"Hot Drink in a Cold Cafe"

December 2006
for: Masticator

1. Through the Backyards - Au Revoir Simone
2. Real Real - Nina Simone
3. Femme Fatale - The Velvet Underground
4. Reno Dakota - The Magnetic Fields
5. Rodeo Town - The Kills
6. Citrus - The Hold Steady
7. Bird on a Wire - Johnny Cash
8. Poison Cup - M. Ward
9. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
10. Please Go Away - The Shirelles
11. Better Than Bad - The Shortwave Set
12. Best Bit - Beth Orton
13. On Parade - Electrelane
14. Here - Pavement
15. A Method - TV On The Radio
16. The Orchids - Califone
17. Hey - The Pixies
18. Overcome - Tricky
19. Rebound - Charlie Rich
20. Bati Mon Nid - Françoise Hardy
21. Is That All There Is? - John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey
22. 23 Minutes In Brussels - Luna

Comments on the mix: I always told myself that when I was finally assigned the illustrious leader of the Mix Club, first azucar and now Masticator, I would do a "Best of Mix Club" mix. And yet when my turn came, I ... didn't. Part of it was timing. I knew I wanted to make a year-end wrap up mix in December, and having two "compilations" for the round seemed wrong. Also, I just wasn't in the mood. But if Masticator ever assigns me again, hopefully I can make it happen! Now, that I've gotten that out of the way, let's consider what I ended up sending him. I had long been considering a mix that I was calling "Cafe Culture" in my head. The inspiration was the soundtrack of the many "hip" cafes that I sit in here in NYC. Not the actual music I hear, but the general vibe. So I started asking, what makes music cool — like unimpeachably cool? It turned out that was a very difficult standard to meet. Frankly, I think the final three tracks on this mix do a pretty good job, but I also know there's a lot here for music snobs to sneer at. I ended up with a mix for Masticator; it has a certain vibe, sure, but it's also tryng hard to please — which is inherently unhip. I do like the way the title of the mix makes that adjustment — something warm amid the cool. The Club Czar said he liked it, and that's what's important.

"This is 2006"

December 2006
for: Masticator

1. Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura
2. Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Chinese Translation - M. Ward
4. God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash
5. Sheela-Na-Gig - PJ Harvey
6. Sunday Noises - Califone
7. Repeat To Fade - The Shortwave Set
8. Hold On, Hold On - Neko Case
9. Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby - Islands
10. Level - The Raconteurs
11. Lady Lawyers - Oxford Collapse
12. Painter In Your Pocket - Destroyer
13. The Disco Song - Au Revoir Simone
14. You Can Make Him Like You - The Hold Steady
15. Lived In Bars - Cat Power
16. Honey Child What Can I Do? - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
17. No Bad News - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
18. Ida, My - Annuals
19. Absinthe - Beth Orton
20. Tonight - TV On The Radio

Comments on the mix: My second annual year-end wrap up. As with last year, this is really a retrospective of albums. I hardly pretend to keep up with singles. The PJ track is off the 2006 Peel sessions album; it was actually recorded in 1991. The Annuals album was the only dud of my purchases here. Otherwise, this strikes me as a pretty good year for music.

"Harvest Moon"

October 2006
for: glammonkey

1. Waiting Room - Fugazi
2. Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio
3. Let's Have a Party - Wanda Jackson
4. You Can Make Him Like You - The Hold Steady
5. Wave of Mutilation - The Pixies
6. Skip To The End - The Futureheads
7. I Don't Want To Get Over You - The Magnetic Fields
8. Hurricanes - Au Revoir Simone
9. Fist City - Loretta Lynn
10. Chicago [Acoustic] - Sufjan Stevens
11. Grounds for Divorce - Wolf Parade
12. Badlands - Bruce Springsteen
13. Way Out - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
14. Thumbelina Farewell - Ron Sexsmith
15. Rough Gem - Islands
16. Can't Let Go - Lucinda Williams
17. Mighty Fine Blues - Eels
18. Opportunity - The Jewels
19. Alex Chilton - The Replacements
20. 25 Easy Pieces - The Earlies
21. That's Right (You're Not From Texas) - Lyle Lovett
22. Details of the War - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Comments on the mix: My vaguely conceptual forays continue, with this mix subtitled "Music for an Autumn Night." Somehow I was channeling my college years and this sense of a "kegger in a corn field." Eh? Oddly, I don't think any of these songs were actually released during my college tenure.

Comments on the cover: And this, ladies and gentlemen, is my least favorite mix cover of all time. I was just lazy. This mix deserved better.

