feel my heat - mix for the obners

2. Frank Lenz - The Hot Stuff - this seems to straddle a fine line between absolute cheese and acceptable guilty pleasure. those horns? the guitars? the high vocals? it's alright.
3. Viva Loce - Lesson No. 1 - this sounds like veruca salt. i like the vocals. the music's not really going anywhere, but it stays short instead of going way too long.
4. Fleming & John - Sssh! - at first, i kinda liked it and then it lost me as it went on. the drums stand out for me, as does whatever's reminding me of indian music. the vocals are mixed too high and not my thing.
5. Poor Old Lu - Revolve - the music isn't so bad, but the vocals and lyrics remind me of something i'd hear alongside creed or nickelback on the radio.
6. Starflyer 59 - Unlucky - this is very reminiscent of a jesus & mary chain or black rebel motorcycle club sound. it's not bad. i like it.
7. Kings of Leon - Four Kicks - i like this quite a bit, sounds like the white stripes and black crowes collaborated. and then it just gets a little more southern rocky, but still pretty cool.
8. 16 Horsepower - My Narrow Mind - this is alright. the vocals are a bit out of my territory. the music is decent for awhile.
9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo - the flute is unexpected. this is a pretty typical song apart from it. i like the vocals and the guitars.
10. The 77s - You Walked in the Room - this sounds a little dated. the vocals remind me someone else. i can't place it. this is decent. uh, okay, i get it... "you walked in the room." okay...
11. Orange Peels - Back in San Francisco - again, sounds a little dated. not too bad. a little better than the last one.
12. The Lassie Foundation - this sounds like the last two. it's pretty good, maybe goes on a bit too long.
13. The Elected - 7th September 2003 - uh, whoa? big change? oh... back to the flow. this sounds like the elected. (edit: now i know why.) the pedal steel is a little too prominent, but it's also one of my favorite instruments. this is an all right song.
14. The Choir - Shiny Floor - i like the fuzzed guitars. and the female vocals are cool when they come in.
15. Midlake - Kingfish Pies - eh, this is okay. it worked well as a nice transition from the last song. it just sounds like it needs a little extra something.
16. Headphones - Shit Talker - i don't care for this. the vocals nor the music is to my liking. it's a little whiney and boring.
17. All Things Bright & Beautiful - 3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding - this is fine, not really getting a reaction out of me either way.
18. Ester Drang - Oceans of You - dragging along at this point... can't get into this.
19. Adam Again - River on Fire - this sounds a little like michael stipe. very sparse, a little dull.
20. Richard Swift - Looking Back, I Should Been Home More - i kinda like this. the vocals are alright, but the lyrics are a little lame. the music's pretty nice.
21. Damien Jurado - Desert - this is along the same lines. i like it.
22. Mike Knott - Double - i like this, too. i think it works well as a closer.

this was all over, in regard to how much i liked it. there was that 3-song stretch at the end that i enjoyed preceded by a bunch that i didn't, then a handful before that they were all alright. i've disliked kings of leon for a long time, but i may need to check them out now or only listen to one song at a time by them. overall, i liked it in phases.

Thanks Z!

I can see where you're coming from with your lyrical critique for poor old lu. I used to listen to them a lot in the early/mid 90s...not so much now. I never viewed them as pretentious as Creed but there's a definitely a Christian based theme there. For "useless trivia" buffs...Jeremy Enigk used to be in an earlier incarnation of p.o.l.

After I further reviewed my mix I decided that it got too slow towards the end....which certainly wasn't a pre-requisite to mailing them all out. In retrospect I should have just truncated a few slow songs and trimmed it down to 18 or so songs. Sorry.

2. Frank Lenz - The Hot Stuff 3* This has pretty nifty groove going for it, the whispering nature to the vox works for me as well, unitll it hits the Bee Gee's circa 1978 register.

3. Viva Loce - Lesson No. 1 3* The guitar is pleasantly sleepy, which makes the song for me. Add the vocals and I'm reminded a bit of Lucious Jackson.

4. Fleming & John - Sssh! 3* I really, really like the music, which sounds like it could have been provided by Secret Machines. The singer's voice is annoying though.

5. Poor Old Lu - Revolve 2* This one's blah.

6. Starflyer 59 - Unlucky 4* Nice T-Rex-ish slop groove on this one. I like it.

7. Kings Of Leon - Four Kicks 2* Not sure what these guys are trying to achieve, it's not my bag.

8. 16 Horsepower - My Narrow Mind 3* This comes off much better than the previous track.

9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo 3* This reminds of a cross between Donovan and a soft drink commercial. The guitar carries the day here.

10. The 77s - You Walked in the Room 4* Wow, this sounds like something Julian Cope should have recorded. Very nice even if a touch on the long side.

11. Orange Peels - Back in San Francisco 3* The guitars in the opening remind a lot of The Monochrome Set to great effect. The singing, however, is only so-so.

12. The Lassie Foundation - All Together Now 3* This one's got a nifty psychedelic feel to it, but gets quite repetitive.

13. The Elected - 7th September 2003 2* The intro is an absolute mess, once the song kicks in, the guitars sound pretty good. Now, if only the vocals weren't trying to be Simon and Garfunkle.

14. The Choir - Shiny Floor 2* Dull, fuzzy, and repititive. Not my thing. The vocal break didn't help matters.

15. Midlake - Kingfish Pies 2* Not much going on here, either.

16. Headphones - Shit Talker 2* It's a ribald church processional. Does little for me.

17. All Things Bright & Beautiful - 3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding 3* This is picking it up a bit. The guitars get nice and lush, without losing their nice twang.

18. Ester Drang - Oceans of You 2* Quite slow and mopey when they sound like they were trying for brooding.

19. Adam Again - River on Fire 2* Not a fan.

20. Richard Swift - Looking Back, I Should Been Home More 2* This one is better than the last two, but still not resonating with me.

21. Damien Jurado - Desert 2* This one is better still, although the mix seems to have hit a rut here towards the end.

22. Mike Knott - Double 3* This one is the best vocal/acoustic combo on the mix--probably because the lyrics paint an effective/interesting picture. It also creates an effective closing/wind-down move.

Decent mix, some stuff I really liked and will look to pick up. Thanks!!

hah Thanks Billz!

Yeah, as I posted earlier...I admit there are too many slow songs that bog the mix down towards the end. Could have left a few off. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

I think I picked the wrong Adam Again song...I always regarded "River on Fire" as a great lost R.E.M. track. But I'm quickly realizing that people tend to prefer upbeat stuff here. Think I probably should have included one of their agressive dark alterna-funk/rock tracks, which is what they are known for...not coma-inducing ballads.

Naked - Feel My Heat

1. John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg - (Intro) Feel the Heat. Pretty funny. N/A
2. Frank Lenz - The Hot Stuff. Maybe it's because of the intro and the Boogie Nights theme, but this song makes me feel icky. Not really in a good way. 2/5
3. Viva Voce - Lesson No. 1. This is OK. Nothing remarkable, but it's pleasantly catchy. 3/5
4. Fleming & John - SSSH! …No, really. Sssh. 1/5
5. Poor Old Lu - Revolve. Really not liking this one either. It's that early-to-mid-'90s bombastic pop/rock thing or something like it. I just can't get into it at all. 1/5
6. Starflyer 59 - Unlucky. This is a lot better. It still isn't my thing, but I can deal with it. Those last two were borderline cringe-inducing for me. 3/5
7. Kings of Leon - Four Kicks. A buddy of mine has been pushing this band pretty hard (not to mention the decent amount of Obner love they get). This isn't bad at all, but I'm not really itching to hear more. 3/5
8. 16 Horsepower - My Narrow Mind. This is pretty cool. Best song on the mix so far, but the country affectations seem just a little too put-on. 3/5
9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo. I think this is the 2nd BJM song I've heard, and the first studio recording. Well, based on just these two, I'd say they sound better live, but not a lot. They seem like an OK band. 3/5
10. The 77s - You Walked in the Room (1986 demo). Sounds a bit like Echo & The Bunnymen. This is decent. 3/5
11. Orange Peels - Back in San Francisco. Not getting anything from this. It's breezy and pleasant, but not making any real impression. 2/5
12. The Lassie Foundation - All Together Now. Kinda like the previous song. 2/5
13. The Elected - 7th September 2003. I like the slide guitar a lot, and this reminds me a little of Sparklehorse (good) with a hint of Bright Eyes (not necessarily good or bad). It's pretty straightforward and unoriginal and all, but it's really well done. 4/5
14. The Choir - Shiny Floor. Eh, there're other things he should be worried about. A fun song at first, but it comes dangerously close to wearing out its welcome before it ends. 3/5
15. Midlake - Kingfish Pies. Hey, this is really cool. Dude sounds a little bit like Thom Yorke, but not too much. Nice arrangement and some neat lyrics in there, too. 4/5
16. Headphones - Shit Talker. I don't like this quite as much as the other Headphones song(s) I've heard, but it's still pretty good. Will have to look into him/them. 3/5
17. All Things Bright & Beautiful - 3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding. Eh, not big on this one, kinda like tracks 11 & 12. 2/5
18. Ester Drang - Oceans of You. This is nice and a little sad. There's a touch of MMJ in there or something. 3/5
19. Adam Again - River on Fire. There's a healthy amount of R.E.M. in this one, but this guy could teach Stipe a thing or two about restraint. Another nice downer. 3/5
20. Richard Swift - Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More. This is a good stretch of songs here aside from track 17, and this one might be my favorite from the whole mix. I'd like to hear more by this guy. 4/5
21. Damien Jurado - Desert. I haven't much from this guy, but I really like this song. I'm generally more in favor of keeping things stripped down like this, and this is a good enough song to benefit from it. 4/5
22. Mike Knott - Double. Not as strong as the previous few. Makes for a fitting closer to a really strong run of sad songs, though. I really enjoyed the second half of this mix. 3/5

