Soft Rock for Hard Times

When I set off to traverse the nation with Calvin, I had been in a full-swing soft rock binge. The result was a series of cassette mix tapes I made from my favorite dollar bin ballads that I entitled "Soft Rock for Hard Times." Calvin is lucky, because I somehow lost two of these in the move, and he saved himself hours of listening to Bread, the Eagles, America, etc.

Low and behold, hard times befell me again on the eve of this winter, so I put together another cassette. I figured I would share with you my favorite soft rock anthems that have made it on most of these mixes that I seem to misplace and lose as soon as I make them.

This last one I burnt to CD so that I could listen to it when my sweetheart and I drove up to her folks' place for thanksgiving. The CD player broke, and that CD kept playing, even when the car was off and the keys removed from the ignition. That's how you know it was good.


One of my favorite dollar bin soft rock albums. Their second album is nowhere near as good as this one. Doug Yule from the almighty Velvet Underground shed his urban grime to be the rhythmic roots to this breezy affair. George Martin quit the Beatles to produce this record. Pure beauty.


The rest of this record is not too strong, but it is worth snagging out of a 50 cent bin all for this magnificent nugget. Some record stores might pay you to take it off their hands.


I like to build it all up to this. After a good Stevie Nicks or Steely Dan burner or a nice touch of 10CC I bring the mix home with a classic like this.

Hypercage Record Club

In Philly, there is this party called making time. Everyone in the city goes to it, especially like, bros from outside the city. However, it is run by some of the RVNG people and they book good bands or DJs. The two I've attended were for Sebastien Tellier and Tensnake. I dragged Calvin to another that Holy Ghost played, and they were really boring. Making Time people just started a mailing list for a monthly mix cd, and low and behold, it is quite an excellent mix. They've got a good touch for the kind of house music that will keep Indie kids moving, so most of this is to the poppy side of the house spectrum, and I don't really have a problem with that. Nothing too obscure here, lots of stuff I've heard, even one or two I own. This one is brought to us by Pink Skull and a few philadelphia local djs. They call it the hypercage because the upstairs room where shit gets really housey and techno styled has a big cage on the dance floor, i think. Download the mix here if you want, and see the tracklist below. Or sample on soundcloud.

1. Neurotic Drum Band – Neurotic Erotic Adventure (Dub Mix)
2. Crimeax - Liubov
3. Hot Toddy – Won’t Let Go
4. Rollmottle – Take A Break (Maurice Fulton Remix)
5. Dextrax – E-Glez
6. Kid Deep – Looking 4 Someone
7. Chamboche – On The Streets (Brontosaurus Remix)
8. LSB – Cosmic Wild Boar
9. Scissor Sisters - Any Which Way (Tensnake Remix)
10. Cosmic Kids – Reginald’s Groove
11. Sun, Sun, Sun – Curious (Instrumental)
12. Murphy Jax ft. Mike Dunn – It’s The Music
13. Pete Heller – Nu Acid
14. Prinzhorn Dance School – Off The Radar, Off The System
15. The Glimmers & Baby G – Esta Si Esta No (In Flagranti Remix)
16. Munk – La Musica (Azari & III Remix)
17. MMM – Donna
18. Triangle Orchestra – The Strip

Mariah Carey has a new christmas album yaaaa'lll what?! feat. Mariah's mom!

Best Bruce Springsteen Cover of the Year

I guess this has nothing to do literally, or even conceptually, with the boss' "The River." But, it does have something to do with very serene synthesizers, heavy, (phil collins let's put the mic IN the floor tom) echoing drums, and a floating E2-E4 guitar solo to wash you away.

I'm sad to miss out on the album release party for this with CFCF & Herc and the Love Aff, but I am seeing Lindstrom this Saturday! Sick.

I Went to a Rave on Halloween

I did. It was weird. The music left me disappointed, but the costumes were good. I thought I should tell someone. It was in Philadelphia. I'm moving back there, btw. That is also weird. I'm going to miss the rubntug/runaway parties that happen here in new york. Oh well, I'll save hundreds of dollars a month, which is important when you don't have an income.



I guess last year was a big year for Levon Vincent, but I'm just now really getting into his sound. Could be a return for me into house with this kind of dub techno lean. I guess I got so grossed out by dubstep that I wasn't really open to the more Basic Channel or straight dub techno sounds out there. I mean, I still liked some of that stuff, and even have some good 12"s from a few years back that are great, but hadn't really stayed up on it. This is the kind of stuff I would have been more happy to hear at a rave. Or like Fred P. or Omar S. Any recommendations along these lines, anyone?

You can download a pretty good mix he put together at mnml ssgs.

Jesus is Red White and Blue

I looked into this on a recommendation from a friend who found it and was ecstatic about it. First listen and I wasn't sold. Fifth listen and its all I've listened to today. Something good going on here. Somewhere between the off kilter white dude funk, 5th Dimension cheese, and the Streisand/Bacharach lounge vibe is something totally and wholly human that reminds me that I am, in fact, alive. This record has Gospel, Funk, Soul, Lounge, and enough cheese to top your taco.

Cincinnati Joe and Mad Lydia

Proto Techno to Robo Techno

I just picked up this reissue of the Tolerance LP Anonym originally released in 1980 on Vanity Records. People herald it as a proto-techno record. Their second LP, Divin, was on the Nurse With Wound List and can be downloaded here. Unfortunately, I don't have a digital copy of Anonym to share. I think at times that it does get a nice proto acid house sound. Very creepy ambiance, so take this as my Halloween contribution, but what sold me on it was the percussion and synth builds that congeal in a few of the songs. Again, this is frustrating because there is not youtube or digi version of Anonym for me to play the tracks that I like the best. More info here....

I'm sure you guys are familiar with the Minimal Wave label and already probably have preset feelings towards electro new wave etc, but for one reason or another I've been really enjoying Deux's Decadance LP, and I think that label does a fair job of rolling out hits. I guess there isn't anything too robotic or too techno about this, unless we can count their Kraftwerky synthesizers, I just wanted to write a clever title. I know we had that BIPP compilation at kcpr when I was there, and I think they were on that. It's pop music. Looked around for a download of it, but I'm coming up empty.

You know that band Cold Cave? Well I got their first 12" cause it was a philly thing and what not. Problem was, I thought it sounded waaayyy better played at 33 rpm than 45 rpm. It made it all harsh and industrial and beautiful. Anyways, I think Deux's record at times sounds a little like I wish Cold Cave sounded like.

I'm rereading this post and it doesn't make much sense. Chill.