Paul Michel - Always Right

Hey Everybody,



So when I listen to Pandora at work, I always take note of the awesome tracks Pandora recommends for my listening tastes. Pandora doesn't always get it right, but it definitely did this time.

I've this piece of paper with this song in it for probably months now, but I don't always get to my work list as soon as I would like to. But Pandora, played it again, and I said to myself, time to blog. And it's the first posting for the third public mix, Wiki Mix Volume V (There were two mixes before the blog was made).

I actually just went on a Paul Michel fest, and bought three albums from amazon for a total less than 20 bucks. Amazon.com is awesome. I will have a further posting on bbqchickenrobot.com in the near future outlining the best of the three albums.

Paul Michel is a singer songwriter from D.C. Make sure not to go to paulmichel.com, unless you want a short story writer from Seattle. Paul's website is pmichel.com

If you like this song, check out another track called Higher Than.

Hope you dig.

-G

The second mix has arrived, the third has begun

Alright everybody, the second mix has officially been completed. And if you look at the last 17 posts you will know which songs have been chosen, but now there is also an order to the eclectic samples. I knew that the song order would be important because good music should affect your mood, and I don't think your mood should change back and forth 17 times within a single CD.

But I am trying something new with this mix, because mix CDs in the past usually consisted of the same vibe and same feel. But because I have been reading music blogs, mags, and listening to anything I can get a hold of, the variety of great music is out there and I would be doing anyone injustice by sticking to an exclusive genre. But before I go on, here is the mix list.

#) Artist - "Track" - Album
1) The Lodger -"Good Old Days" - Life Is Sweet
2) Jacks Mannequin - "Spinning" - The Glass Passenger
3) The Rocket Summer - "Break It Out" - Do You Feel
4) Chester French - "The Jimmy Choos" - She Loves Everybody EP
5) Little Jackie - "The World Should Revolve Around Me" - The Stoop
6) Pop Levi - "Dita Dimone" - Never Never Love
7) Jamie Lidell - "Little Bit of Feel Good" - Jim
8) Marc Broussard feat. Sara Bareilles - "Why Should She Wait" - Keep Coming Back
9) Band of Horses - "The First Song" - Everything All The Time
10)The Very Most - "Good Fight Fighting" - The Very Most
11)Kevine Devine - "Not Over You Yet" - Make The Clocks Move
12)Raining Jane - "Incline" - Paper Nest
13)Miou Miou - "Avant le Voyage" - La La Grande Finale
14)Ingrid Michaelson - "The Chain (Live" - Be OK
15)Anberlin - "The Unwinding Cable Car" - Cities
16)Sigur Ros - "Gobbledigook" - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
17)Bon Iver - "Skinny Love" - For Emma, Forever Ago

In a few words, this is how I would describe this record. Find an upbeat beginning to wake you up transitioning into music that will keep you company as you walk, study or work and then finally transitioning song by song into a place of rest and contemplation.

The first four tracks are meant to bring an upbeat tempo and some catchy hooks and choruses to start your listening. Little Jackie brings the sole R&B song, to the record, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you start hearing more and more of this artist soon. In track 6, the kimono wearing Pop Levi, gives us the most eclectic track on the record with a style I had never heard before.

Lidell and Broussard bring a little taste of blues, soul and funk. Band of Horses with Track 9, is really a transitional song, and the album from that point changes and goes into a mellow direction. Track 10-14, all build up to the grand finale of track 15, 16, and 17. Don’t get me wrong I am not truly giving all these tracks the justice they deserve. To find more elaborate descriptions of why I chose each artist and song look at previous entries.
That being said, the last three songs could be a record in itself. Imagine a road-trip with nothing in front of you or behind you, just your headlights on the open road and the music and conversation that accompanies you. That, is the last three tracks. Enjoy.

Find this iMix on iTunes, called Wiki Mix Volume IV, or listen to the tracks on the blog mixtape17.blospot.com. Looking for more indie? Indie Hip-Hop? More good stuff? Don’t go to AM/PM, go to bbqchickenrobot.com

Jack's Mannequin - Spnning

Sorry for the little break guys, but this is the 18th post on the blog meaning I have finished another 17 song mix. And I wanted to make this last song perfect.

I now have to determine the order, and will be working on that for the holiday season. If you want a mix, leave a comment with an address, I'll do my best to get it to you. Also, if you want to be AWESOME, and support the artists, I will also have an iMix available on iTunes.

Jack's Mannequin has released another album entitle the Glass Pssenger. His song writing and catchy melodies are still intact, but the Lost in Transit Album was so good, I think it was hard to follow. Much of the album does not fall far from the last album, the song American Love sounds eerily similar to MFEO II: You Can Breathe.

But man this song is catchy, and I felt I needed that for the album. The Resolution, another song off the Glass Passenger Record, is the single being pushed, and is signature Andrew McMahon.

I'll be working on the album order in the coming days.

Thanks!

Ingrid Michaelson - The Chain (Live)

Ingrid Michaelson has released a new record this past October entitled, Be OK, following up her last successful record, Girls and Boys.

This is my favorite song on the record, and even though I featured Michaelson with 'Die Alone' on the first mix, I needed this song to appear on the next mix. This song was made a 'round' with multiple voices echoing the exact same lyrics at different intervals. Kind of hard to explain, but you will understand as soon as you listen to the track.

When I first listened to the track, I thought Michaelson used a recording device to record herself and then, did the round on her own, over and over. But then I thought of how hard that would be. But if you listen more closely, you can hear the distinct and separate voices that meld together so well. Thank you Priscilla Ahn and Allie Moss for the contribution.

The lyrics are quite poetic.

'So glide away on soapy heels...'
Describing what seems to be a lost love...just barely. Like both parties didn't want to leave each other, but slowly and eventually it just happened.

'Promise not to promise anymore'
Like the promise to stay with her was broken, so if her significant other made any more promises, it was to never promise anymore because of the loss felt.

'But if you come around again, I will take, I will take, the chain from off the door'
If her significant other came back, she would open the door of her life and heart. Almost as if her love did not come back her heart and life would be forever locked.

Sappy? Sure, but to say so little and have so much meaning = good lyrics. You can't just hear, I had to listen to the track more than once to find meaning for myself, and you might analyze the track quite differently.

If you want to listen to more track from the Be OK record, check out the other blog I write for: bbqchickenrobot.com. That blog covers all genres and has multiple writers, so it is constantly being updated.

I have added the track to the mix tape player above, but if you want to listen to the quality recorded version, you can listen to it here.

I also added a video of the track to the left.

Little Jackie - The World Should Revolve Around Me

A few weeks ago, I had a lot of time to just peruse my way through MySpace looking through new music. And I have to say I spent maybe 2 hours to find only a few songs. There is great music out there, but there is also a lot of music that sounds the same. But finding Little Jackie was truly refreshing. This group offers a change from the last few posts with their pop/r&b/hip-hop sound.

Imani Coppola (vocals) has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Adam Pallin to form Little Jackie, and release their album, The Stoop, this past July. Pallin recently worked on American Idol alumni Elliot Yamin's debut album. Coppola is best known for her her 1997 top-100 hit, Legend of a Cowgirl.

Coppola and Pallin actually did not work on the music together, but recorded the music and vocals separately. Pallin stated that this setup created a juxtaposition of what the music suggests and what she actually says. And I definitely agree.

This track can be compared to the same sound as the Black Eyed Peas, others have compared the duo to Gnarls Barkley.

But in any case, listen to the track. Another one I am fond of is the title track, The Stoop, off the same record.

Raining Jane - Incline

I was lucky enough to see Broussard, Raining Jane and Sara Bareilles at the Wiltern this past Sunday. I wasn't sure what to think of Raining Jane at first. But after their live 'acoustic' set, they made a positive impression.

Mai Bloomfield splits lead vocals with Chaska Potter. Their voices are so distinct yet mold together quite nicely. You can hear the voices melt together in the choros of this chosen track, Incline. Bloomfield also plays a wicked cello for a good portion of their set.

Becky Gebhardt plays the bass, but also busted out a sitar for the last few songs. A SITAR. Gebhardt and percussionist went 'ethnic' on us for an instrumental track that was as good as unexpected. The sitar got mad props from the fans.

Chaska Potter, one-half of the lead vocals, and the lead on this track. Her notes sustain differently than most other female vocalists. The way her voice changes note to note is in tune, but the transition sounds unique. It's hard to describe.

Mona Tavakoli, the last member of this girl band, plays a mean cajon. No drum set for this set, just different percussion elements. Harmonizing and playing fast sixteenth notes on a cajon was mighty impressive.

This track comes off their newest EP Paper Nest. Check it out.

I found a live video performing in video, pretty good audio quality. It's also in the mixtape17 player above.

-Geoff

Marc Broussard - Why Should She Wait

Marc Broussard has released a new full length album Keep Coming Back and an EP, Must Be The Water. You've never met a white guy, with so much soul. Raised in Louisiana, Broussard has a unique vibe that combines the best of old and new school.

This latest track, comes off of Keep Coming Back and duets with pop sensation Sara Bareilles. Broussard and Bareilles are touring across the country right now, set to hit LA this Saturday. I scoured the internet, but the track isn't anywhere. So click here. Sorry for the long loading times, if it's taking to long check out his official myspace here or his official website here

Make sure to turn the volume up when you listen to this track. With the bass line, keys and the opening guitar riff pumping, the first line comes off super smooth...'Have you ever had a woman that you didn't deserve..'

Try not tapping your foot to the smoooothness of this song.

Sara Bareilles, really doesn't get featured on this track, but the combined voices during the chorus blend really well. Hopefully they will duo during their live performance.

In my opinion of Marc's 3 full-length albums, SOS: Save Our Soul, Carencro & Keep Coming Back, Keep Coming Back showcases Broussard's songwriting and musical talent better than the other two. SOS: Save Our Soul, was a great album but consisted mostly of covers, with only one original song.

Other songs on Keep Coming Back that you WILL enjoy
-Keep Coming Back
-Hard Knocks
-Real Good Thing
Other songs on Must be Water EP to check out
-Must Be The Water

Thanks for checking out the blog!

Miou Miou - Avant Le Voyage

Hey you guys,

Here is a track I had a little trouble finding after I initially heard it. I knew the band name, but couldn't locate the right song title. But after some research I finally got it for you guys. It's a little harder than normal since I don't speak a more than two words of French. Mostly consists of an ignorant French laugh and Pepe Le Pu (sp?). I don't even know how to spell that name. Sad. But yet still good times, because that skunk gave me quite a few laughs back in the day.

There's an electronic feel to this song in the beginning, but that quickly changes with what I believe to be some sort of flute instrument. I could be wrong, but it seems to be some sort of wind instrument. It is paired nicely with guitar, and guitar can be heard more clearly when the verse starts.

The words are so crisp and light. It's like tip-toeing while singing. I picture walking on water almost, so light. And don't forget the nice little bicycle ring that comes every once in awhile. It's a nice touch.

I couldn't find the track online anywhere so click here. This track won't be on the mix tape player but you can find it by clicking the link. To read the post, just right click and open it a new window or tab.

If you guys are looking for an awesome magazine, try Paste. They send a mix cd (hey! like me!) with EVERY issue. Every once in awhile they let you name your own price, I got my subscription for only $1. Pretty sweet. Check it out.

Miou Miou has another single with a video. Although Avant Le Voyage is my favorite, this is still another quality track. The single is called A l'ete de la Saint Martin '68. The video is up there to the left if you want to check it out. I will also add it to the mix tape player above.

That's all for now!

Rocket Summer -Break It Out

I've been a Rocket Summer fan for a good while now, but I was blown away when I finally got my hands on a copy of his latest album. I say his, and not their because he recorded every instrument on the entire record. Well at least guitars, bass, percussion, synth, organ, wurutzer and harmonica.

I'm not sure if you read that correctly. Bryce Avary or the guy from Rocket Summer, recorded himself on practically every instrument you hear on the entire record. That's seriously so intense. I try to play one or two instruments on a mediocre level, and he can play play 7 with recording quality. I listened to The Rocket Summer's newest album Do You Feel for the past 4-5 days straight. No NPR (National Public Radio, I know I'm a dweeb), No other cds, radio or MP3s. Just this record.

This song, is the first song on the album. And it starts off with a bang. This is the obvious first single of the record because of its radio friendly-ness and the amount of energy associated with this song. If you don't tap your foot or jump a little bit on the inside, then....LOOSEN UP. I know this isn't super indie, but its quality.

If you listen to the Rocket Summer's previous albums you will find not only a very young and small boy, but a very delicate voice. He's always had catchy songs, but if anything the voice was kind of iffy. Well the years of singing have solved that problem and his highs and lows are stronger than before.

I've added a couple of songs to the mixtape player above, so feel free to check out these three songs off his new album.

1) Break It Out
2) Do you Feel
3) All I have

Also check out the Do You Feel Video to the left. Later Gator!

Pop Levi - Dita Dimone

Hey Everybody,

So after Janelle Monae and Jamie Lidell, I decided that I needed to post with a different vibe. Ad much as I dig that music, I can't leave other listeners hanging. So here is an eclectic track from Pop Levi.

He hails from Britain, and his sound is definitely unique yet still friendly enough to become a jam. He is a filmmaker and a kimono wearer. Kind of awkward, but I guess it comes with the territory.




Looking pretty sweet there eh?

He brings enough funk through his electonica sound, that it works. The bass/synth line and guitar riff is just enough to give it a nice funk element. The electronic sounding drums fit the song, even though I'm usually a strong advocate for the real set.

Pop Levi repeats most of lyrics multiple times, but it's okay because he keeps driving the song with his different elements. The hand clapping is also a nice change during the middle of the song.

Well there is probably only one Dita Dimone out there, and I'm pretty sure that she knows this song is specifically about her. I mean this song didn't shout out to a common girl named Jessica. She got her first and last name over and over during the chorus and verses. If I ever meet a girl named Dita, I'm going to be about 85% sure that this song was about her.

So I just facebooked Dita, expecting to find one Dita. And the world should know there are hundreds of Ditas. Didn't expect that. And what do you know I found Dita Dimone, and added her as a friend. Take that Pop Levi.

Jamie Lidell - Little Bit of Feel Good

Hey everybody,

In an earlier post I blogged about an artist named Janelle Monae.
When I looked her up I saw that she was performing with this guy,
except he was the headliner. I thought to myself okay, she's
really good so that makes the headliner have to just as good
right?

Well to be honest I was not disappointed. Jamie Lidell has the
same feel as Monae, good pop vibes but can still relate to the
good old school sounds. The guitar on this track really reminds
me of a James Brown hook.

