Short Mixtape for St. Valentine's Day

The NotJust90s St. Valentine's Day mixtape includes a few different emotions, from the contrarian "not in love" to the smooth, the silly to the sappy. I've placed all the songs onto a YouTube playlist to make it easier for everyone ((note: may not be 100% safe for work, depending on where you work). Contrary to this blog's claim of "not just 90s," I did stick with only songs from the 90s in this case, basically so I wouldn't still be working on the list come March. Tracklist and "liner notes" below.



1. Belle & Sebastian -- "I Don't Love Anyone"
For me, any decent 90s mixtape automatically includes at least one Belle & Sebastian song. In this selection, we start the mixtape with the antithesis to love songs.
2. Neutral Milk Hotel -- "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
This song feels like being in love, full of lyrical fantasy, ridiculous ideas, and musical richness.
3. Sade -- "I Couldn't Love You More"
We shift to a track that runs in the opposite direction in every way except the sentiment; with a somewhat minimalist paint-by-numbers jazz production behind Sade's creamy vocals delivering very straight-ahead words that, while not exactly poetic or clever, are somewhat refreshing in their attempt to just say something without resorting to meaningless cliches (at least not too many).
4. The Muffs -- "I Need You"
If Sade put you to sleep, The Muffs will wake you back up. Even with a couple men in the band, The Muffs still manage to deliver a love song in true riot grrrl style.
5. A Tribe Called Quest -- "Bonita Applebaum"
Whereas the last few love songs have featured "Me to You" lyrics that can work as a musical valentine, here's a somewhat voyeuristic view into Q-Tip's love for a woman named Bonita, complete with catchy hooks sure to stick in your head...
6. The Magnetic Fields -- "A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off"
We hear Stephin Merritt's fantastic songwriting on display as he provides a fairly accurate - if absurd - portrayal of being in love. My apologies for the disturbing (though work-safe) accompanying video -- this was the only version I could find that would work on the playlist.
7. R.E.M. -- "At My Most Beautiful"
Not a typical R.E.M. track, but one of my favorites; not only for the Pet Sounds style rhythms and harmonies, but especially for the strange blend of sincerity and description of small moments rather than bold proclamations and the usual cliches.

With the economy down the toilet, unemployment rising higher, and a few other difficulties left over from the past 8 years, I understand why so many of us stay stuck in the 90's even when it comes to music. Even so, early in 2009 something changed to give us hope and reason to keep going. That something is Microsoft Songsmith. For those who haven't heard yet, Songsmith is computer software that allows users to record their own vocals, which Songsmith then takes and builds accompanying music around them to create instant songs.
The joy of Songsmith doesn't really lie in the ability for untalented off-key caterwaulers to still make their own music. Rather, the true fun of Microsoft Songsmith comes in taking the vocals from popular songs, running them through the software, then LOLing at the results (particularly when video is involved).

A few of my favorites:

Queen's "We Will Rock You" turned Latin pop.
"White Wedding"...in Kentucky.
"Crazy Train Polka" -- if only we could get Ozzy in lederhosen.
Soulja Boy cranks it Barney-style.
Lil Wayne's "A Milli" remix for entry into the TimeLife Soft 70's Ballads collection. (uncensored)

The Rifles, The Great Escape

Note: This falls under the "something new" category.

Writers who write about music love a good band name, but they love even more a band name that allows them to show off just how clever they are. They live to slide in a pun – even a groaning cliché – that can both describe the music and reference the band’s name all at the same time. Enter The Rifles. A name like that provides so many opportunities it’s enough to, well, make a writer’s head explode: the record starts off with a bang, is loaded with good songs, but in places it “misfires” or “shoots a few blanks”…and so on.
Rather than craft a clever review that would make the NRA proud, though, I’ll just run down a few quick bullet points about The Rifles’ new album, The Great Escape.
 Their mostly guitar-centered sound often mixes abrasive angularity with arena-friendly hooks and choruses that beg for sing-along, i.e. “the world is ours and ours alone” on “Science is Violence.” They’re too slick and calculated to be “garage,” but they play with several different styles from across the “indie” spectrum to varying success.
 Like many other British bands, The Rifles embrace and blatantly display their influences. The Great Escape occasionally features lead vocalist Joel Stoker attempting to channel Morrissey atop dark pop in a Smiths vein, not to mention the occasional nod to Beatlesque psychedelia (particularly “Strawberry Fields Forever”). Their influences embrace them, as well; Paul Weller of The Jam recently joined them onstage for a couple songs.
 3 Tracks I’d Throw on a Mixtape (today, anyway): Science is Violence, The General, Winter Calls

Here's their title track and first video from the just-released album: