Editor’s note: DeadJournalist.com proudly presents Jon Wolf’s monthly mixtape. As always, to get all the links, join his mailing list: highlyrecd (at) gmail.com or visit his Web site: http://highlyrecd.blogspot.com . And also join me in offering congratulations to Jon and his wife on the upcoming addition to their family!
HIGHLY REC’D – THE MONTHLY MIXTAPE
Because good music is a right, not a privilege.
October ’09: “One Kiss Was Far Too Much For Me”
1. The Features – Blow It Out
2. Favours For Sailors – I Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams
3. Electric Tickle Machine – Part Of Me
4. BOAT – Friends Since 1989
5. BOAT – God Save The Man Who Isn’t All That Super
6. Fun. – All the Pretty Girls
7. Public Radio – Forgot Love
8. Jack Penate – Pull My Heart Away
9. Klaus – New Dawn
10. Throw Me The Statue – Ancestors
11. The Burning Hotels – Austin’s Birthday
12. Cats On Fire – Tears In Your Cup
13. Girls – Lust For Life
14. Foxboro Hottubs – Ruby Room
15. The Black Hollies – Paisley Pattern Ground
16. Charlie Pickett – All Love All Gone (1986)
17. Ryan Adams – Lost and Found
18. Charn – Happier Than Me (special thanks: Local Vertical)
19. Julie Doiron – When Brakes Get Wet
20. Hospitality – Betty Wang
21. Voxtrot – Berlin, Without Return…
22. Sea Wolf – Wicked Blood
23. Greg Fine – Come Back Again
24. Air Castles – Broken Watches
Breaking News Feature: Congratulations Constellations!
Atlanta’s very own The Constellations have signed to Virgin Records!
We are all very proud and happy for our friends in the group, we have been fans and supporters since the very first “Love is a Murder” demo (with the way too expensive Nancy Sinatra sample, but you can still hear the “bang, bang” performed at their outstanding live shows), and I have done my best since then to get their name and music out to every possible venue because I believed that they were good enough for the big time and that people are always interested in big, fun music like this. I believe the industry calls it “crossover appeal”. Either way, it’s always nice to see someone actually get what they are working toward, quit their day job, and become rich and famous, and we are all thrilled for the group and wish them the best: just don’t fuck it up! (I’m serious!)
The video for their next single “Perfect Day” will be released on Oct. 3rd via Raygun.
New Feature: “If You’re Happy and You Know It…”
I have to thank Heather at I Am Fuel You Are Friends for turning me on to The Features, this month’s lead-off track was “new to me”, but actually five years old. The band had a new album, Some Kind of Salvation, released in June and a whole lot of worthwhile music before that.
Not As New Feature: ALL CAPS!
BOAT, not Boat, have been around since at least 2003, but have only really started to get attention in the past few years, strong comparisons to Pavement are common, and apt (apt I say!), and also remind me of fun bands like Bishop Allen, really looking forward to the new album, Setting the Paces.
Rare Feature: Mainstream Music?!
I hope I do not come off a a complete music snob every month, that is def not my intention, I realize that being introduced to 20 new bands every month that you may never hear from again can be a little bit of overload, but I still listen to everything, and still enjoy major bands who know their audience and still own their sound, even if they have fallen out of favor with “the kids”. But if following what “the kids” listen to has taught me anything, it’s that they never like anything for very long and usually go back to the originals as soon as it’s least cool to do so.
So here are a few recent “majors” from this year that still know what their fans want to hear (also, this month’s entry from Foxboro Hottubs is actually a 60′s novelty side project from Green Day, so you could throw them on this list as well):
U2 – Breathe
Muse – Uprising
Pearl Jam – Got Some
David Gray feat. Jolie Holland – Kathleen
Dave Matthews Band – Spaceman
