Temple of Mix Tapes

Ah, the mix tape.  Do you have any lying around, maybe one made for you by a potential lover trying to woo you or a friend who missed you and just wanted to sonically connect?  Did whoever made it spring new songs on you or stick to old favorites you both loved?  For me mix tapes were always happy surprises.  I was thinking about them on World Goth Day on Tuesday.  One of my favorite tapes of all time was compiled by my dear friend Aaron who, with the most generous heart when my life was falling apart, invited me to chuck it all and move 3000 miles to hang out with him in Seattle.  Best move I ever made, hands down.  Via a mix tape Aaron introduced me to the gothiest of Goth songs, "Temple of Love" by the Sisters of Mercy and featuring the gorgeous soaring vocals of the late Ofra Haza.

Lest you think Aaron was a big snarly Goth dude, the tape also included Prince, Dramarama and my favorite Barenaked Ladies (still the Greatest Marketing Stroke of Genius Ever, Band Name Division) song which is sooooo on the other side of the spectrum.  "If I Had A Million Dollars" is from their first album, Gordon. 

Aaron introduced me to many cool and wonderful people when I moved and one of those people was Lewis who I wound up sharing a house with.  Lewis never made me a tape but there were always a few that he'd compiled lying aroung including one called "Killing and Dying Part 1."  Side 1 Song 1 was "Psycho Killer" by the Talking Heads.

 

I'd loved the Talking Heads since junior high and in high school "Life During Wartime" was on my very first tape, made for me by my friend Melanie. 

 

This is threatening to get long so I'll end it here but I'm definitely going to revisit this topic.  What have you been introduced to via a mix tape that you love?  Have a great day!



Happy Birthday, Mr. Moog

One of the things that I love about blogging is that I finally have something to do with all the trivia that's rattling around in my head.  For example, today is the 78th birthday of Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer.  I wasted way too much time on my way here playing with the Moog Google Doodle and I'm probably going to waste some more later.

The Moog synth trivia is that its first appearance on a pop record was on the song "Daily Nightly" from the Monkees 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.  (your bonus piece of trivia is that Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith shared a birthday and another Capricorn on there would have just sounded weird).  I own this album and it's very mid-60s and very fun.  Smack talking wool hat pimp daddy Mike Nesmith wrote the lyrics and Micky Dolenz played around on one of the very first synths and this is what they came up with.

Okay, Sgt. Pepper it ain't but it's still trippy.  Thanks Mr. Moog.  The 80s wouldn't have been the same without you.

RIP, Robin Gibb

Note:  I haven't been around so I hadn't noticed that this didn't publish yesterday morning.  Sorry gang.

 

Sunday Morning Poetry

Rockin' It With The Bad Boys

When I entered the RAniverse one of the places I naturally went to do, uh, research was YouTube.  YouTube was where I saw him to begin with long before I became a fan (and a long overdue thank you to HeathRA for uploading the extended proposal scene from N&S, the very first thing I saw).  I ran across this Sir Guy of Gisborne fanvid by Kitsunikun while I was watching Robin Hood and it remains one of my favorites.

"Let It Rock" is a great song, isn't it?  It was Kevin Rudolf's debut single and eventually sold over 4 Million copies.  Wow.  It's popped up in two other fandoms I've been dabbling in recently and I'm sure you can guess which ones.  If you're unspoiled for the season finale of Sherlock you might want to wait on this one about Jim Moriarty by TwilightHayley.  This one is a direct result of my recent Cumberbatching.

Snicker's Mom didn't actually have anything to do with this one.  No, this is all on my junior prom date who announced last Saturday on Facebook that he wants to be Loki when he grows up (though knowing him he means Paul Lynde's version).  Up till that moment the thing that most excited me about The Avengers was seeing the phrase "with new music from Soundgarden."  This is not to say that I wasn't excited (because, hello, RDJ doing anything) but it's been about fifteen years since there's been new Soundgadren music period, you'll have to give me a minute.  So who's this Loki character?  Vidder Frakkyfire gives us an idea.

    

  

BTW, to any Tom Hiddleston fans who've wandered in here:  you have an absolute gem, treat him well.  Boyfriend is ridiculously charming and funny and sweet and you know better than I do but wow.  Okay, I know how I'm spending my Sunday afternoon, thankyouverymuch Joss Whedon.  You all have a great weekend, too, whatever you're doing!

Freaky Friday Last Dance

Good night, Donna Summer. 

Monday Morning Rushingtheseasonitis Mashup

Morning, how are you all this morning?  I mentioned a couple of days ago that my kids are dying for school to be over and frankly so am I.  I've had enough of packing lunches and scrambling to find shoes and rushing to catch the bus for the year.  It's raining today and I want sunshine so I'm getting it through my eardrums.  Ready?

"Liberty's Whip" is one of the most famous surfer songs in the world, recorded by the Chantays in 1962 or 1963.  Never heard of it?  That's because, according to Wikipedia, they renamed it "Pipeline".  They performed their only Billboard hit on The Lawrence Welk Show in May 1963.

This is one of those songs that if I could have a jukebox filled with covers it would account for about a third of the choices because I love so many of them, including this one by Anthrax from their Attack of the Killer B's compilation in 1991.

If you've read this blog for any length of time you should know that my musical heart belongs to Stevie Ray Vaughan (if you're new, you'll learn).  SRV recorded "Pipeline" with Dick Dale for the soundtrack to Back to the Beach, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello from 196...1987?  Wow.  Anyway, this vid isn't that cover.  This is SRV live with his brother Jimmie in New Orleans, family style.

Are you awake?  I'm awake.  Now if it would just stop raining.  *Sigh*  Have a great day.