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: