indigoboy

Track listing for SGChicago CD Exchange 4/1/06:
"In Theory, The Best Album Ever" aka: "In Order Of Appearance (Favorite track 1, track 2, etc.)"
1. Ben Lee - Cigarettes Will Kill You
A great song off a grossly overlooked album from several years ago.
2. Candy Butchers - Nice To Know You
I believe this has appeared on a previous mix or two. I use any available opportunity to expose others to this amazing album. If the voice sounds familar, you may have heard vocalist Mike Viola throughout the movie, "That Thing You Do". A perfectly crafted pop song.
3. Superdrag - Sold You An Alibi
Another criminally overlooked group. The album this song is from, "Head Trip In Every Key", is on frequent rotation with me.
4. Holly McNarland - Water
The first of a few Canadian artists represented on this mix. Again - largely overlooked in the U.S. (notice a theme here?)
5. Love Cars - Call Me Sometime, Best Friends Forever
A now defunct group from my hometown of Minneapolis. It's a shame they were never more popular. Drummer Dave King has achieved modest success with one of his (many) other groups, The Bad Plus.
6. Hayden - Skates
I always thought Canadian singer/songwriter Hayden sounded like a really pissed-off Eddie Vedder if he were kicked out of Pearl Jam. Listen closely to the lyrics. This is one of the most amazing love songs I have ever heard.
7. Afghan Whigs - Honky's Ladder
I'm sad to say I never really got into this band until recently. Even after more than 10 years, their albums sound fresh.
8. Tegan & Sara - Living Room
These Canadain sisters continue to craft incredible albums that remain largely overlooked in the U.S. I love the unique structure of this song - complete with a banjo and a slide guitar breakdown in the middle.
9. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
I really struggled to find a "favorite track 9" within my music collection. It would appear this slot is reserved for an artist's unremarkable track. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found this gem.
10. Heroine Sheiks - Effity Eff
I was a huge fan of Minnapolis band Cows. I was pleasantly surprised when the singer, Shannon, resurfaced with his new band, Heroine Sheiks. This short and sweet ditty provides some nice comic relief to the mix.
11. Rex Daisy - Welcome Back
Minneapolis band Rex Daisy recreates this 70's theme song rather faithfully - without becoming campy or "ironic".
12. Erykah Badu - Bag Lady
Who would have known one of the best songs Ms. Badu has ever written would be tucked away in the corner at #12 on her album.
13. Cardigans - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
I've always thought this rendition possessed kind of a spooky innocence. I swear I did not realize until last night that both of my mix CD's contained a version of this song for the last track. Now THAT is spooky!

"Trailer Park After Dark"
This mix was originally intended for the last CD Exchange. Since I had to bow out at the last minute, I thought I would include it as a bonus disc for this round. I really had fun with this mix. I gave me an opportunity to dust off some gems from my past life as a rock star. Ask me about my encounter with Lemmy.

1. Van Halen - Mean Street
I edited the stupid guitar intro so I could cut right to the rawk!
2. Junkyard - Blooze
I saw this band play with the Black Crowes back in the day and immediately liked their alcohol-fueled bar rock.
3. Sea Hags - Doghouse
A relatively obscure band within this genre whose career was cut short when one of the members became another drug casualty in the rock n' roll junkyard.
4. Dirty Looks - Cool From The Wire
The best song AC/DC never wrote!
5. Slave Raider - The Devil Comes Out In Me
This Minneapolis metal band was like a real-life version of Spinal Tap in my hometown. The vocalist wore an eyepatch
and wielded a chainsaw at their live shows. Nothing is better than choking on gas fumes in the front row of a show. In another lapse of judgement, they signed a record deal with R & B label Jive Records.
6. Little Caesar - Chain Of Fools
Little Caesar should have been the house band in the Patrick Swayze movie, "Roadhouse" instead of ham-fisted "blues man" Jeff Healey. One of the members of Little Caesar was formerly in Detroit garage rock act The Dogs. Do yourself a favor and seek them out.
7. Love/Hate - Fuel To Run
In a past life, my band played a show with these bozos. My favorite story involves a likely intoxicated singer scaling the Hollywood Hills and suspending himself upon one of the "Hollywood" letters in mock-crucifixtion. Hours went by before anyone noticed (or cared) to contact the authorities to remove his likely sunburned ass from the "cross". Favorite line from this song - "I'd like to introduce you to my fifth. That's who I'm with."
8. L.A. Guns - Sex Action
The most astonishing thing about this song is the complete earnest-ness in their performance. These guys mean it when they say "S-E-X Who's next for Sex Action!"
9. Motley Crue - Piece Of Your Action
Another song with "action" in the title. I thought I was being clever. I will defend the greatness of the first Motley Crue album any time. It ranks right up there with the debut recordings from the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls - seriously!
10. Skid Row - Piece Of Me
Again, I just loved the pure absurdity of these performances.
11. Bang Tango - Someone Like You
In another time, in another place, I always thought Bang Tango could have been as popular as the Cult. They were unfortunately marketed as a "metal" band even though they definitely had more of a goth-influenced thing going on.
12. Smashed Gladys - Lick It Into Shape
This New York group proved this silly musical direction reigned supreme from coast to coast for a brief period until it was unceremoniously slaughtered with one single guitar strum from Mr. Cobain. Then: guitarist for New York sleaze rock band. Now: Night dishwasher at Bennigan's.
13. Alice In Chains - We Die Young
I hesitated to include this track because I didn't think it entirely fit within the theme. However, it certainly bridged the gap between the death of metal and the birth of "grunge". I always thought these guys were allowed to pass through the gates because they resided in Seattle instead of Los Angeles. I also thought Alice In Chains were a band people would begin listening to after the death of metal.
14. Anthrax - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
I always thought of Anthrax as a "poor man's Metallica". Their apparent lack of interest in "global domination" resulted in their more humble position in rock history. I doubt Scott Ian has Basquiat paintings on his walls.
16. (top secret track)
I will only say this same band (minus the soon-to be home porno starring, bloated lead singer) appears earlier on this mix. This often overlooked album in their discography is heavier and angrier than anything they had done before or since.