What I'm Listening To - Winter 2008

This one's all over the map. We've got punk, proto-punk, proto-goth, rock, pop, J-pop, industrial, country, and a couple of tracks that even I'm not sure where they fall. You got lucky, there was a doo-wop track and an electronic dance track that got cut due to time restraints (no, really). There's something in this one for everyone to hate. I love it. All of the Winter WILTs seem to turn out like this - It must be something with the season.
Actually, this one almost never came out. I realized as I was packing up all of my CDs last month that I had to record this one ASAP before I came out to Illinois with my first load of crap, or else there wasn't gonna be a Winter '08 WILT. It's kinda hard to throw together a mix when your media sources are 750 miles away. I got it done in the midst of the maelstrom - Lucky you.
Here's what you almost missed:
Liner Notes:
1) 1,000 Homo DJs - Supernaut
from the 1990 EP Supernaut
This EP came out back when I was going out to clubs and underground parties in Chicago every other night. Whenever this track came on the kids went fucking wild.
Memories.
This is yet another Ministry side project. The vox are either Trent Reznor or Al Jorgenson (depending on who's version of the story you believe), and the song itself is the Black Sabbath classic from Black Sabbath, Vol. 4.
2) Turbonegro - You Must Bleed/All Night Long
from the 2007 album Retox
More guitar-driven madness from everyone's favorite Norwegian death-punk group.
3) The Dwarves - We Must Have Blood
from the 1997 album The Dwarves are Young and Good Looking
I can't believe that this album came out over a decade ago. There's a load of filthy, filthy memories tied to this album. Wouldn't trade 'em for the world.
4) The Patti Smith Group - Rock n Roll Nigger
from the 1978 album Easter
I've been listening to a bunch of proto-punk stuff lately. Easter is one of my favorites from that scene. This song used to be one of the standard examples of the CBGB punk scene, but has been shelved from the collective consciousness due to obvious 'PC' complications (not the kind that end up with a CPU being thrown through a window). I still say it's one of the best tracks to come from that movement.
5) Warsaw - The Drawback
from the 1977 album Warsaw
Warsaw is Joy Division before they were Joy Division. In 1978 they added a keyboardist, and changed their name.
There are a couple of Ian Curtis/Joy Division films that are coming out within the next few months, so I included this to help you all get used to the impending resurgence.
Now you can let all the hipsters and goth kids know that Warsaw was far superior to Joy Division to gain an aire of supremacy over 'em.
If you want to start a fight, tell 'em that the band was much better after Ian killed himself and the remaining members formed New Order. It always works.
6) Snuff - A Hazy Shade of Winter
from the 1990 album Flibbidydibbidydob
Who doesn't love a bunch of drunken scooter ridin' London herberts? These guys came together back in the mid 80's and cranked out 15 records over two decades. This one's off of their cover album.
7) Against Me! - Thrash Unreal
from the 2007 album New Wave
I'm still digging their new album. This is a good song... Um... That's all I got.
8)Regina Spektor - That Time
from the 2006 album Begin to Hope
One of my friends suggested that I pick up this record - Not quite my thing, but not bad.
This song is on here, because it seems to be based (almost to a tee) on my summer of '95 - switch out ' Delancy' with 'Sacramento', tangerines' with 'mangoes', 'pigeon' with 'squirrel', 'Parliaments' with 'L&Ms', throw in another OD and you've got it.
Apparently, I was dating Regina Spektor back then and somehow completely forgot about it. Who knew?
9) Tommy Heavenly - Hey My Friend
from the 2005 compilation JPop CD, Vol. 2
This is another track from Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls), but wasn't included on the soundtrack. By the way, if you still haven't seen that film, what are you fucking waiting for? It's awesome. The Girl managed to track this song down on a JPop comp. All of you WILTers should know this artist by her other moniker, Tommy February 6. This is her alter-ego. We love them both.
10) Foetus - Time Marches On
from the 2005 album Love
Yup, It's another J.G. Thirlwell track. You know you can't get enough. This track is from his flagship project (Foetus) and was also included on my video WILT a ways back.
11) The Copyrights - Kids of the Blackhole
from the 2007 album Make Sound
This song totally reminds me of Barb City back in the 7DA days and the degenerate kids who used to haunt the record store. Sometimes I miss those little bastards - This one goes out to them.
12) The Bomb - 1,000 Tons of Ice
from the 2005 album Indecision
This is Jeff Pezzati's short-lived band from his Naked Raygun hiatus. I really liked this last album, and it still has a couple of WILT-worthy tracks left on it. This is one of 'em.
13) Drag the River - Portland
from the 2006 Replacements tribute We'll Inherit the Earth
I've been shuffling this song through WILT play-lists for damned near a year now, only to drop it because it never seems to fit. This time I made it fit, dammit. This, also, was on the aforementioned video WILT.
14) James McMurtry - One More Winter
from the 1995 album Where'd You Hide the Body
I picked up this record right after it was released, and it's been in regular rotation ever since. I have a bunch of his other stuff, but none of it rises to the brilliance of this record.
This track goes out to the city of DC.
15) Steve Earle - Johnny Come Lately
from the 1988 album Copperhead Road
I first heard this song as a cover on the Drag the River album, Live At the Green Door. I liked the cover and I like Steve Earle's stuff, so I picked up this album (off of the Plano Wal-Mart bargain wall, oddly enough). Now I can't get this song out of my head. Make it stop.
16) Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - City of New Orleans
from the 2006 web-comp Fat Wreck Chords' X-Mas Bonus
This one goes out to Steve Goodman. He's the guy who wrote this song and the annoying-as-all-fuck "Go Cubs Go" song. I'm just glad he's dead, so I'm not tempted to curb him after hearing that shitty ditty endlessly all fucking season long.
Fucking great! I just got that stupid song stuck in my stupid head just from writing this stupid note. Damn you, Steve Goodman! {shaking fist at ground}
17) The Methadones - Falling Forward
from the 2007 album This Won't Hurt...
This is off of the brand-new Methadones album - So far it's my favorite record of 2007. You'll be hearing a lot more from this one in WILTs to come.
18) The Bouncing Souls - Lean on Sheena
from the 2006 album The Gold Record
This song is catchier than human papillomavirus (HPV), but (according to our ongoing research) won't leave embarrassing warts on your genitals. That's a plus.
Also, it's a great drinkin' song - Who doesn't love those? Warning: Drinking to excess can lead to contracting HPV. So, if you get drunk while listening to this song, then venture out for some easy action out at the bar, this song could (inadvertently) lead to HPV.
There goes my research.
19) F.Y.P. - I'm Gonna Kill Her
from the 1999 F.Y.P./Chaniwa Split EP
That last note made my head hurt. This track is the cure (not to be used as a cure for HPV - go see a doctor for that), a straight forward simple rock song. I love those, and this is one of the best.
FYI: This is one of the discs I got from the Suburban Home 50 for $50 sale.
20) Bad Religion - Dearly Beloved
from the 2007 album New Maps of Hell
Yup, Bad Religion is still putting out records. Apparently they can't be professors and millionaire businessmen all of the time.
They had a suck spot back in the mid '90's through to the early '00's, but are now back to putting out quality records. The last 3 have been pretty damned good. Seriously.
21) The Murder City Devils - Every Shitty Thing
from the 1998 album Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts
I'm laying it out there that this was one of the 10 best albums of the 1990's... Okay, one of the 20 best albums of the 1990's... Nope, 10. I'm pretty sure. Definitely, one of the top 15. Probably.
22) Ben Weasel - In a Bad Place
from the 2007 album These Ones are Bitter
This is the first (and last) album that I ever bought from iTunes. Actually, I had The Girl download it for me, but it was an album purchased for me through iTunes (I hate them sooo much). I had her rip it to CD for me, and I printed and assembled all of the artwork - LINK. Then like a week later, I found out that he was doing a limited Vinyl (plus bonus CD) run of the album - I bought that too. I'm a fucking sucker swindled by the digital music revolution.
Oh, The album is really fucking good. Almost forgot to mention that.
23) Wolf Parade - This Heart's on Fire
from the 2005 album Apologies to the Queen Mary
This was another recommendation from a friend. I'm really digging it, and there are a couple more tracks on this one that might end up on future comps. I had planned on being really clever (in my own mind) and following this up with the Ink Spots 1940's classic 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire' (one of my favorites). That song ran 15 seconds too long (stupid fuzzy math), thus blowing my best laid plans to smithereens. Then I had to rush to find a good song that came in at under 2 minutes and 35 seconds.
24) The Falcon - Building the Perfect Asshole Parade or Scratching Off the Fleas
from the 2004 EP God Don't Make No Trash or Up Your Ass with Broken Glass
Clocking in at 2:32, I present: This track.
This is a damned fine track too, and fits in well. It's in my (and Ed's) current rotation, and is a great song to boot.
It's just not 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire". Dammit.
That's what I get for leading off with a six and one-half minute industrial dance track; which if you're listening to this album on repeat (recommended) is coming up next...
Begin at top and repeat.
--end--

Well, there you go: That's it.

Here's the rules (which you all should know by now):
1) It's FREE
2) I'm only doing fifty (50) of these
3) Shoot your mailing address to dclies(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll mail you out a copy
4) First come, first served

I'm gonna be back in IL (for good) in a couple of weeks and out at the DC bars a couple of times before I leave, so if you want to reserve a copy until I see you, I can do that too.
Just let me know.

-Liar-