Overall:

Flow - 3/5. There were maybe one or two odd transitions, but overall this held together pretty well. I didn't care much for the first half, but the weaker songs in the middle really helped transition into the stronger second half.
Surprises - 4/5. A lot of stuff I'm not familiar with, and a few - The Elected, Midlake, Richard Swift, and Damien Jurado - that I should look into further.
Artwork - 3/5. Pretty funny.
Song Quality - 3/5

Final Score: 3/5

There's some great stuff on here, and it's one of the better mixes overall. Thanks!

Thanks Drinky!

Good to know the second half of my mix isn't going to be universally panned! 8)

Sorry you weren't feelin' F&J. That's actually one of Fleming's more "tame" vocal performances. Being operatically trained, she loves to shift from low notes to high notes with little warning...making her quite the acquired taste. But some folks just find her grating all around. Damn near got kicked out of my parents' house one day back in '95 for playing them too loud.

1. John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg - (Intro) Feel the Heat
One of the few non-music intros that add to the mix. Nice touch.
OPA! RATING: N/A

2. Frank Lenz - The Hot Stuff
I reeeeeally like this. It borders on guilty pleasure I suppose but it keeps growing on me. Nice start to the mix.
OPA! RATING: 7.0

3. Viva Voce - Lesson No. 1
I can’t explain it but this song makes me feel comfortable. It puts me in a good mood.
OPA! RATING: 6.0

4. Fleming & John - SSSH!
Ugh. What is this? This is crap and that voice is making me cringe. Awful.
OPA! RATING: 2.0

5. Poor Old Lu – Revolve
And the crap continues. This is getting ugly. Two God awful songs in a row.
OPA! RATING: 2.5

6. Starflyer 59 - Unlucky
For some reason, this is making me feel naughty. I don’t really like this sort of thing but I suppose it’s OK.
OPA! RATING: 4.5

7. Kings of Leon - Four Kicks
I don’t really get the love for this band. They do nothing for me. It’s OK.
OPA! RATING: 5.0

8. 16 Horsepower - My Narrow Mind
This seems too forced to me. Is it a country song or not? I don’t get it. Either way, it sucks.
OPA! RATING: 3.0

9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo
OK, we’re back. I like this. It’s not one of their best but it’s much better than the crap that preceded it. Hopefully, the mix gets better and this isn’t just a tease.
OPA! RATING: 6.0

10. The 77s - You Walked in the Room (1986 demo)
Bingo, we have a winner. This is really growing on me. A nice little song. It does sound a bit like Echo & The Bunnymen. Very nice.
OPA! RATING: 7.0

11. Orange Peels - Back in San Francisco
This is alright. It’s not terrible but it’s not make an impression either.
OPA! RATING: 5.0

12. The Lassie Foundation - All Together Now
This one I don’t like. It sounds like a cheap imitation of the song before it. I’ll pass.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

13. The Elected - 7th September 2003
There’s something about this song that’s quite infectious. I love it. One of the best on the mix.
OPA! RATING: 7.5

