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We've got some great mixes in hand and on the way - where is yours?

About Today's Mix:

We're going to break from the steady stream of solid ATV fan submissions, and I'm going to share a mix of my own today with a story attached.  In today's hard-to-believe-yet-completely-true story, our hero finds himself in love with a girl - one who loves music just as much as he does.  One who enjoys frequent road trips to other cities for the purpose of attending concerts while attempting to locate and tour every record store in the city.  Shared favorite artists/groups include Tom Petty, R.EM., Duran Duran, U2, and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.  Her collection has some holes in the Smithereens section, while his collection could use quite a bit of help in the Smiths section.

In the early moments of our relationship, I made her a mix CD - and then the unexpected happened - she made me a mix CD.  Believe it or not, prior to this moment, our hero hadn't ever had anyone make him a mix - and perhaps that right there should have been a big musical red flag in those previous relationships that things weren't quite right.  And damn, with her very first offering, she proved that she could make one hell of a mix CD.

To date, we've shared about 5 mixes with each other - sharing our favorites, the little known tracks, and in my case, plenty of the guilty pleasures.  It feels so good, and I wanted to share just a bit of that feeling with all of you, in musical form.

Enjoy.

Mix Notes:

Download complete mix (link is good for one week only.)

Aimee Mann/Michael Penn - "Two of Us"

In the midst of discussing Beatles covers at the time that the new remasters were released, I was reminded of quite a few of my favorites, and the Mann/Penn cover of "Two of Us" definitely sits high on the list.  Every time that I hear this version, I think about how great it would be if Mann/Penn were to make an album together.  It's got to happen eventually, right?  I've always thought that this is a beautiful song, no matter who's singing it. - from the I Am Sam soundtrack.

Tom Petty - "California"

California's been good to me
Hope it don't fall into the sea
Sometimes you got to save yourself
It ain't like anywhere else
It ain't like anywhere else

This was the original intended opener for the mix, and it comes off of Petty's soundtrack for She's The One, which combines with Wildflowers as the dynamic duo of two of my favorite albums by any artist.  This album is nearly completely ignored in the Runnin' Down A Dream documentary - apparently because the album was made while Petty was going through his divorce - a period that he understandably would prefer to forget.  Quite a shame, because She's The One is one of the best albums in Petty's catalog.

Frank Turner - "Dan's Song"

I just love this song, and that I heard it in September as referenced in the lyrics, while wishing I could have had more summer times with the girl.  Next summer!  From the album Poetry of the Dead.

David Byrne and Brian Eno - "My Big Nurse"

Byrne's performance at Bonnaroo this past summer is still a magical moment, every time that I think about it.  I was standing next to a very tall, very athletically built girl during Byrne's performance.  She let out a little squeal every time that Byrne finished a song, and I had her clearly pegged as a super-fan, because she was really into Byrne's performance.  I finally had to ask her how many times she had seen Byrne, and she let me know that this was the first time that she had ever seen Byrne. She was very stoked in the same way that I was to finally see Byrne live, and unlike me, she wasn't silent about how much she was enjoying the performance.  Byrne played "Heaven" a couple of songs after this one,and I was completely hooked on his performance - I can easily say that this was my favorite set that I saw at Bonnaroo - I enjoyed Byrne's set even more than even Bruce or NIN.  I hadn't enjoyed the Byrne/Eno album on first listen, but after I got back from Bonnaroo, I bought it nearly immediately.  From the excellently titled Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

Brookville - "Happy"

It's all been a pack of lies...

I will always associate this band, album, and song with my early moments getting to know the girl.  I was really tired on the night that The Trash Can Sinatras and Brookville were in town.  I probably would have bagged out to stay home if it had been all about me, but I really wanted to see the Sinatras and Brookville based on her recommendation, and like so many of the recommendations that have followed since then, I was really glad that I came out for this show.  From the new album Broken Lights.

R.E.M. - "Shiny Happy People" / Sinead O Connor - "Nothing Compares To You"

These two songs are in the category of songs that I got really sick of at the time that they were popular on the radio, but I can listen again to both of them now that a significant amount of time has gone by.  The combination of the two back to back makes me laugh, but not nearly as much as the segue into the tune that follows Sinead.

Madonna - "Crazy For You"

Swaying room as the music starts
Strangers making the most of the dark
Two by two their bodies become one

I've had this song on my mind for a little while now - it's always been one of my favorite Madonna songs, and I think it illustrates really nicely why Madonna had as much success as she did.  Not only was she a great performer, she was great at delivering lyrics that she didn't write, making you believe them.  I've always been impressed with an artist that can deliver a song with so much passion that you are surprised to find out that they didn't write it.  Because there is also the opposite, the artist that sleep walks their way through a song that you can tell that they are clearly bored with it, because it's not one of their songs.  I really love these particular lyrics - Slowly now we begin to move/ Every breath I'm deeper into you / Soon we two are standing still in time - I think that "standing still in time" lyric is SO cool.  Always have.  From the original motion picture soundtrack to Vision Quest.

Jenny Owen Youngs - "Dissolve"

JOY's Transmitter Failure will wind up in my top ten list of albums for 2009, without a doubt.  There's not a single dud on this whole album.

Bettie Serveert - "Crutches"

Boredom always lurks within strange places
but still I find a way to feed my mind.

I can't recall how we ended up talking about Bettie Serveert, but I had to pull out my copy of Lamprey not long after that, and damn, this album still holds up.  I'm not sure how/where I heard the band for the first time, but I bought the album, and ended up seeing them on this tour at Peabody's.  They totally ruled on a hot and sweaty night at the old Peabody's.

Hall & Oates - "Someday We'll Know"

I was surprised to eventually find out that this was a cover - the original was recorded by The New Radicals.  My first exposure to this version came when I heard it for the first time on the Do It For Love album.  This is a good example at how Hall & Oates have been great over the years at making a classic song their own.  Now, perhaps this one isn't a classic - but it should have been, and H&O really hit the mark on this one.

Sugarbomb - "Hello"

You remember this band because this song ended up in a bazillion movie trailers in the couple of years that followed the release of the Bully album.  There are plenty of other reasons that you should know about this band, and you can school up with this good rundown over at Popdose, and at the same time grab a huge batch of Sugarbomb rarities.

Owsley - "She's The One"

When I decided to put Sugarbomb on this mix, I immediately had the song in mind that needed to follow it - "She's The One" by power popper Will Owsley from his second album The Hard Way.  Dude is so awesome, and his day job is lead guitarist for Amy Grant, which paid the way for him to record a self-financed follow-up to his Giant Records self-titled bomb of a debut.  I loved the s/t album, but The Hard Way completely crushes it - I'm still waiting for him to record something new.

Mark Knopfler - "Our Shangri-La"

A definite "us" kind of tune - my mind wanders when I hear this one.  There are additional good memories attached - I saw Knopfler for the first time on this tour - in Dayton, OH at the Fraze Pavilion, which longtime readers of this site will be aware has become a favorite concert spot for me over the years.  I went to the show with my longtime pal/traditional Springsteen comrade Tony, and we had the opportunity to meet Knopfler before the show - one of the coolest meet and greets I've attended to date.  Later that same night, Knopfler dazzled with an epic version of the Dire Straits classic "Telegraph Road," among many other magical moments on the night.

Cracker - "I Want Everything"

Here's another one that's been destined for a mix since I saw Cracker in August, and every time that I made a mix, I kept forgetting to put it on.  This was originally planned as a mix opener several mixes prior, but it fit best here in the current position on this one. From the Kerosene Hat album.

Steve Earle - "Reconsider Me" (Warren Zevon cover)

I love me some Warren Zevon - Warren's an artist that I got into more and more over the years, thanks to my buddy Kevin.  This one comes off of the Warren Zevon tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich, which is one of the most solid tribute albums you'll ever hear.  This particular version got new life when it was used during the first season of Californication, a show which features excellent music choices, and lots of Zevon tracks, both originals and covers like this one.

BoDeans - "When The Love Is Goob (I Mean Good)"

I love The Monday Morning Mix series especially for moments like this one, when I discover a song that I've never heard, from an artist/band like the BoDeans.  While I'm familiar with the BoDeans, I don't know nearly as much about them as I should.  Thanks to Kevin's mix earlier this summer, I heard this song which quickly inspired me to go out and purchase a few BoDeans albums to continue my education.  From the album Home.

Jules Shear - "The More That I'm Around You"

The more that I'm around you, the more there is to love...

God, so true!!!  I tried to pick one of the mixes that wasn't too sappy, but this song is undeniably very much sappy.  Jules is another one that was introduced to me by Kevin - Like the rest of the country, I missed his role as the original creator and host for MTV Unplugged, although as soon as Kevin pointed that out, I thought "oh yeah, I remember that guy."  Shear is one of those quality artists that every time that he puts out an album, I'm out at the record shops to pick it up.  And he never disappoints.  From the album Allow Me.

Semisonic - "Closing Time"

I know who I want to take me home.....

The girl's inclusion of "Singing In My Sleep" on a previous mix made me think of "Closing Time," a track that definitely falls into R.E.M. and Sinead territory above of songs that I got very tired of at their height of popularity.  And yet, it never really crossed the line completely - I've always enjoyed hearing this one.  In fact, this one was traditional for me on the jukebox when I'd be out at the bar with friends on a Saturday night.  From the album Feeling Strangely Fine.

Coincidence?

Perhaps.

Perhaps my parents have me on suicide watch on this hallowed chocolate covered day of luv.

Or perhaps they just wanted to see their son.

From my perception, I've won. A year has passed, and I've managed to stay free from the clutches of an evil soul-sucking relationship with any member of the female kind.

Perhaps it's the company that I keep.

But don't worry folks, I was hanging out just last night with a member of the female species, having friendly conversation while watching live rock and roll. We had late night eats at My Friends (that's for you, Brian,) and we spent a good portion of the evening laughing at others. Not with them, at them. I realize that that part of the evening wasn't very nice behavior. But must I be nice all of the time?

I think not.

Today has been a productive Valentine's Day. I've acquired thanks to @WritingHannah, a list of girls worldwide that if I should ever get back into that "relationship" kind of thing, I now have a list of women that I will not wrong/offend/mistreat/etc. See it for yourself in the video below, and exercise your own personal caution.

Here's some more V-Day stuff for you:

My good friend Louie shares a bunch of Valentine's Day stuff with you. He's got a bunch of covers of Love Song by the Cure, including my favorite, by 311.

He's also got the #1 song about having a broken heart.

And finally, here are Louie's top 5 worst songs to dedicate to someone on the radio. How come Kyrie by Mr. Mister didn't make the list?

Robert Cass at Popdose shares a great Pearl Jam show. That's not saying much, because I've YET to meet a PJ show that I didn't like. Sadly for you V-Day lovers, there's no "Love Boat Captain," but there is an electrifying banjo-enhanced rendition of "Once" in the encores. Okay, you're right - I'm lying about the banjo part.

For me personally on this Valentine's Day, I'm loving the HELL out of the new Damnwells album. Which is *ahem* a FREE download. If we are friends, and you've missed my Twitter updates, Facebook postings, and posts right here on this blog....well, what kind of friend are you?

"Bastard of Midnight" is bliss delivered via headphones....

Trouble keeps the bar lights on for your heartache…

The Damnwells - Bastard of Midnight

PS - Please tell me that you've heard the demo via Fuel/Friends? Go listen.

The Damnwells tune was going to be my one musical share for this post, but then I thought of Eric Ambel's sweet, sweet Yayhoos number that is a must for this particular holiday.

The Yayhoos - Baby I Love You

Be good to each other. Hold me.

xoxoxo M

I've been listening to Tonic's second album Sugar a lot this week. It's probably my favorite from the three albums that they've done, (so far?) and I feel like they often got the short end of a stick as a band. Take a look at their three albums, and from where I'm sitting, there ain't a dud in the bunch.