This song also brings a lot of different sounds. If you listen
closely you can hear the 'Oooohhh' from the back up singers.
Again, sometimes its just the simple things that help bring a
full sound to the table. I imagine three back up singers in
the studio all surrounding one microphone hanging from
overhead..."Oooohhh."During the chorus the horn section comes
first circle and adds that extra dimension that you wouldn't
notice until it's there. And once you hear that, you wouldn't
want the chorus without that horn section.



Jamie Lidell and Janelle Monae are playing together at the
Avalon in Hollywood on September 29th, and if anyone is
interested in going please email me at gkutnick@gmail.com.

Hope you like this track.

Check out his myspace page and his official website. His
video is streaming to the left of this post.

Cheers!

Bon Iver - Skinny Love

Hey you guys,

A couple posts ago, I said I hit the gold mine and bought two full albums. This happened to be the other half of the gold mine that I hit.

Perfect for any drive home from anywhere, this is what I call journey music. When the chatter in the car has faded, cruise control is being utilized, and you don't know exactly where you are but you know you don't want to stop. One of your friends is probably falling asleep in the back, but for those awake enough to realize the greatness of this track, they will.

Bon Iver has been through the band scene, but retreated back to his home in Wisconsin. He didn't go home to make a record, but I'm glad he did since he made a near perfect album. He doesn't need more than his rich voice and the right sounding guitar for me to completely envious of his talent.

Come on skinny love just last the year.
Pour a little salt we were never here.

His real name is Justin Vernon. Bon Hiver is a french phrase meaning 'good winter.' The falling of snow next to a remote mountainous tree line is a perfect visual for this song, for this album. This song won't elate you to the highest highs or pump you up before the game. But it might show you a thing or two about who you are just because it gives you that sense of thought that sense of clarity that we all need every once in awhile.

There's a feeling after the song, like a deep sigh, that was good. And then I hit the left arrow button to replay the track.

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind

This song won't go away. Because you will always have a mood or a day that feels exactly like this. And you will want this to be your soundtrack.

Geoff

Akon seeks jury trial for throwing fan off stage

So I've added a few more things to make this blog better and fully comprehensive. The priority will still be to add important tracks for my next mix, but I thought I would share some music news/trends etc also when I'm busy looking for more music. Finding music, at least the way I do it, can be a long and enduring process. But trust me, I'm scrounging over the internet, magazines, other blogs, to bring the best to light.

I've also added a music player via myflashfetish.com Almost all the tracks are available on this music player, and you're able to play/pause/move to the next track at your discretion. I will still post videos when available, but for a lot of good music there aren't any videos. So hopefully there will be audio for all the songs available. When it is, it will be added to this player.

Also notice that the titles for all my blog entries are links to either a myspace, source of news or related content.

--

AKON SEEKS JURY TRIAL

Last summer while Akon was on tour apparently a minor climbed on the stage where Akon was performing. Little did the minor know that he would be thrown off stage by the famous artist back into the crowd. Akon is pleading not guilty to the charges, but it seems this famous star just might be 'Locked Up,' ironic of one of his first hits. Another female concert goer said she suffered a concussion when the boy landed on her. Watch the video above.

Janelle Monae - Sincerely Jane

Hey you guys sorry for the delay,

I feel like I've really hit the gold mine this past week in regards to finding music. With there being so much good music out there, when I usually here a song I like I'll buy that song, but not the whole album just because I can't afford to buy every album for every single artist I like. But this past week, I bought two whole albums just because I was blown away by the quality of music and the uniqueness of sound. My feeling is that these two artists will blow up in the near future.

One of these artists you need to hear is Janelle Monae. I can't even place her in a genre without using slash marks. Her sound is like R&B/Funk/Oldies with a twist of hip hop elements. This does make sense since her album was/is being produced by Big Boi from Outkast. Outkast still has one of the more unique sounds of an artist that truly blew up. The sound of the old school does come through with shining colors. Using a full orchestra for this track, the 'little things' really stand out. For example the bass line uses a tuba instead of a bass guitar. On the final hook of the chorus, the strings of the orchestra add a little kick in the pants only to be taken away at the start of the next verse. But that's okay, the tease makes you want more.

Diddy has been quoted saying that the signing of the artist will change the industry. That's pretty intense, but I definitely agree. She's got the label, the talent, and live presence to truly make a lot of noise. Just remember you heard it here first at the mixtape17 blog. And if you heard this before reading this blog, you're lying.

If you like the music, please spread the word about the artist and the blog.

Monae's 7 track EP is definitely worth buying. Check out these others songs.

Violet Stars Happy Hunting
Mr. President
Many Moons

Comment on this posting please.

Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook

So I blogged yesterday, but I came across this track and holy smokes, it blew me away. Sigur Ros is a band from Iceland, which will explain why you can't understand the lyrics. Even so, I sat dumbfounded not caring that there was a total lack of language comprehension.

