Can we talk for a minute? There are some things we want to get off our chests. Maybe you should sit down for this one. (Why the hell are you standing up at a computer?) Since we don't want to waste your time or ours, we'll get right to the point. This isn't working out. You know, between us. This whole thing. We've grown apart. Wait, before you interrupt, just let us finish. This is no joke.

Why are you laughing? You see, this is exactly what we're talking about! We try to be serious for a minute, and you just want to sit there and laugh and make a big fat joke out of it. No, of course it's not your fault. It's not you, it's us. We just can't devote the attention to you that we used to. You gave us your heart, we gave you a pen. Things are changing for us. Good things. We just think it would be better for both of us if we ... didn't see you anymore.

We know, we know, it's not easy to hear. But, listen, we still think you're a great person. We're not saying we don't want to be friends, but, well, things just got moving too quickly for us, and soon we were spinning out of control. And once we hit that 100 post mark, we just couldn't take it anymore. We're not looking for that kind of relationship right now. Let us be clear on this: it's nothing you did. You are the best. Some day, you'll find the blog that's right for you, but for now, it's not us.

Of course we'll remain friends. Are you crazy? No, no, we didn't mean it that way. You're not crazy. Really. No, seriously. See, you're laughing again, you crazy bastard. You are insane. You see, THIS is why we're leaving you. You're a damn NUTCASE. You belong in a mental institution! They can do some great things for you. Now just leave us alone. We have to go. See ya around. Get AWAY from us! Stop following us. We're not listening anymore.

The Good Stuff is a 10-volume set of mixes without any particular unifying theme, apart from that I like all of the songs on all of them. And I hope you do too. Nay, I demand that you do too.

1. "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra
2. "A Fond Farewell" - Elliott Smith
3. "The Sound Of Settling" - Death Cab For Cutie
4. "Save Me" - Aimee Mann
5. "Wake Up" - The Arcade Fire
6. "Black And White Town" - Doves
7. "Two Of Us" - The Beatles
8. "Carry The Zero" - Built To Spill
9. "Banditos" - The Refreshments
10. "Blue" - The Jayhawks
11. "Naked As We Came" - Iron & Wine
12. "Slow Hands" - Interpol
13. "We're The Same" - Matthew Sweet
14. "Lola Stars And Stripes" - The Stills
15. "Here's Where The Story Ends" - The Sundays
16. "Everyday I Write The Book" - Elvis Costello
17. "Either Way" - Guster
    

We here at Mixologists often prefer to keep you out of the loop in our personal lives, choosing instead to mock and/or throw feces at you while telling you how much you don't know about music. Well, it's time for a new Challenge!... and this time, it's personal.

Because, you see, I will be getting married in June to the loveliest young lass in all the world. But more importantly, I'll be at the epicenter of a dance party with over 100 people who are older and less hip than myself and my mate. And frankly, I need your help. I need you to make sure my wedding music does not suck.

Sure, we all know the classics: "Louie Louie", "The Twist", "Electric Slide", "The Chicken Dance", "Lady in Red". Let's face it: those songs all suck. And the only reason they still get played at weddings is because they were played at your aunt's wedding, or your cousin's wedding, or little Johnny No-Taste from down the street's wedding. This is the year 2006, and I would like to boldly state that Hall & Oates is no longer acceptable wedding fare.

So, my Challenge! to you is to put together a mix of wedding music. Avoid the standard stuff, but keep it respectable. By now you know the rules:

• Mixes cannot exceed the standard length of a CD - 80 minutes.
• Mixes must be submitted via email: submitmix@googlegroups.com
• There is no limit on the number of mixes that can be submitted by one person.

The deadline for submission is April 28, 2006. We will begin posting mixes on the 28th, but will not accept submissions after that (hence the word "deadline").

(Okay, maybe the Chicken Dance can stay...)

I have long maintained that 1994 was the year that I first "got" music. On the border between 7th and 8th grade, between ages 12 and 13, between recess and Vocabulary Workshop, between school dances and ridiculous parts in my hair, between... oh, enough. So enjoy going cross-eyed over the awesomeness of this mix.

1. "Machinehead" - Bush
2. "Buddy Holly" - Weezer
3. "Cut Your Hair" - Pavement
4. "Ease My Mind" - Arrested Development
5. "Laid" - James
6. "Longview" - Green Day
7. "Zombie" - The Cranberries
8. "Loser" - Beck
9. "Feel The Pain" - Dinosaur Jr.
10. "Voodoo Lady" - Ween
11. "The Man Who Sold The World" - Nirvana
12. "Selling The Drama" - Live
13. "Closer" - Nine Inch Nails
14. "Cold Beverage" - G. Love & Special Sauce
15. "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago" - Soul Coughing
16. "Stupid" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
17. "Backwater" - Meat Puppets
18. "Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
19. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley
    

The Good Stuff is a 10-volume set of mixes without any particular unifying theme, apart from that I like all of the songs on all of them. And I hope you do too. Nay, I demand that you do too.

1. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies
2. "Momentum" - Aimee Mann
3. "California" - Rufus Wainwright
4. "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" - Coldplay
5. "Catapult" - Counting Crows
6. "Cannonball" - The Breeders
7. "Hate To Say I Told You So" - The Hives
8. "Martha My Dear" - The Beatles
9. "Gravity Rides Everything" - Modest Mouse
10. "So I Fall Again" - Phantom Planet
11. "Designs On You" - Old 97's
12. "Barely Legal" - The Strokes
13. "The Rat" - The Walkmen
14. "Exit Music (For A Film)" - Radiohead
    

Pick a year, folks, any year. Most likely, you're going to want to pick a year within the last 4 or 5 decades. Because Mixologists is laying down another Challenge! We want you to pick a year and make a mix of your favorite songs from that year. They don't even need to be your favorite songs, or even songs for that matter. Okay, they do have to be songs. And preferably good ones. You get the point!

The ground rules are still the same:

• Mixes cannot exceed the standard length of a CD - 80 minutes.
• Mixes must be submitted via email: submitmix@googlegroups.com
• There is no limit on the number of mixes that can be submitted by one person.

The deadline for submission is April 8, 2006. We will begin posting mixes on the 7th, but will not accept submissions after that (hence the word "deadline").

Some tips:

• Don't pick 2005. Too soon.
• Try to blend a range of genres in your mix. Diversity is much appreciated.
• The order of the songs on your playlist is highly important. The mix should flow like wine.
• Bonus points for incorporating songs and/or artists that may be a little out of the ordinary, provided they don't ruin the flow.

So you crazy fools, bring us a musical blast from the musical past, and answer this Challenge!

Why should anyone be guilty about something pleasurous? Just because I feel Susanna Hoffs's pain when she's gotta get up for work on another manic Monday, I should be ashamed of myself? Just because my answer to a timeless query is "Yes, Shaq, you CAN rock", I should hide my true feelings for the Diesel's gifts? Just because all I wanna do IS have some fun, I shouldn't let that be known? Well folks, you say I only hear what I want to. You're right. Isn't it ironic? So screw you and your condescension, because I've got the hooch. Baby.

1. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston
2. "Jaded" - Aerosmith
3. "What's Up Doc, Can We Rock" - Shaquille O'Neal feat. Fu Schnickens
4. "Sweet Surrender" - Sarah McLachlan
5. "All I Wanna Do" - Sheryl Crow
6. "Ironic" - Alanis Morissette
7. "Until I Fall Away" - Gin Blossoms
8. "Manic Monday" - The Bangles
9. "Hey Leonardo" - Blessid Union of Souls
10. "Thank You" - Dido
11. "Hooch" - Everything
12. "How Do You Talk To An Angel" - The Heights
13. "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" - Nine Days
14. "Stay" - Lisa Loeb

Hey, did anyone notice that I haven't posted in like 5 days? No? Ah, well. The Pope made enough SXSW posts in that time to kill a horse anyway (you do the math). At any rate, here's a (long-awaited? ...maybe not) sequel of sorts to the Blue mix, ingeniously titled Red. It's a bonafide Mixologists contest: see if you can spot the hidden theme!

