Friday, May 09, 2008

Friday Muxtape, no. 2

Before I get into the music: a moment of silence for Eddy Arnold -- the kick-off artist on last week's muxtape (which you can still get here -- I'll be switching off on my two muxtape sites every other week). Arnold was one of (if not the) best-selling country artist of all time, and he passed away yesterday, just shy of 90 years old. RIP.

Anyway, here's some of what's been tickling my ears this week:

1. Prokofiev: "Romeo and Juliet."

2. Roger Daltrey & the LSO: "I'm Free." (This one is for Alex, by the way. Back when I was in school, "I'm Free" was the tune I always sang to myself the minute I had finished with my last final of the semester.)

3. The Challengers: "Lanky Bones." (Did I ever tell you that I love surf rock? No?! Well, let me tell you now: I love surf rock.)

4. Willie Brown: "Future Blues."

5. Charles Wright and the 103rd Watts Street Rhythm Band: "65 Bars and a Taste of Soul."

6. Industrial Jazz Group: "Skeeter Goes Legit." (The obligatory shameless self-promo track. This one is from our first album, Hardcore.)

7. Charming Hostess: "Two Boys."

8. Manhattan Brothers: "Marie."

9. LEMUR GuitarBot: "Emergencybot." (That's right. It's a guitar-playing robot -- from the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, of course.)

10. John Vanderslice: "White Dove." (Here's where the mix starts getting all rocky and poppy and stuff. Sorry.)

11. CPeX: "Vindegij Mijn Gat." (CPeX: not the "Center for Planning Excellence," but "The Clement Peerens Explosition.") According to Sven at And the Ass Saw the Angel, "The Clement Peerens Explosition started as a joke by the men who made a hilarious radio comedy show, Het leugenpaleis, on Studio Brussel." Sounds like my kind of project.)

12. Badfinger: "Baby Blue." (These days I seem to enjoy the bands that ripped off the Beatles more than I enjoy the Beatles themselves. How's that for irony?)


And there you go.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am loving these muxtapes -- thank you SO much for making them and making my Fridays happy. :-)

For some really fun surf music with a side of delicious kitsch, check out Meshuggah Beach Party. Saw them live at a tiki bar in Alameda (right after the March tour) and fell totally in love. (Who knew that Hava Nagila translates so perfectly to surf rock?)

Anonymous said...

It's weird listening to Badfinger, because their music seems is so happy, but I can't help thinking of their story, which is really really really really depressing.

Andrew Durkin said...

Thanks for the comments!

Jill --

It's a blast to put the mixes together, and I'm thrilled that you're digging 'em! And thanks for the tip on MBP. To answer your last question: Dick Dale, of course!

gdg --

Yeah, I had forgotten how tawdry and grim that whole Badfinger denouement was. Sure puts everything in perspective...