From :09 into the track your ears are overwhelmed in a good way with the constant state of drumming and percussion sounds. There are subtle intricacies, like their slight changes in the rhythm of how they hand clap. The strength of the acoustic guitar has the spotlight within this track, showing that an electric guitar isn't necessarily needed for power. The way Jonsi Birgisson's voice melts with the 9 chords played in row (the beginning of the song) is downright awesome.

According to Wikipedia, their band name comes from the sister of Jonsi Birgisson, and when translated means Victory Rose. The day his sister was born was the day they formed the band, if that is not a good omen, I'm not sure what is.

So after looking a lyrics site, the site has a loose translation of parts of the song. I can't be sure if this is corrent since my Icelandish is pretty rusty, but I felt it was very appropriate.

you are being blown long into the air
you, umbrella, turning upside down

pretty poetic. I definitely can see that image while listening to this song. This is my first introduction to Icelandish Post-Rock, and I might have to listen more to bands from the country. Even though in Mighty Ducks II, Iceland was the enemy, and turned my heart cold. (haha get it, Iceland is cold, Mighty Ducks were on ice...) But now Iceland has a new image and a enlightening heartbeat heard as the drum beat in this song.

Let me know what you think of this track.

The Very Most - Good Fight Fighting

Hey you guys,

There wasn't a quality video for this song, so I would rather have you listen to it from their myspace. Check the song 'Good Fight Fighting' at myspace.com/theverymost. Listen to the song in a new tab, and then check out the post as well. Well in a perfect world, I would hope you do that.

More and more 'folky' indie seems to be coming out, and to me that is a good thing. I've been a big advocate of simple can definitely still mean quality. I love a full sound, but I think that a full sound can be accomplished so many different ways. The song features a male and female vocalist that bring two lovely dynamics to the table. Lead vocalist Jeremy Jensen brings us in with a soothing 'oooh' to set the tone early. I have to be honest, if a song doesn't captivate me within thirty seconds, I have a hard time getting through the song. But this soothing intro made me look forward to the rest of the song.

"I've got to learn when to stand up and fight the good fight, I got to learn how to balance respect and what's right" - Jeremy Jensen. Amen brother.

The sister of the lead singer, Rachel Jensen, takes over in the latter part of the song and takes the song to the next level in my opinion. The song would be great and catchy on its own, but the additional voice really brings a refreshing and unexpected sound. Again, the song probably would have made my mix cd regardless if Rachel was on this song, but what a bonus that is.

And when she sings there is some awesome whistling and xylophone (or something like it). I dig.

These guys are from Idaho. No, YOU DA HO. But seriously good music coming from Idaho.

-Geoff

Chester French - Jimmy Choos

Chester French is apparently 'Pharrell's Favorite Band.' And I thought that was interesting. Because my major basically is publicity, I thought oh great, Pharrell labels a band his favorite, so the press can pick up on it. And then I look at Chester French's myspace, and of course it's loaded with articles featuring the band before they even have their first release out. GQ. Spin. Rolling Stone. Radar. All featured these guys before you could buy their album. So to be honest, not only would these guys have to be good, they would have to blow me away for me to even think about placing them on the mix. And then I gave them a listen.

I think the label might be pushing the track by Chester French called 'She Loves Everybody' and you really should check out all their other tracks, cuz they're unique. But this track called Jimmy Choo's really did it to me. It's basically old school sounds, revamped. The guitar is simple yet classic. The drum beat in the beginning takes you back to...'doing that you do...breaking my heart into a million pieces.' If you don't know what I'm talking about, rent That Thing You Do.

That would be funny if this blog post got more people to buy That Thing You Do more than check out this awesome band. And then I get a free copy of the movie. Then it would be funny and sweet.

There's a part in the song with a little musical time gap, and I'm not totally down with that, but the rest of the song lets me allow it and still go on.

Let me know what you think of this track. Check their myspace at myspace.com/chesterfrench

Kevin Devine -Not Over You Yet

Sorry for the delay. So Band of Horses provided a great first song that has a full sound and vibe. The Lodger followed that up with a feel good upbeat melody that makes you want to jig. Now to add to the mix by adding a different element, here is song by Kevin Devine. With a good yet vulnerable voice, Devine comes off as singing from the heart and personal experience.

A simple theme, not over you yet, with simple guitar attached. There is a certain constant immaturity within me that still loves what a little boy would love. I think that a good amount of people can relate. It's that feeling of not wanting to grow up and face the real world, just yet. We're preparing, but we're also dragging out heels to stay a little longer. I think this song captures that innocence. "And I'm still obsessed with cowboys and indians.."

There are probably a million songs with this choice of topic, about being not over a certain individual. But, I love the originality of the lyrics for example:

"You were always cute But gosh darn! you got hot"

Especially the second verse which seems to be brutally honest about himself.

" I know I won't call, It's this decision I've made. So I'm up all night chanting 'Vow I can't break!' [. . .] But I'd still cut my hair if you asked the right way"

-

I've added a video that had the best audio quality, so feel free to check that out. View his myspace at myspace.com/kevindevine and his website at kevindevine.net

hope you like the track

-Geoff

The Lodger - Good Old Days

This is the second song of my 4th Wiki Mix, the second public mix. If you're wondering why it is a Wiki mix, it's because my mix cd making all started by sharing mixes with a friend of mine named wiki. So here's a toast to Wiki, with my apple juice.

So if you guys haven't heard of Paste Magazine, you should really check it out. Not only do they have pretty awesome reviews, but they also send a sampler cd out with every magazine. This song came off their sampler cd when they did a whole issue dedicated to music outside of the United States.

So these guys are The Lodger, and you can check out their video on the left side. Pretty sweet concept if I do say so myself. Simple yet still pleasing. And when someone hits jello on the drumbeat, I literally laughed out loud. Good times. A music video with jello truly makes the world go 'round.

So apparently there is another 'The Lodger' band, except they are hardcore and from Michigan. So if you're interested in the local Michigan hardcore scene be sure to check out the other Lodgers from my Dad's home state.

I think this song is perfect for jumping jacks. I know we haven't all done jumping jacks since 7th grade when we also did arm circles. Okay, what did arm circles actually do? Anyone? Bueller? But back to the post, this song is supreme for jumping jacks. Try it, I did, and it has a great pace. Not too fast, not to slow. Just right. Just like the baby bear's porridge...not to hot or too cold...just right.

This song is also amazingly catchy. Perhaps the most catchy tune on my mixes yet. That base line just makes your hips want to join a chorus line. Also I am a total fan of nerds making music, because sometimes its just the best. And these guys look like a great group of awesome music making nerds. Good Times.

Shake and Bake.

Band of Horses -First Song

I now trying to host the music I describe, so you can hopefully hear the song I am writing about. Hopefully this works. We'll see. I'm not a super internet savvy guy, like others may be. But I am learning.

Well this is the start of my second mix cd.

I've heard of Band of Horses for a good while, but again never had the opportunity to listen to them. And this song pops up. Holy moly. The intro of guitar and piano is psychadelic. The elongated strums of that sweet sounding guitar to the smooth sounds of a simple riff combined with the right amount of keys. You can pretty much hear all 6 strings being played when they strum. It's a really cool effect.

Ben Bridwell really brings a sweet sound of vocals to the table as well. You might find some similarity with The Shins, as I really did. You could really just close your eyes and clear your mind to this song. Just sit back, contemplate.

I wouldn't of guessed, but the song not only does not repeat any lyrics or have a chorus. And talks about Christmas time twice. But this is definitely not a carol.

I think this might be the first song on my new mix. I'll decide later if the order fits. For everybody reading, I have a first cut of the mix I want to make. This helps me decide song order and if I'm going to keep a song. For example I had songs from the last mix cd that I had to cut because I didn't think they would sustain. The songs I cut from last album but should still get an honorable mention are...

Rock Kills Kid - Hide Away
I felt that this song could get old pretty fast. And while that could be said about any song, it just didn't fit my first mix. Although there is a drum beat that has some pretty sick triplets, that I really dig.

Howie Day - She Says
Howie Day had that one song Collide, that everyone knew. This song got my attention, but after a few times listening to the mixes, I found myself skipping it. I think the song is a little slow, has a more full sound during some parts and lacks in others. So dropped it became.

The New Amsterdams - A Beacon in Beige
I liked this song almost as much as the other New Amsterdams song on the mix. But I've decided that there is enough music out there to not place two songs by the same artist. I think that would be pretty easy and lazy of me just to put songs by the same artist on the same mix. Although it may appear on a future mix...WHO KNOWS??

That is it for tonight.

Thanks for checking out the blog.

Shake and Bake.

First Post and First Mix CD Made

Hey everybody,

This is my first post. And as you can see this is not necessarily just a review blog, but rather commentary on what I have put on my last mix cd. I would have called the blog, 'mix cd 17' but that was not as catchy. 17 is for the number of songs that I will place on the mix. If you want a copy of the mix please email me at gkutnick@gmail.com, and I will do my best to send/give you one. Make sure you include your name and address please. I will blog twice a week, with a new song in each post. This means that I will have a new mix cd every nine weeks. And without further adieu, here are my first 17 songs for my first mix cd.

So I thought ladies first on this album, because I am a gentleman and this is so. Except for the Ting Tings, because I wanted them on the back of the album.

I) Plumb - Only You - I discovered Plumb awhile ago, but I have a tendency to love a song by a group but be lazy to listen to their other stuff. This is the case with Plumb. But with starting this blog/mixtape medium I will do my best to follow up with artists and more of their stuff. I thought this a great song to start off with a mix cd since its catchy and has woman vocals. The vocals aren’t great because of its extensive range or anything, but the fact that it fits the song and genre. They lyrics are really simple, but in some cases simple lyrics. In other cases when there is a lack of musicality simple lyrics or bad lyrics can ruin a song. But with the right blend of guitar riffs and melody, a simple direction is all you need.

