passion pit

The Dunce Cap: April 11, 2011

in: heavy rotation

Image from...uh?

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 32: I wanted to control it. But, love, I couldn’t hold it. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “The Things That You Say That You Do” – Dressy Bessy
2. “Gold Soundz” – Pavement
3. “French Navy” – Camera Obscura
4. “Everyday” – Vetiver
5. “Don’t Carry It All” – The Decemberists
6. “Seaweed Song” – Passion Pit
7. “The Hill” – Bombay Bicycle Club
8. “Never Forget You” – NOISEttes
9. “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” – Stars
10. “Fair” – Ben Folds Five

Hey, pals. This one’s actually pretty good! Happy April, my favorite month of the year for so many reasons. For instance, my 21st birthday is impending; the weather in Evanston was 80° and perfectly sunny; shit is feeling manageable. It’s one of those times when I want to wake up and do a little shimmy.

This mix is a mish-mash of songs catered to my mood: happy songs with a dark center. If you’re looking for nougat, maybe look elsewhere. Mmm. Nougat.

There’s not much else to say, not really – except love. Just love. In its most platonic and romantic forms, it’s what’s keeping me going. May your life be replete with love and lovers and loved ones.

Happy listening.

Michael: You’re just jumping right into this, huh?
Buster: That’s what you do when life hands you a chance to be with someone special. You just grab that brownish area by its points and you don’t let go no matter what your mom says.
– Arrested Development, “Key Decisions,” Ssn. 1, Ep. 4

The Dunce Cap: Dec. 20, 2010

in: heavy rotation

I’m bringing you The Dunce Cap a little early this week. Why? Because I Can and Because I Want To, which are two concepts I can get behind.

Edward Hopper's "Summer Evening"

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 29: Underneath the stars on the Ferris Wheel, you swung your feet and sang my favorite Weezer song. So I sang along. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)

1. “Write About Love” – Belle & Sebastian
2. “All the Wine” – The National
3. “Kiss Your Lips” – Allo Darlin’
4. “Naomi” – Neutral Milk Hotel
5. “Laura” – Girls
6. “Like or Like-Like” – Miniature Tigers
7. “Oysters” – Matt Duke
8. “The Mystery Zone” – Spoon
9. “Begin” – Ben Lee
10. “All of Us” – Painted Palms

*BONUS TRACK* “The Boys Are Back in Town” – Belle & Sebastian (Thin Lizzy cover)

I promised you Dunce Cap devotees (so, you know, I promised myself, really) new artists and tunes, so this is my way of delivering. New artists? A couple. There’s Allo Darlin’, this great London foursome with a love for Weezer and Woody Allen and a tacit appreciation for “Graceland” (sample lyric: “You see, it’s like loving ‘Graceland.’ It’s not allowed to be, but we know it’s everybody’s favorite,” from “My Heart is a Drummer”). And then there’s Painted Palms, a San Franciscan band which Sound of the Sound describes as “a happily drugged out mix (think pot and mushrooms, not ketamine and meth) of Passion Pit and Animal Collective.” [Sound of the Sound]

And, of course, there are new tracks from Spoon and Belle & Sebastian, a favorite National track of mine from “Alligator” (who else but Matt Berninger can get away with a line like “I’m a perfect piece of ass, like every Californian”?), a Matt Duke song with a great whistling breakdown and my very favorite tune from my very favorite Aussie, Ben Lee. Finally, the mix rounds out with a bonus cut from Belle & Sebastian’s BBC Session, a cover of Thin Lizzy‘s “The Boys Are Back in Town.” The song manages to combine two things I love the most: Glasgow indie pop and Irish hard rock. Somehow, I don’t think the two get along. Except musically.

All in all, it’s a pretty pleasing mix, about, as most music is, love. It’s not a statement, really, it’s just the subject of a lot of the music I like best. And the album art is a glorious painting from Edward Hopper, the artist behind “Nighthawks,” which I will see in person tomorrow!

How’s that for a description, kiddos?

I’ll be back tomorrow with some interesting and laughable videos and cultural musings. And for next week’s Dunce Cap, I’ll have all sorts of new music to contribute. I’ve resubscribed to some of my favorite music blogs (You Ain’t No Picasso, Music for Kids Who Can’t Read Good and I Guess I’m Floating, which you should all check out), so I should have exciting new ear candy soon.

In the meantime,
Happy listening.

P.S. I just finished Woody Allen‘s “Manhattan.” I’m not a huge fan of Woody’s nebbish neurotic (in any of his films, really), but I did tend to like his leading lady. The 17-year-old Tracy explains to her much older beau, “Not everybody gets corrupted. You have to have a little faith in people.”

Yeah, I guess I’ll have to remember that.

The Dunce Cap: April 12, 2010

in: heavy rotation

Coca Cola summer 2009 ad campaign

The Dunce Cap, Vol. 3: Maybe you try to be pretty instead of kind.
(mix via 8tracks)

  1. “Summer Shakedown” – Slow Club
  2. “Whatever You Like” – Anya Marina
  3. “Heartbeat Radio” – Sondre Lerche
  4. “D.A.N.C.E.” – Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
  5. “Let Your Love Grow Tall” – Passion Pit
  6. “Back and Forth” – The Bright Light Social Hour
  7. “Styrofoam Boots/It’s All Nice on Ice, Alright” – Modest Mouse
  8. “Artificial Light” – Rainer Maria
  9. “The Summer” – Josh Pyke
  10. “That Time” – Regina Spektor

Hey there, kids! Get ready for a lesson in musikal edukation! In this week’s mix, The Girl with the Dunce Cap presents new artists! B-sides! songs from the back catalog! and the much-loved genre-crossing cover song. These songs make me want to smile and dance and throw my hands in the air and yell “WOOOO” at the top of my lungs.

Basically, I hope you love them as much as I do.

Happy listening.