115. In My Arms by Rufus Wainwright (Rufus Wainwright)
Wainwright's first record has a lot of great songs, yet I would never have said this was my favorite. It felt right for right now.
116. Stars by Simply Red (25: The Greatest Hits)
I didn't like Simply Red that much when they first broke out—I was too young to appreciate "Holding Back the Years" the way one should—but in college I had a roommate who bought the record "Stars" was on. It has stuck with me ever since.
117. Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille (Ultimate Collection)
Presented with no irony whatsover. A damn great pop song.
118. Barbarella by the Bongos (Numbers With Wings)
The drum beat kickoff and the whistle/war chant/whoop in the breakdown is beyond. Plus: There's the moment when the vocalist screams "Why don't we change the subject!"
119. Hot In Herre by Tiga (XXX)
I'm a huge fan of the original—I once killed it in karaoke by channeling David Byrne à la "Once in a Lifetime"—but mixtapes thrive on surprising covers. The vocalist is Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters.
120. Oblivious by Aztec Camera (The Best of Aztec Camera)
I defy your mood not to perked up by this.
121. FutureSex / LoveSound by Justin Timberlake (FutureSex / LoveSound)
"FutureSex / LoveSound" has always reminded me of Prince—maybe because he has a song called "The Future" and an album titled "Lovesexy," maybe because there's something 3121 about it. I wish Timberlake and Prince had worked together when Prince was churning out more excellent pop songs than he knew what to do with.
122. The Screams of Passion by the Family (Girl 6)
A Prince-produced band with one awesome song to its name. At first I thought Timberlake and Britney Spears should cover it, but how about Justin and Rihanna? Boy, Prince must be dying to get his hands on Rihanna....
123. Ode to Boy by Yaz (You and Me Both)
A cabaret moment waiting to happen. When Adam and I saw Justin Vivian Bond (of Kiki & Herb) play a small show recently, I thought that v should've thrown in a cover or two. "Ode to Boy" would be ideal.
124. I Got a Man by Positive K (Love Hip Hop)
"You got a what? How long you had that problem?" Novelty song, my ass.
125. Spring Released by Grant-Lee Phillips (Mobilize)
I love the idea of Shazam, but it rarely works for me. One time it did was on the Shelter Island ferry, when "Spring Released" came on the radio.
126. Bend by Shelby Lynne (Love, Shelby)
Shelby Lynne's follow-up to I Am Shelby Lynne was the justly disliked Love, Shelby, which threw away everything that made its immediate predecessor a classic. Still, I liked "Bend" from the start. 1) The spoken-word parts sound like Teena Marie. 2) "Get rid of it, baby" is a delicious lyric, especially when "it" is never defined.
127. Working Girls (Sunlight Shines) by Pernice Brothers (The World Without End)
You know how some singers just sound right to you, and possibly not all that noteworthy to everyone else? I believe everything Joe Pernice sings.
128. Oregon Hill by Cowboy Junkies (Black Eyed Man)
Makes me wish Cowboy Junkies brought in a pianist more often.
129. You're Missing by Bruce Springsteen (The Rising)
From Bruce's 9/11 album (Cowboy Junkies covered it many years later, I should point out). It calls to mind Stephen Sondheim's "Losing My Mind" in a powerful way. I bet Bruce knows that song....
Is the mixtape already complete and you're just publishing it in small pieces, or are you building it as you go?
Posted by: Doug Friedman | 09 November 2011 at 12:08 PM
Building as I go. (Choosing the songs is the fun part!) But so many songs I like never got uploaded to my iTunes....
Posted by: Erik | 09 November 2011 at 07:22 PM