Mixtape 2

Back again. I decided to publish this one early since I'll be on vacation until Monday.

This was a short week so I had to dig deep, but the mix turned out great. Be sure to check out Oh Mandy by The Spinto Band--my favorite of the week.




Mixtape 2
(Requires a Rhapsody subscription)


1. Ziggurat Traffic (Without sample) - The Joggers
I can't figure out whether I like this band or not

2. Getting Nowhere Fast - The Wedding Present
I've been looking forward to listening to this album for awhile. This song was the first to catch my attention.

3. In This Home Of Ice - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Hypnotic and catchy with a great finish.

4. Someday You Will Be Loved - Death Cab For Cutie
One of the few highlights from Death Cab's new album

5. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo - Patti Smith
The female Iggy Pop?

6. Garageland - The Clash
WTF is a bullsh*t detector?

7. Complete Control - The Clash
Clash block. IMHO one of The Clash's top five songs.

8. Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues - Mclusky
Warning! Do not play this while driving.

9. Oh Mandy - The Spinto Band
You may have recognized the intro from a Sears commercial. Don't let that turn you off.

10. Nowhere Man - Low
Where is Alan Sparhawk on this track.

11. Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen
In honor of The Boss's 30th anniversary of his breakthrough album.

Mixtape 1

As promised, the first mixtape in a long line of weekly mixtapes.


Mixtape 1
(Requires a Rhapsody subscription)



1. California Uber Alles - The Dead Kennedys
Inclusion inspired by the Punk Rock Orchestra

2. Regress No Way - 7 Seconds
Old-skool hardcore

3. Just Like You - Weston
Every couple of years I come back to this album

4. Walking With A Ghost - The White Stripes
White Stripe's cover of Tegan and Sara's song of the same title. Pitchfork prefers WS--I think they're wrong

5. Jus A Rascal - Dizzee Rascal
Explosive track by this cockney-laden rap artist

6. Be My Head - The Flaming Lips
I espcially like the subtle use of echo on the vocals

7. Grey Ice Water - Sun Kil Moon
Mark Kozelek's slowed-down version of this Modest Mouse song illuminates the genius of Issac Brock's songwriting

8. At Least That's What You Said - Wilco
Live version of the best song from Wilco's last album

9. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo
Timeless dreamy psych-pop from the 60's

10. Sliver (Solo Acoustic Demo) - Nirvana
The only version available on Rhapsody of this great Nirvana track

11. Lisa Says - Velvet Underground
Live version outshines the original

12. Soma - Smashing Pumpkins
Just in case you forgot about this album...

What about this idea for the blog?

On the ride home I began to think about my blog and how I haven't posted in over a week--ok, maybe it's been two weeks. The problem with blogs, especially ones that have no overriding theme is coming up with interesting, useful content to publish. Since I hadn't established a direction, it was very easy for me to neglect my blog and hence, no new messages in over a week.

So I came up with a plan. According to The Tipping Point, social epedemics are caused by three groups of people: mavens, salesmen, and connectors. Mavens are experts on a subject. Salesmen pursuade others on the merits of the subject. Connectors build and facilitate the social network for information to flow between people about the subject. I've recognized that I play the connector role in "tipping" trends in music--at least amongst my small group of friends.

My plan then is to create weekly "mixtapes", a Rhapsody playlist of ~10 songs published each monday. These songs can and will be anything I find interesting in that week period. New and old, obscure and popular, rap or rock--anything is fair game. My hope is that you will find my mixtapes interesting enough to come back each week to grab the next one. I may post about other topics, but as a guarentee you'll get a new mixtape every week.

Stay tuned...

NPR: Wikipedia, Open Source and the Future of the Web

I've just started listening to the webcast from today's Talk of the Nation, featuring Chris Anderson (Editor-in chief of Wired and long tail proponent), Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia), and Nicholas Carr (a major critic of IT). So far, so good. Here's the show's summary:

A new wave of Internet sites, like Wikipedia, invite their users to interact and contribute facts and opinion and edit each other. It's a more democratic way to present information. But is it more accurate?

University of Maryland -- Number 1 in....

... packing the stadiums. Hey, I'll take that. Go Terps!

Top 15 Albums Of The Year

I know we have 2 months to go until the end of December, but I've been thinking a lot about my favorites of the year so far. Why 15? There were too many amazing releases this year to narrow it down to 10. I've also included a Rhapsody link when available.

Here we go:

1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Self Titled -
2. Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary -
3. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm -
4. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now -
5. The Decemberists - Picaresque -
6. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema -
7. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
8. Iron and Wine - Woman King (EP)
9. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better -
10. Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures -
11. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock and Roll -
12. Spoon - Gimme Fiction -
13. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods -
14. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans -
15. M83 - Before The Dawn Heals Us -

Don't like my choices? Comment.