We’ve started a new format on Radio Gen1us.  We’re not ditching our mixtapes — but we’re trying to be a bit more regular about podcasting.  Quite frankly, doing a discussion format is a lot easier to do, and it’s a bit more timely.  So if you’re jonesing for some nerd-out over music, then you’ll like this.

We’ve also consolidated our categories on the blog to channels.  Mixtapes is one, Music Discussion another (this means there may be other channels to come, eventually).

In the meantime, Jim and I had a lot of fun doing this show. We’re definitely going to do this more often (likely every other week) and still, sporadically put out playlists.  So if you like this, please give us some comment love and let us know what you think.  We’re always interested in having others participate and with this format, it’s really really easy to Skype in and rock out.

Music featured on our show today includes:

1. High on Fire – Fire, Flood & Plague
2. Gil Scott-Heron – New York is Killing Me
3. The Editors – Papillon
4. OK Go – End Love
5. Motorpsycho – Mr. Victim
6. Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
7. The Urge – Closer

As usual, my listening has been dominated by country/southern rock and metal, but there are a few digressions in there as well. Some pretty strange transitions but as a whole I think it flows pretty well. So give it a listen and let me know what you think! Below is a list of the artists, albums, and sample tracks along with a blurb giving my take on each album. I’m not announcing tracks during the mix (it’s already over 90 minutes) so you may want to follow along below.

But now, to the tunes!

20
Artist: Those Darlins
Album: Those Darlins
Track: Snaggle Tooth Mama
Those Darlins are a 3-piece all-girl band from Murfreesboro, TN (4-piece with the drummer) who, like so many of the bands I really like, bring punk rock energy and attitude to country music. They’re raucous, boozy and fun.

19
Artist: The Protomen
Album: Act II: The Father of Death
Track: The Hounds
The Protomen are a band that creates Megaman-themed rock operas. This makes them a novelty act superficially, but they treat their subject very seriously. I’ve read that they even refuse to break character for interviews. Their second album, Act II: The Father of Death, is far more epic and technically accomplished than the first, leaving behind the 8-bit sounds they used sparingly on their debut in favor of further exploring their straight-up Meatloaf-style bombast and early 80s arena rock sound. To give you an idea, one of their B-sides (not on either album) was an excellent cover of Robert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out,” among the cheesiest of 80s rock anthems, theme from the movie Rocky IV.

18
Artist: The Mountain Goats
Album: The Life of the World to Come
Track: Genesis 3:23
Historically, the Mountain Goats is mostly just John Darnielle, writing great songs and recording them on a boombox. The last several albums have been professionally recorded with regular enough collaborators that they can be truly said to be a “band” now, but Darnielle’s songwriting ability hasn’t suffered. He may be the best songwriter working in music today. The latest album is 12 songs named after Bible verses but I wouldn’t call it overtly religious. In JD’s words, it’s “twelve hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of,” so take that as you will.

17
Artist: Nahemah
Album: A New Constellation
Track: Follow Me
Nahemah is a progressive death metal band from Spain. I liked their last album quite a bit, and was excited to hear this one as well. It didn’t disappoint. When you hear “progressive death metal” you probably think of Opeth, and some comparison may be inevitable. These guys use a similar combination of harsh and clean vocals to Opeth, but they are less repetitive. Also less aggressive, leaning more toward the post-metal style of early Isis with progressive flourishes.

16
Artist: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Album: Beware
Track: Beware Your Only Friend
What can I say? If Will Oldham (the man behind the ‘Prince’) releases an album, 9 times out of 10 it’ll end up on my list. Musically, the album is more lush than previous BPB albums, mostly a richly produced country and western sound. Lyrically, it veers from the disturbing to the tongue in cheek.

15
Artist: Portugal. The Man
Album: The Satanic Satanist
Track: People Say
I guess these guys are from Alaska, I don’t really know much about them. This album is indie rock/pop that’s a little bit spazzy, a little bit folky, a little bit soulful, and kind of all over the place. This song is the first track on the album and it’s a strong opener.

14
Artist: Russian Circles
Album: Geneva
Track: Malko
Russian Circles is a Chicago band and one of those bands that falls inbetween post rock and metal, sprawling instrumental music that ranges from quiet reflective passages to thunderous chugging metal riffs. After loving their first album (one of my great albums for staring out of train windows), I didn’t care too much for their second, but they’ve more than made up for it with this release.

13
Artist: Rimfrost
Album: Veraldar Nagli
Track: Mountains of Mana
I won’t beat about the bush; Rimfrost is straight-up Immortal worship. Which I can get behind.

12
Artist: Mumford & Sons
Album: Sigh No More
Track: Little Lion Man
Brits with banjos, these guys took the place in my heart this year that two years ago was firmly occupied by the Avett Brothers. Folk and bluegrass with fantastic harmonies.

11
Artist: Mantic Ritual
Album: Executioner
Track: Murdered to Death
Like the band Rimfrost in this countdown, this band exists largely as homage, in this case to “Kill ‘Em All” era Metallica. I’m a sucker for thrashy metal and this is a throwback that caught me at the right time and in the right mood. If you like 80s thrash, it’s definitely worth checking out.

10
Artist: Lucero
Album: 1372 Overton Park
Track: What are You Willing to Lose?
Lucero is a perennial favorite of mine. They started life as a country band started by a bunch of punk rock kids, but their music has moved over the years from country firmly into the rock genre. 2007’s Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers added some piano to their basic drums/bass/guitars setup for a classic rock sound that pretty strongly brought the Boss to mind. This time around, they’ve added horns and evolved their sound further, bringing in a bluesy soulful sound that compliments the stomping rock they do best. But the elevator still goes all the way to the ground floor, as there are songs that wouldn’t feel out of place on some of their previous albums either.

9
Artist: Converge
Album: Axe to Fall
Track: Dark Horse
I saw these guys at the Dethklok/Mastodon show earlier this year and thought at the time they were a weird fit. After hearing the album, I don’t feel like they were as out of place as I initially thought. They’ve added some very thrashy elements to their hardcore sound (which, I realize, isn’t a stretch by any means) and their energy is undeniable.

8
Artist: Justin Townes Earle
Album: Midnight at the Movies
Track: Black Eyed Suzy
JTE made my list last year and though I personally like that album better than this year’s, he’s still one of the better artists working this corner of Americana. This time around he relies more on solid songwriting than mining the past of country/western music (and I think that’s what I liked so much about the previous album, the old-timey feel) but he still falls more comfortably within the old school of country music than anywhere else.

7
Artist: Propaghandi
Album: Supporting Caste
Track: Supporting Caste
My friend Jeb is a huge Propaghandi fan, and I’d never listened to them. He hyped this record so much though that I checked it out and I’m glad I did. Propaghandi’s a Canadian punk band, but this album ventures beyond punk: fast, angular, yes, melodic, thrashy in parts, some songs complex bordering on progressive.

6
Artist: Skeletonwitch
Album: Breathing the Fire
Track: Longing for Domination
Skeletonwitch is one of my favorite new bands. Their previous album, Beyond the Permafrost, was one of my favorites of 2007, and this one is a worthy followup. The sound is a little cleaner, more focused, but composed of the same basic parts: blistering thrash riffage, complimented by aspects of death metal and black metal, and with a melodic dual lead that brings to mind Iron Maiden and other greats of the NWOBHM.

5
Artist: Immortal
Album: All Shall Fall
Track: Norden on Fire
Immortal’s follow-up to one of the best metal albums of the decade, and an essential metal album by any measure, Sons of Northern Darkness, was going to face an uphill battle. How do you follow up a classic like SoND? if you expect a better album you’re sure to be disappointed, but All Shall Fall delivers on being another great record from Immortal, and that’s all I really wanted.

4
Artist: Scale the Summit
Album: Carving Desert Canyons
Track: The Great Plains
I’m not going to lie to you, this album is all about guitar wankery. That doesn’t float everyone’s boat, but this is some impressive progressive instrumental metal by some guys who know what they’re doing.

3
Artist: Crippled Black Phoenix
Album: 200 Tons of Bad Luck
Track: 444
Crippled Black Phoenix is a sort of post rock/doom metal supergroup, with members from Mogwai, Electric Wizard, and other bands. They weave a gloomy series of epic-length songs combining the expected doom and post-rock genres with some laid back dreamier Floydesque passages and more aggressive hardcore sounds as well.

2
Artist: Blut Aus Nord
Album: Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars
Track: The Alcove of Angels (Vipassana)
All year, I expected this to be my #1 album of the year. In this release, Blut Aus Nord combines some of the melodic shoegazy aspect of the current crop of French black metal with a basis in the harshness that is elemental to classic black metal, in an amazing way. Then, somewhere in the course of the album, some soaring soloing somberly swoops in and out like whalesong and you’re hooked.

1
Artist: Baroness
Album: Blue Record
Track: War, Wisdom and Rhyme
Baroness is a band I’m still exploring, after having been introduced to them late in the year by a friend, but I was impressed enough by this album for it to shoot to the top of my list after only a few weeks of listening. It combines a sludgy metal with southern rock and acid/stoner rock in an engulfing wall of sound.

bonus
Artist: Ben Nichols
Album: The Last Pale Light in the West
Track: The Kid
This is a bonus song from an album that deserved a place somewhere in my best-of lists, but I couldn’t quite fit into either my 2008 or 2009 list. Ben Nichols is the lead singer of Lucero, and this, his first solo album, had an official release date in January of 2009, but because of a download available with preorders was all over the internet by September or October of 2008. I had considered it a 2009 release so left it off the 2008 list, but it seems like everyone else veered the other way. So here it is, belatedly, a great short concept album based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel Blood Meridian, combining Ben’s excellent songwriting with a more stripped-down country sound than what his band Lucero is playing these days.

