Saturday, March 06, 2010

Mixology: Tales from Degeneration Hex

Mixology is a recurring feature in which I take a look at one of the many mix tapes I made over the years. Some are better than others, but all of them are fun to revisit.

Tales from Degeneration Hex (9/23/94)

After having a generally lousy year in 1993, things were looking up for me by the spring of '94. I had moved back to Beverly after renting a room in a house located in the middle of a field in Middleton for several months. It was cheap, but one of my roommates was a 68-year-old divorced dude who liked walking around in his boxers all day. Not exactly my idea of a fun living environment. I also had been working as a design editor at the Beverly Times (RIP), which was okay, but I had to be at work at 5 a.m. everyday, which meant I had to wake up at 3:45. This wasn't sitting well with my body; I felt like I was getting an ulcer. I was swilling Maalox like it was water because it seemed like anything I ate was aggravating me.

Finally, a reporting job opened up for covering the courts, which was a pretty cool gig; I applied and got it. Between that and moving back to where most of my friends lived, life turned around almost immediately. I was rooming with three women (all of whom were engaged or about to be), but they were all friends of mine and were all cool. I was able to get back on my regular sleep schedule and I liked my job again. All was right with the world. Well, I still didn't have a girlfriend, but things in that area would improve in due time.

The summer of '94 was a lot of fun. I played a lot of softball and tennis, drank a lot (I mean a LOT) of Pete's Wicked Ale, and caught some good shows around town (Soundgarden in Fitchburg, the Bosstones and Bill Janovitz at the Middle East). I spent a week in Austin visiting my brother, who had moved down there to attend UT law school. It was hotter than Hades, but a good time. I saw a couple of rock shows while I was there: The Velvet Crush at Emo's (still wear the VC t-shirt I bought from the guitarist before the show) and Pork with Jesus Christ Superfly at the Electric Lounge (looking at the show listing I still have, a little-known band named Spoon was fourth on the bill later in the week).

I put together some good mixes that year, ones that I still break out from time to time. It was a good time for the alt-rock scene. In the wake of the whole Seattle grungesplosion, Green Day had paved the way for pop-punk with its awesome Dookie album. There were great albums released from artists like Frank Black (Teenager of the Year, a true classic), Soundgarden (Superunknown), the Beastie Boys (Ill Communication) and Superchunk (Foolish). And the fall was looking to continue that trend, with Sugar's File Under: Easy Listening and Sloan's Twice Removed catching my ear. And I had just picked up an album by some guy named Jeff Buckley, whose song "Mojo Pin" had a cool Zeppelin feel to it.

This tape has a dumb name, but it kicks serious arse (despite the presence of a Live song. I even saw them at the Paradise that year. It wasn't long afterward that I grew sick of them.). And in the end, that's all that matters.


Side A
Citysong - Luscious Jackson
Sure Shot - Beastie Boys
Self-Esteem - The Offspring
When I Come Around - Green Day
Gift - Sugar
Feel the Pain - Dinosaur Jr.
Stranger Than Fiction - Bad Religion
Divine - Rollins Band
Milquetoast - Helmet
Freedom Rock - Frank Black
Saving My Ticket - Superchunk
She - Anthrax
Piece of Mine - Sons of Hercules

Side B
Thursday - Morphine
I Alone - Live
Sleeps with Angels - Neil Young
Ted, Just Admit It - Jane's Addiction
Big Dumb Sex - Soundgarden
Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
Come Out and Play - The Offspring
Burnout - Green Day
Your Favorite Thing - Sugar
Grab It - Dinosaur Jr.
Root Down - Beastie Boys
Energy Sucker - Luscious Jackson
Incomplete - Bad Religion
Thalassocracy - Frank Black







Is that Freedom Rock? Well, turn it up, man:


Mmm, toasty:

4 comments:

Tapeleg said...

Sugar's "Copper Blue" album is still one of my favorite driving albums.

Jay said...

Yeah, it's terrific. Loved that band.

Zen Runner said...

Frank Black is my hero.

Jay said...

Hey Adam,

Yeah, Frank/Black/Charles is the best. Always does interesting stuff.

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