Mixology: Rock On, Rocker

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.

Rock On, Rocker (7/2/04)

This mix was made entirely from CD tracks because I still hadn't gotten on iTunes yet. I had just picked up a bunch of new CDs (remember when people used to buy CDs?) from Modest Mouse, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Wilco and the Tragically Hip, so there was plenty of good new music to choose from.

The previous weekend we went down to Sesame Place, an amusement park not far from Philly, and I was listening to a bunch of the discs on the drive down and back. I also had recently purchased a CD from one of the first dates of the Pixies reunion tour, so that was represented here as well.

I had also subscribed to eMusic, which at the time was an all-you-can-eat service: unlimited downloads for a monthly fee. It was pretty great, and I discovered a lot of new indie music that way: !!!, the New Pornographers, McLusky, etc. I was also finding a lot of great bootlegs, like the Franz Ferdinand one I sampled for this mix. The French DJs yapping all over it just add to the enjoyment in my book.

All told, this mix was a good representation of that summer. I spent much of it changing diapers, as Lily was a few months old and Hannah was only 2. If I try hard enough, I can still smell that nasty trash bin we had designated just for diapers. Ugh.

The name of the mix came from a saying often used by my good friend Senor Breitling. Says it all, really.

Summer's Killing Us - The Tragically Hip
The Good Times are Killing Me - Modest Mouse
Take Me Out (live) - Franz Ferdinand
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Karazzee - !!!
So Says I - The Shins
At Least That's What You Said - Wilco
Who the Fuck? - PJ Harvey
Unmade Bed - Sonic Youth
Hunt Again - Mission of Burma
C'mon C'mon - Von Bondies
U-Mass (live) - Pixies
Can't Keep - Pearl Jam
The Laws Have Changed - The New Pornographers
Ball and Biscuit - White Stripes
Fix Up, Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascal
Wrong 'em Boyo - The Clash
Are You Done? - Consonant
KC Accidental - Broken Social Scene
Faster Gun - The Wrens

The good times are killing me:


Faster Gun: