2009 – No Room For Error

This year’s record is a lean mix of music, coming in at just over 64 minutes with no repeat artists. I went through several variations of this while assembling the final mix, trying seven different versions of the song list and order. At one time I had a mix that was close to two hours long while I was trying to get a feel for how everything was going to sound together. My first attempt at this album had started and ended with Green Day songs that now don’t appear in this mix at all, but the song “American Girl” off of their new album is. That surprised me because I usually start by deciding on the first and last songs on a CD and then filling in the middle. The last song sometimes will change, but rarely the first. Somewhere along the way I realized I was trying too hard to make it work and that I needed to abandon my opening song. Doing so made for a better, more cohesive mix with the songs I was working with this year. I’m still determined to use my original opener, so don’t be surprised if it turns up next year.

Go to this page if you want to add the album artwork to iTunes.

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No One Said It Would Be Easy
Cloud Cult
Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-partying Through Tornadoes)

I like the way this song builds from the single piano into the electronic keyboard and acoustic guitar. This song’s lyrics could apply to a lot of things, but it’s written specifically to address the band’s environmental concerns.

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I Can’t Be What U Want
Hymns
Travel In Herds

This song sort of snuck up on me with the first listening. It starts with a funky horn section that reminds me of the Memphis Horns, giving the impression that we’re about to experience a Motown sound. Then it slips in the banjo and the song ends with an entirely different feel while never losing the horns as they fall back to more of a rhythm section instead of the punctuation.

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Let It Rain
Living Things
Habeas Corpus

This was one of the many featured bands at this year’s South by Southwest music festival (SXSW). While this is their third album, they’re still flying mainly under the radar. A good opportunity to catch an inexpensive concert when they’re in your area.

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Wave And Water
Gordon Gano & The Ryans
Under The Sun

Something about the sound of kids singing the refrain at the end hooks me.

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One Day Like This
Elbow
The Seldom Seen Kid

I love this song. I liked it when I put it in the list of possible songs for this year’s collection, but it has really grown on me with repeated listening as I put this mix together. And how many times do you hear the phrase “Holy Cow” in music? It was almost the title of this year’s CD.

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Jacksonville
Sufjan Stevens
Come on feel the Illinoise

This song fits well into the mix I have going this year. Something about the refrain at the end of the song keeps bringing me back.

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Sleeping Lessons
The Shins
Wincing The Night Away

A dreamy start to a full on blast. From dreams to nightmares? I don’t know, but it’s kind of cool. Only issue I have with this song (and the whole album) is that this is an example of the state of the current recording industry where every instrument is mixed up to the loudest possible volume, giving the song a perception of loudness that doesn’t really exist. It’s great for energy, but lacks subtlty, as compared to the recordings of Elbow, who specifically go out of their way to maintain a more organic and dynamic sound in their recordings.

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Last of The American Girls
Green Day
21st Century Breakdown

What a record this is! This is just one example of the many rockers on this album. Green Day may be mellowing a bit as rockers by being more accessible, but their songwriting has grown mature and sophisticated. Two notes about the production of this recording: 1- You’ll rarely hear drums that sound better. Put on a good pair of headphones (no cheap earbuds!) and listen to the kick drum. That’s how it’s supposed to sound on a rock record. 2 – This album was recorded and mixed by Butch Vig, who also recorded Nirvana’s Nevermind CD.

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Detroit
Black Gold
Rush

Something about the refrain in this song kept me listening to this song over and over. Unfortunately I don’t think the rest of the album is as good, although that is just an observation after a couple of casual listenings. Your mileage may vary. Another SXSW find.

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Sugarfoot
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Tell ‘em What Your Name Is!

Get on the good foot! This song hops up and says “James Brown is not dead!” Good and funky with a great bass line and a mix that puts every instrument where it’s supposed to be. Love where the dry and tight snare lays in with the horns. This would be a great album if it weren’t for some of the profanity laden songs. This is probably the cleanest song on the album, so it’s hard to listen to the whole record around the house. Too bad.

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Oh, The Boss Is Coming!
Arkells
Jackson Square

Oh, what a song! How cool and universal are these lyrics? It’s not a place I’m at now, but I have worked under these conditions before. Keep an eye out for this band to get bigger in the future. More SXSW goodness.

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Supernaturally
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Fierce. If I had to describe this song in one word, that would be it. The playing is fierce, the lyrics are fierce, the mix is fierce. I love the looseness of the “Hey, Ho!” refrain.

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The Reeling
Passion Pit
Manners

Going disco here. Another song with a hook that keeps bringing me back to it. A very different sound than what ends up on most of my mixes, but sometimes we just have to have some fun. SXSW again.

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Shame
Inward Eye
Throwing Bricks Instead of Kisses

These guys are pulling no punches with lyrics like “the preachers, the teachers the sick pedophiles.” I like how breathless this song is sung, especially in the chorus.

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Let Me Down
Kim Taylor
The Greatest Story

Love this woman’s voice.

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Nobody Right
Michael Franti & Spearhead
All Rebel Rockers

Yes, it’s Michael again. As usual, I’m always deciding which songs not to use from his albums. This song is a nice piece about understanding, or the lack thereof, in today’s world.

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A Melancholy Hyppo
Hyperpotamus
Largo Bailon

Fun! One guy using his voice and multi tracking it. Not sure if this is one take in the studio, but there are some good YouTube videos out there that show him doing it live all on his own.