1. "Red Hot Moon" - Rancid
2. "Red Dragon Tattoo" - Fountains Of Wayne
3. "Red Vines" - Aimee Mann
4. "Your Redneck Past" - Ben Folds Five
5. "Red Eyes And Tears" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
6. "Red Moon" - David Gray
7. "Red" - Elbow
8. "Red Red Red" - Fiona Apple
9. "Red Letter Day" - The Get Up Kids
10. "Red Oyster Cult" - Guster
11. "Red Tan" - The Raveonettes
12. "Red House" - Jimi Hendrix
13. "The Local Black And Red" - Phantom Planet
14. "Red Rain" - The White Stripes
    
15. "Red Light" - The Strokes
16. "Red's Song" - The Jayhawks
17. "Red Right Ankle" - The Decemberists
18. "Killian's Red" - Nada Surf
19. "Brick Is Red" - Pixies
20. "Red-Eyed And Blue" - Wilco
    

Hey, hipster! I'm talking to you, guy who walks around the big city with his headphones on, listening to the latest indie rock tunes. (Or am I talking to me? Ah, but I am decidedly unhip. I digress.) The Nickel is here once again to take you back in time, to a time when disco ruled the earth, when Ayatollahs were running rampant over Iran, when nuclear power plant accidents threatened to destroy central Pennsylvania. Yes, folks, we're talking about 1979.

In that particular year, a little band called Gang of Four released their debut album, Entertainment!, which, when you listen to it today, sounds really similar to a lot of the stuff that's being released today. A little too similar if you ask me. So either Gang of Four has a plutonium-powered Delorean, or today's artists are, in fact, ripoff artists. Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. Call it what you will: punk, post-punk, dancepunk, punk rock, funk punk, or just plain punk. You'll find that it doesn't matter what you call it, as long as you call it awesome.

So let's take a look at a few bands who owe Gang of Four some royalty money. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite fond of 4 of the 5 bands I'm about to highlight. But a spade is a spade, if you catch my drift. Doesn't mean they can't rock. Now that we've cleared that up, I'll offer you some suggestions on how to take advantage of these crimes in your mixes.

1. "From The Ritz To The Rubble" - Arctic Monkeys - Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
   Arctic Monkeys are a great new band out of the UK, telling us about how hard things are when you spend all your nights in dance clubs. Not exactly the political statements that Gang of Four made (they may say "totalitarian", but they're talking about a bouncer), but listen to the funky bass, the uneasy, distorted guitars, and the anxious vocals in both sides of the stereo headphones, and you're not so far off after all.
   Recommendation: This track screams for inclusion on your next Clubbin' Till The Sun Comes Up mix.
   
   
2. "Outsiders" - Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
   The band who ushered in this new wave of post-punk learned their lessons from the Gang well, but also blends a variety of other influences. On this track, they break out the dueling staccato guitars, and lay down a counterpoint bassline to get you and your mates out on the dancefloor, all the while letting you know that you don't need to worry "about being such a freak / or alone". And so begins the nerd dancing revolution.
   Recommendation: "Outsiders" is a perfect fit for counterculture or outcast mixes.
   
   
3. "Decent Days And Nights" - The Futureheads - The Futureheads
   A lot of people out there may mistakenly tell you that The Futureheads are just a Franz Ferdinand clone. Not so! They may draw on the same influences, including our favorite Gang, but the 'heads manage to break away from the Franz mold that they were never really in in the first place. The multi-tracked vocals and the driving, stilted guitar riff secure a catchy tune here.
   Recommendation: Honestly, there aren't a whole lot of mixes you could make that wouldn't be improved by this song.
   
   
4. "Bang Bang Rock And Roll" - Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock And Roll
   Art Brut is what Gang of Four would have been if they had chosen to write songs about being in a band, getting drunk, and engaging in coitus, instead of social criticism. Well, we can't all save the world with a song, I guess. Art Brut sure is having a good time though; I'd say it was infectious, but I'm not in a band, I don't get drunk very often, and I don't kiss and tell.
   Recommendation: You can throw this one onto any Hey Ma, I'm In a Band, Top o' the World mix.
   
   
5. "Banquet" - Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
   The worst criminals on this list, saved for last. Do I understand the hype around Bloc Party? No. Are they any different from any of the other 300 indie rock bands around today? Not terribly. Could you put their songs side-by-side with Gang of Four songs and play the Taste Test game with an uninitiated listener and convince them that all the songs were from the same band? Yes. Do I perk up my ears each time I hear one of Bloc Party's songs on my own mixes and say, "Hey, who is this again? Not bad."? Regrettably, yes.
   Recommendation: Put "Banquet" on the same mixes as these other ones. All these songs are interchangeable anyway.

The Nickel is a weekly(ish) feature on Mixologists where we highlight 5 songs that will elevate your mixes to a new level that you could not possibly have previously imagined. We here at Mixologists have no problem making you cooler. After all, you need the help.