[Kevin] Winter’s a great time for a mix of northwest bands. These mostly span Washington and Oregon. Not all songs are what they seem, so before you write something off, give it a listen.

I started off just trying to round up enough Pacific Northwest bands to make a mix, but I ended up with way too many original, insanely good songs and got turned on to a bunch of new bands in the process.  Hope you do too.

We Sing in Time - The Lonely Forest
Good Friend, Yr Hunger – Castanets
911 – Man Plus
Bananas – Blue Scholars
I Say Fever – Ramona Falls
I’m a F*cking Genius – Supersuckers
Black River Killer – Blitzen Trapper
Two Minutes – The Blows
Beep Beep – Big World Breaks (featuring Godspeed, Jerm, Lia Brown & Toni Hill)
You Only Believe Me When I’m Lying – Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers
Little Slickers – The Globes
Better Than Lies – Beehive
Now We Can See – The Thermals
Wall of a Song – The Whore Moans
Ward – Visqueen
Clear as Day – North Twin
Otherside – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid – The Decemberists

If you like any of these bands be sure to support them by downloading their music or picking up a CD, and check them out when they tour near you.  Special thanks to KEXP in Seattle for great podcasts…check them out and support KEXP, their releases,  and/or the music you love.

[Kevin] This is a cover mix that looks heavier than it really is. Essentially, it’s a rock / alternative / metal / country mix.

It started with my friend Don Heeter’s “Goofy Sh*t” play list that was basically a list of covers he liked where the original had been redefined by the cover band putting their own spin on the song. The list started with Crowbar’s recasting of Gary Wright’s 1976 radio classic “Dreamweaver” as a cauldron of churning sludge that still sounds pleasing to the ears. If you listen to nothing else on this mix, check out Dreamweaver.

Heeter’s list also had “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” “Orion” (which is a great acoustic version of the Metallica original), “Simple Man,” “Buick McKaine,” and “I Never Dreamed.” One night while drinking we added “I’ve Got the Fire,” “Imagine,” and “Run Like Hell.” Then to round it out I added the rest. Hope you enjoy it.

As always, if you like a song or a band, please support them by purchasing their CDs, LPs, mp3s, or DVDs, and by going to see them when they tour…

1. Dreamweaver – Crowbar, original by Gary Wright
2. Sounds of Silence – Ascension of the Watchers, original by Simon and Garfunkel
3. *Ghost of Tom Joad – Rage Against the Machine, original by Bruce Springsteen
4. Imagine – A Perfect Circle, original by John Lennon
5. I’ve Got the Fire – Iron Maiden, original by Montrose
6. Orion – Rodrigo Y Gabriela, original by Metallica
7. Simple Man – Deftones, original by Lynyrd Skynyrd
8. Three Days – L7, original by Willie Nelson
9. Crossroads – Rush, original by Robert Johnson
10. Buick McKaine – Guns’n’Roses, original by T. Rex
11. Get a Grip (on Yourself) – Prong, original by The Stranglers
12. Run Like Hell – Kitty, original by Pink Floyd
13. Slip Kid – Anvil & Franky Perez, original by The Who
14. Evil Hearted You – The Pixies, original by The Yardbirds
15. Rated X – Neko Case, original by Loretta Lynn
16. I Never Dreamed – Black Label Society, original by Lynyrd Skynyrd

*Grapes of Wrath (1940)

With much respect:

Many moons ago, Kristen (who is among my oldest friends) made the suggestion that I put my iTunes on random and just make a mix of the first load of songs that come up.  For reasons unclear (mostly laziness I suspect), I never got around to it until last week, where I specifically just threw the iPhone into a frenzy as I scrolled through my 32GB library and decided to hit shuffle, which resulted in the wonderful “Cruel to be Kind” by Nick Lowe.  I then pressed Genius to see what it’d recommend and the result was…. well, it was all over the place, but it actually sounded pretty good.  I didn’t change the order or anything.

So here you go.  My mix, based on what iTunes thinks I like with the random selection of Nick Lowe…

• Nick Lowe – Cruel to be Kind
• John Hiatt – Ethylene
• William Shatner – Ideal Woman
• Aimee Mann – Put Me On Top
• Hall & Oates – Did It In A Minute
• Sleep Out –  Three Towns
• Electronic – Getting Away With It
• The Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother
• Mexican Institute of Sound – Sinfonía Agridulce
• Prince – She’s Always In My Hair
• Saul Williams – The Ritual
• Jellyfish – The Glutton of Sympathy
• Santigold – Say Aha
• The Go! Team – Get It Together
• Prodigy – Memphis Bells
• Street Sweeper Social Club – Fight! Smash! Win!
• The Roots – No Great Pretender
• Squirrel Nut Zippers – It Ain’t You
• Astrud Gilberto – Light My Fire
• Tom Jones – Green, Green Grass of Home

Please… also let me know how my voice sounds.  I was so pissed off with my last show that I plunked down for a Blue Snowball and I think it’s a marked improvement.  You tell me…

I had the BEST time hanging out with my buddy Michael (@romacafe) the entire weekend.  I was so happy to hang out as much as we could with my old pal Dennis and even with twitter friend (and major huge Tool fan) Lisa (@kavka).  Everyday we seemed to make friends around us, despite inclement weather.

I hope you like this mix.  Santigold brought something more than an A-game with her this year.

• Depeche Mode – A Question of Time
• Souja Boy Tell ‘Em – Turn My Swag On
• Hold the Line – Major Lazer
• Brooklyn Go Hard – Jay Z
• Shove It – Santigold
• The ‘59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem
• Fitz and the Dizzyspells – Andrew Bird
• Wolf Like Me – TV On the Radio
• Everyday I Love You Less and Less – Kaiser Chiefs
• We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed – Los Campesinos!
• Little Secrets – Passion Pit
• This Tornado Loves You – Neko Case
• Jambi – Tool
• The General Specific – Band of Horses
• Creator – Santigold
• Unstoppable – Santigold
• Red F – Dan Deacon
• Vampires – Thievery Corporation

Move from feeling melancholy to . . .well. . . better

1. The Who – Melancholia
2. Neil Young – Birds
3. Patty Loveless – Sorrowful Angels
4. Bob Dylan – Simple Twist of Fate
5. Ray Charles – A Fool for you
6. The Doors – The Changeling
7. Rolling Stones – Rocks Off
8. Steve Earl – Galway Girl
9. The Grateful Dead – Scarlet Begonias
10. The Allman Brothers – Blue Sky
11. The Ramones – California Sun

My daughter rocks out to Whitesnake, more than she should..

It’s summertime.  At least it should be.  Here’s a simple mix of stuff I’m listening to that puts me in a summer mood for drives, barbecuing, hanging out…

1. Metric – Help I’m Alive
2. The Killers – Spaceman
3. N.A.S.A – Money (with David Bryne and Chuck D.)
4. Young MC – Got More Rhymes
5. De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’
6. Mos Def – Casa Bey
7. Choir of  Young Believers – Action/Reaction
8. Hunters & Collectors – When the River Runs Dry
9. Wilco – You Never Know
10. Friend – Doki
11. Chickenfoot – Oh Yeah
12. Bible of the Devil – Ol’ Girl
13. Hell City Glamours – Ready to Fall
14. Brian Wilson – Love and Mercy
15. Phoenix – Lisztomania
16. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
17. Passion Pit – Little Secrets

[Kevin] The idea behind the Anthropological Series is to capture what the DJ and those around her/him were listening to at the time, perhaps in a particular location or phase in life. I made a play list like this last year but lost it in a drive crash, so then when I saw by accident that Anvil had a movie coming out, I threw the mix back together, and here it is. The focus is early 80s metal and hard rock.

The Gray Ghost was the over-dramatic name given to my family’s 1978 Chevy Impala, a V8, flat-gray rocket with bench seats that my dad purchased after its life as a sales company car for Continental Can Company. This photo of it is from my high school photography class. The car’s standard FM/AM radio was limiting to my musical tastes so I would seat-belt my boom box in the back seat and blast mix tapes that I made at my buddy Todd’s house, because he had a nice stereo and I didn’t. These were songs I heard in my car and at high school parties, or that I would drum to in my basement or band.

Metal and hard rock “back then” were really limited to a few good bands, nothing like the huge spectrum of today. Most of these bands I listened to extensively and nearly exclusively. One of them was Anvil, a band that was good in the early 80s but never made it. Robb Reiner’s drumming was inconceivable to me and ahead of his time, and as a teenage drummer it blew me away. I’ve included two Anvil songs in this mix, because yesterday they released a movie about Anvil, the story of why they never made it big. You’d think with sex-obsessed lyrics and songs like “Motormount,” “Heatsink,” “Backwaxed,” and “Bushpig,” they would have shot threw the charts, but not so! I stopped listening to new releases from Anvil after 1984, so I have no idea what their later stuff is like.

So, if you like this kind of music, enjoy this ode to a 15-year old’s daily life metal soundtrack, back in nineteen hundred and eighty-ish. As Twisted Sister used to print on their releases…”PLAY IT LOUD MUTHA!”

1. Saxon - Princess of the Night
2. Rose Tattoo – Scarred for Life
3. Accept - Fight it Back
4. Anvil - Mothra
5. Black Sabbath – Children of the Sea
6. Scorpions - Another Piece of Meat
7. Motorhead - (We Are) The Road Crew (Live)
8. Judas Priest – Rock Forever
9. Ozzy Osbourne – S.A.T.O
10. Twisted Sister – The Kids are Back/Like a Knife in the Back
11. AC/DC – Bad Boy Boogie
12. Riot - Swords and Tequila
13. Iron Maiden – The Prisoner
14. Anvil – Motormount

No samples or audio. And I pomise to take a Motorhead break for a while.

[Kevin]  The “Sooth-ed” Commuter is a varied, relatively light play list that might be perfect for a morning commute when you’re not really in the mood to go to work. Some days the news is just too much or too stagnated to listen to, the job a ripping pain in your head that you wish you could avoid, and on those days, this mix may help make your morning commute a bit more enjoyable.  Or maybe not. Hell, who can tell these things? Not me. But, it’s sure helped me over the last few weeks. Hope it does the same for you.

1. Gretli & Heidi - Hinterhalten
2. Romance - Face on the Sun
3. Film School – Go Down Together
4. Deer Tick – These Old Shoes
5. The Herbaliser – On Your Knees
6. Wax Tailor - The Tune
7. Anoushka Shankar – Red Sun
8. Marianne Dissard – Le Lendermain
9. The Walkmen – Donde Esta la Playa
10. *Imani Uzuri – Sun Moon Child
11. Haale - Middle of Fire
12. Autodrone - Final Days
13. The Dutchess and the Duke – Reservoir Park
14. Iron & Wine – Evening on the Ground (Lilith’s Song)
15. Dr. Dog – The Old Days
16. Lowlife - Wild Swan
17. Snowden - Black Eyes
18. La Cherga – Ciganka
19. The High Decibels – Prophesy
20. **Late of the Pier – Space and The Woods
21. Loney Dear - Airport Surroundings
22. Sleepy Eyes of Death – Final Heart Beats Black

*Ghost dog
**The Producers

If you like any of the bands, check them out and support them by picking up songs or seeing a live show! Thanks again to listener-supported KEXP for great songs all day long.  Consider making a donation and check out their music.

Photo credit: Patrick Gormley

There’s no voiceover on this mix.  In fact, I really didn’t have a theme for this mix until it came to me.  These are just some tunes I’ve been rolling with for the past couple of weeks.  Then last night and again this morning, it became clear.  These songs are all about some state of dysfunction.  Broken people, broken promises, broken thoughts, broken dreams… pretty much everything but the last song which is so sweet but so earnest that it almost balances out the hour-plus of dystopian irony that precedes it.

Even the theme is kinda stretching it with the awesome power of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” which would be a great anthem to start pretty much any lovely day in Spring.  Closing it out with Fleet Foxes, you’d almost never guess the theme except for the dark but catchy tunes that lay betwixt them (yes, I used “betwixt”).

Steady yourself from being hamstrung by the theme of the mix.  It’s frankly just a good mix of tunes and interesting side note: I had this mix brewing for the last month or so, but as it turns out, many of these artists are rumored to be taking the stage at Lollapalooza this year (Tool, Depeche Mode, Beastie Boys, Jane’s Addiction).  That’d be pretty sweet if I called it in this mix.  Guess we’ll find out in a few months — it would be incredibly sweet to see Arcade Fire and Morrissey, but I’ve heard no rumors about either.  Still, one hopes.

I know it’s about time for Spring Break, and we’re all pretty strapped for the cash.  Even with that situation, I’m all good.  I hope you are, too!

1. The Arcade Fire – Wake Up
2. Morrissey – Something is Squeezing My Skull
3. Depeche Mode – World In My Eyes
4. Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
5. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – We Call Upon the Author
6. Jane’s Addiction – Standing in the Shower
7. Pearl Jam – Glorified G
8. Ra Ra Riot – Dying is Fine
9. David Bowie – Queen Bitch
10. Book of Love – I Touch Roses
11. Franz Ferdinand – Lucid Dreams
12. Spacious Thoughts – N.A.S.A. (featuring Tom Waits and Kool Keith)
13. Beastie Boys – Root Down
14. Tool – Vicarious
15. The Cramps – Garbageman
16. I’ll Take Care of It – Sleep Out
17. Sleep When I’m Dead – The Cure
18. Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood

Well it isn’t St. Patrick’s Day yet of course, but it’s coming up, today is the Saturday before, and I’ll wager many of you are already enjoying the holiday cheer.

I’m more ignorant of my Irish heritage than I’d wish to be, but there isn’t anybody left to teach it to me at this point, so I have to content myself with the Americanized version.  And I like it well enough; I’ve seen Darby O’Gill and the Little People more times than I’d care to admit, I love a good dark ale, I vote early and often and I have a ton of kids.

But one part of that heritage I’d love to explore is the music.  I love the idea of the traditional music session, where talented local musicians gather around their favorite table in the local pub and play sets of traditional reels and jigs.  I also love the modern take on Irish folk music from bands like the Pogues, and even the Irish-influenced punk and metal bands out there.  And yes I probably do like the Pogues too much, what’s it to you?  So anyway, I’ve put together a little mix for all of you, and I hope you’ll give it a listen during your St. Patrick’s Day festivities and that it’ll help you get into the spirit that much more.

Sláinte!

1. The Pogues – Mountain Dew
2. The Fenians – Come Out Ye Black & Tans
3. David Kincaid – Kelly’s Irish Brigade
4. Dropkick Murphys – Worker’s Song
5. Stiff Little Fingers – Tin Soldiers
6. Flogging Molly – Factory Girls
7. The Waterboys – And a Bang on the Ear
8. Various (Music at Matt Molloy’s) – Cape Breton Jigs, McGurk’s
9. Various (Music at Matt Molloy’s) – Kilkelly
10. Waylander – Bru Na Boinne
11. Cruachan – The Very Wild Rover
12. The Pogues – Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road To Dublin/The Galway Races
13. The Bothy Band – Old Hag You Have Killed Me
14. Shane Macgowan and the Popes – More Pricks Than Kicks
15. The Dubliners – Fields Of Athenry
16. Lúnasa – O’Carolan’s Welcome/Rolling In The Barrel
17. The Pogues – If I Should Fall From Grace With God

This mix is in long dedication to the best coffeeshop in Amsterdam, Flower Power.  The bartender/owner named Bas (Sebastian — “bas”) developed a strong rapport with Suzy and me by being a dive bar/coffeeshop that poured a good beer and cranked metal and hip hop, and didn’t mind that we were Americans who didn’t know shit about shit.  We frequented it almost everyday as it was right around the corner of of the flat we rented, and they’d seek us out to come in for a pint even when Suzy wanted us to go to a museum.  Even though they were usually closed on Sundays, they opened up especially for us on our last day in the ‘Dam.

The first time I heard 50 Cent was at Flower Power.  The bar patrons and I would also sing in chorus the entire Black Sunday album by Cypress Hill (this dude from Germany shouting out “pretty insane; got no brain” will stick in my head for all time).  We’d headbang to Aenima by Tool.  This came at the nadir of the first wave of my lessons in brutality, as I was schooled on the glory of metal and aggression from my co-workers, peers and friends Dan, Justin and Dustin.

Those guys were awesome, and while there’s hardly a tune on this mix that was played there, every ounce of aggression is put out to the universe with love for my coworkers past and present, and Flower Power.  Respect, brothers and sisters.

And hey, if you happen to be a patron past or current near Rozengracht, please give a shout back.  Those guys, as well as Kjetil, our host and landlord, made those two weeks the most awesome vacation ever.

And now… for all the hate you can muster, and a little extra to punch a Yak.

• Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip
• Lacuna Coil – Our Truth
• Soundgarden – Outshined
• Mudvayne – Death Blooms
• Disturbed – Stupify
• Mastodon – Colony of Birchmen
• Tool – Aenima
• The Dillenger Escape Plan (with Mike Patton) – Pig Latin
• American Head Charge – Just So You Know
• Coal Chamber – Big Truck
• Corrosion of Conformity – Clean My Wounds
• System of a Down – Know
• Rob Zombie – Superbeast
• Snake River Conspiracy – How Soon Is Now?
• Pantera – Cowboys From Hell
• Machine Head – Message in a Bottle
• Godsmack – Whatever
• Fear Factory – Back the Fuck Up

This is a chill mix.

This is not a chillout mix.

This is a journey from light to dark and light again, in the vein of last year’s mix for staring out of train windows, only this time there isn’t a train, there’s just you and the music and a dark place inside yourself.

shoegazy postmetally triphoppy doomy twangy weirdness.  It’s downtempo but it ought to keep your attention

1. Grateful Dead – Box of Rain
2. My Bloody Valentine – When You Sleep
3. Massive Attack – Inertia Creeps
4. Pink Reason – Up The Sleeve
5. Unbunny – Let It All Burn
6. Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins – Bad Influence
7. Dear Astronaut – Never-Ending Nosebleed
8. Isis – In Fiction
9. Rocky Votolato – Where We Left Off
10. Salem – Dirt
11. God Is An Astronaut – Suicide By Star
12. Lou Reed – Perfect Day
13. Sly and the Family Stone – Spaced Cowboy
14. Fishbone – No Fear

In another first for Radio Gen1us, Jim and Aaron tag-team to bring you the most awesomest mix so far this… month!  No voiceover.  No explicit lyrics (or hardly recognizable).  You can’t help but move to your own beat listening to this mix.

Aaron:  We wanted to do something stemming from all the excitement and joy around the Inauguration.  And even though the times are certainly getting tight for us and everyone we know, we’re doing our best to keep spirits up.  We started each with a set of songs with the premise of being positive, but not love songs or not overly sappy songs. This was a challenge for me, because I have a certain leaning to going ironic and witty.  Fortunately, when it came time to actually get together we scrapped that.  There could easily be an entire episode with just us talking about how we collaborated on this mix, working off each other and how we generally approach putting together mixes, but this time we’re just going to make you shake your money maker.

Jim:  He should have called it “Jim and Aaron at Tanagra.”  2 playlists met in the vasty deep and their captains could only communicate in the language of music.  We didn’t have time to put together any voiceovers but the mix doesn’t need it ’cause I think if you check it out you’ll be feeling us by the end.  Like Aaron said, we started out trying to do an upbeat celebrational inaugurational mix, but the conversation ended up in other places.  Darmok, baby.  Darmok.

1. The Beach Boys – Dance, Dance, Dance
2. Was, Not Was – Walk the Dinosaur
3. The Spinners – Rubberband Man
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Up Around the Bend
5. The Submarines – You, Me and the Bourgeoisie
6. The Hold Steady – How a Resurrection Really Feels
7. The Call – Let the Day Begin
8. The Beastie Boys – Stand Together
9. A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario (Young Nation Mix)
10. Junior Senior – Move Your Feet
11. Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
12. Luther Allison – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
13. Fishbone – Everyday Sunshine
14. Al Green – Take Me to the River
15. Matisyahu – King Without a Crown
16. The Pogues – Fiesta

First off, it’s my birthday and I just want to say that I feel very humbled that I have so many friends (not just “friends”) who genuinely like me both because of and in spite of my quirks.  One such quirk is illuminating the seedy underbelly of your musical tastes.  Yes, for all of you guys who still listen to the “Dream A Little Dream” soundtrack or can’t stop singing Billy Ocean tunes to yourself — this is that kind of mix.

Behold… and weep:

• Bob Dylan – The Man in Me
• Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get It Right
• Hall & Oates – Private Eyes
• Styx – Too Much Time On My Hands
• Steve Winwood – Take It as It Comes
• Tom Petty – Zombie Zoo
• Stevie Nicks – Stand Back
• Thomas Dolby – Europa and the Pilot Twins
• XTC – Making Plans for Nigel
• Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark – Enola Gay
• Wang Chung – Praying to a New God
• Yes – It Can Happen
• Bonnie Tyler – It’s a Heartache
• Boston – Can’tcha Say (You Believe in Me?)
• Survivor – The Moment of Truth
• Frank Stallone – Far From Over
• Billy Joel – Big Man on Mulberry Street
• Toto – Rosanna
• Phil Collins – I Cannot Believe It’s True
• Barbara Streisand (with Barry Gibb) – Guilty

Just your basic mix of cover songs. Ska covers! Bluegrass covers! Metal covers! Punk covers!

I know, it’s been done, but dammit it’s MY TURN.

It was brought to my attention though that on a few of these, the original songs may be less well known, so I’ve created a second mix containing the same playlist in the same order, but all original songs rather than the cover versions.

01. Turisas – Rasputin (Boney M)
02. Van Canto – Kings of Metal (Manowar)
03. Dinosaur Jr. – Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
04. Melvins – Going Blind (KISS)
05. Apocalyptica – Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Metallica)
06. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Puff The Magic Dragon (Peter Paul and Mary)
07. The English Beat – Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
08. Fishbone – Date Rape (Sublime)
09. Reel Big Fish – Hungry Like The Wolf (Duran Duran)
10. The Meat Purveyors – Round and Round (Ratt)
11. Iron Horse – Polar Opposites (Modest Mouse)
12. Lucero – Kiss The Bottle (Jawbreaker)
13. Ramones – Needles and Pins (The Searchers)
14. Seu Jorge – Five Years (David Bowie)
15. The Slackers – Wanted Dead Or Alive (Bon Jovi)
16. Five Iron Frenzy – It’s Not Unusual (Tom Jones)
17. The Urge – This Is Radio Clash (The Clash)
18. The Protomen – No Easy Way Out (Robert Tepper)

At first I thought I’d split this into two mixes, but after listening to it, 90 minutes is perfect for this set of songs; it just took on a life of it’s own. There’s a lot of newer stuff on here, with some classics tossed in for depth. I don’t talk on it, partly for length but also partly because I think the heavy mixes sound better with no voice on them. I might change my mind back, but that’s where I stand on this controversial issue for now.

This playlist goes out to my buddy D. Heeter and is thus named – thanks for all your help and your friendship over the last few years man.

1. Clutch - Mice and Gods
2. Black Label Society – World of Trouble
3. Austrian Death Machine – Hello California / Get to the Choppa!
4. Icepick - Born to Crush You
5. Ramallah - Ramallah
6. Pro Pain – Where We Stand
7. Where Fear and Weapons Meet – Under the Bridge
8. Blood for Blood – Maldito
9. Puya - Oasis
10. Born of Osiris – Bow Down
11. Hatebreed - Betrayed by Life
12. Madball - Show No Fear
13. Cavalera Conspiracy – Hearts of Darkness
14. Nailbomb - Sh*t Pinata / For F*ck’s Sake
15. If Hope Dies – Anthem for the Unemployable
16. Where Fear and Weapons Meet – Not a Trend
17. Since the Flood – I Am What I Am
18. Deftones - 7 Words
19. Motorhead - Buried Alive
20. Clutch – The Mob Goes Wild
21. Disfear - Get it Off
22. Throwdown - S.C.U.M.
23. Primer 55 – Bullsh*t
24. Gojira - Vacuity
25. Down - Bury Me in Smoke

Yepper, so I took 6 days last month to head down to a free place to stay in Lake Tahoe NV/CA, and spent 4 of the 6 days driving through parts of  northern CA into the Sierras, and out into central-western Nevada. Driving out west, or pretty much anyplace new, for me, removes most of the worries and responsibilities from my head for a short time. Out west, I tend to get a weightless feeling, which, after a few days, makes me want to buy an old 4×4 and some camping equipment and drive up into the hills for about a month, grow a beard, eat wild game and berries, and shoot at things with a rifle. Maybe next year.

Anyway there’s not too much that’s Earth-shattering on this mix. There’s some new stuff, but I tend to get down to tried-and-true songs on the road, because I don’t want my time wasted with a bunch of songs I’ve never heard of in the hopes that maybe I’ll hear something new and good. Time on the road is limited; this is not the time to try something new. It always takes me a while to warm up to new songs and bands anyway. I reserve that for when I’m sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day.  But I will do extensive radio scans in the hopes of hitting some offbeat talk show, an animated preacher/religious drama, or some old songs that I haven’t heard in a long while, and some of that is reflected in this mix via radio scans and some older tunes. Listening to this mix is just like you were sitting in my car for 40 hours straight, only condensed into a little over an hour without you actually getting into my vehicle. I like this mix. But don’t take my word for it, just listen to these powerful testimonials:

“Incredible. Just incredible. I mean, I hate every song on here and I can’t stop listening to this mix.” Quen Britmore, Time Magazine Music Review Team

“There are times in each of our lives where we have to ask ourselves if we really are who we think we are. This mix forces you to do that. It grabs you by the nape of the neck and says, ‘Who are you?” Josh Starbrew, Nuclear Engineer, Brunswick, NC

“I’ve always had a thing about birds. I just don’t like them. But this mix, well, that’s a different story.” Sarah-Ann Zicker, Web Application Designer, Knoxville, TN

“I’ve never even been to Nevada. But it’s as if Kevin has captured the very essence of driving through a western state, except there’s no country music on it. I’m a little sweaty just thinking about it. I mean, that’s how good it is.” Tex Muffin, Utah State Patrol

1. One Be Lo – Smash
2. Yes – Hold On
3. Judas Priest – All the Way
4. Peter Murphy – All Night Long
5. The Psychedelic Furs – There’s a World Outside
6. The Sisters of Mercy w/Terri Nunn – Under the Gun
7. Bad Religion – Lost Pilgrim
8. Soulfly – The Beautiful People
9. Pro-pain – All for King George
10. The Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’
11. The Who – Join Together
12. Ministry – The Last Sucker
13. Covenant – Leviathon
14. The Smiths – Rusholme Ruffians
15. ZZ Top – Jesus just left Chicago
16. Sammy Hagar – I’ll Fall in Love Again

My Best Albums of 2008 Show!

These are the albums I have decided are the best albums that a) I’ve listened to, b) have an official 2008 release date, and c) are full-length LPs, not EPs or compilations.

Since I listen to a broad variety of music, some of the segues are a little jarring. Some voiceovers might help there but since my microphone isn’t currently available that’s not going to happen. Since the mix clocks in around 80 minutes, you don’t need me babbling on anyway.

I’ll be playing one song from each of my 20 favorite albums of the year, counting down from #20 to #1.

20. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
Wild fun mashups. No source is sacred. For instance, in the sample track, Queen, the Police and the Jackson 5 are shaking their asses along with Busta Rhymes and Wu Tang. Can’t beat that.
Song: What It’s All About

19. Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Perennial favorites of mine. This won’t go down as one of their true classics but there are some darn fine songs on here.
Song: 3 Dimes Down

18. The Gaslight Anthem – The ‘59 Sound
Rocking Boss worship
Song: Miles Davis & The Cool

17. Darkestrah – The Great Silk Road
Kryg black metallers, second year in a row they’ve appeared on my list
Song: Cult Tengri

16. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Lie Down In The Light
Will Oldham’s back, didn’t care too much for his last one but plenty to make up for it here.
Song: So Everyone

15. Kiuas – The New Dark Age
Finnish Heavy/Power Metal favorites of mine, they typically use elements of more extreme metal but the sample track is more of a straightforward acoustic powerballad.
Song: After The Storm

14. Neuraxis – The Thin Line Between
Melodic Technical Death Metal with progressive elements
Song: Oracle

13. Clutchy Hopkins – Walking Backwards
Mysterious purveyor of chill beats
Song: Song for Wolfie

12. Amon Amarth – Twilight Of The Thunder God
Swedish Melodic Viking Metal. And of course as you know, Vikings are awesome. Also wins for best album cover of the year and best video of the year.
Song: The Hero

11. Blitzen Trapper – Furr
Fantastic blend of pop and Americana, alternately channeling the Beatles, Neil Young, Tom Petty…
Song: Saturday Nite

10. Spiritualized – Songs in A & E
Intense psychedelic rock, I was blown away by their set at Pitchfork
Song: I Gotta Fire

09. Justin Townes Earle – The Good Life
Just some good old-fashioned country music
Song: South Georgia Sugar Babe

08. Harvey Milk – Life… The Best Game In Town
Chugging churning sludge metal that still manages to contain some surprising pop hooks
Song: Motown

07. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
Canadian Americana? fuzzy low-fi energetic rock/pop with eager vocal harmonies, just very pleasing to the ears.
Song: Don’t Haunt This Place

06. Elliott Brood – Mountain Meadows
More Canadians, they call their sound “Death Country” This album seems to combine the things that worked in their Tin Type EP and their last full-length Ambassador
Song: The Valley Town

05. Cynic – Traced In Air
Progressive Tech Metal with robot singers? Actually less of the robotic voices this time around, and the sound is a little more prog and a little less metal but still musically sound and deftly performed.
Song: Evolutionary Sleeper

04. Guillotine – Blood Money
Swedish thrash metal that brings to mind some great older German thrash metal. Tight, energetic. Great riffs, pummeling drums.
Song: Welcome To Dying (Death, Destruction, and Pain)

03. Týr – Land
Faroese Viking Metal, calling heavily on traditional poetry and Viking choruses.
Song: Valkyrjan

02. Akimbo – Jersey Shores
Epic hardcore, reminiscent of Oceanic-era Isis, a concept album about sharks. Sharks, like Vikings, are awesome.
Song: Great White Bull

01. Murder By Death – Red of Tooth and Claw
Southern Gothic, deep-voiced crooner singing over rich instrumentation. I’ve described it as Nick Cave singing an Ennio Morricone western soundtrack with cellos.
Song: Ash

It had to happen, as it does just about everywhere this time of year:  a year-in-review show.  I’ve been through several iterations of this mix with a few different approaches to get to here.  It’s been difficult.  I thought about highlighting music that I discovered this year, not necessarily stuff that came out this year, but anything I discovered you’ve heard in the previous episodes. We also got in about another 43 shows of Radio Gen1us this year, which is huge.

So I decided to highlight songs you’ve not heard (probably) on albums that came out this year:

• Zeroes – They Might Be Giants (Here Come the 123’s)
• Foux du Fafa – Flight of the Conchords (Self-Titled)
• Playing Along – Keane (Perfect Symmetry)
• Moonland – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!)
• Melt My Heart to Stone – Adele (19)
• Underneath the Stars – The Cure (4:13 Dream)
• 18 Ghosts II – Nine Inch Nails (Ghosts I-IV)
• I Want You – Kings of Leon (Only By The Night)
• Lights Out – Santogold (Self-Titled)
• You Wouldn’t Lie to Me – Sleep Out (Not Even Dust)
• Music Moves My Feet – Liam Finn (I’ll Be Lightning)
• Volcano – Beck (Modern Guilt)
• The Rip – Portishead (Third)
• Demon Seed – Nine Inch Nails (The Slip)
• They Gave You A Heart, They Gave You A Name – Ladytron (Velocifero)
• Who’s Gonna Save My Soul – Gnarls Barkley (The Odd Couple)
• Rising Up – The Roots (Rising Down)
• Still Here – Girl Talk (Feed the Animals)
• 33 Degree – Thievery Corporation (Radio Retaliation)
• Electronic Battle Weapon 04 – The Chemical Brothers (Brotherhood)

Jim recently mocked me (he’ll tell you it was just an “observation”) that I’m stuck in the 80s.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I’m a child of the 80s and no doubt influenced by the cheesy pop-rock that dominated Casey Kasum’s American Top Forty.  Starting in college, and most notably attending the ZooTV tour for U2, I was exposed to Public Enemy and Big Audio Dynamite II and that pushed me down the Indie/Alternative path that would weave through the fabric of growing up 90s.

This led to a fervent and strong love of hip hop, beyond LL Cool J, Run DMC or even Digital Underground.

This mix is a heavy blend of progressive hip hop and electronica and some trip-hop.  There’s no other theme here other than to serve notice that I’m not stuck in some scene in a John Hughes film.

That said, there are often moments I hear Wang Chung’s “Fire in the Twilight” — pretty much everyday.

1. Thievery Corporation - Sound the Alarm
2. DJ Danger Mouse – Encore
3. Ladytron – Tomorrow
4. Q-Tip – Work It Out
5. Moby – I Love to Move In Here
6. Santogold – I’m a Lady
7. The Foreign Exchnage – Let’s Move
8. Blackalicious – Make You Feel That Way
9. The Roots – Guns Are Drawn
10. Method Man – Release Yo’Delf (Prodigy Mix)
11. Common – Universal Mind Control (UMC)
12. Portishead – Machine Gun
13. Massive Attack & Mos Def – I Against I
14. Propellerheads – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
15. The Streets – Turn the Page
16. Talib Kweli & Mos Def – Joy

This mix has been sitting in my iTunes library for well over eight months.  There just hasn’t been the right time to release it.  Jim’s oldest son, Damian, asked about ska and as a big fan, I wanted to help address this ska need — because everyone needs ska.  Everyone.

Then, this last weekend, with the Aquabats playing at the Metro in Chicago, I was committed to getting this mix out — and then I messed up my ankle, which kept me from getting to see the Aquabats and made me a very sad panda.  Hours of Guitar Hero later, I was comfortable with keeping my quantum of solace in check enough to produce this mix.

So I share with you, future lovers of 2 Tone just the lowest hanging fruit on the interwoven branches of ska, punk, rocksteady, new wave, reggae, rock and pop.

Everyone loves ska.  Just remember that, and you’ll be aiight.

• Monkey Man – The Specials
• Everything Sucks – Reel Big Fish
• Beat Surrender – The Jam
• Simmer Down – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• Roots Radicals – Rancid
• Freedom of Choice – Devo
• Canary in a Coalmine – The Police
• Dub 56 – The Toasters
• Turning Japanese – Skankin’ Pickle
• Come On Eileen – Save Ferris
• One Step Beyond – Madness
• Ska Boss – The Aquabats
• Rudy, A Message To You – Dandy Livingstone
• Shame and Scandal – Peter Tosh
• Pressure Drop – The Specials
• Rudie Can’t Fail – The Clash
• Pick It Up – Alex Desert (Hepcat)
• Banana – The Aggrolites
• Kong – MU330
• Into Action – Tim Armstrong

We haven’t done a dedication show since the Valentine’s Day episode, and with Thanksgiving coming up, maybe it’s time to do another one. 

Comment here with your dedication msg (what are you thankful for?) and the artist and title of the song you want. Hint: the more insane, the funnier the show gets. Check out Episode #0036 for inspiration.

You have until Friday, November 21 to get your dedication in for a Thanksgiving-week show.  Maybe Jim and I will get loaded up on Scotch and call Kevin in for an all-host DJ session.  You never know.

Jim and I attended the rally in Grant Park, Chicago on election night last week, and it was a very moving experience.  People hugged each other — a woman came up to me on the street and offered a hug — a real, warm, longer-lasting full bodied hug.  The city of Chicago was just glowing on Tuesday night.  People have been walking taller, noticing their neighbors more — I mean, it’s not all Pollyana and people still drive like a bunch of assholes — and Cubs fans?  Well, they’re the worst (present company excluded, Jim).

Despite all the good times, the economy is showing signs that we’re still headed for shit.  We’re no closer to getting out of Iraq or avoiding further confrontation in Afghanistan than we were before.  Poverty, Health Care, Cancer, AIDS, Gay Marriage — I mean, there’s a lot of issues that require serious action and attention — yet even without doing anything, we’re reminded that as a nation whose wealth dwarfs that of almost every other nation, where the black community is a shrinking minority, we elect a minority to the highest office — something that all the other “western” nations have yet to do.

For the first time in a very long time, I actually have some sense that no matter what, we’re all going to be okay.

Some notes about this mix: The Lucero track was contributed by Jim, and it’s been one of my favorites for almost a year now. Since he never played it, I figure I have dibs on it. A fellow by the name of John Campbell suggested The Gossip after a Twitter discussion about Shazam (he used the service as he got a haircut and this cover of Wham! was what it pulled up). I had to throw a new one by The Cure, because it’s probably their best album since Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. And I don’t talk anywhere on this mix, so just pop it in your car on your long commute or drive and just enjoy.

