Monday 21 December 2009

The Art of the Mix Reunion


Side One
  1. Darker My Love - Pale Sun [Dead Man]
  2. The Green Pajamas - This Angel's On Fire [valis]
  3. The Fratellis - Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night [Jenergy]
  4. Tune-Yards - News [tornadoZ]
  5. Gomez - If I Ask You Nicely [Mesh]
  6. Two White Horses - Good Times Are Gone Forever [saaf]
  7. Ruby Andrews - You Made A Believer [Sport!]
  8. Luke Haines - Love Letter To London [ofthaltned]
  9. Yo La Tengo - Here To Fall [Pop Kulcher]
  10. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes [natalyesaurus]
  11. Earlimart - The World [sbessg]
  12. David Bowie - Memory Of A Free Festival [Rob Conroy]
  13. Doveman - The Best Thing [barrydali]
  14. Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why [XYZ]
  15. Evening Hymns - Dead Deer [Anthony Lombardi]
  16. Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer - Redemption Song [Franklin Onn]
  17. The Concretes - Chico [Siobhan]
  18. Miles Davis - Mr Pastorius [DJ Karen]

Side Two
  1. Banda de Jesus - Livin' Is Funky [Muzag]
  2. Laura Branigan - Self Control [bear]
  3. Girls - Hellhole Ratrace [p the swede]
  4. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp [sammyg123]
  5. New Order - The Village [Nomates]
  6. Locas in Love - I Am Downright Amazed at What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer [Mixxer]
  7. Minnow - Out Of The Woods [moe]
  8. The Buckinghams - Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song) [Mr Mirage]
  9. TV On The Radio - Young Liars [Ken Harris]
  10. The Tripwires - Big Electric Light [French Connection]
  11. The Billy Nayer Show - Reno [Jonpoi]
  12. Area Scatter - A Tit For Tat [blasikin]
  13. Doug Dillard - Clinch Mountain Backstep [lanhamyodel]
  14. Slaid Cleaves - Tumbleweed Stew [Mark Petrucelli]
  15. Damien Youth - Clancy [George Metadata]
  16. Wynton Kelly - Autumn Leaves [Doowad]
  17. Jolie Holland - Don't Get Trouble On Your Mind [Texas Hobart]
  18. Count Basie Orchestra - April In Paris [Strange Loop]

Side Three
  1. The Radiators - Fess Song [gobi]
  2. The Fresh & Onlys - Peacock & Wing [James Phoenix]
  3. A.C. Newman - Take On Me [doowadette]
  4. I Love Math - The Shape Of The Sum [buglady]
  5. Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky [hemizen]
  6. Finishing School - Page 16 [Salman1]
  7. The Velvelettes - He Was Really Saying Something [retrojoe]
  8. Train - I Got You [njr]
  9. RB Morris - City [avocadorabbit]
  10. Roisin Murphy - Orally Fixated [Luke 79]
  11. Chrome Kids - Chrome Plated Elbow (Grounds for Divorce Remix) [Thomas_Mohr]
  12. Tortoise - Monument Six One Thousand [g.a.b l@bs]
  13. The Soundcarriers - Let It Ride [plushpig]
  14. The Factory - Path Through The Forest [McDonald12]
  15. Deer Tick - The Ghost [Funky Ratchet]
  16. Four Blazes - Raggedy Ride [joey de vivre]
  17. Billy Vera & Judy Clay - Storybook Children [The Misfit]
  18. Atlas Sound - Quick Canal [curtis_burns]

The years 2006 & 2007 were my favourite years on the old site. Others who joined earlier than myself may cite earlier years , but for me, this was the golden period. In early 2008, disaster struck and the AotM site was struck with a virus so bad some thought it'd never recover (which in some respects is true).

We could have all gone our separate ways and probably would have had it not been for Todd (a.k.a Dead Man) who worked tirelessly, I'm sure, throughout the whole of last year and finally launched our new home 'ZerO' in the early weeks of 2009. And it's been a great year in our new home. I love ZerO, the layout is nice on the eye, posting a mix is a doddle (cut and paste!) and it never crashes. The stats are constantly updated which is a fantastic feature. And there's a Mix of the Week every week! And not every 2 months like on our former home.

And while the old site is something of a ghost town nowadays, it's easy to forget just how many friends I made during those years. And so the idea of a reunion mix was born. I emailed a selection of some of my favourite mixers from those years, asked them for a song that was currently buzzing in their head, and the response was great. About 90% got back to me - so thanks very much.