Look at you. With your dirty little secrets. Oh, don't think we didn't know about them. Everybody knows; it's common knowledge. You have a soft spot for songs that you know you shouldn't like, songs that you wish you didn't like. Well, child, it's time to hang that dirty laundry out on Mixologists' front lawn. We are laying down a Challenge! for you to tell us your guilty musical pleasures.

Of course, there are some ground rules involved. Let's run through those.

• The length of your mix should not exceed the length of a standard CD - 80 minutes.
• Mixes must be submitted via email: submitmix@googlegroups.com
• Kindly give your mix a title, and create cover art (attach to the submission email).
  
• There is no limit on the number of mixes that can be submitted by one person.

The deadline for submission is March 24, 2006. We will begin posting mixes on the 24th, but will not accept submissions after that (hence the word "deadline").

Some tips:

• Ordinarily, we'd emphasize originality, but this time, we're gonna ask you to bring forth the most embarrassing music that you can't help but dig.
• Bonus points for this Challenge! will be handed out if you can somehow construct a mix full of bad songs and make it really groove. (Good luck...) Put some thought into the order of your playlist and make sure it flows from one song to the next nicely.
• Eclecticism and diversity count. Boy bands are pretty obvious, and I don't discourage their inclusion, but try to blend genres if you can.

Most importantly, though, don't be embarrassed. Let it all hang out. Bad is good. This Mixologists Challenge! is calling collect. Will you accept the charges?
--

Guilty Pleasures: One More Try
Drunken Talking Points: Guilty Concerts
Guilty Pleasures... Literally
Guilty Pleasures Challenge! Look Deep in Your Black Hearts
Guilty Pleasures Challenge! By the Numbers

Guilty Pleasures Challenge! Entries
The Crap I Listen To With My Headphones On - The Full Moyer
Up Ya Nose Witha Rubba Hose - Bald Ben
Guilty Pleasure - The Deuce
80's Guilty Pleasures - The Pumpkinhead
Guilty Pleasures - Mandy
Hunka Chunka Peanut Butter Fudge - Becker
Not Guilty - Tori
18 Songs You Hate to Love - The Pumpkinhead
Starring John Stamos - Britt
Arresting - The Pope

(submitted by Bald Ben)

I have to say that when the topic came up I was a bit apprehensive. I have never been a fan of greatest hit collections, they are too numerous and they can never be complete. Not to say that they are without merit, just very few have caught my eye. So, I threw around a lot of ideas till I settled here. Of course I can never tout to present you a definitive list of any artist, especially this one, but I hope that some will be able to appreciate. Although I realize that this is a comp that will probably get a lot of guff from most people reading, either for the choice of artist or the choice of songs. While Gillian Welch is considered a country folk artist I feel that she reaches far greater an audience. If you are not familiar, if the classification can be overcome, Ms. Welch may change your line of sight like she did for me.

Gillian Welch is perhaps the greatest singer and songwriter in America today. A bold statement, but one I mean in all earnestness. Her songs stand on their own, her musicianship and lyrical musings are comparable to few. Her partner David Rawlings is one of the most understated and tasteful guitar players that may ever have existed. There is very little that can be said. Gillian writes songs like God makes souls: fluid almost liquid, indefinable, a little bit dusty, with a sadness that can never be touched, but a light that will blind the wicked.

1. "Revelator" - Time (The Revelator)
   
2. "Dear Someone" - Time (The Revelator)
   
3. "Orphan Girl" - Revival
   
4. "Barroom Girls" - Revival
   
5. "Look At Miss Ohio" - Soul Journey
   
6. "I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll" - Time (The Revelator)
7. "Red Clay Halo" - Time (The Revelator)
   
8. "My Morphine" - Hell Among The Yearlings
   
9. "Wrecking Ball" - Soul Journey
   
10. "I'm Not Afraid To Die" - Hell Among The Yearlings
    
11. "Everything Is Free" - Time (The Revelator)
12. "Pocahontas" - Black Star [EP]
    