14. The Choir - Shiny Floor
The vocals are a little too emo for me but I’m liking it. It’s a nice little compliment to the song before it. The mix is really getting good now. Hope it continues.
OPA! RATING: 6.0

15. Midlake - Kingfish Pies
Best song on the mix. I love love love it. Excellent. The vocals sort of remind me of Clinic. Very cool.
OPA! RATING: 8.0

16. Headphones - Shit Talker
This is the second Headphones I’ve listened and although, I didn’t like the first one, this one’s not bad. The vocals still don’t do much for me but it’s a nice melody with good music. The mix is really hitting it’s stride now.
OPA! RATING: 6.5

17. All Things Bright & Beautiful - 3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding
This is what The Frames should sound like: noisy and unpretentious. I really like this. I’m a very happy man.
OPA! RATING: 7.0

18. Ester Drang - Oceans of You
I’m not too crazy about this one. It’s too long and boring.
OPA! RATING: 3.5

19. Adam Again - River on Fire
This definitely sounds like REM. I like it but I would’ve liked more if it wasn’t over 5 minutes long.
OPA! RATING: 4.5

20. Richard Swift - Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More
This has a retro feel to it. Nice but nothing too exciting.
OPA! RATING: 4.0

21. Damien Jurado - Desert
I love this song. It’s very simple but beautifully sung by Jurado. Very heartfelt.
OPA! RATING: 7.0

22. Mike Knott - Double
A prefect ending to the mix. Very similar to Jurado in it’s stripped down approach. Great ending.
OPA! RATING: 6.5

Something interesting happened midway through this mix. It got good. It started off really well but there were quite a few cringe-worthy moments between songs 4 through 8. But after that, the mix seemed to fall into place. The best part of mix were songs 13 through 18. Solid and very well put together.

Overall a solid effort but it seemed as if Kit didn’t know what theme to work on until track 9. But still a rather good effort.

Thanks Kit.

OPA! RATING: 5.36


So far...

Red – Mix #2
5.57

So Real - 18 For The Obners
5.50

Naked – Feel My Heat
5.36

FT - Mister, We Could Sure Use A Man Like Sheriff Lobo Again
5.18

Z
3.95

Thanks Opa for the "better than I expected" review! Again, nice to see that the second half gets some respect.

1. John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg - (intro) Feel the Heat - good idea for an opening track, always thought this was funny in a painful way. 3/5
2. Frank Lenz - The Hot Stuff - this is cool, actually... it feels like it's going in a steamy 70s kind of direction... we'll see if this is true. 4/5
3. Viva Voce - Lesson No. 1 - Never heard these guys before... this is nice! 3/5
4. Fleming & John - Sssh! - I'm not feeling this one... The woman's voice annoys me. I hate that transition from "sex kitten" to "screaming banshee/Sheryl Crow-esque" squeal. 2/5
5. Poor Old Lu - Revolve - ok, I think the last song made me irrationally cranky, because my first reaction to this one was to skip it. 2/5
6. Starflyer 59 - Unlucky - alright, this one's reviving me. I'm angry and pissed by the last two songs, and this song is giving me permission to be pissed. 4/5
7. Kings of Leon - Four Kicks - you know, I don't reallly know these guys, but the very little I've heard about them makes me not want to listen to them. The guy's voice reminds me of Chris Robinson, which is definitely a bad thing. 2/5
8. 16 Horsepower - My Narrow Mind - hmm, not my thing. 2/5
9. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Servo - isn't this one of the songs they showcased in "DiG?" I like this one, and now I can clearly hear the Dandy Warhols comparisons. 3/5
10. The 77's - You Walked in the Room (1986 demo) - I like this song, but it doesn't feel like it fits with the other songs so far. I looked up these guys on allmusic-- this is a Christian rock band? 3/5
11. Orange Peels - Back in San Francisco - I'm digging this... 4/5
12. The Lassie Foundation - All Together Now - I really like this one too. 4/5
13. The Elected - 7th September 2003 - I'm so weird when it comes to country twang in songs... sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't, and there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason with my logic. 3/5
14. The Choir - Shiny Floor - this song is okay, but nothing remarkable. 3/5
15. Midlake - Kingfish Pies - mmm, no. 1/5
16. Headphones - Shit Talker - Wouldn't know that this was the same guy that FT included on his mix, but I like the lyrics. 4/5
17. All Things Bright & Beautiful - 3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding - this one's nice. 3/5
18. Ester Drang - Oceans of You – ok, you must forgive me, as this is where I stopped when I was writing up the review, so I picked up here again to finish up. I like this, but it’s a tad depressing. If I was in a more somber mood, I might get more from it. It’s not bad though. 3/5
19. Adam Again – River on Fire – I know this might have negative connotations, but his voice reminds me of Michael Stipe. But I like this. It’s a tad long. 4/5
20. Richard Swift – Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More – I like this one. His voice is nice too. 4/5
21. Damien Jurado – Desert – I’m not really familiar with Damien Jurado’s work. On a precursory listen, this doesn’t really appeal to me. It’s weird… I like soft-spoken singer-songwriter stuff, but it all really hangs on the voice, and to me, he’s a bit too quiet and sounds like he’s singing from his throat vs. his gut. Big difference imo. 2/5
22. Mike Knott – Double – Wow, are you depressed? I like the song and the sound, but I’m ready for something upbeat! 3/5


