Mixes in the Making: Mix 1: Doom Pop!
By Kevan • Mar 6th, 2007 • Category: Projects & Ideas
Mixes in the Making: Series Intro
I’m always picking up on musical or lyrical themes that cross over between songs by different artists. I’ll often think of three or four songs that would work especially well together when played in sequence, helping the listeners pick up on ideas in the music they’ve never heard before. But more often than not, after I put the first four songs together, I can’t think of any more songs to include. The mix never gets made, and my ideas perish in the abandoned archive of never-played iTunes playlists.
That’s where this series comes in. If I can’t make the CDs, then I might as well share the ideas, and maybe you, the readers, will have smart ideas to help me out, and we’ll get the mix made in the end. It’s called “Mixes in the Making.” Consider it an open-source attempt at creating community mixes along pre-defined terms. And if there are no other songs to be found, consider them Mix EPs.
Mix 1: Doom Pop!
This mix’s premise involves selecting artists that are not known for their sincerity or artistry, and selecting surprising, out-of-character tracks for a mix CD that has a cohesive theme of grounded, educated, remarkable songs.
Gwen Stefani with Andre 3000: We’ve Got A Lot Way to Go (intro only)
The spoken-word duet that opens this track off Gwen’s “Love, Angel, Music, Baby” album is a forward-looking, robotic indictment to never give up on making history. “We’ve got a long way to go,” intone Gwen and Dre. “It’s beyond Martin Luther. Upgrade computer.”
Hanson: Optimistic (Radiohead cover)
You remember these brothers: their nowhere-but-down careers seemingly peaked in the 90s with timeless gems like “MMMBop” and “Where’s the Love?” They’ve ditched Atlantic Records and signed with an independent record label instead. Somehow, I came across an MP3 of these guys covering Radiohead’s “Optimistic” live in concert, and it’s actually an inspiring piece of work. If you can put up with the legions of screaming girlies in the background, that is. The tribal-warefare drums carry the crunching guitars, and both provide the perfect rhythmic menace to counteract with whoever-it-is that’s singing in a tortured mini-rockstar wail.
POD: Psalm 150
30 seconds of ambient guitar drones and plucks ripple underneath the guttural, spiritual utterances of somebody reading Psalm 150 in Hebrew. It’s shivery good.
Those are the three anchor tracks. And yes, two of them are just interludes, not full tracks. If you can think of any more that fit this theme, I’d love to hear your ideas. Feel free to post your contributions below.
Kevan is a life-size replica of a 5'8" tall human being, and comes with several interchangeable outfits and a realistic haircut. With a BA in Communications from Trinity Western University, Kevan’s professional writing, graphic design, web and creative consulting services are available for hire. Kevan resides with his beautiful wife Kendra in Vancouver, BC, and is generally a nice person.
Email this author | All posts by Kevan
I think you should include Fallout Boy’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” I want to hate that song because I hate the band, but it’s actually a brilliant premise. After committing all sorts of acts of jackassery, the band realizes that their record label and everyone who counts on them to make money and beat the competition loves watching them crash and burn like Anna Nicole Smith. They then realize that they aren’t part of the punk or emo scene at all; it’s a pissing contest. Fallout Boy’s song is about the epiphany that their hip, white-boy swagger is nothing more than an image, imposed by the label, to make them a weapon for the consumerist war. I don’t think they pulled it off properly, but that’s what I think they were trying to say, and it’s a noble attempt. As a result, the song is surprisingly awesome.
In reality, though, I nominate Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick, Push.” It’s brilliant.
Fall Out Boy — nice idea. I remember the first time I heard the song, I left the radio on after I pulled into my garage to hear the end of it. How’d an emo band pull that off? Anyway, I wonder what kind of transition track would be needed to move the mix into a more “fun” mode, from the darker tracks I outlined initially?
I haven’t heard that Lupe Fiasco song, but I’ll definitely check it out.
Hey Kevan,
where can I find that “Optimistic” cover? My curiousity has been undeniably piqued.
Hi Kevan!
I felt into your webpage this evening, looking for some sufjan steven’s stuff.
It’s been one hour reading some of your stories and experiments, and i have to say i’ve been really enjoying that time!
There are some ideas that i can not take proffit of, ‘cos i’m from Barcelona, Spain (starbucks tircks, shit!).
Anyway, it’s really nice when i hear you talking about that mixing songs and all that, even some bands you mentioned y really don’t like it. It would be cool to talk with you and ask about some of the triks u use, or wich software it’s well working to that, as i use to use Adobe Audition to this kind of mixing.
My last ‘mixes in the making’ started with great discover. I decided to put one after other two songs, “Magic Position from Patrick Wolf” and “Sunshine by Josh Rouse”, and, it was so amazing to discover how well they cross together, in the same tone and almost in the same exact tempo.
So… this time i think i can not really help you wih your Doom Pop, but i’ve found it a really nice idea to share and try to grow something between some people. Lovely!
I’ve never been in canada but i think i would really enjoy it.
By the way, how could you get the lasange worm there between the woods?
Thanks for the note, Guillem! I’m really glad you enjoyed your time on this site. Adobe Audition is also what I use for my mash-ups. Do you have a link to the final mix you created from those two songs you mentioned? If so, I would like to hear it.
Thanks again for your comments!
Hurrrm, i havn’t a link to this mp3.
Maybe i could link this transition somewhere, but i don’t know how to do that with audio files. Wich are simple/fast options for that?
g!