1. "What's The Frequency Kenneth?" - Monster
2. "Shaking Through" - Murmur
3. "E-Bow The Letter" - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
4. "So. Central Rain" - Reckoning
5. "Half A World Away" - Out Of Time
6. "Pretty Persuasion" - Reckoning
7. "Hope" - Up
8. "Drive" - Automatic For The People
9. "I've Been High" - Reveal
10. "Orange Crush" - Green
11. "Talk About The Passion" - Murmur
12. "I'll Take The Rain" - Reveal
13. "Country Feedback" - Out Of Time
14. "Falls To Climb" - Up
15. "Find The River" - Automatic For The People
16. "Fall On Me" - Life's Rich Pageant
17. "Circus Envy" - Monster
18. "Binky The Doormat" - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
19. "Why Not Smile" - Up

(submitted by PrivatJokr)

1. "Snoop Dog, Baby" - Turn The Radio Off
2. "Sell Out" - Turn The Radio Off
3. "Brand New Song" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
4. "Beer" - Turn The Radio Off
5. "Alternative Baby" - Turn The Radio Off
6. "Drinkin'" - We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy
7. "I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
8. "Drunk Again" - Cheer Up!
9. "She Has A Girlfriend Now" - Turn The Radio Off
10. "She's Famous Now" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
11. "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" - We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy
12. "Talkin' Bout Revolution" - We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy
13. "You Don't Know" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
14. "Down In Flames" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
15. "Somebody Hates Me" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
16. "Big Star" - Why Do They Rock So Hard?
17. "Everything Sucks" - Turn The Radio Off
18. "Cheer Up" - Cheer Up!

This greatest hits album is not just a hodge-podge of good tracks. No, it's much more. Okay, it's just a little more: It's a story of booze and women, which should not be terribly surprising if you've ever heard a song that Ryan Adams has written. What follows here is tribute to Ryan Adams: a reckless, self-indulgent story, most of which is unnecessary and should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Our story begins with Ryan leaving New York and the love of his life ("New York, New York"). Shaken, he reflects on the good times and bad times of his youth, and how he has coped with them (by getting high) ("To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)"). He heads back south and meets a new girl named Carol Lynn, or Carolina--we'll call her Caroline--and she can do no wrong in his eyes; he knows that "love is hell," but it's better than nothing, so he lets himself be sucked in yet again ("Gonna Make You Love Me"). As he sings that he doesn't wanna know why his new love likes him, we sense that the cycle of lost love is repeating ("Don't Wanna Know Why").

Things only seem to get worse from here, and now Ryan is just waiting for the relationship to derail ("Waiting To Derail"), and that's when it starts to hurt ("Starting To Hurt"). Sure enough, the fire in her heart goes out, but he's not ready to let go ("Wonderwall"). Finally, Caroline breaks it off with him, and Ryan realizes that he can't make her love him ("Silver Bullets"). Resigned, he leaves with only "pockets full of dust." As he feels sorry for himself, he begins to think that nothing in the world will bring her home again--not rain, not love, not even money ("Ballad Of Carol Lynn"). His self pity reaches its nadir when he decides to breaks his own heart, just to show Caroline that he can do it just as well as she can ("Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight").

Self pity turns to anger as Ryan burns his old photographs to remove the remnants of the relationship from his mind ("Burning Photographs"). Meanwhile, he's working as hard as he can while he comes to terms with the break-up, but he finds that working isn't nearly as hard as loving ("The Hardest Part"). Enough time has now passed, and Ryan is ready to meet up with Caroline, and offer her some support, and perhaps an apology, telling her to keep her chin up ("Chin Up, Cheer Up"). The two part with a smile and a "see you around" and we get the feeling this isn't terribly different from where we started this little tale ("La Cienega Just Smiled").

1. "New York, New York" - Ryan Adams - Gold
2. "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" - Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
3. "Gonna Make You Love Me" - Ryan Adams - Gold
4. "Don't Wanna Know Why" - Whiskeytown - Pneumonia
5. "Waiting To Derail" - Whiskeytown - Strangers Almanac
6. "Starting To Hurt" - Ryan Adams - Demolition
7. "Wonderwall" - Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell
8. "Silver Bullets" - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
9. "Oh My Sweet Carolina" - Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
10. "Ballad Of Carol Lynn" - Whiskeytown - Pneumonia
11. "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight" - Whiskeytown - Faithless Street
12. "Burning Photographs" - Ryan Adams - Rock N Roll
13. "The Hardest Part" - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
14. "Chin Up, Cheer Up" - Ryan Adams - Demolition
15. "La Cienega Just Smiled" - Ryan Adams - Gold
    

(submitted by PrivatJokr)

1. "ATLiens" - ATLiens
2. "Elevators" - ATLiens
3. "Da Art of Storytellin' Part 1" - Aquemini
4. "Da Art of Storytellin' Part 2" - Aquemini
5. "The Whole World" - Big Boi & Dre Present...
6. "Hootie Hoo" - Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik
7. "Two Dope Boyz" - ATLiens
8. "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" - Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik
9. "Skew It On The Bar-B" - Aquemini
10. "Hey Ya" - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
11. "Humble Mumble" - Stankonia
12. "So Fresh, So Clean" - Stankonia
13. "The Way You Move" - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
14. "Player's Ball" - Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik
15. "Crumblin' Erb" - Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik
16. "Behold A Lady" - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
17. "Ms. Jackson" - Stankonia
18. "Ain't No Thang" - Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik

How often have you said to yourself, "Boy, I wish there was some way that I could be told about all of the latest updates to my favorite blog, Mixologists, and not have to actually go to the blog to check for updates"? Like infinity, right? Well, good friend, fret no more, for we at Mixologists have yet again come up with a solution for all of life's little problems.

You see, every week, we send out the official Mixologists Newsletter, jam-packed with all of the information you need to stay in tune with everything that going on in the world of Mixologists. Perhaps now, if you are more than a little dense, you're wondering how you can get in on the action. Look over to your right. No, on the computer screen, dummy. There you go. Just enter your email address in that little box over there and click the Subscribe button, and TAA-DOW! You are now signed up on the Mixologists mailing list. Congratulations!

We respect your privacy, and cross-our-heart/hope-to-die will not publicize your email address in any way, shape, or form. Not even for money!

So go ahead, sign up. And tell your friends. But not if they're stupider than you. We like publicity, but we don't need that kind.

The Good Stuff is a 10-volume set of mixes without any particular unifying theme, apart from that I like all of the songs on all of them. And I hope you do too. Nay, I demand that you do too.

1. "Utopia Parkway" - Fountains Of Wayne
2. "The Distance" - Cake
3. "California Stars" - Billy Bragg & Wilco
4. "Lost Cause" - Beck
5. "Red Vines" - Aimee Mann
6. "Needle In The Hay" - Elliott Smith
7. "Sleep Better" - Pete Yorn
8. "Hard To Explain" - The Strokes
9. "Late In The Day" - Supergrass
10. "I Am" - Train
11. "Don't Change Your Plans" - Ben Folds Five
    

The Nickel is a weekly(ish) feature on Mixologists where we highlight 5 songs that will elevate your mixes to a new level that you could not possibly have previously imagined. We here at Mixologists have no problem making you cooler. After all, you need the help.

Today's Nickel pays tribute to the musical bliss that can be inflicted by songs clocking in under the two-minute mark. I was inspired by a brilliant album: Minutemen's Double Nickels On The Dime, released in 1984. The album crams in 43 songs in only 80 minutes - you do the math on that one. At any rate, it is virtually impossible to select any one song to include in today's Nickel, since so many of them are post-punk fantasmagorical. (I will, however, highlight "Corona", which you will recognize as the theme to MTV's Jackass.) Being that I'm talking about short songs, today you get twice the songs and half the jibber-jabber. Truly--wait for it--double nickels on your dime.

1. "Her Majesty" - The Beatles - Abbey Road (0:23)
   Recommendation: Royalty mixes.
   
   
2. "Last Days of Tecumseh" - Grant Lee Buffalo - Mighty Joe Moon (1:02)
   Recommendation: Native American mixes.
   
   
3. "Kicker of Elves" - Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand (1:04)
   Recommendation: Anti-Christmas mixes.
   
   
4. "Black Sheep Boy" - Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (1:18)
   Recommendation: Half-man, Half-beast mixes.
   
   
5. "Le Garage" - The Futureheads - The Futureheads (1:44)
   Recommendation: Pseudo-foreign-language mixes.
   
   
6. "Fell In Love with a Girl" - White Stripes - White Blood Cells (1:50)
   Recommendation: Sappy Title/Rockin' Music mixes.
   
   
7. "Twin Falls" - Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love (1:49)
   Recommendation: Places You'd Never Visit mixes.
   
   
8. "Spanish Main" - The Coral - The Coral (1:53)
   Recommendation: High Seas mixes.
   
   
9. "Tick" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell (1:49)
   Recommendation: Aggravated mixes.
   
