Wrapping it up

Let me catch up the last few songs of the mix... While Matt and I began this journey, I was in a listening rut. All Bon Iver and Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm. After the Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You", I felt Bon Iver would be perfect. But while listening to All Songs Considered's wrap up of the Newport Folk Festival, I heard a track by The Low Anthem, "Charlie Darwin." This satisfied my need to put Bon Iver in the mix, without actually using a Bon Iver track, and also I felt I had a good chance of surprising Matt with thus track. Hushed and amply bathed in reverb, this track sent chills up my spine the first time I heard it.

Matt countered with a song from one of my favorite groups, Pink Martini. "Hey Eugene" is the title track from their latest album. These guys (and girl) are incredible musicians, most of them are members of the Portland Symphony. They sing in countless languages mixing classical, latin, big band, and pop. I will post again sometime about how I was first exposed to this band, it's a pretty funny story. I wanted to steer the mix away from the horns and R&B stuff, since I am easily pulled into anything with horns, and I figured "Bedlam", from Elvis Costello and The Imposters 2004 release The Delivery Man. This was a Lost Highway release and I loved the entire album. There are slow ballads and duets with Emmy Lou Harris, and then there are raucous, loud and obnoxious tunes like "Bedlam". I felt like the mix needed a shot of something raw and fierce. Red Meat for the Soul, if I may.

Matt chose "Use It", by The New Pornographers, and it seems like the band picked up perfectly where "Bedlam" left off. The call and response nature of this mix is really starting to ring true for me. My next selection was from an album that came out early last week, the much awaited new disc from The Avett Brothers and Rick Rubin, I and Love and You. I picked "Kick Drum Heart" since the song has a piano line similar to the one in "Use It", and the end of the song feels like a good finisher. Matt and I agreed these last two songs would wrap up the mix. Lots of folks thought working with Rubin would ruin this band. These trolls who want a band to never grow or change drive me crazy. Matt wrapped up the mix with a beautiful song from Johnny Cash, a cover of Will Oldham's "I See a Darkness", with Oldham on backup vocals. I have to admit to never really giving Oldham a shot, and I had never heard this track. I really need another job to support all of the new music I need to buy. This mix really turned out way better than either of us dreamed, and I really can't wait to start another.

Our Playlist.com player at the bottom is inaccurate, so we will Publish this as an iMix thru iTunes.

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