Showing posts with label Mixtape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mixtape. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Everything Must Change
Everything Must Change- Ero's Spring Mix 4-12-2011
by erogray
A springtime mix.
I've been thinking lately about how there's a moment in despair when you're not really sure that things can ever be good again. And during this time the seeds of new life are germinating but you don't even know it.
I've been thinking about how all the great struggles for change- civil rights, human rights, etc.- are permanent struggles. You never get to a point where they're accomplished, because in our lives despair is nearly as powerful as love, and no matter how strong your love is, despair makes its resurgences and must be fought back. Every generation does this, and every individual, in every season. Furthermore, death and the fear it generates in our lives is a constant force, whereas love- the creative force in the universe- must create itself again and again within us. So dictators stay with us. Terrorists and crooked cops stay with us. The pettiness and cruelty in our own behavior always reappears, no matter what our intentions. But the love, and the hope love brings, that can defeat all these things, has to be reborn within us through painful struggle. It is always stronger, but it is not a constant. It must be born.
But mostly I've been thinking about what an endless and dreary winter this has been, and how eager I am for spring to come.
Anyway, this is a mixtape for you. Folks who've been listening to mixtapes (or to this blog) for years will recognize a lot of the songs, but whatever. It seems right for the moment.
I hope you like it.
Tracklist:
Al Green- I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Lhasa De Sela- Is Anything Wrong?
Joni Mitchell- Blue
Yo La Tengo- Tears Are In Your Eyes
Loren Mazzacane Connors- Brigid's Song
Dusty Springfield- No Easy Way Down
Jose Delhart- Cien Pajaritos
Bill Monroe- Gloryland
Echo & the Bunnymen- Over the Wall
Tom Waits- Somewhere
Sandy Denny- It'll Take A Long Time
Nina Simone- Everything Must Change
David Bowie- Fantastic Voyage
Anouar Brahem- Iram Retrouvee
Gene Clark- I Think I'm Gonna Feel Better
Bareh Droma- Sosnitsa (The Little Pine Tree)
Lonnie Johnson- Swing Out Rhythm
Magical Power Mako- Open the Morning Window
East River Pipe- Life Is Born Today
Nick Drake- Hazey Jane
Van Morrison- Starting A New Life
Sly & the Family Stone- You Caught Me Smilin'
Ike & Tina Turner- Feel Good
Super Eagles- Love's A Real Thing
The Beatles- Fixing a Hole
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday, February 15, 2010
We Dream Of A Ship That Sails Away
While cleaning the basement, found this mix-CD that I made in August 1999. Back then I listened to a lot of rock music (if you can call this collection of drifty, arty and melancholy songs rock). Most of this isn't from the 90s so I don't think it will have aged badly, though it isn't necessarily what I listen to these days.
I've always loved making mixed tapes/CDs/mp3s, and made a lot of them. Who knows if anyone ever listened to them. There were many times in my own driven-by-and-obsessed-with-music life, when the music someone else handed me (on cassette, mostly) changed my life in a dramatic way. I've always hoped to do that for someone else. But all you can do is make stuff you love and hand it over, sometimes it doesn't work.
In any case I've been feeling a lot of nostalgia lately. Maybe it's the dreary bleak and frozen gray February weather, but I'm feeling old, like my best days are behind me and all along I thought I was just getting ready for something better. Well, I've got nothing to complain about, my life is full of joy and has had its share of small excitements. But it's a little alarming to see so much of it as past tense.
So finding a set of the music I loved back when I was still in my twenties has some cheap appeal. Moreover, it's a good collection of songs that ought to create a pretty nice melancholy mood for your day. (Included: Kinks, Big Star, Ash Ra Tempel, Flying Saucer Attack, Brian Eno, more).
Hope you enjoy this as much as I did/do/will.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Mixtapes For Mason: Crack! Whoosh!- Misc Rock
Dylan, Eno, Galaxie 500... sort of a mishmash of great rock music on this last mixtape post.Enjoy.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mixtapes For Mason: Whiz! Bang!- Rock- 80s & 90s
This mix is mostly 'alternative' rock; it starts with R.E.M. and ends with Yo La Tengo, and what's in between gives a fairly good guide to my youth.
I'm old enough and jaded enough to find alternative rock, and most other rock, pretty uninteresting. But this is a pretty starry-eyed parade of sumptuousness all the same.
These mixtapes, for those who didn't read earlier posts, were intended for cassette, and for a teenager, as a musical education-in-a-box, but without undue academicism. I flatter my mixtape-making abilities overmuch, perhaps, but I think this set of music will rock the teenager's college-roomates' world.
This particular side may not be up to the same standard, since it's a bit more personal/subjective. Aw, hell, no it's not... they're all personal/subjective, and they're all solid. This isn't, though, a guaranteed bell-ringer like the first rock side posted. But, you'll enjoy it. If not, let me know (if so, let me know too).