   
10. "Tony's Theme" - Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1:52)
    Recommendation: Bicycle-riding Superhero mixes.

The Good Stuff is a 10-volume set of mixes without any particular unifying theme, apart from that I like all of the songs on all of them. And I hope you do too. Nay, I demand that you do too.

1. "Bubble Toes" - Jack Johnson
2. "Something To Talk About" - Badly Drawn Boy
3. "When The Stars Go Blue" - Ryan Adams
4. "Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. "Pink Triangle" - Weezer
6. "Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley
7. "Shiver" - Coldplay
8. "Bohemian Like You" - The Dandy Warhols
9. "Why Should You Come When I Call" - Counting Crows
10. "Have A Nice Day" - Stereophonics
11. "Prince Of Spades" - Dispatch
12. "Lines Upon Your Face" - Vertical Horizon
13. "Say You Miss Me" - Wilco
    

The Nickel is a weekly(ish) feature on Mixologists where we highlight 5 songs that will elevate your mixes to a new level that you could not possibly have previously imagined. We here at Mixologists have no problem making you cooler. After all, you need the help.

Hey, remember the 70's? If you're like me, then you don't, because you weren't born yet. But dig this, chumly, there was music before you and I even knew what music was. Rockin' music in some cases. Soulful music in other cases. Terrible music in most cases. So if you're sick of your parents arguing about who was better: Captain and Tenille or Barry Manilow, check out these 5 songs (and in general, any music by these artists), and your friends will like you more, because you'll no longer be putting "Iron Man" on every 70's mix you make.

1. "Marquee Moon" - Television - Marquee Moon
   Television is one of the most ignored and underrated bands to surface in the late 70's. They spit in the face of those who said you could no longer rock 'n' roll unless you used effects on your guitars. No sir, they played them clean, and they played them with an intensity that you just don't see enough of. Listen to these CBGB darlings as the rhythm guitar plays a staccato riff, and the lead guitar brings in a little noodle riff that is simply divine.
   Recommendation: On the latest reissue of this album, this song (the original cut) clocks in at over 10 minutes, so you may want to limit your use to "jam" mixes, or throw a curveball by sticking this as the last song of an art punk mix.



2. "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex - Electric Warrior
   Right now, you're laughing to yourself. You're criticizing me for highlighting a song that everybody and their mother can sing the chorus to. Well, you know what you can go bang on. I don't care how many times you have heard this song, it will still get your ass on the dancefloor with your bad disco moves and your devil-may-care attitude.
   Recommendation: This song clearly belongs on any mix about breaking things or hitting things or causing general damage to items that make noise.



3. "Mercy Mercy Me" - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
   Did you know that Marvin Gaye's mind wasn't always in the bedroom? It's true; just listen to the What's Going On album, which is full of socially conscious songs such as "Mercy Mercy Me". Listen closely to this one: Did he just sing "Fish full of mercury"? Yes sir. But this track just grooves, baby.
   Recommendation: Place this one on your next Artists Whose Music is Most Defiled by Bad Rap Music mix, or, alternately, your next Boy, This Song's Music is So Good It Distracts Me from the Message Because I Can't Chew Gum and Walk at the Same Time mix. It's sure to be a winner either way.



4. "The Girls Want To Be With The Girls" - Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food
   Hey, it's another CBGB's band! Man, what I wouldn't give to have had the opportunity to come up with lame excuses for not going out to CBGB's in the late 70's. Those would have been the times. As it is, all I can do at this point is listen to bands who played there, and Talking Heads were the best of the best. With their frantic, nervous instrumentation and David Byrne's nerdy voice belting lines including the phrase "abstract analysis", you just can't go wrong here.
   Recommendation: You can stick this one on your Confused Sexual Identities mix. Save a spot on there for Blur's "Boys & Girls" too. But I'm not telling you how to make your mixes, you leech.



5. "Loose" - The Stooges - Fun House
   Oh, Iggy Pop. You and your dirty thoughts. What are we to do with you? Iggy sings "Loose" with his mouth so close to the microphone that you literally have to check your ears for spit after listening to this one. Am I entirely sure what he's talking about in this song? Couldn't say. But I'll tell you that I feel like I need a shower.
   Recommendation: "Loose" belongs on a mix that you won't be playing for your parents. And if you ever catch them talking about The Stooges, well, you can snicker to yourself about the loose morals of their youth.