This mix includes…

• Lucero – Tonight Ain’t Gonna Be Good
• R.E.M. – Supernatural Superserious
• INXS – Don’t Change a Thing
• Mark Ronson – You’re All I Need to Get By
• Stars – Take Me to the Riot
• Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost?
• ColdPlay – Lovers in Japan
• Keane – Spiralling
• Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better
• The Cure – Only One
• Travis – Sing
• Radiohead – Reckoner
• Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
• The Gossip – Careless Whisper
• Muse – Map of the Problematique
• Liam Finn – Better to Be
• Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
• Beck – Gamma Ray
• Dan Deacon – The Crystal Cat
• Say Hi To Your Mom – The Twenty-Second Century
• The Arcade File – Rebellion (Lies)

The term Halloween comes from “All Hallows’ Eve” as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day”, which is now also known as All Saints’ Day.  Halloween originated in Gaelic culters as a celebration of the end of Harvest Season. Irish and Scotish immigrants continued varied versions of the tradition and brought it to North America in the nineteenth century.

The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31 the boundary between the alive and the dead ceased to exist, and the dead became dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The living held festivals that involved bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.  So since most of us aren’t farmers, but often get sick during the fall season (at least I know I do), then we might want to consider celebrating Halloween to drive out all negativity and evil spirits from our lives and have some fun while doing it. How you celebrate it is your choice, but as long as you know it’s actually not a celebration of evil spirits or promoting types of morally wrong paganism as some “modern” religious groups might have you to believe. This mix won’t change your life or make you a sinner, but should put you in the mood for Halloween and turn you on to some bone chillin’ tracks you’ve never heard before. Cheers!

1. Introduction – Replik8
2. The Boogie Monster – Gnarls Barkley [http://www.last.fm/music/Gnarls+Barkley]
3. Dancin’ On My Grave – Ghostland Observatory [http://www.last.fm/music/Ghostland+Observatory]
4. Paperbag Writer – Radiohead [http://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead]
5. Lusty – Lamb [http://www.last.fm/music/Lamb]
6. Buggface – Big Boi [http://www.last.fm/music/Big+Boi]
7. Scarecrow – Beck[http://www.last.fm/music/Beck]
8. The Rip – Portishead [http://www.last.fm/music/Portishead]
9. Last Living Souls – Gorillaz [http://www.last.fm/music/Gorillaz]
10. Where I End And You Begin – Radiohead [http://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead]
11. Monster – Chab feat. JD Davis [http://www.last.fm/music/Chab]
12. Where Is My Mind – Pixies [http://www.last.fm/music/Pixies]
13. Cowboys – Portishead [http://www.last.fm/music/Portishead]
14. ATLiens – Outkast [http://www.last.fm/music/Outkast]
15. Smile Like You Mean It – The Killers [http://www.last.fm/music/The+Killers]
16. Christiansands – Tricky [[http://www.last.fm/music/Tricky]
17. I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie [http://www.last.fm/music/David+Bowie]
18. My Mind Is Playin’ Tricks On Me – Ghetto Boys [http://www.last.fm/music/Geto+Boys]
19. The Eraser – Thom Yorke [http://www.last.fm/music/Thom+Yorke]
20. Don’t Save Us From The Flames – M83 [http://www.last.fm/music/M83]

But in the same way that many people will tell you that Christmas isn’t at all about Santa Claus, I’m here to tell you that Halloween isn’t about the Power Rangers.  No matter how many pretty pretty princesses or Marvel superheroes you may see, always remember this.  

Halloween is about the dark.  Halloween is about ghosts and demons and creeping, crawling things.  Halloween is about begging a world you don’t understand to let another year go by without killing you.  

HALLOWEEN IS SUPPOSED TO BE SCARY

This is my SUPER SCARY Halloween mix.

I am not doing any song announcing during the mix, just a brief intro at the beginning, so in order to make it easy for you to tell which song is which during the mix, I’ve put the songs’ running times in the track listing.

1. Intro  (00:00-00:36)
2. Avenger of Blood – Bloodseeker  (00:36-04:47)
3. Interlude – The Undead  (04:48-06:08)
4. Guillotine – Skeleton City  (06:08-10:00)
5. Watain – Underneath the Cenotaph  (10:02-14:13)
6. Morbid Angel – Chapel of Ghouls  (14:14-19:09)
7. Interlude – Ghosts  (19:09-20:20)
8. Electric Wizard – Funeralopolis  (20:20-29:02)
9. Sear Bliss – Omen of Doom  (29:02-34:35)
10. Obtained Enslavement – Witchcraft  (34:35-40:44)
11. Interlude – Witches  (40:44-41:51)
12. Denial of God – Curse of the Witch  (41:51-48:43)
13. Walknut – The Midnightforest of the Runes  (48:45-53:12)
14. Church of Misery – Killfornia (Ed Kemper)  (53:12-61:25)
15. Interlude – Slasher  (61:25-62:31)
16. Skeletonwitch – Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod  (62:31-65:23)
17. Revocation – Empire of the Obscene  (65:24-70:23)
18. Belenos – L’ombre Du Chaos  (70:24-76:33)
19. Interlude – Demons  (76:34-77:38)
20. Medeia – Devouring  (77:38-80:50)
21. Raventhrone – The Stargazer (Chastise the Absolute)  (80:50-84:59)

“…there is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold, and that is the confidence of the people. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith; you must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system; it is up to you to support and make it work.

It is your problem no less than it is mine. Together we cannot fail.”

To hear FDR actually deliver it, check it out here. Otherwise, buck up, campers. Radio Gen1us is back. We’re not going anywhere and together, rocking out, mano in mano, we’ll get through this shitty shitstorm of shit. So let’s rock out a bit.

• Dollars and Sesne – Bob Dorough & Friends
• I Don’t Feel Like Dancing – Scissor Sisters
• Step On – Happy Mondays
• Blue Jean – David Bowie
• Baby, Hold On – Eddie Money
• For a Few Dollars More – Ennio Morricone & Terranova
• Newjack – Justice
• Forever – Walter Meego
• El Movimiento – Alla
• Money (In God We Trust) – Extreme
• Big Fat Money – Van Halen
• Faith – Limp Bizkit
• Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love) – The Ramones
• Halloween Parade – Sleep Out
• William, It Was Really Nothing – The Smiths
• Transmission – Joy Division
• With Plenty of Money and You – Tony Bennett & Count Basie
• Mo Money Mo Problems – The Notorious B.I.G.
• Straight Out the Jungle – Jungle Brothers
• Debra – Beck

Archaeological evidence dates domesticated dogs living with Native Americans at least 14,000 years ago. I suspect one day they’ll find evidence going back a lot further. Just a hunch. But until then, here’s to 14,000 years of friendship!

This mix has a special bonus track for dogs (or just people who like frog calls). Play the track for your dog and you should see an interesting reaction.

1. Lassie Come Home Trailer (1943)
2. Snoopy vs. The Red Baron – Royal Guardsmen
3. Canis lupus – The Aquabats
4. Slow Dog – Belly
5. Jesse – Paw
6. George Carlin, from Carlin on Campus
7. How Much is that Doggie in the Window – The Baja Marimba Band
8. The Underdog – Spoon
9. Do the Dog – The Specials
10. MItch Fatel
11. Dog House – The Legendary Hucklebucks
12. Hound Dog – Big Mama Thornton
13. Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Hound – Johnny Cash
14. Brian Regan
15. Dog Years – Rush
16. Dogs and Chaplains – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
17. Cheech & Chong
18. Fido, Your Leash is too Long – The Magnetic Fields
19. Move It On Over – Hank Williams
20. Bad Day – Samiam
21. George Carlin, from On the Road
22. Pauly the Dog – Agnostic Front
23. Old King – Neil Young
24. 10 Dead Dogs – Wild Sweet Orange
25. Every Dog Has Its Day – Flogging Molly
26. Stray – Fetchin Bones
27. I Wanna Be a Drug-Sniffing Dog – Lard
28. SPECIAL BONUS TRACK FOR DOGS

NOTE: I have a hardware issue I’m working on but until then the drive crunches a bit and so there are a few glitches here and there throughout the mix, but nothing Earth-shattering. If I wait until I fix the problem it will be months before this mix is released, so just releasing as is. It’s not that bad.

Way back in the day, a bunch of kids thought rock and roll was boring and started playing some super fast, sloppy, but extremely catchy rock and roll and breathed new life into a music scene that kept throwing different repackaged versions of the same 3 bands at the music consuming public. That music ended up being called punk rock.

This mix has nothing to do with that.

Somewhat later, a similar group of kids, punk rockers and other malcontents, thought that country music was getting boring and decided to do something similar. Some of them threw in a rockier edge, some of them went back to country’s roots and played a more traditional style with some modern innovations, some of them were just plain weird. It’s all recognizably country, yet distinct from the shiny candy-colored pop that the country music industry keeps throwing at an audience that, admittedly, eats up the shiny candy-colored pop like it was the greatest thing ever.

This mix is mostly alt-country, with some southern rock and some twangier folk rock thrown in, and also one mainstream country song by a superstar recording artist. Oh, you know who I’m talking about, or you will when you hear that unmistakable sonorous voice. I hope you like it; feel free to leave me some comments below.

1. Two Cow Garage – Make it Out Alive
2. The Knitters – The Call Of The Wreckin Ball
3. Scud Mountain Boys – (She Took His) Picture
4. Palace Music – Work Hard/Play Hard
5. Murder By Death – Comin’ Home
6. Drive-By Truckers – Decoration Day
7. Hackensaw Boys – Oh, Girl
8. Lucinda Williams – Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
9. The Meat Purveyors – Thinking About Drinking
10. The Blacks – Why Drunky?
11. Elliott Brood – Edge of Town
12. William Shatner – Real
13. Lucero – My Best Girl (7″ version)
14. The Avett Brothers – The Weight Of Lies
15. Justin Townes Earle – Hard Livin’
16. William Elliott Whitmore – Take It On The Chin
17. Reckless Kelly – Drink Your Whiskey Down

So I put together this mix. There are no clever audio clips and there’s not a lot of bullshit from me either. Just 15 tracks of rock and roll, from classic rock to indie bombast to power pop to punk rock. This is the kind of stuff that makes mice explode.

1. The Hold Steady – Stevie Nix
2. Lucero – What Else Would You Have Me Be
3. The Rolling Stones – Bitch
4. Led Zeppelin – Good Times Bad Times
5. Styx – Born For Adventure
6. Queen – One Vision
7. AC/DC – Highway To Hell
8. The Pursuit Of Happiness – I’m An Adult Now
9. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Timorous Me
10. Superchunk – Seed Toss
11. Andrew Vincent and the Pirates – Ladies, Ladies, Ladies (Houseboat)
12. The Replacements – Gary’s Got A Boner
13. New York Dolls – Personality Crisis
14. Cloak, Dagger – Bended Knee
15. Death – Politicians in My Eyes

Much like how Funk will probably forever be defined by the strong downbeat on the “1″ as exemplified by everyone ripping off James Brown, the beat of a freight train rolling unstoppably through the heart of rock and blues will forever be tied to Bo Diddley.

In this mix, I’ll take you chronologically through music that the man himself wrote, played and inspired.  And… since this is taking place almost two months after his passing, it’s not even hip and trendy to do so, yet I do it anyway.

This tribute includes…

1. “Bo Diddley” – Art Neville & The Meters
2. “I’m a Man” – Bo Diddley
3. “Not Fade Away” – Buddy Holly
4. “(Marie’s the Name of) His Latest Flame” – Elvis Presley
5. “Cannonball” – Duane Eddy
6. “Willie and the Hand Jive” – Shuggie Otis
7. “I’m Crying” – The Animals
8. “I Want Candy” – The Strangeloves
9. “Magic Bus” – The Who
10. “1969″ – Iggy Pop & the Stooges
11. “Pills” – New York Dolls
12. “She’s the One” – Bruce Springsteen
13. “Don’t Let Him Go” – REO Speedwagon
14. “Who Do You Love” – George Thorogood
15. “I Want Candy” – Bow Wow Wow
16. “How Soon is Now?” – The Smiths
17. “Mr. Brownstone” – Guns N’ Roses
18. “Faith” – George Michael
19. “Desire” – U2

Sorry to have disappeared for the last month or so since Iron Deejay in June, but it’s been busy.  We had a second kid.  Work’s been rough.  There’s been some summer wind-down as the weather finally gets good enough in Chicago to be a distraction.

Nevertheless, as we are already into Year Two for Radio Gen1us, I’m going to showcase a bunch of new music that’s been on heavy rotation on the iPod:

• Vuja De – The Orb
• Deep Blue – Ladytron
• Give Me a Beat – Girl Talk
• Milk Crisis – The Go! Team
• Keep Your Head – The Ting Tings
• Harder Than You Think – Public Enemy
• List of Demands (Reparations) – Saul Williams
• Discipline – Nine Inch Nails
• All Kinds of Stuff – The Cure
• Inside the Fire – Disturbed
• The One With ‘Kid’ – Local H
• We Call Upon the Author – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
• Chemtrails – Beck
• Going On – Gnarls Barkley
• 100 Days, 100 Nights – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
• The Modern Leper – Frightened Rabbit
• Long Division – Death Cab for Cutie
• Lost – Coldplay
• Down to Earth – Peter Gabriel

1. Hear this Prayer for Her – Kingdom of Sorrow
2. Confrontation – Otep
3. Watch Yourself – Ministry
4. The Death and Resurrection Show – Killing Joke
5. Are We Alive? – Terror
6. Gasping for Air – Jungle Rot
7. Stand As One – Strife
8. Surrender to Your TV – Shelter
9. Seeing Red – Minor Threat
10. Kill Your Idols – Static X
11. As the Coil Unwinds – The Destro
12. Deliverance – Earth Crisis
13. Striving Higher for a Better Life – Warzone
14. Coma America – Amen
15. Build a Nation – Bad Brains
16. F*** It All – Death Before Dishonor
17. Mindlock / Iced – Malevolent Creation
18. Modern Age Slavery – Beneath the Massacre
19. God, I Hope the Data is Lying – Zombie Apocalypse
20. Repeat Process – 100 Demons

Also, for anyone who likes the heavy stuff, I’ve re-issued the now-classic Vociferous Convulsant heavy mix. I liked the flow of songs on the mix, but after one listen was tired of hearing myself talk so much, so I went back and cut most of the audio out to a bare minimum, which also had the added benefit of getting the mix down to an hour. So, if you like these mixes, check this one out again.

Kevin – It’s been since 1994 or so since I’ve paid too much attention to any new music except for metal and hardcore, in which I stay current to keep mentally on track day to day. The lack of involvement is directly related to two things – no money, and no time as I’ve been working long, long hours for well over a decade. So, thanks to working at home (and taking a break from management), more free time from commuting just a few times a week, a ton of great Pacific Northwest bands, a solid local music scene, and a great local radio station playing bands from around the world, I’ve been turned back on to new music, and man (news to me), there’s some great stuff out there! Here are just a few of my favorites to date, and as mixes go on I’ll keep adding more and more new songs to the great older stuff that I still can’t get enough of. Special thanks to Seattle’s University of Washington station KEXP listener supported radio for good playlists all the time, making the drive up/down Seattle’s I-5 a good one. You are reminiscent of WHFS in Baltimore in the 1980s, one of the greatest stations for alternative rock ever, but your range is wider.

1. We Barbarians - Yesmen and the Bumsuckers
2. British Sea Power - Waving Flags
3. The Whore Moans - I Say Blood Three Times
4. Blue Sky Black Death - A Private Death
5. Big Quarters - Sign of the Times
6. The Heavy - Coleen
7. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices
8. Emmanual Jal - 50 Cent
9. Kassin+2 – Samba Machine
10. Pacha Massive - Pachangueando
11. Firewater - Electric City
12. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules Theme
13. What Made Milwaukee Famous - Resistence Street
14. A Place to Bury Strangers - Missing You
15. Cadence Weapon - The New Face of Fashion
16. Public Enemy - Harder Than You Think
17. Head Like a Kite - Before We Go to Bed

The subject of this delinquent-but-still-special mix is John Locke. No, not that Limey philosopher who theorized that the mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate). I’m talking about the character on ABC’s wildly frustrating and popular TV series Lost. Season whatever just closed with some major revelations about my boy John. Like the show, this mix deals in flashbacks, semi-present island time, and, if you’re lucky, flash forwards. But mostly, it doesn’t make sense. Beware that this mix contains spoilers.

Get lost in the mix:

1. Electric Light Orchestra – I’m Alive
2. The Ramones – I Believe In Miracles
3. Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
4. Eels – My Beloved Monster
5. Neutral Milk Hotel – King of Carrot Flowers, Part 1
6. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Follow You Into The Dark
7. Downset – Anger
8. Jane’s Addiction – Had a Dad
9. Lodger – I Love Death
10. Men At Work – Down Under
11. Soundgarden – Blow Up The Outside World
12. Bad Company – Bad Company
13. Queen – All Dead, All Dead

Kevin – This mix just pretty much goes after the theme of life and death head-on.  Kafwacko.

Since I’m a technical rube, I cannot insert cool images into my post without bulbous blue borders or exploded text resulting.

1. ELO – I’m Alive
2. Missing Persons – Destination Unknown
3. The Alarm – Strength
4. Steve Martin (edit from Rambin’ Man)
5. Jimmy Buffett – Cowboy in the Jungle
6. Love & Rockets – No New Tale To Tell
7. Bruce Springsteen – Candy’s Room
8. Social Distortion – Story of my Life
9. Gorilla Biscuits – Start Today
10. Otep – Perfectly Flawed
11. Neil Young – Dead Man, Round Stones Beneath the Earth/Guitar Solo # 5/Edit
12. Morrissey – Margaret on the Guillotine
13. Jaws of Life – The Way to Go Out
14. Gary Numan – I Die: You Die
15. The Fools – Life Sucks, Then You Die
16. The Feelies – It’s Only Life
17. Ralph Stanley – O Death
18. Queen – Dead, All Dead

…in which I take you on a trip… through the mind, inner space and time itself.  In the past few weeks, I’ve had the good fortune of recovering some first blog entries going back to 2003 where Suzy and I took a long-delayed honeymoon to Amsterdam for two glorious weeks.  I could regale you with my writings forever, but instead, let us take the quest to enlightenment, self-discovery as we travel through giddiness, joy, peace, love, bemusement, reflection, questioning, anxiety, paranoia, panic, anger, badassery and ultimately resolution — the kind that generally leads to three grand slam breakfast skillets at Denny’s around 2am and about 13 boxes of Nerds.

This extra-special mix includes:

1. Electric Light Orchestra – I’m Alive
2. Elmore James – Hawaiian Boogie
3. Poi Dog Pondering – Living With the Dreaming Body
4. VHS or Beta – Heaven
5. Duran Duran – New Moon on Monday
6. The Verve – Sonnet
7. The High Llamas – Painters Paint
8. The Clash – Lost in the Supermarket
9. Gordon Lightfoot – If You Could Read My Mind
10. Lou Reed – How Do You Think It Feels
11. The Police – Does Everyone Stare?
12. Soul Coughing – True Dreams of Witchita
13. Super Furry Animals – Run! Christian, Run!
14. Grandaddy – A.M. 180
15. Godspeed You Black Emperor! – Kicking Horse on Broken Hill
16. Shriekback – The Reptiles and I
17. System of a Down – X
18. Cypress Hill – Cock the Hammer
19. Danger Mouse – What More Can I Say? (Jay Z / Beatles Mashup)
20. The White Stripes – Your Southern Can Is Mine
21. Queen – All Dead, All Dead

…in which I take you on a sonic adventure through the beginning, end, and aftermath of a trainwreck relationship. No one relationship in particular, I’ve been married so long I don’t remember any others, really. But this is a mix that not only progresses through a series of moods but which also purports to tell a story. I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll be out of town for the weekend with little or no internet access. Hopefully when I get back I will have a whole bunch of Iron DJ entries to listen to!

1. ELO – I’m Alive
2. Pulp – Disco 2000
3. Matthew Sweet – I’ve Been Waiting
4. Stevie Wonder – I Believe
5. Iggy Pop – Some Weird Sin
6. Bill Withers – Who Is He And What Is He To You?
7. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Relative Ways
8. Beach Boys – God Only Knows
9. The Slackers – So This Is The Night
10. Ben Folds Five – Song For The Dumped
11. The Police – So Lonely
12. Aretha Franklin – Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)
13. Unbunny – X
14. David Bowie – Quicksand
15. Queen – All Dead, All Dead

I have been wanting to do an 80s mix for a while, and as I thought about those songs and that time in my life, I found that the music and the videos for the music were pretty much inseparable in my head. I don’t watch MTV anymore (and from what I hear they don’t play too many music videos anymore either) but in the 80s I did, nearly constantly. With current music, I don’t really have that video frame of reference and the music is simply music. With 80s music though, I could discuss the (sometimes questionable) merits of the music alone but it is difficult to have that discussion without the mental images associated with the music video.

Well I got to thinking about all those great videos, and the ones that kept coming back to me were videos like Duran Duran’s Wild Boys, or The Police’s Synchronicity II, with their strange post-apocalyptic Mad Max type of aesthetic. So I’ve been watching a lot of those videos on youtube and I’ve collected some of the songs for you here.

This is still only an audio podcast, but I discuss the video for each song I play and I’ll put youtube links below.

1. Fishbone – Party at Ground Zero
2. Duran Duran – Wild Boys
3. Rick Springfield – Bop ‘Til You Drop
4. The Hooters – All You Zombies
5. Queen – Radio Gaga
6. Styx – Mr. Roboto
7. Art of Noise with Max Headroom – Paranoimia
8. Billy Ocean – Loverboy
9. King – Love and Pride
10. Scandal featuring Patty Smyth – The Warrior
11. Taco – Puttin’ on the Ritz
12. The Police – Synchronicity II
13. Peter Schilling – Major Tom
14. Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero
15. World Party – Ship of Fools

PS Look for my Iron DJ entry later this week!

1. Echo and the Bunnymen – The Killing Moon
2. Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
3. INXS – Never Tear Us Apart
4. The Pixies – Wave of Mutilation
5. Tears for Fears – Head Over Heels
6. Depeche Mode – Walking in My Shoes
7. Curve – Horror Head
8. Siouxsie & The Banshees – Cities in Dust
9. Moby – Chord Sounds
10. The Cure – Fascination Street
11. Thom Yorke – Black Swan
12. Roxy Music – More Than This
13. The Church – Under the Milky Way
14. Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
15. Wang Chung – To Live And Die In L.A.
16. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
17. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done

Also folks — only two weeks left to get your mixes in for our first Iron Deejay competition. All contestants receive a free copy of Audacity software for your Mac or PC.

Tracklist (click a song title to buy the high quality, DRM-free MP3 from Amazon):

1. Hurt – Nine Inch Nails
2. Hurt – Johnny Cash
3. Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
4. Such Great Heights – Iron & Wine
5. One Man Guy – Loudon Wainwright III
6. One Man Guy – Rufus Wainwright
7. Easy – The Commodores
8. Easy – Faith No More
9. You Belong To Me – Jo Stafford
10. You Belong To Me – Jason Wade
11. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
12. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
13. Hallelujah – Arooj Aftab
14. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
15. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Rusted Root

We are so happy to open up this idea for a gentlemen’s wager to the masses. The idea is really really simple: Everyone starts with some of the same core ingredients and produces an hour(ish) playlist. You email gen1usradio[at]gmail.com when your mix is ready to go and we’ll get your mix up.

All entries are due by May 30 so that they’re ready to be listened to on June 1.

After a highly scientific and thoroughly vetted criterium, we agreed that for this challenge all combatants vying for the title “IRON DEEJAY” will begin their mixes with the song “I’m Alive” by Electric Light Orchestra (yes, the song from the 1980 Soundtrack “Xanadu” which you can’t download from AmazonMP3, but you can find on iTunes Music Store). We’ll also end the same mix with the song “All Dead, All Dead” by Queen (off the 1977 album “News of the World”).

That’s it. Keep it an hourish just like we do on the show (which means you can go well over, just like we do). June 1, you’ll hear who’s got what it takes to be named IRON DEEJAY.

In the meantime, keep your 10-10 on the side and watch out for those Illinois Gumball Machines.

1. Hank Williams (Sr.) – Jambalaya
2. Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs – Superfreak
3. Alan Jackson – Chattahoochee
4. Sawyer Brown – Some Girls Do
5. Alabama – I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)
6. Restless Heart – Wheels
7. Clint Black – Nothin’ but the Taillights
8. George Strait – Amarillo by Morning
9. Supersuckers – Eastbound & Down
10. Travis Tritt – T-R-O-U-B-L-E
11. Waylon Jennings – Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys
12. Mickey Gilley – Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time?
13. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Cadillac Ranch
14. Oak Ridge Boys – Elvira
15. Brooks & Dunn – My Maria
16. Diamond Rio – Meet in the Middle
17. Kenny Rogers – Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer
18. Johnny Cash – I’m On Fire
19. Hank Williams, Jr. – Family Tradition

• Divinyls – I’ll Make You Happy
• Sisters of Mercy – Gimmie Shelter
• Patti Smith – When Doves Cry
• Ramones – Surfin’ Bird
• Headgirl – Please Don’t Touch
• Dick Dale – Ring of Fire
• Chuck D – Wake Up the Sleeping Giant
• Sprung Monkey – Turning Japanese
• Judas Priest – Diamonds and Rust (studio)
• KMFDM – Der Mussolini
• Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind
• The Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
• Eva Cassidy – Stormy Monday
• REM – Crazy
• The Doors – Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
• Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy – California Uber Alles
• Paul Revere and the Raiders – Louie Louie
• The Clash – I Fought the Law
• Jason and the Scorchers – Absolutely Sweet Marie
• Tesco Vee and the Meatmen – Dance to the Music
• Steel Pole Bathtub – Forward to Death

1. Amon Amarth – Pursuit of Vikings
2. Rebellion - Ynglinga Saga (To Odin We Call)
3. Dissection - Retribution – Storm of the Light’s Bane
4. Primordial - Gallows Hymn
5. October Falls – Funeral Pyres
6. Kroda - Gnarled Cudgels of Thunder
7. Darkthrone - Paragon Belial
8. Immortal - Within the Dark Mind
9. Mastodon - Crusher Destroyer
10. Gojira - The Heaviest Matter in the Universe
11. High On Fire – Devilution
12. Arsis - Wholly Night
13. Carcass - Incarnated Solvent Abuse
14. Decapitated - The Eye of Horus
15. Kiuas - Warrior Soul

Also, scattered throughout the mix are snippets of audio from one of the most metal movies of all time. You have probably already guessed what the movie is just based on the title of the mix.

1. Pearl Jam – Life Wasted
2. Neil Diamond – Forever In Blue Jeans
3. Liam Finn – Wise Men
4. Gnarls Barkley – Run
5. Kanye West – Spaceship
6. Rob Thomas – Lonely No More
7. Phil Collins – I Don’t Care Anymore
8. Billy Joel – Baby Grand
9. Lupe Fiasco – Gotta Eat
10. Cake – Opera Singer
11. Shakespear’s Sister – I Don’t Care
12. RJD2 – Ghostwriter
13. Zeke – Downpayment Blues
14. System of a Down – F**k the System

1. Desmond Dekker – Israelites
2. The Melodians – Rivers of Babylon
3. Fishbone - Slow Bus Movin’ (Howard Beach Party)
4. Living Colour – Funny Vibe
5. Billy Paul – Am I Black Enough For You?
6. James Brown – Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)
7. Public Enemy – Prophets of Rage
8. Rage Against the Machine – Down Rodeo
9. Saul Williams – Tr(n)igger
10. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On?
11. Bob Marley – Redemption Song
12. Sly & the Family Stone – Everyday People
13. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Let’s Face It
14. Tracy Chapman – Talkin’ Bout a Revolution
15. Ziggy Marley, Gipsy Kings, Tsidii Le Loka – One Love

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