Z, yours was the first one I listened to, so I feel like I'm naturally inclined to put a little more emphasis on your mix.

1. Pale Saints - A Revelation - not familiar with this song, but thought it was a cheeky overture to the rest of your cd. 3/5
2. The Equals - Diversion - I really, really like this, however... it's about a minute too long, in my opinion. I would imagine Radcliffe would like this one. 4/5
3. The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine, and You, You Need to be Nicer - To be honest, I'd pretty much written these guys off, so I didn't know they had anything new out. Good. 3/5
4. Frank & Walters - This is Not a Song - This totally sounds like something I would have liked in the 90s. 4/5
5. Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back - this song is weird... part of me likes the sing-songiness of it, but it's almost too sweet, if that makes sense! Was never a favorite of mine - 3/5
6. Connells - 74-75 - this song reminds me of my college roommate Allison because she was in love with this song. As a result, I heard it ad nauseum. Good song, but I'm tired of it. 2/5
7. Cracklin' Moth - Special - Didn't do much for me. 2/5
8. The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup in your Happiness - I like these guys. The singer has such a sweet voice. 3/5
9. Sing-Sing - Come Sing me a Song - I LOVE THIS! Perfect summer tune. 5/5
10. Tiger Lou - Sell Out - Good. Sounds a tad, I dunno, contrived. 2/5
11. Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives - This is good. 3/5
12. The Guillemots - Trains to Brazil - Interesting. Like the beat, I could dance to it. I give it a 3/5, Dick.
13. Head Set - Bonnie & Clyde - I guess I was expecting a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg song. It's okay, I guess. 2/5
14. Death from Above 1979 - Black History Month - I like these guys, but must they have a kajillion remixes of every song they ever made? While I like this, I prefer the rawer, stripped down versions of the originals. 3/5
15. Gustavo Cerati - Naci Para Esto - REALLY like this one. I'd like to hear more. 5/5
16. Jon Brion - Monday - okay, I guess, nothing special to me. 2/5
17. Autumn Defense - You Know Where I Live - This is nice, but made me feel sad. 3/5
18. The Howling Hex - Apache Energy Plan - meh. 1/5
19. Digger & the Pussycats - Sergi - OH YEAH. 5/5
20. The New Rags - Your Room - I dig this one too. Sounds stripped down and soulful. 4/5
21. Hong Kong - Galaxies - I've never heard of this band. Very nice. Could see myself pedaling to this one. 4/5
22. The Seahorses - Love is the Law - This is great! 4/5

Overall, 3/5, but I'd be leaning towards a strong 3/5+. There were some lulls, but overall, I thought it was great. I'll definitely be listening to again and again. Thanks, Z!

yeah, i open many of my mixes with instrumentals. it's just a gimmick. thanks for the good review.

Z - Here and There, Left and Right

1. Pale Saints - A Revelation. I feel like I'm either about to watch a Wes Anderson movie or a Superman. Not too interesting as instrumentals go. 2/5
2. Equals - Diversion. Fun song. 3/5
3. The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer. Whoa, is this what the Cardigans sound like now? How did they manage to get even more MOR? 1/5
4. Frank & Walters - This Is Not a Song. This is not a song that I like. 2/5
5. Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back. I thought this sounded vaguely like an early 90s pop song, and whaddaya know… Still, not bad, I guess, but I can kinda see why this band has been mostly forgotten. 2/5
6. The Connells - 74-75. Yeah… Same thing here. Sorry, I just can't get past "that sound". 2/5
7. Cracklin Moth - Special. Hey, this is better. 3/5
8. The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup in Your Happiness. Kinda nice. 3/5
9. Sing-Sing - Come, Sing Me a Song. Eh, not for me. 2/5
10. Tiger Lou - Sell Out. Sounds like too much of an X station ballad. 2/5
11. Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, & Wives. Indistinct indie rock. 1/5
12. The Guillermots - Trains to Brazil. Nice and jangly, better energy on this one. Decent instrumental touches with the horns and theremin/keyboard/whatever. Kinda Cure-like. 3/5
13. The Head Set - Bonnie & Clyde. Very Walkmen-y. 3/5
14. Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Remix). DFA79 is OK, but this remix ain't working for me at all. Seems kinda redundant to remix this band unless you're really gonna fuck shit up. 1/5
15. Gustavo Cerati - Nací Para Esto. Not feeling this. 2/5
16. Jon Brion - Monday. Nice mood music, but a little to soft/elevator-y. 2/5
17. Autumn Defense - You Know Where I Live. So this is what these guys sound like. Decent enough. 3/5
18. The Howling Hex - Apache Energy Plan. Now this I really like. Good guitar, nice overall sound, and catchy too. I want to hear more! 4/5
19. Digger & the Pussycats - Sergi. Another good one. 3/5
20. The New Rags - Your Room. Solid. Definitely liking these more rockin' songs. 3/5
21. The Hong Kong - Galaxies. Don't like the vocals as much on this one, but you can't go too wrong with the T. Rex-style rock'n'roll. Well, the "ba ba, ba ba ba" stuff is kinda eh, but still… 3/5
22. The Seahorses - Love Is the Law. You know, I remember hearing a Seahorses video on 120 Minutes when I was in high school and trying in vain to find their CD at record stores for a couple of years. Well… I guess now I know I wasn't missing that much. 2/5

Overall:
Flow - 3/5. Good progression, and it all adheres pretty well. The instrumentals are kinda weak, though, and the closing track is kind of a letdown after the previous 4.
Surprises - 2/5. The Howling Hex! Nice job populating 90% of this mix I know nothing about and have never heard before. Unfortunately I don't feel compelled to hear any more by the majority of them.
Song Quality - 2/5

Final Score 2/5

Seems kinda harsh, but I did really enjoy parts of it. Most of it just isn't my thing.

I seem to have gotten a different "Z" mix...

New Concepts of Old Ideas:

The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love 3* Not an easy artist to cover, and consistent with the Gang of Four motif they carry through the whole album. I like it.

Idlewild - I Found That Essence Rare 4* Excellent execution of my favorite Gang of Four song.

My Bloody Valentive - Map Reference 41N 93W 3* My favorite part of this song is when Colin introduces the "chorus". That's missing from the cover. The rest is strong, though.

The Arcade Fire - Naive Melody 2* Talking Heads in their waning moments, and a suitably weak cover to boot.

Brad Mehldau Trio - She's Leaving Home 1* Elevator music--worse, elevator music that doesn't end.

Nick Cave - Disco 2000 3* Nick's solid.

Elbow - Teardrop 2* Pleasant enough, but the vocals are too mopey for my taste.

Manic Street Preachers - Out Of Time 1* Crappy songs make for crappy covers. They should've gone with "Hitching a Ride" or something more endearing.

Delgados - Mr. Blue Sky 1* Interminable, song should not have lasted more than two minutes

Mandy Moore - Senses Working Overtime 0* Congratulations! You scored the only 0* of all the mixes I've heard to date. I'm struggling to find a word that is intensely worse than awful. It's like the Bangles without any of the charm. I'd rather listen to a Kidz Bop rendition. The syrupy voice, the cheese-dance electronics, it's hideous. Artists should be able to say, "No, you may not cover our song." If XTC has approved this, they should all be dipped in battery acid.

Marc Almond & The Royal Philharmonic - Paint It Black 2* The Royal Phil must be hard up for work. The symphonic/pop marriage has only been done well once, and it produced "Conquistador". Marc Almond cements his position as "clown".

Scala Choir & Kolacny Brothers - Sexy Boy 1* Dude, get yourself a Dickies album. The pseudo-classical/soft jazz over-orchestrated stuff ain't makin' it.

Kronos Quartet - Marquee Moon 3* I struggled with this, given the ambitiousness of the cover. This track loses so much without Tom Verlaine's vocals--violins just can't measure up. That said, the instrumental parts are dynamite.

Cesaria Evora & Marisa Monte - E Doce Morrer No Mar 2* Not resonating.

