saturday morning mix

this compilation is best enjoyed on saturday mornings in the kitchen or with your favorite pair of headphones. it's kind of designed like a zen alarm clock: the music won't jolt you out of bed, but it does slowly pick up steam and (hopefully) provide the requisite motivation needed to start your weekend. download the mix here and give it a listen - even if wednesday is your saturday.

1. papercuts - future primitive
2. bill callahan - sycamore
3. vetiver - strictly rule
4. still flyin - sticking my head in ice water (almost for too long)
5. the asteroid #4 - these flowers are ours
6. the fresh & onlys - feelings in my heart
7. thee oh sees - tidal wave
8. the botticellis - up against the glass
9. here we go magic - fangela
10. cryptacize - blue tears
11. cotton jones - gotta cheer up
12. milktooth - such wondrous light
13. little glitches - 123
14. doves - compulsion

feel free to submit your own themed mix to summer mix series before the season ends.

show #54 playlist

the 2nd annual nashville mixtapes independence day british-only spectacular included:

paul mccartney - ram on
danger mouse and sparklehorse featuring gruff rhys - just war
the good, the bad, and the queen - herculean
elbow - the bones of you
i am kloot - no direction home
radiohead - backdrifts
gorillaz - 5-4
the animals - inside looking out
the beatles - glass onion
nick drake - hazy jane II
the kinks - shangri-la
clearlake - almost the same
happy mondays - kinky afro
james - sit down
the la's - way out
the stone roses - mersey paradise

and speaking of happy mondays, they've just announced a north american tour with psychedelic furs which includes a stop at the masquerade in atlanta! that's a very big deal at nashville mixtapes headquarters and i'm sure more will be posted here as info becomes available.

rock 'n' roll quiz night

out the other, dave paulson, and others have been running rock 'n' roll team trivia night at mercy lounge every few weeks this spring/summer and by all accounts good times are had by all. in preparation for my very first trivia night, i have put together a ragtag team of fellow neer-do-wells from wrvu. armed with formerly useless rock 'n' roll knowledge, we are prepared to test our remarkably insufficient recall skills this sunday night.

so you should come on down and join the fun, too. doors open at 8, the competition begins starts at 9, it's free (even parking!), there are drink specials, great prizes, and potential bragging rights. you can rsvp here or just show up.

show #53 playlist

short and sweet today. here's the playlist from the first hour...

muddy waters - i love the life i live, i live the life i love
the black keys - psychotic girl
the animals - don't bring me down
the botticellis - up against the glass
papercuts - dictator's lament
the small faces - rene
the kinks - brainwashed
sallie ford & the sound outside - write me a letter
thee oh sees - go meet the seed
the seeds - can't seem to make you mine
the monks - i hate you
here we go magic - fangela
the raveonettes - lust
the jesus and mary chain - just like honey
john lennon - god
jackson 5 - who's lovin' you

sallie ford & the sound outside - write me a letter

1989

when i heard de la soul was coming to cannery ballroom on aug 5 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of 3 feet high and rising, i knew i had to get tickets even though i hadn't listened to it in a few years. on saturday my "20 years high and rising tour" tickets showed up in the mail and today i decided to break out the album that started it all and give it another spin. turns out it's still a great record and i quickly recalled that a lot of good stuff came out in 1989 - it wasn't all just milli vanilli, paula abdul, and we didn't start the fire.

so here's a mixtape with some of the best music from my 7th grade year:

1. de la soul - intro (3 feet high and rising)
2. public enemy - fight the power (do the right thing soundtrack)
3. de la soul - tread water (3 feet high and rising)
4. the stone roses - fools gold (the stone roses)
5. beastie boys - looking down the barrel of a gun (paul's boutique)
6. pixies - gouge away (doolittle)
7. fugazi - burning (13 songs)
8. the jesus and mary chain - head on (automatic)
9. yo la tengo - drug test (president yo la tengo)
10. galaxie 500 - blue thunder (on fire)
11. happy mondays - wrote for luck (7" release)
12. james - sit down (7" release)
13. lou reed - dirty boulevard (new york)

more nuggets!

as a music lover and a dj, i can't help but owe rhino records an enormous debt of gratitude. not only do they put together high-quality re-issues that help flesh out my collection, but their compilations make it very easy to put together a mixtape. in fact, i could play any album from the nuggets series in its entirety on the radio and people would think i'm a big garage rock know it all.

now they're doing it again with a focus on l.a. bands - the four-disc set where the action is! los angeles nuggets 1965-1968 is coming out on 9.22. according to their website, you can expect rarities from the byrds, the beach boys, love, the standells, the electric prunes and more. so save your hard-earned, mark your calendars, and get in line. it will be worth the $64.98 asking price, i'm sure.

show #52 playlist

the first hour featured a fair amount of music from my new favorite record label - the bay area's antenna farm:

the donkeys - in the morning
linoleum - all tomorrow's parties (velvet underground cover)
mercury rev - in a funny way
the byrds - eight miles high
george harrison - what is life
brian wilson - surf's up
panda bear - bros
papercuts - poor and free
still flyin - sticking my head in ice water
thee oh sees - tidal wave
the ramones - commando
lou reed - i'm so free
ambulance ltd - ophelia
elbow - little beast

the second hour featured a random assortment of tunes from the station. i especially enjoyed the fresh & onlys - a san francisco band i had never heard until today (compliments of john dwyer's san francisco-based castle face records):

the fresh & onlys - feelings in my heart

go see the young republic

the young republic have been making great music in nashville for a while, but for whatever reason they've slipped under my radar again and again. reputable nashville blogger michael eades of we own this town is a big fan and i think i even met the band in the wrvu studios when they visited assorted fruits and cheeses. so you'd think i would have paid more attention before now. after hearing what the young republic are doing, it's obvious that i've really been missing out.

you can hear for yourself this tuesday, june 16 when they perform at edgehill studio cafe. i never thought i'd say this, but if you don't trust my judgement maybe you'll trust taylor swift's:

Taylor Swift Hearts The Young Republic from Julie Miller on Vimeo.

after you see the young republic, make sure to check out the we own this town showcase at mercy.

show #51 playlist

the audio archive lives! it's back and working well, so use it if you'd like to hear this week's show again. the first hour featured random music culled from the vast wrvu current rotation library. the second hour came compliments of guest dj band milktooth.

they played (unless otherwise noted):

yeah yeah yeahs - man
*gorillaz - 5/4
spiritualized - you lie you cheat
my bloody valentine - soft as snow (but warm inside)
the jesus and mary chain - sowing seeds
television - carried away
women - black rice
nick cave and the bad seeds - i let love in
the velvet underground and nico - there she goes again
bat for lashes - i'm on fire
the cure - primary
mazzy star - blue light
milktooth - serving plate

*nashville mixtapes pick

the band also performed such wondrous light live in the studio. here they are recording it for their self-titled debut ep release in one take:

all tomorrow's parties

for years, all tomorrow's parties has eluded me. these small music festivals have all the right ingredients: no corporate sponsorship, great artists curating each event as they see fit, and an ethos that resolutely puts the focus on music and art. sadly, i've never been able to attend but here's the good news: all tomorrow's parties - the film is coming out sep 21.

the film will feature performances by belle and sebastian, portishead, sonic youth, animal collective, iggy and the stooges, gza, patti smith, daniel johnston, mogwai, and many more. if you're lucky enough to see the film before the dvd/download release, i'm green with envy. for now all i have are these cruel (i.e. very tempting) trailers: