mixes for friends

one for the dark haired ladies

2009-03-26T15:00:00.007-04:00

pulchritude in time
oh baby:

the Ecstacy of Meg White

Janet Weiss of Sleater Kinney, Quasi, and the Jicks

Amy Farina of the Evens

Cassie Berman of the Silver Jews

Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof

Joanna Bolme of Quasi, the Jicks, and my heart

1. white stripes - bone broke
2. sleater kinney - get up
3. the evens - everybody knows
4. silver jews - i'm getting back in to getting back into you
5. deerhoof - eaguru guru
6. steve malkmus and the jicks - walk into a mirror

click here to listen!
enjoy
-ji

partytime '09

2009-01-20T00:43:00.002-05:00

here's to looking up

-ji

ps. laser party, stand down

2008-12-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

duets

2008-12-12T08:03:00.002-05:00

she & him - you really got a hold on me

tom jobim & elis regina - aguas de marco

[damn video can't be embedded, so click link]
steve martin & bernadette peters - tonight you belong to me

the jerk - thermos song

-ji

everywhere

2008-11-05T03:58:00.006-05:00

i want to start something new here. there's an amazing nasa website that posts up photos of the earth from space. there are a lot of beautiful images on the site, too many to browse through, so i'll try and post a hand-full of photos every so often. it's quite amazing how a different perspective of daily phenomena can change the way you think about them.

somewheres in the world:

-ji

mugging

2008-11-02T20:23:00.011-05:00

rembrandt van rijn - self portrait with a cap (1630)

duchenne de boulogne - from a scientific study of electro-therapeutics (1800s)

goya - saturn devouring his children (1800s)

a mugging wise-guy (1900s)

diane arbus - untitled 13 (1970)

'when the going gets tough, the tough get weird.' h.s. thompson

daito manabe

-ji

more than meets the eye

2008-09-19T20:02:00.002-04:00

BBC

wow
-ji

the beatles: river rhine tapes

2008-09-11T18:53:00.005-04:00

there's not a lot of information about the reasons behind these tapes, but having been recorded in 1969, it was most likely that these were rehearsal/demo tapes for songs on 'abbey road' and 'get back' (a documentary which was later entitled 'let it be'). the beatles broke up in the summer of '69 (officially in '70) before trying to return their recording focus to less produced, more traditional, four-piece performances of their earlier albums. however, 'let it be', as we know it, was produced by phil 'wall of sound' spector in 1970 without much supervision by the band itself, essentially bulldozing the initial concept of a stripped down sound. though recently, apple records re-released the album, 'let it be... naked' sans spector's additions.

anyway, dozens of songs were culled from hours of tape and released by some bootleg label. listening, the recordings show a lot of goofing around and tomfoolery, which might indicate a more optimistic time for the beatles as well as a period lacking in focus. their previous recording experience for 'the white album' wasn't pleasant (understatement: yoko), so it may be comforting at least to hear them having a good time on these tapes - perhaps a last hurrah.

some personal observations: since it was paul's idea to get back to their earlier times, you can sense him trying to make things work; john is obviously fucking around; ringo is being ringo, the few of his songs on the tapes are unnotable; and my favorite part, george really comes to the table with some complete and beautiful songs. i hope you enjoy the mix!

1. across the universe
2. oh! darling
3. suzy parker
4. maxwell's silver hammer
5. one after 909
6. for you blue
7. chi chi cha
8. across the universe
9. golden slumbers/carry that weight
10. all things must pass
11. her majesty

click here
-ji

danger mouse

2008-09-05T03:45:00.003-04:00

hibbidy hop.
here's a mix chosen from dj dangermouse's early mixtapes from '99 and '00. enjoy!

1. big pun - leatherface (dm remix)
2. mass influence - all out
3. brand nubian - escape from ny (pete rock remix)
4. krs-one - let it flow
5. saukrates - check for me
6. j-zone - orphan babies feat. huggy bear
7. slick rick - i own america
8. slick rick - mona lisa
9. mos def - respiration feat. black thought (remix)
10. loot pack - untitled feat. quasimoto
11. big l - put it on (dm mix)
12. black star - beautiful (black star remix)
13. atmosphere - woman with the tattooed hands
14. portishead - revenge of the number
15. mic geronimo - masta i.c. (dm esthero mix)
16. m.o.p. - home sweet home
17. de la soul - oooh feat. redman (dm remix)

click here
-ji

math mix, what?

2008-09-02T22:05:00.007-04:00

ever wonder about the dimensions beyond the three we can see? apparently there are an infinite number of them (super string theory deals with merely 13 of them) and it's pretty fascinating. i'm not touting that i know the ins and outs of any of it, i just found a really sweet series of videos explaining, rather elegantly how math works in the fourth dimension. the series starts with the second and third dimensions, then delves into the visual insanity of four dimensional geometry. once the long dead mathemagicians (british narrators) quickly set the fourth dimensional stage, they explain different mathematical concepts used in 4d. some of it might be dry/boring/slow at times, but with a little patience, you'll be able to visualize some of these amazingly beautiful concepts.

chapter 4: 4d (for more explanation, see chapter 3)

chapter 6: complex numbers (i) (for more explanation, see chapter 5)

chapter 8: fibration (freaking awesome!) (for more explanation, see chapter 7)

here's the site with the rest of the chapters. enjoy!
-ji

mo' beats, brought to you by flying lotus

2008-08-31T02:15:00.002-04:00

steve ellison, aka flying lotus, is the grand nephew of alice coltrane, wife of the trane himself. definitely a next generation coltrane, he makes music strictly on the computer: you may have heard his beats on some of the black and white [adult swim] promos. check out his recently released album entitled, los angeles, and dig the glitchy swamp grooves.

1. sao paolo
2. orbit brazil
3. camel
4. gng bng
5. vegas collie
6. 1983
7. auntie's lock/infinitum (ft. laura darlington)

click here
-ji

ps. a quote:
"I've got a lot of friends that download music for free. I don't hold that against anybody, because people need a lot of things that they don't have. So if somebody wants to hear our record and they take it, I'm glad they can listen to it. But if you do get on your feet, or if you do steal a record and end up liking it, go buy a T-shirt, go pay for a ticket, support them... It's so weird that you could ever put a price tag on music. If you get a record and you listen to it every day, it's this huge part of your life, it's worth a lot. You should maybe give [the artist] $300 for it. If you only listen to it a couple times, maybe you should only give them 50 cents for it."
-Jim James of My Morning Jacket

pps. new shit coming up: danger mouse remixes and damon albarn's 'monkey: journey to the west' chinese opera. i promise

video mix - east meets west

2008-08-28T02:09:00.006-04:00

tuvan throat singing

paul pena and kongar-ol ondar from the"genghis blues" documentary

balinese gamelan music

a gamelan group from canada does kid a

japanese taiko drumming

the boredoms 88 piece drum performance

enjoy!
-ji

bonus:

Jang Sa Ik

2008-08-26T23:45:00.007-04:00

1. laughing sin
2. what i will be
3. wanderer

click here
-ji

video mix

2008-07-25T01:27:00.005-04:00

BeatMania. released 1997

Tetris. created 1985 (this guy makes 999999 points or something, but I would skip to the end where there's an awesome reward)

Mario Paint for SNES. released 1992

Trio Moscow Nights - Korobiniki (that old folksong from the Motherland)

some kid.

-ji

ethereal songs*

2008-06-17T17:26:00.005-04:00

http://www.lumia-wilfred.org/

1. grouper - disengaged
2. grouper - heavy water/i'd rather be sleeping
3. panda bear - search for delicious
4. sparklehorse - sea of teeth
5. beach house - turtle island
6. my bloody valentine - something
7. boris - farewell

click here
enjoy
-ji

wake up*

2008-05-29T00:09:00.003-04:00

good morning

1. the band - get up jake
2. tom waits - cold water
3. tom waits - get behind the mule
4. notorious big - everyday struggle
5. notorious big - the what
6. toots & the maytals - time tough
7. desmond dekker - perseverance

click here to listen
bonus!
-ji

lookout!*

2008-04-23T20:48:00.017-04:00

'lookout mountain, lookout sea' sneak preview.
awesome!

1. aloyisius, bluegrass drummer
2. strange victory, strange defeat
3. open field
4. party barge
5. we could be looking for the same thing

send us your coordinates, i'll send a st. bernard

click here to listen!
-ji

click here for bonus!

malktastic!*

2008-03-31T19:18:00.004-04:00

stephen malkmus and the jicks, new and improved! now with janet weiss (left of center) - sleater-kinney's fantastic drummer. and who is that foxy minx on the right? why, joanna bolme, portland's resident bassist, and elliott smith producer. i'm not sure who the dude on the left is, but he rocks the keys. them's the jicks (= jerks + dicks apparently). stephen malkmus (in white) writes the tunes and shreds on the guitar.

enjoy the guitar noodling and fuzzy synths on this double mix, compiled from their pre-emotional trash albums: 'stephen malkmus', 'pig lib', and 'face the truth'.

mellow:
1. pink india
2. vanessa from queens
3. mama
4. vague space
5. trojan curfew
6. post-paint boy

harsh:
1. pencil rot
2. dark wave
3. troubbble
4. i've hardly been
5. baby c'mon
6. the hook

and for those who are able, come along for a caravaning journey to the berkshires to see them live at mass moca! tickets are still available for 20 bucks here. show starts at 8 this friday (opener john vanderslice). groovy!

-ji

ps. and strange synchronous shit - check out this sweet new mixtape website. let's trade mixes!

some old things in black and white

2008-03-19T03:27:00.011-04:00

damn, they don't make 'em like this anymore.

a neat video by the raymond scott quintet. apparently mark mothersbaugh from devo and the wes anderson soundtracks is influenced by scott's compositions.

the raymond scott quintet - dance for wooden indians

the one and only, art tatum. bow in the presence of greatness.

art tatum - humoresque no. 7 (dvorak)

you're just gonna have to watch this one.

frank 'sugarchile' robinson - caledonia

kanye = boh
-ji

an introduction: the silver jews*

2008-03-19T00:42:00.002-04:00

this one's a talker:
top five desert island all time favorite albums = it's always hard to say. something about that stringing of songs that just can't resist tangling itself with whatever line you've walked down/are walking on is never sure footed. i think it depends on how you're stepping: some people like a brisk jog, some a stroll, and here in new york, people run a marathon. i'm a fan of dance music and beats, but sometimes my smoker's lungs can't keep up for distance.
so with that, one solid entry in my top five would be the silver jews' 'american water'. oh yeah! pre-pavement stephen malkmus and poet david berman both recorded these songs with a laid back, bounce in their step. since they were still young musicians at the time, the instrumentation is simple and uncomplicated, which leaves a lot of space for the lyrics to roam free. personally, i like the everydayness and daily pace of the songs. so anyway, i hope you enjoy this mix.

malkmus is now apart from the silver jews, but berman is keeping on. i've included songs from 'american water' as well as others.

1. introduction ii (starlite walker)
2. people (american water)
3. like like the the the death (american water)
4. black and brown blues (the natural bridge)
5. the right to remain silent (the natural bridge)
6. trains across the sea (starlite walker)
7. we are real (american water)
8. pan-american blues (starlite walker)
9. honk if you're lonely (american water)

enjoy!
-ji

covers! my morning jacket*

2008-03-18T02:15:00.003-04:00

not a hair band! with a new album due in a few months, i'm getting psyched on some covers that were recently posted on the interweb. here's a mix with a some good ones.

1. everybody's talkin' (nilsson)
2. suspicious minds (presley)
3. time of the season (zombies)
4. 3 speed (eels)
5. northern sky (drake)
6. wear your love like heaven (donovan)
7. man in me (dylan)

enjoy!
-ji

purgatory*

2008-03-10T20:20:00.002-04:00

1. andrew bird - yawny at the apocalypse
2. modest mouse - ocean breathes salty
3. apples in stereo - same old drag
4. kings of leon - california waiting
5. built to spill - randy describes eternity
6. phantom planet - turn, smile, shift, repeat
7. jimmy cliff - sitting in limbo
8. william basinski - melancholia 3

bonus!

-ji

radio, radio*

2008-03-05T19:21:00.003-05:00

1. harry nilsson - turn on your radio
2. wilco - radio cure
3. iron & wine - radio war
4. golden smog - radio king
5. velvet underground - rock & roll
6. elvis costello - radio, radio

-ji

ps. sorry, i forgot to tell you how to listen to the songs!
- check the bold text on the upper right corner of the blog and click on the link. a new page should open with a list of folders organized by date and title.
- click on a folder of your choosing and a new page with the tracklisting of that mix should open.
- click on any song and it'll stream the mix in sequence via the nifty player provided by the site!
enjoy!

god*

2008-03-01T01:46:00.002-05:00

1. daniel johnston - god
2. john lennon - god
3. sufjan stevens - oh god, where are you now? (in pickeral lake? pigeon? marquette? mackinaw?)
4. randy newman - god's song
5. tom waits - jesus gonna be here
6. wilco - jesus, etc.
7. woody guthrie - jesus christ
8. joe miller & jim henry - lord, i'm in trouble
9. mississippi john hurt - nearer, my god, to thee

-ji

sneak peek: the black keys' attack and release*

2008-02-26T04:32:00.009-05:00

yes i steal. well, what's an unemployable bum to do? anyway, onwards to the danger mouse produced black keys album, due may 1st! aside from the killer guitar+drum assaults, there's lots of organs and ghostly vibes spread around this one - the latter brought to you by one half of gnarls barkley, and the former beamed 'digitally' from that big recording studio in the sky. now that's big medicine.

1. all you ever wanted
2. psychotic girl
3. same old thing

enjoy!
-ji

ps. get it? digital. like your fingers are digits. and you play the organ with fingers. hahaha, yeah... i went there. and in a totally not lame way. nice

flying!*

2008-02-23T10:04:00.001-05:00

jacques henri lartigue

1. the beatles - flying
2. blur - jets
3. black francis - test pilot blues
4. andrew bird - fiery crash
5. m.i.a. - paper planes (familiar? see 'hell mix')

-ji

hell*

2008-02-20T11:57:00.005-05:00

continuing from a previous mix, heaven, i fixed this little number up. i figured it'd be kinda fun to get a divine comedy theme going, so as virgil said, get in that hand basket and away to hell we go!

1. daniel johnston - devil town
2. tom waits - the earth died screaming
3. the clash - straight to hell (familiar?)
4. the breeders - hellbound
5. eels - your lucky day in hell
6. the flaming lips - ego tripping at the gates of hell
7. wilco - hell is chrome
8. my morning jacket - i think i'm going to hell

-ji

scott walker*

2008-02-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

i got turned onto scott walker after he was lauded by thom yorke in an interview on 'sound opinions.' after listening to a couple albums, i was kinda startled at how campy and theatrical it all sounded, especially coming from bleakster tommy. however, you might notice the dissonant strings on 'it's raining today' echoed on radiohead's 'how to disappear completely.' and apparently walker's latest release a year or two ago is much about experimental noise. anyway, i think these songs, from the late 60s are pretty interesting and enjoyable to listen to; check out the big and wonderful string/organ/horn arrangements on 'sons of.'
it's a bit of a flashback, and if i could sum it up in a way, listening to this makes me feel like austin powers in retirement. i hope you guys like!

1. prologue/little things
2. 30th century man (also found on the life aquatic soundtrack)
3. it's raining today
4. sons of
5. the girls and the dogs

happy valentines day
-ji

ode to a weekend*

2008-02-11T01:14:00.001-05:00

spring break woo! brought to you by three beads of sweat and touching thumbs!

1. pure love
2. color in your cheeks
3. dance music
4. orange ball of love
5. i corinthians 13:8-10

-ji

2008! alright!*

2008-01-27T23:27:00.002-05:00

with new albums on their way, i've been having a hard time deciding which shows i want to shell out dough for. so far, the albums i've stolen are making it hard to choose - they're all awesome! for those who live in the ny area, here's a list of shows to consider:

feb 6 - cat power @ terminal 5
mar 18 - the mountain goats @ webster hall
mar 19 - the mountain goats @ music hall of williamsburg
mar 22 - cryptacize @ the knitting factory
mar 31 - stephen malkmus & the jicks @ bowery ballroom
apr 1 - stephen malkmus & the jicks @ bowery ballroom
apr 2 - stephen malkmus & the jicks @ music hall of williamsburg
apr 2 - beach house @ bowery ballroom
may 15 - the black keys @ terminal 5
jun 20 - my morning jacket @ radio city music hall

i can't wait to hear some new songs played live! i've made a mix from the albums i have so far to help you decide.

1. the mountain goats - autoclave
2. the mountain goats - how to embrace a swamp creature
3. beach house - astronaut
4. beach house - d.a.r.l.i.n.g.
5. stephen malkmus & the jicks - gardenia
6. stephen malkmus & the jicks - wicked wanda

happy concert going!
-ji

some things last a long time*

2008-01-26T20:11:00.001-05:00

i just downloaded a few albums that aren't supposed to be out yet, and in one, i found a wonderful surprise! here's a short mix of covers!

1. beck - some things last a long time
2. built to spill - some things last a long time
3. beach house - some things last a long time
4. daniel johnston - some things last a long time

-ji

dynamic duos*

2008-01-18T16:31:00.001-05:00

i've noticed that there's been a small trend towards smaller numbers in band rosters - not ignoring the other trend in the opposite direction (ie broken social scene, the arcade fire, etc.), but what is a trend in music these days anyway? anyway, on my daily blog surf, i caught notice of a few duos which inspires this here mix - complete with the band that might have maybe kinda started 'it' all, the white stripes.
never mind the name dropping and pointless posturing; these songs are great! enjoy.

1. the fiery furnaces - benton harbor blues
2. helvetia - old new bicycle
3. the black keys - no fun
4. the white stripes - catch hell blues
5. wye oak - please concrete
6. the fiery furnaces - benton harbor blues again*

*the non-weirdified or if you prefer, normalized version of track 1.

-ji

respite*

2008-01-14T01:59:00.001-05:00

der mönch am meer, caspar david friedrich

i've been holed up in my apartment for the past week, staying up long hours mixing our still unreleased album (http://williams.facebook.com/profile.php?id=15767260297). it's coming along, and i can't wait to get it out to people! soon, we promise.
the mixing is going well, but listening to one song for over six hours straight can wear your ears out a bit. so here are a couple of tunes that have been refreshing my ear drums. i hope you like them!

1. elliott smith - place pigalle
2. beach house - gila (from upcoming devotion album 2-26)
3. kaki king - until we felt red
4. the mountain goats - sax rohmer #1 (from upcoming heretic pride album 2-19)

happy new 'ear!
-ji

le scaphandre et le papillion*

2007-12-20T00:58:00.001-05:00

here's a mix inspired by "the diving bell and the butterfly," a movie that i think is one of, if not the best movie i've seen in a long time, or maybe ever (i'm still thinking about it). go see for yourself; i hope my overstatement doesn't change any expectations. i don't want to give away anything or ramp it up any further so i'll just briefly state that i think it is a true work of art, regarding its storytelling and its cinematography especially - et les mademoiselles bien sur. it is (et elles ont) incredibly beautiful! go see it.

1. radiohead - bodysnatchers (live)
2. the arcade fire - my body is a cage (live)
3. elliott smith - stained glass eyes (b-side)
4. the beta band - needles in my eyes
5. apples in stereo - open eyes

-ji

merry christmas*

2007-12-17T18:29:00.001-05:00

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070104-christmas.html

chucking some holiday cheer in your direction!

1. vince guaraldi - christmas time is here
2. duke ellington - toot toot tootie toot (dance of the reed pipes)
3. sufjan stevens - angels we have heard on high
4. deerhoof - the little drummer boy
5. duke ellington - sugar rum cherry (dance of the sugar-plum fairy)
6. tom waits - christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
7. vince guaraldi - the christmas song
8. duke ellington - peanut brittle brigade (march)

happy holidays.
-ji

smog*

2007-12-11T22:51:00.003-05:00

this one goes out to the ladies. 'i feel like the mother of the world' is dedicated to umma and noona; a most beautiful song for my number one most favorite women. ms. aletheia watts gets one of her favorite songs: 'rock bottom riser.' seriously. if a four year old reckons it's a good song, well dammit... she's got to be one of my most favorite number one girls.
this mix is pretty much half of smog's last album, 'a river ain't too much to love.' i left off the other half for suspense, for the entire album is the best i've heard from bill callahan. check it out!

1. say valley maker
2. rock bottom riser
3. i feel like the mother of the world
4. i'm new here
5. let me see the colts

-ji

radiohead sandwich*

2007-12-10T20:49:00.001-05:00

disc 2 of radiohead's 'in rainbows' came in the mail today, along with some 12" vinyls and artwork. it's very good! i just wanted to make a mix of just some of the songs i really like as well as some other songs that have been in my headphones lately. i hope winter is treating everyone well!

1. radiohead - mk1
2. jim o'rourke - prelude to 110 or 120 - women
3. radiohead - go slowly
4. wilco - venus stop the train
5. radiohead - last flowers to the hospital
6. bill callahan - from the rivers to the ocean
7. radiohead - 4 minute warning

-ji

ps. this short article about radiohead touches a bit on the creative luxuries afforded by a world class rock band. with the crumbling state of the music business, one would hope for the next model to offer the same thorough songwriting, performing, and recording process to any other band out there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/arts/music/09pare.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

ching chong chang*

2007-12-03T19:30:00.001-05:00

this one goes out to the notorious joyce huang. are you going back to ca for christmas? how many chinamen do you have groveling at your feet? what do you get when you mix jin and hennessy? is half of it liquor, and the other half jin the mc? :) i miss me some strawberry ass.

1. tom waits - singapore
2. gorillaz - hong kong
3. the books - tokyo
4. air - alone in kyoto
5. amiina - seoul

-지

memories of lanes of memories*

2007-12-02T07:47:00.001-05:00

elliott smith's memory lane was played on a twelve string guitar with the normal/bass strings removed = a high pitched six string. and doubled of course. cool beans! jim o'rourke is an asshole in pretty much all his songs this included, but it is a pretty sweet tune - plus it's got jeff tweedy on guitar and glenn kotche on the skins. and i pour my heineken brew to my deceased crew on memory lane.

1. pavement - shady lane
2. of montreal - i can't stop your memory
3. the carter family - lover's lane
4. sondre lerche - stupid memory
5. elliott smith - memory lane
6. jim o'rourke - memory lane
7. nas - memory lane

-ji

smog*

2007-11-27T04:01:00.001-05:00

recently i've been listening to bill callahan aka smog a lot, and i figured i'd share it with whoever reads these posts still. for those who know me, elliott smith is my number one, which may color me as somewhat of a downer. yes, elliott smith can get you down, but it's worth it for the sonic beauty of all his songs. so with that, i've found a mope-free surrogate in smog. i'm not going to lie; the subject matter is not all happy either, but it's melancholy without the bullet - it's the few hours before dawn.
i've chosen songs from the two smog albums i feel like i know now, and hopefully i'll get through the remaining ten. the first album, 'red apple falls is my favorite so far, probably because jim o'rourke, who worked with sonic youth and wilco (a ghost is born) produced and plays on this one. it has beautiful instrumentation and snap-shot like moments within the lyrics.
the second album, 'supper' is the second to last album smog released. this album is lyrically driven, which makes me think of david berman of the silver jews and tom waits, and callahan's baritone voice and deadpan delivery really keep your attention. this album has some devastatingly beautiful songs on it.

from 'red apple falls'
1. the morning paper
2. i was a stranger
3. to be of use
4. ex-con
5. red apple falls
6. inspirational

from 'supper'
7. feather by feather
8. vessel in vain
9. truth serum
10. our anniversary
11. driving
12. a guiding light

i hope you like these songs.
-ji

beatles covers*

2007-11-27T00:05:00.001-05:00

i heard the coolest story over the weekend. evan p chuzzlebee played wilson pickett covering hey jude, which is a shit kicker. the amazing thing is that the cover was released just a few weeks after the beatles and reached number #16 on the charts (the beatles had #1 of course). the cover was recorded on the urging of an 18 year old duane allman - who is the session band's guitarist. pretty ballsy to take on the greatest band in the world! the rest of the covers are pretty loud and harsh - the ways i likes 'em at the moment. also, a bonus of the beatles covering a jazz standard and bob dylan at the end. here you go:

1. wilson pickett - hey jude
2. sonic youth - within you, without you
3. the breeders - happiness is a warm gun
4. the replacements - slow down
5. the beatles - the sheik of araby
6. the beatles - rainy day women #12 & 35

-ji

the moon*

2007-11-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

i saw the moon today, looking down sullivan st. it really surprised me; the city kinda makes you forget about it in the night sky there. she's a waxing crescent tonight. here she is as promised:

1. hem - lord, blow the moon out please
2. sean hayes - moonrise
3. nick drake - pink moon
4. neil young - harvest moon
5. bob dylan - moonlight
6. neko case - i wish i was the moon
7. damon albarn - hymn to the moon
8. the blow - the moon is there, i am here
9. sufjan stevens - the first full moon
10. wilco - more like the moon
11. eels - climbing to the moon
12. modest mouse - space travel is boring
13. rolf harris - blue moon

-ji

the tide*

2007-10-25T22:10:00.001-04:00

i've found the process of compiling songs to be an enjoyable way of documenting my state of mind, kind of like a journal. certain lyrical themes and colors of sound can capture one of those mental modes that come in and out of each day/week/month. autumn is coming... blah, blah, blah. however, i feel that this mix here is the kind of a mix that i wish i could make more often - wishing i have more time to indulge a few hours in honing the arc or message of one hour's worth of music. i've walked this mix back and forth from my apt to my classes for the past week and a half, so i've spent more time on this than previous mixes posted here. if you enjoy the mixes, i encourage you to make some of your own and post them yourself - it's really easy (and more rewarding if you have pockets of time to consider the details), look no further than watching 'high fidelity.' anyway, to get to the point: here is the mix.

the sea + time = tides - the moon (a possible mix in the future)

1. them eyes - the black keys
2. weird fishes/arpeggi - radiohead
3. biomusicology - ted leo and the pharmacists
4. trains across the sea - silver jews
5. the anchor - minutemen
6. jams run free - sonic youth
7. enter laughing - electrelane
8. dear marge - stereolab
9. someone great - lcd soundsystem
10. fri/end - thurston moore (of sonic youth)
11. it was a strange time in my life - jens lekman
12. i just wasn't made for these times - beach boys
13. time tough - toots and the maytals
14. in a future age - jeff tweedy (of wilco)
15. take time - the books

-ji

rhythm section*

2007-10-15T22:47:00.002-04:00

i haven't put up a mix up in a while, so here are some toe tappers. the mix starts off with songs that feature the bass as the primary driving force to the song, then it switches gears to songs with a prominent drum sound.

1. gang of four - anthrax
2. harry nilsson - jump into the fire
3. of montreal - wraith pinned to the mist and other games
4. derrick harriott - let me down easy
5. king sunny ade - john ali
6. radiohead - paperbag writer
7. 54-71 - plick
8. battles - race:in
9. the good, the bad, and the queen - three changes
10. the evens - around the corner
11. loose fur - apostolic
12. the roots - good music (intro)
13. m. ward - to go home
14. james brown - mr. brown will tell you the name of this tune...

-ji

heaven*

2007-10-02T18:11:00.001-04:00

cryptacize! a new band with chris cohen from deerhoof, my favorite songstress nedelle torrisi and a guy with a cowbell inspires this mix. their debut album is due early 2008, check it!

