The Soapbox, Mix-tape Exchange

Here you go Sandman, your mix:

Srsly BANGIN' D4ncE 4Loor FillaZ!


1. Sebadoh - License To Confuse: You seem to be a bit into a lot of the more recent indie bands with lo-fi leanings so I thought i'd throw a few oldies in, Sebadoh are Lou Barlow's band who is also the bass player for Dinosaur Jr, this is actually quite 'polished' for the, but they had a knack of writing some really great melodic songs.
2. Fugazi - Reclaimation: I love the way the lazy sounding bass and drums really counter against the frenzied guitars, very underrated band.
3. Nas - Made You Look: You didn't seem to have much of a taste for hip-hop so i've scattered a few throughout this mix, Nas in my opinion is one of the finest MC's to grace hip-hop, but the beat kills it for me here.
4. Prince - The Ballad of Dorothy Parker: Just because I love Prince and he doesn't really get much of a look in around these parts, this is probably my favourite Prince song, it's amazing that this was made in 1987, it sounds so disjointed and weird, but has a killer melody.
5. Sonic Youth - The Empty Page: I think Sonic Youth have been really overlooked in the last decade, they released some great music in that time that'll never get as much attention as their late 80's stuff, this is the opening song from Murray Street and is a bit more laid back, but it has a fluidity to it that eases it along nicely.
6. Pavement - Harness Your Hopes: This is one of my favourite Pavement songs, a lot of Pavement fans aren't massively into the later stuff, and it is in stark contrast to their earlier stuff but I think it has some great merit still, this is a b-side that should have been on an album, its bouncy and joyful without being too in your face and has an absolute belter of a vocal melody in malkmus' typical meandering style.
7. Gene Chandler - Nothing Can't Stop Me: Bit of 60's soul, actually written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, those horns!
8. Minutemen - The Big Foist: Another really underrated and overlooked band, they can take some digesting because a lot of their albums have tonnes of songs, but they were extremely diverse and managed to float through a lot of styles within their one and two minute songs, this song owes as much to funk as it does to punk and pop.
9. Mos Def - Umi Says: Some more Hip-Hop, though this really does have a really soulful feel, Mos Def is a rapper in the loosest sense, he does rap, but he has a musical ear that I think often sets him apart, the bass and drums really seep into you on this.
10. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Sinister Purpose: I'd never really given CCR much of a chance, but got into them through Pavement who did a cover of this song, its roots rock at its finest, this has a gentle weirdness to it.
11. MF Doom - Gazzillion Ear: Some more Hip-Hop and another of my favourite MC's, Doom's vocal delivery could melt gold, another cracking beat aswell.
12. CAN - Vitamin C: I just wanted to get some CAN on here, hugely influential band, this is from the album Ege Bamyasi which I think is an album that showcases a little bit of everything of what CAN were about, this song in particular is a little bit more straightforward than what they usually did but its still a little weird. The drums are fantastic on this.
13. The Envelopes - Isabelle & Leonard: This song came on shuffle the other day and I hadn't heard it in a while and have been spending some time with the album recently, this has quite a laid back and nonchalant approach but with a killer hook, lo-fi pop rock band with Swedish and French members.
14. Earth, Wind & Fire - Fantasy: Another song that i've rediscovered in recent times, a really underrated band EW&F, their arrangements were brilliant, this song reminds me of being a kid. It just floats along with hook after hook.
15. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Wind Pheonix From their debut album from a couple of years back that I loved but seemed to slip under the radar a bit, love the way there isn't a real structure it just kind of flows along going here, there and everywhere. The lyrics are brilliant too.
16. The Supremes - When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes This song is pure joy, I discovered it on a girl groups box set things, a bit of an obscure Supremes song, but its just so damn happy.
17. Wu-Tang Clan - Shame On A Nigga Last hip-hop, one of my all time favourite songs and the song that got me into Hip-hop, Ol Dirty Bastard, Method Man and Raekwon from Wu-Tang are on this backed by a killer RZA beat, brilliant.
18. The Chordettes - Mr. Sandman Come on.. I couldn't not put it on!

All turtled, Hope you enjoy!