The Big Man’s Brew - Volume One
"Sleep brings relief, and the hope of a new day"
I'm part of a small group that sends mix CDs to one another. Bluedhalia came to me with the idea. What's odd is that I was looking for a group to do the exact same thing about 6 months ago.
Once a month we make a mix CD, and mail it to the other 6 names on the list. It's a way for all of us to experience music we have never heard before. It'll take a lot for them to come up with music I am not familiar with. ;) I take that back, the K-man is part of the group, and I am sure he will have some oddball stuff on there.
Here's the first CD I sent out, with a brief description of each song I added to the slip sheet.
The Big Man’s Brew - Volume One
01} Muse - New Born [6:02]
Don’t be fooled by the soft, keyboard-driven opening. Thunderous guitars and drums follow quick-like.
02} Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache [4:58]
Monstrous melodic metal, but the killer part is the lyrics. If you just read them you’d swear this was a Tori Amos tune. Plus dude can flat out sing.
03} King’s X - Fade [3:25]
Head bobbin’, throw back hard rock. Guttural guitar riffs straight outta hell.
04} Jack Off Jill - Lovesong [3:34]
Jessicka and crew killed this Cure song. This actually eclipses the Cure original, and I like them.
05} Eric B & Rakim - Juice [Know The Ledge] [4:00]
C’mon. Late 80’s/early 90’s East Coast rap was Rakim’s kingdom. Big Daddy Kane is the only one that can come close, but Rakim will always be the victor.
06} DJ Shadow - High Noon [4:00]
The single best musician around today. This is what Mozart would be making if he was around today. Dense, layered, heavy, complicated, gorgeous. Just when you think he can’t add on anymore, he piles a crash of cymbals on top of the mix. The drums on this song are insane!
07} David Byrne - Glass, Concrete & Stone [4:13]
Byrne is weird. Odd. Kooky. It seems like his solo work is even more abstract than the Talking Heads catalog. Is that even possible? Rhythm is the backbone of this song.
08} Augustana - Stars and Boulevards [4:22]
An iTunes freebie that slowly became one of my favorite tunes to blossom from last year. It’s just good, heartfelt rock ‘n roll. Nothing wrong with that.
09} Calexico + Iron and Wine - He Lays In The Reins [3:43]
I’m a huge Iron and Wine fan. Sam’s music, lyrics, and vocals can just about do no wrong. Add the multi-talented Calexico to the mix, and gold is found in them thar hills. This one is on constant repeat while driving home. An odd mix of folk and Spanish opera, with a tinge of old school country.
10} Ryan Adams - La Cienega Just Smiled [5:03]
I get picked on for worshiping Adams more than any other musician/band. No one else I know likes the man. He is by far the most diverse musician around today. From his Whiskeytown days to his solo albums, he has always been different. Usually no two albums sound alike, or are even in the same genre. This is a wistful tune hat just floats along. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
11} Sean Watkins [f. Glen Phillips] - Let It Fall [4:01]
Watkins is one third of the amazing bluegrass band Nickel Creek. This tune is off of his first solo album, which is completely instrumental except for this one. Glen Phillips, formerly of Toad The Wet Sprocket, adds delicate vocals, and Jerry Douglas contributes his world-known-and-respected dobro to complete ”Let It Fall.”
12} Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - It’ll All Work Out [3:45]
I’ve been a Petty fan for a long time, but only discovered this tune this year. It’s the opening song for Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, and I adore this song. There’s just something about it that stops me dead in my tracks.
13} Bill Monroe - My Last Days On Earth [4:38]
Bill Monroe should be more widely recognized and revered. He is the father of bluegrass, and one of the greatest composers of all time. This was the last song he ever wrote, and I discovered it shortly after my grandfather passed away. My grandfather was a huge bluegrass fan, and even played the mandolin and guitar. Every time I hear "My Last Days On Earth" it makes me think of him, and makes me wish I would have found bluegrass earlier.
14} Dwight Yoakam - The Back Of Your Hand [3:08]
For me Dwight is hit-or-miss. When he’s on, it is flawless. When he’s off I cannot skip through fast enough. He is on in a big way with ”The Back Of Your Hand.”
15} Team Sleep - Blvd Nights [demo] [4:54]
Team Sleep is the Deftones’ Chino Moreno’s side project. I found the CD to be lackluster, but for a few songs. This demo was a free download from yourstandardlife.com, and is much better than the cut that made the final release. Extremely atmospheric.
16} Interpol - NYC [4:19]
This seems like a post-9/11 theme song for New York. Maybe I’m wrong, it’s just a vibe I get.
17} Jimmy Eat World - Drugs Or Me [6:26]
Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American dominated my ears for the better part of a year. Except for the signature hit, ”The Middle.” To this day I think that is the weakest song on that CD. ”Drugs Or Me” is the only song I like off of the follow-up, Futures, and is worthy of Bleed American. Maybe I’ll switch it out for ”The Middle,” and have an even more enjoyable CD.
18} The French Broads - America Police [4:39]
The French Broads is a local band from here in the big K-town. The name French Broads comes from a local river. Band leader John T. Baker is a great songwriter and guitarist. ”America Police” is a sly look at socio-political system in our fair land.
Until next time:
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." - Miles Davis
I'm part of a small group that sends mix CDs to one another. Bluedhalia came to me with the idea. What's odd is that I was looking for a group to do the exact same thing about 6 months ago.
