sys65 :: THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE

Submitted for the approval of the Mix Tape Appreciation Society, I humbly present ... "The Mote in God's Eye":

1. Rogue Wave - "Good Morning"

Perhaps in an effort to attract the tween set, one of indie rock's most on-the-verge acts has returned with quite the danceable number (and quite the confusing piece of cover art to boot). No matter; I love it.

2. Butch Walker and the Black Widows - "Trash Day"

Like the Marvelous 3, do ya? Best move on, for their fearless leader has struck radio gold by aping the Gin Blossoms' formula. (I'm not knocking it -- I obviously dig this song, as I featured it here -- but that was just a forewarning for M3 diehards.)

3. Motion City Soundtrack - "Skin and Bones"

In case you missed my earlier blog post on the matter, MCS will be back in Duluth April 6 at Grandma's Sports Garden with fun. (!), A Rocket to the Moon and Sing It Loud in tow.

4. Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons - "Longer Time at Sea"

Another of the many Brendan Benson-approved (and -aided) groups in my record collection. Love it.

5. Eels - "End Times"

This one goes out to Perfect Duluth Day co-founder Barrett Chase, quite possibly the most ardent Eels fan I've ever met. Which is good, because they truly deserve people like him backing them.

6. The High Strung - "N Over C"

I don't listen to these guys consistently enough (for shame, I know) to accurately assess their sound, but this mighty fine number harkens back to Sloan's magnum opus "Never Hear the End of It."

7. Schatzi - "Undergrowth"

Like MCS? Can't go wrong here.

8. Ben Kweller - "Never Let You Fall"

With Kweller and his The Bens band mates Lee and Folds, it's hard to pick a favorite, but ... oh yeah, it's not  a competition: Love them all -- especially this soft rock-esque winner.

9. Beck - "Painted Eyelids"

Great tune from way back when.

Don't let rock stars' personal lives get in the way of you enjoying their music. I guess that would be the lesson here....

10. Midlake - "Acts of Man"

Why's everybody in this band so down? If I had talent like this, I would write songs like ...

11. Aqueduct - "Frantic (Roman Polanski Version)"

this one! One of my all-time favorites, for sure.

12. Weezer - "Thought I Knew"

Relaxing a bit, here's another radio-ready slice of current-gen soft rock.

13. Supergrass - "Sitting Up Straight"

I don't care how embarrassing this comes across, but when I recently received "Lego Rock Band" in the mail and Supergrass' "Grace" was the first song I got to play, I nearly lost it. I was just soooooo happy. I got that same feeling back at the turn of the century when I happened upon a copy of "I Should Coco" at an HMV in New York City (I believe it was the one in the Fashion District, but, "The September Issue" notwithstanding, that's not something I've ever paid much attention to).

14. Cake - "Comfort Eagle"

According to the most reliable source on the planet (...), this song was cancelled as Cake's second single (for the album of the same name) because of its not-even-close-to-being-offensive lyrics in the wake of 9/11.

15. Gramercy Arms - "Automatic"

This song's intro sounds exactly like ... can't. think. of. it. (I will have to get back to you later on that one, as it's really bothering me.) Regardless, if you don't know these guys, A) that's a plain shame and B) Dave Derby of the Dambuilders is a member. See, you've learned something today. I can now retire.

16. DJ Me DJ You - "Glassbong"

Has anyone else heard those horrible Last Place on Earth radio commercials in which someone approximates a borderline-racist Jamaican accent? Makes me feel like _______ ___ ___. <- And I'm sure they don't want that on their conscience.

17. Mos Def - "24-Hour Karate School"

Remember when the John Travolta revival was in full swing with "Pulp Fiction" in 1994. Well, that's exactly what Mos Def's career is going through right now. He's remedied all previous ills and is, once again, an MC in top standing with music geeks worldwide.

18. Cage - "Days"

When Cage, in all of his doom-and-gloom splendor, says "This day is the best day I'll ever have," I just have to smirk. (Another reason not to believe him: Cage's label, Definitive Jux -- which is also home to artists like Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic -- has been closed indefinitely by mastermind El-P because he wants to concentrate on making music.)

19. Atmosphere - "Bam"

All is not lost, however, as Minneapolis' hip-hop powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment is as strong as ever.

20. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Brave as a Noun"

Is it wrong that I only picked up this album from Hot Topic's clearance rack because I thought the name of the group was funny? Thankfully, the music isn't anything to scoff at. (Take a listen above.)

21. Neil Young - "Transformer Man" ["MTV Unplugged" vers.]

I like this song so much, I've already started harassing local favorites AM rubin to incorporate it into their sets. I can already hear it winning over the crowds at Carmody.

22. Phoenix - "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" [Bob Dylan cover]

And just when I was going to write off this French outift as the most obnoxiously buzzed-about group of all time, this gave me pause: Perhaps they do deserve all the kudos. At least I know they have good taste.

23. Kings of Leon - "The Bucket" [Live in Belgium]

From one of the most exciting live releases of all time, "Day-Old Belgian Blues."

24. Dead Kennedys - "Moon Over Marin"

A selection from the first decent punk record I ever found on vinyl. If you can get past its eye-opening cover, you're in for a treat.

25. Yellowcard - "Only One"

And, to totally piss off every Dead Kennedys fan who stumbled upon this blog, it's ... Yellowcard. Ha!

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