"Storied"

September 2006
for: *

1. Hows About Tellin A Story - Devendra Banhart
2. From The Ritz To The Rubble - Arctic Monkeys
3. Babies - Pulp
4. Joshua - Dolly Parton
5. Shine a Light - Wolf Parade
6. Johnny Cash - Sons & Daughters
7. Maybe Sparrow - Neko Case
8. Over and Over Again (Lost and Found) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
9. An Earlier Autumn - The Field Mice
10. The Hardest Button to Button - The White Stripes
11. I Hung My Head - Johnny Cash
12. Revolver - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
13. Watercolours into the Ocean - Destroyer
14. Lua - Bright Eyes
15. I'm From Further North Than You - The Wedding Present
16. The Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits
17. Papa Was A Rodeo - The Magnetic Fields
18. Letter of Resignation - The Weakerthans
19. Parting Gift - Fiona Apple
20. For You (live) - Bruce Springsteen

Comments on the mix: *My mixee never acknowledged this one, and the tracklisting has never appeared on the boards. This is my bastard stepchild mix. I had been assigned a newbie, and I came up with a vague, catch-all "theme." I decided to start with that Devendra Banhart track and then feature songs that have ... some narrative. Maybe. I was properly shamed when my own September mix arrived from Jedzz and, in a case of weird Mix Club synergy, he had made me a mix where every song actually contained a self-contained story. Shame! I was really burning to get that Springsteen track on my mix this month, and it's possible that it was the over eight minutes of Bruce that sent my mixee running for the hills.

"Campfire"

August 2006
for: jimcat

1. This Heart's on Fire - Wolf Parade
2. Old Dan Tucker - Bruce Springsteen
3. 3000 Flowers - Destroyer
4. Jogging Gorgeous Summer - Islands
5. Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs
6. Mambo Sun - T. Rex
7. So Long Marianne - Leonard Cohen
8. Hold On, Hold On - Neko Case
9. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
10. Paper Tiger - Spoon
11. Is It True - Brenda Lee
12. Sweet Li'l Thing - Eels
13. Someone's Daughter - Beth Orton
14. King Of Carrot Flowers Part 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel
15. I Lost It - Lucinda Williams
16. The Promised Land - Johnnie Allan
17. Ballad of the Broken Seas - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
18. Now That I Know - Devendra Banhart
19. Morning Wonder - The Earlies
20. Tennessee Stud - Johnny Cash

Comments on the mix: This is a "concept" mix like Off Season, but for a different time and place. I guess I was trying to come up with something summery, but not just poppy and fun. "Campfire" seemed a good title, and I started thinking of music for a summer evening gathering in the wilds of the country. Some of the songs might be a bit difficult to sing round a campfire, but I think the general mood is right. Quite like this mix, just wish the cover was a bit less generic.

"20 Year Reunion: 1986"

June 2006
for: razzy

1. Open Your Heart - Madonna
2. Wild Wild Life - Talking Heads
3. If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4. Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Smiths
5. Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles
6. Kiss - Prince & the Revolution
7. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money with Ronnie Spector
8. Pretty In Pink - The Psychedelic Furs
9. Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer
10. Left of Center - Suzanne Vega
11. Walk This Way - Run-D.M.C.
12. She's an Angel - They Might Be Giants
13. You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
14. A Question Of Time - Depeche Mode
15. When I Think Of You - Janet Jackson
16. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Pet Shop Boys
17. Life in a Northern Town - The Dream Academy
18. Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo & The Bunnymen
19. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
20. Fall On Me - R.E.M.

Comments on the mix: This mix had the longest gestation period of any I've done for the Club. I think it was in January of that year that I got the idea. I must admit I was inspired by the fact that I own a "Best of 1986" CD, which I bought years ago for "Life in a Northern Town," my favorite one-hit-wonder of all time. That CD provided five tracks here. The "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack gave me four more. Then I had to scrounge up the rest. Looking back on 1986 (which I decided was a great year for music) from 2006 seemed a strong concept, so I was determined to follow this through. It turned out I had enough '80s stuff to balance the whole thing out, and only had to buy "Sledgehammer" from the iTunes store. So I ended up with 20 tracks — perfect! I liked the variety, it reflects my own musical history in 1986 where I was making the shift from mainstream pop (represented by Madonna, who I still really like) to Alternative rock (represented by R.E.M.). It's still pretty cheese-heavy, so I waited a few rounds before I thought I had a mixee who would really appreciate it. Ultimately, this is one of my favorite mixes, and I think I sent it out as a bonus for every remaining round that year.

Comments on the cover: The cover here also took extra time, because I scanned all these pictures from an old yearbook. I picked the people with the worst '80s hair (sorry guys!). I need to point out that despite the way this album was titled and packaged, I was only in junior high in 1986. Still, 20 years... Damn!

"Sunburn"

June 2006
for: razzy

1. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
2. Riot in Cell Block #9 - Wanda Jackson
3. Level - The Raconteurs
4. Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby - Islands
5. Tangerine Speedo - Caviar
6. Pull Shapes - The Pipettes
7. Que Onda Guero - Beck
8. The Way We Get By - Spoon
9. Head On - Jesus and Mary Chain
10. Camions Sauvages - Amadou & Mariam
11. The Motion of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel
12. Cherish - Madonna
13. Janie Jones - The Clash
14. Elevator Love Letter - Stars
15. John Saw That Number - Neko Case
16. Ramblin Man - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
17. Nothing But a Heartache - The Flirtations
18. Gimme Some Salt - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
19. Surf Wax America - Weezer
20. After Last Night - The Rev-Lons
21. Dudley - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
22. Our Way To Fall - Yo La Tengo

Comments on the mix: First of two mixes I sent to razzy. This is my second annual "Summer Mix," following Picnic last year. It's meant to be fun and summery in tone. That Wanda Jackson track is da bomb!

"Belles of May"

May 2006
for: Spinning Will

1. A Widow's Toast - Neko Case
2. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
3. Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. He's Got the Power - The Exciters
5. Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley
6. Pleasant As May - Dolly Parton
7. Don't Drink Poison - Le Tigre
8. Galang - M.I.A.
9. Car Song - Elastica
10. Bells - Electrelane
11. Absinthe - Beth Orton
12. Welcome To The Club - Jean Chapel
13. Long Island - That Dog
14. Can't Help Loving That Man - Trudy Richards
15. At The Back Of The Shell - The Kills
16. Do I Move You? - Nina Simone
17. Coin-Operated Boy - Dresden Dolls
18. Little Sparrow - Bettye LaVette
19. Midi Dans Le Salon De La Duchesse - Keren Ann
20. Love & Communication - Cat Power
21. Unemployed In Summertime - Emiliana Torrini
22. Different Drum - Stone Poneys
23. Yr Room - The Shortwave Set

Comments of the mix: A mix of ladies, made for a guy. Before I got my mix assignment, I came up with this title, mostly just to use Dolly's "Pleasant as May." Dolly, of course, is a big-haired belle. But I tried to keep this group pretty diverse. There are definitely some artists here that clash with the girly-girly images on the cover. The first two tracks present a classic mixing horror, the unexpected volume shift. In iTunes, we have Neko Case's ringing invocation blasted away by Joan Jett. On CD, however that Neko track is recorded at such a high volume, and Joan as such a medium-low, that the effect is ruined. This is one of those cases where I agonized over reburning the CD with a different track order. Ultimately, I just liked it too much. I apologetically mentioned the issue in my note to Spinning Will.

"Heavy Rotation"

April 2006
for: *

1. Danger! High Voltage! - Electric Six
2. Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) - The Chiffons
4. Eleanor, Put Your Boots On - Franz Ferdinand
5. I Feel Just Like a Child - Devendra Barnhart
6. That Teenage Feeling - Neko Case
7. Is it Any Wonder - The Shortwave Set
8. You're Driving Me Crazy - Dianne Reeves
9. Painter in Your Pocket - Destroyer
10. Comes and Goes - Dolly Parton
11. The Blue Are Still Blue - Belle and Sebastian
12. Could We - Cat Power
13. Mornings Eleven - The Magic Numbers
14. Queen Bitch - David Bowie
15. Down to Zero - Bettye LaVette
16. Honey Child, What Can I Do? - Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell
17. Go Now - Bessie Banks
18. Bring It Back Again - The Earlies
19. Heart of Soul - Beth Orton
20. Vittorio E - Spoon

Comments on the mix: When this round began, I said to myself, "What kind of 'theme' can I do that will include Yeah Yeah Yeah's 'Cheated Hearts'?" That song made me evangelical! I wound up with just a "recently added" mix, which was made easier by the big gap since the previous round. Also making an appearance, two songs from the Girl Group box set that would be peppering my mixes for many rounds to come. *My original mixee never acknowledged this fine mix, but thanks to an EC trade with the lovely Diane Court, the tracklisting made it onto the boards.

