I THREW ALL MY FRIENDS IN THE RIVER

August 13th, my day for the van mix CD, on our drive from Kansas City, Missouri to Austin, Texas.

I Threw All My Friends In The River

-Guess Who’s Been On Match Of The Day – Frank Sidebottom-
Nights Wave – Mice Parade
All The King’s Men – Wild Beasts
The Negatives… – Hood
Dreams – Former Ghosts
Hit The Ground Running – Superkings
-Puff ‘N’ Blow – Frank Sidebottom-
Emotional Levy – the Aislers Set
Just Wait ‘Til Next Year – John Maus
-Mexico ’90 – Frank Sidebottom-
Flying Things And Pests – Nosferatu D2
Blindspot/Invisible Bend – Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia…
Smirenye – Zola Jesus
Do Not Be Afraid – Mount Eerie
I Am Not Surprised – the Organ
Sad Girl – Ten In The Swear Jar
Ghost Dream – Hymie’s Basement
Winter Takes A Lover - Lovers
-Another Fantastic Banjo Sting – Frank Sidebottom-
The Perfect Gentleman – the Broken Family Band

Some Notes:

• After my CD, our guitar tech, Avel asked me “Is this stuff you would actually listen to at home on your own, or did you put it on to make us laugh?”. I don’t know if this was strictly in reference to the Frank Sidebottom stuff, but I really hope so.
• The inclusion of Nights Wave was a bold one, I think. It’s about a minute longer than I’d like to be, but it’s an incredibly beautiful song. Reminds me a lot of my first year of university and has a beautiful set of lyrics. The contrast between the male and female vocals is incredible. Female vox provided by Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir who used to be in múm.
• Just realised that Hood track reminds me completely of the same period of time. Am I being accidentally nostalgic? I reviewed this single for my student magazine. Then realised I was a shit writer and had to start a band instead.
• This Former Ghosts track is the proper version that’s gonna be on the album. Freddy sent it me, and I am so excited to hear the full length. From all the demos I’ve heard, it’s gonna be hard for it not to be my album of the year.
• Just Wait Til Next Year is the best, most accurate love song ever written.
• Nosferatu D2 are one of my favourite bands of all time, and it’s a huge shame that they’re no longer together and that they didn’t achieve more whilst they were. Some of the best, most hateful lyrics you’ll ever hear. We had the pleasure of playing with them at their last ever show in 2007, at London’s Spitz venue. Ben now releases music under the name Superman Revenge Squad
• Smirenye – taken from the most recent Zola Jesus record, The Spoils. Quite possibly my favourite release of the year so far.
• Winter Takes A Lover – My friend Zac Pennington made me a mix with this song on it. I don’t know anything else by the band, but you know when you hear something so perfect that you’re worried if you hear anything else by the same band, and it’s shit, then it’ll ruin it for you? This is my fear. Same goes for the song Hit The Ground Running, the most beautiful ode to loveless sex I’ve ever heard.
• And the Broken Family Band are one of the most consistently under appreciated UK bands of my generation.
• Ten In The Swear Jar was Jamie Stewart’s last band before Xiu Xiu. This is a really great version of the song Sad Pony Guerilla Girl. It’s less electronically instrumented and the bass line is sickkkkk.
• All this, joined together by our master of ceremonies, Frank Sidebottom.