This is the last post I will make as the WPGU 107.1 Web Producer, as my time here is up. I’ll be replaced by the new WPGU 107.1 Web Producer, the equally apt Boswell Hutson, as I move on to post-college life. My time at WPGU 107.1 has been fantastic, and while I’ll still be around, I’m definitely stepping back in my involvement with the site. This Monday Mixer is a collection of some of the tracks with which I’ve interacted since I’ve been on staff with WPGU 107.1.
1. “Act on Impulse” by We Were Promised Jetpacks
The first review I wrote for wpgu.com was on the album In the Pit of the Stomach by We Were Promised Jetpacks. Humorously, it never saw light of day, and as web producer, I can only now fully appreciate why that sometimes happens to albums. Anyway, my review was favorable, and I picked out this track as being especially good.
2. “Life Inside An Elephant” by Elsinore
Elsinore is my favorite local band, and it’s unlikely I would enjoy them nearly as much as I do had I not had the privilege of hearing them play so much through the radio station. These guys are a lot of fun in concert and on the record, so make sure you give them a listen if you haven’t. If you have, you already enjoy this track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUfydEDRTi0
3. “Campus” by Vampire Weekend
I have a love/hate relationship with this song. I love the song, I hate the fact that it seems to appear everywhere on almost every playlist the WPGU 107.1 Webstaff seems to make. But it always fits beautifully. My theory is that everyone that has a pulse likes Vampire Weekend, and this song is the first choice for playlists. And before you disagree with me, remember that I have evidence on my side.
4. “Vege-Tables” by the Beach Boys
There’s a lot of versions of this song floating around, and this one is from the SMiLE Sessions collection that was released in 2011. I fell in love with so many of these tracks when I reviewed the album for the station, and especially this track, which is really marred by the version that was released on Smiley Smile. Well fine, that one is great too in its own way, but this one is much cleaner and has an aesthetic you can enjoy whether you’re in your right mind or not.
5. “Life Is A Problem” by Spiritualized
I got to write the description of this album for the WPGU 107.1 list of the best albums of 2012. It’s a gem. It has so many great tracks, like this tune that swings with a heartfull of strings and longing lyrics. The most immediate draw of this album are the tracks like “Hey Jane” and “I Am What I Am,” but once you’re lured in, it’s tracks like this that will steal your heart. Your sweet, sweet heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LquP3FI6qng
6. “Never Going Back Again” by Fleetwood Mac
Probably my favorite thing that I go to do while on staff at WPGU 107.1 was make the Boxing Day and Christmas Eve Monday Mixers. Since they are my proudest achievements, you should check them out. Anyway, both playlists were pretty chill mixtapes, and this track just nearly missed the final cut for both. It’d be the bonus track released with the 10th anniversary edition of those playlists. This is one of the smoothest Fleetwood Mac tracks, and is calm yet upbeat in a way that I just love.
7. “Rubbernecking” by the Big Pink
This is a track for which I’ve always wanted to find a home. It was my favorite track of the Big Pink’s Future This, that, yes, I did review for the website. While the album as a whole missed some magic, I always thought the great energy of this track would fit on a fun-poppy playlist. If you can do something with this, let me know, and I’ll be excited for you.
8. “Beautiful Mother” by Dirty Projectors and Björk
Dirty Projectors were the highlight of my Pygmalion experience this year, which I did indeed review. What amazed me was how the large number of people in the band were able to be so perfectly in sync on their vocals live. Thank you Pygmalion for giving me a greater appreciation for a band that I already enjoyed quite a bit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuuuSAkBj8E
9. “Mona Lisa” by Atlas Sound
I reviewed Atlas Sound’s second album early on in my WPGU 107.1 music staff career, and the singles from it are still some of favorites of 2011. All my other favorite tracks from it have already made it up onto the website in one form or another, so here’s the last amazing track from the album. “Mona Lisa” has features a great guitar riff and it’s clear from the vocals how much fun he’s having making this track.
10. “No Snow on the Mountain” by Nada Surf
The current music staffers that I hired will know this track, because for the past year I’ve used it to test how well interviewees can talk about music they’ve heard without any outside input. I use this track because while it’s quite enjoyable, it’s nothing special, just straight-forward alt-rock with all the guitar riffs, production values, and song structure you’d expect from the genre. You could critique it or praise it and be right either way, but I’ve certainly enjoyed it enough every time I’ve played it for a hopeful applicant.
