The Dunce Cap, Vol. 51: I was out of your league, and you were 20,000 underneath the sea. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks or play above)
1. “All Time High” – The Holidays
2. “Video Games” – The Young Professionals
3. “True Affection” – The Blow
4. “Blurred Lines” – Vampire Weekend
5. “I Knew You Were Trouble” – Rixton
6. “Coming Home” – Butch Walker
7. “Hate It Here” – Wilco
8. “New Years, Old Years” – Marc Scibilia
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 47: Oh, it’s tough when love’s a weed – it grows inside of me. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks or play above)
1. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
2. “Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (again)” – Wilco
3. “The First Single” – The Format
4. “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” – Nine Days
5. “For Nancy (‘Cos It Already Is)” – Pete Yorn
6. “If It Makes You Happy” – Sheryl Crow
7. “Do You Love Me?” – Guster
8. “New Shoes” – Paolo Nutini
9. “Here Comes The…” – Butch Walker
10. “In the Sun” – Joseph Arthur
11. “How’s It Gonna Be” – Third Eye Blind
Welp. It’s been one of those weekends, the kind that throws your entire conceptual existence for a loop and forces you to rethink the very construction of your day-to-day life. Not to be, y’know, melodramatic and whatnot. To be fair, and to be concise, I put myself in an incredible pickle, one that’ll take a lot of finagling and change (true, serious, real, long-lasting change) to get out of. I will get into that later, surely, in vague and agreeable terms, but I think knowing even that informs the composition of this Dunce Cap. This one’s a happy one.
I realize I’m recycling a lot of tracks from previous mixes, but I’m certain this particular combination of songs is fairly perfect for this moment. It’s a little longer than a traditional Dunce Cap (10 plus one, woohoo!), but it’s a mix replete with handclaps, soaring choruses, killer harmonies and unbridled optimism. From the most excellent opening by the Lumineers that spells out its lightheartedness in its title to the Sheryl Crow girl road trip anthem (see “Crossroads” if you don’t believe me) to the incredible Butch Walker/P!nk collaboration, this mix is a relatively uplifting reminder that good things don’t have to end. I’m going to lay some real claim to my very favorite Wilco track, “Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (again)” from the exceptional album Summerteeth, which seems, at current, fairly apt. It’s a real winner, but it’s certainly not the lone standout on this Dunce Cap. There’s that Nine Days single from the late ’90s about “a girl who cried a river and drowned the whole world,” and I’m pretty sure that’s who I’ve become as of late. Pete Yorn’s “For Nancy (‘Cos It Already Is)” was my sister’s favorite track from his debut album, musicforthemorningafter, and it’s one I like to keep on standby as a call to arms of sorts. In my mind, I like to think I can hear it and keep it as a reminder to keep moving forward, to keep the faith because things are already okay, or they will be, or whatever, though in rereading the lyrics, there seems to be a lot more to it than just that – they’re lyrics, and a point of view, I can really get behind these days. Maybe give the lyrics a gander and see for yourself. I think you’ll get it.
I don’t know, y’all. I’m trying to listen exclusively to happy tunes. I’m trying to move forward. I’m trying to try and to be better, you better, you bet.
So, for now, and for future iterations of the Dunce Cap, truly happy listening.
Oh, yeah, I should say too –
This week’s been kind of fun and good and stuff, too, not just a lesson in life. Three quick things: I liked this week because
*I keep forgetting – more on that later.
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 43: I should find someone better for me, but Mom says we’re born this way. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks or play above)
1. “Holland 1945” – Neutral Milk Hotel
2. “Dawned on Me” – Wilco
3. “Star Wars” – Ryan Adams
4. “Rubber Lover” – Marmaduke Duke
5. “Sweethearts” – Butch Walker & the Black Widows
6. “Girls and Boys in Love” – The Rumble Strips
7. “Range Life” – Pavement
8. “Holiday” – The Get Up Kids
9. “Glendora” – Rilo Kiley
10. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – Bon Iver
I’m sorry for the delay with this post, folks. I made the mix some time ago, but I’d forgotten to post the accompanying WordPress post. I’m sure you all were eagerly awaiting my return.
I’m stationed currently in one of the journalism labs at Northwestern, and I’m looking out the giant glass window, positively dismayed to find snow flurrying outside. What is this nonsense? Chicago weather is utterly fickle, and we’ll go from sunshine (see Wednesday’s love-for-global-warming-inducing midday 60s) to driving rain to snow. It’s days like this I revel in the idea of approaching Florida warmth.
For now, this playlist ought to rev up your desire, too, for something resembling spring. These ten tracks are fairly representative of what I’ve been listening to quite a bit lately. I’m sans iPod – and, really, reliable technology in general – but spending 40 hours a week in a moving vehicle, so I’ve started to slowly rebuild my music collection. Reckless Records and Second Hand Tunes, two local Chicago record stores, offer much in the way of cheap used CDs, and I’ve spent hours on end picking through their selections. The result is a car trip full of 90s nostalgia, from Pavement to the Get Up Kids to Jawbreaker to the Gin Blossoms, and, while Pavement’s getting quite a bit of play on my radio these days, it’s Neutral Milk Hotel which has really stolen my heart. I had the unique pleasure of catching NMH’s Jeff Mangum in Milwaukee last month, and it was truly transcendental. Both of the group’s full lengths have been in regular rotation as of late, and “Holland 1945” – rumored to be about Anne Frank – is likely my favorite tune from both releases.
The Pavement track here (“Range Life,” from their seminal album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain) is one of my favorites, with, it seems, frontman Stephen Malkmus cleverly employing a thesaurus to detail the comforts of laziness. The Get Up Kids’ “Holiday,” the lead track from their 1999 album Something to Write Home About, remains one of my very favorites, and I was thrilled to find a copy of the album after losing mine so many years ago. This mix also has a sweet Butch Walker track from his newest album, The Spade, and an excellent Bon Iver B-side, his haunting cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” as well as two of the catchiest tracks I’ve heard in some time, Marmaduke Duke‘s totally filthy “Rubber Lover” and the Rumble Strips‘ “Girls and Boys in Love.” These are ten I’m really loving, which, I suppose, has been my m.o. with these for a while now. Alas, alack.
Happy listening.
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 40: You were right about the stars. Each one is a setting sun. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks or play above)
1. “Young Pilgrims” – The Shins
2. “Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam” – The Vaselines
3. “Sketchy Metal” – The Hold Steady
4. “Jesus Christ” – Brand New
5. “Jesus Christ” – Big Star
6. “Jesus, Etc.” – Wilco
7. “Shine On, Sweet Jesus” – The Flaming Lips
8. “Superbowl Jesus” – The Hood Internet
9. “God Only Knows” – The Beach Boys
10. “Me and Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore” – beulah
11. “Jesus the Mexican Boy” – Iron & Wine
12. “Doubting Thomas” – Nickel Creek
13. “I’m Not Jesus” – The Ramones
14. “Above the Waves” – The Jealous Sound
15. “Chocolate Jesus” – Tom Waits
16. “God’s Comic” – Elvis Costello
17. “I Have Forgiven Jesus – Morrissey
18. “Jesusland” – Ben Folds
19. “Let It Be” – The Beatles
20. “Spirit in the Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
Tebow-kily dokily, folks! I’ve spent the day in the throes of full Tebow fandom, a fact I am not embarrassed to share with the whole of the Interwebs, or, y’know, Jen and Bryan, but this slow-movin’ dino-computer has kept me from sharing my thoughts with the world. I’ve been wrestling with a new 8tracks uploading interface for the last four hours, and I’m a bit ornery with technology, so instead of continuing to attempt to post something, I’ll leave you guys with this. This playlist should whet your appetite for what is to come, namely a discussion of Tim Tebow, faith, religion and history’s favorite son.
For this playlist, I’ve chosen twenty superb songs about god, religion and/or lackthereof, none of which are considered “gospel” – unless you count Norman Greenbaum’s fantastically catchy, “Spirit in the Sky,” which I always remember from that one John Travolta movie, “Michael,” where he plays an angel. There were so, so many songs to choose from, and this smattering represents some of my favorites. The Hold Steady, in particular, employs a great bit of biblical imagery (see: “Citrus,” “How a Resurrection Really Feels“), so if you’re looking for more, I suggest you check there first. There were a few honorable mentions (Bright Eyes, “When the President Talks to God,” Butch Walker, “Closer to the Truth and Further From the Sky,” R.E.M., “Losing My Religion“) I would also recommend, but this is a decent place to start.
I’m still having some trouble with the 8tracks interface, and I’m about to crush the computer screen in frustration, so I will attempt to make the edits in the morning, with the promised post forthcoming.
For now, and as always, happy listening.