Marvin Gaye - Sunny 3* Picking up for the closing tracks, this one works fine.

Al Green - I Want To Hold Your Hand 4* Excellent, it's everything a Beatles cover should be--impresses the coverer's identity and style to the track, making it something new and enjoyable.

This mix got off to a pretty decent start, and then the wheels came off. You managed to effect a visceral reaction with much of it, unfortunately that reaction was negative. Still, thanks for putting this together! Cheers!

I don't know that he's the right guy to cover a song like Paint it Black. I have a hard time picturing it being good, but I really like a lot of Marc Almond's solo material.




What's this from? I really like both of them and am unaware of anything they did together. AMG provides no guidance.

Will be reviewing my own and also different version of the Z mix in the next few days.

it's a bonus track on the european version of cafe atlantico.

billz - i don't care much for covers that are replicas, as i'm sure you noticed. with a few exceptions, i tend to gravitate more toward the ones that are stretches. some work, some don't. you know. i guess i can hold some comfort that you didn't hate it all. oh, and i can't stand the dickies. i think they're plain awful.

I think it's mostly a clash of taste/style (which explains our antipode take on the Dickies among other things). I'm with you on the stretches/replica aspect, and this is what I was trying to convey with the Al Green comments. I'll admit that the "clown" comment for Messr. Almond is a bit glib/harsh, and it's more deeply rooted than this one track, but I stand by the Mandy Moore thrashing 8) (although the "congrats" was sincere, not snide--for better or worse, this track evoked the strongest reaction I've had to anything I've heard on any mix so far, so to the extent this exercise should be provocative, you succeeded in spades).

I also mean to cause no discomfort, and I don't hate the mix at all. Plus, I know from experience that themed mixes are a helluva lot more difficult to compile than an un-themed melange--especially covers-only mixes.

Cheers!

PS: based on the style/taste issue, I imagine you'll savage quite a bit of what I've sent your way :D

I figured the inclusion of the Mandy Moore track was tongue in cheek anyways. I want to like a Mandy song because she's so ridiculously hot. But her delivery is too delicate. She sings like my mom.

I have a different mix also.

1. The Winstons - Amen Brother 4/5

Good opener. I like it when bands take a gospel song and funk it up a bit. I like the punchy horns and driving percussion especially.

2. Joseph Henry - Who's the King (You Know that's Me)3.5/5

Sounds a bit like early James Brown. The band's tight. Almost any other genre of music and I'd be complaining that the lyrics are pretty weak but in funk & soul can get away with it. I'm grading on a curve here or everything would be 4's and 5's.

3. Rex Garvin - I Gotta Go Now (Up on the Floor) 4/5

I like it, and its probably the best track so far. Strong pop sensibility to it. I'm beginining to see though that the sweet spot in soul for you is the more pop oriented soul that was more predominant in the 60's where I prefer the dirtier and funkier or jazz infused soul of the 70's.

4. Carla Thomas - I'll Never Stop Loving You 3/5

Again, this one is graded on a curve. I'd rather listen to this than 90% of the songs on any of the indie rock mixes. She's got a nice voice, the song just doesn't stand out from hundreds of other 60's soul singles.

5. Alice Clark - You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt)5/5

This is the first song I knew. I love Alice. She's very underrated. Great voice with some orchestral effects. Best song so far.

6. Jean Wells - With My Love and What You Got (We Could Turn the World Around) 3.5/5

Same comments as the Carla Thomas song. Graded on a curve again. I'm not crazy about the horns. I still like it though.

7. Diane Newby - What You're Putting me Through 4/5

I like it, very catchy. I own a Supremes box set but little else of this kind of soul. If I have a complaint about this song its that it sounds like so many other similar 60's soul songs. Granted its good, but nothing really separates it from hundreds of other great songs from the period.

8. Ruby Andrews - You Made A Believer Out of Me 4.5/5

One of the better tracks. I'm a big fan of hers. Her voice has a lot of inner strength and character. It commands attention.