Lots of old names here that hopefully will spark a bit of nostalgia in some. A few name changes of course - The French Connection is now Frenchy, McDonald12 now Scottpsych, Ken Harris is now Khradioguy, Rob Conroy now simply Rob C. Mark Petrucelli is now Petrocks, and Salman dropped the 1 from his name (of course there's only one Salman). I decided, though, to keep my silly username for sentimental reasons!

Anyway, there's some great tunes here, you've excelled yourselves my mixing chums. Oh, and one more thing - I was always going to let Dead Man kick off this mix. Even before he submitted a more than worthy track 1 ...

Saturday 19 December 2009

That'll Be Christmas


Side One
  1. Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
  2. Darlene Love - Marshmallow World
  3. Sufjan Stevens - Get Behind Me, Santa!
  4. The Joseph And Mary Chain - The Twelve Days Of Christmas
  5. Thea Gilmore - That'll Be Christmas
  6. Joy Zipper - Christmas Song
  7. The Kinks - Father Christmas
  8. Mew - She Came Home For Christmas
  9. The Decemberists - Please Daddy, Don't Get Drunk This Christmas
  10. Low - Just Like Christmas
  11. Of Montreal - My Favorite Christmas (in a Hundred Words or Less)
  12. The Black Arts - Christmas Number One
  13. Denim - I Will Cry At Christmas
  14. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
  15. The Aislers Set - Christmas Song
  16. Big Star - Jesus Christ
  17. Bright Eyes - White Christmas
  18. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - The Lovesick Snowman

Side Two

  1. Fucked Up - Do They Know It's Christmas
  2. Animal Collective - Winter Wonder Land
  3. Clinic - Christmas
  4. The Bird and the Bee - Carol of the Bells
  5. The Free Design - Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)
  6. Margo Guryan - I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You
  7. Half Man Half Biscuit - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
  8. Remington Super 60 - Chistmas Song For Melanie
  9. St. Etienne - I Was Born On Christmas Day
  10. Hello Saferide - I-Pod X-Mas
  11. Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time
  12. The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride
  13. Summer Hymns - Santa Couldn't Fit You Under My Christmas Tree
  14. Would-Be-Goods - Christmas In Tahiti
  15. Suzannah - Mom & Daddy, Please Don't Steal For Me This Xmas
  16. Martin Newell - Christmas in Suburbia
  17. Joni Mitchell - River
  18. Tom Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis

I love Christmas songs. I love 'Last Christmas' by Wham, Stop the Cavalry, In Dulce Jubilo. I love The Pogues and Kirsty Maccoll. Heck, I even quite like Mariah Carey's festive offering (the only Mariah song I do like, you understand?)

But most of all I love Phil Spector's 'A Christmas Gift For You', not just my favourite Christmas album, but one of my favourite albums of all time. 2 songs from that album make it onto this, my first ever Xmas mix. Yes, after 5 years of posting (some 250) mixes on the 'net, I've finally been bothered to make one. And of course I've left all the aforementioned songs off it. Well, you can buy compilations with these tracks on in Asda for a fiver can't you.

You can't buy this though. It's free! Ho ho ho..

Saturday 12 December 2009

Top 40 Commercial Pop/Urban/Dance Tracks of the 2000's


  1. Kylie Minogue - Slow
  2. Britney Spears - Toxic
  3. Amerie - 1 Thing
  4. N.E.R.D Feat. Lee Harvey & Vita - Lapdance
  5. Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
  6. Aaliyah - We Need A Resolution (Feat. Timbaland)
  7. The Roots - The Seed
  8. Coldplay - Clocks
  9. Emma - Maybe
  10. Liberty X - Just A Little
  11. Kelly Rowland - Work
  12. Mary Mary - Shackles (Praise You)
  13. Gwen Stefani - Cool
  14. Pink - There You Go
  15. Alphabeat - Fascination
  16. Outkast - Ms Jackson
  17. Spiller - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
  18. Jamelia - Superstar
  19. Katy Perry - Hot 'n' Cold
  20. NSYNC - Girlfriend (The Neptunes Remix Feat. Nelly)
  21. Lily Allen - LDN
  22. Basement Jaxx - Romeo
  23. McFly - All About You
  24. Faith Evans - Love Like This
  25. Kelis - Caught Out There
  26. Shola Ama - Imagine
  27. Twista feat Kanye West - Slow Jamz
  28. The Kooks - Naive
  29. Deep Dish - Flashdance
  30. Beyonce - Irreplaceable
  31. Beenie Man - Street Life
  32. Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me
  33. Rui Da Silva featuring Cassandra - Touch Me
  34. Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love
  35. Chingy - Balla Baby
  36. Montell Jordan - Get It Tonight
  37. Sugababes - Freak Like Me
  38. Sunshine Anderson - Heard It All Before
  39. Pharrell Williams-Frontin' (ft Jay - Z)
  40. Gnarls Barkley - Smiley Faces

