All Mixed Up

"The making of a great compilation tape like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick it off with a killer to grab attention. Then you gotta take it up a notch but you don't want to blow your wad. So then you gotta cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules. "
--High Fidelity

A couple things:
Yes, I am reading this book. AGAIN. It's just unequivocally perfect at depicting the life of the brooding audiophile. Genius...

Yes, I believe that I am the master of the mixed tape (er…CD…whatever). I was born to soundtrack things. And thus, I have created a new conglomeration of perfectly chosen tracks of musical wonder, just in time to prep Jax and Caitie for our road trip. Because I know you are shaking with anticipation, I have taken some time out (of work) to detail the track list below, complete with tidbits, anecdotes, and other small thoughts about each song. It wouldn’t be Oz if a story wasn’t attached to everything now would it?

Without further ado, I present to you “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” (selections made from a larger playlist of the same title, which itself was stolen from a mixed CD of David’s)…

Track #1: The Apples in Stereo “Energy”
These Denver semi-natives brought us all a wonderful power pop album last year chock full of sunshine and lollipops, and this track never fails to leave me smiling. This fall I was doing a sixteen miler, and just as I was about to stop because my legs felt like they were going to fall off, all of a sudden Robert Schneider is telling me that “The wooooooorld is made of energy, and the woooooooorld is eeee-lec-tricity…” How could I not keep running?

Track #2: My Morning Jacket “Golden”
When watching a bunch of homemade Bonnaroo videos on youtube a year or so ago, I stumbled upon a slideshow set to this tune. I had heard the song hundreds of times before, but the magnanimous combination of my nostalgia for Bonnaroo, my obsession with soundtracking recent and pending experiences, and Jim James’s voice overwhelmed me, and I can’t stop listening to this song. It’s ideal for a road trip….the way time “just slips away.” p.s. I was at this Red Rocks show!

Track #3: Isley Brothers “Love the One You’re With”
This song could get anyone singing, provided they know a few of the words. It’s got the doo-wop vocals but the 70s funk. Might as well love the one(s) you’re with right? Well good thing I’ll be with Caitie and Jackie…

Track #4: Bop Skizzum “Down Low”
I’m testing out one of my roommates’ theories with this song. One of my favorite Skizzum songs, the vocals and the horns carry it.

Track #5: Matt Costa “Sunshine”
This year at Bonnaroo, Matt and I had some very friendly but interesting neighbors. The craziest of whom was a guy in his mid 20s from New York named Justin. A veteran who served in Afghanistan and drunkenly rambled on about an artist named Bens Fold, Justin came to Bonnaroo with some friends, and really only wanted to see Tool among a few other bands. He spent the rest of the time hanging out at their rental mini-van drinking Miller Light and tequila. Matt and I came back after the White Stripes on the final night to find Justin drunk and wearing a blue paisley skirt that he had bought for a “lady friend” but decided to keep himself. Anyway, every morning at about 7, Justin would crank up the stereo in their minivan and play this song four times in a row, or until his friends turned it off. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but picture Justin dancing in his skirt.

Track #6: Arcade Fire “Rebellion (Lies)”
Few things…if you haven’t seen Arcade Fire live, what are you waiting for? Seek out one of their shows and spend whatever you have to in order to get there. Their set at Coachella in 2005 was pure magic, and the performance of this song made an appearance in my autobiography for Fred’s class. If you want to approximate it, check out the Coachella DVD. Then I saw them at Red Rocks about a month ago. Genius. The ENERGY this nine-piecer had onstage is unreal. Oh the memories…

Track #7: Flobots “Happy Together”
You can listen to it on purevolume, and you damn well better see it performed live. In person. Not on youtube. One of the main reasons I had for turning the playlist of the same name into a condensed mix was to have this song on a CD.

Track#8: Roxette “She’s Got the Look”
Thanks to E, I am totally hooked. I love rocking out to this song, and I just picture two-drink Erin doing her dance and saying "You think the song is over don’t you?”during the bridge. One of the best karaoke performances Boulder has ever seen featured E singing lead with TBS, Jax, and me singing backup. Na na na na na…..

Track #9: CCR “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”
What is the worst that could possibly happen while listening to some Fogerty? Enough said.

Track #10: Donovan “Mellow Yellow”
I’ve been listening to a lot of Donovan lately, so I threw this song on there. Partly because I acquired some more of his material from Matt. Part of it has to do with his appearance throughout D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back which I recently watched. Part of it is because saffron was the answer to a trivia question at Old Chicago this summer. This song just fits.

Track #11: Lupe Fiasco “I Gotcha”
Every time I hear this song I end up listening to the first few beats over and over and over. The keyed intro is just so fantastic. Just wait till Jax busts some car dances out to this song. It will be incandiferous to say the least.

Track #12: Flaming Lips “Do You Realize?”
A recent Twist & Shout purchase was the new live DVD UFOs at the Zoo, and watching it triggered Bonnaroo memories. Yet another live band that no one should ever pass up, Wayne Coyne is just fantastic. This song has been on my mind ever since Beck covered it at Bonnaroo 2006. It’s ideal listening for time spent in the car with two amazing ladies.

Track #13: The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations"
I think I have stumbled upon a theme here. Eleven of the eighteen songs on this mix are by artists that I have seen in the last 5 months. Turns out live shows really do impress themselves upon me. Saw the Hold Steady at Bonnaroo on the drunk day. Yes the drunk day which features Matt almost losing everything I brought with me, me making friends with fellow fans, both of us shaking the fist of rage at a lady in the comedy tent, and cheese fries. Yeah, Boze, those cheese fries. Yum.

Track #14: Cold War Kids “Tell Me in the Morning”
I can’t stop listening to this album, and they are pretty tasty live despite my auditory problems at the Casbah performance in February. All the songs have been “thumbs up-ed” on my Pandora station entitled Radio Cold Ward Jacket Kids.

Track #15: White Stripes “We Are Going to Be Friends”
Another song off of “Let the Music Play: A Soundtrack,” the 34 page autobiography I struggled to crank out for Fred. In this chapter, I describe my nerdy love of school and what not growing up in Denver.

Track #16: Decemberists “Sons and Daughters”
The song talks about cinnamon. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The song talks about cinnamon. What more could I want?

Track #17: Daft Punk “One More Time”
Another one of the top live shows I’ve ever been to in my life. Red Rocks? Coachella? and this song just screams “DANCE! PLEASE?!” Maybe not ideal for the upcoming car dances, but still a rollicking good time.

Track #18: Scissor Sisters “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”
I have been missing me some USD XC van dancin’. Seeing pictures posted of this year’s team rocking out in the vans while they destroy Coach’s eadrums does make me ache for the days of “More Bounce in CA,” “Only,” and “Float On.” This choice was a 2006 favorite of those lady Torero harriers.

Flobottery at its finest...

Another wonderful LockerPartners production...


As many of you know, I have been touting the power of this band ad nauseum to anyone who will listen. I have brought a number of different friends who enjoy all kinds of music to a number of different shows, and I haven't heard one negative response. If I drone on and on about them, it is because I truly believe in the power of their message and their music. I have never wanted a band to succeed like I want Flobots to.

The music industry needs a band that cares like this. This country needs to embrace a band bent on change and creating dialogues. They have their own ideas about where they want society to go, and they pursue them through music and activism, but the real power is their dedication to creating relavent dialogue. They don't propagandize, they encourage discussion and awareness.


So for those of you who have not trusted me about their live experience, take 6 minutes and watch this video. If your interest isn't at least a little bit piqued, I wonder how you and I know each other.