1. donovan - wear your love like heaven
2. cryptacize - heaven is only human
3. jeff tweedy - airline to heaven
4. billie holiday - pennies from heaven
5. pavement - heaven is a truck
6. modest mouse - workin' on leavin' the livin'
7. pixies - in heaven
8. elliott smith - see you in heaven

a dio!
-ji

superquiet*

2007-09-30T22:10:00.001-04:00

turn up the speakers. turn off the a/c. take the batteries out of your your clocks. it might be time for a nap.

1. edward mcdowell - to a wild rose
2. saint saens - the swan (from 'the carnival of the animals')
3. beethoven - piano sonata #8 in c minor, op. 13, "pathétique"
4. erik satie - gymnopedie #1 - lent et douloureux (on mescaline)
5. arvo part - spiegel im spiegel

-ji

surfbeard*

2007-09-24T20:20:00.001-04:00

hot new shit from surfbeard aka peter holland via honahonalululu!

if there's somethin' (clap both your hands)

aloha
-ji

here it comes*

2007-09-17T06:37:00.001-04:00

fall is here, hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell. have you heard? the days are getting shorter, and what will you do when your suntan is fading and the sun is gone? Winter time is coming. all the sky is gray. summer bird's aren't singing. every time i sit around i find I'm shot... summer babe. and do i really have a song that I can ride on?

go leaf peeping
-ji

weekends! i prefer the weekends!*

2007-09-08T03:14:00.001-04:00

oh, oh, oh. oh oh oh! i wish everyone a great weekend! this is for all those self indulgent muh fugguhs out there.

1. beck - lazy
2. queen - lazy
3. the roots - lazy
4. m. ward - lazy
5. dr. dog - lazy

happy weekend!
-ji

locomotion choo choo*

2007-09-06T19:45:00.002-04:00

i'd been traveling a bunch this past month - a number of days in august were spent on planes, trains, and automobiles. A brief rundown: flights to and from los angeles - which suggests many hours in a car, check; a long bus ride to maine and back (via boston); and a train's journey to philadelphia and the jersey shore. which brings me to the point that for my money, i would rather travel by train to any destination. for those who haven't enjoyed the pace and scenery of rail transit, please try it the next place you go! if only there was a rail-line from nyc to florence! boh. the only thing left for me to do is to board an oceanliner. i hope soon! but until then, this'll have to do.

1. tom waits - 2:19
2. beck - broken train
3. gorillaz - ghost train
4. the velvet underground - train round the bend
5. silver jews - trains across the sea (my jam!)
6. dr. dog - from
7. my morning jacket - steam engine
8. django reinhardt - mystery pacific
9. elvis presley - mystery train
10. desmond dekker - rude boy train
11. otis rush - so many roads, so many trains
12. the carter family - the little black train
13. louis armstrong - hobo, you can't ride this train
14. james brown - night train

-ji

and back again! before and after*

2007-09-01T01:03:00.001-04:00

here's a mix of song pairs, one version being a rough cut and the other being the polished product of a studio. The debate between the raw energy/ramshackle sounds and practiced performances/clean tones that both versions will definitely exhibit, is just for fun.

wilco - a demo version of an incomplete woody guthrie song, airline to heaven and it's studio twin, released on the awesome "mermaid avenue" albums (vol 1 and 2) with billy bragg.

my morning jacket - jim james' psychotic demo of lowdown, complete with creepy vocal effects and straight up lazy shit, is paired with a live version from their live album, "okonokos." their studio albums do not even come close to their live performances - any chance you get, go see them!

damon albarn - 4a.m. at toumanis seems to be an early morning jam between albarn and toumani diabate, a malian kora (african lute) master. The theme is definitely dug into le hobon - both from "mali music."

andrew bird - this guy plays shows with his violin, looping and layering melodies in real-time. the first version of a nervous tic... is him doing his solo violin/guitar/whistle loop thing - but with a drummer. the much more layered album version comes from his second most recent release "the mysterious production of eggs."

damon albarn/gorillaz - this dirty little ditty was recorded in a hotel room when albarn was touring and hanging out with insomnia - from "democrazy." the damon danger mouse produced version = dirty harry from "demon days"

the next two songs have their clean version first followed by the dirty:

the beatles - re: dirty - check out that swagger! the bass line is a real shit kicker! also, a great recording of john and paul probably baked in the studio.

david bowie - a definite argument for raw energy and dirty tones. The bbc's john peel engineered the live session, and his recording really gets into the marrow of that guitar fuzz. later in the radio interview, bowie revealed that that studio session was the first time the guitarist (mick ronson) ever played with the band. what an audition! he's freakin' nasty.

what do you guys think? rough? polish? which one is better?

-ji

cover to cover #5: the last one, for now*

2007-08-22T01:10:00.001-04:00

annie leibovitz

notes: #3 has been just a few selections from my current interest in songwriters who primarily play the piano (subterranean homesick alien/blues excluded). harry nilsson has a great album comprised of all randy newman songs (nilsson sings newman). harry nilsson has been unofficially named (by who knows) as the most underrated american songwriter. funnily as far as covers go, the walkmen's last album is a cover of nilsson's "pussycats" album, which is made up entirely of covers from jimmy cliff to john lennon (covers of covers!).

#4 wilco's cover of 'true love finds you in the end' is another great version of daniel johnston's original. When elliott smith was 10, he won a songwriting contest, composing a piece for piano - another example of his early given genius can be seen in 'condor ave', which was written when he was only in high school. sorry the songs are a bit sad but it's elliott smith.

#5 my bloody valentine are apparently having a revival - shoegazing music? i don't know what that means. deerhoof, as always, remain a force for the margins. the black keys are a less radical white stripes, i guess - a more traditional take on blues rock with a single guitar and drums. Their excellent 'chulahoma ep' is all of junior kimbrough's songs. kimbrough's juke joint, where he regularly played was in chulahoma, mississippi. i haven't gone too deep into his work, but i keep digging!

1. my bloody valentine
2. deerhoof
3. the beatles
4. the black keys
5. junior kimbrough

i hope you've enjoyed listening to these mixes as much as i had compiling them. i'd like to start a music blog soon, focusing on songwritership, production and engineering. we'll see how it goes!

until next time!

-ji

cover to cover #4: britannica*

2007-08-16T02:37:00.001-04:00

1. wilco
2. big star
3. elliott smith
4. george harrison/the beatles
5. the kinks

the next mix picks up from somewhere else.

-ji

cover to cover #3: piano covers*

2007-08-14T06:23:00.002-04:00

notes on #2: daniel johnston has an double disc album called, 'discovered and covered' - disc one is all covers of dj songs and disc two is of the corresponding originals. if his performance style is a bit too abrasive, the covers may be the spoonful of sugar needed to help digest it - though not all are very good. the beck and flaming lips songs were recorded on a great radio program in la, kcrw's morning becomes eclectic (http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb). you can stream a good lot of live performances from a wide range of musical acts. check out juana molina's set (http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb060613juana_molina) it's mind blowing. let down is my favorite radiohead song - the vocal part after the instrumental bridge kills me. though i had never heard of him before, david bazan's version is beautiful (http://www.stereogum.com/okx/).

1. radiohead
2. bob dylan
3. harry nilsson
4. randy newman
5. john lennon
6. elliott smith

the next mix picks up where this one leaves off.

-ji

cover to cover: feeling good!*

2007-08-12T05:10:00.002-04:00

part 1
1. the clash
2. david bowie
3. james brown
4. the beatles
5. feist
6. architecture in helsinki
7. m. ward
8. mississippi john hurt
9. ben folds five
10. joanna newsom
11. jimmy cliff

part 2
12. junior murvin
13. boise cover band
14. otis redding
15. sufjan stevens
16. nina simone
17. dr. dog
18. the carter family
19. cat power
20. built to spill
21. m. ward
22. ted leo rx

-ji

cover to cover #2: wierdos and creeps*

2007-08-10T05:27:00.001-04:00

notes on #1: tom waits riffing on the ramones comes from the 'brawlers' portion of his latest 3 disc release, 'orphans,' as does sea of love. yeah, that one is a bit over the top. cat power's two covers are from her 'covers' album, which may soon be followed up by a new album 'covers part 2.' both velvet originals are from 'loaded.' i heard built to spill's kick ass version of oh sweet nothing for the first time at their show in brooklyn last month (cat power actually opened for them, whoop!). it was a great show! just yesterday i found their cover of daniel johnston's some things last a long time in an album of old b-sides and unreleased tracks - 'the normal years.' daniel johnston has been covered by many artists from varying genres, which is somewhat of a testament to his mad genius. if you haven't seen it, check out the 'the devil and daniel johnston,' i highly recommend it! (http://www.sonyclassics.com/devilanddaniel/trailer.html) this next mix is for daniel johnston and his kind.

1. Daniel Johnston
2. M. Ward
3. Beck
4. The Flaming Lips
5. Radiohead

the next mix picks up where this one leaves off, then it kinda crosses the atlantic and then comes back again.
-ji

cover to cover #1: how about a cover?*

2007-08-08T05:07:00.004-04:00

this is just something i've been putting together. i figure this would be a cool way of sharing it. this is the first in a series of five.

1. the ramones
2. tom waits
3. cat power
4. the velvet underground
5. built to spill
6. daniel johnston

the next mix picks up where this one leaves off. look forward to it!
-ji