You Better Mind

The Mississippi Sheiks - The World Is Going Wrong
The Memphis Sheiks - After The Superbowl
Guy Davis - Run Sinner Run
Colin Linden - There Would Be Hell To Pay
Chris Smither - Can’t Shake These Blues
South Memphis Jug Band - Dr. Medicine
Jimmy Rodgers - Goin’ Away Baby
Kelly Joe Phelps - Where Do I Go Now?
Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee - You Better Mind
Precious Bryant - The Truth
Robert Belfour - My Baby’s Gone
Dom Flemons - Looks Like Another Lonely Moon
Corey Harris - Where The Yellow Cross The Dog
Elizabeth Cotton - Oh, Babe, It Ain’t No Lie
Jimmy Reed - Hush Hush
Pig In A Can - Talkin’ Tupelo Blues
Blind Willie McTell - Talkin’ To Your Mama
T-Model Ford - If I Had Wings
Peter Case - So Glad You’re Mine
Eric Bibb - Bring It On Home To Me

“I’ve been using You Better Mind as a working title,” said Texas Hobart in an email to Avocado Rabbit as the pair exchanged songs back and forth in this acoustic blues mix. “That works for me,” was the reply and, simple as that, a title was born. Nothing very clever or profound. It just seemed right, and so did this mix. We hope you feel the same.

As Blind Willie McTell once said, “The blues ain’t nothin’ but a good man feelin’ bad.” What more can you say? It’s the blues, and if you’re feeling bad it will make you feel, well … better.

As usual, there is a quiz. One of the musicians here is the son of two actors. Which one and who are his parents?

we’ll sneak into the promised land

northern portrait - Crazy
sara groves - All right here
alias & tarsier - Dr. c
lambchop - The new cobweb summer
alan parsons project - Eye in the sky
the nazz - Open my eyes
of montreal - A Sentence of sort in kongsvinger
carbon leaf - Love, loss, hope, repeat
the national - It never happened
jude cole - Speed of life
chris isaak - I’m not waiting
the exciters - Tell him
the litter - Whatcha gonna do about it
paul cebar & the milwaukeeans - Didn’t leave me no ladder
mark moulin - Humpty dumpty [placebo sessions]
the displacements - Down and Out
broadcast - Before we begin
hezekiah jones - Albert hash
tom waits - Jockey full of bourbon
kelly joe phelps - Window grin
gary allan - Smoke rings in the dark
parker & lily - Hey sin jau

The Promised Land means many things to different people. To mixers freemethodist and Avocado Rabbit it might have referred to finally completing their collaboration after weeks of trying out songs before sending them back and forth to one another. Individually and, in the case of the mix on this page, it could have a deeper meaning. Each of us knows what wilderness must be crossed before reaching our salvation.

But let’s not get too serious. The mix was very enjoyable to put together and to hear the finished product. We think it will put a smile on your face, too.

And here is the quiz: Which band here took its name from a song by The Yardbirds?

Pandora's Groove Box

Al Green - Here I Am
Angie Stone - U-Haul
The O'Jays - Backstabbers
Ike & Tina Turner - I Can't Believe What You Say
Marvin Gaye - Baby Don't You Do It
Irma Thomas - Hittin' on Nothin'
Benny Sings - We'll Make Lovesongs
Todd Rundgren - Mighty Love
Isaac Hayes - Shaft
Sam Cooke - Wonderful World
Little Milton - That's What Love'll Make You Do
Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is
Aretha Franklin - You Send Me
The Righteous Brothers - You're My Soul and Inspiration
Sugar Simone - I Want To Know
The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her
The 5th Dimension - Stoned Soul Picnic
Xscape - In The Rain
Deetah - Relax
Chocolate Genius - Love
Prince - Pop Life
Huck Daniels - Foolish Man
The Meters - Cabbage Alley
William Bell - I Forgot To Be Your Lover

When sammyg123 and avocado rabbit made their first mix together, the finished product was woefully lacking in the affirmative action, equal opportunity department. It was too damn white, we said. So the two intrepid mixers agreed to do a follow-up mix with songs that would probably be classified as rhythm and blues, a category near and dear to my heart.

Of course, just because a song has soul doesn’t mean it has to be sung by black singers just as the President of the United States doesn’t necessarily have to be a white person, so I slipped in tunes by Todd Rundgren (a cover) and The Righteous Brothers.

Anybody can have a little soul and here’s a mix that brings it out. It also comes with a quiz as usual. One of the songs on the mix was sampled for the Dilated Peoples track “Worst Comes To Worst.” Which one?

ECONOMETRY – A Primer

Disk 1
Disk 1
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Dow Jones Syndrome [Avocado Rabbit]
Down And Out In New York City - James Brown. [njr]
Wall Street Blues - Procol Harum [Johnny Dark]
The Wall Street Shuffle - 10cc [RetroJoe]
Todd Snider - Dividing the Estate (A Heart Attack) [Funky Ratchet]
Horse Feathers - Working Poor [e.buster]
The Bailes Brothers - Has The Devil Got A Mortgage On You? [Strange Loop]
Gang of Four - Capital [Mr. Mirage]
Lila Downs - Minimum Wage [Doowad]
Robyn Archer - Supply And Demand [Yaminon]
The Beatles - You Never Give Me Your Money [Avocado Rabbit]
Hunters & Collectors - Back on the Breadline [njr]
The Newtown Neurotics - Living With Unemployment [Johnny Dark]
Barrett Strong - Money (That's What I Want) [RetroJoe]
Kurtis Blow - Hard Times [Funky Ratchet]
Gang of Four - To Hell With Poverty! [e.buster]
Jimmy Smith - Recession Or Depression [Strange Loop]
Omar & The Howlers - Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty [Mr. Mirage]
El Trí - Casa, comida y sustento [Doowad]
Little Milton - We're Gonna Make It [Yaminon]

Disk 2
Phil Harris - Brother Can You Spare a Dime [RetroJoe]
Ray Charles - Busted [Mr. Mirage]
Frankie ‘Half-Pint’ Jaxon - The Mortgage Blues, Part 1 [njr]
Wreckless Eric - Take The Cash [Yaminon]
Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown - Dollar Got the Blues [Strange Loop]
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Lien on Your Dreams [Funky Ratchet]
The Chi-Lites - (For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People [gabechouinard]
The O'Jays - Laid Off [Johnny Dark]
Sonny Boy Williamson I - Welfare Store Blues [Doowad]
Cat Power - Lord Help the Poor and Needy [Avocado Rabbit]
The O'Jays - For the Love of Money [RetroJoe]
The Circle Jerks - When the Shit Hits the Fan [Mr. Mirage]
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - Hard Times [njr]
Jackie Wilson - No Pity in the Naked City [Yaminon]
Royal Crown Revue - Datin' with no dough [Strange Loop]
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity [Funky Ratchet]
B.B. King - Chains & Things [gabechouinard]
Ted Lewis & His Band - Headin’ For Better Times [Johnny Dark]
Randy Newman - Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man) [Avocado Rabbit]
Bob Dylan - Workingman’s Blues #2 [Doowad]


Here we are, a few months after the recession officially started and the economy has gotten worse, or is worsening, or has worsened. It’s so bad even my grammar and syntax are in a slump. And, by the way, shouldn’t congress institute a “syn-tax” to help fund all these bail-outs? From what I read in the papers and see on the news, there’s no shortage of sin or sinners.

Remember the economic stimulus package that President W came up with to give taxpayers back some of their own money, the idea being that they would revive the US economy by buying TV sets that were made in China? Doesn’t it seem a little comical now that the annual Christmas buying splurge has gone into the books as a total disaster?

Of course, that hasn’t stopped rich automakers from begging for their own $50 billion stimulus package. That gave “Kristen,” the prostitute who screwed (literally) the governor of New York, from asking for her own bail-out (again literally). She claims since she is no longer able to pursue her chosen profession, the federal government needs slip her some hundreds in a plain white envelope.

The price of gasoline soared to over $4 a gallon prompting Republicans to call for increased oil drilling everywhere, even in cemeteries and Dick Cheney’s backyard. Meanwhile, the Democrats called for a massive effort to find alternative energy sources, including wind, sun, tides, Al Gore and dragon’s breath. Less than enthused with Congress, Americans began buying less gasoline.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac invested $17 billion in an organic pizza franchise. The Clintons are reported to be in debt to the tune of $9 million with TV advertising and hairspray for Hillary being the two largest expenditures. Governor Palin spent $26 million of Alaska taxpayers’ money to build a tower with a telescope so the people “can better keep an eye on the Russians across the bay.”

Chrysler announces plans to lay off workers that haven’t even been hired yet. The only product that seems to be exceeding sales expectations is the new iPhone enhanced with the capability of sucking pieces of brain out through your ear. McCain tells top aids in a conference call that he wants a running mate capable of filling his shoes. Unfortunately he is speaking into an iPhone (which is sucking out his brain cells), and his aides think he said “someone who is capable of killing a moose.”

The fed finally cuts off AIG after its executives are caught selling crack cocaine at a middle school. Banks begin failing after years engaging in lending practices ranging from highly questionable to moronic, so the government says why not give these institution another $100 billion, generously provided by taxpayers.

The economy stabilizes for all of 3.3 seconds before it resumes going down the toilet.
Then the stock market plummets farther as investors realize that the only thing that had been keeping the economy afloat was the millions of dollars spent daily on TV commercials for presidential candidates explaining how they would fix the economy.

