Monday Mix 181029: Alice In Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Marilyn Manson, Filter

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Some of my favorite 90's rock tracks that always remind me of the Halloween season.

I love how "Rooster" starts. Very happy to place it at the beginning of this list to set the mood.

I added several versions of Joy Division's "Dead Souls" in the More Mix to help demonstrate the bone-crushing backbone that Reznor's groove rides on. The Crow soundtrack still stands as a seminal compilation of industrial-goth-rock of the era, in my opinion.

"Hey Man" has a long, quiet beginning, which I ordinarily don't like to put in the middle of a list. In this case, however, the first five songs have been so heavy, a small break is warranted. Additionally, it's an epic track in its own right, so I don't mind disconnecting it from the rest of the list.

Here's an interesting bit I found from Wikipedia about Richard Patrick (Filter):

"After a chance meeting with Trent Reznor in a Cleveland music store, Patrick landed a gig as guitarist in Reznor's live incarnation of Nine Inch Nails from 1989 to 1993.

"His only recorded contribution can be heard at the end of "Sanctified" on Pretty Hate Machine. Patrick also appeared in the music videos for "Down in It", "Head Like a Hole", "Wish", and one of the two promo videos for "Gave Up" (along with Marilyn Manson), which was filmed in the living room of the infamous house where Sharon Tate was murdered in 1969, as Reznor had leased the house and installed a recording studio in it.

"Patrick chose to leave the band during the recording of The Downward Spiral in 1993."

- Matt

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Retzmix #23 - March 2008

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The final installment.

This playlist appears one a year from the previous list. Equally charged with ambition and a sense of melancholy, its spirit is a fine send off to this feature.

All the classic Retzmix artists are here: Elvis, Beach Boys, Beatles, Beachwood Sparks, Spoon, U2, Bowie, Stones, Dylan, Kinks... A forward-looking retrospective.

After this, Justin takes a five-year hiatus, returning with mixes two, four, even eight hours long. Please check them out here!

Deep gratitude, Justin. Thank you for letting us borrow your taste for a few months!

- Matt

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Viva Latina: "Los Grammys Latinos" Carlos Vives, Monsieur Periné, J Balvin, El David Aguilar, Rozalén, Nicky Jam, Pablo Alborán, Bomba Estéreo, Silvestre Dangond

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The Latin Grammys are set to be held on November 15 this year. I decided to showcase some of the songs nominated for this month’s blog post.

This year, J Balvin leads the nominations with 8 and Rosalía with 5. I am big fan of Rosalía’s urban flamenco sound and showcased her song “Malamente” in the last blog post. I personally would love to see it win in the Song of the Year or Record of the Year category.

This playlist starts off with one of my student’s favorites and a nominee for Song of the Year: “Robarte un beso” by Carlos Vives and Sebastián Yatra. It is a feel good song and I appreciate the combination of pop and vallenato.

Next up is the fascinating Colombian group Monsieur Periné with their new single “Bailar contigo.” Lead singer Catalina Garcia has a sweet, crisp but airy at the same time quality to her voice that lends itself well to the interesting combination of caribbean rhythms, guitar, and afro-colombian drums.

Since J Balvin is rocking the nominations, I included his hit of last summer and another student favorite: “Mi gente.”

After “Mi gente,” I slow it down with the soothing voice of Mexican artist El David Aguilar with “Embrujo” who would be a great choice to win in the Best New Artist category.

Rozalén is up next with her powerful “La puerta violeta.” This Spanish artist is a champion for social activism and this song is no exception with her message against domestic abuse and male chauvinism.

In the urban category, J Balvin comes back again teaming up with one of my favorites Nicky Jam for “X” fusing dancehall and reggae to give a caribbean tint to the urban genre. Don’t let Rozalén know I put “X” right after “La puerta violeta”; she would not approve. Spaniard Pablo Alborán lightens the tension with his ballad “No vaya a ser.”

Always entertaining Bomba Estéreo delivers a punch with “Internacionales” which is nominated for Record of the Year and Best Urban Fusion.

To round off the nominees, I end with one of my student’s absolute favorites “Cásate conmigo” by Nicky Jam and Silvestre Dangond up for Best Tropical Song which will have you dancing and singing “Cásate conmigo” multiple times. Just try not to. I dare you.

- Elaine

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Vinyl Club #18: Pleasureland by Haley

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From the NARC Magazine album review:

"From the synthesised amusement park-style jaunty opener Credit Forever, it’s clear that we are on a different kind of ride than we’re used to with the artist formerly known as Haley Bonar.