I like a lot of songs. And I just so happen to really, truly like a lot of bad songs. Glimpse my iPod on BART, or use the elliptical next to mine at the gym, and you’re sure to catch some fairly embarrassing things. I admit to still occasionally partaking in a little pop-punk (ask me about that rediscovery sometime) and even some pure ’60s sugar, and I find that, sometimes, the unsubstantial can be comforting. But not every song has redeeming qualities. Some are fraught with disquieting memories, and others are so bad they hit bad-good and simply wrapped back around. And those are the ones I’ve finally begun saying my good-byes to. That’s where my newest feature, The Sunshine House, comes into play.
The Sunshine House, which is a nod to the daycare center of the same overly cheery name, is my way of bidding songs a proper adieu. There are more than enough tracks to serve as proper fodder for this sort of feature, and I think it can make for fun, short entries.
To kick things off, I created a mix on 8tracks of twenty-five love songs that are ripe for retirement.
The Sunshine House Collective: track listing below (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)
I’ve spent about ten years composing calculated mix CDs for the boys for whom I harbor intense crushes, and I’ve learned there are only so many times Ben Gibbard can coo that he’ll follow me into the dark without it becoming insincere. Certain songs get old fast. Don’t get me wrong – I have intense relationships with a number of love songs, include these tracks I’ve included on The Sunshine House Collective, from “This is the Sweetest Little Song” by Butch Walker and the Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites to Wilco’s “I’m the Man Who Loves You.” And not all of these songs are bad or overwrought or overplayed, but love songs are a complicated sort. Like every girl shaped by cinema, I form unbreakable associations between people and songs, and so many of these tracks are forever tainted by these associations. “Treehouse” was Duck’s song, while “Thirteen,” “Sixteen, Maybe Less” and “First Day of My Life” were all about being sixteen and positively infatuated with the first boy I ever thought I loved. Some love songs are timeless; “Everlong” will never lose its luster, while the early Beatles pop songs will always perfectly describe the careful build-up of a love story. But some of these tracks can never be applied to another chapter in my romantic life. I’ve liked a lot of boys, and a lot of songs are headed to this musical graveyard, but, for now, we can get started with these twenty-five. Suffice to say, these tracks won’t be making any mixes for the foreseeable future.
The the line-up’s below. I can’t promise I’ll be back in full force just yet; I know I’ve been away a long time, but I’m sans computer currently, and it’s hard to promise regular blog posts without one. I am living in San Francisco currently, and that’s looking like a more permanent thing, so hopefully I’ll be able to carve out a more regular post schedule soon. But, for now:
The Sunshine House Collective:
Unlock my body and move myself to dance
Moving warm liquid, flowing blowing glass
I miss the innocence I’ve known
Playing KISS covers, beautiful and stoned
Sometimes, y’know, I feel like there are things I’ve got to tell y’all. I have to wax poetic to my audience of me. Or not. Sometimes I just feel like talking.
It’s been a weird year. In some ways, I’ve had a maturity growth spurt, but mostly I just feel like I’m in middle school all over again. I’m thirteen but foolishly entrusted with a driver’s license and the legal ability to purchase alcohol. Some things don’t change; I’ve spent my summer biking around, gorging myself on chocolate, trying to read Vonnegut‘s entire bibliography (again, middle school flashback), pretending I am thinking about going to the gym, when I know all too well I’ll just watch another episode of “Mad Men” on Netflix Instant. I’ve listened to more Ben Kweller than I should likely admit, though the (very talented) musician hasn’t released a new album that I’ve heard in full since 2006.
But, some things have changed. Like, for the first time since Matt Hester*, I don’t want to be anyone’s girlfriend. Not Ducky’s. Not The Chemist’s (despite the insistence of everyone else, I really just want to keep being his best friend). Not the unnamed, straight San Francisco gentleman with no face who I occasionally fantasize will sweep me off my feet come fall. I don’t want the responsibility of caring for or about anyone else, and I don’t want the pleasure of shedding ten thousand tears over stupid arguments. And, yes. Right now, and for the foreseen future, being someone’s girlfriend would be a burden. I’m still (slowly but hopefully surely) getting me together again.
I’m not ready to buckle down to be anyone but me, as cheesy as that may sound. But seriously. Academically and professionally and socially, I’ve been a bit of a dolt, and I am desperately ready for a fresh (homeless, exciting and influential) start in San Francisco come fall. And Charlie Conway came back to me! I’m taking that as a major league sign that things are lookin’ up.