The National Bureau of Declaring Things That Make You Go "Duh" declares that the nation has been in a recession since December 2007. The bureau also points out that, according to its statistical analysis, "For some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods." The president's Council of Economic Advisers warns that the current recession "could spiral downward into a full-blown depression," leaving the United States with "no viable economic option but to declare war on Japan."

So you can see where the concept of this mix is coming from. We gathered together the best and brightest economic minds on AotM and seated them at a roundtable. We ordered take-out (no $15 thousand bottles of wine) and the ten of us selected the songs for this mix. The organizers – Doowad and Avocado Rabbit – wish to thank Retro Joe, Funky Ratchet, Strange Loop, NJR, Yaminon, Mr. Mirage and Johnny Dark, for their particpation. In the course of our roundtable, we had our own crisis of sorts, our best wishes go out to Ethel Buster who was only able to sit for disk 1 and our warmest thanks to Gabe Chouinard who filled her chair quite admirably on disk 2.

The members of the roundtable would like to leave you with a single piece of advice, and that is “If you have any money left, you should spend it soon.”

Hollow Ancient Eyes

1. Willie Nelson - Still Is Still Moving To Me
2. The Avett Brothers - Salvation Song
3. Iron & Wine - Dearest Forsaken
4. Son Volt - Mystifies Me
5. Vic Chesnutt - Kick My Ass
6. Jimmie Dale Gilmore - I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
7. Roger Miller - Whistle Stop
8. Lefty Frizzell - Jose Cuervo
9. Giant Sand - Increment of Love
10. The Mollys - Cash For Gold
11. 13th Floor Elevators - I Had To Tell You
12. The Waco Brothers - Bad Times Are Coming Round Again
13. Moby Grape - Ain’t That A Shame
14. Jerry Jeff Walker - Long Old Dusty Road
15. Blanche - Scar Beneath The Skin
16. Dave Alvin - Abilene
17. Neil Halstead - Phantasmagoria In Two
18. Tindersticks - Waiting For The Moon
19. Mando Diao - Mr. Moon
20. The Old 97s - Question
21. Nanci Griffith - You Asked Me To
22. John Prine - Hello In There
22. Hello In There - John Prine

The jumping off point for this mix was decidedly different from anything I had done before. It all began with the image that you see on the front cover artwork and developed from there. From my perspective, I tried to imagine what the two men may have been saying to each other or thinking. It was apparent that each had so many memories to share with the other. And that was the way Funky Ratchet and Avocado Rabbit approached the mix, sharing memories of songs and comments about their choices.

Matt sent along a quotation from John Lancaster Spalding, which I thought was particularly relevant to this project. "As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape."

Each one of us has but one life to live and passing along memories of that lifetime to one’s family and friends and sometimes to larger audiences is an opportunity to keep your light burning even after you’ve left this earth. Perhaps Sainte Teresa of Avila said it better when she wrote, "Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life. If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing."

Those words made me think in the same way the image we began this mix with did. Making mixes is one thing both Matt and I care about, even if we only have this one lifetime to make them. In that spirit of sharing, we hope everyone enjoys this mix.

As usual, here is a quiz to answer. Which of the musicians on this mix first drove Jimmy Buffett to Key West in, of all cars, a Packard?

Feathered Friends

When we started this mix my cohort, Sara, was sbbseg. She has since been married and changed both her name and her user name, in the latter case to ucelluccia. Just like a woman, as the poet Dylan would say.

This mix started out as a free-flowing, see what happens thing and quickly evolved into a thematic ode to birds, our feathered friends. I think ucelluccia and avocado rabbit started to become friends during the making of this mix, and the pair are already working on a follow-up.

In the words of the Scot James Matthew Barrie: “The reason that birds fly and we can’t is simply that for to have faith is to have wings.” What he tells us is that we can fly spiritually; we just don’t realize it.

And now for the quiz: Which musician once opened a Cajun restaurant in Boston’s Back Bay?

1. Iggy Pop – The Passenger
2. My Morning Jacket – Golden
3. Limbeck – Bird Problems
4. Fields – Schoolbooks
5. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – The Gold Finch & The Red Oak Tree
6. Richie Havens – High-Flying Bird
7. The Beatles – Free As A Bird
8. John Vanderslice – Up Above the Sea
9. Goldfrapp – Little Bird
10. The Juliana Hatfield Three – For The Birds
11. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – Fallen From The Sky
12. Mary Gauthier – Soft Place To Land
13. Sons and Daughters – The Nest
14. The Rosebuds – Shake Our Tree
15. Jenny Lewis – Pretty Bird
16. Jesse Harris – Wish I Was A Bird
17. Jesse Baylin – Sparrow
18. Loree Alexandria – Baltimore Oriole
19. Annie Lennox – Little Bird
20. Carly Simon & James Taylor – Mockingbird

Good To The Last Drop of Summer

It’s a little embarrassing that it’s taken this long for our mix to get posted. Things happen. At any rate, what has finally emerged is this paean to summer from njr and avocado rabbit, compiled at a time when the last drops of summer were being squeezed from the early September skies.

Who better to give us the inspiration for this double-disc set than the eternal beach boy himself, Brian Wilson.

“Another car running fast,
Another song on the beach,
I take a trip through the past,
When summer’s way out of reach.”

As for the quiz: What two songs are linked by musicians that once performed together?

disc one
01. Your Imagination – Brian Wilson
02. We’ll Go Walking – The Silver Seas
03. Keep Moving – Ivy
04. Don’t Stop The Dance – Bryan Ferry
05. All For Swinging You Around – The New Pornographers
06. Grace – Supergrass
07. She’s My Best Friend – Lou Reed
08. Woman – John Cale
09. You Know I’m No Good – Amy Winehouse
10. MayOnaka Wa Jyunketsu {Midnight Chastity} – Ringo Shina
11. Better Man – Martina Sorbara
12. When She Believes {live} – Ben Harper
13. Hey Jude – Wilson Pickett
14. Stairway to Heaven – Rodrigo y Gabriela
15. Travels – Pat Metheny Trio
16. Jota Do Porta Do Cabo – Sharon Shannon & Carlos Nunez
17. Ingots – Kaki King
18. Why Georgia – John Mayer
19. What Does It Mean Now? – World Party

disc two
01. World Party – The Waterboys
02. Book of Life – I-Wayne
03. Summer – India.Arie featuring Rascal Flatts & Victor Wooten
04. Fade – Solu Music featuring Kimberlee
05. Summer Goddess – Soil and “Pimp” Sessions
06. Summer Son – Texas
07. Födelsedag {Birthday} – Per Gessle
08. As Is – Amy Rigby
09. A Change Would Do You Good – Sheryl Crow
10. Clear Blue Day In Limbo – Stew
11. It’s A Fine Day – Jane
12. Here Comes The Sun – Nick Cave
13. Las Abarcas – Perdã
14. Don’t Steal Our Sun – The Thrills
15. Waterfront – Irene
16. U Know What’s Up – Donell Jones
17. Folhas Secas – Yoshihide Otomo & Ground Zero
18. A Round Figure – Solex
19. 8 Point Agenda {version two} – The Herbaliser featuring Latryx
20. Summer of the Drugs – Soul Asylum
21. La Danza de Los Mirlos – Los Mirlos

it’s all hopeless, but it’s not serious

1. owen – who's found who's hair in who's bed
2. cat power – back of your head
3. beck – lost cause
4. amy rigby – better stay gone
5. the velvet teen – forlorn
6. the new year – the newness ends
7. chris walla – our plans, collapsing
8. the new pornographers – my rights vs. yours
9. say hi to your mom – prefers unhappy endings
10. steven jackson & the leavers – the leavers and the left-behinds
11. rogue wave – love's lost guarantee
12. cheri knight – white lies
13. pedro the lion – bad diary days
14. bob mould – the silence between us
15. the magnetic fields – i'll dream alone
16. loudon wainwright iii – our own war
17. idlewild – live in a hiding place
18. the beautiful south – hot on the heels of heartache
19. nada surf – always love
20. quasi – i never want to see you again

Going through a break-up is never easy, neither for the leaver nor the left-behind. And who cannot relate from first-hand experience? But in the words of the poet, Ms. Browning: “I would rather experience a hopeless love than a passionless love.” In other words, it is better to have loved and lost as long as you loved (and were loved) well.

This is the first of two alt-dj mixes from natalyesaurus and avocado rabbit. Natalye is not big on capital letters as you can see above, and her mixing partner wants to cheer her up.

But of course there is a quiz: Which band in this mix is led by a husband and wife who have split up?

Law & Order SVU: Season One

Heinous crimes indeed! I’ve always been drawn the investigations of Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), a tough cop trying to protect his family from the horrors of the world and his equally tough but compassionate partner, Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), herself the child of a rape.

In Season One of an ongoing mix series (how long no one knows) on the Law & Order franchise, tough but compassionate mixers Doowad and Avocado Rabbit once again join forces to bring mixing justice to all.

