So here is mix number two.
As I type this, there have been no comments or feedback at all for the first mix. So this mix compilation idea may be short lived, as it is time consuming.
This mix contains a decent variety of music, from some screechy metal-influenced screamo to mopey alternative folk to acoustic versions.
- The Cure: Cut Here (acoustic version). Not much intorduction needed for The Cure. If you aren't familiar, you've been in your cave too long. I heard this version before the electronic, and i really think this version emphasizes the lyrical content of Robert Smith. From Hits.
- Alexisonfire .44 Calibre Lover Letter. Fantastic metal-influenced screamo. They've become a bit poppy and moved toward crappy nu-metal lately, but this is the best song off of their self-titled album. Great build-ups, breaks, and call-and-answer vocals; with a great twist- one is trained alto and singy, and the other is gravelly and terse. A great blend.
- Gunmoll Count the Needle Why do so many of the great bands have to split up? Crimony! This band released one or two great LPs and an EP, then dissolved. The lead singer/guitarist formed another band In the Red(In the Red's stuff is available at RatPatrol's MySpace site). Great crescendos and decrescendos in this one. I'm guilty of liking crescendos in songs, and use of the "f" word. This song has both. Gravelly yet discernible vocals, great post-hardcore tone to this pr track. Very indicative of the sound of Gainesville (Florida) punk. From No Idea Records.
- Circle Takes the Square Crowquill. Another noisy track, very gravelly vocals complimenting clean male and female vocals. CTtS is a Georgian experimental screamo band. This track comes from their record As the Roots Undo. They even have a song with Whoudini- yes, the 80s rapper raps over one of their tracks. It's awesome. I might include that on future mixes.
- Bright Eyes Padraic My Prince. Bright Eyes, mainly the work of singer/guitarist/folk music darling Conner Oberst, came into some notoriety on The Tonight Show about a year back when he sang "When the President Talks to God" on the air, blasting George Bush. Bright Eyes has been producing music for years. From my understanding, he recorded a few albums in his living room with is father recording. The track is Oberst emoting (no surprise) about his (fictional?) brother who died in a bathtub when he was just an infant. From Letting Off the Happiness.
- Cap'n Jazz Take on Me: Yes, another cover version of the 80s hit by A-Ha. Many bands have covered this track since the original made history with it's sketching-comes-to-life video. I have heard a few Ska covers, too. Cap'n Jazz is a band that came out of the late-90s Chicago scene, burning bright and fast, later to split and morph into other bands such as The Promise Ring, Joan of Arc, Owls, and others. This is from Analphabetapolothology.
- Clash Career Opportunities: The Clash need little introduction. Early punk rock from across the pond, one of the first to get signed by the majors, targets of heavy criticism from Crass, etc. This track is timely in the current economics state. From their S/T LP. If you don't somehow already have this, shame your self, then shame your self again. Then buy it here.
- Elvis Costello This Year's Girl: Another artist who needs little introduction. Born Declan McMannis, Mr. Costello has been involved with music since the 1970s. He produced The Specials first S/T LP, made a large number of LPs in various music stylings, many projects with other great artists. I got this track from Girls Girls Girls, a compilation of Elvis's earlier recordings. Sigh. Swoon.
- Descendents Silly Girl: If there is anyone who argues against the idea that the Descendents are the seminal pop-punk band, that they some how aren't directly responsible for almost all bubble-gum pop-punk music out today, poke their ears out. They don't deserve their ears with that kind of attitude. Before Green Day and Blink 182, before you knock-offs like Sum-41 and Good Charlotte, The Descendents had already released a number of LPs, toured the entire universe, and broke up. Later the Descendents would change singers (from Milo to Chad) and rename themselves as "All." All is a concept from The Descendents last album, implying living life on "11." Silly Girl is a fantastic song about love lost and found over the course of a Summer. Find the LP I Don't Want to Grow Up.
- Forget Cassettes Like Tiny Swords: Forget Cassettes, as of when I picked up the LP Instruments of Action were a 2 piece band, playing bass, guitar, drums, and singing, and piano, I think. Like Tiny Swords is a great song. Indie-Emo vocals and lyrics, paired-down music and production- it even sounds dirty and grungy like old garage-bands. The singer has a fantastic raspy voice with a hint of cuteness that I can't seem to get enough of. yowza.
- Fatlip What's Up Fatlip?:Fatlip is one of the artists in the Jurassic 5 camp; a highly skilled smooth new-school hip hop group who made a name for themselves in the early 2000s. This track is from The Loneliest Punk, a solo LP. Good, silly rhymes and flows, including a recording of Fatlip humming and beat-boxing into a voice mail about a beat he wanted to try out.
- Fluf Degrader Anyone familiar with the "Supercollider/Superconductor" skate video from the 90s will likely remember this track. Pre-Grunge pop punk from California. Fluf was one of a few musical project from O, famous in the world of skateboard photography. The other musical project of his that suffered an equally short-lived life was Olivelawn. Both bands sound similar, so if you like this track, you'd likely most all of O's stuff. Check out Mangravy.
- Dashboard Confessional This Bitter Pill: This LP, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, launched Chris Carrabba into fame. Almost everything on this album is acoustic, and mostly only him and his guitar. DC was the new project for Carabba after parting ways with Further Seems Forever, an alternative rock band that continues with a new, really bad, singer. Anyway, DC became darlings of the MTV2 generation and doubtlessly initiated many high school make-out sessions. This track is a soaring emotive tear jerking song about (surprise) a long-lost love. The MTV unplugged set he did sounds like a choir of high school kids singing for him. I'm such a sucker for sing-a-long songs, for heartfelt music, and for acoustic guitar. I swear that if I liked dudes, I would so want to do him. A lot.
- Down by Law Flower Tattoo: A track so sweet that it hurts your teeth. Great California pop-punk from one of the greats. I first heard this track when I had the hots for a hippie girl I used to work with, so it was very timely. and destiny. yeah. sigh. From punkrockacademyfightsong. According to Epitaph's website, the record is out of print??? Other great tracks on the LP include a great cover of the Procalaimer's 500 Miles.
- ...and You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead Mach SchauThis band's name sounds like it should be a metal band's name. Awesome. The Secret of Elena's Tomb is an EP by these guys. Heavy, layered guitars, dirty production, talented singing style. I imagine that this is the height that alternative/indie-rock bands can get to. I suppose that if they had a different name, they would already be buttered and squeezed into every radio and video outlet.
- Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound: I heard someone label these guys as "Springsteen Punk." I laughed at first, but it made sense. It sounds like what Bruce Springsteen would sound like if he had an alternative rock band: non-overdriven guitar distortion, heartfelt lyrics, competent song writing. This is the title track from their '59 Sound album. According to Wikipedia, they have opened for the Boss before, too. Ha. Surprisingly good music from New Jersey. The song is great.
- Ataris The Boys of Summer:Another song I always wanted to cover. Scratch that, I did. Back when i was your age (when wooly mammoths walked the earth), I was in a band with a bunch of friends, and we covered this song. poorly. Long live The Sheet Sniffers.
Anyways, the Ataris do an OK version of this song, turning up the amps, reducing all of the music to barre-chords, and adding a poppy punk drumbeat to carry it along. Think about the original by Don Henley, and then listen to this version and figure out what lyrics were changed. Found on So Long, Astoria.
Static Friction 2 can be found here.
