Sumer Mix 2009

1.“I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked,” Ida Maria:

I'd like them better if they didn't almost look like a ska band, but other than that these guys are the real deal. Also, they share my Facebook quiz nationality (Swedish).

2. “Rhythm of the Night,” Corona:

Dance music of the era when dance music was for people with tops instead of plaid shirts. Now it's for people with tops AND people with plaid shirts. Democracy!

[Spoiler alert if you haven't seen Beau Travail. What happens right before this scene is that the male gaze gets reversed, and then some laboring bodies get eroticized. Oh and meanwhile the postcolonial psyche is really fragmented:]

3. “Get Ready for This," 2 Unlimited:

See above.

4. “Lisztomania," Phoenix:

You had me at Liszt. And at not being the Decemberists.

5. “Thug Passion,” 2Pac:

Last summer I bought a bottle of Alize because of this song. It’s gross FYI.

6. “You Get What You Give,” The New Radicals:

Did you know I love uplifting music? Almost exclusively. I don’t tell people that because it makes me seem like a sociopath. The kind of person who would order mint chocolate chips online. The only people who have listened to the New Radicals in the past nine years are ant torturers, YouTube commenters, and me. And probably Europeans.

7. “Little Secrets,” Passion Pit:

Sorry I’m a blogger :( It gets the party started, tho.

8. “Bizarre Love Triangle,” New Order:

I advanced the thesis that New Order was to 2009 what Led Zeppelin was to 2004, and my friend was like, “New Order is to 2004 what Led Zeppelin was to 2004.” Touché.

9. “American Girl,” Tom Petty:

The breakdown of the song always reminds me of a dad band. Just bein' moms and dads. But the outro really brings it in terms of shredding. And what other terms are there?
Play back to back with “American Boy” for an intergenerational battle of the sexes!

10. “Wannabe in L.A.,” Eagles of Death Metal:

Why yes I do.

11. Thermals, “Now We Can See”:

This song reminds me of my pure love for music when I was a kid first learning about music. One of The Thermals was like, “let’s just write a modest, breezy jam that we can play in basement house parties for eternity” and the other Thermals were like “why not?" Plus it's about what life would be like outside the Cave and shattering the progress myth, whut.

In short, if you need me this summer, I'll be sitting in my office quietly listening to “Jock Jams.”

Summer Mix: Part Deux

The reason I haven't posted in a while is because of this terrible school called grad school. But since I have now turned in my last paper (remember that feeling? yeahhhhhhhhhhh you do), summer is officially here, so I'm posting my response/companion to Nick's mix. Here is what will be circulating on the giant boombox I have duct taped onto my segue, as I cruise the summer streets of Cambridge:
1) "The Inspiration," Young Jeezy
This song now opens every mix tape I make. It makes me feel inspired, then ashamed at how easily my emotions are manipulated by chords, then fiscally poor, and then inspired again. What I look for in an opening jam.
2) "Walk Like and Egyptian," The Bangles:
This tune got me through some times last semester. Title says it all.
3) "Hustler Muzik," Lil' Wayne:
Makes you want to break out the silk sheets and fuck a piece of silk. And open a successful silk franchise.
4) "Will You Be There," Michael Jackson
You know when you make friends with a whale who seems cool, but you're not sure if he'll always be there for you? This song really speaks to that.
5) "Ghetto Superstar," Pras and Mya
What do you get when you cross Clinton-era non-politics, highbrow 8th grade date movies, and synethizer baby noises? Answer: a song that already felt nostalgic the day it was released.
6) "Are You That Somebody," Aaliyah
See above. And RIP, girl.
7) "Got to be Real," Mary J. Blige and Will Smith
You know when you make friends with a shark who seems cool but you're not sure if he knows how to keep it real? This song really speaks to that.
8) "Dirty Mind," Prince
Song bridges are usually letdowns, because they seem like the musical equivalent of me going "shit, this paper is three pages too short. I'll just change the font to Courier New." This is one of the few tunes I can think of where the bridge (+key change) completely ties a ribbon around it, and the present is that babe from Nick's post.
9) "I Love My Life," Cam'ron
I love your life too, Cam.
10) "Put on Your T-Storm Hats," Liz
This song only exists in my head. But I highly recommend it. Especially if your brain totally loses its shit when it sees the T-Storm icon on weather.com.

GOD’S SUMMER MIX 4m: Nick

Is it just me, or is the best part of summer that time when you’re out cruising a lonely highway in the dry heat of the season’s sun, you’re stopped at a red light, and a blonde babe pulls up next to you in a red convertible? Esp. the part when she looks over at you, drops her shades down and gives you that wink, and then speeds off, leavin’ you in the dust? Here’s a tip: follow her, motion for her pull over, and get her digits. Then take her on a date and make love to her.


So worth it.

Anyway, for me that’s the part of summer that really says it all. Summer is God’s blockbuster, God’s number 1 pop chart hit with a bullet. It’s the only time being in the world feels good, and I can truly believe He loves us or isn’t a huge fuck up. Remember winter? What a colossal fucking failure. One cool thing about this year’s summer is that I’m pretty sure that it’s going to last forever. Really. It’s not going to let us down this year, guys. This time it’ll be different. This time God means it. I know he’s let us down in the past, but I really feel like he’s changed. Just a guess, but sometimes you just get that feeling and you have to trust it with everything you have or could ever hope to have and bank on not ever being disappointed again. So, to celebrate God finally learning what maturity is and understanding what it means to be in a real, adult relationship (a.k.a. never-ending, pure, true, magical, constantly pleasurable and erotic love) I’ve made Him a summer jam mix CD. Here’s an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek at the track list. [Note: You’ll notice I didn’t dig very deep, but like I said, summer is about hits, and hits are the greatest because they are the best. God mostly listens to indie rock (Autumn much?) and pretty gay shit (sunsets much?), and Jack Johnson, so this is my attempt to gently coax him into realizing that Summer God is the God I likes most.]

1. “I’ve Done Everything For You ( You’ve Done Nothing for Me)” by Rick Springfield. This is just kind of a “fuck you” for the last 9 months to start things out and prove that I’m not vulnerable in any way.
2. “Country Grammar” by Nelly. Forget about it.
3. “I’ve Done Everything For You ( You’ve Done Nothing for Me)” by Rick Springfield. Just to hammer it home.
4. “(She’s Got) Legs,” by ZZ Top. Not only does this song make me want appetizers, it’s secretly got a really sexy vocal, a clandestine disco beat and insanely ripp-tawdy guitar lines that have been engineered to perfection. Give it a second listen. And who doesn’t know someone who’s got legs?
5. “Smoke Weed All Day (I’d rather be your nigger)” by Tupac. This song says everything about why God sent his angel-prophet Tupac to us and then had him die for our sins. 6. “Summertime” by R. Kelly. According to the internet this ft.s Aaliyah, but according to the internet “Crimson and Clover” is by Simon and Garfunkle and every song by a black woman is by Aretha Franklin. Anyway, this song is a pleasant reminder that summer is about kickin’ it like “Aaaayy!!! Ooohhh!! (repeat).”
7. “Summertime” by the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Essentially the exact same song.
8. “Slow Motion” by Juvenile. One other great part about summer is the non-stop bikini carwashes.
9. “Hey Lady” and “Houses of the Holy.” Thanks again for the Zep, God.
10. “Takin’ Care of Business” by BTO. When is this song ever inappropriate? A: What? I can’t hear you. I’m too busy taking care of fucking business!!!!! WOOOO!!! WoOOoOo!! Wooooo!! Woo! wo. w’…
…
…
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WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11. “Center Field” by John Fogerty. How sexy is this one?
12. “Drive” by The Cars. Not a big fan of some asshole telling a girl he just met that he’ll be there for her more than her boyfriend, but this one is great for after the sun goes down. It’s on pretty much every mixtape ever made. I refuse to be an exception. Ever.
13. “Tonight” by Ready for the World. Also great for after the sun goes down.
14. “Bad Case of Loving You” by Robert Palmer. Nothing makes me want to play an electric guitar solo on top of a sports car driving through the desert like BCoLY (besides reader e-mails and Jamba Juice). This song is the shit. So is this album cover:

15. “Night Moves.” God actually co-wrote this. The pregnant pause before the second “waited on the thunder” gives me such a major boner it should stop acting like it doesn’t know why it always gets pregnant.

I’m ending it here. You think God will like it? He better fucking give me one back.
<3zzzzz

Add tracks in our comment section, or send me some mp3s at millennial.crier@gmail.com. This is a community, folks.