Not Too Late for 1988

For a very long time, I considered the year that I was born a kind of musical wasteland. I mean, just look at the Billboard charts for 1988. Music then was just cheesy, artificial, mind-numbing -- and not in a fun way, either.

So I went on a journey to the center of 1988. Beneath the horrors of the mainstream, was there anything worth salvaging?

Quite a bit, it turns out! 1988 was a prime year for UK's Sarah Records and NZ's Flying Nun Records; my mix delivers a heady mix of both. Meanwhile, in the USA, The Go-Betweens and Talking Heads release their final albums. In accordance with the circle of life, another sensation is born when The Pixies debut with "Surfer Rosa."


Rebecca's 1988 Mix

1. The Field Mice - Fabulous Friend

2. The Poppyheads - Pictures You Weave

3. 14 Iced Bears - Come Get Me

4. Another Sunny Day - Anorak City

5. The Sea Urchins - Solace

6. The Golden Dawn - My Secret World

7. Bailter Space - The Today Song

8. The Dead Milkmen - Life is Shit

9. The Go-Betweens - Love Goes On!

10. The Bats - Time to Get Ready

11. The Chills - Wet Blanket

12. The Springfields - Sunflower

13. The Orchids - I've Got a Habit

14. Yo La Tengo - Alyda

15. Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

16. Straitjacket Fits - Telling Tales

17. Talking Heads - Nothing But Flowers

Download the mix here!

Other bright spots in 1988: The Proclaimers concoct the perfect one-hit-wonder-hit; everybody knows that Leonard Cohen is our man; Jesus and Mary Chain release an extensive collection of B-sides; Camper van Beethoven blend genres like nobody's business; and George Harrison and the Beach Boys sneak guilty pleasures onto the charts.

All in all, not too shabby. Hopefully, kids born in 2010 can look past Ke$ha, as I looked past Tiffany, and find the sweet indie releases of these years.

The Time of Your Life

For awhile, I was trying to decide whether I wanted to do a ~cheesy~ playlist (ALL GEORGE MICHAEL. ALL THE TIME) or a really cool mix (DINOSAUR JR., SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES). Then, I decided to just do a mix that I could listen to at anytime and it will make me happy; music that I would probably be into if I was 22 living in 1987.

Download here.
1. Cutting Crew: (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight
2. The Smiths: A Rush and the Push and the Land is Ours
3. Guns 'n Roses: Sweet Child O' Mine
4. The Replacements: Alex Chilton
5. Echo & the Bunnymen: Lips Like Sugar
6. Talulah Gosh: Talulah Gosh
7. Sonic Youth: Schizophrenia
8. The Cure: Why Can't I Be You?
9. Depeche Mod: Strange Love
10. Madonna: La Isla Bonita

this mix makes me feel old.

.1982.

so uh, according to the wonderful internet, the number one song on the US charts for 11 june 1982 was "Ebony and Ivory."
this mix is ridiculously bad... enjoy!

01. Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
02. Duran Duran - Rio
03. Tears for Fears - Pale Shelter
04. Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
05. Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy
06. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (alright, yes, this was a single in 1983, but Thriller was recorded/released in 1982. don't trip.)
07. INXS - Don't Change
08. The Cure - The Hanging Garden
09. Billy Idol - White Wedding
10. Orange Juice - Rip It Up
11. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
12. A Flock of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song
13. Roxy Music - More Than This
14. Culture Club - I'll Tumble 4 Ya
15. Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
16. The Clash - Rock The Casbah
17. Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (Sciiiiience!)
18. Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
19. Hall & Oates - Maneater
20. The Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
21. Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast
22. The Human League - Don't You Want Me
23. Prince - 1999

Birthyear Theme: Having Fun in '81

Download it here

1. Rush - Tom Sawyer ["Moving Pictures"]
2. The Clash - This Is Radio Clash ["This Is Radio Clash/Radio Clash" single]
3. The Specials - Ghost Town ["Ghost Town/Why?/Friday Night, Saturday Morning" single]
4. New Order - Ceremony ["Ceremony/In a Lonely Place" single]
5. Brian Eno & David Byrne - Mea Culpa ["My Life in the Bush of Ghosts"]
6. Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love ["Tom Tom Club"]
7. Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator ["Computer World"]
8. Devo - Through Being Cool ["Through Being Cool/Going Under" single]
9. Black Flag - Rise Above ["Damaged"]
10. Minor Threat - I Don't Wanna Hear It ["Minor Threat" EP]
11. Wipers - Youth of America ["Youth of America"]
12. Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk to Fuck ["Too Drunk to Fuck/The Prey" single]
13. The Gun Club - Sex Beat ["Fire of Love"]
14. The Cramps - The Crusher ["Psychedelic Jungle"]
15. Orange Juice - Intuition Told Me (Part Two) ["L.O.V.E... Love /Intuition Told Me (Part Two)" single]
16. Television Personalities - The Glittering Prizes ["And Don't the Kids Just Love It"]
17. Daniel Johnston - Grievances ["Songs of Pain"]
18. Prince - When You Were Mine ["Controversy/When You Were Mine" single]
19. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure ["Under Pressure/Soul Brother" single]

Bonus!: The Rub - Hip-Hop History Volume 3: 1981

Throwback

Happy birthday, USA! Olivia Newton John's "Physical" was #1 on the charts the day I was born, so I thought it was only appropriate for an album cover. I was born in 1981, so to celebrate my year of birth (and America's) , here are songs from albums of that year.

Download Here

1. Stevie Nicks- "Edge of Seventeen"
2. New Order- "Ceremony(7" Single Version)
3. Black Flag- "Rise Above"
4. Prince- "Sexuality". I know just included him on my last month, but this song is essential listening.
5. Squeeze- "Tempted"
6. Electric Light Orchestra- "Twilight" No relation to the shitty book of the same name.
7. Oingo Boingo- "Only a Lad"
8. Billy Joel- "Miami(Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)." Fuck the haters, this song is EPIC.
9. Mission of Burma- "That's when I Reach For My Revolver"
10. Depeche Mode- "Just Can't Get Enough"
11. The Gun Club- "She's Like Heroin To Me"
12. The Go-Go's- "How Much More"
13. Elvis Costello- "Strict Time"
14. The Cure- "Primary"
15. Kim Carnes- "Bette Davis Eyes".
16. Ramones- "The KKK Took My Baby Away"
17. The Birthday Party- "Nick the Stripper". Early Nick Cave. Awww yeah.
18. The Pretenders- "I Go To Sleep"
19. The Raincoats- "Shouting Out Loud
20. Stiff Little Fingers- "Silver Lining"
21. Kraftwerk- "Pocket Calculator"
22. Hall and Oates- "You Make My Dreams Come True". If you don't like this song you are flat out LYING, sir.

July theme: birthday celebration!

So, it's America's birthday! Wooooooooo. Fourth of July firework bbq drink-a-palooza for 'MERICA!

So, let's celebrate birthdays in general by celebrating YOUR birthday. Please make a list of your favorite songs that were released the year of your birth. If you want some help finding jams for that year, you can pull up lists at the rateyourmusic.com site: http://rateyourmusic.com/customchart

Feel free to use either the release of the single or the release of the album. That'll give you more breathing room.

Go!

beach party!

I've always been attracted to summery music! Since my radio show Take a Run at the Sun was all about fun in the sun, I had a lot to pull from for this mix. So I tried to focus it as much as possible: here's a set of songs perfect for barbecues, bonfires, and babes.


1. Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring (demo version)
2. Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs cover)
3. Wendy Rene - BBQ
4. Jens Lekman - Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill
5. Best Coast - Sun Was High (So Was I)
6. Carnivores - Shark Teeth
7. The Golden Boys - Older Than You
8. The Clean - Beatnik
9. Episode Six - Incense
10. Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band - Olufeme
11. Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
12. Meshugga Beach Party - Shalom Alechem
13. The Ventures - Green Hornet Theme
14. The Zookeepers - Arnold Palmer
15. Harlem - Poolside
16. The Ultras - Straight Arrow (Davie's Theme)
17. The Rumblers - Summertime Blues
18. The Goldentones - Outbound
19. RNA - Spanish Bombs (The Clash cover)
20. Annette Funicello - Luau Cha-cha-cha
21. Novos Baianos - Swing de Campo Grande
22. tUnE-yArDs - Fiya

Download my mix >>here!<<

If you hold it up to your ear, you can hear the ocean.


PS: If you insist on doing a pool party instead of a beach party, this song is really all you need. Play it, and you'll have an abundance of food, and girls, and more food...and Mike Taruto will be there.