"The Thaw"

February/March 2006
for: britishney

1. The Motion of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel
2. Apple Blossom - The White Stripes.
3. Repeat To Fade - The Shortwave Set
4. I'm Getting Better All The Time - Barbara Pittman
5. Losing Streak - Eels
6. A Hiccup In Your Happiness - The Lucksmiths
7. Elevator Love Letter - Stars
8. Lived In Bars - Cat Power
9. In the Dark - Nina Simone
10. The Beast in Me - Johnny Cash
11. Lonely Weekends - Charlie Rich
12. Ghosts Are Good Company - Bishop Allen
13. Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse
14. Roses & Hips - Keren Ann
15. (Night Time Is) The Right Time - Ray Charles
16. Anytime - My Morning Jacket
17. Wellington's Wednesdays - The Weakerthans
18. Gimme Some Salt - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
19. Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen
20. Buffalo Boots - Luna
21. Wayward Song - The Earlies
22. Just Say So - Bettye LaVette

Comments on the mix: I found britishney a little difficult just because we have such similar tastes in music it was hard to come up with stuff that was new to her. The idea of a "thawing" theme is a solid one, but I hardly followed through here. Inevitably, my need to include certain songs just for my mixee outweighs thematic constraints. britishney took a little while to post my tracklisting, but gave a really thoughtful response when she did, so I look at this one as a success.

Comments on the cover: Man, I wish all my covers were this charmed. A few quick ideas, all of which seemed to work beautifully. The "Neon" typeface functioning like a radiator is my favorite touch.

"Best of 2005"

Selections from the New Albums I've Heard This Year
November/December 2005
for: Neant

1. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead - Stars
2. Hey Man (Now You're Really Living) - Eels
3. Kids With Guns - Gorillaz
4. This Modern Love - Bloc Party
5. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
6. Greatest You Can Find - Keren Ann
7. Paul Simon - The Russian Futurists
8. The Power Is On - The Go! Team
9. Bells - Electrelane
10. Forever For Her (Is Over For Me) - The White Stripes
11. Mushaboom - Feist
12. Sénégal Fast Food - Amadou & Mariam
13. Gideon - My Morning Jacket
14. Rodeo Town - The Kills
15. Medicine - Sons & Daughters
16. Over and Over Again (Lost and Found) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
17. The Price & Style - Robbers on High Street
18. Oh My God - Kaiser Chiefs
19. Go It Alone - Beck
20. Marx and Engels - Belle & Sebastian

Comments on the mix: My first "best of the year" mix came with a lot of caveats. Since I primarily listen to music through albums — and remain generally unaware of hot singles — I compiled a list of albums and then picked songs from each. The mix does give a picture of what I listened to that year — with albums that I adored (Stars, Eels, The White Stripes, Amadou and Mariam) and albums that I wished I hadn't spent money on (The Go! Team, My Morning Jacket, Robbers of High Street, Kaiser Chiefs). I included Belle & Sebastian as a bonus track ("Push Barman to Open Old Wounds" was released in 2005, although the song is older).

Comments on the cover: I was working with the idea of The Best ... Dressed, which I thought kind of worked, given the FTOTZ's fondness for celebrity gossip. To promote the "magazine" look, there's a big halftone pattern on the images (kind of lost in the jpg above). The tracklisting also included the name of each album.

"Rest for the Wicked"

November/December 2005
for: Neant

1. Bedtime Story - Madonna
2. Dreaming - Blondie
3. Live As You Dream - Beth Orton
4. Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
5. Trouble With Dreams - Eels
6. Sweet Dreams (Of You) - Patsy Cline
7. Sleep the Clock Around - Belle & Sebastian
8. For You And I - Keren Ann
9. I Don't Sleep, I Dream - R.E.M.
10. Daydream Believer - The Monkees
11. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire
12. Innocent When You Dream - Tom Waits
13. This Dream - Youssou N'Dour
14. Sleep Tonight - Stars
15. Lullabye - Emitt Rhodes
16. Rocks In My Bed - Ella Fitzgerald
17. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? - Nirvana
18. Dream On - The Chemical Brothers

Comments: When I made this, there wasn't much Mix Club history for Neant, who lives in Australia. She got two mixes this round, neither one particularly tailored to her. I don't have too much to say about this one. I think I've pretty much given up making mixes of this type.