9. Doris Duke - I'm the Other Woman 5/5

Ok, this is really good. A standout track. I don't know what attracts me to these "other women" type songs but its a common theme in soul and I tend to like 'em. Someone put out a comp of the recently. What's this from? I'd be interested in hearing more.

10. Bill Brandon - Rainbow Road 4/5

Very understated instrumentation and nice change thematically...I was ready for something other than another troubled love song.

11. William Bell - I'll Show You 5/5

He's a legend or if he's not, he should be. This is a really great song and the first time I've heard it. I only have "Soul of a Bell" and "Best of" What's this off of?

12. Paul Kelly - The Day After Forever 3.5/5

I like it when the guitar parts or piano comes in. I like listening to it, but it doesn't really leave a strong last impression.

13. Darondo - Didn't I 4.5/5

I was curious about this. I saw Stones Throw reissued this but hadn't heard it yet. Its in my saved for later folder on emusic. This song will bump it up the queue. What do you think of the album as a whole?

14. Sam Hawkins - Hold On Baby 5/5

I'm enjoying this song alot...You've gotten into a nice groove the last 5-6 songs. I'm not sure that all the songs are the best in the mix but the flow is better. I think some of the songs while good to very good earlier in the mix tended to blend too much together.

15. Eddie Floyd - Big Bird 3.5/5

I like it a lot initially but I get tired of it by the end of the song

16. Rosie & the Originals - Give Me Love 3.5/5

Bluesy...nice change of pace, but its not one of the stronger songs on the mix.

17. Garnet Mimms - As Long as I Have you 3/5

Not grabbing me...

18. Jamo Thomas - I Spy 4.5/5

A classic.

19. Show Stoppers - Ain't Nothing But A House Party 3/5

Its ok but not really a standout, made all the more clear by having to follow I Spy.

20. Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I do)2.5/5

I don't mind it but it elicits little reaction and that can't be good. Maybe the weakest track so far.

21. Bobby Freeman -C'mon and Swim 4/5

I like everything about this song but the horns which seem to be a little too much.

22. Bobby Moore - Chained To Your Heart 4.5/5

Nice harmonies

23. Bill Coday - I'm Back to Collect - 4.5/5

Nice subtle groove here. I like the song more and more as it builds. I wish the horns were less prominent...I think it would make the groove a little stronger.

24. O.V. Wright - That's how strong my love is 4/5

Another Soul great. Not one of my favorites by him but he's great.


25. Charles May & Annette May Thomas - Keep My Baby Warm 5/5

I really like this...one of the strongest tracks on the album and a great finisher.


The sweet spots of our respective tastes in soul is clearly different. You really seem to prefer the 60's soul with strong pop sensibility where I like prefer the dirtier, gritier, funkier and more jazz infused soul of the 70's. That said, I like most of this mix and a lot of it is new to me.

you hit the nail on the head here. i grew up listening to soul compilations that my dad had. and he's not really into music, so it draws heavily from the mid/late-60s charts. when i started getting serious about searching out soul music, i dove right into the more pop-oriented soul that i'd grown up hearing, even though it was nearly 20 years past its peak then. i'm starting to get into the 70s funk and jazz that i think you say you prefer, but i'm still really skimming its top and just know the basics like roy ayers and the ilk.


when i was listening to this mix before sending it out, i did realize that a lot of songs, especially the ones with female vocals, didn't have much distinguishing them from the others, so it ran together a little too much. i thought it flowed well, though.


these are two of my favorite soul songs ever - probably in my top 10. neither singer's voice is technically great, but the story shines through with both. the doris duke song can be most easily found on a new compilation from kent - i'm a loser: the swamp dogg sessions. i'd definitely recommend it. her 1970 i'm a loser is a southern soul gem and i think the compilation has almost every song from it and its successor. (i've seen it at dusty groove.)


this is from the complete stax-volt singles: 1959-1968.


unfortunately, i haven't heard the whole album - just 2-3 songs. they're all alright. "didn't i" and "let me people go" are my faves.


interesting thing about this is it's the opener from the album that i borrowed it from. it'd probably work anywhere, though.


thanks for your kind words. i only made two copies of this mix for the exchange, so i was pretty anxious to hear what you (and hopefully the other person) thought of it.

i used to do a radio show in college with my goal being to have everyone listening love and hate at least one song. i guess i've carried that mentality over to my mixes.

