lislis

April Ails Along

Chet Baker - Look For The Silver Lining 
Kings Of Leon - I Want You      
The Black Crowes - Hotel Illness       
Teenage Fanclub + De La Soul - Fallin      
Built By Snow - All the Weird Kids Know    
Bobby Caldwell - Open Your Eyes      
Tokyo Police Club - Your English Is Good     
Cocoon - On My Way         
Born In The Flood - Anthem      
The Hood Internet - Good Ol' Fashion Rump Shaker (Beastie Boys vs Matt & Kim)
The Ivy League - Irony (Without the Iron)   
Passion Pit - The Reeling         
Sam Roberts Band    - Detroit '67     
Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me      
Middle Distance Runner  - Momma
Papa VS Pretty  - Sleep (Again)   
N.A.S.A. ft. Kanye West, Lykke Li, Santogold - Gifted
The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis 
Bell Orchestre  - Dark Lights         
Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a seventeen year-old girl         
Emiliana Torrini  - Sunny Road  

March Lost Clarity

March Lost Clarity

1. The Chairs - If You Were a Murderer
2. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
3. Radiohead VS Dave Brubeck - Five Step (Overdub Bootleg)
4. Marina & The Diamonds - Obsessions
5. Tokyo Police Club - Juno [Ra Ra Riot/Andrew Maury Remix]
6. T Bird and the Breaks - Sunday On My Own
7. Ryan Adams - Monday Night
8. Barack Obama - My Number
9. Spring Awakening Cast - The Bitch Of Living
10. Rogue Wave - Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
11. Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness
12. Bon Iver - Babys
13. Hot Chip - One Pure Thought
14. Fiction Family - When She's Near
15. Doves - The Man Who Told Everything
16. Kangding Ray - Quarante
17. Vijay Kishore - NeverEnds
18. Illinois - Things Are Gonna Be Okay
19. The Hood Internet - Save Me Concubine (Ghostface Killah vs Beirut)
20. Elemeno P - Baby Come On
21. Ian McGlynn - Mistaken For Strangers (The National cover)

February Still Confused Her

February Still Confused Her

This month's mix is a bit more chill and brooding. Perfect for walking the city on a gray February day.

1. Holly Conlan - You Are Goodbye      
2. Tony Lucca - Devil Town         
3. Paper Route - Empty House       
4. Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love
5. KiD CuDi - The Prayer          
6. The Notwist - Off The Rail         
7. Bon Iver - Beach Baby
8. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Gardenia          
9. Ida Maria - Oh My God
10. Dan Israel - I Think I Know
11. Richie Havens - Won't Get Fooled Again (Who cover)
12. Seabear  - Hospital Bed    
13. Karima Francis - Use Somebody
14. Empire of the Sun - Walking On A Dream
15. Lykke Li - Tonight (Video Version)
16. American Music Club - Another Morning
17. Lex Land - As Much As You Lead       
18. Sam Amidon - Wedding Dress          
19. Dawn Landes - I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty Cover)     
20. Explosions In The Sky - To West Texas      
21. Ryan Adams - Political Scientist    

Januvery

Januvery

1.DJ Earworm - Reckoner Lockdown (Kanye West vs. Radiohead)     
2. Wild Beasts - The Devil's Crayon     
3. Noah And The Whale   - Give A Little Love
4. The BPA - Toe Jam (feat. David Byrne & Dizzee Rascal)      
5. My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream pt. 1
6. Motel Motel  - Coffee   
7. Soko - i'll kill her       
8. The All-American Rejects  - Gives You Hell  
9. Ra Ra Riot - Winter '05   
10. KiD CuDi- 50 Ways To Make A Record   
11. Frightened Rabbit   - Head Rolls Off
12. Jay Brannan - Can't Have It All  
13. Man Man - I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James Cover)     
14. The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight  
15. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
16. Kyte - Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel Cover)     
17. The Maine - Everything I Ask For         
18. Mates of State - The Re-Arranger    
19. A.R. Rahman - Latika's Theme (Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack)                 
20. The Changes - Her, You & I

December Left the Building

Only a bit behind scheduled, but it is classy, if not drenched in eclectic imitations!

December Left the Building
1. Lily Allen - I Could Say: Off of It's not Me, It's You the sentiment is the typical Lily Allen in boy hate, but with a lot more bubble then usual and a nice piano intro.
2. The Notwist - Boneless: For the solitude in the cold. Piano, synth, and acoustic guitar.   
3. Marc Cohn - Turn On Your Radio  (Harry Nilsson cover): Subdued with an urging. Also highlighting my secret desire fore a record player. Love the original, but there is a distinct difference in feel.
4. Jace Everett - Bad Things: True Blood is an addictive show, but this track always makes me want to raise an eye brow and bite my lip.
5. Vampire Weekend - I Stand Corrected: I'm always unsure of my feelings towards VW, but this song gets my approval if only because it always makes me feel like running down the street in some dramatic moment of some indie flick where it's not to late to right the wrongs and apoligize for mistakes and misunderstandings.
6. Tommy Sparks - I'm A Rope: There are just so many things that I can be. Another song that makes me energized.   
7. Otis Redding- I Love You More Than Words Can Say: No lie, I'm fairly convinced Otis's voice has super powers. Oh yes.. yes it does. Matched with horns and strings...and I am defeated. 
8. Mark Kozelek - If You Want Blood (AC/DC Cover): Love the AC/DC song (as featured in Empire Records for my 90s loving friends), but this is such a flipped version of the song that I love it for entirely different reasons. The original has anger and rage, the second has sadness and soul.
9. The Rocket Summer - So Much Love: This song actually remindss me of summertime much more than the winter, but sometimes that's just what you need.    
10. Good Old War - Coney Island: A bit too low key and folksy for Coney Island isn't it? "I go crawling back to the city I love, because it's already taken everything"
11. Butch Walker - The Weight of Her: Sometimes I love this track and others it doesn't quite fit...much like hte month of December.
12. Meaghan Smith - A Little Love: Nice, Light, and Lovely, no?   
13. Justin Timberlake - If I (feat. T.I.): I'm definitely not a Timberlake fan, but this track continues to get stuck in my head and reminds me of some 80s r&b, which for some reason, is a good thing.
14. Ra Ra Riot - Run My Mouth: I'm continuing to be a ran of Ra Ra Riot and this track is no exception.
15. The Low Anthem - To Ohio: Take a guess why I first feel for this track.
16. Prince - Crimson & Clover: New Prince! Plus there's a bit of a cover tease in this song.
17. 3oh!3 - Don't Trust Me: They remind me of Hellogoodbye. Included this simply for the hipster ironic factor of the line "Shush girl, shut your lips - Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips"       
18. Pete & The Pirates - Jennifer: For some reason this song just works. The accents, the guitar, and the hand claps must be why. 
19. Okkervil River - Plus Ones: I always fall for their lyrics. " I am all out of love to mouth into your ear - And not above letting a love song disappear before it’s written."
20. Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Vampire Weekend cover): How crazy is it that there's a vampire weekend cover with Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel who also happens to be name dropped inthe song. Somehow, they all work together. Love this track unlike the original.
21. Bon Iver - Blood Bank: Ok.. yes.. I'm becoming a sucker for Bon Iver.This track and "Skinny Love" are just so touching.
22. Adele - Best For Last: Adele just can't be stopped. This track is so stripped down, but it's a nice ending.          

November is Waiting

Belated but not forgotten.

November is Waiting

1. Doveman - .... & Sunrise (medley)         
2. Matt Mays - Tall Trees (Acoustic)
3. TV On The Radio - Red Dress
4. The Rocket Summer - Brat Pack
5. Priscilla Ahn - Dream
6. Brendan James - Green
7. Ha Ha Tonka - Up Nights (live)
8. The Faint - The Geeks Were Right  (The Disco Villains Edit)
9. Martin Sexton - The Beast In Me
10. Graham Nash - Better Days
11. Bonobo - Terrapin
12. The National - Karen
13. Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Thing
14. Hot Chip - Wrestlers
15. Good Shoes - Small Town Girl
16. Mumford And Sons - Little Lion Man
17. Amy Correia - 59th Street
18. Jack's Mannequin - The Resolution
19. Peter Bjorn and John - Inland Empire
20. The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build A Home (Radio Edit)

October's No Surprise

October's mix has a distinct feel to it. It's all very chill, folk, and acoustic. I tried putting in a few more electronic or upbeat songs, but they just didn't click. So if you don't usually like my organic songs, you may want to skip it, but if you like the singer-songwriter feel this mix is for you.

Best if listened to with a good book, cup of hot cider, and a view of falling leaves.

A Mix in Haiku
Because Descriptions are hard
and short is better

The Tracklisting:

1. "Bookstore" Jon Brion:
From a movie track
a bit too hard to watch now
Eternal Sunshine

2. "Please" Ray LaMontagne:
Oh my, what a soul
this song softly goes to prove
Ray LaMontagne Rocks

3. "Weighty Ghost" Wintersleep:
So hard not to chant
or sing along with the song
Plus, it has hand claps!

4. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Postal Service cover)" Jonna Lee:
What a Tear Jerker
the Postal Service stripped down
With a chick singing

5. "Can You Tell" Ra Ra Riot:
They played at the Spot
I was too busy working
I'll see them...one day

6. "The New Love Song" Joshua James:
With a phrase like this
"A Stupid Emo Rocker"
You know it's must hear

7. "Footloose (Kenny Loggins cover)" Doveman:
Who loves the Eighties?
Now, who hates Eighties Music?
This song is for you!

8. "Little Caney" Glossary:
A more southern song
Doesn't that just mean folksy?
Either/Or it's good

9. "Longfellow" The Gentle Guest:
HoBo music eh?
Songs of a Simpler lifestyle
With some heart to match

10. "With Every Heartbeat (Robyn cover)" The Futureheads:
A strum to open
With some drums to pick it up
Rockin' Boy Robyn

11. "You Are Free" Mates Of State:
The yearning in "Free"
the word, not the idea
Brings me back again

12. "Christmas Or Columbus" Drew O'Doherty:
A nostalgic song
with a new home reference
and a deeper voice

13. "Talking to Myself" Readymade Breakup:
Sounds of trains passing
Are better than when we fight
Relationships Suck

14. "There's A Reason" AA Bondy:
A Bit like Nick Drake
Guitar, Drums, Piano, Voice
Stripped down and low key

15. "Auctioneer" The Broken West:
Can't quite place this song
Like a Friday adventure
or day dream music

16. "Til Kingdom Come" Coldplay:
Coldplay is sound made
By Robots mocking people
But not in this song

17. "Call It Off" Tegan and Sara:
Is there an echo?
No, just confusion and loss
"I start to wonder..."

18. "When I Write A Book" Rockpile:
So old-school its new
Doesn't it sound indie-ish?
Blows my mind, really

19. "Good Enough (Cyndi Lauper cover)" The Acorn:
Updated Cyndi?
Can't have one Eighties cover
Need another hit!

20. "Burning In The Sun (Live)" Blue Merle:
A crowd? Must be Live!
Doesn't mean it still can't rock
In fact, a new Fav.

21. "Photographs of You" Jon Regen:
Just a Piano
And a bit too many regrets
Brings out a great song

22. "Við Spilum Endalaust" Sigur Rós:
Look! A token track
Needs no interpretation
Iceland Gibberish

Twenty Questions

I've done similar things to this in the past, and I'm actually looking at a few twists to this in the future, so be on the lookout. For now though, here's this rendition of the usual "Twenty Questions."

The Prompt: Answer the question with a song title, add a lyric for any added explanation.

Your Turn: Answer 3 questions with a song title for each, and I'll hook you up with a mix. Nice and simple, but give it some thought.

1. Who am I?: She's a Bad Mama Jama - Carl Carlton "She's poetry in motion, a beautiful sight to see"

2. Who knows me best?: God Loves Everyone - Ron Sexsmith "May we never lose the thread, that bounds us all"

3. How old am I? (Or how old do I feel?): Twentysomething - Jamie Cullum "Leave me alone, I'm a Twentysomething"

4. The most important thing in my life is: Nothing Like You and I - The Persishers "There's nothing like you and I, nothing like you and I'"

5. I always carry: Starfish and Coffee - Prince "If you set your mind free maybe you'll understand, Starfish and Coffee"

6. Something I always do: Breathe -Telepopmusik "Just Breathe"

7. I'm at my happiest when: I Feel Home - O.A.R. "When I'm with my friends I feel home."

8. On a Monday morning, you can find me: On the Brightside of the Road - Van Morrison "Wont you help me sing my song,From the dark end of the street, To the bright side of the road"

9. My favorite mode of transport: I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - The Proclaimers "But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more"

10. My eyes are: Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes "She had Bette Davis eyes"

11. My favorite material possession: Kodachrome - Paul Simon "Momma don't take my Kodachrome away"

12. To relax I like to: My Favourite Book - Stars "I can read you, You're my favourite book"

13. The town I live in is: Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup "There's nothing wrong with Ohio/except the snow and the rain"

14. My worst habit is: My Stupid Mouth - John Mayer "My stupid mouth has got me in trouble, I said too much again"

15. My guilty pleasure is: Lc and Lo - Girl Talk "and I just cannot hide it"

16. When I look at someone the first thing I see is: Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol "I want so much to open your eyes"

17. I think __ is beautiful: Star Star ** - The Frames "Star Star teach me how to shine"

18. One thing I can live without is: Smoke Smoke Smoke (That Cigarette) - Phil Harris "But if me and a certain character met that guy that invented that cigarette, I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree."

19. One thing people don't know about me: Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects "I'll keep you my dirty little secret"

20. My life is: For Me, This is Heaven - Jimmy Eat World "If I don't let myself by happy now then when?"

September Comes Only Once a Year

New month, new mix. Muxtape is down, so no streaming there, but don't be surprised if I pop up with a contest for this or the late summer mix. I enjoyed that a bit and I think at least one or two of you listened to them in the end.

September comes only once a year

1. You Don't Know Me (ft. Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds: Mmm...what a combination. It's like Regina wanted to one-up her Sondre Lerche collaboration and check out the result! It's just as bubbly and fun as that track, but a bit snide and catty. This song is out on Ben's new album "Way to Normal" released on 9.30.

2. Me And My Sneakers - A-Trak: The backtrack on this track reminds me a bit of the Justice strings (compare it to the Stress Live Version later on and you'll see what I mean). It's a great mix off that was based off of the Nike+ series, so maybe I'll have to go running to it to fully enjoy.

3. Too Long - Yael Naïm: Love her voice and I approve of hearing something new from Yael that isn't the Apple "New Soul" track. While I still like that song and it's piano, this adds a bit of a new twist to her music. It's a bit like Sia

4. Chicago - The Ugly Suit: Everytime I hear this song I want to go back to Chicago. What a great city... Side note: I think you'll notice that the Piano is the instrument of this month. Lots of piano love.

5. They're Going to Take My Thumbs -  Holy Fuck: Love these guys and the music they put together.

6. Today - Joshua James: The few tracks I've heard of Joshua James I like...it's definitely something in the voice. The previous track I featured "Cocaine" was the answer to one of the First Lines post (If you figure it out you could still get a little something something).

7. There You Are (Naked Version) - Brooke Miller: I'm fairly certain this song is about Marvin the Martian, which only makes it that much cooler.

8. Ordinary Girl - WAZ: Apparently WAZ used to be the bassist for Pete Yorn, and his music is in a similar vein, though the difference is definitely in the voice. It's less folksy, but still quality.

9. Happy Hippo   - Cloud Cult: Via the Budkie, so you know it's gotta be good.

10. Idea For A Story - Bloc Party: This is the b-side for the new Bloc Party single. New Bloc Party is always good Bloc Party. I'm excited for "Intimacy" to come out.

11. Look At Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch Cover) - The New Frontiers: Unplugged and redone. Obviously a bit of an homage to my new locale.
 

12. Dance, Dance, Dance -  Lykke Li: Alright, I'm officially on the Lykke Li bandwagon...good tune! Don't know how you can't enjoy that voice.

13. Tell It To My Heart - Ryan Adams:   Ryan Adams and an acoustic guitar, what's not to like?

14. You're The One  - Daedelus: I remember seeing Daedelus open for a show for Her Space Holiday long ago and was not impressed at all, but this is a great track. So maybe a few years can bring about improvements.

15. The Whale - Cheyenne: This open ups with some Jaws homage, but quickly swings into some pop indie jammin' with strings, drums, piano, and hand claps.

16. Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan Cover) -  Adele: Just her and the piano with a build up of strings, stripped down and slow. Not as classic as Hometown Glory, but still nice and simple. It's hard not to appreciate that voice. A nice rendition of a classic Dylan song.

17. Stress (Live Version) - Justice: This track just continues with the overall strings/Jaws theme of this mix. Also, this track is my ringtone, which works surprisingly well.

