sweat, sunset (sex you regret already) -- july 15 / 08

First, a caveat: so many songs are missing on the Mixwit incarnation of this mixtape that it actually pains me to post it. For the sake of aesthetics, I'm still posting the nifty little tape, but if you even remotely like what you hear/see on the playlist, ask me, and I will give you the zip, because there are some gems of obscure little songs that generally comprise the heart of the mood. (anyone playing a drinking game with this blog: drink!) Consider this mixtape a spin-off in a different direction from the brash (and awesome) "Bend Over".

This mix is one part obsession, one part dilemma; two parts a humid summer night and beads of sweat standing distinct and potent on a shoulder blade; three parts the act; all regret. It begins with a tangled sense of euphoria and impending disaster, and almost revels in the glory of misdeeds, the regret already tangible but suffused with heat. The second half finds, subdued, the gritty taste of consequence and self-loathing. This is how physical contact becomes martial, a study in subdued aching violence.

"Betrayals in war are childlike compared with the betrayals during peace. New lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. For the heart is an organ of fire."

original track list
o1. "Sticky" - Willard Grant Conspiracy (Mojave);
02. "Tonight" - Ryan Adams (Cold Roses); *
o3. "I've Made Enough Friends" - The Wrens (Secaucus);
o4. "Like a Friend" - Pulp (Great Expectations OST);
o5. "The Moth" - Aimee Mann (Lost in Space);
o6. "Strong Chemistry" - David Wilcox (Big Horizon); *
o7. "I'm Your Man" - Leonard Cohen (The Essential Leonard Cohen);
o8. "Yes" - Coldplay (Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends);
o9. "Playhouses" - TV on the Radio (Return to Cookie Mountain);
10. "Mess We're In" - PJ Harvey feat. Thom Yorke (Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea);
11. "Rapture" - Pedro the Lion (Control);
12. "Obstacle 1" - Interpol (Turn on the Bright Lights);
13. "Beautiful Lie" - Yoav (Charmed and Strange);
14. "One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)" - Stars (Set Yourself on Fire);
15. "Title Track" - Death Cab for Cutie (We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes);
16. "Skin Is, My" - Andrew Bird (The Mysterious Production of Eggs);
17. "Whitewashed" - Lilium (Short Stories); *
18. "The First Time You're Unfaithful" - Arab Strap (Philophobia); *
19. "Wrong Choice" - The Lovely Feathers (EP);
20. "Fuck Was I" - Jenny Owen Youngs (Batten the Hatches);
21. "What's a Girl to Do?" - Bat for Lashes (Fur and Gold);
22. "How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths (Singles);
23. "As Ugly As I Seem" - The White Stripes (Get Behind Me Satan);
24. "Scotch Grove" - The Mountain Goats (The Coroner's Gambit);
25. "Dirty Half" - David Byrne (Lead Us Not into Temptation); *
26. "A Thousand Kisses Deep" - Leonard Cohen (The Essential Leonard Cohen);
27. "Leave You on the Pavement" - Catherine Feeny (s/t);
28. "Start a War" - The National (Boxer); and
29. "9 Crimes" - Damien Rice (9);

NOTE: Cassette Shelf only endorses mixtape repeats of the same artist if said artist is: Leonard Cohen and the Beatles.
ALSO NOTE: Yes, Kath will have The Mountain Goats on every tape.

Bend Over -- July 8. 2008

This mixtape started its life as something very different; it had more irony, more pop, more fun, but somewhere along the road, it changed. Its basic idea is the same however; at it's core, this tape is about being fucked in the ass. Hard. Sometimes its literal, sometimes figurative (by another person, an idea, or a social system), occaisionally it's a vague concept, but i would like to think that a nice sort of cohesion developed along the way. It is still a pop tape though, by all means, i love the indie pop: relatively easy to consume, entertaining as hell, hooky and catchy. However, the subject matter is a little darker than i originally intended it to be, but i hope it is still enjoyable.