Here’s the long n’ short of it all: I’m exorcising all of the bitchiness from my life. That’s my major solution. I’m clipping my tongue and watching the sarcasm; I’m putting the stops on friendships that do little more than antagonize or patronize me; and I’m ridding myself of the habits, possessions and tendencies that propel me to behave like an egotistical, superficial, money-grubbing Queen Bee.
So, that’s that. I’m pleasingly moving forward. I’m listening to a lot of Sha Sha. I’m preparing for San Francisco. I’m refusing to be any man’s Robin. And I’m generally behavin’.
‘Cept when I wear my bikini to the Wal-Mart and they ask me to leave.
Happy August, friends.
*Matt Hester, if you’re reading this, thanks for coming to my cosmic bowling party in seventh grade. And for the brown and white stuffed dog from Kohl’s. He’s doing well.
Image courtesy of nataliedee
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 28: You are too young to put all of your hopes in just one envelope. (click on link to listen to mix via 8tracks)
1. “If She Wants Me” – Belle & Sebastian
2. “Temporary Title” – Butch Walker
3. “Adventures in Solitude” – The New Pornographers
4. “Southtown Girls” – The Hold Steady
5. “Miss Sweeney” – Weezer
6. “Dark Neon” – Wilco
7. “Love You To” – Yim Yames
8. “Breakin’ Up” – Rilo Kiley
9. “Back in Your Head” – Tegan & Sara
10. “See You” – Saves the Day
I really ought to start making themed mixes again. It gets tiresome, putting ten tracks together to make a disjointed collection. What can I say about these tracks, really? I like ’em. I like ’em quite a lot.
Mainly, this is a mix of the same ol’ artists I listen to week in and week out. I think I’ll take this break to explore music all over again. I’ll bring you some exciting new artists and tunes soon enough.
Tomorrow, news/sites/videos.
Until then, and as always –
Happy listening.
Marshall's very own Presidential Rob Scrawl!
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 21: You snooze, you lose. Well I have snost and lost. (listen to mix via 8tracks)
1. “I Hear the Bells” – Mike Doughty
2. “Everything Shines” – The Push Stars
3. “The Same Fire” – Bishop Allen
4. “How’s Your Sister?” – Flick
5. “Carry the Zero” – Built to Spill
6. “Shake the Sheets” – Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
7. “Banned (By the Man)” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
8. “Wish You Were Here” – Ryan Adams
9. “The Lonely 1” – Wilco
10. “In the Beginning” – The Stills
This is an itty, bitty sleepy mix. Mostly. Let’s just say – this ought to be quite the departure from the past few mixes, so imbued with Craig Finn‘s sexy/raspy voice.
It’s been a hectic week here in Lalaland, and I’m jonesin’ for a playlist that’ll soothe my nerves – not increase them. There’s energy in these songs, sure, but there’s also a particular sonorous quality to each of these. Y’know, they make me want to sing along, still, but softly. Except “How’s Your Sister?” But that should go without saying, right? There’s a lyric “Now I – I’m just asking. There ain’t no reason for you to get uptight.” It’s an unnecessary little ditty. And it, of course, requires a louder voice. And, oddly, Flick is a band I can’t seem to find anything about online. This track is from the Cheap Date compilation.
But, seriously. There’s Mike Doughty (yes, from Soul Coughing. And, yes, this track is from one of the most famous scenes in this show I kind of like. Maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s called Veronica Mars.), and SSLYBY and The Push Stars (this sunshine-y song from the There’s Something About Mary soundtrack nearly makes up for the fact that a Google search for the band returns a glowing endorsement from Mr. Matchbox Twenty). It’s a pretty solid mix of tracks to make you smile and feel generally loved. Especially if you don’t pay too much attention to the lyrics. It’s all in the melody this week.
Happy listening, y’all.
Also – Reblogged from Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
The Pioneer Woman's dog Charlie
My dear pal Mike sent me this treasure. It’s from the The Pioneer Woman, a site I enjoy immensely. In this one, she combats the yawn-inducing country life with a little pet experiment. This one’s from June ’09, long before I started to read. It’s a major winner! Check it out at her site.
Ralph Wiggum - Image courtesy of Fox
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 16: I’m a pop sensation! I’m a pop sensation! (mix via 8tracks)
^^Click the link to listen to the mix.