Once a month we make a mix CD, and mail it to the other 6 names on the list. It's a way for all of us to experience music we have never heard before. It'll take a lot for them to come up with music I am not familiar with. ;) I take that back, the K-man is part of the group, and I am sure he will have some oddball stuff on there.
Here's the first CD I sent out, with a brief description of each song I added to the slip sheet.
The Big Man’s Brew - Volume One
01} Muse - New Born [6:02]
Don’t be fooled by the soft, keyboard-driven opening. Thunderous guitars and drums follow quick-like.
02} Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache [4:58]
Monstrous melodic metal, but the killer part is the lyrics. If you just read them you’d swear this was a Tori Amos tune. Plus dude can flat out sing.
03} King’s X - Fade [3:25]
Head bobbin’, throw back hard rock. Guttural guitar riffs straight outta hell.
04} Jack Off Jill - Lovesong [3:34]
Jessicka and crew killed this Cure song. This actually eclipses the Cure original, and I like them.
05} Eric B & Rakim - Juice [Know The Ledge] [4:00]
C’mon. Late 80’s/early 90’s East Coast rap was Rakim’s kingdom. Big Daddy Kane is the only one that can come close, but Rakim will always be the victor.
06} DJ Shadow - High Noon [4:00]
The single best musician around today. This is what Mozart would be making if he was around today. Dense, layered, heavy, complicated, gorgeous. Just when you think he can’t add on anymore, he piles a crash of cymbals on top of the mix. The drums on this song are insane!
07} David Byrne - Glass, Concrete & Stone [4:13]
Byrne is weird. Odd. Kooky. It seems like his solo work is even more abstract than the Talking Heads catalog. Is that even possible? Rhythm is the backbone of this song.
08} Augustana - Stars and Boulevards [4:22]
An iTunes freebie that slowly became one of my favorite tunes to blossom from last year. It’s just good, heartfelt rock ‘n roll. Nothing wrong with that.
09} Calexico + Iron and Wine - He Lays In The Reins [3:43]
I’m a huge Iron and Wine fan. Sam’s music, lyrics, and vocals can just about do no wrong. Add the multi-talented Calexico to the mix, and gold is found in them thar hills. This one is on constant repeat while driving home. An odd mix of folk and Spanish opera, with a tinge of old school country.
10} Ryan Adams - La Cienega Just Smiled [5:03]
I get picked on for worshiping Adams more than any other musician/band. No one else I know likes the man. He is by far the most diverse musician around today. From his Whiskeytown days to his solo albums, he has always been different. Usually no two albums sound alike, or are even in the same genre. This is a wistful tune hat just floats along. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
11} Sean Watkins [f. Glen Phillips] - Let It Fall [4:01]
Watkins is one third of the amazing bluegrass band Nickel Creek. This tune is off of his first solo album, which is completely instrumental except for this one. Glen Phillips, formerly of Toad The Wet Sprocket, adds delicate vocals, and Jerry Douglas contributes his world-known-and-respected dobro to complete ”Let It Fall.”
12} Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - It’ll All Work Out [3:45]
I’ve been a Petty fan for a long time, but only discovered this tune this year. It’s the opening song for Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, and I adore this song. There’s just something about it that stops me dead in my tracks.
13} Bill Monroe - My Last Days On Earth [4:38]
Bill Monroe should be more widely recognized and revered. He is the father of bluegrass, and one of the greatest composers of all time. This was the last song he ever wrote, and I discovered it shortly after my grandfather passed away. My grandfather was a huge bluegrass fan, and even played the mandolin and guitar. Every time I hear "My Last Days On Earth" it makes me think of him, and makes me wish I would have found bluegrass earlier.
14} Dwight Yoakam - The Back Of Your Hand [3:08]
For me Dwight is hit-or-miss. When he’s on, it is flawless. When he’s off I cannot skip through fast enough. He is on in a big way with ”The Back Of Your Hand.”
15} Team Sleep - Blvd Nights [demo] [4:54]
Team Sleep is the Deftones’ Chino Moreno’s side project. I found the CD to be lackluster, but for a few songs. This demo was a free download from yourstandardlife.com, and is much better than the cut that made the final release. Extremely atmospheric.
16} Interpol - NYC [4:19]
This seems like a post-9/11 theme song for New York. Maybe I’m wrong, it’s just a vibe I get.
17} Jimmy Eat World - Drugs Or Me [6:26]
Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American dominated my ears for the better part of a year. Except for the signature hit, ”The Middle.” To this day I think that is the weakest song on that CD. ”Drugs Or Me” is the only song I like off of the follow-up, Futures, and is worthy of Bleed American. Maybe I’ll switch it out for ”The Middle,” and have an even more enjoyable CD.
18} The French Broads - America Police [4:39]
The French Broads is a local band from here in the big K-town. The name French Broads comes from a local river. Band leader John T. Baker is a great songwriter and guitarist. ”America Police” is a sly look at socio-political system in our fair land.
Until next time:
"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." - Miles Davis
posted by The Big Man | 7/06/2006 12:28:00 PM
1 Comments:
the mixed cd exchange group is a very cool idea. a friend of mine and i used to do that but a big move and rarely seeing eachother has put a halt to that unfortunately. recently i met a girl that seems to have similar tastes in music as i do, so we've been talking about stuff for me to check out. i like your lists, i think i've got a few things to check out, potentially download. so thanks.
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