The Name Game Mix

http://analog90.muxtape.com/ *

* updated on 6/9/08 to include our newest MTC pal, Aaron.

1. Don't Mess With Bill / The Marvelettes

We start off with Jamerson's killer bassline and one of my favorite early Motown acts, The Marvelettes, doing "Don't Mess With Bill." He might not be the grievance officer anymore, but don't underestimate this guy. This tune, written by Smokey Robinson, could actually have been one of Bill's "sweet sixteen" songs and actually made it to #7 on the Billboard charts.

2. Have You Seen Jackie? / The Dukes of Stratosphear

This is the tune that started it all; remembering this song during finals week gave me the idea to do a mix with all of our names in it. My beloved XTC had everyone fooled for a while back in the 80s when they released records as their psychedelic alter-ego The Dukes of Stratosphear. This song only fits Jackie's name, and in no way suggests that our friend and colleague is a gender confused fish-bird.

3. Laughing Larry / Six Finger Satillite

This tune is new to me, but the band isn't. 6FS never had the impact they should have, but the ex-front man is now performing as The Juan McClean, perhaps the most amazing show I have seen in the past 10 years. His 2005 record "Less Than Human" is the fantastic. This disjointed cyborg punk should give our Larry a chuckle.

4. Michelle / Clan of Xymox

Because Lennon/McCartney would have been a cop out for her, Michele gets a deep track from one of my favorite 4AD artists from back in the day: Clan of Xymox (sorry they don't spell it correctly in the song title, Lady M). I bought the first Xymox record without hearing it because they were on 4AD. I can't listen to that thing without thinking of a particular car trip back in 1986.

5. No Joshua No / Max Romeo

I had only heard a couple of tracks by this reggae pioneer. It seemed impossible to find a "Joshua" song that isn't biblical, which I knew would irk our Joshua. At least this biblical Joshua is a Rastaman. But this is funny: "Since you are my friend, Joshua / I think you should know, Joshua /Rasta is watching and blaming you." Indeed.

6. Big Eyed Kim / Cletus

Never heard of this South Carolina punk band before. Sounds a lot like Green Day's melod-i-punk, only I like these guys better. But I really, really hate Green Day. (Is that bad? Should I like them?) I am going to make myself listen to an entire Green Day record as punishment for being such a dork. Which one should I spin? I just hate being a hater.

7. Oh Christy / The Moaners

I will have to ask my pals in Chapel Hill about this female fuzz guitar/drum duo. This stuff is cool! Hope you like it, Christy! They kind of sound like the NC Triangle's female answer to The White Stripes. The guitarist, Melissa Swingle, used to be in a band called Trailer Bride. I really like her guitar sound on this track. "Oh Christy--What are you doin'? / Skipping along the road to ruin?" This track comes from a 2005 record called Dark Snack, another great name! They're doing a show in Chicago next month--roadtrip?

8. Glenn, Take Care / Spookey Ruben

This Canadian guy is new to me, and I am glad I found him. Pretty neat stuff: this track sounds like a dream pop Ben Folds/Joe Jackson. I find the vibe of this tune to be oddly soothing. I thought this was a pretty cool lyric: "There's no instruction guide / On how to get out what's stuck inside." The rest of the tune sounds like a pep talk for a pal who is having a really bad day. I'll have to check this guy out, and I hope Glenn likes the tune.

9. Philip My Dear (Man in de Bedroom) / The Mighty Sparrow

Not many good songs with the name "Philip" out there, as far as I can tell. I'm fairly certain I saw The Mighty Sparrow on a double bill with Yellowman in London back in 1988. I definitely remember the Yellowman show (have you ever heard a Yellowman song? Every other word is "Yellowman"). This one is fun: you have to imagine the performer on top of a carnival float going down the street. This one would sound better to me if I had a Solo cup of beer in one hand and dozens of plastic beads around my neck. Car-ni-VAAAAL!

10. Aaron & Maria / The American Analog Set

I really like The American Analog Set. First, that is just a fantastic name. After I lost the State Rep race, I did a bunch of soul searching. One thing I realized is that I hadn't learned any new bands in a long time. I had a few 20-something staffers on my campaign, and we always talked music. So I challenged myself to make a mix CD for them: my challenge was to find stuff that was recorded after 2001 and was brand new to me. The result was a mix CD I still give to people called "Black Postcards" (other bands on the mix are Luna, Pinback, AM/FM, and Earlimart, among others. So here's a nice song with "Aaron" in the title. I love the little refrain "No one gives a fuck about us."

11. Aloha Steve and Danno / Radio Birdman

For some reason, you'd think that I'd already be hip to the work of a 70s Australian protopunk band dripping with Stooges and MC5 influences. But these guys are brand new to me. This tune, which is a homage to Hawaii Five-0, is a heck of a lot of fun, with its refrain of "Steve I wanna say thank you, for all you've done for me." These guys got their name by mis-hearing the the line "Radio burnin' up above" from the Stooges song "1970." Is that perfect, or what? Radio Birdman up above!!