My Top 250 tracks of the past decade is choc full of great tunes. The full links are now up, and I hope a few of you discover new favourite songs whilst listening. The list seems to suggest that the majority of my favourite songs of the 2000's weren't commercial hits, and while that may be true it wasn't a conscious decision to omit 'big hit singles'.

But save for a couple of Girls Aloud tunes, Beyonce & Jay -Z, Kate Nash and Dizzee Rascal, that's exactly what it did. So I thought I'd compile a Top 40 (naturally) list of my favourite 'pop' singles of the decade. And looking down the list, I believe any one of these tracks could've sat in my 'official' Top 250. And indeed, certainly the top 5 here should've done. But too late now.

So why 'Slow' at number 1? Because it's fantastic, of course. It has a mesmerizing 'Giorgio Moroder' feel to it which makes it, for me, a modern day 'I Feel Love'. Kylie's best song ever, and pop hit of the decade...

..well apart from the aforementioned Girls Aloud and Beyonce tracks of course :)

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Sammy's Top 250 Tracks of the 2000's


  1. The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed
  2. Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
  3. The Russian Futurists - Let's Get Ready To Crumble
  4. Ambulance Ltd - Anecdote
  5. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - You Are What You Love
  6. Mr. Wright - Anna Karina
  7. Johnny Boy - You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve
  8. Fruit Bats - Rainbow Sign
  9. Lambchop - Grumpus
  10. The Kingsbury Manx - New Old Friend Blues
  11. The Minders - Go Wave Your Wand
  12. Yo La Tengo - You Can Have It All
  13. Sunshine Fix - Sail Beyond The Sun
  14. U.N.P.O.C. - Avignon
  15. The Pillbugs - I Don't Really Mean to Freak You Out
  16. Goldenboy - Wild Was The Night
  17. Edwin Moses - I'll Be Around
  18. Pepe Deluxe - Girl!
  19. Miracle Fortress - Have You Seen In Your Dreams
  20. The Clientele - Bookshop Casanova
  21. David Kilgour - BBC World
  22. Battles - Atlas
  23. The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
  24. Sebastien Tellier - Divine
  25. Girls Aloud - Biology
  26. Listen With Sarah - Blue Parsley
  27. The Shins - Fighting In A Sack
  28. Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You
  29. The Junipers - Gordie Can't Swim
  30. Phoenix - Too Young
  31. Simian - La Breeze
  32. The Knife - Heartbeats
  33. The Broken Family Band - Where The Hell Is My Baby
  34. Tyde - Go Ask Yer Dad
  35. Irving - Lovely, Just Like Her
  36. Of Montreal - The Party's Crashing Us
  37. Daisy Daisy - Michelle Plays Ping Pong
  38. Belle And Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
  39. The Heavy Blinkers - Maplewood
  40. Acid House Kings - Do What You Wanna Do
  41. The Sights - It'd Be Nice (To Have You Around)
  42. Wilco - I'm The Man Who Loves You
  43. Richard Hawley - You Don't Miss Your Water (Till Your River Runs Dry)
  44. Beth Gibbons And Rustin Man - Mysteries
  45. Kelley Stoltz - Ever Thought Of Coming Back
  46. The Botticellis - The Reviewer
  47. Matias Tellez - Yes Indeed
  48. Benji Hughes - Baby, It's Your Life
  49. Kevin Tihista's Red Terror - O. K.
  50. Acid Casuals - Bowl Me Over
  51. The Shortwave Set - Slingshot
  52. Aberfeldy - Love Is an Arrow
  53. The Pillbugs - If You Can't Remain
  54. The Crayon Fields - Impossible Things
  55. The Russian Futurists - Paul Simon
  56. Yo La Tengo - Mr Tough
  57. The Telepathic Butterflies - Love Is For Hire
  58. Edwin Moses - (I'm Feeling) So Much Better
  59. Hal - Play the Hits
  60. Those Dancing Days - Those Dancing Days
  61. Guided By Voices - Glad Girls
  62. Guillemots - Trains To Brazil
  63. Swan Dive - A Few Thousand Days Ago
  64. Joy Zipper - Check Out My New Jesus
  65. The Explorers Club - Forever
  66. Pernice Brothers - Cronulla Breakdown
  67. Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