"The classical piano leanings of Give Yourself Away turn into haunting Twin Peaks Black Lodge style atmospherics, paving the way for an album full of surprises."

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Monday Mix 181022: Sade, Daryl Hall & John Oates, George Benson, Third World, Heatwave

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This classic Sade cut was on one of my parents' mix tapes growing up. Track nice af, with bonus nostalgia vibes.

I had no intention of putting remixes or alternate versions on the list. I had every intention of putting the full version of the original "I Can't Go For That" on this list (now appearing on the More Mix). In researching this list, I came across this Pomo remix, and, surprisingly, I thought it captured better what I was going for on this list.

On the More Mix, I also included the bird and the bee cover of the song from their truly lovely cover album "Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall And John Oates." Oh, and a FOURTEEN MINUTE live version is on there, too.

There's a very nice documentary on Netflix now about Quincy Jones called Quincy. It does a great job of talking about Jones as a person, but also shows a great retrospective of how popular music got to where it is. "Give Me The Night" and "Stomp!" (More Mix) are two huge tracks for me in the evolution of my appreciation of Jones, following all the Michael Jackson stuff.

Always loved the groove in the Heavy D version, so when I discovered the Third World version of "Now That We Found Love," a major groove ride, I was quite pleased. A few cheesy moments, but you have to sort of love those. Included in the More Mix are 70's R&B versions. What a contrast!

Capped off with Boogie Nights. Disco goes to England, gets cleaned up and sent back.

- Matt

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Retzmix #22 - January 2007

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This mix is great introduction to a lot of classic artists.

"One More Time" by Gram Parsons swings harder than what I associated his solo music with. It sounds more like a classic early 70's Stones song than what I expected from him. It's an instant classic for me. It pairs perfectly with "Tumbling Dice" a few tracks down given the country twang, soul chorus and massive horns, especially given their history together.

As someone who has never been too in love with U2, I definitely enjoyed these three cuts, and have given more credence to Justin's suggestions I give them a much deeper dive finally (despite the lyric "Well a woman needs a man, like a fish needs a bicycle.")

I have found that occasionally an early Beatles song will blindside me as under appreciated compared to their most famous tunes. "Things We Said Today" definitely qualifies.

There are some quirks to the playlist which offer a nice change of pace from the classic rock canon. Dean Martin's "Somewhere There's A Someone" is far more uptempo than one would expect from the Rat Pack stalwart.

Occasional inclusions of contemporary acts like Smoosh and Mason Jennings also serve to break things up nicely.

On the whole, it’s a varied and thoughtful introduction to a lot of seminal artists.

- Carl

[Carl operates a private Facebook group dedicated to the sharing and discussion of music.]

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hooked.evd/nevermind: alt-J, Milky Chance, Dennis Lloyd, Young the Giant, Miike Snow, lovelytheband, Arctic Monkeys, Foster The People

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This mix of Dennis Lloyd's "Nevermind" seems to be everywhere and I am hooked. I've heard it in stores, in commercials, on the radio, and each time I'm ready to turn it up.

I've paired it with a number of my favorite alternative songs, both recent hits -- "broken," "Sit Next to Me" -- and, going back a bit in time a bit -- 2013's "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"

I almost included the Black Keys' "Tighten Up" on this playlist but ran out of time.

What are your thoughts? Which song would you swap out?

- Erin

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Vinyl Club #17: Paul Birken "Surfin' Superior Volume 2"

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From the Swerving the Community album description:

"Long awaited and deadly double 12″ from the king of machine chatter.

"This is a follow up to 1996’s classic Surfin Superior 2 x 12″ released on Woody McBride’s Communique records.

"Paul makes the machines sing as only he can !!"

"Hard and expressive Techno to rock dancefloors."

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Monday Mix 181015: Elohim, M.I.A., Lady Sovereign, Fannypack, Diplo, Spank Rock, Lily Allen

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I saw Glitch Mob last week and Elohim opened for them. I was really impressed by Elohim!

I had been working on this sort of throwback femme-party music playlist for a little bit, and thought this Elohim cut would kick it off properly.

When I saw M.I.A. on her Arular tour, Diplo was her DJ, and it was fantastic. He really crafted an instrumental under her toasting. It was electric.

I know Allen has had success, but sometimes when I listen to her, and this track here is an example, I really wish she'd blow up even more.

- Matt

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Retzmix #21 - October 2006

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In which Justin makes a movie, or so I imagine.

Thinking of the list cinematically, "Under Pressure" is the opening credits song, and each act starts with a U2 song.

"Out Of Control" - We hit the open road with abandon, looking for adventure, at times recklessly.

"Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World" - The meat of the set. Our journey is not as care-free as we once expected. Lessons are being learned.

"Red Hill Mining Town" - The epiphany has occurred, and we're reflective now. We aren't who we were.

Cue "When The Levee Breaks," and roll credits.

- Matt

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dolphinbright, "Those very sad boys of October" with The Beach Boys, JR JR, Paul Simon, Mayer Hawthorne, Elton John, Vampire Weekend

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I've always loved The Beach Boys. So bright, so fun, so much joy! In recent years, however, I have found their upbeat tunes about young love increasingly depressing!

In many of their songs there is an underlying tinge of sadness and anxiety. While super fun to dance to, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" has a prominent longing for an ideal future, that in fact, may never come.

While the BB's orginal is a classic, I found that JR JR really played up the mournful elements in "God Only Knows" in their 2010 cover.

~

In the tracks that follow, these male musicians tell stories of love, pain and nostalgia. The overall thesis is "I'm a sensitive man/boy, upset over love/life, but this nice melody masks my dark feelings."

The one outlier in this playlist is Elton John's "Mellow" - my favorite track on the 1972 album, Honky Chateau. 

Elton's very funky melody perfectly matches the genuine gratitude in his lyrics: "it can't be bad, all the love I've had coursing through my life."

- Leslie

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Vinyl Club #16: Lorn "Ask The Dust"

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From the sputnik music 2013 album review by Alkemest:

"Review Summary: A disorienting parade of paranoia."

"Ultimately, Lorn has managed to create an album which almost perfectly captures the sense of claustrophobia. With its cold, dark, almost mechanical production, it manages to pull its listeners through a transcendent electronic experience.

"I can't say that this album is enjoyable, per se, but I can say that I absolutely enjoyed it. If you like easily digestible electronic music, this is definitely not the album for you.

"Everything about it reeks of negativity, but by the end, I can't help but feel uplifted.

"It is however, not without its flaws. While it capably manages to create an experience, it can feel a bit repetitive at times. I know that it's part of what makes it such a good album, but I also can't help but feel that a bit of variation would have been a good move.

"For such an experimental album, it would seem that it could have pushed just a bit farther.

"On the whole, I would highly recommend this album to anyone interested in dark electronic, or just plain old dark music in general."

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Monday Mix 181008: Slick Rick, Slum Village, Deltron 3030, Nas, Mos Def, GZA, Blackalicious

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Just a bunch of my favorite beats.

Jazze Pha on the beat in "Street Talkin." He and Big Boi worked together again  on Speakerboxx with "Bust" and "Bowtie."

J Dilla on the Slum Village classic. Sort of a cop out, but the Spotify "This Is J Dilla" list is a pretty good way to check out the variety of his production style.

Del and Automator team up again on "Mastermind." They've also worked together on the first Gorillaz album and for another star-studded project, Handsome Boy Modeling School.

If you landed a beat on Nas' Illmatic, you're basically a legend. DJ Premier makes it sound easy here. He and Guru make up the legendary duo Gang Starr, and he's worked with other legendary artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West, Eminem, and Jay-Z.

Slick Rick may have just one good eye, but he's got two songs on this list. (Sorry.) Madlib gives us a tight little head-bobber. His catalog is so broad, I'd direct you agin to the Spotify "This is Madlib" playlist.

4th Disciple (see Wu Tang's "Bring Da Ruckus," et al.) produces this one, which is the only song off of the amazing Liquid Swords album that doesn't feature GZA. Killah Priest lays down an epic rap. "Why should you die to go to Heaven? The Earth is already in space."

I love Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab together. A real duo that pick each other up and make each other sound fantastic. Gil Scott-Heron feature is cool, too.

- Matt

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Retzmix #20 - July 2006

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This one will put you in a good mood.

Justin compiles a list of engaging tracks that are easy on the ears.

They'll have you "Living In The Moment" and get you to "Be Here Now."

- Matt

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Top Tunes 1808-09 / Dance: The Chainsmokers, Clean Bandit, Calvin Harris, Tiësto, Marshmello, Kygo, Silk City

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Trying something new here this month and giving a different chart a spin. This month we're taking from the top of the recent "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs" charts.

- Matt

#1 SIDE EFFECTS / The Chainsmokers

Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" I don’t like The Chainsmokers, but I love this song. The lyrics tell a full, emotionally compelling story, and the rhythm is so good. It drives the song and makes you want to sing along. The instrumentation when you get to the chorus is so good, too.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" OK so I hate the Chainsmokers. They started off bad and just got worse and worse. Until now. This song is a jam and shows sophistication and respect for the history of the genre. Great details. Very easy to listen to and a lot of fun.