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly 10 years since Sugar was released, and in that time, I've grown to appreciate it as an album more and more. I can recall being a bit disappointed when I first heard it initially, but after additional listens, I really began to understand it. After winning the hearts of soccer moms across multiple radio formats with "If You Could Only See" from the first Tonic album Lemon Parade, one might have expected Tonic to make a ballad-heavy album with album number two.

They did the opposite and made a ROCK record, something that in 1998, was already becoming a bit hard to find. Sugar summed up for me the ups and downs of being in a relationship - The good times, and that feeling that you would go to the ends of the earth to make someone happy, mixed with the bad times.....the "why am I still doing this" times, and even the book of mixed feelings when it's all over. When you talk about albums that "hold up" Sugar is definitely a winner in that category for me. Typically I'm driving while listening to the album, singing along with the various tracks, and I'll ponder for the umpteenth time how I might resequence the album slightly.

It's JUST about right - I love the opening with album opener "Future Says Run," but I've always felt like "You Wanted More" was a bit out of place in the musical flow on Sugar - the album for me picks up with "Knock Down Walls," and is perfect the rest of the way. Take "You Wanted More" out of the equation, and instead imagine the killer one/two punch opening of "Future Says Run" followed by "Knock Down Walls." Suddenly, you've got yourself a perfect 12 track album, and you can leave "You Wanted More" on the American Pie soundtrack.

Yeah, these are the things I think about while I'm driving. I'm weird.

Tonic - Future Says Run

Tonic - Knock Down Walls

I heard the title track this weekend while driving, and thought of "her." Tonic was one of those early bands that we connected on together. "Sugar" was always a great driving song that made me think warm and fuzzy thoughts of her every time that I would hear it. Only this time, we're not together, and haven't been for quite a while. The feelings this time around were thoughts of a few of the many good times we had shared together through the years. We were good together, but in the end, we were better apart. I'm happier, and I assume that she is too.

Cheers to that.

While we're mushing out - my buddy Mel wrote a great post exploring the simple pleasure that is holding hands with someone. But what does that whole hand holding thing mean to you? Check it out and weigh in with your own answer.

And you know what, here's one more thing, since I'm thinking about favorite albums from the 90s - I LOVED Bringing Down The Horse by The Wallflowers. Wore out a couple of cassettes of it before I got a CD player in my car, and like Sugar, Bringing Down The Horse remains one of my favorite CDs to this day. My new pals over at The Frontloader.com had a great weekend post about "6th Avenue Heartache" that jogged my memory on a few details, and also clued me in to a couple of things that I didn't know. Must read stuff as a fan, and you can also dig the acoustic version of "6th Avenue Heartache" posted there as well.

Back to Tonic - anybody want to take me as their plus one to see Tonic on The Rock Boat in January? Man, I would LOVE to see Tonic again...it's been so long!

Come on baby get your shoes on
You're looking like you need a rescue
Underneath the southern moonlight
Where only I can find you
We can do it with our eyes closed
We can sit and talk for hours
Underneath the golden flowers
Where my sunshine grows

Sugar my love
Sugar my burn
Sugar may hide
Sugar may learn

"Sugar" by Tonic from the album Sugar

Tonic - Sugar

Here's a live version from the radio promo single for "Mean to Me." In my dreams, Tonic would release something live from this tour, because this is the only high quality live stuff from Sugar that I've ever found.

Tonic - Sugar (live)

Emerson Hart - Sugar (live)

Relevant Links:

Purchase Sugar from Amazon - CD

Tonic official website

Tonic lead singer Emerson Hart on Myspace

Two things of many things I love, I guess.

One is Itunes gift cards.

Another one is Amazon gift certificates.

I had a $25 gift certificate for Amazon that I've been sitting on for a couple of months (which is unprecedented for me,) that I finally got around to using tonight to pick up three solid additions to my bookshelf of stuff that I might read someday.