  68. Brakes - Hold Me In The River
  69. Common - 6th Sense
  70. Daniel Saturn - Riverside
  71. Math and Physics Club - A Little Romance
  72. The Twin Atlas - Sleep In Late, Laugh All Night
  73. Of Montreal-Penelope
  74. Au Revoir Simone - Through The Backyards
  75. The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me
  76. Viva Voce - Lesson No. 1
  77. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
  78. Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
  79. Mercury Rev - The Dark Is Rising
  80. Asobi Seksu - I'm Happy But You Don`t Like Me
  81. Fiery Furnaces - Single Again
  82. Mate - Cada Vez Que Amanece
  83. The Bird And The Bee - So You Say
  84. The Cribs - Mirror Kissers
  85. Field Music - A House Is Not A Home
  86. Super Furry Animals - Juxtapozed with U
  87. Bell X1 - Snakes & Snakes
  88. Cornershop - Topknot
  89. Feist - Mushaboom
  90. Apples In Stereo - Go
  91. Caesars - Fun And Games
  92. Superimposers - Would It Be Possible
  93. Eux Autres - Ecoutez Bien
  94. Polytechnic - Pep
  95. Clinic - The Second Line
  96. Devendra Banhart - At the Hop
  97. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
  98. Coral - Dreaming Of You
  99. Decemberists - The Crane Wife 3
  100. Annie - Chewing Gum
  101. Tyde - Henry VIII
  102. The Shortwave Set - Harmonia
  103. Tiny Volcano - Summer Solstice
  104. Figurines - Half Awake, Half Aware
  105. The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights
  106. The Pillbugs - Get Away For The Summer
  107. Rita Calypso - Believe
  108. Rogue Wave - Bird On A Wire
  109. Second-Hand Furniture - Nice Try, Sunshine!
  110. The Pets - A lighthearted love song
  111. Of Montreal - Jennifer Louise
  112. Pelle Carlberg - I Love You, You Imbecile
  113. Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks
  114. Sufjan Stevens - The Transfiguration
  115. Kioki - Do And Don't For Love
  116. The Hidden Cameras - Smells Like Happiness
  117. Jay Z - I Just Wanna Love You
  118. Girls Aloud - The Show
  119. The School - Let it Slip
  120. 747s - Rain Kiss
  121. Acid House Kings - This Heart Is A Stone
  122. Beck - Golden Age
  123. Cathy Davey - Trade Secret
  124. The Concretes - Seems Fine
  125. Dr. Dog - Old News
  126. Elephant Parade - Goodbye
  127. The Bees - Chicken Payback
  128. Espers - Rosemary Lane
  129. The Essex Green - This Isn't Farmlife
  130. Grand Atlantic - Peace Be With You
  131. Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around
  132. Luke Vibert & BJ Cole - Swing Lite - Alright
  133. King Creosote - You Are Could I
  134. The Long Blondes - Giddy Statospheres
  135. The Love Substitutes - Give The People What They Want
  136. The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
  137. Sidonie - Sidonie goes to Varanasi
  138. Silver Sunshine - Way Up In The Big Sky
  139. Stellastarr - Somewhere Across Forever
  140. Two Gallants - Miss Meri
  141. The New Pornographers - The Electric Version
  142. Apples In Stereo - The Rainbow
  143. Grand Archives - Louis Riel
  144. Hello Seahorse! - Won't Say Anything
  145. Herman Dune - I Wish That I Could See You Soon
  146. Lucky Soul - Struck Dumb
  147. The Minders - Give Me Strength
  148. The Shins - New Slang
  149. Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers
  150. The Polyphonic Spree - Soldier Girl
  151. Husky Rescue - Summertime Cowboy
  152. Gomez - Ruff Stuff
  153. Mercury Rev - Nite & Fog
  154. Crayon Fields - Mirror Ball
  155. Jim Noir - Key Of C
  156. Cosmic Rough Riders - Baby, You're So Free
  157. Frou Frou - Breathe In
  158. Orwell - Everywhere
  159. The Pillbugs - Faceless Wonder
  160. The Hidden Cameras - A Miracle
  161. Of Montreal - Disconnect The Dots
  162. The Sleepy Jackson - Good Dancers
  163. Cody Chesnutt - Look Good in Leather
  164. Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum
  165. Mylo - Destroy Rock & Roll
  166. Malajube - Montréal -40C
  167. Halcali - Hello, Hello, Alone