1. Mike Post – Law & Order SVU Theme Song
2. Neil Young – Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero, pt. 1)
3. Iris Dement – Letter to Mom
4. John Prine – Six O’Clock News
5. Robby Baier – Dead End
6. Ry Cooder – Dark End of the Street
7. Franky Perez – Something Crazy
8. T-Bone Burnett – Criminals
9. Teddy Thompson – Missing Children
10. Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown
11. Nina Gordon – Black & Blonde
12. Nirvana – Polly (acoustic demo)
13. The Brandos – The Solution
14. Ween – Object
15. Mark Knopfler – Victims (Last Exit to Brooklyn OST)
16. The Who – Fiddle About (original Tommy version)
17. Merle Haggard – Branded Man
18. The Rolling Stones – Stray Cat Blues (Ya-Ya’s version)
19. City High – 15 Will Get You 20
20. Johnny Copeland – Ghetto Child
21. Joe Henry with Madonna – Guilty By Association

If I Could Write A Song Like Daniel Treacy, Would You Consider Wasting Some Time With Me?

The title choice comes from Anthony Lombardi. I don’t know if he could write a song like Daniel Treacy or not, but he does make a darn fine mixing partner. He and Avocado Rabbit promise this won’t be a waste of your time.

There is a quiz, as usual. Answer this question: What song above contains the phrase used for the mix title?

1. Kevin Tihista's Red Terror – Oh
2. Martha Wainwright – Hearts Club Band
3. Calexico – Cruel
4. Okkervil River – You Can't Hold The Hand Of A Rock and Roll Man
5. The National – All The Wine
6. Elliott Smith – Division Day
7. Chris Mills – Suicide Note
8. Nina Nastasia – Regrets
9. Poi Dog Pondering – Collarbone
10. The Raconteurs – Rich Kid Blues
11. Paul Kelly & Uncle Bill – You Can't Take It With You
12. Micah P. Hinson – Patience
13. Kasey Chambers – Dam
14. The DØ – Stay (Just A Little Bit More)
15. The Bird & The Bee – Again and Again
16. Bedroom Eyes – Hand-in-Hand Grenade
17. Eels – Love of the Loveless
18. Sunfold – Shapeshiftin'
19. The Waifs – Fourth Floor
20. The Dreadful Yawns – Candles

embryonic renovations

People are equating the word “embryonic” with stem cell research, a hot button topic in modern times if ever there was one. Science wants to pursue all options -- umbilical, placental and embryonic – as a pathway to stem cell cures, offering hope to the millions of people that suffer from life-threatening conditions. Right-to-Lifers take an opposing viewpoint on this ethical issue.

Another usage for “embryonic” is to describe humankind’s progression through time and space. As our species evolves, hopefully we gain wisdom along with knowledge.

In the words of Gail Sheehy, “With each passage of human growth we must shed a protective structure [like a hardy crustacean]. We are left exposed and vulnerable - but also yeasty and embryonic again, capable of stretching in ways we hadn't known before.”

With numerous challenges facing both our society and all civilization, it is time to look towards these embryonic renovations on our pathway to the future.


This mix comes to you from FoolThemAlland avocado rabbit. The songs have been renovated into a continuous mix or, if you prefer, individual tracks.



1. The Mountain Goats – First Few Desperate Hours
2. Ramsey Midwood – Spinnin’ On This Rock
3. American Mars – Cuban Heel
4. Drive-By Truckers – Daylight
5. The Decemberists – Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect
6. Counting Crows – Perfect Blue Buildings
7. Nickel Creek – House Carpenter
8. The Scourge of the Sea – Waterwings
9. The Negro Problem – Bleed
10. Marah – Far Away From You
11. The Wrens – Per Second Per Second
12. Kings of Leon – Holy Roller Novocaine
13. The Dismemberment Plan – What Do You Want Me To Say?
14. Catatonia – Post Script
15. Stone Temple Pilots – Art School Girl
16. Hoobastank – The Reason
17. Sondre Lerche – To Be Surprised
18. The Lightning Seeds – Change
19. Yo La Tengo – Center of Gravity
20. The Replacements – Sadly Beautiful

Your Choice: What Country Do You Want?

This mix was the creation of a collaborative effort by doowad , avocado rabbit, RetroJoe, G-Sphere& tornadoZ, forming a Political Roundtable submitting 4 songs a piece. While we wear our political affiliation on our sleeves, the most important thing you can do is vote on Tuesday.

1. Sixto Rodríguez – This is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst (Establishment Blues) (1970)
2. Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction (1965 #1)
3. James McMurtry – Cheney's Toy (2008)
4. The Thrills – You Can't Fool Old Friends With Limousines (2004)
5. George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca (1975)
6. Fósforo – Cumbia de Obama (2008)
7. Timmy Thomas – Why Can’t We Live Together (1973, #3)
8. Patti Smith – People Have the Power (1988)
9. Extreme – When I’m President (1990)
10. Rusty Warren – Rusty for President (1961)
11. Dave Brubeck (with Louis Armstrong) – The Real Ambassador (1961)
12. Randy Newman – Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man) (1974)
13. Richard Thompson – Dad's Gonna Kill Me (2007)
14. Todd Snider – Conservative Right-Wing Republican Males (2004)
15. Tower of Power – Only So Much Oil In the Ground (1975)
16. The Impressions – This Is My Country (1968)
17. Solomon Burke – None of Us Are Free (1974)
18. Billy Preston – Little Black Boys and Girls (2002)
19. Jewel – Stand (2003)
20. Stevie Wonder – Heaven Help Us All (1970, #9)