I like many of the songs on the mix, but just felt like it was a tad disjointed and lacking a cohesive flow (I know, like I should talk). It's like with track 9, it starts to flow through track 12, and then we veer into country-ish territory. By the end I was ready to nap… and I don’t mean that in a spiteful way… it just got a bit too quiet. Nappish. 3/5

Thanks dnorwood! I actually put those specific 16 HP, Brian Jonestown, and 77s songs back to back because the verses are kind of interchangeable if you listen closely and adjust the tempos appropriately.

Christian rock band....that term can be used very loosely for them. They never seemed to carry the CCM torch proudly, nor did they ever really have a connection with that audience as a whole. Their live show has never been geared towards evangelism. So Christian rock band? Maybe. But think U2 or SDRE.

1. "(Intro) Feel The Heat" - John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg
This is light years better than Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch, but falls a bit short of "Mr. Cellophane." Clever mix opener.

2. "The Hot Stuff" - Frank Lenz
Smooth transition from the first track. Very, very funky groove. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't know where I've heard of him before. But if the rest of his stuff is like this, I need to find out STAT! This is outstanding!!!

3. "Lesson No. 1" - Viva Voce
Elastic opening riff? Check. Handclaps? Check. Seductive Britta-Dean-style vocal interplay? Check. This mix is batting 1.000 so far.

4. "Sssh!" - Fleming & John
This has a real Phil Spector girl group retro production sound to it, at least throughout the opening. It's pretty good, though some of the lyrics are a bit silly ("You and me sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.").

5. "Revolve" - Poor Old Lu
This reeks of the early '90s. It's a bit like Live, but with less annoying vocals. I'm guessing I might like some of their other stuff. I can tell they've got potential, but this one just sounds too dated.

6. "Unlucky" - Starflyer 59
Wow, I was expecting fey, based on what I THOUGHT these guys sounded like. This is anything BUT. It's much more rockin'. Rockin' is good.

7. "Four Kicks" - Kings of Leon
First track -- actually first ARTIST -- so far on this disc that I've actually heard before. I LOVE these guys, and this is one of their best songs. OPEN QUAL!!!

8. "My Narrow Mind" - 16 Horsepower
90% of everything I've ever heard by these guys has been seriously dark and slow, but this is much more catchy and upbeat than I'm used to hearing from them. The great thing about this track is the lyrics are still heavy, even though the music isn't.

9. "Servo" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Congrats, Naked...you have officially popped my BJM cherry. That's right, this is the first time I've EVER heard ANYTHING by BJM. Based on all the descriptions I've heard about them, I was expecting something much more insane and noisy. This is simply very pleasant '60s-tinged Brit pop. Certainly better than all the Dandy Warhols songs I've ever heard. Dig?

10. "You Walked in the Room (1986 Demo)" - The 77s
The levels are way low and the production is VERY dated to the mid/late-'80s, but the song itself ain't bad. More than a little reminiscent of Midnight Oil, at least to my ears.

11. "Back in San Francisco" - The Orange Peels
Great to see The Peels get some Ob-love! I've been into these guys since way back before I even joined the old CMJ BB. This was the first album of theirs I owned, and this is one of the standout tracks. Allen Clapp is good people, too.

