Hey, I realize I haven't gotten around to posting a track by track of those Minnebasset posts from last month yet. I'll get there. It's been a busy month. Once I get internet hooked up at my apartment you'll probably be hearing from me more than you ever wanted.
Anyway, I don't need the internet to put together a mix, just deliver it. So here's September's. I tried to make it exclusively with artists who haven't appeared on any other mix. I nearly succeeded (Damn that clever Aesop Rock!)
Flatbasset-September '09
Letters, numbers, dinner, bed...
Alright, update.
01. Uncle Tupelo - Gun
Before they broke up, Uncle Tupelo wrote a handful of classics. This is the best of them. I’m sure it drives Jay Farrar nuts that one of Jeff Tweedy’s songs is the defining Tupelo song. Even though Tweedy’s lyrics are a little obtuse, I love the way the chorus ranges from angry (“Don’t tell me which way I ought to run…”) to self-pitying (“My heart, it was a gun, but it’s unloaded now…”), perfectly capturing the conflicting emotions of a break-up.
02. Portugal. The Man – People Say
I had always though Portugal. The Man was one of those bands that was not immediately accessible. I still have no idea what the rest of their catalogue sounds like, but this song goes down like sweet, sweet candy. Even if the lyrics seem to have come about 4 years too late (“I’m a president’s son, I don’t need no soul…”), that 70’s groove of a lead guitar bit and a singalong chorus are more than enough to keep this one coming out of my Taurus’ speakers.
03. I Self Devine – Sunshine
One of the things I love about I Self Devine is that no matter how lush the beats are, his delivery always sounds as cold and hard as Lyndale North. Stone cold flow aside, Ant is the star of this one. I would love to have the instrumental version of this song.
04. Refused – Summerholiday Vs. Punkroutine
If you somehow lived the last 11 years without a copy of Refused’s The Shape Of Punk To Come, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Before they broke up, they were really onto something. This one's so good that P.O.S. stole the chorus for his on track.
05. Greycoats – Goodbye, Sweet Youth, Goodbye
This month’s favorite Minnesota-based track from The Current’s Song Of The Day. Obviously, with a title like “Goodbye, Sweet Youth, Goodbye, the song is inviting a contemplative vibe. It’s energetic, yet somehow resigned. As someone who’s getting to the age of saying goodbye to youth, I can totally relate to that feeling.
06. Public Enemy – Rebel Without A Pause
This song is so good that, even though Flava Flav has since used his 15 minutes of fame to realize his true dreams of being an absolute jerk off, it still sounds groundbreaking 20 years later. Plus Terminator X has more cuts than a six pack of Bic razors.
07. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – Who Do You Love?
Although I love this song, it always kind of disappoints me because it stands as an example of the fact that Ted Leo seems to have hit some sort of wall. That little harmonizing bit at the beginning is what passes as a new twist to a Ted Leo song. That’s disheartening. However, he still does what he does better than just about anybody else, and for that we should be grateful.
08. Daft Punk – Veridis Quo
The first time I heard this song I thought it was going to be great and then about halfway through I just got bored. Nothing was happening. Then, the more times I listened to it, the more I realized that that’s the beauty of it. Things fade in and out, the little keyboard line gets harmonized, and that’s that. It’s hypnotic.
09. Pulp - Underwear
“If fashion is your trade, then when you’re naked, I guess you must be unemployed…” You should see me singing along to this in my car. I think I might be Jarvis Cocker for Halloween.
10. El-P (w/Aesop Rock) – Run The Numbers
El-P’s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead album is one of my absolute favorite albums of the last 5 years, but if you told me I’d be saying that after the first time I heard it I would have probably quit talking to you for five years, only to come back with my tail between my legs. You can almost feel the boundaries of “hip-hop” disintegrating in your ears.
11. Magic Wands – Black Magic
This month’s favorite non-Minnesota-based track of The Current’s Song Of The Day. I get the impression that Magic Wands might be one of those indie bands that only strikes on genius once, but that’s enough. When they get around to doing a 2000’s indie version of that Nuggets series, this will definitely be one of those brilliant, forgotten, um, nuggets.
12. Beastie Boys – The Move
“Dogs love me ‘cause I’m crazy sniffable!” I love the Beastie Boys.
13. Cursive - Caveman
I’m really loving the new Cursive album. It makes me feel like I’m 18 years old again. Who doesn’t feel like burning it all down and starting fresh every now and then?
14. The Clash – Rudie Can’t Fail
This is one of my all-time favorite songs of all time. Talking in my Top 10, man, I put that on the hood. Somehow The Clash wrote the second greatest two-tone song of all time, despite not being a two-tone band. That's a real testament to the brilliance of the band during the London Calling phase of their career.
15. Hot Hot Heat – Get In Or Get Out
I realize that this song is not actually about Minneapolis (I think it’s probably about Vancouver, in which case, the vote seems to be “get out.”). Still, after listening to people at bars and at work talk about how it’s getting cold and they hate the winter and they want to move to Seattle, I’m co-opting this song. I didn’t want it to come to this, but you’ve left me no choice. I’m pulling the alarm. It’s our city, so get in or get out.
