sys67 :: IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE HAWAII HERE

Submitted for the approval of the Mix Tape Appreciation Society, I humbly present ... "It Really Looks Like Hawaii Here":

1. Music Go Music - "Light of Love"

The most valuable thing I inherited from my grandmother (who's still with us, God bless her soul)? An undying affection for ABBA.

Why do I mention this? Because apparently this L.A. group is the second coming.

2. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "Woodfriend"

Heading up the West Coast we come across Oregon's Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson = long name, short fuse.

Just kidding ... I only wish that worked there; Miles seems like quite the righteous, down-to-earth dude. (He's signed to Saddle Creek, after all.)

3. The SuperTacks - "Bitter Truth"

Like Billy Joel meets early Weezer demos. I love it!

4. The Boomchucks - "Another One"

A fun, cavorting sing-along in the key of Bob Dylan's freewheelin' days, courtesy of Taconite's Jamie Ness and the Black-eyed Snakes' Brad Nelson. [Listen here.]

5. Joe Pug - "Call It What You Will"

Poetic is "Silver cans in bronze-colored dirt." It's impossible not to get lost in wordplay this keen.

6. Hosey - "Like an Animal"

Any hip-hop track that samples my beloved Tina Fey (from the "30 Rock" episode when she accidentally joins a female fight club) is alright in my book.

p.s. If you like what you hear, check out my interview with Hosey's turntable maestro, Patrik Phalen.

7. Olivia Tremor Control - "Define a Transparent Dream"

Despite my ambivalent feelings toward the second incarnation of Olivia Tremor Control (Circulatory System), I've always believed that the groups' ringleader, Will Cullen Hart, is secretly Beatle spawn. How else could you explain a transcendental masterpiece such as this?

8. Miles Kurosky - "West Memphis Skyline"

Yes, I became quite low when I first heard that Beulah -- like Olivia Tremor Control, an Elephant Six group -- was calling it quits, but, luckily, the outspoken Kurosky's still got it. (Yep, eagle-eyed reader, that last line was lifted directly from my review of "The Desert of Shallow Effects." Self-plagiarism is still OK, right? ha ha)

9. Batteries - "Dirty Dogs"

Since I won't be interviewing these guys until tonight -- look for that story in an upcoming Budgeteer! -- I thought I'd borrow something frontman Dave Frankenfeld (yes, Haley Bonar's former collaborator) told the Duluth News Tribune's Christa Lawler: "[This] stems from some research I was doing on slang terms. Turns out, 'dirty dog' is a slang term for a Greyhound bus. During a car-less time in my life I often found myself slumped into the seats of all breeds of buses. This seemed like a fine premise for a rock song to me."

10. Gramercy Arms feat. Sarah Silverman - "Looking at the Sun"

Yes, that Sarah Silverman.

11. Doomtree - "Scuffle"

What happens when P.O.S. produces a tough-as-nails track for the angel-voiced Dessa? This is what happens.

"Who the f--- am I, Fatlip?"

Glorious.

12. Sean Bones - "Dancehall"

And you thought reggae died with Terry Lynn's ferocious "Kingstonlogic 2.0"....

13. Les Savy Fav - "The Equestrian"

I don't know the answer, so I'm just going to ask all you good, good people: Has Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington ever collaborated with Star Casino? I hear similarities between the ferocity found here and the beautifully ravaged "Stroll Around the World."

14. INXS - "Calling All Nations"

As most music collectors do, I go through phases where I'm completely obsessed with a particular group or two. These days it's Michael Hutchence and crew. Can't seem to get enough.

And past ones? (Thanks for asking.) Oh, let's see ... Pearl Jam, the Who, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Electric Light Orchestra, the Pixies, Beck (to a certain extent) and David Bowie -- to name just a few.

15. Adam Green - "What Makes Him Act So Bad?"

The Moldy Peach goes all Lou Reed on us, and ... well, you won't hear any complaints from me.

16. Midwest Dilemma - "Chicago and North Western"

This song's parent album, "Timelines & Tragedies," actually has one of the coolest concepts out there: Frontman Justin P. Lamoureux traced his family's lineage all the way back to the fur-tradin' days. (If you're interested in learning more, it's all detailed in my interview with the Omaha visionary.)

17. The Sextons - "Tracks in Fog"

If you fancy early Radiohead and early Stereophonics (and who doesn't?), you'll find much to love on this Twin Cities group's self-titled debut.

18. The Explorers Club - "Do You Love Me?"

A curious mix of the Beach Boys sound put forth by Brian Wilson and the way they sounded after His Greatness left the group.

19. Modern Skirts - "Radio Breaks"

Suave, suave, suave.

20. Journey - "Stone in Love"

Hey, I warned you last time around....

21. Motion City Soundtrack - "History Lesson"

The closest mall punk has ever come to sounding like it was influenced by ...

22. Bob Dylan - "Highway 61 Revisited" [alt.]

... Duluth's most famous native son. (This one was chosen in honor of my recent move to Scenic Highway 61.)

23. Andy Elwell - "Housewarming"

Speaking of that Zimmerman boy, this former Duluthian was born in the city where Dylan was raised, Hibbing. (And not to toot my own horn too much or anything, but catch up with the talented singer/songwriter by reading "Andy Elwell Comes Home for a Good Cause." Yes, another one of my stories.)

24. Gavin DeGraw - "Over-Rated"

A little on the mainstream side, but a delightful track nonetheless.

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