18. Sex And Reruns -  Matt Duke: I think I stumbled unpon this through hypemachine, but I do love this song. He reminds me of my usual singer-songwriter love. I will probably continue to keep looking out for his stuff and you should too.

July and the Summer Apex

July and the Summer Apex

1. The Eels - Hello Cruel World: I've only recently been getting into the Eels, mainly through the rediscovery of this music video. This track isn't really technically the Eels as a band per se (it's off of E's earlier solo work), but if you like this track (and you should) and don't know enough about the Eels I'd recommend getting to know them a bit better through any of their albums from the past 15 years.

2. Anders Osborne - Oh Katrina: A stripped down track from a New Orleans musician about life post-Katrina.

3. Stars - My Favourite Book: New track from Stars! It's a sweet lovey-dovey relationshipy song, plus who doesn't love a book metaphor?

4. JT Experience - (I'm Gonna) Party Like a Rock Star: Thanks to Christa, and really Taylor, for finding this gem. I can't place it, but it reminds me of so many summer songs from high school. Also, it's hilarious AND catchy. Try not singing the chorus throughout the day or while getting ready for a night out on the town.

5. Railroad Earth - Hard Livin': Mmm, Banjo! Off of the latest Paste sampler.

6. Kleerup - Until We Bleed (with Lykke Li): The McG of Cool got me turned onto Lykke Li, but I like this blend of the music with the voice. Perhaps some solo work on the next mix.

7. Plagiarists - Wooden Horses: One of a couple tracks I've discovered thanks to MPR's song of the day. If you're looking for a heads up on amazing new tracks, this is the podcast to get.

8. Motion City Soundtrack - Feel Like Rain: Off of Commit This to Memory, it's a bit of a sweeter slower track than some of the songs I know them better for playing.

9. The Modifiers - Divine Hammer (Breeders cover): A fun cover from a Kim Deal tribute album. Won't lie, I think all Kim Deal references from HIMYM finally got to me.

10. The Cat Empire - Fishies: A summer mix from me can't be complete without some Cat Empire (my favorite guitarless Australian sextet).  Add a title like "Fishies" and it's a shoe-in. I haven't fallen in love as much with So Many Nights as I did with their previous album, but no matter -- this track is a keeper.

11. The Notwist - Good Lies: This song reminds me of older (better) Snow Patrol, you know before Grey's Anatomy. Still, I love the build-up of this song.

12. The Cool Kids - 88: Up and coming Chicago boys, with a good amount of beats and originality.

13. The Kooks - One Last Time: I'm loving the Kooks, so how about another track of theirs this month!

14. Adem - Laser Beam (Low Cover): From the slow stripped-down beginning, I'm sure it's no surprise that this is originally a Low song. That being said, I really like this rendition (a bit more than the original). It's something with the acoustic guitar and the strain in the voice that just gives it that edge.

15. Robin Thicke ft. Sugar Tongue Slim - Magic (Remix): Robin Thicke's R&B jams can be a little too much some times, but I'm digging "magic." This track, with a bit of a remixed added rap sound, got me with the conga and the horns. The fake strings almost ruin it for me - but then the voice comes in and...yeah, it's all good.

16. My Morning Jacket - I'm Amazed: This is track has actually had a decent amount of play on the college and independent stations. I can always go for MMJ and "I'm Amazed" is no different.

17. Jon Regen - Don't Stop Believin' (Journey Cover): You should know about my disdain for almost anything Journey related, which means this arrangement must be impressive - and it is. It actually reminds me a lot of Jamie Cullum's assorted pop arrangements, in the way they can take certain songs and completely change the feel with just a piano. Could it be piano magic? Maybe!

18. Charlotte Sometimes - How I Could Just Kill a Man: After seeing this video on MTVU, I couldn't get it out of my head. True, it's also related on an increased amount of boy-hating after the past few weeks, but still. It's bubbly, catchy, and cute! Spoiler alert: this track is the answer to one of the "first lines" post below.

19. Ben Sollee - A Few Honest Words: I've already expressed my like of Ben Sollee, so here's another quality track from him!

20. Fred Falke - Annie Mac's Mash Up Minimix: Crazy great DJ/Producer. This mash-up doesn't do him justice in terms of his own work, but its still highly entertaining. Crazy fun dance party is more his style!

To listen to a sample of the tracks hit up http://lislisdotnet.muxtape.com
Don't forget, if you like the music support the artists!