Mixology: Pure Chewing Satisfaction

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

Pure Chewing Satisfaction (5/4/93)

Nineteen years ago, I was living at this very address, but not for much longer. By July, I moved out and embarked on a fairly lousy nine months or so of solo existence. Not coincidentally, this stretch of time also marked my most prolific period for making mix tapes. It took my mind off other things and gave me something to listen to in the car.

Fortunately, there was plenty of good new music out at the time. It was the period just after the big grunge releases had hit--Nevermind, Ten, Badmotorfinger, Dirt--and there was a lot of interesting stuff happening. I was particularly digging new albums from Cracker (David Lowery's first post-CVB record), Dinosaur Jr., Sloan, Buffalo Tom, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth and Living Colour. Plenty of guitars all over each album, but all were very different and presented a promising future for alternative rock. Of course, the next wave of bands included the likes of Bush and Silverchair, so that didn't turn out so well. I was also enjoying new albums from some of my favorite Canuck bands like The Tragically Hip and The Pursuit of Happiness.

Call this mix the rock before the storm. I knew the future was uncertain, but I didn't know how shitty things would be until I actually got there. That axiom unfortunately applied on several levels. But in May 1993, I was still quite unaware of how things would work out.

Side A
Fifty-Mission Cap - The Tragically Hip
Cigarette Dangles - The Pursuit of Happiness
Underwhelmed - Sloan
Purr - Sonic Youth
Drawerings - Dinosaur Jr.
This Little Pig - Living Colour
April Fool - Soul Asylum
Staples - Buffalo Tom
St. Cajetan - Cracker
Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
Buttercup - Brad
Dear Ol' Dad - Blind Melon
Let Me Let You Down - Mudhoney

Side B
Don't Fuck Me Up - Cracker
In Her Dreams - The Pursuit of Happiness
Locked in the Trunk of a Car - The Tragically Hip
Lemonzinger - Sloan
I'm Spun - Mudhoney
Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit - Sonic Youth
Hide - Dinosaur Jr.
Half Ass Monkey Boy - Mother Love Bone
My Fingers - Brad
Change - Blind Melon
Bi - Living Colour
Believe - Lenny Kravitz
Live Another Day - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Completely Conspicuous 123: Too Fast for Love

The podcast's back with another installment of Driving With Kumar as I discuss our love/hate relationship with fast food. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- KFC's Double Down sandwich is cartoonish gluttony

- Never ate much fast food as a young kid

- Only go to McDonald's on road trips

- Instant regret and shame

- Most fast food I eat is pizza

- Plenty of other examples of ridiculous fast food meals

- I enjoy occasional visits to rib joint

- Moderation is the key

- Exercise helps counter effects of fatty food

- Parents need to make sure kids are active

- Fast Food Nation was an eye-opening book

- Learning about how meat producers work can turn you off fast food

- Trend towards banning trans fats in restaurants

- Push to ban trans fats in the UK

- People should have the choice

- Encourage folks to be more active and eat healthier

- A ban might be going too far

- Public smoking ban has worked well

- We can't force people to be healthier

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Deer Tick - 20 Miles

Blur - Fool's Day

The Futureheads - Struck Dumb

Brad - Runnin' for Cover

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment. Save on gear from top brands such as Nike, Adidas, Asics and more using these codes: AFCOMP15 will get you 15% off any order at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 20% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 15% off any order at Footlocker.com.

The Deer Tick song is on the album The Black Dirt Sessions on Partisan Records. Download the song for free at Force Field PR.

The Blur song is the first song the band has recorded in seven years, made for Record Store Day. After the 7-inch single sold out, the band made the song available for free online.

The Futureheads song is on the album The Chaos on Dovecote Records. Download the song for free at Spinner.

The Brad song is on the album Best Friends? on Monkeywrench Records. Download the song for free from Brad's site.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.