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friday mixed tape: ragga

Hugh — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:13:46 +0000

Peter Tosh: Bush Doctor (live 1983)

Jimmy Cliff: The Harder They Come (1972)

Linton Kwesi Johnson: 5 Days of Bleeding (1978)
I saw dub poet LKJ when I first moved to New York. Was a fantastic concert.

friday mixed tape: montreal in the 80s

Hugh — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:08:59 +0000

A few Montreal classics from back when I listened to CKGM (the Cage):

The Box: L’Affaire Dumoutier (Say To Me) (1985)
I didn’t realize it, but Jean-Marc Pisapia, lead singer was a member of Men Without Hats (see below).

Safety Dance: Men Without Hats (1982)
Ah, the eighties in Quebec.

Corey Hart: Sunglasses At Night (1983)
Pout for me Corey. Pout harder. That’s better.

friday mixed tape: rush (for dan)

Hugh — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:49:24 +0000

Dan’s the guy who keeps LibriVox servers running. He loves Rush. It’s his birthday. So:

Rush – La Villa Strangiato (Live at Pinkpop 1979)

Rush: Limelight

Rush: Fly By Night

friday mixedtape: spying

Hugh — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:03:12 +0000

This one goes out to Facebook, Google, and the Warentless Wiretap program.

Rockwell: Somebody’s Watching Me (1984)
One-hit wonder.

The Romantics: Talking In Your Sleep (1984)

Hall and Oates: Private Eyes (1981)
I was hoping this one was a 1984 tune as well, but no dice. Incidentally, I seem to have an inordinate amount of Hall & Oates tunes in friday mixed tapes. That’s kind of embarrassing.

friday mixed tape: robot songs

Hugh — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:52:56 +0000

I for one welcome our robot overlords.

Kraftwerk: The Robots (1978)

Daft Punk: Robot Rock (2005)

Styx: Mr. Roboto (1983)
Ouch. This is pretty terrible.

friday mixed tape: the other woman

Hugh — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:26:25 +0000

Nothing says heartbreak like good country music. Here’s a few about the other woman:

Patsy Cline: She’s got You

Loretta Lynn: Other Woman
The coal miner’s daughter.

Dolly Parton: Jolene
What a fantastic song. What a voice. [Also, check the White Stripes cover version]

friday mixed tape: montreal scratchers

Hugh — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:46:11 +0000

They’re called turntablists, and Montreal’s has had some good ‘uns over the years.

Kid Koala: Drunk Trumpet

Dj A-Track: at the ITF

Scratch Bastid: Scribble Jam 07

friday mixed tape: eccentric pianists

Hugh — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:56:24 +0000

Glenn Gould: J.S.Bach’s Partita #2

Thelonious Monk: Round Midnight

Jerry Lee Lewis – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On (1957)

friday mixed tape: alfie’s warm-up mix

Hugh — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:57:00 +0000

When I was at university, I worked as a waiter at the student pub, Alfie’s. We had DJs, but I used to come in a little early for my shifts, and they let me “spin” a bit before things started up. I usually got around to playing jazzy funky stuff, but I’d often start out with a little bit of the rock, as well as some roll; not big anthems, but those kinds of songs that sort of started you off slow and then got you going. Here’s a trio of wax I remember slappin’ on the turntables.

Led Zeppelin: Over The Hills And Far Away Music (1973)
I love when the big guitars kick in at 1:27 … the rest of the song’s a bit of a let down, but worth it for the big three-chord chop that kicks you in the butt.

Bob Seeger: Night Moves (1976)
Hmm. I’ve never seen this video before, which seems to have been made in the 1990s. Can’t say I like it much. And I’m not sure what I think of this song now, but it’s got a nice gravelly sumpin that works in a stinky bar when you’re setting up before the crowds get there (ps: is that Joey from Friends at 2:05? … I think so … )

The Clash: Jimmy Jazz (1979)
I usually played the studio version from London Calling, but this live version’s got a whole other bit of charm going on (from their 16-night Times Square residency in 1980, I think). A song like Jimmy Jazz is great because you can go in so many different directions from it: punk rock, R&B, jazz, reggae, soul. Man, the Clash was good.

friday mixed tape: old surf rock

Hugh — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:47:50 +0000

The Astronauts: Firewater (1963)
Looks like a good party. Do you think the guy on the couch is gonna score with that girl? From the movie, Surf Party.

Dick Dale & The Del Tones: Surfing/Miserlou (1962)
Intro is the vocal “Surfing,” followed by the instrumental “Miserlou,” which is a traditional Greek folk song, with versions of it common throughout the Middle East. Here it’s reinterpreted by the legendary Dick Dale, who was born in Lebanon to a Lebanese father and Polish mother. You can hear all those influences in this tune (made re-famous in Pulp Fiction).

The Atlantics: Bombora (1963)
Australia’s best-known surf band. Bombora is the Aboriginal term for waves breaking over rock shelves.