Something Else Mix #3

This was going to be a simple "this sounds like this" post about the similarities between 80's/90's pop group The Shop Assistants and the new dirty garage pop group Vivian Girls. But the more I listened to the two groups the more I realized that there are a hell of a lot of new bands that sound a hell of a lot like classic C86 groups (not to mention the shambolic glory of The Modern Lovers).

And then the news came this morning that the Shop Assistants singles collection Will Anything Happen is FINALLY getting reissued. And so, in a fit of productivity, I got this mix together.

Tracklist:
1. Love is All "Wishing Well"
2. The Modern Lovers "I Want To Sleep In Your Arms"
3. 14 Iced Bears "Come Get Me"
4. Orange Juice "Love Sick"
5. The Close Lobsters "Just Too Bloody Stupid"
6. Josef K "Chance Meeting"
7. Fire Engines "Candyskin"
8. caUSE Co-MOTION! "Who's Gonna Care?"
9. The Shop Assistants "I Don't Want To Be Friends With You"
10. Vivian Girls "Where Do You Run To"
11. Black Tambourine "Black Car"
12. Kurt Vile "Freeway"
13. The Honeydrips "I Wouldn't Know What To Do"
14. Tallulah Gosh "Tallulah Gosh"
15. Loft "Why Does The Rain"
16. Crystal Stilts "Converging in the Quiet"

It should be noted that many of the older tracks on this mix come from the wonderful CD86 compilation.

Download Something Else Mix #3 (M4A version for iTunes with artwork and chapter titles) here.

Download Something Else Mix #3 (MP3 version with artwork) here.

Two Songs. Same Subject.

Topic: No Homo Man-love.

The Sincere Version:
Of Montreal "Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl"

The Funny Version:
Flight of the Conchords "Bret, You Got It Going On"

Sub Pop 20 Weekend

Hey! Sub Pop turned twenty this weekend! They even did a thing about it on Evening Magazine! John Curley talked about Wolf Parade! And they listed Patton Oswalt's name as "Oswalt Patton!"

I was lucky enough to know someone who is important enough to be invited to the super fancy party at the top of the Space Needle on Thursday night (yeah, I'm bragging a bit...so what?). The party was pretty great. Free foods. Free drinks (if you were willing to stand in line for about 20-30 minutes to get one). Bands played (Death Vessel, Sera Cahoone, Kelley Stoltz). Bands were there (SHINZ!). I went with Sarah from Hardly Art and she took some pictures...but she seems to think its 1968 and took them with real film, so we'll see if i ever get a gander at them.

I also went to the Sub Pop comedy show at the Moore Theatre. Everyone was pretty great (Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal) except David Cross, who was clearly having an off night or something, and Patton Oswalt who was the funniest person ever in the history of time. Patton came out and did an ENTIRELY NEW 40 minutes of material. And, as my good friend Joan pointed out to me, it takes most comedians at least a year to write that much new, hilarious stuff. This guy is like the filthy Bill Cosby. A comedy machine.

Now is a probably a good a time as any post my most favorite, least talked about Sub Pop release.


Download: Zumpano Look What The Rookie Did

Released during the dizzy ascent of "alternative" music, Look What The Rookie Did's gawky, nervous pop music was part of Sub Pop's shift away from being a "grunge" label. This is pretty much the standard template for almost every pure pop band for the last 14 years. Sentimental, self-deprecating, straight-forward and a wee bit quirky. You know, all the things I like. This record also features the songwriting talents of one Carl Newman who would later go on to staggering success with The New Pornographers. But, honestly, I think this record is better than at least half of the New Porno's stuff.