1. Roy Harper – The Monster (2000)
2. Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964)
3. John Prine – Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore (1971)
4. Kris Kristofferson – In The News (2006)
5. The Les Humphries Singers – Love One Another (1973)
6. Jim Boggia – Live The Proof (2005)
7. The Isley Brothers – Fight the Power (parts 1 & 2) (1975 #4)
8. Merry Clayton – Gimme Shelter (2001)
9. The Moody Blues – Question (1970 #21)
10. Electric Light Orchestra – New World Rising (1974)
11. Tish Hinojosa – Yesterday's Paper (1994)
12. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On (Original Detroit Mix) (1971 #2)
13. Nina Simone – To Be Young, Gifted and Black (1970 #76)
14. Bob Marley – Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) (Live in London, 1975)
15. Paula Webb – Please, Mr. President (1975 #60)
16. Rodney Crowell – The Rise and Fall of Intelligent Design (2008)
17. Jefferson Airplane – Volunteers (1969 #65)
18. The Lovin’ Spoonful – Revelation: Revolution ’69 (1968)
19. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Redemption Song (2003)
20. Tom Waits – Chocolate Jesus (1999)

You Say Tomato

There was an old Italian man who lived alone in the country. It was spring and he wanted to dig his tomato garden as he had done every year. It was very hard work for the aging man because the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was currently in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging for a garden. If only you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the garden for me. Love, Your Father

A few days later he received a letter from his son:

Dear Dad,
Not for nothing, but don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES.
Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived at the old man's house and dug up the entire area. However, they didn't find any bodies, so they apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.


Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love, Vinnie

It’s a cultural tale rather than an ethnic joke, which are not so good these days, right? The mix you have here is a cultural tale as well, between two English speakers separated by a large pond – Barrydali and Avocado Rabbit. Naturally, we found our common ground in music and in sharing saw our differences weren’t so great. If only politics and world peace were as easy as “You say tom-ay-to and I say to-mah-to.”

1. Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today
2. Fruit Bats – The Little Acorn
3. Super XX Man – Collecting Rocks
4. The Minus Five – Over The Sea
5. The Mendoza Line – Rat’s Alley
6. Julian Dawson – Luckiest Man in the Western World
7. Mull Historical Society – Public Service Announcer
8. Sheryl Crow – Subway Ride
9. Marvin Gaye – Calypso Blues
10. Cowboy Mouth – Jenny Says
11. The Mary Onettes – Lost
12. Centromatic – If We Had Our Say
13. Sparklehorse – Chaos of the Galaxy/Happy Man
14. The Jesus & Mary Chain – Hole
15. The Clever Square – I Did Not Mean To Fall Asleep While We Were Having Sex
16. The Bird and The Bee – Fucking Boyfriend
17. Declan O’Rourke – Galileo (Someone Like You)
18. The Stratford 4 – All The Fading Stars
19. Josh Ritter – Me and Jiggs
20. Scott Kempner – Beyond the Pale

Evangelistas

1. Loudon Wainwright III – I Am The Way
2. Steve Earle – Angel Is The Devil
3. Alison Krauss & Union Station – There Is A Reason
4. Joni Mitchell with the Band – Shadows and Light
5. Timbuk 3 – Prey
6. Robert Forster – The Evangelist
7. Susan Werner – Lost My Religion
8. Ray Stevens – Would Jesus Wear A Rolex
9. De Dannan – Operator
10. Sandy Posey – Down In The River To Pray
11. Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton – Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man
12. Original Blind Boys of Alabama – Old Time Religion
13. Tom T. Hall – The Little Lady Preacher
14. Amos Lee – Street Corner Preacher
15. Ben Folds – Jesusland
16. Robbie Robertson with Neil Young – Soap Box Preacher
17. Smokelahoma – Jesus on a Candle
18. Townes Van Zandt – When He Offers His Hand
19. Billy Joe Shaver – Jesus Is The Only One Who Loves Us
20. The Sovines – Jesus Dionysus
21. Clem Snide – Messiah Complex Blues
22. Ted Hawkins – Long As I Can See The Light

“Hallelujah” is, to use a religious term, no revelation.

The close of the 20th century was a bad time for TV preachers. One moment, men like the PTL Club's Jim Bakker and television's Jimmy Swaggart seemed bigger than life, men who had been blessed with an uncanny ability to attract followers and money. The next, they were fragile, flawed, and the butt of barroom jokes and newspaper cartoons. In many ways, it seemed like big-time TV religion would start to fade away. Look, the critics said, the emperors really have no clothes.

But Americans, at least many of them, seem to have forgiven and forgotten. TV's salvation shows are still here, bigger and flashier than ever, thanks to the proliferation of the Internet and the continued spread of satellite and cable TV. The names may have changed – Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Paula White, T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyer have replaced Bakker, Swaggart and Oral Roberts at the top of the evangelical mountainbut the message remains virtually identical.

Believe with all your heart and soul, they tell the faithful. Give and you shall receive, sow and you shall reap. And give, give, give until you can't give any more. God, they say, loves a cheerful giver.

Two decades have passed since Bakker's Praise the Lord empire turned to dust, the victim of a motel tryst with Jessica Hahn and a criminal conviction of defrauding thousands of investors in his Heritage USA theme park. Swaggart, too, fell fast and hard, after a rival minister caught him meeting with a prostitute. His guilt-ridden, tear-streaked face still graces mocking Internet websites, though he has made his way back into the lower tiers of the industry. Even Roberts, dubbed the father of television evangelism, took fire for claiming that God would "call me home" unless his viewers sent him $8 million, a statement seen by some as a form of evangelical blackmail. Oral’s son is carrying on the family tradition of corruption and deceit, by being temporarily relieved of his duties at the university bearing his father’s name because of “improper usage of university funds for political and personal purposes along with the improper use of university resources.”


Critics of the evangelists risk accusations of being in league with Satan. That’s the ultimate response to questions about the ethics of these evangelists, but it falls short as we have seen to serving as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Worse yet is their still relevant influence over our political system. We only have to see John Hagee’s en dorsement of McCain and McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin to realize the potential these preachers have for undermining the democratic process.

Doowad and Avocado Rabbit put together this mix about the “Evangelistas” still cluttering up the TV and Internet. Don’t take it as gospel, though there are flavors of gospel throughout.

It’s Dark As A Dungeon Way Down In The Mind

The title comes from the Two Gallants track while the resolution comes from the quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne. “What other dungeon is so dark as one’s own heart! What jailer so inexorable as one’s self!” And on that buoyant note, the mix from e.buster and avocado rabbit came together.

For me (the rabbit), this mix was especially pleasurable due to the drawn out nature of many of the songs. I was able to find a couple new (to me) bands that I liked enough to search out their CDs, and that’s at least part of what this is all about. The other part is the collaborative process, and for this I am grateful to have such a terrific partner. Stay tuned for the second installment.

1. Maquiladora – Chinese Girl
2. Two Gallants – My Madonna
3. The Helio Sequence – Broken Afternoon
4. Butch Hancock – The Wind’s Dominion
5. Vietnam – Step On Inside
6. Drugstore – Navegando
7. Clinic – Corpus Christi
8. The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love – East Jesus America
9. The Go-Betweens – The Clarke Sisters
10. Chris Thile – Stay Away
11. Alexi Murdoch – Dream About Flying
12. Lambchop – Grumpus
13. David Bowie – Always Crashing in the Same Car
14. The Arcade Fire – Keep The Car Running
15. London Suede – The Asphalt World
16. Me’shell Ndegeocello – Shoot ‘n Up and Gett ‘n High
17. Yo La Tengo – I Feel Like Going Home

Bridging A 7-Year Gap (1967-1974)

Avocado Rabbit sent me (RetroJoe) an email about two months ago with an idea to do a mix together.

He wanted us to use songs from our 16th year, him choosing music from 1964 and myself having the year 1971. The reason for choosing the 16th year being that that was when he first started branching out musically from pop to less mainstream music. I told him that for me that would have been my 19th year and suggested we do a mix of music from 1964 & 1974. He thought about it and decided he might appreciate a mix of 1967 music as much or more than '64, so we settled on the present combination of music from our 19th year (with a seven year gap). I've done a few mixes that have included the year 1974, so I had to dig a bit to come up with my choices.

As a result I, for the most part, have picked songs that didn't do better than #52 on the pop ch_arts. Exceptions being tracks 11 and 19 (which I wasn't able to work into any earlier mixes) and track 21, which I have used on a prior mix, but it's an old favorite of mine. I jumped right in and chose the odd numbers, starting things off with a power song that implores the listener to explain what hipness is. Hopefully we get a good taste of what that was for both 1967 and 1974, without the contrasts of the two years clashing too much.

The mix strayed off the pure path a bit with the choice of the Beach Boys Heroes and Villains, since it was a 2002 stereo mix, but this longer version than the 2m55s mono cut, is so kick ass, it just had to be included (this choice was also partly responsible for the length of this mix which barely fits on to a CD at 79m56s in length).

A bit of a Contrast to this is track 17, which was a cover of a song that was a much bigger hit when it first came out (in 1930 when it hit #5 on the ch_arts). Songs that my fellow mixer picked that I'd used on prior mixes (and thus I like very much) are tracks 4, 8, 12, 14 (but not that particular take), 22, & 24.

However, there was a version to a song, track 20, that was a new one to me, but i liked it a whole lot. Well, this was a fun experience that I hope to repeat sometime with my fellow mixmeister.

1. Tower of Power – What Is Hip (1974 #91)
2. Love – A House Is Not A Motel (1967)
3. Billy Joel – Travelin' Prayer (1974 #77)
4. Soul Survivors – Expressway (To Your Heart) (1967 #4, R&B #3)
5. The Doobie Brothers – Eyes Of Silver (1974 #52)
6. Eric Burdon & The Animals – San Francisco Nights (1967 #9)
7. Bobby Bland – Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City (1974 #91)
8. Wilson Pickett – Funky Broadway (1967 #8)
9. Edgar Winter Group – Easy Street (1974 #83)
10. Willie Bobo – Juicy (1967)
11. Cheech & Chong (featuring Alice Bowie) – Earache My Eye (1974 #9)
12. Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl (1967 #10)
13. Linda Ronstadt – Silver Threads And Golden Needles (1974 #67)
14. The Beach Boys – Heroes and Villains [2002 Stereo Mix] (1967 #12)
15. Electric Light Orchestra – Daybreaker (1974 #87)
16. The Young Rascals – Groovin' (1967 #1)
17. Lou Christie – Beyond the Blue Horizon (1974 #80)
18. Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell – If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (issued late '67, peaked in1968 #10)
19. Eric Clapton – Willie And The Hand Jive (1974 #26)
20. Tim Hardin – If I Were a Carpenter (1967)
21. The Hollies – The Air That I Breathe (1974 #6)
22. Cream – Tales Of Brave Ulysses (1967)
23. The Who – The Real Me (1974 #92)
24. The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends (1967 #71)

Well Enough

We thought about titling this Mutual Appreciation Society effort from arktical and avocado rabbit “Why This Will Never Work Between Us.” But since it did, in fact, work – “Well Enough” – for both of us to schedule a second collaboration, I scrapped that title and found another.

Neither of us really knew what to expect from one another, which is how most things go between two people. This passage from Hamlet puts it best: “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough; God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” ~ William Shakespeare.

In the end, however, we seemed to combine our musical choices smoothly and the result is before you in both continuous mix and individual tracks. Artwork is included in both zip files.

1. Ride – Dreams Burn Down
2. School of Fish – Take Me Anywhere
3. Oppenheimer – This Is A Test
4. The Bronx – History's Stranglers
5. Cursive – The Martyr
6. Shane MacGowan & The Popes – The Snake With Eyes of Garnet
7. DeVotchKa – El Zopilote Mojado
8. Smile Empty Soul – Vultures
9. Jim Reid – And Your Bird Can Sing
10. Sleeper – What Do I Know
11. South Ambulance – Die 5 Times Times 5
12. The Dandy Warhols – We Used To Be Friends
13. Bon Savants – Why This Could Never Work Between Us
14. Firewater – 6:45 (So This Is How It Feels)
15. Ghost of the Russian Empire – August 1914
16. Sondre Lerche – Dead Passengers
17. Irene – Cold Feet
18. Nada Surf – Do It Again
19. Blackstrap – Rough Parade
20. Baby Animals – Painless

Forever Begins

This latest installment in The Mutual Appreciation Society series sees the inimitable avocado rabbit team up with a mixer making his MAS debut here, sammyg123.

Forever Begins is the first of two mixes by the dynamic duo, stay tuned for part 2, coming very soon....

1. The Telepathic Butterflies – Epistle to Dippy
2. The The – Soul Catcher
3. The Pillbugs – I Don't Really Mean To Freak You Out
4. Built To Spill – Conventional Wisdom
5. Field Music – You Can Decide
6. Sleeper – Inbetweener
7. Monkees – Circle Sky
8. Mellowdrone – Oh My
9. Cosmic Rough Riders – Baby, You're So Free
10. They Might Be Giants – Unrelated Thing
11. Denny Laine – Say You Don't Mind
12. Roman Candle – Something Left To Say
13. David Kilgour – BBC World
14. M. Ward – Helicopter
15. The Ruby Suns – Tane Mahuta
16. The Chills – The Oncoming Day
17. The Sneetches – Unusal Sounds
18. The Lolas – Can't Go Wrong
19. Kelley Stoltz – Everything Begins
20. Sherwood – The Only Song
21. The Explorers Club – Forever
22. Bangles – In Your Room
23. Michael Head – Glynys and Jackie
24. The Like – What I Say and What I Mean