Opinions No One Asked For

Happy birthday, Listmaker. I just want to say how grateful I am for your years of friendship and mix making. Even though they come at a slower pace these days, I still cherish each one even when not made specifically for me. In response to your latest wonderful compilation, here is my report card. In case any readers out there haven't already downloaded their copy I say quit yer stalling and click on the link now. You'll be glad you did as the mix is full of hits and the reviews below will make a lot more sense. Now, on to the nonsense:

1. The Searchers – Hearts in Her Eyes – I think this is how you started that first mix for me way back in 1994 perhaps? Oh how much has changed. Instead of camp counselors you are now a teacher of children and I manage adults who act like children; you are no longer making mixes on cassette with covers made of rubber cement and old report cards and instead post them as digital files with photo covers for others to print; One thing that has not changed is the viselike grip that power pop has on your soul. A-
2. Nick Lowe – Rollers Show – Maybe it’s the Republican method wherein constant repetition becomes truth but this song makes me desperate to hear the Bay City Rollers. I thought they were a much-maligned bunch of castoffs but if the Jesus of Cool gives his seal of approval, count me in. A
3. Deerhoof – Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back – I now hate Deerhoof, basketball, Dick Vitale and all music thanks to this utterly horrendous puzzler of a “song.” F
4. The Feelies – Loveless Love – You know how Ian Mackaye’s entire musical output all stems from The Minutemen’s “This Ain’t No Picnic”? Well, this song is The Technical Jed’s “This Ain’t No Picnic.” A
5. Caribou – Eli – I liked him better when he was in the Dictators but this is still lovely. Breezy like a summer's day and soft focus like a Summer’s Eve commercial. B+
6. The Dodos – Jody – Drum and Guitar duos are kind of the dodos of the music scene what with Meg White on semi-permanent hiatus and the singer from the Black Keys putting out a solo album but these dudes make me nostalgic for those ugly, awkward, flightless birds. I love the insistent strumming, clattering percussion and the out of step intro and outro on this one. Marvelous perfection. A+
7. Rodriguez – Rich Folks Hoax – What if Donovan had something to say besides moon-eyed semi-poetic nonsense? It still wouldn’t be as ass kicking as this song. So gorgeous I nearly fell over the railing of my yacht. A
8. Jacques Dutronc – Hippie Hippie Hoorah – What is making that sick sound? And I mean sick in both the old “ill” sense of the word as well as the new “illin’” meaning. B+
9. Ify Jerry Krusade – Everybody Likes Something Good – True. Very true. Even Hitler apparently had a soft spot for puppies and soaring classical music. B+
10. Young-Holt Trio – Wack Wack – At first I thought this didn’t hold a candle to the live version, and while I still love the raw insanity of that version, I’ve come to appreciate the professionalism on this one as well as the weird bowed bass/distorted vocal parts. A good song for every elementary school orchestra to learn. A-
11. The Baseball Project – Harvey Haddix – As compelling as “Hurricane” when it comes to story songs based on real life crimes that have devastating effects. Perhaps, like that story, this song will lead to an overturned ruling. A
12. John Fogerty – I Can’t Take It No More – Speaking for disgruntled baseball nerds everywhere, John Fogerty, a man who will forever be associated with the sport thanks to “Centerfield,” screams his head off about the injustices of Harvey Haddix’s lack of a perfect game acknowledgement. B+
13. Gentleman Jesse – Highland Crawler – At first I thought you were breaking the cardinal rule and including the same artist twice on one mix but then I realized this isn’t “So It Goes.” Close call there, Raphael. Is this band the Mayflies USA of the late 2000s? A-
14. Sloan – Cheap Champaign – This band deserves their almost-ran status. Their songs are effervescent and pleasing but leave little trace once they’ve trickled down your throat. I couldn’t sing you a single line from any of their songs. B+
15. Gilberto Gil – Frevo Rasgado – This could be the theme song to the creepiest children’s show ever. Creepier than anything Sid and Marty Kroft ever dreamed up. B
16. Stormy – The Devastator – Standard Issue Soul Song #23-F. B
17. The Records – Teenarama – You already blew my mind once with this song but you’ve done it again. Every time I revisit it I find a new favorite line. Currently it’s “First bra/Too far” which I think perfectly sums up the ultra-creepiness and heavy, heavy guilt this song is trafficking in. B
18. The Collins Kids – Hot Rod – From a song about teens to a song by teens. The wish for a speedy death machine is great but she knows she has to wait until she’s legal. Maybe she should hang around with the hussy from the Records song and teach her a thing or two about the beauty of patience and delayed gratification. B+
19. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Gardenia – This song is as good as any legendary Pavement gem. I like his jams but I like the short bursts of perfection too. A+
20. Alemayehu Eschete – Tchero Adari Negn – Like James Brown blessed with voodoo power and itching powder. B+
21. Jo Ann Garrett – Goin’ Man Huntin’ – An update on The Most Dangerous Game? B
22. Crooked Fingers – Your Control – Hot damn this is an amazing song. Once again relegated to the cheap seats, Eric Bachmann will not be deterred. A+
23. Bon Iver – For Emma - A beautiful song and a perfect closer. Too bad the same can't be said for Harvey Haddix. A