"Off Season"

November 2005 (EC trade)
for: glammonkey

1. Return to Hot Chicken - Yo La Tengo
2. Railroad Man - Eels
3. Liezah - The Coral
4. Chelsea Burns - Keren Ann
5. Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins
6. All Tomorrow's Parties - The Velvet Underground
7. You've Got Her in Your Pocket - The White Stripes
8. A Wrong Turn and Raindrops - The Field Mice
9. Gone For Good - The Shins
10. Fly - Nick Drake
11. I Don't Blame You - Cat Power
12. Some Velvet Morning - Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra
13. Here - Pavement
14. First Day of my Life - Bright Eyes
15. Sleep the Clock Around - Belle and Sebastian
16. Let it Die - Feist
17. Surf Song - James Yorkton and the Athletes
18. Things Are What You Make of Them (reprise) - Bishop Allen
19. Shiny Cattle - Magic Car
20. Is this Desire? - PJ Harvey

Comments on the mix: This was an Extracurricular Trade. (glammonkey sent me an inspired double-CD set of girl bands.) This mix came out of an idea that had been brewing in my head for a while. I liked the idea of a mix for "a beach house in winter." Not that I have a beach house, but it could fantasize about it. A cozy place, with wind rattling the shutters, and seagulls cawing outside. The music is warming — and almost nostalgic. (I've actually revisited the idea of a "cozy" mix several times since.) Ultimately, "Beach House in Winter" struck me as too long and cumbersome a title and I decided on "Off Season" instead. I do love traveling in the off season... There's a bonus track on this mix: Track 21 is the sound of seagulls, from PJ Harvey's "Uh Huh Her." This is one of my all-around favorites I've made for the Club.

Comments on the cover: The photo is of St. Ives, Cornwall, taken on a very rainy, off season day. One of the rare occasions I've used one of my own pictures for a cover. I filtered the hell out of it, however. The photo wraps around to the tracklisting, which is nice. I drew the little circles to make up the Off Season "typeface" myself, using Gil Sans as a guide. The type is supposed to evoke a busted light-bulb sign on the boardwalk. I'm very pleased with this one.

"Miss Nelson" and "Viola Swamp"

Double disk set!
October 2005
for: nudgewinkgirl

MISS NELSON
1. Vacation - Go Gos
2. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire
3. Legal Man - Belle and Sebastian
4. Ooh Child - Beth Orton
5. Things Are What You Make Of Them - Bishop Allen
6. Paul Simon - The Russian Futurists
7. Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles
8. Hey Man (Now You're Really Living) - Eels
9. Greatest You Can Find - Keren Ann
10. My Coco - Stellastarr
11. Deadbeat Club - The B-52s
12. What I'm Trying to Say - Stars
13. Honey Babe - Magic Car
14. Mushaboom - Feist
15. Tonight's the Night - The Shirelles
16. Perfect World - Liz Phair
17. Nothin' Shakin' - Linda Gail Lewis
18. You Are The Everything - R.E.M.
19. Willow - The Field Mice
20. Dansez-vous - Pink Martini
21. Hey Jude - The Beatles

VIOLA SWAMP
1. Date with the Night - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2. Feel Good Inc.- Gorillaz
3. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding? - Elvis Costello
4. Coin-Operated Boy - Dresden Dolls
5. Gimme Some Salt - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
6. Have Mercy - Loretta Lynn
7. One Way or Another - Blondie
8. Dance Me In - Sons & Daughters
9. Rusty Cage - Johnny Cash
10. Evil - Interpol
11. A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley
12. The Good Ones - The Kills
13. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine - Patti Page
14. Fix Up, Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascal
15. Down by the Water - PJ Harvey
16. Janie Jones - The Clash
17. I Want More - Can
18. Ray of Light - Madonna
19. Can't Let Go - Lucinda Williams
20. Little Babies - Sleater-Kinney
21. The Hardest Button to Button - The White Stripes
22. In the Dark - Nina Simone
23. Slippery People (live) - Talking Heads

Comments on the mix: The inspiration for this mix is the children's book "Miss Nelson is Missing!" It's a school story about an angelic teacher (Miss Nelson) and her monstrous substitute (Viola Swamp). Years ago, my friend A. (a teacher) and I were talking about this book and how she had to play both roles in the classroom. It seemed a good idea for a mix tape and so I made her one. Flash forward to 2005, where my Mix Club research revealed that nudgewinkgirl was a teacher. I decided to revive the idea (with completely different songs). Instead of two sides (which admittedly works better), there are two disks. Miss Nelson is sweet. Viola Swamp is cunning and brutal. Of course, somewhere in the mix-making process, I realized that "Miss Nelson is Missing!" might not be nearly as well known in the UK as it is in the US. And that ... turned out to be the case. Ah well. It's still a good idea.