Track List

1. "The Big Three Killed My Baby" - The White Stripes (The White Stripes)
2. "Black Limousine" - Dragonette (Galore) *
3. "Cheating On You" - Franz Ferdinand (Franz Ferdinand)
4. "Stalker" - Louis XIV (Slick Dogs and Ponies)
5. "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" - We Are Scientists (Live Session - EP)
6. "Living Room" - Tegan and Sara (If It Was You)
7. "I Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say" - The Subways (Young For Eternity)
8. "State of the Nation" - David Ford (I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused)
9. "One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead)" - Stars (Set Yourself On Fire)
10. "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" - Brand New (Deja Entendu)
11. "Pull Out" - Death From Above 1979 (You're A Woman, I'm A Machine)
12. "Cries A Girl" - Buck 65 (This Right Here Is Buck 65)
13. "Carolina Drama" - The Raconteurs (Consolers Of The Lonely) *
14. "Never Went to Church" - The Streets (The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living)
15. "Citrus" - The Hold Steady (Boys And Girls In America)

kerouac attack -- july 5 / 08

Consider Jack Kerouac and his travels cross-country. Now take out the hangovers, the sense of immediacy; this is perhaps too happy a mix to be accurately called "Kerouac Attack". But since it was made for our friend undertaking a cross-country motorcycle road trip, the comparison was too tempting. So, in general: roads, wind, white lines, sore feet, road signs. fading into sunset, motel rooms, hostels, deep sleeps.

original track list
o1. "Lost!" - Coldplay (Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends);
o2. "Abattoir Blues" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (Abattoir Blues);
o3. "I Was a Daughter" - Basia Bulat (Oh, My Darling);
04. "Ventura Highway" - America (Homecoming);
o5. "Most of Us Prizefighters" - A.C. Newman (The Slow Wonder); *
o6. "So You Did It Again" - Ane Brun (Live in Scandinavia); *
o7. "Good Weekend" - Art Brut (Bang Bang Rock & Roll);
o8. "July, July!" - The Decemberists (Castaways & Cutouts);
o9. "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity to Be Free" - Elliott Smith (From a Basement on the Hill);
10. "Fake Palindromes" - Andrew Bird (The Mysterious Production of Eggs);
11. "Postcards from Italy" - Beirut (Gulag Orkestar);
12. "American Kids (instrumental)" - Bloc Party; *
13. "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" - Matt Pond PA (cover);
14. "Pictures of Success" - Rilo Kiley (Take-offs & Landings);
15. "English Girls Approximately" - Ryan Adams (Love Is Hell);
16. "She's a Jar" - Wilco (Summerteeth);
17. "Soon Enough" - The Constantines (Tournament of Hearts);
18. "Neverending Math Equation" - Sun Kil Moon (Tiny Cities);
19. "Cotton" - The Mountain Goats (We Shall All Be Healed);
20. "America" - Simon & Garfunkel (Bookends); and
21. "Hard Sun" - Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild OST).

A Brief Manifesto

So the other day I had what I thought was a pretty excellent idea for yet another blog that I will begin with the greatest of enthusiasm and then forget about within a month. What I intend to do is present on a somewhat regular basis (completely random, actually, who are we kidding) a mix tape (or the modern mp3 approximation thereof), founded upon a various mood, theme, thought, gimmick, etc. Torrey will be joining me in this endeavor, because we share equal levels of self-congratulatory musical enthusiasm.

We are also of the firm belief that our music pwns yours, so you should probably listen to it.

Here's the plan as I have laid it out: we're going to post, through Mixwit, our mixes. These mixes, however, may not be what we intended, as Mixwit operates through links, not actual music databases. We may not be able to find certain songs, and therefore the Mixwit mixtapes will not necessarily be as truly awesome as we intended (*s will denote those that are missing). For legal reasons, give us a shout if you like the cut of our mixtape's jib, and we'll provide you with a link to the full, undiluted zip.

Have at 'em.