My Amazon strategy is basically this: I keep an Amazon wish list of items that I watch, waiting for used copies to drop to dirt cheap levels, and then I nab 'em!

Tonight's scores were:

Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles by Don Felder

Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life inside The Rock and Roll Business by Danny Goldberg

Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield

I know I've mentioned the Felder and Goldberg books in the past, so you might be surprised that I am just now getting around to grabbing them.

The Love Is A Mix Tape book has been on my want list for a long time - happy to finally nab a copy of that one!

I was hoping to pick up the new Juliana Hatfield book....but I'll hold off a bit longer on that one. I'm also a bit curious to read Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's latest book - I always dug her stuff in the early 90s on Addicted to Noise (R.I.P.)

And no, I'm not looking to become a tougher chick, or a chick at all, actually. What can I say, my reading tastes are weird sometimes.

I still need to pick up the new version of the Al Kooper book as well - so many books, movies, CDs, downloads, so little time!

If you're curious to see what lives on my (sometimes) updated Amazon wish list, you can take a look right here.

Next up on my reading list if I ever finish the Andy Taylor book is Remember Me:A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen.

Cheery.

What are you reading?

Let's talk about sex...

I realized courtesy of a comment from Allison and Twitter updates that the regular female readership of this blog is taking a big hit today, because the entire female pop is either watching the newly released Sex and the City DVD, or trying to make up their mind whether or not they should spring for the special Best Buy exclusive "steel book" edition of the DVD.

And here I was thinking that the "steel case" BB exclusive for Live Free or Die Hard was special. Apparently in a Best Buy marketing meeting somewhere, someone said "remember that steel case edition we did for Die Hard? That would be PERFECT for Sex and the City!"

On the singles charts:

Mel clued me in that this week is apparently National Singles Week, brought to you by the fine folks at Unmarried America (I swear, you can't make this stuff up.)

Mel shared the following link:

Being single has its ups and downs, but today, in the spirit of kicking off our coverage of National Singles Week, I thought it would fun to embrace our single-hood! Sometimes you don't miss something until it's gone so make sure you don't forget these five great things about being single.

The 5 great things about being single linked above are mostly girl-oriented, so here's a brief thought from one guy's perspective: After being in a longterm relationship for a long time, the single life isn't so bad, although it's very possible that your mom might keep you on constant suicide watch, because there's apparently no way that you can possibly be single and be happy!!

Sure, that happy lovey-dovey relationship can be tons of fun, but if you're lacking that right now, enjoy all the good that IS around you. Anything else that is going to come along, will come along in good time.

Extra bonus - in the single life, the movie choice is always yours on movie night when you're home. No competition, and Molly Ringwald film festivals can be spontaneously scheduled for any weekend (the same goes for Andie Macdowell fest, Meg Ryan fest, etc.)

The Boss celebrates a b-day:

Happy birthday to my number one musical love, Bruce Springsteen. Hopefully while blowing out the candles today, he was wishing for a show at Yankee Stadium, because I've been wishing on that one for a while now! Grab some live Bruce tunage right here.

Rock Hall Induction Nominees for 2009:

Metallica are among the nominees, and it looks like their huge comeback year will probably culminate with a Rock Hall induction nod in 2009.

Are you looking for Rush or Yes on that list? Keep looking...

Thanks to Jeremy for the above image!

My buddy Brian @ Broken Headphones has the full list of inductees for anyone that might not have seen it yet.

The Lost Turntable is one of many sites with a rundown of several of the many groups that have been passed over repeatedly in the induction process.

On a positive note, the induction ceremonies are here in Cleveland in 2009. 'bout time!

Yes, they're calling it Yes:

So much for thinking that maybe, MAYBE, they wouldn't call the band Yes. I got the press release last night for the Cleveland date that has just been announced for Yes at the House of Blues.

Yes
featuring Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, plus introducing Oliver Wakeman and Benoit David
Tuesday, November 25 * doors 7:30 PM
Tickets: $49.50 in advance
Ages: All
On sale Friday, September 26 @ 10 AM

Albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic Oceans and 90125 and singles such as “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “I’ve Seen All Good People” are just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Now, the classic YES line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White will launch the "In The Present" tour starting November 4th in Hamilton, Ontario, marking yet another chapter in the art-rockers’ amazing, 40-year career of legendary live performances. The three will be joined by keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, the son of YES’ Rick Wakeman, and vocalist Benoit David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, who was discovered by the band on the Internet, to perform the group’s classic repertoire in live spectacular.

I have no doubt that this will be a good show, I just wish they weren't using the Yes name. Although I understand the reasoning - if they don't call this project Yes, attendance will be dismal, just look at the failure and subsequent cancellation of the More Drama tour several years back.

Jon Anderson issued the following statement via his official website:

"Not Yes"

Jon Anderson
September 2008

Could fans get the best of both worlds? Discussion on The Velvet Rope says it's very possible:

one comment:

Never underestimate just how pissed the "Little Napoleon" (Jon) may be, as their are enough YES alumni about to reform as did "Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe" in the 80's. Chris Squire owns the YES name and trademark, so any version of Yes without Chris, cannot be called YES.

Billy Sherwood- bass, guitars, vocals
Igor Korshev- keyboards
Tom Brislin- keyboards
Jimmy Haun- guitars
Tony Levin- bass (ABWH)
Jeff Berlin- (ABWH)

I'll go see the Anderson-less Yes in the more intimate surroundings of House of Blues here in Cleveland, and I would DEFINITELY go see Anderson and any group of players that he might assemble, ESPECIALLY if Trevor Rabin was in the mix!

Pollstar has the following dates listed for Yes

Be good, ya'll!

I really like this one..

If you’re in your 30s, you have baggage (ie: children, broken relationships, et al). And if you don’t? You probably didn’t have a life worth living.

Amen to that!

Read the rest of Mel's entry, and find out if you're commitment-phobic!

I laughed, I really did. Perhaps you will too.

But then again, you might not.

p.s. Perhaps we should be Facebook friends.

Changing Your Facebook Status

I was having a great discussion with a friend of mine about a lot of different things, and talk shifted to relationships. We talked about how things can change, and with those changes, your eyes are opened, and the things that once mattered the most to you, are now the things you care the least about.

For me personally, material possessions - they used to be SO important to me. Now, if I had the right opportunity to move somewhere cool on short notice - I would take the stuff that really matters the most to me, and ditch/sell the rest of it. Now, one of those things would be my music collection - and if I move that stuff a couple more times, I think I'll be over THAT too!

On a related note, that same friend is just wrapping up helping a mutual friend of ours who is selling his entire musical collection. He ripped the entire thing to a hard drive, and is saying goodbye. This friend is definitely someone that was formerly in my league, so I am impressed.

In talking about things that were no longer important to us, we also talked about dealbreakers that are on the table for future relationships. He shared the humorous story of a friend who requires that his girlfriend prospects know who Slayer is.

If they fail the simple test question "Do you know who Slayer is?" - no deal!

I don't know that musical taste was ever a dealbreaker for me - I got lucky to be in relationships where the other half always had great dysfunctional musical taste like I did (diversity is key.) These days, just have good musical taste, and it's even okay if you like country, as long as you don't expect me to go to every single country show that comes to town. Do me that one favor, and I'll do my best to screen you out of going to some of the shows that I go to that I know cater almost exclusively to my audience of one (even though there might be others in attendance.)

What are some of your dealbreakers?

I'll close with a list of five bands/artists I like that are musically incompatible with my entire dating history:

5. The Yayhoos (and anything else that Dan Baird has been involved with.)
4. Michael Mcdermott
3. The Jayhawks
2. Del Amitri
1. Blue Rodeo (number one with a bullet - the girl that I meet that likes Blue Rodeo, has marriage potential.)

Honorable mention:

Michael Penn
Fountains of Wayne

Relevant Links:

Blue Rodeo beating out Arcade Fire and Finger Eleven? It happened.

Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo - Still Crazy After All of These Years (Paul Simon cover)

Fountains of Wayne - Hey Julie