2011 Music In Review (by @jaehoyer)

First of all, Happy New Year!!!! As is tradition since time in memoriam, the first mixes of a new year tend to be reflections on the best of what we heard in the previous year.  Our first mix of 2012 comes from Justine Hoyer, who gifted us with this excellent mix of her faves from 2011. Hard to argue with any of these. Earlier this year, Justine gave us our 100th mix (The Spring Mix) and it was pretty awesome, as well.

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Whirring – The Joy Formidable
Post Break Up Sex – Vaccines
Abducted – Cults
Born Alone – Wilco
Nothing But Our Love – Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
How Deep is Your Love – The Rapture
Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
Miss You – Foster the People
Midnight City – M83
Novacane – Frank Ocean
Bizness – Tune Yards
Shake it Out – Florence and The Machine
Saw You First – Givers
Video Games – Lana Del Rey
Stone Rollin’ – Raphael Saadiq
Will Do – TV on the Radio
You Turn Clear in the Sun – Telekinesis
The Wilhelm Scream – James Blake
Lotus Flower – Radiohead
Honey Bunny – Girls
Circuital – My Morning Jacket
Rock n Roll is Free – Ben Harper

#0103 – Run ’93

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Fall of 1993. I was beginning my second year at my third university, living at home, working for minimum wage at a used CD shop, driving my beat-to-hell 1984 black Ford Thunderbird. No girlfriend, my buddy Adam’s old driver’s license so I had a fake ID and I was living the high life.
This is what I was listening to on some AM station in Milwaukee back then. Maybe it was WLZR-AM?
  1. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Iron Lion Zion” – 06:12
  2. Belly – “Feed the Tree” – 03:19
  3. Smashing Pumpkins – “Disarm” – 02:56
  4. Pearl Jam – “Rearviewmirror” – 04:34
  5. The Cranberries – “Dreams” – 04:23
  6. Radiohead – “Stop Whispering” – 05:07
  7. Pet Shop Boys – “Can You Forgive Her?” – 03:44
  8. Prince – “17 Days” – 05:14
  9. Big Country – “The One I Love” – 04:55
  10. Jellyfish – “The Ghost At Number One” – 03:25
  11. The Breeders – “Cannonball” – 03:23
  12. Dinosaur Jr. – “Start Choppin” – 05:20
  13. Tears for Fears – “Break It Down Again” – 04:11
  14. Ub40 – “Higher Ground” – 03:43
  15. Stereo MC’s – “Connected” – 04:28
  16. A Tribe Called Quest – “Electric Relaxation” – 03:11
  17. American Music Club – “Over and Done” – 03:01
  18. U2 – “The First Time” – 03:22
  19. Crowded House – “Pineapple Head” – 03:27

#0069 – Waiting on a Revelation

We’re living in serious times, but we’re reminded every now and again that there’s a strong case for some optimism.  This mix is a reflection on this idea.

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Jim and I attended the rally in Grant Park, Chicago on election night last week, and it was a very moving experience.  People hugged each other — a woman came up to me on the street and offered a hug — a real, warm, longer-lasting full bodied hug.  The city of Chicago was just glowing on Tuesday night.  People have been walking taller, noticing their neighbors more — I mean, it’s not all Pollyana and people still drive like a bunch of assholes — and Cubs fans?  Well, they’re the worst (present company excluded, Jim).

Despite all the good times, the economy is showing signs that we’re still headed for shit.  We’re no closer to getting out of Iraq or avoiding further confrontation in Afghanistan than we were before.  Poverty, Health Care, Cancer, AIDS, Gay Marriage — I mean, there’s a lot of issues that require serious action and attention — yet even without doing anything, we’re reminded that as a nation whose wealth dwarfs that of almost every other nation, where the black community is a shrinking minority, we elect a minority to the highest office — something that all the other “western” nations have yet to do.

For the first time in a very long time, I actually have some sense that no matter what, we’re all going to be okay.

Some notes about this mix: The Lucero track was contributed by Jim, and it’s been one of my favorites for almost a year now. Since he never played it, I figure I have dibs on it. A fellow by the name of John Campbell suggested The Gossip after a Twitter discussion about Shazam (he used the service as he got a haircut and this cover of Wham! was what it pulled up). I had to throw a new one by The Cure, because it’s probably their best album since Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. And I don’t talk anywhere on this mix, so just pop it in your car on your long commute or drive and just enjoy.

This mix includes…

  • Lucero – Tonight Ain’t Gonna Be Good
  • R.E.M. – Supernatural Superserious
  • INXS – Don’t Change a Thing
  • Mark Ronson – You’re All I Need to Get By
  • Stars – Take Me to the Riot
  • Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost?
  • ColdPlay – Lovers in Japan
  • Keane – Spiralling
  • Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better
  • The Cure – Only One
  • Travis – Sing
  • Radiohead – Reckoner
  • Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
  • The Gossip – Careless Whisper
  • Muse – Map of the Problematique
  • Liam Finn – Better to Be
  • Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
  • Beck – Gamma Ray
  • Dan Deacon – The Crystal Cat
  • Say Hi To Your Mom – The Twenty-Second Century
  • The Arcade File – Rebellion (Lies)

#0068 – Dancin’ On All Hallows Eve

Aaron’s note:  Everyone welcome Jason, our first guest DJ!

Jason (aka Replik8)The term Halloween comes from “All Hallows’ Eve” as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day”, which is now also known as All Saints’ Day.  Halloween originated in Gaelic culters as a celebration of the end of Harvest Season. Irish and Scotish immigrants continued varied versions of the tradition and brought it to North America in the nineteenth century.

The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31 the boundary between the alive and the dead ceased to exist, and the dead became dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The living held festivals that involved bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.  So since most of us aren’t farmers, but often get sick during the fall season (at least I know I do), then we might want to consider celebrating Halloween to drive out all negativity and evil spirits from our lives and have some fun while doing it. How you celebrate it is your choice, but as long as you know it’s actually not a celebration of evil spirits or promoting types of morally wrong paganism as some “modern” religious groups might have you to believe. This mix won’t change your life or make you a sinner, but should put you in the mood for Halloween and turn you on to some bone chillin’ tracks you’ve never heard before. Cheers!

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  1. Introduction – Replik8
  2. The Boogie Monster – Gnarls Barkley [http://www.last.fm/music/Gnarls+Barkley]
  3. Dancin’ On My Grave – Ghostland Observatory [http://www.last.fm/music/Ghostland+Observatory]
  4. Paperbag Writer – Radiohead [http://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead]
  5. Lusty – Lamb [http://www.last.fm/music/Lamb]
  6. Buggface – Big Boi [http://www.last.fm/music/Big+Boi]
  7. Scarecrow – Beck[http://www.last.fm/music/Beck]
  8. The Rip – Portishead [http://www.last.fm/music/Portishead]
  9. Last Living Souls – Gorillaz [http://www.last.fm/music/Gorillaz]
  10. Where I End And You Begin – Radiohead [http://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead]
  11. Monster – Chab feat. JD Davis [http://www.last.fm/music/Chab]
  12. Where Is My Mind – Pixies [http://www.last.fm/music/Pixies]
  13. Cowboys – Portishead [http://www.last.fm/music/Portishead]
  14. ATLiens – Outkast [http://www.last.fm/music/Outkast]
  15. Smile Like You Mean It – The Killers [http://www.last.fm/music/The+Killers]
  16. Christiansands – Tricky [[http://www.last.fm/music/Tricky]
  17. I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie [http://www.last.fm/music/David+Bowie]
  18. My Mind Is Playin’ Tricks On Me – Ghetto Boys [http://www.last.fm/music/Geto+Boys]
  19. The Eraser – Thom Yorke [http://www.last.fm/music/Thom+Yorke]
  20. Don’t Save Us From The Flames – M83 [http://www.last.fm/music/M83]

#0029 – File under: 2007

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The last mix of 2007 goes out as this podcast began — no interruptions, no interludes and no explanations. You get a solid two-hour mix of the best music that came out this year.

And what made it the best? You told me it was the best. Your emails, IMs, replies on Pownce, phone calls and conversations in passing. There are a couple of additions based on personal picks. Overall though, this is a mix I hope you’ll enjoy into the next year.

  1. Earth Intruders (Extended Mark) [Spike] [Stent Mix] – Bjork
  2. The Robots (Die Roboter) – Bacalao
  3. Don’t Go – Starting Rock
  4. Flashing Lights – Kanye West
  5. Boyz – M.I.A.
  6. D.A.N.C.E. – Justice
  7. The Salmon Dance – Chemical Brothers
  8. Rehab – Amy Winehouse
  9. Proper Education – Eric Prydz
  10. Up All Night – El-P
  11. Sunday Bloody Sunday – Saul Williams
  12. Iron Bars – Stephen Marley
  13. Down at McDonaldz – Electric Six
  14. Lazy Eye (Jason Bentley Remix) – Silversun Pickups
  15. You Got It All… Wrong – The Hives
  16. Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce
  17. Bodysnatchers – Radiohead
  18. The General Specific – Band of Horses
  19. All the Old Showstoppers – The New Pornographers
  20. Turn Me Around – Mavis Staples
  21. Keep the Car Running – Arcade Fire
  22. The Underdog – Spoon
  23. Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John
  24. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
  25. Rollin’ – The High Llamas
  26. New Shoes – Paolo Nutini
  27. Love, Reign O’er Me – Pearl Jam
  28. Cocobelle – Moonbabies
  29. Pour le Monde – Crowded House
  30. Either Way – Wilco

*bonus: Same Old Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg (in rememberence….)

#0028 – File under: Guitar Heroics

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I’ve put in almost 24 hours of solid playing time in the past couple of weeks between Guitar Hero III and Rockband.  Songs here include awesome tracks by Poison, Social Distortion, Mountain, Blue Oyster Cult, Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, The Killers, The Who, Kaiser Chiefs, The Stone Roses, The Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dead Kennedys, Pixies, Guns N’ Roses, The Police and Slipknot.

Oh, and if you make it through to the end, you’ll unlock Dragonforce, too 🙂

#0026 – File under: Chi

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Were you blown away from the last episode? Time for a more contemporary, yet still eclectic adjustment with The Stone Roses, Wilco, The Monkees, Band of Horses, Spoon, Radiohead, Cake, Captain Beefheart, The Killers, Goldfrapp, The Boy Least Likely To, Asthmaboy, Elvis Costello.

Support the artists and check out Asthmaboy and Radiohead, especially — they’re giving music away.

Also… for those that make it to the end… it’s “xmas.mp3” 🙂

#0022 – File under Supremo Awesome Excelsior!

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This supremely over-the-top mix brings you The Hives, E.L.O., Yes, Queen, Dio, Iron Maiden, Tenacious D, Dethklok, Led Zeppelin, Electric Six, Journey, Muse, Dream Theater, Radiohead and Saul Williams.

Featured Tracks: