Another week, another cover songs mixtape. Some quite good, some of rather dubious quality. You be the judge!

Of Montreal – Final Countdown (Europe)
The Polyphonic Spree – Lithium (Nirvana)
Nickel Creek – Just (Radiohead)
Petra Haden – Thriller (Michael Jackson)
The Watson Twins – I Summon You (Spoon)
Death Cab For Cutie – All Is Full Of Love (Björk)
Muse – Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
Death Cab For Cutie – This Charming Man (The Smiths)
The Watson Twins – Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
We Are Scientists – Hoppípolla (Sigur Rós)
M. Ward – Let’s Dance (David Bowie)
Of Montreal – Raspberry Beret (Prince)

And here’s another week of me pretending to be Zach Braff or Cameron Crowe. Although this week’s influence is clearly more Cameron Crowe with me borrowing his choice of the opening scene from Vanilla Sky.

the opening scene – with the protagonist in his perfect world
the strip club scene – where he meets his partner in crime
the planning scene – done in a montage…montage!
the bank heist scene – with band in cameo as customers
the car chase scene – with peugeots, renaults, and vauxhalls
the happy, drugged out scene – swimming in a vault of gold coins
the casino scene – playing pot limit omaha shorthanded
the losing it all scene – with the robbers being robbed
the aftermath scene – anger and going separate ways
the downward spiral scene – depression and lots of drinking
the redemption scene – with an improbably complicated plan that goes off without a hitch leaving everything nicely tied up and everyone happy
the end credits – with the tease of something cool at the end

The movie is a combination of Oceans 11, Ronin, Heat, and Leaving Las Vegas…but happier! Here’s the listing of the actual track names.

Radiohead – Everything In Its Right Place
Goldfrapp – Ooh La La
Devotchka – Vengo! Vengo!
Spoon – Don’t Make Me A Target
Bloc Party – Banquet Phones Disco Edit
Fiery Furnaces – Straight Street
Wolf Parade – This Heart’s On Fire
My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow
DJ Shadow – Midnight In A Perfect World
Elliott Smith – Between the Bars
Explosions in the Sky – First Breath After Coma
Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun

A visit to the aquarium inspired this week’s mix; the penguins didn’t seem to enjoy the Texas heat very much and were just trying to do as little as possible during my visit. I can’t say that I blame them very much, I didn’t do much else today except to stay in the air conditioning and purchase penguin related items. So to help myself and others relax while dealing with the heat, here’s a nice laid back and chill mixtape with no particular theme, but feel free to interpret it however you want to.

Mazzy Star – Fade Into You
Broken Social Scene – Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl
Cat Power – Sea Of Love
Zero 7 – Distractions
Portishead – It’s A Fire
Explosions In The Sky – A Song For Our Fathers
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
The Cars – Drive
Mogwai – Hunted By A Freak
Ratatat – Everest
Air – Alone In Kyoto
David Bowie – Space Oddity

I’ve moved into a new place which prevented me from having internet and updating this mix like normal. Obviously I’m on the internet now so that’s one hurdle down, but I still don’t have TV which may have influenced this week’s theme. I think I’m still on a Radiohead high since I decided to entitle this week’s mix after one of their b-sides.

That DeBeers ad – with Cat Power Stevens
That HSBC ad – with Miss Leslie Feist
That Axe ad – with Brazilian Girls
That Microsoft Zune ad – with the Shins
That Gears of War ad – with Gary Jules for Fears
That Outback Steakhouse ad – with a beautiful steak
That University of Phoenix ad – with the University of Pornographers
That Gap ad – with everybody in vests
That Gap ad – with everybody in leather
That VW ad – with Mr. Blue Sky
That VW ad – with The Big Day
That Ford ad – with a cute girl

I must say that I enjoy all the songs in the commercials, but can’t say that I totally approve the usage of them in a few. But then, I’m not the one with millions and they are so what do I know?

Cat Power – How Can I Tell You (Cat Stevens)
Feist – Gatekeeper (One Room One Hour Mix)
Brazilian Girls – Lazy Lover
The Shins – Sleeping Lessons
Gary Jules – Mad World (Tears for Fears)
Of Montreal – Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)
The New Pornographers – The Bleeding Heart Show
Madonna – Dress You Up
Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky
J. Ralph – One Million Miles Away
Band of Horses – The Funeral

I have finally seen Radiohead live. It was absolutely amazing. To celebrate this new pinnacle in my concert going career, this week’s mix is a collection of artists performing their finest.

Thom Yorke and Björk – I’ve Seen It All
Timbre – Like Spinning Plates
Christopher O’Riley – Pyramid Song
My Brightest Diamond – Lucky
Sia – Paranoid Android
Mark Ronson featuring Alex Greenwald – Just
Vampire Weekend – Exit Music (For a Film)
The Flaming Lips – Knives Out
Travis – Fake Plastic Trees
Iron & Wine – No Surprises
Chris Thile – Morning Bell
Prince – Creep

Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world

It kinda keeps on going like that…

Daft Punk – Around The World
R.E.M. – Texarkana
Elliott Smith – Angeles
Grizzly Bear – Colorado
Tapes ‘n Tapes – Manitoba
Sufjan Stevens – Chicago
Interpol – NYC
Toto – Africa
Beirut – Nantes
Peter Bjorn And John – Amsterdam
The Essex Green – Berlin
Björk – Oceania