1. Pale Saints - A Revelation
This has got to be the worst piece of crap I’ve heard in years. It’s a brutal way to start a mix.
OPA! RATING: 1.0 (…out of 10)

2. The Equals - Diversion
This is decent for what it is. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable. Yet again, it tends to get annoying after several listens.
OPA! RATING: 4.5

3. The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine, and You, You Need to be Nicer
Decent but again, isn’t blowing me away. The vocals are purdy though.
OPA! RATING: 5.0

4. Frank & Walters - This is Not a Song
I may have liked this in oh…about 15 years ago. Very outdated and doesn’t quite hold my interest. Good try though.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

5. Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back
You’re kidding me, right? This mix is having a negative effect on me.
OPA! RATING: 3.5

6. Connells - 74-75
This one borders on guilty pleasure territory. The vocals are purdy once again but it’s making me cringe a little. That can’t be good.
OPA! RATING: 5.0

7. Cracklin' Moth - Special
Ugh. There’s absolutely nothing special about this song. In fact, so many other bands do this sort of thing soooo much better.
OPA! RATING: 3.0

8. The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup in your Happiness
OK, here we go, a song I like. It’s actually quite a grower. Nice melody and the vocals are cool.
OPA! RATING: 6.0

9. Sing-Sing - Come Sing me a Song
Ugh. Why are you torturing me?
OPA! RATING: 3.5

10. Tiger Lou - Sell Out
Tiger Lou sounds like he should be on MTV, no, actually he’s better suited for VH1. This is brutal.
OPA! RATING: 1.5

11. Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives
This is alright I suppose but anything would sound decent after that travesty that I listened to. Still, it’s a little too cheesy.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

12. The Guillemots - Trains to Brazil
Finally!!! This I like a lot. Very good and intense.
OPA! RATING: 6.5

13. Head Set - Bonnie & Clyde
Whoa, the singer sounds like the guy from the Walkmen. Eerie. I actually like this a lot. Very solid.
OPA! RATING: 7.0

14. Death from Above 1979 - Black History Month
I like DFA but please spare the 10,000th remix of this song. It’s OK, but somehow feels out of place on this mix.
OPA! RATING: 5.0

15. Gustavo Cerati - Naci Para Esto
I’m a huuuuuge fan of international music but this is absolute crap. In fact, I’m offended by how bad this song is. He sounds like Café Tacuba so he should do real well in the U.S.
OPA! RATING: 1.5

16. Jon Brion - Monday
Hmmm, this is intriguing. I wouldn’t mind listening to a whole album.
OPA! RATING: 5.5

17. Autumn Defense - You Know Where I Live
Uhhh, no. Too sappy for me. I don’t mind some twee in my life but this isn’t good enough.
OPA! RATING: 3.5

18. The Howling Hex - Apache Energy Plan
Am I on Candid Radio? Seriously, I don’t get it. I feel like pulling my hair out.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

19. Digger & the Pussycats - Sergi
I guess this is punk music. I’ll pass.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

20. The New Rags - Your Room
I feel delirious right about now. This sort of music does nothing for me.
OPA! RATING: 3.5

21. Hong Kong - Galaxies
There’s a reason why I haven’t heard of these bands. They suck. Just awful.
OPA! RATING: 3.0

22. The Seahorses - Love is the Law
Oh geez…Z hasn’t tortured me enough, he just had to end the mix with an 8-minute song. An 8-minute song that’s not that good.
OPA! RATING: 2.5

Mercy!

I hate to be cruel, Z, and it’s nothing personal but this mix was a project just to listen to. I felt that most of the bands on the mix were outdated. It’s a retro mix, yes, but not in a good way. Perhaps, if I had listened to this in the early 90’s, my opinion would’ve been quite different, but with all the amazing music out there these days, it seems you’ve chosen stuff that hasn’t aged well, especially stuff like the Jellyfish and Frank & Walters.