So I just decided to use roman numerals because they make me feel like a renegade. My uncle was in a Japanese group called the Ronins, which in Japanese means Renegade Samurai. That is so bad A. They were basically a bunch of Japanese Fonzis, which is totally funny. I don’t know if I spelled fonzi right, but the guy from Happy Days with the thumbs up, leather jacket, and ‘HEYYYYY.’

II) Ingrid Michaelson - Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson is a choice a little off the wall but I like it. It’s like when you discovered scrambled eggs with ketchup. At first you’re like what? That might be gross. But then you’re like this is delicious. That’s how her music is. Again simplicity is the theme in the song, a triplet guitar chord over and over, but then here the lyrics are more engaging. Just a little bit. The lyrics are quite simple, but it’s something about the first two lines that makes me think this song is a little proverbial. ‘I woke up this morning with a funny taste in my head, Spackled some butter over my whole grain bread.’ Maybe you agree or disagree but listen to the song, and then decide if I’m dumb. She has a uniqueness in her voice that’s not heard everyday, her and the singer of Plumb. Good times.

III) G Love - Back of the Bus - So you take a white boy, blues, and rap and you get quality music from G Love. G Love probably is most famous for his collaborations with Jack Johnson and Special Sauce, but this guy is legit. This song is true about life. All the cool kids do sit in the back of the bus. Someone needed to write a song about it, and he did and he does it with the crazy ability of rhyming the entire song. Although he does rhyme bus with Gus. That seems like a cop-out to me, but oh well. This is the only song that can classify as blues, rap, and hip-hop on the whole cd and at the same time.

IV) Run Kid Run - We've Only Just Begun - From a few bars into the song, I always felt the need to jump. I can always be caught air drumming on my driving wheel/hybrid snare drum while listening to this song. Yes, it’s catchy, but when did we start to bag on music for being catchy. New Found Glory lived off catchy, and back in the day they were awesome except to emo kids. And it helps that the vocalist from Run Kid Run can really hold it down. A quality message from this song too. It’s not about love…GASP. It’s not about a girl/boy…..GASP. ‘Go make the best of everything you want to be / With ambition pushing forward / Your dreams upon your shoulders.’

V) Andy Stochansky - Wonderful - Stochansky. Andy Stochansky. His last name might be in the top ten of all time. The Stonch-Mister, Stonchy, Stonchy-baby. He probably has a lot of good times with his friends. You can pretty much be sure that his last name is on his birth certificate. I’m getting tired of people with one name or being known by one name. Prince. Madonna. Britney. Bradgelina. You can also be sure he didn’t change his name, like Puffy to Puff Daddy to P Diddy to Diddy to Big Poopy or whatever is next. It’s pretty brave to go out into the musical world with that last name. And I still haven’t talked about his song yet. I thought for a pop male vocalist, he stood out and let his personality show through his music making. I feel like he wasn’t created by a third party for our ears, which is most important to me.

VI) Blues Traveler - Run-Around - Whoa Whoa I know I know. Old School. Blues Traveler? What’s going on, didn’t they win a grammy for this song in 1995? The answer is yes. And it’s awesome. Cool Harmonica solo = double awsomeness. Sure it’s four chords through the whole song, but everyone remembers that chorus. And if you don’t here is a history lesson from the 90’s. I think some old school should be thrown in mix tape/ mix cd every once in awhile if not every mix tape. It’s funny because without looking up the lyrics most of us don’t know what John Popper is singing in parts of the song, but it’s all gravy since the song rocks.

VII) Phantom Planet - 1st Things 1st - So apparently the actor Jason Schwartzman was the lead singer of this band Phantom Planet. Sweet. To be honest before this song I only knew of the infamous California song, and I hated it because of the overplaying/it was associated with a horrible tv show. The show OC sucked, but that doesn’t matter because this is about the music. If there was a sound of cockiness or just exaggerated confidence, the singer would embody that sound in this song, in a good way. It’s as if this song could melt out of your headphones and give you a little swagger yourself. And we could all use that swagger sometimes especially after running into a girl’s restroom with a bloody nose and realizing that you’re in the wrong gender specific bathroom. I could have used this song right then.

VIII) Caesars - Throwaway Caesars is the name for this band. I never had heard of them before this song but I immediately wrote it down what it was when I heard it. Too be honest there’s not too much to be said about it. Good song quality stuff. I kind of feel compelled to write more. But……I’m done. Listen to it.

IX) Plain White T's - So Darn Clever - So this Plain White T’s song is my mix tape’s guilty pleasure. Some people probably detest this choice, and even though ‘detest’ is strong verbage I still choose to use it. This song is really catchy. I might not like it next year, I might not like it next week, but I really like it now. And when I haven’t listened to it in a few years, I will like it then too. This song is probably to catchy/pop-py for my own good, and I might regret placing in my first public mix. But you got to grow some cajones sometimes.

X) Better Than Ezra - At The Stars - So one of my favorite songs ever is Extraordinary by Better Than Ezra, but I never really got into their other stuff until this song. A little more laid back than the other tracks on this album, I imagine a slight breeze and a beautiful day. Hands in my pocket, I can walk to the exact beat of this song and not feel rushed. This song and the song following have some sort of chant, ‘Do Do Dooing’ is in this song and ‘Ba Ba Ba’ is in the next. And if you don’t know what I mean listen carefully. Do Do Doing is a part of music culture, and for the most part it stays the same. This song is cool too because it speaks to keep on driving. Away from home. Away from troubles. There’s a passionate side of us that wants to be able to pick up and drive anywhere but a rational side that brings us back. A lucky few follow that dream.

XI) Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body - So I’ve heard this song on the radio, at Starbucks, at a gas station, and at multiple restaurants. I understand that the person reading this has probably listened to this song. And if you love it, love it some more. If you don’t like it, try it again. But this song is bigger than overplaying because it is now on this mix cd, which means eternity. There probably are more intricate or balanced or more ‘indie’ songs from Death Cab, but I picked this one. So deal with it. When you pull out this mix cd to play in your car 6 months from now you’ll be like good choice. Right now you may disagree, but time will tell.

XII) The New Amsterdams - Wait - So I saw the New Amsterdams perform live at Chain Reaction, and I really got into their sound. Lead singer Matt Pryor plays an acoustic guitar and you don’t see that all that often. The riffs are simple but their folk-y sound sings to my heart. Initially I had two songs of theirs on this mix, but I decided a long time ago that a mix should be a mix, no songs by the same artists. Agree? Agree. There’s not another sound like it on the album. A lot of ‘indie’ has gotten more folk-y, and to an extent I really like that.


XIII) Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan - This song by Rogue Wave was definitely on a Zune Commercial. So if you’re listening to this song like this sounds familiar but…..Well here it is. Rouge Wave – Lake Michigan. My Dad’s from Michigan, and I did my diorama project in 4th grade on the Detroit Automobile Assembly Lines. So that makes this song even more awesome. Oh yeah, I also did my final project for social studies on Henry Ford, so that makes this song stupendous. ‘Get off my stack’ is a solid line. At first I didn’t know exactly what they said or meant, but when I linked it to get off my money it made total sense. So that’s the new phrase of the first mix cd. ‘Get off my stack, you pirate hooker with one peg leg. That’s a totally better line.

XIV) MGMT - Time to Pretend - I don’t usually listen to indie 103.1, so maybe they overplayed MGMT. But I did hear this song from the indie station and instantly digged the song. Kind of electronica, kind of not. Catchy hook that’s not a guitar or bass. The premise of this song is to live fast, and while I disagree with the song in that premise, I can understand the perspective and respect the song. I would prefer a wife to never divorce and would never leave my family, but I can understand why certain people would (even though I don’t think it’s right). Kind of complicated. I think sometimes I can like music for the musicality. I think music is meant to strike a reaction, like any art, and it does and I find myself in the middle on this song. Enjoy the song, don’t like all the lyrics. But it made it to the mix, so I guess over 50% of me really likes it.

XV) Annuals - Brother - Annuals is another new band for me but if I had to for some reason cut songs from the mix, I wouldn’t cut this one for sure. The intro starts with light guitar and some orchestration using a violin. Then soon out of nowhere, it becomes a rock anthem. Solid. My only critique would be that I want the rock anthem to continue longer. I felt like I was just finding myself in the song…then it ended. The song is almost 4 minutes long, so it’s not a short song but one that could have kept going. And if it was a true rock anthem it would have. But I just end up playing the song over and over. It was a good find, I’m going to check out more of the annuals stuff in the near future.

XVI) The Ting Tings - We Walk - So The Ting Tings have a bigger hit called, Shut Up and Let Me Go, but I really liked this track. Again a distinctive female voices are always enticing. It’s semi-singing, because she’s kind of talking in tune, but yet not rapping. So that make it interesting. This track also has cowbell, so anything with cowbell makes me think of Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. And anything that makes me think of those two deserves to be on a mix cd. Well, I take that back because if Jonas Brothers played cowbell I would still think it’s garbage. So in other words, cowbell is an added bonus.

XVII) Eagle Seagull - The two parts of this group’s name rhymes. Eagle*Seagull. I don’t exactly know how a group decides on an asterisk in their instead of a simple space, but I guess that’s cool. “Hey Dave, let’s have an asterisk instead of a space.” That’s probably how it happened. I don’t know if they have a guy named Dave, but insert appropriate name there. If you think about it there are so many symbols they could have put there instead. I think I would pick a Hebrew letter to throw everybody off. Then no one could really write my band’s name unless they knew Jewish Code. That would be awesome. And that ends this cd.

Thanks for listening.

Email me at gkutnick@gmail.com to tell me about your favorite artists and music. Also email me to join my email list. Then I can send you an email letting you know when the next mix is coming out. I expect every 9 weeks or so.

Regards,
Geoff Kutnick