From wikipedia:

The Konami Code, known in Japan as the Konami Command (コナミコマンド, Konami Komando), is a cheat code thats appears in many Konami video games. The code also appears in some non-Konami games. The code was first used in the 1986 release of Gradius for the Nintendo Entertainment System but was made famous in North America in the NES version of Contra. While pausing the game or during the title screen, the player presses the following sequence of buttons on the game controller:

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

In tribute to the Konami code, here is the mixtape for this week:

Dat Politics – Up Up down Ok !
Stars – Look Up
The Arcade Fire – Wake Up
Men At Work – Down Under
David Bazan’s Black Cloud – Let Down
Air – Left Bank
The Decemberists – Red Right Ankle
Zero 7 – left behind
Elliott Smith – Half Right
British Sea Power – Oh Larsen B
Justice – D.A.N.C.E
Voxtrot – The Start Of Something

It’s a very modest title, I think.

the opening scene – artsy shot, panning over snow covered mountains
Stars – What The Snowman Learned about Love: I felt that the beautiful instrumental intro really conveyed a lot about what this fake movie was about.

the protagonist introduction scene – lots of strobe lights
Ladytron – Destroy Everything You Touch: one of my favorite tracks off of Witching Hour, our protagonist is your typical rebel without a cause, with no cares in the world until…

the masquerade ball scene – with the actual band performing as a cameo
Beirut – Elephant Gun: watch the music video, that’s what the scene looks like in my head

the courtship scene – with their steps syncing with the song
Spoon – I Turn My Camera On: the mixture of Britt Daniel’s voice with the constant bass in the song just exudes cool, which is coincidentally what the protagonist wants to do

the sexy scene – but not showing too much because it’s a serious film
Air – Playground Love: an amazing song that says a lot in a very understated way

the happy scene – lots of smiles and bunnies
The Polyphonic Spree – Light & Day/Reach for the Sun: the spree are a bit TOO happy, but it works as our unnamed protagonist and his love interest frolic through the flowery fields

the break up scene – who didn’t see this one coming?
Muse – Time is Running Out: I almost selected the song I chose for the post break up, I felt that a more angry song was suitable and Matt Bellamy’s wailing does the trick

the post break up scene – undescribable; it’s really sad, okay
Beck – Lost Cause: Beck made Sea Change after a breakup, and honestly I could have picked any track from the album and stuck it in here, oh god it’s so sad

the driving scene – through the desert, while contemplating
M83 – Moonchild: M83’s majestic soundscapes really give the feeling of the openness of the scene, and how empty the protagonist was feeling

the oh my god, i’m about to die scene – cue the flashback
Metric – Live it Out: our protagonist dies by driving off a canyon or ravine or something high up, and during his slow motion fall, he flashes back with this song

the funeral scene – with very light snowfall
Moby – When It’s Cold, I’d Like to Die: an incredibly beautiful, depressing song, there would really be no dialogue, just the song providing all that’s needed to evoke emotion

the ending scene – fading into credits
Radiohead – How To Disappear Completely: on a similar vein to the previous song, I could have switched their positions and been happy with the result

I think I may have thought too much about this.

Decided to make a blog to archive all of the mixtapes I make on muxtape. Here are all of the previous ones:

2008/04/21
Jim Sturgess - Girl
Scissor Sisters - Laura
Gogol Bordello - Sally
be your own PET - Becky
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Christine
Stellastarr* - Jenny
Nirvana - Polly
Midlake - Anabel
Neutral Milk Hotel - Naomi
Iron And Wine - Jezebel
Lamb - Angelica
Sigur Rós - Vaka

2008/04/14
Ben Gibbard - Complicated (Avril Lavigne)
Avril Lavigne - Chop Suey! (System of a Down)
Arcade Fire - Five Years (David Bowie)
David Bowie - Wake Up (Arcade Fire)
Beck - Do You Realize?? (The Flaming Lips)
The Flaming Lips - The Golden Age (Beck)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Diamond Sea (Sonic Youth)
Sonic Youth - Superstar (Carpenters)
Metric - Between the Bars (Elliott Smith)
Elliott Smith - Don't Fear The Reaper (Blue Öyster Cult)
Moby - Creep (Radiohead)
Radiohead - Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon)

2008/04/07
I'm From Barcelona - This Boy (feat. Loney, Dear)
Liars - Army Of Me
of Montreal - More Than a Feeling (Boston)
Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps (Manic Street Preachers Version)
Petra Haden - Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Radiohead - Talk Show Host (w/ Nelly Hooper)
The Fiery Furnaces - Straight Street
Stars - Ageless Beauty (Most Serene Mix)
Roxy Music - More Than This
Belle and Sebastian - We Rule The School
The Teenagers - Starlett Johansson
Underworld - Cups 

2008/03/31
Viva Voce - Mixtape=Love
Crystal Castles - Crimewave (Crystal Castles VS Health)
Portishead - Sour Times (Live at Roseland NYC)
Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright - Careless Whisper
Under Byen - Det Er Mig Der Holder Traeerne Sammen
Office - Wound Up
Kid Dakota - Ivan
Crazy Jim Buhdulah - Stonecutters Song
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted by Mike Shinoda)
the postal service with jenny lewis - nothing better (live on KCRW)
Colin Meloy - The Engine Driver
My Brightest Diamond - Feeling Good (Nina Simone cover)