On top of Alvy’s free mixtape (mediafire.com/?bnby1ddm0ed), you can download all of Calgary singer Kris Ellestad’s recorded output at societalrecords.com/kris/albums/Albums.html
With the end of year nearing, music mag readers can ready themselves for a barrage of 2007 retrospectives. This column is no different, and besides compiling 13 of my favourite songs by local artists, I’ve also assembled them into an online mixtape for your downloading and listening enjoyment. The track listing is as follows, with a few of the artists and personal mix picks.
1) “Spooning the Gorilla” — The Fast Romantics
“Just one song? That’s so tough,” says guitarist Matthew Kliewer. “Well, I often include ‘Jimmy Jazz’ by The Clash on mixes, because it has a tendency to turn people into bumbling drunks.” That’s smart reasoning if I’ve ever heard it, and this stomping piano rocker might have a similar effect.
2) “Don’t Rock” — The Ostrich
This song’s not on their debut seven-inch, but it’s quite possibly my favourite of their current batch. Catch The Ostrich live on December 12 at the Ship and Anchor.
3) “There’s Nothing You Can Say Now” — Spreepark
“I pretty much invariably put on ‘You Are the Light’ by The Innocence Mission,” says Spreepark’s Mark Hamilton. “Mixtapes are a form of courtship, and I’m pretty much only making them if I’m in the mood to woo.” The Calgary-Edmonton pop group’s debut double album is available as a pay-what-you-want download at spreeparktheband.com.
4) “Dead Girls” — Azeda Booth
“I can’t answer for the rest of the band, but I consistently put ‘Phonecall’ by Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshineof the Spotless Mind soundtrack) onto mixes,” says multi-instrumentalist Marc Rimmer. “Why? Because it is probably the best and most heartfelt song ever.” Azeda Booth’s song isn’t as sunny as Brion’s, but it does beat like a heart.
5) “Trickshark” — Sudden Infant Dance Syndrome
“I maintain that if I were forced to pick a favourite song, Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ would be it,” says keyboardist Sarah Ford. “It is overplayed and it is clichéd, and it is so amazingly good. I get goosebumps every time I hear it, honestly. If you’re making a mixtape for someone, it means you probably have a crush on them. What better way to so obviously expose your feelings than with the happiest sad song ever?”
6) “Asylum Now!” — Draft Dodgers
7) “K Is Silent” — Phil Withers
8) “Dreams of C” — Lonely Hunters
9) “The Secret” — Kris Ellestad
Visit societalrecords.com/kris/albums/Albums.htmlto download Ellestad’s entire recorded output for free. A treasure trove, I tell you!
10) “Nylon” — Knots
“I actually intentionally never include the same song twice on mixtapes for anyone,” says Neal Moignard (a.k.a. Knots). “I don't know why... imposing restrictions inspires creativity? I want it to be a unique thing that I’d only want to say to that person, and I take my mixtapes pretty seriously I guess. They pretty much always have a Microphones track though.” Catch Knots live December 16 at EMMEDIA.
11) “Bear” — The Consonant C
The Consonant C play December 6 at Broken City.
12) “They Can See Your Ghost”— Axis of Conversation
“I usually open my mixtapes with ‘Nocturne No.2 In E-Flat Major’ by Maria Joao Pires,” says AxiCon’s Chris dela Torre. “It’s unassuming and light and makes me sound cultured. Plus it’s fun to go into something heavy for track two, after opening with something so delicate.” This song mixes heaviness with delicacy, too!
13) “Keeper (Version Three)” — Raccoon
“I am fond of putting the song ‘Lioness’ by Songs: Ohia on tapes, specifically the lyric ‘wanna feel my heart break if it must break in your jaws,’” says front man Dillon Whitfield. “It sends a pretty clear, if not foreboding message to the recipient.” Raccoon play with The Pine Tree Line December 7 at the U of C’s That Empty Space.
To download the 2007 411 mixtape, hit up mediafire.com/?bnby1ddm0ed. Happy Hanukkah to all!
