Mix #31- Last Chance

Well, here we are at the last day of January, and the last official mix of Mix-A-Day. This project has been met w/ a surprising and gratifying amount of enthusiasm. It feels like everywhere I go people want to talk with me about it. I appreciate all the positive feedback and it really makes me want to keep the whole thing going in some way, shape or form. I'm not really sure what that should be- obviously, making a mix every day is a lot of work if you're going to put some intention into it, and I'm fairly burnt out at this point. But I would like to keep sharing the music I love with people....
So I thought I'd throw the question out to you out there, my largely anonymous & silent internet audience. Should I keep things going as Mix-a-Week? Mix-a-month? get a radio show? figure out what the hell a podcast is? or just go back to hanging out w/ bands and making friends mixes?
Anyways, here's the last official mix of Mix-a-Day, and I dug out some old favorites for it. I hope you enjoy it, and if you've appreciated the project, please leave a comment!
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Those Lovely Hula Hands- Menevät Miehet
2. The Holy Modal Rounders- The I.W.W. Song
3. Henry Flynt- Violin Strobe
4. Ju Suk Reet Meate- untitled
5. Kazuki Tomokawa- unknown
6. Katherina Ex with Iva Bittova- unknown
7. Kampec Dolores- Levitacio(levitation)
8. Už Jsme Doma- Mu Je Ha
9. Pere Ubu- Go
10. The Girls- Jeffrey I Hear You
11. Steve Lake - Dancin (version)
12. Colin Potter- Power
13. The Homosexuals- My Night Out
14. Scritti Politti- Is and Ought the Western World
15. The Slits- Man Next Door
16. Dr. Alimantado- I Shall Fear No Evil
17. Prince Jazzbo- Crime Don't Pay
18. Vivien Goldman - Private Army Dub
19. The Mekons- Another Set Of Teeth
20. The Clash- Lose This Skin

Mix #30- Science Fiction

This is a belated response to a request for a "sci-fi" mix some anonymous person requested a while back. I was excited to make this mix, as I love science fiction, and in fact had a hard time whittling it down to a CD-length mix. I even avoided some more obvious classics- I mean, a sci-fi mix with no Chrome, Hawkwind or "Flying Saucer Attack" by the Rezillos? I also realized that most of the science-fiction oriented songs I have & enjoy focus a lot more on kitsch and cheezy synth sounds, while in literature I tend to favor more serious dystopian/utopian speculative fiction.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Utah Smith- Take A Trip
2. Sun Ra- Outer Spaceways Incorporated
3. Ornette Coleman- Science Fiction
4. Bernard Sjazner- Bene Gesserit
5. Rita Lee- Superficie Do Planeta
6. Inner City Sound- Watching the Grass Grow
7. Lesser Known Neutrinos- Warm December Day
8. Take It- Man Made World
9. Len Liggins - Sandwiches
10. Spizz Energi- Where's Captain Kirk?
11. Sparks- In the Future
12. Suburban Lawns- Jam the Controls
13. Clikitat Ikatowi- Science Fiction Reality
14. A-Frames- Nobot
15. Meltdown- Alien Autopsy
16. Metalux- Radioactivating Foam
17. The Scissor Girls- Atomic Boys / Love-Sick
18. Androids Of Mu- Lost In Space
19. Conceputol- The Space Invaders
20. Radio Free Europe- Alien Day
21. Plastics- Robot
22. Metal Urbain- Futurama
23. Simply Saucer- Here Come the Cyborgs (Part 1)
24. Red Krayola- Transparent Radiation

Mix #29- Kitchen Window

I'm getting tired of this. Are you getting tired of this? Maybe I'm just tired...
Get it here, if you want it.

TRACKLIST-
1. Big Star- Stroke It Noel
2. Arthur Russell- Nobody Wants A Lonely Heart
3. Silver Jews- Random Rules
4. Bob Dylan- Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
5. Mayo Thompson- Good Brisk Blues
6. Buffy Sainte-Marie- He's a Keeper Of the Fire
7. Old Time Relijun- The Door I Came Through Has Been Closed
8. Michael Yonkers Band- Smile Awhile
9. Egor I Opisdanevshie- Sem Shagov Za Gorizont
10. Mizutama Shobodan- A Loving Frog On A Shopping Block
11. Sandra Bell- Chord
12. Stereolab & Nurse With Wound- Exploding Head Movie
13. Clothilde- La Queue Du Chat
14. Vashti Bunyan- Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind

Mix #28- Modular Clouds

It makes sense to me, but I can't explain it.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Erik Satie- Gnossienes No. 1
2. Gastr Del Sol- Eight Corners
3. Joe Maneri- Mountains
4. Black Ox Orkestar- Violin Duet
5. Rosa Eskenazi- Ime Prezakias
6. Naftule Brandwein- Der Ziser Bulgar
7. Dagmar Krause- German Miserere
8. Jewlia Eisenberg- Bed/café
9. Schizmatics- Vazen Vol
10. Fred Frith- Lelekovice (for iva bittova)
11. Steve Reich- Different Trains: After the War
12. Sufjan Stevens- They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon)
13. Pascal Comelade- La Malédiction du Pharaon

Mix #27- Emerging

You may not like this one.
Then again, you may. What do I know?
TRACKLIST-
1. Sonny (& Linda) Sharrock- Black Woman
2. Doramaar- I Will Not Disappear Into You
3. Dead C- Your Hand
4. Medicine- Christmas Song
5. Numbers- Hey Hey Dream
6. Deerhoof- This Magnificent Bird Will Rise
7. Ex Orkest- Kokend Asfalt
8. Umezu Kazutoki & Band- The Gospel of Gone

Mix #26- Interruptions

This one gets spooky at times. Is it just me or are they getting stranger?
Get it here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Graham Lambkin - Glinkamix
2. Brothers Quay- Finale - For a New Beginning
3. Nurse With Wound- Odd
4. L Voag- The Way Out
5. Renaldo & the Loaf- A Critical Dance
6. Faust- Do So
7. Metabolist- Alien On Sunday
8. 39 Clocks- Psycho Beat
9. Instant Automatons- Scared To Be Alone
10. Mudhutters- National Interest
11. V-Effect- Feet First
12. Minutemen- Paranoid Chant
13. Rondos- City Of Fear
14. Sonic Youth- Burning Spear
15. Children's Hospital- Unseen
16. His Name Is Alive- Can't Go Wrong Without You

Mix #25- Weatherproof Grin

I don't really know what to make of this one myself, it's a funny one...
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Doris Duke- Feet Start Walking
2. Quasimoto- Come On Feet
3. Alain Goraguer- Ten et Tiwa
4. Jean-Claude Vannier- l'enfant la mouche et les allumettes
5. Pierre Henry- Psyche Rock
6. Vulcans- Dark Shadows
7. Big Youth- the Killer
8. Upsetters- Drum Rock
9. African Head Charge- Far Away Chant
10. Skoal Kodiak- Nerve Dice
11. Kontakt Mikrofoon Orkest- Do The Residue
12. Matthew Middleton- A Reprimand
13. Math- Gorilla
14. Inflatable Boy Clams- Skeletons
15. Pressler-Morgan- You're Gonna Watch Me
16. Carsickness- Falling
17. Impractical Cockpit- Furrowed Frow
18. What Cheer? Brigade- 13 Ghosts
19. Goat Of Arms- Leora
20. Blue Orchids- Dumb Magician
21. Can- I'm So Green
22. Caetano Veloso- Alfômega

Mix #24- Desolation Drums

It's recently come to my attention that some people are having trouble getting these mixes to play in the right order. This is extremely dismaying, as the sequencing is really the bulk of the labor & the love going into these things. This time, I tried an extra step, so please let me know if it plays alright for you.
Some notes- This David Thomas song, off the album of the same title, is one of the most perfect pieces of music & narration combined in my opinion. It's the kind of record I buy to give to a friend when I see it in a record store. The following track from Minneapolis' Dreamland Faces, is actually an excerpt from the the soundtrack they recorded for one of my shadow-shows, SeamsLike, and I'm still wowed by it even after hearing it every night for 2 weeks straight on tour. Also, I saw Northern Liberties play just last night, and I strongly encourage you to do the same if you have the chance- easily one of the best live acts in Philly...
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. David Thomas- Monster Walks The Winter Lake
2. Dreamland Faces- SeamsLike part 3
3. Catherine Jauniaux & Tim Hodgkingson- Infant Sorrow
4. DG 307- Konzervovana Masa
5. Einsturzende Neubauten- Armenia
6. Yoko Ono- Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)
7. Ut- Swallow
8. Coughs- Elephant
9. Northern Liberties- Justice For Tommy
10. Sicbay- Berthode
11. Nina Nastasia and Jim White- I've Been Out Walking
12. Slapp Happy- Bad Alchemy
13. Red Balune- Trees & Tanks
14. Het- Penis
15. Hat Shoes- Tom-ta-kati-e-ta-cote
16. Morton Feldman- Snow Falls

Mix 23- Aggravation

This one's good for bad moods, or maybe for putting you in one.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. The White Shark- Emergency
2. Sun City Girls- X+Y=Fuck You
3. Cassiber- Not Me
4. Aksak Maboul- A Modern Lesson
5. Entra'acte - No Es Seixi Vestir Per Una Maquina
6. The Honkies- By The Side
7. Bill Laswell/Peter Brotzmann- Locomotive
8. Roland Young- Row Land
9. Jean Guerin- Triptik 2
10. Cluster- Caramba
11. Chrome- Meet Me In The Subway
12. NNB- Slack
13. These Are Powers- Cracks In The Lifeline
14. DNA - Not Moving
15. The Plastic People Of The Universe- Magicke Noci
16. The Work- Pop
17. Fred Frith- Ahead in the sand
18. Reid Books- Untitled (from Conspiracies of Reality)

Mix #22- Courtin'

Perhaps the most common "purpose" of the mix in our society is for courting's sake. I know I've made any number of mixes for the sake of wooing potential romances* (or celebrating existing/beginning ones), but they've all been full of all kinds of filler songs intent on distracting/buffering/diluting the numbers containing the more pointed message I'm really trying to get across. Here on Mix-a-Day I can finally make a mix that really lays it on thick & share it with a bunch of strangers....
Download here. I believe this link actually works now!
TRACKLIST-
1. Irma Thomas- It's Raining
2. Smog- Let's Move to the Country
3. Diane Cluck- I Liked You As Soon As I Saw You
4. Richard & Linda Thompson- Night Comes In
5. Micah Blue Smaldone- Pale Light
6. Sheila Jack- I've Got To Have You
7. Stranger Cole & Patsy Todd- When You Call My Name
8. Charles Iwegbue & His Archibogs- Hold Me Tight Baby
9. Gal Costa - Lost in the Paradise
10. Michele Arnaud- Les Papillons Noirs
11. Kim Jung Mi- unknown title
12. Tyrannosaurus Rex- like a white star tangled and far, tulip that's what you are
13. Maher Shalal Hash Baz- Soldier Of Love
14. Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin- Orang Outan

* to be fair, i've also used mixes to court new friends & artistic collaborators, often even using some of the same songs!

Mix #21- A Way

My idea of what sounds good hurtling down the highway with the windows rolled down.

TRACKLIST-
1. 13th Floor Elevators- You're Gonna Miss Me
2. Ace Of Cups- Boy What'll You Do Then
3. Shocking Blue- Long And Lonesome Road
4. Guided By Voices- Motor Away
5. The Feelies- Raised Eyebrows
6. Sparks- Whippings And Apologies
7. The Velvet Underground- Guess I'm Falling in Love [Instrumental]
8. The Casual Dots- Hooded
9. Wipers- Let's Go Away
10. Epicycle- You're Not Gonna Get It
11. The Flamin' Groovies- Shake Some Action (Flamin' Mix)
12. The Modern Lovers- Dignified And Old
13. X- Delinquent Cars
14. The Rats- Gotta Get Away
15. Method Actors- My Time
16. God Is My Co-Pilot- Said & Done
17. The Scene Is Now- Gone For A Long, Long Time
18. Bob Dylan & The Band- Lo And Behold!

Mix #20- Cracked

It's getting late. Get it here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Syd Barrett- Golden Hair
2. Arian Sample- Glass Break
3. Nico- You Forgot To Answer
4. Hopkins & Bradley- Final Bow
5. The Zombies- Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)
6. Fire On Fire- Liberty Unknown
7. Jackie-O Motherfucker- Nice One
8. Marconi Notaro- Ah Vida Avida
9. Alexander "Skip" Spence- War In Peace
10. George Harrison- Isn't It A Pity
11. Papercuts- Once We Walked In The Sunlight

Mix #19- Winding Down

This one is in response to Greg's request for a "sleepytime" mix and a promise I made to Korben for a mix they could play at Philadelphia Community Acupuncture. Obvious caveat: this is my idea of a proper mix to relax to, perfect for ME to get acupuncture &/or fall asleep to*. Results will vary from human to human.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Willie Carter, Albert Nicholson, Allen Gordon & David Alexander- Captain, I'm Getting Tired
2. Joseph Spence- I Bid You Goodnight
3. Washington Phillips- What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
4. Tsegué-Maryam Guébrou- Tenkou! Why Feel Sorry?
5. Lionel Belasco- Venezuela
6. Bola Sete- Mulher Rendeira
7. Sir Richard Bishop- Hadley
8. Byungki Hwang- Darha Nopigom 5
9. Hamza El Din- Childhood (Assaramessuga)
10. unknown- O Mansa Musa (from Bush Taxi Mali)
11. Robbie Basho- Oriental Love Song
12. James Blackshaw- Cross
13. Emmanuelle Parrenin- Thibault et l'Arbre d'Or
14. Linda Perhacs- Chimacum Rain
15. Lau Nau- Painovoimaa, Valoa
16. Fursaxa- Desiree

*i often doze off during acupuncture. apparently, it's quite common.
PS- i highly recommend Philly Community Acupuncture. they did wonders for my wrist problems.

Mix #18- Tomorrow Is Today

This mix is for MLK day. Of course, like all human beings, Martin Luther King Jr. was deeply imperfect, and our views often depart, but reading the text of his speech on Vietnam,* I was struck by both his boldness and his compassion. This compassion, so deeply felt and so radical in its implications, is something I've always carried away from MLK's words and actions, and something I feel like we would all do well to take note of.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Sam Cooke- A Change Is Gonna Come
2. Stevie Wonder- Heaven Help Us All
3. We The People- People, Open Your Eyes and See
4. The 24-Carat Black- Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth
5. Eugene McDaniels- Supermarket Blues
6. Bill Moss- Sock It to 'em Soul Brother
7. Otis Redding- A Change Is Gonna Come
8. Albert Ayler- Change Has Come
9. Max Roach- Freedom Day
10. Sweet Honey In The Rock- Greed
11. Dock Reed, Henry Reed & Vera Ward- What is the Soul of Man
12. Aretha Franklin- A Change Is Gonna Come

*Thanks to Matt Spurlock for bringing these words back to my attention.

Mix #17- House Carpenters

I've always loved the old ballad The House Carpenter, and have heard a number of innovative versions of it. I'm particularly enamored of the fierce Ex and Buffy Sainte-Marie versions featured here.
From Wikipedia-

"The Daemon Lover", also known as "James Harris", "James Herries", or "The House Carpenter" (Roud 14, Child 243) is a popular ballad from Britain. It tells the story of a man (usually the Devil), who returns to a former lover after a very long absence, and finds her with a husband (usually a carpenter) and a baby. He entices her to leave both behind and come with him, luring her with many ships laden with treasure. Together they board one of his ships, (which in many versions she is surprised to find does not have a crew) and put to sea.

She soon begins to lament leaving behind her child, but is heartened by spying a bright hill in the distance. Her lover informs her that the hill is heaven, where they are not bound. Instead he indicates a much darker coast, which he tells her is hell, their destination. He then breaks the ship in half with his bare hands and feet, drowning them both. In other versions, the ship is wrecked by a storm at sea.

This ballad was one of 25 traditional works included in Ballads Weird and Wonderful (1912) and illustrated by Vernon Hill(pictured above). The New York Times review of Hill's illustrations accompanying this ballad was noted as a particular highlight of his illustrations thus:

... the design of Satan rushing down through the waves with the boat containing the faithless wife, is tremendous. Satan himself has one of the most graceful and beautiful human bodies over drawn; the rhythm of the whole is thrilling, and the conventionalized waves are splendid.

A popular American version is called "The House Carpenter".

Download here.

TRACKLIST-
1. Ewan MacColl- The Daemon Lover [#243 English)
2. Peggy Seeger- The House Carpenter [#243 American]
3. Clarence Ashley- The House Carpenter
4. Almeda Riddle- The House Carpenter
5. Bob Dylan- House Carpenter
6. Jean Ritchie- House Carpenter
7. Buffy Sainte-Marie- House Carpenter
8. Pentangle- House Carpenter
9. The Ex- House Carpenter
10. Faun Fables- House Carpenter
11. Oakley Hall- House Carpenter

Mix #16- All Over The Place

This mix begins with a bit of nepotism. The first song is taken from a shadow puppet musical theater piece called the Nothing Factory that I co-directed & created the visuals for. The narrative & lyrics were written by Reid Books, and the book of art & text/CD of songs & narration from the show was the first thing we put out on our label Desperate Commodities.
From there, it really does go all over the place. Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. The Aetherial Underpants Orchestra- I Hate Everything
2. John Greaves & Peter Blegvad- One Footnote
3. De Kift- Muur Muur
4. Chico Buarque- Deus Lhe Pague
5. Adoniran Barbosa- No Morro da Casa Verde
6. George Brassens- Le Cocu
7. La Tordue- Noveau Monde
8. Fanfare Savale- Lahabibi
9. Taraf de Haidouks- Hora Ca La Ursari
10. Tigist Assefa- Toutouye
11. Omar Souleyman- Jani
12. Erkin Koray- Turku
13. Amon Düül II- Eye-Shaking King

Mix #15- Furious Movement

Protest songs, of one sort or another. I think I am protesting life after a string of shitty days....
Anyway, you can download here.
As always, comments are appreciated.
TRACKLIST-
1. Phil Ochs- I Ain't Marching Anymore
2. Violeta Parra- Qué vamos a hacer
3. Poison Girls- Crisis
4. Desperate Bicycles- Advice On Arrest
5. Zounds- This Land
6. The Astronauts- Protest Song
7. Comus- The Prisoner
8. Annie Anxiety- Hello Horrors
9. Colette Magny- Marche ou Crève
10. Art Ensemble of Chicago- Theme de Yo-Yo
11. Archie Shepp- Attica Blues
12. Funkadelic- Hit It & Quit It
13. Black Merda- That's the Way It Goes
14. Death- Politicians In My Eyes
15. Love- Seven & Seven Is
16. Bob Dylan- George Jackson

Mix #14- Malcontents

Tonight's mix (I'm actually typing this at 2 in the morning after getting back from the Yummy Fur reunion show) starts off with Malcontents, a rare 1980 track from the Austin band Reversible Cords I love this song because it reminds me of one of my favorite things about Austin (where i lived in '99 and 2000)- it's role as a magnet and safe haven for all kinds of misfits and freaks from the rest of the state- you'd have whole households full of punks from Denton, queers from Lubbock, art nerds from San Antonio, etc. etc.
It's a similar urge that drew me to underground DIY culture in the first place and keeps me from fitting in anywhere else.
This mix also features what I believe is a Mix-A-Day exclusive! A rare '81 track(never before digitized?!) from Boston post-punks Vitamin given to me personally by their violinist Margie Politzer, who currently is a graphic-designer/photographer/neighbor here in West Philly. Thanks Margie!
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Reversible Cords- Malcontents
2. Larkin Grimm- Link In Your Chain
3. Bascom Lamar Lunsford- I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground
4. Shrimp Boat- Rocks Are Oil
5. Vitamin- Black Sheep
6. Witchknot- Baba Yaga
7. Vulgar Remedies- Vivir Amar Reir Luchar
8. Dog Faced Hermans- Love Is The Heart Of Everything
9. BruteHeart- Nevermind
10. White Magic- Winds
11. John Cale- You Know More Than I Know
12. James Carter & The Mighty Stars- You Don't Know
13. His Name Is Alive- Last One

Mix #13- Workparty vol. 4

Many people think I don't like to dance, largely because I hate dance parties. Actually, it's more that I find them incredibly depressing- being a thing that the vast majority of my friends really enjoy that I just have never been able to relate to at all. I had a revelation recently while tearing it up at a Skoal Kodiak* show- that for me, dancing is more about my relationship to the music & the musicians performing it, rather than the other people dancing- which is i think a big part of the dance party experience for those who enjoy it.
In any case, I did used to enjoy DJing the occasional dance party in Detroit, and I have for a few years been making a series of mixes called Workparty, to listen to when screen-printing. I find generally that if a song is good to dance to, it's good to print to.

Download here.
THIS IS A NEW LINK AS THE OLD FILE HAD A PLAYLIST DISCREPANCY.

TRACKLIST-
1. Desmond Dekker- Reggae Recipe
2. King Curtis- Memphis Soul Stew
3. Archie Bell and The Drells- Tighten Up
4. James Brown- Get It Together
5. James Chance- Designed to Kill
6. Bush Tetras- Too Many Creeps
7. Death Comet Crew w/ Rammellzee- Exterior Street
8. ESG- Erase You
9. Selda Bagcan- Yaylalar
10. Buppah Saichol- Roob Lor Thom Pai (There Are Many Handsome Men)
11. The B-52's- Dance This Mess Around
12. The Monks- Shut Up
13. Cabaret Voltaire- Nag Nag Nag
14. A Number of Names- Sharevari
15. Can- More & More
16. The Flying Lizards- Move On Up

*Skoal Kodiak is in my top 3 bands to dance to, alongside What Cheer? Brigade and the Ex.

Mix #12- small songs

There's a certain kind of song that really moves me- for lack of a better term, I like to call them "small songs"- not necessarily short or quiet, just... spare, simple, and usually pretty damn effective. They're often the unassuming standouts on an album- for instance, Afterhours closes out the Velvet Underground's third self-titled LP, providing the perfect counterpoint to the 9-minute vocal experiment Murder Mystery that precedes it. Or take Harlan, from Freakwater's '98 album Springtime- every other song on that one is overflowing with instruments and vocal harmonies. Whenever that song comes on, I immediately find myself taking a deep breath.
On a more personal note, the Michael Hurley song Open Up is now permanently associated in my mind with driving through the woods of western Pennsylvania with my friend Beth Pulse, who was transporting me, my cat & all my possessions from Minneapolis to my current residence in Philly. She took an immediate liking to that song, so we listened to it over & over again as she tried to learn the words, singing along, taking in the spring foliage. Good times- thanks Beth.

Download here.

TRACKLIST-
1. The Majestic Arrows- If I Had A Little Love (Rehearsal)
2. The Velvet Underground- Afterhours
3. The Kinks- All Night Stand
4. Sibylle Baier- Tonight
5. Will Oldham- In My Mind
6. Freakwater- Harlan
7. Geeshie Wiley- Last Kind Words Blues
8. Michael Hurley- Open Up
9. Daniel Johnston (with Yo La Tengo)- Speeding Motorcyle
10. Shep and Me- A man, his van and his dog
11. Beck- I Get Lonesome
12. Asian Mae- Downtown
13. Cat Power- Psychic Hearts
14. Thurston Moore- Honest James
15. Roky Erickson- Birds'd Crash

REVIEW: Morgan's Top 5 So Far

This seemed worth sharing in-line as it were. Mix-a-Day's #1 fan, Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews, shares his top 5 of the first 10 mixes. If anyone else wants to follow Morgan's shining example and share their favorites, please do so in the comments below.
You can check out Morgan's own Fun-a-day project, 31 Eyes, here.

1. January 3rd—Spirits: Like being at a seance with all your favorite people in the world. Shining stars include Sumatra's Haba Haba Group, Maine's Big Blood, 60's free rockers Exuma and the Third Ear Band, plus my favorite Raincoats song of all time. I cannot stop listening to this!

2. January 4th—Sick & Ridiculous: The title come from Charlie Mingus' fuck-the-man anthem that Erik uses as a ringtone and chose as the keystone for this mix. Great arc, building up from melancholy minimalism, through some pungent accordion playing and jazz rants, up to some agit-artpunk, and then settling down with Philly's own Jack Ohly bowing his upright bass like a herd of humpback whales. Very nice.

3. January 8th—Short Shorts: Though you'll never see Mr. Ruin wearing 'em, these 101-tracks in 71 minutes will give you more bang for your buck than a box of funsnaps. And if you don't like something, just blink and yer on to the next song. Gems include a sendup of Balkan women's harmonies and the Royal Shakespeare Company singing a round of the word "Copulation." What could be better?

4. January 6th—Dramatic Change: LP-length female-fronted mix, kicking off with a Shangri-Las classic, answered in French by Françoise Hardy, and spiraling out to a surprisingly good Kate Bush stomper. The big highlight is Janka Djagileva's 9-minute emo-acoustic number that kicks into high gear with a fuzzed out meollotron jam. Way.

5. A tie between January 2nd and 5th—Tentative Pulse and Too Cold To Fly: Jan 2's title implies a beta mix made for our friend Beth Pulcinella (a.k.a. "The Pulse") that filled in a few new wave cracks for me. Jan 5's mix was Mr. Ruin's project to omit any punk stuff (though yer cuttin it close with Tom Cora mister) and has some great folk tunes and a buncha jazz that averts diving into annoyance. Cool.

I'll be weighing in again after the next 10.

Mix #11- Punk Night

As per request, for Reid, "a punk one".
FYI, I like requests.
When I was in Copenhagen, I saw Gorilla Angreb play an amazing high-energy rock&roll set at the Ungdomshutset squat (R.I.P.). There were some Portland punks headlining that night that everyone was all excited about, but honestly I can't even remember their name, I was so bowled over by G.A.
This Bags song contains the lines Reid & I's record label was named after.

Download here.

TRACKLIST-
1. The Lines- White Night
2. The Digital Dinosaurs- Army Green
3. The Boys Next Door- Somebody's Watching Me
4. Subway Sect- Nobody's Scared
5. Radiators From Space- Blitzin' At the Ritz
6. Radio Birdman- Descent Into The Maelstrom
7. Gorilla Angreb- Timmen Er Kommet
8. Sado-Nation- Mom & Pop Democracy
9. Morte Subite- Ich Liebe Ulrike
10. Teenage Jesus & the Jerks- My Eyes
11. The Cravats- Off the Beach
12. The Doll- Trash
13. Rejects- Vision Smashed
14. The Tax Exiles- (I Don't Believe In) Miracles
15. Jack Ketch & The Crowmen- Mass Ignorance Culture
16. Catholic Discipline- Everyone Dies Laughing
17. The Flesheaters- Twisted Road
18. The Bags- Survive
19. Teddy & The Frat Girls- Clubnite
20. Asbest- Stinking
21. Rutto- Ei Paluuta
22. Tozibabe- Lutke
23. Contropotere- Zona Luce
24. Post-Regiment- Czarzly
25. Hans-A-Plast- Machtspiel / Eidexe kriech
26. Animals & Men- Don't Misbehave in the New Age
27. The Petticoats- Normal

Mix #10- (It Can Be A) Cold Hard World

Sometimes I just get saddened by the injustice of this world.

Download here.

TRACKLIST-
1. Roy Bailey- Palaces Of Gold
2. The Heavenly Gospel Singers- Mean Old World
3. Blind Alfred Reed- How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Hard Times and Live?
4. Loren Mazzacane Connors With Kath Bloom- Last Fair Deal
5. John Fahey- Poor Boy
6. Vera Ward Hall- Another Man Done Gone
7. World Of Skin- Blood On Your Hands
8. The Birthday Party- Wildworld
9. Nina Simone- Rags And Old Iron
10. Ran Blake & Jeanne Lee- Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
11. Antony & The Johnsons- Another World
12. Dinah Washington- This Bitter Earth

Mix #9- A Gentle Nudge Towards the Apocalypse

Maybe more aptly titled "A Gentle Nudge Toward the Existential Apocalypse". This is the first mix made entirely from under the covers in my bed because I refused to venture into the cold vastness of my room.
Worth noting- The Noble Lake song has no title because it is from a record that has yet to be released, a haunting & subtly apocalyptic collection currently entitled "Parting Bead". Noble Lake is the vehicle for Baltimore's James Sarsgaard, one of my oldest friends. Their previous disk Heyday, also rules, and is available here
This Nixe song, one of less than a dozen this all-female Dutch band ever made, has haunted me ever since I ever heard it on the worthwhile early Dutch punk compilation "I'm Sure We're Gonna Make It."

TRACKLIST-
1. Karen Dalton- Something On Your Mind
2. Fairport Convention- Meet On The Ledge
3. Company- Parallel Time
4. Noble Lake- ?
5. Angels of Light- Not Here / Not Now
6. Bill Fay- Time Of The Last Persecution
7. Josephine Foster & The Supposed- Deathknell
8. Paris 1942- Hex
9. Saccharine Trust- A Human Certainty
10. Tyvek- Mary Ellen Claims
11. Nixe- Searching

Mix #8- Short Shorts

101 songs. 71 minutes. No tracklist.
Download here.

Mix #7- Some Epics

Ok I whipped this one up quick as it's a busy busy day- capped off w/ going to NYC tonight to hear my dear friend Katt Hernandez play w/ Joe Morris at the Stone! Katt has this story to share re: the recording of hers featured here-

"well its was recorded September 13th 2001. High Zero was one of the ONLY concerts or festivals in the whole world to decide to go right the fuck ahead and do their thing. someone other than either me or dave gross was supposed to play, but was stuck in an airport somewhere. the concert opened with a howling set of dry ice music, followed by [us]. it was pretty fucking intense- and i was very glad i was playing somewhere that wasn't cowering from the prevailing public opinion.
Mike and Dave and i drove down from Boston. we went through the middle of New York as scary, scary bush was giving his "Wanted dead or alive speech" live on the radio.
terrifyingly, every car in new york city- not Texas here, right?- had a fucking flag on it- and of course there were the two huge pillars of smoke which dwarfed the skyline by a factor of two, and it all smelled like burning plastic. the night before, i had spent the night on the floor of zeitgeist cause my car died and i couldn't make it all the way down to Baltimore. there were secret service men on EVERY corner in Cambridge.
marcu nechay this zeitgeist person- before i crashed out, he showed up, and somehow he found some leftover detritus from previous shows- a bunch of TVs with broken antennas, and a bunch of huge papier-mache Skulls. he sort of piled them all on top of each other and started stalking back and forth, while they bleated out bits of news through white noise and paper skull eyes. . . .
these very frightened looking men from the mosque came by and gave us little fliers saying they were peaceful and didn't want to hurt anyone. i went for apiece of pizza in central square- and the secret service were in the pizza shop, which was owned by men from a part of the world that could have been muslim. they were terrified too. the secret service guys, amazingly enough, were reassuring them that no one would attack their shop, and they sort of cowered in the corner.
so that's what was on my mind."

Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. C.A. Quintet- Trip Thru Hell (Part 1)
2. Shub-Niggurath- Incipit Tragaedia
3. Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes- Poème non epique
4. György Ligeti- Lux Aeterna pt. 4
5. Katt Hernandez (w/ Helena Espvall, David Gross & Andrew Hayleck)- Pterodactyl Arias
6. Revolutionary Ensemble- Ponderous Planets
7. Rashied Ali & Leroy Jenkins- Swift Winds Are the Winds of Life

Mix #6- Dramatic Change

Another shorter one. I think this has been influenced by all the feminist science fiction I've been reading.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Shangri-Las- Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)
2. Francoise Hardy- Je n'attends plus personne
3. Androids of Mu- Bored Housewives
4. Lost Cherrees- F-Plan, G-Plan
5. Grass Widow- To Where
6. Electrelane- The Greater Times
7. Dadamah- Limbo Swing
8. Janka Djagileva- Pridet Voda
9. Faun Fables- Train
10. Ewa Demarczyk- Karuzela z Madonnami
11. Tenko- nightrope dancing
12. Kate Bush- Sat In Your Lap

Mix # 5: Too Cold To Fly

I started today's mix with two goals- 1) to include some "funnier" songs and 2) to not include any punk rock. I thought the latter might encourage a different kind of arc/dynamic and I think that more or less heldtrue. I sometimes think of my musical predilection for a certain kind of rock as sort of a joke in and of itself- i.e. I make art, I am a punk*, so what do I listen to? ART-PUNK!
this mix ends with 2 of the 3 jazz songs I know that imitate the circling of flocks of birds. prizes for anyone who can name any others.
thanks to Katt for turning me on to this amazing Max Roach Trio featuring the Legendary Hassan record, & Reid for the Cackle Sisters.
TRACKLIST-
1. Ray Charles- Baby It's Cold Outside
2. Charlie Feathers- Defrost Your Heart
3. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys- Sittin' On Top of the World
4. Michael Hurley, Unholy Modal Rounder, Jeffrey Frederick & The Clamtones- Slurf Song
5. Joe Falcon, Cleoma Breaux- La Vieux Soullard et sa Femme
6. The DeZurik (Cackle) Sisters- Oh Mona
7. Meredith Monk- The Tale
8. Conlon Nancarrow- Study for Player Piano No. 3c
9. Max Roach Trio featuring the Legendary Hassan- Almost Like Me
10. Clusone Trio- Wigwam
11. Tom Cora- Saint Dog
12. Dave Holland Quartet- Conference of the Birds
13. Mal Waldron Quintet with Steve Lacy- The Seagulls Of Kristiansund

*OK so at this point in my life my "punkness" is something I'm not particularly attached to, but you can't deny yr roots, y'know?

Mix #4: Sick & Ridiculous

The Ex are one of my favorite bands (especially live) & this first song is completely atypical, but one of my favorite songs from them. I feel like they've always provided evidence that you can create enduring, engaged work that is challenging both politically & artistically.
Also worth noting is the "fake live" rendition of Mingus' Fables Of Faubus, featuring the anti-segregation lyrics that never made the cut on Ah Um. I'm somewhat embarassed to admit I actually bought this as the ringtone for my phone, but really it has cut down remarkably on my urge to curse whenever my phone rings.
Thanks for listening.
TRACKLIST-
1. The Ex- Gentlemen
2. Art Bears- The Song Of The Monopolists
3. Mirah & Black Cat Orchestra- what keeps mankind alive?
4. Alec K. Redfearn And The Seizures- Isle Of Swine
5. Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship?- Don't Go
6. Charles Mingus- Original Faubus Fables
7. Sun Ra- The Sun Man Speaks
8. Memphis Minnie- Black Rat Swing
9. Micah Blue Smaldone- A Winter's Truce
10. Abner Jay- I'm So Depressed
11. Otis Redding- Just One More Day
12. Dan Melchior's Broke Revue- The Cruel Pang Of Beauty
13. Spherical Objects- Elliptical Optimism
14. Signals- Counterintuitive
15. Mydolls- In Technicolor
16. New Bloods- A Ritual
17. Quix*o*tic- Heliotrope
18. Carla Bozulich- Release The Spring
19. Born Heller- I am a Guest in Here
20. Jack Ohly- Now Down

Mix #3: Spirits

Honestly, I'm not really sure if I believe in ghosts.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Third Ear Band- Stone Circles
2. Simon Finn- Courtyard
3. Spires That In The Sunset Rise- Spike Fiddle Song
4. Big Blood- A Goddamn Spell
5. Haba Haba Group- Kijom Kijom
6. Brigitte Fontaine & Areski Belkacem- La Harpe Jaune
7. The Raincoats- Only Loved At Night
8. Iva Bittová, Vladimír Václavek- Kdoule
9. Vialka- Grenade
10. Kisanzi Congo- Soif Conjugale
11. Black Dragons- Emalon Ni Hokowo
12. Chrissy Zebby Tembo- My Ancestors
13. Exuma- Dambala
14. Chriss Sutherland- Hey Justice
15. Washington White- I Am in the Heavenly Way
PS- i've been having trouble saving files & getting them to play in the right order. can anyone tell me if this is working?

Mix #2- Tentative Pulse

The initial seed of this piece is watching the documentary on Arthur Russell Wild Combination and thinking about how his music manages both to be so delicate yet so kinetic. Made slowly over the course of a frigid morning in the attic. I think you can hear me gradually waking up.
Download here.

TRACKLIST-
1. Tin Hat Trio- A Life in East Poultney
2. Cerberus Shoal- Asphodel
3. Caetano Veloso- Coucouroucou Paloma
4. Arthur Russell- A Home Away From Home
5. Caethua- Beneath the Rock & Bone
6. Detra's Band 10- En El Horno
7. (Makers of) the Dead Travel Fast- Dumb Waiters
8. R.L. Crutchfield's Dark Day- Hands In the Dark
9. Pink Section- Francine's List
10. Patrik Fitzgerald- Animal Mentality
11. Pylon- Cool
12. Come On- Don't Walk on the Kitchen Floor
13. Hardware- Walking
14. Honeymoon Killers- Fonce a Mort
15. Les 5 Gentlemen- Si Tu Reviens Chez Moi
16. The Emporers- Mumble Shing-a-Lingy
17. The Agents- I'm In Trouble With My Soul
18. And The Native Hipsters- Mr. Magic
19. Algebra Suicide- True Romance at the World's Fair

Mix #1- Available Light

From Wikipedia- "In photography and cinematography, available light or ambient light refers to any source of light that is not explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally (e.g. the sun, moon, lightning) or artificial light already being used (e.g. to light a room)."
Made this mix slightly ahead of time while vacationing at my mother's house in Michigan over the holidays, away from the vast majority of my music collection, just as the cloudy, snowy days were beginning to lengthen once more.
This is perhaps a very poor choice to begin sharing, as it features a number of musical conceits I'm well aware I have a rare patience for, including vocal gibberish, obscure atmospheres and epic noise guitar solos. I swear they won't all be like this.
That said, I think there are some real winners here, and a high proportion of dear friends.
In particular, I'd like to draw your attention to the lovely So Low, So Love, So Long by Joshua Marcus (pictured above performing amidst the Justseeds installation Out of the Shell of the Old at Space 1026), who I had the honor of sharing a mini-tour with a while back, and even after hearing this song over & over, it continues to cut me to the core. This recorded version also has the bonus of featuring the members of Big Blood, one of my favorite current groups who are sure to be featured on forthcoming mixes. Also, props to Mayor Daley(from Chicago, of course), whose crushing set at Building 16 in Providence this summer was a real surprise favorite of 2009. And also, I must mention the untimely demise of Mr. Vic Chestnutt.
Download here.
TRACKLIST-
1. Tucker Martine- The Dusk Singers
2. william basinski- Cobalt Pools
3. Vic Chesnutt- Rattle
4. Mississippi Fred McDowell- I'm Going over the Hill
5. Joshua Marcus- So Low So Love So Long
6. Incredible String Band- Dear Old Battlefield
7. Lungfish- Sing
8. Mayor Daley- Facial Expressions
9. Evangelista- You Are Jaguar
10. International Anthems For Irrational Numbers- The Walls
12. Les Batteries- Dernier solo avant l'autoroute
13. This Heat- A New Kind of Water
14. Kopir rozsywal bestar- unknown title
15. Elfin Saddle- Running Sheep
16. Walter Franco- No Fundo Do Poco
17. Tribo - Peba & Pobo
18. Pekka Streng- matkalaulu
19. Uke Of Spaces Corners- Frost Heave
20. Dawn McCarthy and Bonny Billy- Lay And Love (early version)
21. Josephine Foster- Trust in the Unexpected

The Whens & The Whys

I've always had a passionate & wide-ranging curiosity for music. From a pre-teen fascination with the Beatles & Syd-Barrett-era Pink Floyd to my high-school introduction to the politically charged scene of '90s hardcore and its endless sub-genres, every bit of excitement I've gained from musical experiences has increased itself exponentially as I sought out the precedents, contemporaries and eccentric offshoots of anything that struck me.
As someone who's never had much of a gift for keeping even the unsteadiest of beats, I've found a variety of ways to incorporate myself into the world(s) of music. I had a brief spell as a late-night (often drunk & sloppy) DJ at Free Radio Austin. As a shadow-puppet performer, I've incorporated both recorded & live soundtracks into my shows, working with such amazing musicians/groups as Don Godwin, John Eaton, Hot Tony Biele, the Dreamland Faces, Reid Books and Katt Hernandez. I've also in the past few years begun a series of improvised groupings of projected visuals and musicians, starting with my friend Jackie Beckey (currently of the amazing Mpls band Brute Heart) and most recently with such luminaries as Katt, Reid, and Charles Cohen. I've also been delighted to provide overhead-projected visuals for live shows by Philly's finest psychedelic synth-punk ensemble the Lesser Known Neutrinos (pictured below) and now their finely-honed antecedents Signals. Last year, Reid & I also began a tiny art/music/publication label Desperate Commodities to put out our collaborative project the Nothing Factory, and have since put out 2 more items, with #4 waiting in the wings.


And of course, through it all, I've always loved to make mixes. If for no other reason, it seems to offer some pale justification for all the hours spent digging in dusty crates and poring through the annals of cyberspace.
So here it comes, a month's worth of mixes, one posted every day for the month of January. It feels like a rather daunting challenge, but as I've been pondering for a while now a possible return to radio, it feels like a good way to explore that possibility and further justify my obsessive tendencies.
I hope some of you out there appreciate some of it.