Tuesday 17 June 2008

The Muxtape

http://amie.muxtape.com

So after much mind changing and getting annoyed with the internet here it is. It's largely as I originally made it, but I had to edit the ending a few times. It's kinda in two parts, but I've made it so that they fit together as one whole list pretty well. It's best listened to on iTunes as I made it, with a few seconds crossfade, but ah well. Just imagine each song is merged into the next.

Part A - the "listen to" songs
OK Go - Maybe, This Time
If I could play any instrument it would be Bass Guitar. I've had a fascination with Bass for a long time. You don't notice it being there so much, yet really notice when it isn't. I love how this song is so bassy, yet still sounds quite minimalistic to me.

Aqualung - Cinderella

I downloaded this as part of a playlist a while ago, and it really stood out to me.
It stood out enough that I went and bought the third album, Memory Man. I'd heard quite a few Aqualung songs before, but none of them had made me want to buy an album. I love how this song has quiet moments, yet really builds up into something a lot more powerful at times. It's an album that I quite often put on and lie listening to in the dark.

Paramore - My Hero

If I could sing, I'd want Hayley Williams' voice. This was the first song I immediately put in the list of potential songs. It's the first of two covers on this list, but I think it's probably my favourite cover ever. It's totally different to the original, but so much better. Links pretty well here too.

Regina Spektor - Us

The first song I ever heard by Regina was Carbon Monoxide and I'm still determined to learn it on piano, but this is probably my favourite. It's so...unusual.

Death Cab For Cutie - Summer Skin
This is another song I love to listen to in the dark. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, I put this on, lie in the dark and by the end of it I'm usually feeling a bit better. I love how it's so slow, but doesn't feel like it's dragging.

Bloc Party - So Here We Are
This is possibly my favourite Bloc Party song. I seem to change my mind ever few minutes, but it always seems to revert back to this. I love Russell's guitar work. On this song, it's really delicate, almost like it could shatter at any second. Even when the song builds up, that fragile guitar line is still there. On top of this, it blends really well into part B...

Part B - The "dance to"songs
Lostprophets - Cry Me A River
In a change from the usual, I have a Lostprophets cover. I loved the original, despite not being a massive JT fan. There was always something about it that appealed to me. I think it's pretty perfect as a pop song. This cover though improved it, and showed just how great covers can be when they're done well. I'll make no secret of the fact that I love Lostprophets, and live they're something else, but this just showed how fab they are, when they can totally rearrange a great song and make it even better.

Metric - Monster Hospital
This isn't exactly typical Metric, but it's still fantastic. On top of that, it was rocky enough to perfectly bridge the gap between Lostprophets and Mystery Jets. Pretty good to dance to too.

Mystery Jets - Metal Soul

I picked this after seeing them live at the beginning of May and loving them. It would be rude not to have included them. I thought I'd go for something a bit unusual though and pick a Young Love B-side. It's just as fantastic as the album and would probably have fitted in quite well.

Pin Me Down - Cryptic

I first heard this online without realising who was in the band. The second it started I just wanted to dance, and I love to dance. It's a perfect mix of 80s electro-pop and choppy guitars, by none other than the master of danceable choppy guitars, Mr Russell Lissack.

(We Are) Performance - Vandals

This is a song I first heard when it was iTunes song of the week. I quite often download whatever iTunes are kind enough to give away, and 9/10 times never listen to it again. In this case I listened again, and again, and then it was stuck in my head for a week.

Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen

I thought I'd finish with something instrumental, purely because quite frankly, it's amazing.

Song: Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen
Socks: One sailor blue one, and one bright stripy one

2 comments:

Rosie B said...

Sorry to disagree with you but that LP cover... urgh. Like fingernails on a blackboard to my ears :(

JT all the way!

Really liked the Pin Me Down one though.

(We Are) Performance a bit Womabats-y? Is that why you liked it? Nice though.

Nice ending too.

Duncan said...

You made me remember about the MSTRKRFT remix of monster hospital and how awesome a tune it is. :D

Oh, and that Holy Fuck tune was on my playlist too (high 5!) I coupled it with BOC for a nice instrumental interlude half way through. But then again, lovely allen is my ringtone and my alarm so I kinda just use it everywhere.

oh shit.. this is getting long.
to summarise the rest regina/dcfc/blocparty/mysteryjets/pinmedown are all awesome. The rest I don't really know well enough to judge.

fin.

p.s. oh, and I couldn't believe nobody else had taken the amie.muxtape.com address yet. lucky!