12. "All Together Now" - The Lassie Foundation
Goes down clean, goes down smooth. Kind of like a high-end lite beer. This is something that's decent enough to keep me from hitting the skip button, but probably not quite solid enough for me to specifically seek out on its own.

13. "7th September 2003" - The Elected
Not crazy about that glitch-opera opening, but things settle in nicely once the twang surfaces. There are some similarities to M. Ward here. I quite like M. Ward, and these folk compare favorably. Outside of that teddible opening, this may be one of my fav tracks on the mix so far.

14. "Shiny Floor" - The Choir
I liked it OK until the synth kicked in. This doesn't just flat-out suck, but it's probably one of the weaker tracks on the mix up to this point. Boy, and that ending is awful!

15. "Kingfish Pies" - Midlake
Dalen recently hooked me up with an advance of Van Occupanther, which was my first exposure to them, and it's fantastic. Based on this track, I'd say they've gotten a good deal better with age. This song just never really goes anywhere. This is a little too Grandaddy for my liking.

16. "Shit Talker" - Headphones
This is a wildly uneven album. The good stuff is great; the weak stuff is shit. This song has "shit" in the title, but I wouldn't put it in the "shit" category. It's probably one of the only songs on the album that is neither great nor shit, though i would say I like it more than I don't. (For purposes of clarification, I'm referring to the Headphones album being wildly uneven, not this mix by Naked.)

17. "3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding" - All Things Bright & Beautiful
This scratches me right where I itch. Love the guitar sound. The drumming is top notch. Sublime vocals, as well. I even dig the bass. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this song, except maybe that the title is a bit cumbersome.

18. "Oceans of You" - Ester Drang
A real ethereal vibe at work here. Good stuff. This is going to sound weird, but it's almost kind of cross between Tindersticks and Now It's Overhead. I dunno, maybe I'm offbase with that comparison. I can't quite place the influences, but this is a solid blend of sounds.

19. "River On Fire" - Adam Again
Man, this guy's voice sounds a LOT like Josh Joplin! There's some Stipeness to it, as well. Unfortunately, the song is pretty overwrought new age folk. That some really fake-sounding fire at the end. I doubt I'll be listening to Adam Again again.

20. "Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More" - Richard Swift
This sounds more like Nilsson than any non-Nilsson music I've ever heard, and I LOVE Nilsson. This is awesome, and the song title is truly inspired. Definitely one of the best songs on the mix.

21. "Desert" - Damien Jurado
I've got three of his albums and one EP, but this track isn't on any of them. It would certainly be right at home on Where Shall You Take Me?, as there's plenty of stark acoustic to be found on that one. I don't dislike any of his stuff, including this. But there are a lot of other songs by him I like better.

22. "Double" - Mike Knott
Not much here musically, but I dig the lyrics. This reminds me a little of Gary Jules, maybe some Jim White, as well. Interesting choice for a closer...it actually kind of works as such, oddly enough.

Lots of stuff here that was new to me. Some of it I have wanted to investigate for quite some time, while a lot of it was completely unknown. Any mix that can both get me caught up on stuff I've missed and turn me on to stuff I didn't even know about gets high marks. I'd have to give this one an A-. Thanks, Kit!

Thanks FT!



His first album is like this. His new one, which I have not heard yet, is apparently more reflective and moody. He is a regular member of Headphones, Starflyer 59, Pedro the Lion, Lassie Foundation, and he also handles drums on the All Things bright & Beautiful song on this mix.



haha believe it or not, you have heard SF59 and F&J before...you just might not remember. They appeared on a previous mix I did that you reviewed. For SF59 I think you called it "Wuss UK but good." Choir and 77s were on the other mix too. I may have the review somewhere actually....



This is actually out of character for them. They are normally an alterna-funk hybrid, but don't think Spin Doctors or Chili Peppers. More like a funky, darker REM. Normally when they use keys, it's usually some sort of organ...not digital keys and choir girl fills like this one. This song came out in 1992.

By the way, I'm loving the Simple Means album, Neon & Ruin.

Cool, but don't forget that it's actually Slender Means. Me and my stupid Simple Minds confusion ruined their name for all of Obner. (haha)

OMG...I sorta called you out on that earlier and now I manage to get it wrong.

