#0086 – Music for Melancholy

Melancholy is this show’s theme. More precisely, how music moves me from feeling melancholy to feeling more upbeat. We all feel melancholy from time to time, for many different reasons. Lost or unrequited love, loss of a dream, even a rainy day. whatever the reason we have all been there.

When I feel melancholy I like to first live with it for a while, then listen to songs that sweep the melancholy away.

Rock Island, WI at sunset

Move from feeling melancholy to . . .well. . . better

1. The Who – Melancholia
2. Neil Young – Birds
3. Patty Loveless – Sorrowful Angels
4. Bob Dylan – Simple Twist of Fate
5. Ray Charles – A Fool for you
6. The Doors – The Changeling
7. Rolling Stones – Rocks Off
8. Steve Earl – Galway Girl
9. The Grateful Dead – Scarlet Begonias
10. The Allman Brothers – Blue Sky
11. The Ramones – California Sun

The Weightless Mix

Yepper, so I took 6 days last month to head down to a free place to stay in Lake Tahoe NV/CA, and spent 4 of the 6 days driving through parts of  northern CA into the Sierras, and out into central-western Nevada. Driving out west, or pretty much anyplace new, for me, removes most of the worries and responsibilities from my head for a short time. Out west, I tend to get a weightless feeling, which, after a few days, makes me want to buy an old 4×4 and some camping equipment and drive up into the hills for about a month, grow a beard, eat wild game and berries, and shoot at things with a rifle. Maybe next year.

Anyway there’s not too much that’s Earth-shattering on this mix. There’s some new stuff, but I tend to get down to tried-and-true songs on the road, because I don’t want my time wasted with a bunch of songs I’ve never heard of in the hopes that maybe I’ll hear something new and good. Time on the road is limited; this is not the time to try something new. It always takes me a while to warm up to new songs and bands anyway. I reserve that for when I’m sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day.  But I will do extensive radio scans in the hopes of hitting some offbeat talk show, an animated preacher/religious drama, or some old songs that I haven’t heard in a long while, and some of that is reflected in this mix via radio scans and some older tunes. Listening to this mix is just like you were sitting in my car for 40 hours straight, only condensed into a little over an hour without you actually getting into my vehicle. I like this mix. But don’t take my word for it, just listen to these powerful testimonials:

Incredible. Just incredible. I mean, I hate every song on here and I can’t stop listening to this mix.” Quen Britmore, Time Magazine Music Review Team

There are times in each of our lives where we have to ask ourselves if we really are who we think we are. This mix forces you to do that. It grabs you by the nape of the neck and says, ‘Who are you?” Josh Starbrew, Nuclear Engineer, Brunswick, NC

I’ve always had a thing about birds. I just don’t like them. But this mix, well, that’s a different story.” Sarah-Ann Zicker, Web Application Designer, Knoxville, TN

I’ve never even been to Nevada. But it’s as if Kevin has captured the very essence of driving through a western state, except there’s no country music on it. I’m a little sweaty just thinking about it. I mean, that’s how good it is.” Tex Muffin, Utah State Patrol

Play

  1. One Be Lo – Smash
  2. Yes – Hold On
  3. Judas Priest – All the Way
  4. Peter Murphy – All Night Long
  5. The Psychedelic Furs – There’s a World Outside
  6. The Sisters of Mercy w/Terri Nunn – Under the Gun
  7. Bad Religion – Lost Pilgrim
  8. Soulfly – The Beautiful People
  9. Pro-pain – All for King George
  10. The Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’
  11. The Who – Join Together
  12. Ministry – The Last Sucker
  13. Covenant – Leviathon
  14. The Smiths – Rusholme Ruffians
  15. ZZ Top – Jesus just left Chicago
  16. Sammy Hagar – I’ll Fall in Love Again

#0062 – File under: Know Bo

Confession:  Since around 1987 with the whole Bo Jackson/Bo Diddley campaign, I’ve been pretty fascinated with Bo Diddley.  When The Man passed away about two months back, I spent a good several weeks playing through a wide collection of material that he either wrote, played or helped inspire. 

Much like how Funk will probably forever be defined by the strong downbeat on the “1” as exemplified by everyone ripping off James Brown, the beat of a freight train rolling unstoppably through the heart of rock and blues will forever be tied to Bo Diddley.

In this mix, I’ll take you chronologically through music that the man himself wrote, played and inspired.  And… since this is taking place almost two months after his passing, it’s not even hip and trendy to do so, yet I do it anyway.

Play

This tribute includes…

  1. “Bo Diddley” – Art Neville & The Meters
  2. “I’m a Man” – Bo Diddley
  3. “Not Fade Away” – Buddy Holly
  4. “(Marie’s the Name of) His Latest Flame” – Elvis Presley
  5. “Cannonball” – Duane Eddy
  6. “Willie and the Hand Jive” – Shuggie Otis
  7. “I’m Crying” – The Animals
  8. “I Want Candy” – The Strangeloves
  9. “Magic Bus” – The Who
  10. “1969” – Iggy Pop & the Stooges
  11. “Pills” – New York Dolls
  12. “She’s the One” – Bruce Springsteen
  13. “Don’t Let Him Go” – REO Speedwagon
  14. “Who Do You Love” – George Thorogood
  15. “I Want Candy” – Bow Wow Wow
  16. “How Soon is Now?” – The Smiths
  17. “Mr. Brownstone” – Guns N’ Roses
  18. “Faith” – George Michael
  19. “Desire” – U2

#0028 – File under: Guitar Heroics

Play

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 🙂