Mystery Mini Mix is a shiny new feature dredged up from somewhere within the collective imagination of the WTD crew. Basically, we’ve made a huge list of song prompts (eg. Song with a colour in the title) and are getting our favourite writers and music people to curate a list of songs according to the randomly-assigned prompts they receive. It’s then up to them to craft their very own ‘EP’, deciding on the track order, release title and artwork. If they want to write a little bit about their choices then that’s cool too.
First up is Jonathan Chin, resident writer, editor and photographer at the NYC-based blog Cereal + Sounds.
A Meh at Best EP
by Jonathan Chin
1. Song from who you consider the most underrated band of all-time
Do The Method – The Method Actors
I think these guys got lost somewhere during the no/new wave/post-punk movement we had in the States. It’s been said that they’re the 6th most famous band to come from Athens, GA but I’ve only heard about them when their compilation, This Is Still It, was reviewed by publications in late 2010. I actually found out about this band when I had a membership for eMusic and I went on a buying spree with the monthly allowance they gave out. The career-compilation is quite good, and I’d hope they have a DEATH-like resurgence, but that never happened. I highly recommend this band to anyone who loves Wire, The Fall, and Television.
My runner-ups for the most underrated of all time are The Feelies, Yo La Tengo, The Fall, and Chin Chin.
2. Song that reminds you of your favourite gig/live experience
Every Artist Needs a Tragedy – No Age
July 2008, No Age @ The South Street Seaport, was the second concert I’ve ever been to. It was pretty big for me at the time as a 16 year old venturing off to shows by myself, still figuring out the proper showgoer etiquette. I couldn’t convince any of my friends to go with me so I did this one solo. I should note that the Seaport isn’t really a venue, its an area by NYC’s East River and the Brooklyn Bridge where the architecture of old NYC is still preserved. The group that organizes events at the Seaport have always been great every year in putting on free all-age shows, picking bands that I’d throw sacks of money to see. The stage is situated on a dock right next to the Brooklyn Bridge where the NYC ferries take off, with Queens and Brooklyn serving as a backdrop.
No Age was in town to play the Seaport Nouns (one of my favorites to this day) and they had done an interview with Pete Wentz (of Fall Out Boy fame…) for MTV. The interview itself was awkward, where Wentz asked Dean how he stacked up against Phil Collins, the “greatest drummer-singer of all-time”. That NYC summer was a scorcher, and I remember vividly even after the sun had set, it was hot hot hot. When No Age start “Every Artist Needs A Tragedy”, I think the temperature dropped and a strong salt scented breeze kept blowing. The intro to the track is this pretty experimental drone bit that I always get sucked into when listening to it. At that point, I was so overcome by this unfamiliar euphoria I’ve never felt before, I had to taken the rest of the song with my eyes closed. Watching videos of it now, I’ve come to realize it wasn’t that great of a performance, but it’s still THE ONE that convinced me to shape my life around music.
3. Song for the sunniest day of the year
Take It Easy Brother Charles – Jorge Ben
I don’t remember how I got into Jorge Ben, but probably one the more revelatory serendipities I’ve had. Might have been sometime in high school, but prior to this discovery, I had no inkling of what tropicalia or even what “world” music was. Since then I’ve told people, Jorge Ben was my gateway drug to world music. But this track, I feel, will complement any hot, sticky, humid yet bright summer day quite nicely.
4. Song from a different continent
Everything Scatter – Fela Kuti
In my final year college, I had a mini-obsession with afro-pop, which I guess could be attributed to Vampire Weekend in high school. I had a friend who had a world music program at the school’s radio station (which I was a part of as well), and I’d pick up new finds on his show. I had really taken to afro-pop and afro-beat, particularly in its emphasis on rhythm and percussion. The two artists that I listened to a lot were William Onyeabor and Fela Kuti. I’ve always listened to Fela Kuti like I listen to jazz, I just drop into an album at any point and just listen to it on repeat. I feel like this is one of the tracks that best showcases Fela Kuti’s influences and range, like jazz, soul, funk, and psychedelia.
5. Song that brings out your inner cowboy
The Lord’s Favorite – Iceage
This record really threw me off when I heard a preview of it. Combining country music and post-punk seems like a weird concept and honestly I wouldn’t even imagine how it would sound. But this is quite the the song. I was pleasantly surprised at how they were able to make country and post-punk work together and kind of wishing they made more of these. These guys are from Denmark, but it really felt like they immersed themselves in country music for this track.
If you’d prefer to this whole thing in one go, a meh at best EP as it was intended to be heard:
Be sure to read everything Jonathan Chin does on Cereal + Sounds, and check back next week for the next Mystery Mini Mix.