Names
1. “Jason Lee” – All Girl Summer Fun Band
2. “Michael” – Franz Ferdinand
3. “Ralph Wiggum” – The Bloodhound Gang
Cars
4. “Bitchin’ Camaro” – The Dead Milkmen
5. “El Caminos in the West” – Grandaddy
6. “Survival Car” – Fountains of Wayne
Colors
7. “Sixteen Blue” – The Replacements
8. “Everything is Green” – The Essex Green
9. “Red” – Elbow
Numbers
10. “Thirteen” – Big Star
11. “83” – John Mayer
12. “#27” – Marvelous 3
Places
13. “New York, New York” – Ryan Adams
14. “ATL” – Butch Walker
15. “Chicago at Night” – Spoon
Careers
16. “Rich Wife” – The Long Winters
17. “Heavy Metal Drummer” – Wilco
18. “Fred Jones, Pt. 2” – Ben Folds
Homes
19. “House of Books” – The Pop Project
20. “Treehouse” – I’m From Barcelona
21. “Love Shack” – The B52s
Terry Richardson photographs Matthew Gray Gubler
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 13: Turns out I was a vampire myself in the devil town. (mix via 8tracks)
1. “Devil Town” – Tony Lucca
2. “Your Hand in Mine” – Explosions in the Sky
3. “Muzzle of Bees” – Wilco
4. “I Made a Resolution” – Sea Wolf
5. “Carmensita” – Devendra Banhart
6. “Sci-Fi Kid” – Blitzen Trapper
7. “September Gurls” – Big Star
8. “Political Scientist” – Ryan Adams
9. “Gene Autry” – Beulah
10. “Rewind” – Stereophonics
11. “The Light” – The Album Leaf
12. “Eyes” – Rogue Wave
13. “Hard Rain” – Shout Out Louds
14. “Walk Over Me” – Dirtie Blonde
15. “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” – T. Rex
So, to be fair – the photo with this mix has nothing to do with this mix. Really, it’s just a launch pad for me to talk about Terry Richardson and Matthew Gray Gubler, as well as to complete my weekly trifecta of pin-ups. Now, this isn’t a gossip blog. It’s not the springboard for me to coo and fawn over the foxy celebrities of network television. Two weeks ago, The Dunce Cap celebrated freaks and geeks alike, and this week’s edition has a decidedly different theme.
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 13 features 15 tracks (it’s an edition and a half!) about football. Good ol’ rough n’ tough Southern football. Each of these tracks is from the soundtrack of NBC’s television drama, “Friday Night Lights,” from the first season and a half (of which I have watched 27 episodes in the last 48 hours). “Friday Night Lights” follows a high school football squad in the fictional small town of Dillon, Texas, where football reigns supreme, but it’s more than just a show about football. It’s a show with heart and with a killer cast – the characters exude charm and genuineness that extends past the petty fights and forlorn heartbreak of adolescence. The realistic nature of the show even survived the melodrama of a terrible murder subplot.
The show is fantastic. And what surpasses even the show’s eye candy, the plot twists, the characterization and the pretty awesome athleticism is the music. Yup, it all comes full circle. The soundtrack is replete with instrumental post-rock from – where else? – Texas, courtesy of Explosions in the Sky, and Tony Lucca‘s cover of the Daniel Johnston‘s eerie and haunting “Devil Town” appears multiple times throughout the first season and in a fairly titillating season three promo. Coach’s daughter Julie is an indie fangirl, convincing boyfriend Matt Saracen to see the Old 97’s and The Decemberists, and the music taste her fictional character boasts translates into a really well-rounded and interesting soundtrack.
Check out a small slice of the music from the series, and watch the rebroadcast of season 4 (originally shown on DirecTV Channel 101) on NBC Friday nights (when else).
And, for your eyes’ delight, check out two of the show’s original stars, Taylor Kitsch as fullback/running back Tim Riggins and Northwestern alumnus Zach Gilford as quarterback Matt Saracen. I apologize in advance for my salacious behavior, but yummy.
Taylor Kitsch of "FNL"
“I apologize to everyone here, and if you can find it within yourselves to let me make it up to you in the showers, I’d appreciate it.” – Tim Riggins, Season 2
Zach Gilford of "FNL"
“You don’t have to worry about me, in a fight I just kinda stand in the back and just yell stuff. ” – Matt Saracen, Season 1
Happy listening.
Oh, and p.s. Matthew Gray Gubler portrays the nerdily inept Dr. Spencer Reid on “Criminal Minds.” Terry Richardson is an allegedly handsy (but very talented) celebrity photographer. FTR.
coco keevan 