#2 SOLO / Clean Bandit

Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" The “Woop woop woop” in the chorus is so hot. The beat is fun and I’d love for this to get more airplay, but that woop woop woop is what keeps me coming back.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" Demi sounds good on this track. Clean Bandit brings another fun, crisp, energetic, thoughtful dance tune to the radio.

#3 ONE KISS / Calvin Harris

Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I love this collab. The upbeat tempo and confident lyrics are necessary for Dua Lipa. I’m a big fan of hers, but her debut album is a lot of moody tracks with deep vocals and this helps to diversify her a bit.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" Dua Lipa is getting it done. Their name keeps showing up on tracks I’m into. Harris takes the familiar and makes it contemporary, something they routinely do well.

#4 JACKIE CHAN / Tiësto

Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Is this song good? Unsure. Do I love it? Yes. So catchy and infectious.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I can’t hang with Malone, but this beat is a delight. A word to Post – if she says she’s too young and doesn’t want a man, let’s take her word for it, ok? Let’s read the room a little bit.

#5 PROMISES / Calvin Harris

Erin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "My jam" I am loving this new era of Calvin Harris. And Sam Smith is a home run every time. His voice is insane. Plus that “tonight” in the chorus is everything. I can’t say enough about how much I am feeling this track.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Usually I think Sam Smith is a little maudlin, but Harris brings in a balance here that makes it pop. Unmistakable trademark bounce keeps the groove going. Jessie Reyez is another name to watch. They have a writing credit on “One Kiss” and I loved them on “Hard to Love.” From Calvin Harris to Eminem, their performances on “Good Guy” and “Nice Guy” are top notch, too.

#6 HAPPIER / Marshmello

Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I’m a huge Bastille fan. Their single, "Pompeii," intrigued and hooked me. If you haven’t listened to their album “Wild World” I suggest you get on that immediately. That’s the real draw for me here. I don’t think Marshmello does anything interesting.

Matt - ⭐️ "Turn it off" Marshmello is doing a fine job of making generally innocuous music that keeps showing up everywhere. That’s why Bastille stepping in and injecting some feeling and character into the track works well here. Marshmello’s bland production waters down an emotional vocal performance that could become too much without that counter balance on repeat listens.

#7 REMIND ME TO FORGET / Kygo

Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" When I hear this song, I don’t know what it is. Didn’t it come out a few years ago? Is it just a remix of an old song? I can’t find anything noteworthy going on in this song and I will easily forget this song, no reminder needed.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" When I first heard Kygo’s remix of Kyla La Grange's “Cut Your Teeth,” I was mesmerized. I still think that’s my favorite song from them. Since then, they’ve been trying to break out of the tropical-house box, while keeping the signature sound. I’m not sure where they can go from here.

#8 ELECTRICITY / Silk City

Erin - ⭐️⭐️ "Leave it on" I saw the hype for this song on Dua Lipa’s Instagram before hearing the song, and honestly thought it would be more exciting. There’s nothing particularly electric about this song. It’s like the tempo never gets where it needs to go, or it’s not dynamic enough. Being a big Dua Lipa fan, I’m putting the onus on Silk City for improper production.

Matt - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Turn it up" Dua Lipa doing it again. I just love love love house music, so, there you go. I’ll sign off on almost anything with Diplo’s name on it, and Mark Ronson only adds credibility to the project. What a powerhouse.

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Vinyl Club #15: Schnellertollermeier "Rights"

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From Avant Music News' October, 2017 album review:

"[I]nstrumental math rock with interlocking rhythms and a slight twinge of psychedelia.

"This 40-minute album is to the point. Its underlying structure is based on repetitions and variations on a handful of relatively simple yet layered themes."

"The outcome can be thought of a mix of Godspeed You Black Emperor with 80’s King Crimson. Or a Euro-take on Zevious and Ahleuchatistas. Troller’s use of harmonic-laden melodies, in particular, is reminiscent of the latter.

"A strong release."

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Monday Mix 181001: Peter Gabriel, XTC, The Residents, The Meters, Pink Floyd, Primus

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Going to Primus tonight at the Sylvee! I'm very excited. The venue just opened and I'm really excited to check it out.

This is a playlist I've been meaning to put together ever since I found out Miscellaneous Debris was a covers EP, which I learned embarrassingly late. Lol. Pink Floyd who? Peter Gabriel what?

I've also included a track from the new album, which is based on the children's book, The Rainbow Goblins, by Ul De Rico, which has amazing artwork.

- Matt

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