  168. Larrikin Love - Happy As Annie
  169. Simple Kid - Lil' King Kong
  170. Beyonce ft. Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
  171. Death By Chocolate - Ice Cold Lemonade
  172. Aimee Mann - Save Me
  173. The Shins - Phantom Limb
  174. The High Llamas - The Old Spring Town
  175. Islands - Rough Gem
  176. Lollipop Train - Teenage Trifle
  177. The Telepathic Butterflies - A Final Word
  178. Carrots - Spending Chocolate Coins
  179. Vampire Weekend - Boston
  180. The Earlies - No Love in Your Heart
  181. The Frames - Happy
  182. Dressy Bessy - Second Place
  183. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
  184. Psychid - Split Lip Sucker
  185. Cat Power - The Greatest
  186. The Little Ones - Let Them Ring The Bells
  187. Royksopp - Eple
  188. The Chemical Brothers - Galaxy Bounce
  189. MGMT - Time to Pretend
  190. Strawberry Fair - Why Won't He Answer
  191. Shimmer Kids Underpop Association - Tones In Orbit
  192. Beachwood Sparks - Sister Rose
  193. Belle And Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo
  194. Clem Snide - Ice Cube
  195. Sonny J - Belly Bongo
  196. Sufjan Stevens - Romulous
  197. Ben Kweller - I Need You Back
  198. Yukari Fresh - Trip To Aloha State
  199. M.I.A. - Galang
  200. Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
  201. Jim Noir - A Quiet Man
  202. Interpol - Evil
  203. Jack Penate - Spit At Stars
  204. The Loch Ness Mouse - Judy
  205. Lazyboy feat Roddy Frame - Western Skies
  206. Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa
  207. Moonbootica - Listen
  208. Wolfie - A Checkered Begonia
  209. Kate Nash - Foundations
  210. Zita Swoon - Everything Is Not the Same
  211. I Am Kloot - Twist
  212. Neon Neon - I Lust U
  213. The Zillions - Don't Waste Your Tears On Me
  214. El Goodo - If I Were A Song
  215. Plush - Greyhound Bus Station
  216. Snowglobe - Happy
  217. Fischerspooner - Emerge
  218. She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here
  219. Yeasayer - Sunrise
  220. Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
  221. The New Pornographers - All The Old Showstoppers
  222. The Dreadful Yawns - End of Summer
  223. Tom Vek - Nothing But Green Lights
  224. Oliver Knight - South Sea's
  225. The Crimea - Lottery Winners On Acid
  226. Erlend Øye - No Train To Stockholm
  227. ClouddEAD - Dead Dogs Two (Boards of Canada Remix)
  228. Grandaddy - Miner At The Dial-A-View
  229. The Clientele - Somebody Changed
  230. Outkast - B.O.B
  231. The High Dials - Desiderata
  232. Shack - Oscar
  233. The Thrills - One Horse Town
  234. Eberg - Plastic Lions
  235. Mazarin - For Energy Infinite
  236. Evils - Banjo-Uke Blues
  237. Strawberry Whiplash - Who's In Your Dreams
  238. Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
  239. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Sister Surround
  240. Fabienne DelSol - Don't Throw Your Love Away
  241. The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players - Eggs
  242. Flaming Lips - Fight Test
  243. Washington Social Club - Breaking The Dawn
  244. The Bees - Who Cares What The Question Is
  245. The Mountain Goats - Magpie
  246. Los Campesinos! - We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives
  247. David Vandervelde - Wisdom From A Tree
  248. Wild Beasts - Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants
  249. Le Tigre - Hot Topic
  250. Primal Scream - Country Girl

I thought I'd start working on this early December to give myself enough time to compile my end of year Top 50's. Originally intended as a Top 100 tracks of the decade, it soon became a Top 200 with loads of other fantastic songs knocking on the door that just had to be included. So, I decided on a 250 and stuck with that.

Completed on Monday, I've spent the last 2 evenings chopping, changing, re-jigging, adding, deleting. And finally I'm happy with the end result. For now..

..ah sod it SUBMIT!