These are the rules:
Splotchy has given me the grand opportunity to set the rules for the next Green Monkey Mix,
I’ve been giving it some thought.
Here’s the deal.
I love music.
When I was a kid I bought Trouser Press and Cream and Rolling Stone and all sorts of magazines to help me find new music.
I also listened to college radio and local stations and, dammit, if I didn’t have my finger on the pulse of the great music. While the radio was pumping the pap into the atmosphere and airwaves we were listening to what would become the new waves of all music.
But, now? It’s all so splintered. There are so many blogs. There’s so much noise. Who can you trust?
You look at a magazine like Mojo and there is an article extolling the greatness of a new album and you want to trust it and then you look at the back cover and there is a full page ad for that same album. When the artist pays so much for that ad, how can the magazine not be biased?
So, where can we turn?
Where do I turn for new music recommendations?
Obviously, the Green Monkey.
Here’s what I want:
6 tracks. 6 songs that represent 6 of the albums you have heard in the recent past (even up to now) that are albums that I SHOULD have.
I want the perfect 36 (or more) song sampler that will show me what I am missing.
I can list a bunch of albums from the last 3 years that I think are frigging great. And I think everyone would love them. Nightmare of You, The Builders and the Butchers, The Mountain Goats, The Hold Steady, The Thermals, Epoxies, Elbow, The Fratellis, Black Mountain, Jukebox the Ghost…there are so many.
But, it’s hard to know who or what else. Unless you read every blog, read every magazine or listen to only college radio/sirius all the time, you won’t have a clue what’s out there besides what the media tells you.
Tell me.
Give me the 6 tracks that represent the 6 albums from the last half decade that you think I NEED to hear.
We will be taking the first 5 people to respond either here or on Splotch’s site.
So, think about it and jump in.
“Crystal Stilts” by The Crystal Stilts.
“Parentheses” by The Blow.
“Time to Pretend” by MGMT.
“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver.
“Gimme the Awesome” by Endless Boogie.
Oops. One more.
um…”Young Adult Friction” by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It’s pretty good.
"All I Need" by Radiohead (In Rainbows)
"The Atomium Parts 2 & 3" by Stars Of The Lid (Avec Laudenum)
"Jessica" by Kaki King (…Until We Felt Red)
"He Lays In The Reins" by Iron & Wine (In the Reins)
"Something's Going On" by Lambchop (Aw C'mon No you C'mon)
"River, Sea, Ocean" by Badly Drawn Boy (About A Boy soundtrack)
In that order. If you've already heard any of this stuff, just let me know and I'll try to pick others.
Tim, I have heard In Rainbows, but, if anyone else who might be getting this hasn’t, that’s a great choice.
Actually, all of these are great, since I haven’t heard anything but that so far, from either you or Grant.
This is going to be a very exciting list.
I don’t have my full list, but I want to announce my tracks thus far before someone else picks them.
These aren’t in order yet, either.
Golden Age – TV On The Radio
Trance Manual – John Vanderslice
Fucking Boyfriend – The Bird And The Bee
Good Days Bad Days – Kaiser Chiefs
Bird and the Bee, huh, Splotch? Wow. I’ve not given them a chance yet. Jukebox opened for them a couple months ago at the Natural History Museum and we left before they played. Maybe we should have stayed….
Here’s another one–
The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Allen, as I will describe in my contribution-to-the-mix post, I have been doing a fun crash-course in recent music.
But Bird and the Bee was actually one recent artist that I had heard before. I dunno, I like it.
Okay, last one:
Solid Gold – The Eagles Of Death Metal
OKAY, IN ORDER:
Solid Gold – The Eagles Of Death Metal
Golden Age – TV On The Radio
Fucking Boyfriend – The Bird And The Bee
Trance Manual – John Vanderslice
The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Good Days Bad Days – Kaiser Chiefs
Allen –
Please replace “All I Need” with the following, if you’ve not heard it:
“It’s You” by Animal Collective feat. Vashti Bunyan (Prospect Hummer)
Have room for one more? I’m too lazy to count.
Beth, as near as I can tell there is room for 2 more.
I am including you, so that leaves one more place.
Excellent! I’ll send my list tonight. There are several local bands well worth pimping.
Oh, I am aware you have that Eagles of Death Metal album, but I’m including it regardless. For all I know, everything I picked has been listened to by the entire human race (I’m outta touch).