balding angrily

Wowser, the next in line in our fabulous game of racism and musical elitism, finished up his mix based on mine. Like Magnus, I’m starting to really like this game. I listened to the mix the first time during lunch, and my gut reaction was, “This really is shite.” I chatted with Magnus a little, and realized I really hadn’t given it a fair shot. I listened to his mix many, many times before I started really digging the songs.

So, I’ve listened to it many more times today, which is blessedly easy given that they’re much shorter songs than Magnus’s. Without further ado let’s get into it. If you want to follow along, you must first follow the link.

Oh! But before I do, you get to know what my songs were:

• Track 1: “Boy” - Book of Love
• Track 2: “Kaleid” - Depeche Mode
• Track 3: “Light & Day / Follow the Sun” - Polyphonic Spree. But you knew that already.
• Track 4: “Avalon” - Roxy Music
• Track 5: “I’ve Been to a Marvelous Party” - The Divine Comedy channeling Noel Coward.
• Track 6: “Supersonic” - Basement Jaxx
• Track 7: “Off to Work” - Michael Giacchino from The Incredibles soundtrack

Now we’re off. Wowser’s mix. Now!

Track 1

• :01 We start with a bang. None of that meandering around like Magnus.
• :14 “woot myself in the shower?” How does one woot oneself?
• :44 “squelching awful?” I can tell already I’m going to have trouble with the accent. Bloody Brits, with their leaving out of rs.
• 1:31 I like the refrain. Wowser did a great job of connecting with the “I wish I was of the opposite sex” theme. That still doesn’t explain how one “woot”s oneself. I really dig the plinking piano in this, though.

Track 2

• :00 I like the playground melody. I feel like I should be playing hopscotch or double-dutching.
• :09 And an immediate introduction of some new sounds. Note to Magnus: this is how it’s done. No lingering in the doorway with the same sounds over and over again. We require some rapid changing up of the sounds. There’s only so many minutes in the day, you know.
• 1:08 Speaking of, this does have a kind of ticking clock vibe to it.
• 1:27 Jeez it’s halfway over. Thank you, Wowser! I like short songs…(but not big butts)
• 2:06 I like the Caribbean steel drum sound. That’s probably my favorite part.

Track 3

• :02 Huh?
• :19 Alright, I had to pause there. The first time I heard that Spanish voice I thought, “Oh laws…Wowser’s gone off the deep end.” After my sixth listen, I really, really dig this voice. I want to be in this guy’s beach resort.
• :43 I really struggled to connect this to The Polyphonic Spree, but now I don’t even care. It’s just fun and upbeat, and maybe that’s the connection. How can you be sad listening to this?
• 1:36 Spanish yodeling: A+
• 2:14 Ooooo. Fancy fiddle playing. I really admire that kind of verve in a player.
• 3:06 He’s talking about dancing. When aren’t the Spaniards/Latin Americans talking about dancing? What if you’re a bad dancer in those countries? Are you doomed to a miserable life? Do you get the shun?

Track 4

• :13 Mood music. I definitely see the connection to Roxy Music.
• :34 Is this Spinal Tap?
• :59 Bring me my broadsword? And the talisman? I really hope this spot in our game of telephone isn’t doomed to be all about medieval moping. Where are the hobbits?
• 2:11 Yep. Definitely hobbits.
• 2:30 And thus began The Great Guitar Solo of Pretension. And lo, the mastiff did bow its head. And the wee man with the nose of rotted fruit did dismount. And The Great White Wizard did proclaim this day to be one of Majesty.
• 4:23 I don’t have your broadsword. Did you check under the cushions?

Track 5

• :06 Jesus, that brogue just hit me across the face like a wet fish. I feel violated.
• :34 A labyrinth under the sea? So, we’re continuing with the fantasy theme are we?
• 1:26 Sleepy people. That may be a first for me - yawning as a musical statement.
• 2:17 “I can’t read well because of my horns.” The two things aren’t related. Unless your horns grow from your eye sockets. Then I suppose it would be very hard to read.
• 2:56 The background singers just got pissed all sudden-like. It’s like the blood alcohol level passed an invisible but vital boundary, and they went from sober to drunk in one second.
• 3:07 Where’s the “I’m drunk” hiccup? There needs to be a hiccup at the end.

Track 6

• :03 I have time on this one. This particular track is very, very difficult for me to like. It just doesn’t go with my tastes. I’ll try my damnedest, though.
• :54 What’s fascinating to me about this track is how it might connect with Basement Jaxx’s “Supersonic.” At first I thought they’re polar opposites. “Supersonic” is so controlled and focused on the beat. It is entirely about the production work. Where this is so free and all about spontaneity, and the mix happens while playing. Then I thought about it some more and realized there’s probably just as much production work on this track as there is on “Supersonic.” And if you want to talk about spontaneity, I now realize that may be exactly what Basement Jaxx was going for with “Supersonic”…using their own language. So, really they match quite well.
• 4:49 I prefer this beat to the frenetic one of two minutes ago. I can even kind of dig the guitar moaning.
• 5:40 I need a joint or a hit of acid to appreciate this fully I think.
• 6:22 I kind of expect an end more thought out than a fade-out. This guy’s all about the free-form. A fade-out seems too simple for him.

Track 7

• :04 Wailing sax or clarinet. That’s beautiful.
• :40 I really prefer this structured kind of jazz. It brings me back to my jazz band days in high school.
• 1:14 I seriously need to look into some nice clarinet/sax music. That thing makes me cry. No, not that Kenny G shit. Some good shit like this.
• 2:08 It borders on tropical music with xylophone and the kind of breezy vacation feel to it.
• 3:20 Wowser, if this is your type of music, you really need to check out the soundtrack to Mirrormask. It’s a little less structured than this, and it crosses into other genres at a moment’s notice. But this reminds me of it.
• 4:38 Mr. Saxophone man, would you come over and serenade me every night like this? This is perfect for calming the nerves, for slipping off to sleep.
• 5:49 I sense Mr. Saxophone just got goosed. He went a bit crazy there.
• 6:22 More of the same to the end, methinks. Damn good, Wowser.

So, PulpAffliction is up next. You have Wowser’s mix. Your mix should be based on his, but don’t put too much thought into it. Or do. It’s up to you. The kind of gut reactions to songs are producing the most fun connections I think. On the other hand, there should be some one-on-one correspondence. Half the fun for me was deciphering that connection. Double points if you can combine two of his tracks into one of your tracks. That would get us back to Magnus’s original six.