When Did I Bury My Dreams Of Running?

Y'know, it's funny how things change. The following playlists are New Stuff CDs 9 and 10, which, heh heh, have never been commited to an actual CD (as is true for about half of these playlists of mine) thanks to iPods. Specifically, my iPod which no longer functions. I mean, it plays just fine and everything, but the controls are completely shot. Poor thing. I got it during Tekko 2012? 2013? Somewhere around there. Now it sits aside my computer desk gathering dust - and I use my phone to listen to music.

But it doesn't stop there. I'm working in Cranberry, I drive a Ford, I pretty much officially quit smoking, I've lived to see B&LE 643 preserved (somehow) and instead of moving to the South Side I've taken over my grandfather's house. He passed away in 2017.

So yeah, things are not the same as they were when I started this blog, and furthet changed from the blog's heyday. But somehow, I have ended up with some new music. It's one of the few things that hasn't changed - I still manage to find some interesting stuff out there, even though it's less from WYEP these days, and often just random stuff from online - either YouTube or especially Bandcamp these days. And yes I'm still picking up stuff on vinyl. 

So I guess I could play some catch-up. 

New Stuff 9
1. Dancehall Domine - The New Pornographers
2. Break! Break! Tic! Tac! - Satellite Young
3. Only Time - LoFi Delphi*
4. Digital Witness - St. Vincent
5. Lemon Eyes - Meg Myers
6. The Great Unknown - Jukebox The Ghost
7. Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating In The Future - Mike Doughty
8. Science Of A Situation - Pet Clinic*
9. Sedona - Houndmouth
10. 4th And Roebling - The Districts
11. Trying - Bully
12. Kismet Kill - Haley Bonar
13. Pretty Pimpin' - Kurt Vile
14. Outta My Mind - The Arcs
15. Avant Gardener - Courtney Barnett
16. Bury Our Friends - Sleater-Kinney
17. Archie, Marry Me - Alvvays
18. Wildfire - The Mynabirds
19. Shelter Song - Temples
20. Heaven Knows - First Aid Kit

New Stuff 10
1. Big Train - Mike Watt
2. It's A Hit - Rilo Kiley**
3. Something New - Nevada Color*
4. Lightning Bolt - Jake Bugg
5. Gardenia - Iggy Pop
6. Seether - Veruca Salt
7. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King
8. The Party Line - Belle & Sebastian
9. Hitohira No Hanabira - Stereopony
10. Happy Alone - Saintseneca
11. Vaporize - Broken Bells
12. Holiday - Happy Mondays
13. The Distance - Cake
14. Numb - Gary Clark Jr.
15. A Little Evil - Phantom Blue
16. WHat Kind Of Man - Florence & The Machine
17. Into The Black - Chromatics
18. Ambulance Chaser - Triggers*
19. Long Time - Blondie

* All local bands - although I'm having a problem tracking down any official site or anything for Triggers, so if someone could drop a link that would be helpful.
** Ahura Mazdah, is this a blast from the past. I remember watching this in the cafeteria at Penn-Ken. Unfortunately it's mosly an anti-Bush screed, but the music is pretty and the musc video was kinda cool. Oh well. 

Sometimes I Go Whole Days Listening Bored, Half Asleep

So the 'Lion Series' of mix CDs gets another addition. The basics for this one were coming to me randomly at work over the past few weeks.

Roi, I hope you don't mind another disc spinning your way next I see you.

The Lion Series, Vol. 3: Entertainingly Difficult

1. It's Nice To Know You Work Alone - Silversun Pickups
2. Don't Pretend You Didn't Know - Dinosaur Jr. 
3. Lost At Home - The Sun
4. Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger
5. Song 2 - Blur
6. Hang Wire - The Pixies
7. That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission Of Burma
8. We Real Cool - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
9. Voodoo - Godsmack
10. Half Asleep - School Of Seven Bells
11. The Mountain Range In My Living Room - The Early November
12. Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt - We Are Scientists
13. Believe - The Chemical Brothers
14. At 1 A.M. - The Subways
15. Only To Haunt You - The Von Bondies
16. Sad And Lonely - Secret Machines
17. Allergic (To Thoughts Of Mother Earth) - Placebo
18. Mountain Side - The Flaming Lips
19. Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

I've Watched You Move Like A Knife In The Water

Hey Roi! I finally got around to putting up the playlists for the CDs I burned for you back in October! Sorry it took so long.

I hope you enjoyed them.

The Lion Series Vol. 1: Brutish Railways

1. Springing Leaks - Algernon Cadwallader
2. The Modern World - The Jam
3. Race For The Prize - The Flaming Lips
4. Witchcraft - Wolfmother
5. The Ram - Manila Road
6. Rock & Roll Queen - The Subways
7. Almost Easy - Avenged Sevenfold
8. Contra - Early Man
9. Industrial Enemy - Templar
10. On The Way Home - Neil Young
11. Sundrop - The Flying Eyes
12. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
13. Goin' Out West - Tom Waits
14. Chancer - The Von Bondies
15. Retirement - Kaiser Chiefs
16. Gangs In The Garden - Black Moth Super Rainbow
17. Favours For Favours - Futureheads
18. Guide - The Music
19. Everlasting Light - The Black Keys

The Lion Series Vol. 2: Fraternal Twin Steel Mills
(some copies released with working title 'Moving Fast With Humans')

1. Motor Away - Guided By Voices
2. I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
3. Is There A Ghost - Band Of Horses
4. Wildcat - Ratatat
5. Adrenaline Nightshift - Japandroids
6. Worry Worry - The Fiery Furnaces
7. Hold My Life - The Replacements
8. Conventional Wisdom - Built To Spill
9. Let It Ride - Buffalo Killers
10. We No Who U R - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
11. Class Clown Spots A UFO - Guided By Voices
12. The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine - Spoon
13. I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat & Tears
14. Rollerdisco - Black Moth Super Rainbow
15. For The Love Of Ivy - Japandroids
16. Ex-Guru - The Fiery Furnaces
17. Kill Your Television - Ned's Atomic Dustbin
18. Wooden Ships - Crosby, Stills & Nash*
19. Black Paper - Buffalo Killers

* Neil Young sold separately. 

Mystery Train, Three Way Plane, And Expressway To Your Skull

Number seven shows the influence of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as some of my deeper delving into current weird alternative music. This one should be from late 2008 or early 2009.

1. All The Small Things – Blink-182
2. Watch Us Work It – Devo
3. Around The Bend – Asteroids Galaxy Tour
4. Rebel Girl – Bikini Kill
5. Kids In America – The Muffs
6. Pretend We’re Dead – L7
7. A Jagged Gorgeous Winter – The Main Drag
8. Float On – Modest Mouse
9. Golden Touch – Razorlight
10. Feel The Pain – Dinosaur Jr.
11. Twice As Hard – The Black Crowes
12. Even Flow – Pearl Jam
13. Radio Nowhere – Bruce Springsteen
14. Almost Easy- Avenged Sevenfold
15. Through The Fire And The Flames – Dragonforce
16. Little Sister – Queens Of The Stone Age
17. Harmonise – Ipso Facto
18. Expressway To Yr. Skull – Sonic Youth
19. De-luxe – Lush

I Am A Lost Soul, I Shoot Myself With Rock'N'Roll

Number six, from sometime in 2008. This one isn't so notable, aside from its overall quality. The Pixies, Guided By Voices, John Doe, Raconteurs, Spoon, The Strokes, Silversun Pickups, all very good groups.

1. Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast – Airbourne
2. Golden State – John Doe
3. Funplex – The B-52’s
4. This Ol Wheel – Shooter Jennings
5. Wave Of Mutilation – The Pixies
6. Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) – Robert Plant & Allison Kraus
7. I Am A Scientist – Guided By Voices
8. Orange Crush – R.E.M.
9. Ojos Asi – Shakira
10. Crushcrushcrush – Paramore
11. Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden
12. Balls To The Wall – Accept
13. Broken Boy Soldier – The Raconteurs
14. Of Montreal – The Stills
15. Rusted Wheel – Silversun Pickups
16. I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
17. Comb Your Beard At Night – Toothpaste For Dinner
18. Reptilia – The Strokes
19. Outside – Tribe
20. Ride On Shooting Star – The Pillows

The Cracked Bell Rings As The Ghost Bird Sings

Here's CD number 5. This was certainly done after moving to State College, but before moving in with Brian, Scott and Tim. Late 2006 or early 2007, which was when I lived at State College Park.

1. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
2. Some Party – The Constantines
3. Happiness – Built To Spill
4. Tangerine – The Flaming Lips
5. Little House Of Savages – The Walkmen
6. Korobeiniki (Tetris Theme) – Ozma
7. Black Horse And The Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall
8. Saving Grace – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
9. Hoist That Rag – Tom Waits
10. These Are The Times – Styx
11. War Eagle – Early Man
12. I Don’t Wanna Stop – Ozzy Osbourne
13. SEASON’S CALL – Hyde
14. Thunder & Lightning – The Unicorns
15. Now It’s On - Grandaddy
16. The Killing Moon – Pavement
17. Mercury – The Clarks
18. Your Touch – The Black Keys
19. Original Fire – Audioslave
20. Little Black Dress – Donnie Iris

Under The Great North Star, Try To Work Out Where You Are

And now for CD number four. I think I may be off on my dates, but this CD must be from 2005 or 2006. I forget.

1. Sleazy Little Blues Trip – Freaks Of A Feather*
2. Who Did You Think I Was – John Mayer
3. All Star – Smash Mouth
4. One Week – Barenaked Ladies
5. Misfit – Elefant
6. Start Wearing Purple – Gogol Bordello
7. Bandages – Hot Hot Heat
8. Strict Machine – Goldfrapp
9. Take It Off – The Donnas
10. Plush – Stone Temple Pilots
11. Piece Of Crap – Neil Young
12. Kryptonite – Three Doors Down**
13. Monsters – Matchbook Romance**
14. Girl On The Wing – The Shins
15. Talk – Coldplay***
16. Wake Up – The Arcade Fire
17. Island In The Sun – Weezer
18. Move Along – All-American Rejects
19. All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers
20. Harder Better Faster Stronger – Daft Punk

* More local music.
** Glarg. No longer a fan of either band.
*** Funny story about this song - Coldplay actually re-recorded X&Y, the album this was on; but not before someone leaked the original version to the internets. I ended up getting the early version of 'Talk' and was confused as hell for a long time about why the version I later purchased sounded like an entirely different song.

It's Like I've Learned How To Breathe Easily

CD number three. Another entry from about late 2006. 

1. World On Fire – Eightfold*
2. Ain’t No Easy Way – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
3. Nth Degree – Morningwood
4. Jerk It Out – The Caesars
5. Clock In Now – The Deathray Davies
6. Pork Chops – Lumberghost*
7. C-C (You Set The Fire In Me) – Tom Vek
8. Hypnotize – System Of A Down**
9. Hysteria – Muse
10. Mind’s Eye – Wolfmother
11. Bug Eyes – Dredg
12. Cash Machine – Hard-Fi
13. Monster Hospital – Metric
14. Hate To Say I Told You So – The Hives
15. A Million Ways – OK Go
16. Sweet Troubled Soul – Stellastarr*
17. Gold Lion – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. Fall To Pieces – Velvet Revolver
19. Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn – Hellogoodbye***
20. Pattern Skies – The Greenhornes
21. Rough Justice – The Rolling Stones

* More local bands. Remember The Cycle from installment one? Eightfold is those guys all over again. 

** JERKS!

*** Man, I forgot about these guys. What happened to them?

And If You Feel A Little Left Behind

Second in the series of New Stuff CDs, this disc was another product of my sophomore year at Penn State. This may have been the first installment burned on my first laptop computer. If so, that would place its date at very early 2006. 

New Stuff CD 2

1. What I Say & What I Mean – The Like
2. Everything Is Alright – Motion City Soundtrack
3. Fearless – The Bravery
4. I Predict A Riot – Kaiser Chiefs
5. Decent Days & Nights – Futureheads
6. TKO – Le Tigre
7. Bom Bom Bom – The Living Things
8. The Bucket – Kings Of Leon
9. Soul Meets Body – Death Cab For Cutie
10. Stars & Boulevards – Augustana
11. DARE – Gorillaz
12. Helicopter – Bloc Party
13. Wings Of A Butterfly – HIM*
14. Niki FM – Hawthorne Heights*
15. Rock ‘N Roll Queen – The Subways
16. Earthshine – Rush
17. One Way Ticket – The Darkness
18. Breakin’ – The Music
19. Pressure Point – The Zutons
20. Dance Dance – Fall Out Boy*
21. Nowhere Again – Secret Machines
22. Vertigo – U2

*Suck, suck, and suck. Why did I ever think any of these were good songs?

He Didn't Cry On Safari

I just realized how long it's been that I've been messing around with new music. It's been seven years since I first saw the videos for 'C'mon C'mon' and 'Nowhere Again' in the PSNK cafe. I've still been discovering new music since I left college, but not at the same rate. It's taken me almost three years to put this CD together. This is, effectively, the culmination of seven years of my life and my musical tastes. I'm not sure how much it's changed from the first one, really.

New Stuff CD 8

1. Rollerdisco – Black Moth Super Rainbow
2. Lowest Part Is Free! - Archers Of Loaf
3. Safari – The Breeders
4. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster The People
5. Two Princes – The Spin Doctors
6. Tropical Ice-land – The Fiery Furnaces
7. Black Out Fall Out – Polysics
8. Sun Of A Gun – Oh Land
9. Electric Feel – MGMT
10. Wildcat – Ratatat
11. Sundrop – The Flying Eyes
12. Sticky Honey - Juliette & The Licks
13. Wrong Time Capsule – Deerhoof
14. The Eton Rifles – The Jam*
15. Paljon On Koskessa Kivia – Korpiklaani
16. Keelhauled – Alestorm
17. Voodoo – Godsmack
18. Industrial Enemy – Templar**
19. Comeback Kid – Sleigh Bells
20. Last Caress – The Misfits
21. Rebound – Sebadoh
22. Hold My Life – The Replacements

* Okay, so The Jam were from the 70's. But they straddled the line between punk and post-punk (both era and sound) that they sound so different from their contemporaries. I say they were ahead of their time. I'm surprised they don't have a bigger following.