I appreciate the mix and I feel awful for killing it but…

OPA! RATING: 3.95 (…out of 10)



So far...

So Real - 18 For The Obners
5.50

FT - ...Sheriff Lobo...
5.18

Z
3.95

i don't get it. sixteen of those songs were released in the last four years.

that was really the first review where i didn't give a fuck about the rating(s). and, yes, i am kidding you.

i recall lightning struck itself

futureheads - hounds of love i've probably heard this song hundreds of times in the last year or two and it's still fucking awesome. great start to the mix. 5/5

idlewild - i found that essence rare i haven't heard this before. it's a good, if slightly generic, cover. 4/5

my bloody valentine - map ref 41'n 93'w i don't like MBV at all, but this song is alright, so i guess the first part of that last statement is moot. 3/5

arcade fire - this must be the place (naive melody) i like arcade fire but his vocals on this song are oh so annoying. the music is good though. 2/5

brad mehldau trio - she's leaving home this is music to fall asleep to. not digging it. and like billz said it doesn't end. 0/5

nick cave - disco 2000 not a big nick cave fan but i like this. i'm sure i'd like more of his stuff but he's just one of those guys i've passed by. 3/5

elbow - teardrop i dunno about this. great song but it just sounds a bit off. i'll stick to the original. 2/5

manic street preachers - out of time this is cool. the strings and backing vocals make it for me. 4/5

delgados - mr. blue sky ugh. they ruined the chorus. someone else did a cover of this that i like more but i can't remember who it is at the moment. only thing that keeps this from being a 0 is that it's the delgados. 1/5

mandy moore - senses working overtime okay she's really hot but this song is just shit. it reached it's low point 5 seconds into the song (nice scratching ) 0/5

marc almond & the royal philharmonic orchestra - paint it black i like what he's trying to do but it doesn't really work for me. it sounds like it's from a musical or something. 2/5

scala choir & kolacny brothers - sexy boy not as good as the original but light years better than franz ferdinand's cover. 3/5

kronos quartet - marquee moon B O R I N G. sorry but kind of jazzy stuff like this makes me zone out immediately. 0/5

cesaria evora & marisa monte - e doce morrer no mar probably the weirdest choice song to put on the mix. it really doesn't sound like anything else on the mix. i like it though and seeing as how when i make mixes for myself i have weird transitions from song to song this isn't that shocking. 3/5

marvin gaye - sunny marvin gaye isn't my favorite r&b/soul dude but this song kicks ass. 5/5

al green - i want to hold your hand excellent ending to the mix. can't go wrong with some r&b. 4/5


i think that this mix was all cover versions made it easier to listen to. there was some crap that i'd never listen to again but about half the mix was pretty good to great. i'll give it a 3.5

1. "A Revelation" - Pale Saints
This sounds like a rather sedate high school marching band.

2. "Diversion" - Equals
Great guitar sound on this one. The vocals sound straight out of some foreign '70s band, like Blue Swede or their ilk. Works for me.

3. "I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to Be Nicer" - The Cardigans
A lot going on here, but it's all good. I really dig that opening. The singer's got a very sweet voice. This is kind of like a much more rockin' version of Sixpence None The Richer. Best track so far.

4. "This is Not a Song" - Frank & Walters
This is pretty innocuous overall, but it doesn't ever really grab me. Not bad, and probably even on the high end of meh.

5. "Baby's Coming Back" - Jellyfish
Very similar to Linus of Hollywood and Mark Bacino. Pure pop goodness. Handclaps always do the trick.

6. "74-75" - The Connells
Reminds me of early Big Head Todd and The Monsters, like "Bittersweet." Thumbs up.

7. "Special" - Cracklin Moth
Love the twang on this one. I could very easily hear mcaputo and Belleville playing this song, and that means it's good, 'cause those boys don't do no crap. I'd rank this right up with The Cardigans for best track on the mix to this point.

