just in the nick of time.
so, if i had to dedicate this month's (ed. note: delinquent) mix of other people's fabulous mixes to anyone, it would have to be the wonderful and forever creative ryan adams. jess, whose epic two-disc summer mix is partially represented on here, introduced me to whiskeytown's back-catalog, which mostly consists of adams-penned tunes.
however, as a lot of fans of ryan adams know already, there are two pretty strange and distinct sides to his persona. first is the mountain man/troubador, represented in photograph #1. second is the bumbling drunkard clown represented in #2. most of the mix, ryan adams sticks to persona #1. but yesterday, he made my day by launching the new version of his website, which included this wonderful gem of a tune that has had me smiling all of the last two days:
ryan adams: aw shit, look who's got a website!
maybe i should've gone with the whiskeytown first... anyways, first, some acknowledgements: thanks to susanna, jess and ronit for the tunes on this mix. the ironic thing about making monthly mixes of what you're listening to is that occasionally other people make you mixes that you end up listening to non-stop. therefore, here is a sample of the mixes that i have been obsessed with for the last few months. as for next month, don't fret, as i already have october mostly finished... sorta.
1. the spinto band - oh mandy
2. the flaming lips - this here giraffe
3. whiskeytown - crazy about you
4. stephen malkmus - face the truth
5. hayden - the hazards of sitting beneath palm trees
6. the boy least likely to - be gentle with me
7. silversun pickups - kissing families
8. hard-fi - hard to beat
9. scout niblett - lullaby for a scout in 10 years
10. pinback - shag
11. serena maneesh - don't come down here
12. vetiver - no one word
13. idaho - hearts of palm
14. whiskeytown - easy hearts
15. red house painters - michigan
16. richard buckner - ariel ramirez
download: http://www.bazoomercom.com/ari/September%20'06.zip
i don't understand any single part of this song, except for the rerun on the WB part, but the spinto band kick off the smile fest with their ode to mandy, oh mandy. keeping with the theme of songs i don't understand, this here giraffe showcases the flaming lips constant ability to come up with some of the more original grooves in indie rock. and the guitar riff puts modest mouse to shame. whiskeytown keeps it poppy and sentimental in the best way with crazy about you. ryan adams #1. malkmus rocks the hell out with face the truth. warning us of the hazards of sitting beneath palm trees, hayden reminds me of old-school cake but with a little bit more pizazz. great summer driving song. i kind of think of spinto and the boy least likely to in the same breath: kind of perky, and finding light in the darkness or something like that. keeping with the theme of bands that sound like bands from the mid-90's, i hear a lot of smashing pumpkins in silversun pickups, especially in this catchy track kissing families. hard-fi is for the brit-pop quotient, contingent in any mix i make every few months. something tells me that scout niblett's lullaby for a 10 year-old scout would be awesome live. something about the dramatic use of dynamics. i love the production of pinback's shag. the song has the potential to sound a bit hollow, but the production is what makes it great. i love getting lost in serena maneesh's expansive sound. this song kind of lulls me into a strange mood every time. vetiver is really something else. folksy in a way i haven't heard in a while. i have to say that this idaho song has been one of my favorites the last few months. short and sweet. ryan adams nails it again with easy heart. tune out and tune in, as they say. i've kept jess' transition from easy heart into red house painter's michigan, because the two songs have become one in my mind now. and richard buckner's ariel ramirez is a great way to end a mix, a night, or pretty much anything.
ok, apologies for the tardiness. see you next month.