** My friends Sam Joyce and Joe Cervasi. You're welcome, guys. 

The Day You Move, I'm Probably Gonna Explode

When I became interested in new music in college, I started making CDs to share what I'd found with people. Not too many people took me up on the offer; but nonetheless, these discs provided me with a soundtrack to my college years. Here's the first one, created in late 2005.

New Stuff CD 1

1. God Killed The Queen – Louis XIV
2. Do You Want To – Franz Ferdinand
3. Cold Hard B**** - Jet
4. DOA – Foo Fighters
5. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
6. Disrepair – The Cycle*
7. Walking With A Ghost – Tegan & Sara
8. Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt – We Are Scientists
9. I Just Wanna Be Loved – AM Radio**
10. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams – Green Day**
11. I Want To Be Buried In Your Backyard – Nightmare Of You
12. Lost At Home – The Sun
13. Slow Hands – Interpol
14. Checkmarks – The Academy Is
15. Stories – Deception Point
16. Enter Sandman – Metallica
17. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
18. Welcome Home – Coheed & Cambria
19. C’mon C’mon – The Von Bondies
20. Alive & Amplified – The Mooney Suzuki

* Local band I saw at the Penn State New Ken Battle of The Bands. They turned into another band called Eightfold after one member left.

** I fucking hate Green Day, and AM Radio doesn't interest me anymore.

Power Passion Plays The Double Hand

Two cassettes (mix tapes, as it were) by my father from the years he spent in Florida.

New Wave - Masters of Rock'N'Roll Vol. V

Side A
1. My Best Friend's Girl - The Cars
2. Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police
3. I'll Be With You Tonight - Cheap Trick
4. Do The Dark - Blondie
5. Skateaway - Dire Straits
6. Bye, Bye Love - The Cars
7. The Tide Is High - Blondie*
8. De Do Do Do - The Police
9. Voices - Cheap Trick
10. Rapture - Blondie

Side B
1. Dream Police - Cheap Trick
2. Good Times Roll - The Cars
3. Dreaming - Blondie
4. Little Paradise - Pat Benatar
5. The House Is Rockin' - Cheap Trick
6. Just What I Needed - The Cars
7. Union City Blue - Blondie
8. I Know What I Want - Cheap Trick
9. Atomic - Blondie
10. You're All I've Got Tonight - The Cars
11. Driven To Tears/When The World Is Running Down - The Police**

Future Legends Of Rock'N'Roll Vol I

Side A
1. Snortin' Whiskey - Pat Travers
2. Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
3. The Stroke - Billy Squier*
4. Tom Sawyer - Rush
5. You Better Run - Pat Benatar
6. Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
7. I Need A Lover - Pat Benatar
8. Keep On Loving you - REO Speedwagon
9. In The Heat Of The Night - Pat Benatar
10. Is This Love? - Pat Travers
11. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

Side B
1. Tough Guys - REO Speedwagon
2. Treat Me Right - Pat Benatar
3. In The Dark - Billy Squier
4. I Missed Again - Phil Collins
5. Limelight - Rush
6. Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon
7. Down To The Waterline - Dire Straits
8. You Know What I Like - Billy Squier
9. Don't Let Him Go - REO Speedwagon
10. Vital Signs - Rush
11. Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
12. Crash & Burn - Pat Travers

* Two songs that I despise. 'The Tide Is High' has precisely two ingredients; Debbie Harry and a boxcar full of pure cane sugar, and 'The Stroke' is kind of a pointless hit. Squier did much better. I generally replace these with 'Walk Like Me' or 'T-Birds' for Blondie, and 'My Kinda Lover' for Billy Squier.

** These are really separate songs, but like 'Heartbreaker' and 'Living Loving Maid' by Led Zeppelin, there's not enough time to snatch the needle off the record between songs. Even so, I think they work better together (same for 'Heartbreaker' and 'Living Loving Maid').

These tapes were a large part of the soundtrack to my youth, and spent a good deal of time in the tape deck in my '98 Dodge Stratus that I wore out going back and forth to State College in, driving to watch trains, and to go hang out with my friends, whether at Primanti's or the shed. I was hoping to recreate these on my Zune (who else still has one, anyway?) but realized that I'm a few songs short at the moment.