1. "(Intro) Feel The Heat" - John C. Reilly & Mark Wahlberg
Not a fan of intros - way overrated. I would have started with track 2 which RULES

2. "The Hot Stuff" - Frank Lenz
Great opening song. Really cool beat. I am very interested in hearing more from this album. 5/5

3. "Lesson No. 1" - Viva Voce
Decent, catchy song. 3/5

4. "Sssh!" - Fleming & John
Not a fan of this song. When i hear this song, i think of the lead singer from 4 Non-Blondes which is not a good thing. Dumb lyrics too. 1/5

5. "Revolve" - Poor Old Lu
Cool 90s alternative radio type song. I am interested in hearing more. 4/5

6. "Unlucky" - Starflyer 59
Cool song - don't love it / don't hate it. 3/5

7. "Four Kicks" - Kings of Leon
Never liked this band. The vocals kill it for me. 2/5

8. "My Narrow Mind" - 16 Horsepower
One word: BAD. Should not have made the mix. Jittery vocals + crappy chorus = BAD. 0/5

9. "Servo" - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Its an ok mellow song. Very forgettable song. 3/5

10. "You Walked in the Room (1986 Demo)" - The 77s
Levels are too low which kills it for me when listening to this mix. Standalone - I like it. 3/5

11. "Back in San Francisco" - The Orange Peels
Poppy, catchy tune. Sounds very belle & sebastian to me. I need to hear more from them. 4/5

12. "All Together Now" - The Lassie Foundation
Cool shoegazing-esque pop song. 3/5

13. "7th September 2003" - The Elected
The twang irks me. Definite Bright Eyes influence for sure. Not really feeling it. 2/5

14. "Shiny Floor" - The Choir
Fuzzy guitars + pop goodness is a great combo. Only negative is that the chorus is a little too repetitive. 3/5

15. "Kingfish Pies" - Midlake
Lo-fi tune. Not really my bag -> due to the vocals. 3/5

16. "Shit Talker" - Headphones
I dig anything that involves David Bazan. 4/5

17. "3rd Trumpet, 4th Trumpet Sounding" - All Things Bright & Beautiful
Decent harmonies - The more i listen, the more i like it. 4/5

18. "Oceans of You" - Ester Drang
Mellow, boring - Not my thing. 2/5

19. "River On Fire" - Adam Again
Holy REM batman. Song is a tad on the lengthy side. I am interetsed in hearing more. 3.75/5

20. "Looking Back, I Should Have Been Home More" - Richard Swift
Best song on the disc. I normally don't listen to music like this. I want to hear more for sure. 5/5

21. "Desert" - Damien Jurado
Fair song. Not a huge fan. 2/5

22. "Double" - Mike Knott
I hear Gary Jules in both this song and the Jurado tune. This song is a little too quiet for me. Bad closer. 2/5


I thought this is a good mix, and its one that can be listened to alot. Even the songs that i didnt like, i don't mind them on the mix. Except for that 16 horsepower swill

Bands i will be checking out from this mix:
Frank Lenz
Richard Swift
Headphones
The Choir
Poor Old Lu

Thanks Timis! I've actually been listening to yours and will have a review up soon. I've been in Austin the past week though and didn't have your mix with me. In regards to who you said you want to check out.....

Frank Lenz

Has 2 CDs. The song on this mix comes from The Hot Stuff which is a sort of tongue in cheek freak/dance record. I haven't heard his latest CD yet, which I hear is a bit different. You may recognize him as the drummer that frequently tours with Pedro the Lion.

Richard Swift

He has some nice solo stuff. It does sound old fashioned but not all of it is as ballad heavy as the song on this mix. His first 2 releases have been re-released as a double CD combo on Secretly Canadian.

Headphones

I prefer Pedro the Lion, but the Headphones CD has some OK stuff.

The Choir

I prefer their 80s stuff. But they had some solid 90s releases. Free Flying Soul is probably the best place to start. Shiny Floor comes from their 2000 release Flap Your Wings, which in my opinion is not one of their better moments...but OK nonetheless.

Poor Old Lu

Their best stuff was released between 1993-1996. This song comes from their reunion album, The Waiting Room, released in 2002, which is far more slick than how they used to be in the 90s. In fact, this is one of 2 songs I like on it. Jeremy Enigk from SDRE was a guest vocalist on their Straight 6 EP in 1995.

cool thanks for the update - i will for sure be checking that stuff out. like i said, i really enjoyed your mix, and actually listen to it quite a bit.