Soul Asylum, "April Fool"

Soul Asylum got the worst of both worlds. They had too many hits to still be aligned with their Minneapolis indie rock brethren (Hüsker Dü, the Replacements), yet not enough to be one of the great '90s mainstream rock bands. Thus, as of late they're playing the Summerland tour with Eve 6, Spacehog and Everclear.

That's too bad, because they had some great songs that people never listen to because they can't remember if "Runaway Train" was by Soul Asylum or Candlebox. Dave Pirner's lyrics aren't as profound as I thought they were in 1993, but he's got a knack for melody--think Bob Seger to Westerberg's Neil Young. Plus, unlike the alt-adult contemporary groups they get lumped in with, Soul Asylum can really rock, as "April Fool" proves, loaded with an undeniable riff and a chorus that's no joke.

Blame it on the Rain

Named for a song which doesn't appear anywhere near this mix.

1. Grateful Dead, "Box of Rain"
2. Fleetwood Mac, "Dreams"
3. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Tupelo"
4. Willie Nelson, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
6.  The Beatles, "Rain"
7. The Temptations, "I Wish it Would Rain"
8. Tom Waits, "Rains on Me"
9. Guns N' Roses, "November Rain"
10. Morphine, "You Look Like Rain"
11. Neil Young, "See the Sky About to Rain"
12. Sonic Youth, "Rain on Tin"
13. Queensrÿche, "Another Rainy Night (Without You)"
14. Slayer, "Raining Blood"
15. The Pogues, "Rainy Night in Soho"
16. Prince & The Revolution, "Purple Rain"

AG told me that her sister made a rain-themed mix, starting with Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain." This led to a talk about Dylan's rain songs, whether they're Gonna Fall, Day Women #12 & 35 or Storms to take Shelter From, which inevitably led to this CD. One doesn't need to comb through their iTunes library to find out how many rain songs there are--"Purple Rain," "November Rain" and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" should be a part of even the most casual fan's music education. The Grateful Dead are at their best on "Box of Rain," and The Beatles turn in their best b-side with "Rain." Elsewhere, Nick Cave's "Tupelo" and Sonic Youth's "Rain on Tin" have actually changed the way I hear precipitation, and made me like it more.

I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to pick between Led Zeppelin's "The Rain Song," "When the Levee Breaks" and "Fool in the Rain," and ended up ditching all of them when I realized I already had three other eight-minute songs. Maybe they'll get on the next one, but with the recipient in mind I gave priority to Neil Young, The Temptations and Fleetwood Mac. Still, I couldn't resist up filling the metal quota with prime Slayer and Queensrÿche. There's really no use in putting anything next to "Raining Blood," to the point where I'm worried that even the awesome "Another Rainy Night" and the tender "Rainy Night in Soho" have been reduced to palate-cleansers.

Finally, Tom Waits has apparently written a song about everything, having now appeared on my theme mixes for rain, cars, New York, L.A., moving, trains, phones, cats, dogs and clothes. "Rains on Me" is from the original Free the West Memphis 3 album.

Song of the Day: Pantera, "Suicide Note, Part 1 & 2"

On The Great Southern Trendkill, Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Dimebag Darrell were fighting too much to record in the same studio. Darrell was taking out his aggression with alcohol and cars, Anselmo was months away from a heroin overdose. Yet, like the great artists that they were, the band channeled that tension into their most extreme record to date, taking the "experimental fourth album" idea further than nearly any of their metal forefathers.

"Suicide Note, Part 1" starts with effects, over-dubbing and balladry--nothing that one normally associates with Pantera--and wordlessly references Zeppelin in away that reminds me of Neil Young's shout out to the Stones in "Borrowed Tune". But then the sequel abruptly kicks the first one out, as if to remind you that Darrell and Anselmo were not just holding on to life, they were throttling it. Heard together, "Suicide Note, Part 1 & 2" documents a band fighting itself off the edge. But they also depict a light that not enough people get to.

For Gradison, 1983-2012.

Songs of the Day: Converge "First Light" and "Last Light"

"First Light" reminds me of Neil Young's score to Dead Man. "Last Light" reminds me of something else.

Sister to LA

Why my sister would move to LA when New York is readily available, I will never know. But I do know better than to try to change her mind, and as long as she's going, I will make her a road trip soundtrack.



Sister to LA

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Under the Bridge"
2. 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman, "California Love"
3. Patti Smith, "Redondo Beach"
4. Rufus Wainwright, "California"
5. Snoop Dogg, "Gin and Juice"
6. The Ramones, "California Sun"
7. Guns N' Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle"
8. Frank Zappa, "San Ber'dino"
9. Tom Waits, "Hold On"
10. Joni Mitchell, "California"
11. Lesley Gore, "California Nights"
12. Billy Bragg & Wilco, "California Stars"
13. Elliott Smith, "Angeles"
14. Liz Phair, "Dogs of L.A."
15. X, "Los Angeles"
16. Beck, "Hollywood Freaks"
17. LL Cool J, "Going Back to Cali"
18. Tom Petty, "Free Fallin'"
19. Led Zeppelin, "Going to California"
20. Neil Young, "L.A."
21. Green Day, "Welcome to Paradise" 

As I've mentioned, there are far too many great California songs for one CD. To make this easier on myself, I eschewed the most predictable choices--no "Girls," "Dreamin'" or "Here I Come," although the latter's Bill Evans rendition tempted me. I couldn't resist "California Love," even though it hasn't been cool since it was included in the Marmaduke trailer, and I gave LL Cool J's "Going Back to Cali" preference over Biggie's, due to the former's appearance in a movie with my sister's favorite actor.

I'm happy with the mix of deep cuts and standards. Underrated tracks from Frank Zappa (a redundancy?) and Liz Phair (ditto?) both honor the state, and my music buddy Jesse hooked me up the excellent yet out-of-print Neil Young number. Then again, I'll never get sick of "Under the Bridge," "Gin and Juice" or even "Free Fallin'."

The sister likes girl groups, so I've included Lesley Gore, and she is also partial to Elliott Smith, Tom Waits and Rufus Wainwright. Sis also probably knows every word to Joni Mitchell's "California," so for good measure I've included it here with the song that Led Zeppelin wrote for Joni.

Welcome to LA, Sis. Enjoy the fun n' games.

PS> Good thing I had the playlist handy, as my buddy Erica also informed me that she's moving to LA on hours' notice. She's getting a mix with Frank Black, the Grateful Dead and others.

PPS> Sis, if you're reading this, the Morningside Heights Post Office is kind of sketchy. If the CD doesn't arrive soon, download it below.

Download here: Sister to LA

Dad Rock

Dad mixes are some of the hardest to make. Almost by definition, your father hates the music that you listen to. Mothers get far more musical tributes, and most father songs ("Come to Daddy," "Papa Don't Preach," "Had a Dad," "The End") are wildly inappropriate. Thus Father's Day mixes can be a chore, but let's give it a shot.

 

Dad Rock

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Under the Bridge"
2. The White Stripes, "My Doorbell"
3. Shel Silverstein, "Dirty Ol' Me"
4. Squeeze, "Is That Love"
5. Fiona Apple, "Paper Bag"
6. Stevie Wonder, "Boogie on Reggae Woman"
7. Smashing Pumpkins, "Tonight, Tonight"
8. Sex Pistols, "Pretty Vacant"
9. Elvis Presley, "All Shook Up"
10. James Brown, "Night Train"
11. The Rolling Stones, "Loving Cup"
12. Harry Nilsson, "Maybe"
13. The Clash, "Rudie Can't Fail"
14. Jerry Lee Lewis, "What'd I Say"
15. R.E.M., "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
16. Joni Mitchell, "Free Man in Paris"
17. Radiohead, "No Surprises"
18. Roy Orbison, "Only the Lonely"
19. Prince, "Starfish and Coffee"
20. Neil Young, "Comes a Time"
21. Santana, "Samba Pa Ti"
22. Shel Silverstein, "Comin' After Jinny" 

In the five years where DC101's playlist was the most important thing in the world to me, Dad would occasionally meet me halfway, at "Under the Bridge" or "Tonight, Tonight" (he never came around to "March of the Pigs.") I met him at Neil Young and Prince, and years later at Joni Mitchell.

Dad and I share an appreciation for Shel Silverstein, who appears in the giddy "Dirty Ol' Me" and the bittersweet "Comin' After Jinny," and we've also agreed on "Samba Pa Ti," Santana's best number and a subject of Nick Hornby's 31 Songs. On a limb, I'm hoping to increase Dad's appreciation for Jerry Lee Lewis, The White Stripes and especially the Rolling Stones, gracing us with my favorite song here.  Dad prefers the Beatles, so I've added Squeeze's best impersonation of the Fab Four.

This year, I've gone on Radiohead and Fiona Apple kicks, represented by father-friendly tracks, and more recently caught up to Roy Orbison, who joins a few of my favorite rock pioneers. The influence of artists like James Brown and Elvis Presley is now universal, and therefore taken for granted. A mix CD is ideal for emphasizing why they really matter.

The sore thumb here is "Pretty Vacant," which outguns everything else here by miles and shouldn't be on a mix for anyone over age 30. That being said, I do worship the Sex Pistols, and Dad likes Johnny Rotten's letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so I'm taking a chance.

PS: Metalsucks has an excellent photo gallery of Metal Dads right here.