8. "A Hiccup in Your Happiness" - The Lucksmiths
Little bit of a Luna vibe here. The horns are a nice touch. The guy's vocals inch a little too close to Morrisey at times, but I like everything else about this track.

9. "Come, Sing Me a Song" - Sing-Sing
Good Lord, does the opening of this ever sound EXACTLY like "Take Your Mama" by Scissor Sisters! The rest of the song doesn't play out that way, though. This is solid enough to stand on its own, and perhaps even take on Attica and Riker's Island in a battle of the bands.

10. "Sell Out" - Tiger Lou
Something about this isn't doing it for me. I should like the harmonies, but I just can't get into 'em. Jackopierce used to do this sort of thing a lot better.

11. "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" - Voxtrot
I really like this one a lot. Very melodic throughout, while steadily propelled forward. There's a definite edge to this that really puts it over the top.

12. "Trains to Brazil" - The Guillemots
This is a bit Belle and Sebastianish. Not quite up to the level of the inspiration, but a decent doppleganger, nonetheless. Besides, hasn't it already been proven that it's better to take jets to Brazil?

13. "Bonnie & Clyde" - The Head Set
This is like a better version of The Walkmen. I dig this! Not as gratuitously sparce as The Walkmen, and the singer doesn't gratuitously wail at every opportunity, either. I'd like to hear more from these guys.

14. "Black History Month (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Remix)" - Death From Above 1979
Clever lyrics, but the rest is very pedestrian indie dance music.

15. "Naci Para Esto" - Gustavo Cerati
This guy isn't QUITE the latin John Mayer, but he's close enough for me to have at least considered making such a comparison. He's not bad; just a little too slick and glossy. Roughen up the edges a tad, and he'll be onto something.

16. "Monday" - Jon Brion
To me, he's kind of like the Indie Burt Bacharach. Plays, write, arranges and produces. Has an extremely identifiable sound, and is in great demand among a wide array of artists. Yeah, he's good, and so is this.

17. "You Know Where I Live" - Autumn Defense
Isn't this a Wilco side project? This track has a similar feel and pacing to Jerry Jeff Walker's original version of "Mr. Bojangles." Do I hear harpsichord? Or is that mellotron? I always get those two confused. I think it's the one Lurch used to play on The Addams Family. Anyway, it's a nice touch here.

18. "Apache Energy Plan" - The Howling Hex
I can't ever see the word "Apache" associated with music without immediately thinking of that damn Tommy Seebach video. Thankfully, this song is much different than '70s Scandinavian disco. There's better stuff elsewhere on this mix, but there's definitely something here I find at least mildly appealing. It's almost like Buffalo Springfield playing Pavement or something. A little weird.

19. "Sergi" - Digger and The Pussycats
Who's Digger, and what has he done with Josie?!?!? Crawl space abduction notwithstanding, this is punk as fuck.

20. "Your Room" - The New Rags
Man, this has TONS of raw energy! Not only that, but I'd be much more inclined to see them in concert than The Used Rags...YUCK! This ranks up among the best tracks on the mix.

21. "Galaxies" - The Hong Kong
Are these guys The Bay City Rollers' version of Klaatu? It's a nice enough trifle.

22. "Love is the Law" - The Seahorses
This is pretty Stone Rosey, innit? Get this track to elephantstone, STAT!

There's a lot to enjoy throughout this mix, with a few misses here and there. All in all, it was definitely a worthwhile listen with exposure to quite a few previously unfamilar-to-FT artists. Based on this, I would have to promote Z all the way up to B. Well done, man!

awesome. thanks for the positive review. i made a few notes:


good call. i hadn't placed the two together, but yeah, i definitely hear it.


they have a bunch of songs up on their site. i actually heard about them because they won some battle of the bands contest that cmj sponsored a few years ago.


then you might like the band he was in before going solo, soda stereo. i ysi'd some of their songs for dnorwood after her positive review of this song. i'll hook it up when i get home.


yeah, this is a john stirratt/pat sansone project. and i have no idea what instruments are used either.


this was actually john squire's band after stone roses. it does kinda sound like he hasn't let go yet.