2022 – Substance D

It’s absolutely crazy that I got a mix out on time this year. My fall work schedule was the busiest I have ever had, which seems to be a trend over the past few years. Knowing I was going to be extra busy I started working on this mix in August.

Delivering the music on a USB drive (for the third time now) forces me to adjust my workflow to have enough time to get the cards printed with the artwork. I need to determine a title and create the graphics files before I can order the USB cards. Because I want to put the song list on the card I also have to have my song order worked out, which sometimes goes through quite a few revisions. In this case I ended up making a change to the order after these were printed, but I just have to live with that.

Once my song order is worked out I then spend a lot of time getting the levels and transitions tweaked, but I have time while I’m waiting for the USB drives, which is usually about 4 weeks from order to delivery.

Two downsides to the USB drive format: One is that I’m always concerned that you, the listener, isn’t going to experience the mix in the intended order. This year in particular loses some impact if you aren’t hearing track 1 first. Secondly, I’m not limited to the 80 minute time limit that CD’s can handle so it would be easy for me to have an exhaustive mix, which isn’t good for anyone. As it turns out, though, less is more in most cases and trimming out songs makes for a better final product. This mix is a tight 79 minutes of nonstop listening pleasure.

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Warning Label
Dieselboy
Substance D

Whenever I find myself in a Goodwill or some other thrift shop I try to browse through their used CD’s to see what treasures I may find. This EDM double CD cost me all of $2. While there were some interesting parts of some tracks none was more compelling than their opener, Warning Label. As soon as I heard it I knew I was using it.

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Edge
The Hormones
The Hormones

This all women punk band is from Chengdu, China. It seemed like they were about to break out internationally with their first international tour in 2020, but, like so much else, that just didn’t happen. I like all the background noise of the guitars in this song. Discovered this one as one of the 2020 South by Southwest (SXSW) artists.

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Somewhere In Ohio
The Jayhawks
Smile

This song will get stuck in your head with the singable chorus.
Got hooked on this one while listening to Radio Paradise.

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Marathon
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express
The Land That Time Forgot

Nice duet with a jamming band. Another 2020 SXSW find.

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¡Tómalo! (Súper)
Pacific Jam At My Apartment (aka PJAMA)
Pacific Jam At My Apartment

This band hails from Mexico, and this song feels like a stadium singalong. Yet another 2020 SXSW showcase artist.

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Daily Interlude
Jake Lloyd
Moonlit Mornings

When you listen to the lyrics this song is darker than its cheery refrain. 2020 SXSW again.

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Ship Trapped In The Ice
Andy Partridge
Fuzzy Warbles, Vol. 2

Maybe not a pure XTC song, but it’s classic Andy Partridge lyrics and quirky topic. Found this because it’s Andy Partridge and I can’t have enough.

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Round Here
Avery Write
Round Here

Yeah. Street music. Something about this song that sticks with me. 2020 SXSW.

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Radio Man ’56
Hearty Har
RadioAstro

This song has a great 60’s psychedelia throwback sound. Also, it’s John Fogerty’s sons’ band. 2020 SXSW

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Once in a Lifetime
Big Daddy
Cutting Their Own Groove

What a fantastic cover of a classic song. Infectious. Radio Paradise turned me onto this one

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No No No
Beirut
No No No

I think the singer sounds a little like David Byrne, so I had to put it right after the Talking Heads cover. Another find from Radio Paradise.

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New Birth In New England
Phosphorescent
C’est LaVie

This is a new artist for me. I really like this album and the sound it has. Discovered this artist through Radio Paradise, but didn’t discover this song until I bought the CD.

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The Crown
Kaylan Arnold
The Crown

You know how I like my Reggae. She was a showcased artist at 2019 SXSW.

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New Shoes
Paolo Nutini
These Streets

Another song with a singable chorus. A Radio Paradise discovery.

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None of My Friends
Liz Lawrence
PityParty

The difficulties of maintaining long term friendships as life grows more complicated for us all. Another 2020 SXSW showcase artist.

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Up The Mountain
Regina Spector
Home, Before and After

Really great song with the orchestrations and dynamic range. This song had some rotation on Radio Paradise.

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Going Mad As The Street Bins
L.A. Salami
Dancing With Bad Grammar

Clever song about frustration and disillusionment with the world. A 2017 SXSW showcase artist. This song was one of the options in previous mixes, but ended up getting cut for time or not being compatible with the mix.

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Touched
VAST
VisualAudioSensoryTheater

I like the middle-eastern influences in this song. Another Radio Paradise discovery.

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Tilted
Christine and The Queens
Chaleur Humaine


Catchy song about identity and self-acceptance, which is interesting as Christine has transitioned into a man and the band now performs as Red Glove. Radio Paradise again.

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Brother John
David Lindley
Win This Record

A little New Orleans sound. Radio Paradise Doug this one up for me.

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It’s A Good Day (To Fight The System)
Shungudzo
I’m not a mother, but I have children

Great song from a great record dealing with the inequities in society. This song has had a lot rotation on Radio Paradise.

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Do Ya?
Honey Made
Couple Few

As amusing as this song is, it’s still an important question. Another 2020 SXSW artist.

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