band - "Signs"
Thanks, Peter Fonda, for selling your soul to TimeLife and helping me remember what a terrific song this is. (The first part was sarcastic, definitely not the second.)

20. Brendan Benson - "Maginary Girl"
He makes it seem so ... effortless.

21. Best Friends Forever - "Loneliness Song"
Seeing as how I used to be in a fake gang with these girls, I'm sure I'm at least a little partial, but, damn, this has to be some of the finest indie pop the planet has ever heard.

22. The New Monarchs - "You'll Always Know"
Needless to say, I loved "Blueprints": While there’s not a bum note in the bucket, some immediate standouts for curious potential listeners would be “Common,” for fans of “Com Lag”-era Radiohead; the IDM-tastic “No Commotion,” which shines on like a quirky Valet diamond; and “You’ll Always Know,” which is quite possibly the most gorgeous track I’ve heard in months.

Thus concludes your twenty-eighth dose of SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES, the awesome mix tape series formerly known as "Don't Tell a Soul."

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