One more rock mixtape post coming up, then no more mixtapes from me for a while.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Mixtapes For Mason: Is In Our Ears- Rock- 60s
More rock goodness. This starts with the Bobby Fuller 4 (doing the song Clash fans know so well), but otherwise is pretty crunchy granola hippie. Byrds, Neil Young, Kinks. You know you love it. (If not, what's wrong with you?)Older posts explain. Enjoy.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Mixtapes For Mason: Our Sense Of Hearing- Hard Rock
Closing in on the end of this massive mixtape series. Rockers will enjoy this one: it opens with the Stooges, and stays heavy and vital all 40 minutes. Nonstop headbanging. Roll a joint, do a shot of Jack Daniels, turn it up. Most rockers will know most the songs. You'll still enjoy it. I'm not bragging but it's hard to imagine a more consistently tuff cassette side than this. (Unless it be side A of the punk mix). Clearly this is where my roots are; I may not listen to much rock these days, but I've got a good grounding in it.Read older posts for explanations of the mixtape context; upcoming ones (three more) will all be rock rock rock. Rock rock rock rock rock rock.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Knowing He Hath Wings- RnB 2
More R&B, this time less funk-centric but still pretty fun. If you're saying to yourself, what's the context for this? read older posts for more info.Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Be Like the Bird- RnB 1
My mixtape madness continues. This one is sort of Funk oriented... with just one exception, for Etta James, who's always worth making an exception for.If you're just tuning in or haven't been reading the posts, this is from a large mixtape series aimed at creating a musical edumacation for a younger friend. They were originally created to fit onto cassettes. So many of these, including this one, try to hit highlights of a genre-- but without being overly restricted by notions of representing the canon or anything. I wanted to make sets of music that would be inspiring and maybe help begin an awesome collection.
So longtime music aficionados may find some of the sets overly obvious (Parliament, check. James Brown, check). But if you put this sucker on the stereo you'll still dance around.
Note: personally, I'm incredibly ignorant about anything R&B that happened after about 1975. Sorry. This installment and the next are purely 60s and early 70s... with an exception (there's always an exception) for Prince.
Next up: assorted R&B and soul smokers!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- In The Dark- Rap 4
Part 4 of the Rap & Hip/Hop mixes.Earlier posts explain.
Please enjoy this music.
More mixtapes to follow, R&B and Funk is the genre up next.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Character Is What You Are- Rap 3
Another rap mix. Older posts explain context and meaning. Eat it up!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Made Battle With The Winds- Rap 2
Side B of the first of two Rap/HipHop compilations. See the previous post for explanations & disclaimers.Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Claws of Hawks- Rap 1
Welcome to the newest installment of Ero's Mixtape Extravaganza! This is Side A of Tape 1 of the Rap & Hip-Hop compilations. There are two cassettes all-told, which means 4 40+ minute mixes. They're not really in any order, though in any project like this patterns seem to emerge. I just wanted to put a lot of good songs together.It should be said that while I intended to include some of the more 'important' artists in the genre, I by no means possess the knowledge to do a proper survey. This is, more than anything else, a bunch of stuff I like. (This also means that it's low on n-words and gratuitous bloodshed, since I'm a wimpy liberal white guy who doesn't get off on violence, but does get off on funk and creativity).
Enjoy, and then, also, enjoy.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Many Rodents- Punk 2
More punk. Enjoy.I'm tired of typing explanations about these mixtapes. Older posts explain in various ways.
This one's punk. Side B.
Next up: rap/hiphop mixes!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Coyotes Eat- Punk 1
Another installment in the massive mixtape series, this time the genre is Punk.
The compilation was intended for someone on the young side, so this is sort of half history lesson and half thrill ride. All the songs here are pretty ferocious though. Hard to mess up. I've interpreted 'punk' pretty freely (as with all the genre mixtapes), but i think the results stand up to repeated listening.
Timed for cassette. This is Side A; side B will follow.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Through The Spinal Cord and Nerves- Krautrock
Krautrock! In the continuing series of mixtapes.
If you're just tuning in now, this series of mixes was originally put together for a teenager, so the content is designed to do a little educating and also a little aesthetic whomping. That is, the two goals were: shine a light on some of the musical giants who came before, and, make a listening experience that'll show why they matter.
In this case, my knowledge of Krautrock is pretty slim: I've listened to a bunch of Can and Faust, and a handful of other albums in the genre. And once in the 90s I read Julian Cope's "Krautrocksampler"... anyhow, this ought to be a fun mix despite my limitations.
These were formatted to fit on cassette, so each 'side' will be around 42 minutes.
Up nest: punk rock.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Out From Your Brain- Classic Reggae And Dub
The Mixtapes continue. This side is focused on reggae (of the old-fashioned, pre-rap kind). My knowledge of the genre is limited and my tastes too- so this is by no means a survey of the genre, just a bunch of stuff I like. Enjoy.If you're just tuning in now, this series of mixes was originally put together for a teenager, so the content is designed to do a little educating and also a little aesthetic whomping. That is, the two goals were: shine a light on some of the musical giants who came before, and, make a listening experience that'll show why they matter.
These were formatted to fit on cassette, so each 'side' will be around 42 minutes.
Coming next: Krautrock.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Here And There We Go- Misc 4
The last (4 of 4) 'miscellaneous' mixtapes in my series.
Now, back to genre-specificity!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- Up And Down The Mountain- Misc 3
More nonspecific mixtapiness from my mixtape series. This one's a bit more ethereal...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Mixtapes for Mason- In Order To Find Some Of These Records- Misc 2
More nonspecific yumminess from my mixtape series.
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