2009 Mixes

Disc 1

1 & 2. Song of the Century/21st Century Breakdown – Green Day. I’m not sure any album has ever opened stronger than the first 4 songs on this album, so I’m including the first two here. I love this opening. I love them.

3. Undisclosed Desires – Muse. Matt Bellamy’s description; “This is something totally new for the band. It is influenced by contemporary R'n'B and a little of the David Bowie album 'Ashes to Ashes'. It is a song about love and the dark secrets that lovers share.”

4. Beautiful Thieves – AFI. There’s something about the choir’s “oh”s that gets me every time.

5. Heavy Cross – The Gossip.  Beth Ditto’s voice is fantastic and this song is relentlessly upbeat. Easily my song of the summer.

6. Ulysses – Franz Ferdinand. My favorite off of Tonight. I love the way it builds, particularly the bridge.

7. New Fang – Them Crooked Vultures. The new supergroup comprised of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin. No, really.) Listen to Ms. Manson’s advice. They’re awesome.

8. My Delirium – Ladyhawke. Let’s hear it for the Kiwis! Ladyhawke is the stage name of Phillipa Brown, who hails from Wellington. This song is actually from last year, but I just keep listening to it.  If you like this one, I also recommend her latest single, Magic.

9. No One Sleeps When I’m Awake – The Sounds. I love them. I played Dance With Me every single day on my way to work in Dublin. Plus, I actually got this song on the night that Emily and I went dancing in Boston, so bonus points for awesome there.

10. Telephone – Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce. THIS SONG ATE MY BRAIN. I SERIOUSLY CAN’T STOP PLAYING THIS.  (Also – her song Teeth cracks me up, because I feel like she’s fucking with Twilight fans. I recommend checking it out.)

11. Blind – Hercules & Love Affair. Another one from last year, in case you didn’t already have it. The singer is Antony Hegarty of Antony And The Johnsons. But you can dance to this one!

13. Tik Tok – Kesha. I know I’ve sent this to some of you already, but I laugh every time I hear “we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger.”

14. Heart Attack – Low vs. Diamond. I’ve heard this band called stadium indie, which seems about right. There’s something anthemic about this one that I really like.

15. Constructive Summer – The Hold Steady. This song is an epic, summer driving sing-a-long jam. I like that it sounds both rough and nostalgic.

16. Wannabe in LA – Eagles of Death Metal. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  Fun, quick and dirty, bluesy biker rock.

17. Too Shy to Scream – AFI. I know. Proper mixes don’t repeat bands. I don’t care. I want to dance every time I hear this song. I dare you to listen to it without tapping your toes. Also, including it gives me the opportunity to point out that Davey sang the second verse right to me when I saw them in Providence. Trufax.

18. Resistance – Muse. I’ll include part of Ms. Manson’s review, since she is far more poetic than I; “Everytime I listen to it I feel like I am riding this mad wave of euphoria.....and I am sort of overtaken with the overwhelming desire to sing along really REALLY loudly or burst into tears.”

19.  Sea WithinA Sea – The Horrors. Hypnotic, Depeche Mode-esque, I fell in love with it because it reminded me of the Rip by Portishead (as it should because it turns out it was produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead).

Disc 2

1. Everloving – Moby.  Not a 2009 song, but I discovered it wandering around the homepage of one of my favorite writers (Mark Morford). Anyways, for months I kept opening up his page in the background to listen to this song on repeat. I finally emailed him to ask what it was and he was gracious enough to let me know. I love the crashy bit that sounds like the ocean.

2. Daniel  - Bat for Lashes. I think my favorite description of this song is “sounds like Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rhiannon’ filtered through the weeping circuits of a broken-hearted android.”

3. Pa Pa Power – Dead Man’s Bones. Because little children are creepy. (And, yes, one of the singers is Ryan Gosling.)

4. Islands – The XX. I just got this song and really like it. It’s understated and restrained and really beautiful.

5. In the Snow – Shirley Manson. So her stupid label refused to continue Shirley’s album, claiming her demos were “too noir”. Because apparently they thought they were dealing with Britney Spears. Idiots. Anyways, while I hope for an Extraordinary Machine-type resurrection, here’s one of those demos. Unfinished, but beautiful.

6. It’s All Your Fault - Pink. It’s from last year. But I really liked this record, and I’m still listening to it.

7. Misery – Dana Fuchs. I love her. I got the chance to see her live and she is just incredible. She played Janis Joplin on Broadway (and Sadie in Across the Universe) and, as one review put it, she “sings like a bastard.”

8. Stardust Kids – MGMT vs. David Bowie. This is brilliant. Whoever thought of putting these together deserves a cookie.

11. 1901 – Phoenix. I’m getting annoyed that this song is now on like 3 commercials, but it remains such a fun, boppy tune that I decided to include it anyway.

12. Buttons – Sia. She’s an Aussie singer, formerly of Zero 7. This song burrowed into my brain. And the video is insane. (It’s just her, putting weird crap on her head. It’s so bizarre. Youtube it.)

12. I Make Her Say – Kid Cudi ft. Lady Gaga, Common, & Kanye West. Not quite as amazing as Christopher Walken’s rendition of Poker Face, but close.

9. Womanizer v. Mercury – Bloc Party v. Britney Spears. I don’t want to like this, and yet…

13. Oh my god – Ida Maria. Norwegian rocker. Very cool.

14. Becky – Be Your Own Pet. The band unfortunately broke up, but hilarious, bitchy high school homicide lives forever.

15. Fuck You – Lily Allen. Out of a lot of great songs, this one is my favorite. Particularly helpful for blasting when Maine or New York vote down marriage rights. Rrrrr….

15. The Rip – Portishead. I love float-away-type songs, and this one is gorgeous.

15. Don’t Stop Believing – Glee Cast. This one is for Alex and Amy.  I also really like the It’s My Life/Confessions and Don’t Stand So Close/Young Girl mash ups. They’re worth checking out.

16. Leeds United – Amanda Palmer. I could have SWORN I put this on last year’s list, but apparently not. I adore this song. I found it on Neil Gaiman’s blog, and it’s how I got hooked on her and the Dresden Dolls. Anyways, now I’ve finally seen her live and I’m spending New Years at HER PARTY and she’s brilliant and I love her. I love this song because it was recorded at the tail end of Edinburgh Fringe and she blew out her voice on it and couldn’t talk for 3 days after and it was only supposed to be a demo, but it turned out so well they kept this version for the album. Yay.

17. The Snow Leopard – Shearwater. The other one I thought I gave out last year. I think this song is heart-breakingly beautiful. I can’t imagine how the singer holds some of those notes.