B Sides To Die For: Bringing The Mix Tape Back

Digital music downloads, i-Tunes, mp3 files, 20 years ago such language would have fallen on deaf ears. Welcome to the new music industry, where audiophiles can click ’n’ download data in mere minutes, drag that data into neat little virtual folders, and transfer it all to a portable listening device with a 10,000 song capacity. With a boundless catalogue of music at our fingertips, technology has given listeners free reign to discover new genres, artists and discographies throughout the ages. But does the immediacy and convenience of digital downloads affect the actual absorption of the music?

Hearing and listening, the difference between the two is palpable. In your lifetime, you will hear an endless barrage of Billboard hits, one-hit wonders and catchy endorsement songs for The Gap. But count the times you’ve stopped, adjusted your oversized headphones and listened. That thump-thump-thumping in the center of your chest when you discover that song, that album, that band that is the soundtrack to your life. The words and music suddenly have meaning, have a message. You are all but positive that message is meant solely for you. Almost immediately you want to share this wonderful feeling. And if you are true to your hipster roots, there is only one thing to do: document your findings. Compile all of the personal mementos of music you’ve found and pass it on to another. In short, make a mix tape.

Author/producer/ and music pioneer, Thurston Moore has penned, “In the future, when social scientists study the mix tape phenomenon, they will conclude – in fancy language – that the mix tape was a form of ‘speech’ particular to the late twentieth century, soon to be replaced by the play list.” However, a play list cannot convey the same message as a mix tape. From developing a theme and a track list, to the execution of every minute-by-minute recording, the mix tape is a medium like no other. The tangibility of the mix tape speaks volumes. Now, your average naysayer may naysay, “But, Jackie, cassettes have fallen into the black hole of technological obsolescence. Why not just burn yourself a nice compact disc?” Not a terrible idea, but, in my opinion, a mix CD simply cannot capture the same emotion of the audiocassette. Mix tapes, in their very nature are stories looped around a central theme; chapters that, from track to track, take the listener on a journey down the beaten path of the tape’s creator. The design of the cassette is to listen-start to finish-without skipping any pages of the proverbial story. And like any story, it has a beginning, a middle and an end, with just enough of that nostalgic analog hiss in between.

A mix tape has become, in short, the story heard ‘round the hipster campfire. It’s shared by many and appreciated for what it is: an exchange of ideas, a meeting of the minds, and of course, the chance to impress your friends with your vast musical knowledge. And as the fictional indie icon, Rob Gordon of High Fidelity argues, “The making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do’s and don’ts. First of all, you’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.”

So let’s discuss the makings of a good mix. Presuming you have the essential equipment, i.e.: A stereo system with CD and tape deck function and blank cassettes, the next step is the decision of what to include on the tape. The message of mix tapes changes with regards to circumstance and recipient. However, one thing should remain a constant: an overarching theme that ties it all together. I’ve given many mix tapes over the years, ranging in themes from “I Love You But This is One Fucking Complicated Mess” and “Music as Medicine: Please, Stop Snorting Crack,” to an academically acclaimed mix tape documenting the sounds of “Essentials in Women’s Studies.” In all of these mix tapes, the common denominator is a theme, a concrete idea that keeps your emotions in check and your choices of song at optimum potential.

As for your song choices, the instrumentation and the lyrics are the two key components. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different genres or styles, so long as flow and continuity aren’t compromised. The transition from track-to-track should seem almost effortless. It basically boils down to revealing a message blended in each track, one that you believe could be inferred by the intended listener, literal or metaphorical, subtle references or blatant admissions. You could also consider point-of-view, or perspective when choosing tracks. Using lyrics as a first-person narrative can get tiresome. Try choosing a few songs that involve your theme in a roundabout way, ones that don’t necessarily imply you as the speaker of the lyrics, but a passerby merely observing the situation from a distance. It’s a difficult thing to explain, but an astute listener just knows how to use lyrical wordplay to his or her advantage. Leaving the listeners with enough variations of material to strike intrigue but not so much as to bombard them with your eclecticism, will have them transfixed to the tape deck.

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When given the opportunity to publish my penchant for mix tapes on Hipsters Eat for Free, I thought, what better an occasion such as this, to share a timely mix for all those embracing the stronghold of digitally downloaded music? Since I can’t conceivably dub mix tapes for all of you listeners out there, I offer you the opportunity to do so yourself. With this in mind, I have made a cross-technological track list of sorts. By all means, download these songs, listen and enjoy, but consider the possibilities of surrender to the aesthetic and the allure of the mix tape…especially when the mix is an epic sci-fi/horror battle between robots and zombies. Side A, Robots. Side B, Zombies (as in, b-movies… Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Just remember, a mix tape is, in short, an audibly formatted chronicle of life’s little ups and downs. It’s the soundtrack to your life. It’s the mundane and the insane. It’s a drama. It’s a horror. It’s a romantic fucking comedy. And it’s yours to share, to absorb, to interpret. So with that said, I present to you, Robots vs. Zombies: a Hipster Halloween Mix.

Robots (A)

1) Robotnicka: “Bidip-Dip Dip Bidip” from Spectre en Vue

2) Daft Punk: “Robot Rock” from Human After All

3) theStart: “Death Via Satellite” from the Death Via Satellite EP

4) Radiohead: “Paranoid Android” from OK Computer

5) Goldfrapp: “Strict Machine” from Black Cherry

6) Flight of the Conchords: “Robots” from Flight of the Conchords

7) Marnie Stern: “Transformer” from This is It and I Am It And You Are It So is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That

8.) Ladytron: “Destroy Everything You Touch” from Witching Hour

9) Gorillaz: “Every Planet We Reach is Dead” from Demon Days

10) Ellen McLain & Jonathon Coulton: “Still Alive” from the end credits of Portal

11) The Flaming Lips: “All We Have Is Now” from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot

Zombies (B)

1) The Raveonettes: “Dead Sound” from Lust Lust Lust

2) The Zombies: “Time of the Season” from Odessey and Oracle

3) Blue Oyster Cult: “Don’t Fear the Reaper” from Agents of Fortune

4) Pixies: “I Bleed” from Doolittle

5) Belle & Sebastian: “Is it Wicked not to Care? From The Boy with the Arab Strap

6) Saudi Arabia: “Brains” from $200,000

7) Bjork: “Army of Me” from Post

8.) Kaki King: “Pull Me Out Alive” from Dreaming of Revenge

9) Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan: “You are my Sunshine” from The Dylan and Cash Sessions

10) She & Him: “This is Not a Test” from Volume One

11) Sean Lennon: “Dead Meat” from Friendly Fire

By Jackie Jardine

New to the Scene?: Ten bands to expand your mind.

By: Patrick Niederriter

In honor of this new Web site(HipstersEatforFree.com,) I am writing this article for all you who are new to the whole “indie” scene. Maybe you’re just starting college and feel like discovering new music or maybe you are just bored with what you hear on the radio and feel like expanding your horizons. So, I have listed ten bands from a variety of genres for you to peruse to better find your niche. Those of you who eat and breathe underground music may find this list elementary, but it is not meant for you. Still, give it a read. There may be a few gems you overlooked. This list is in no particular order.

1. Fugazi: Since 1987, these D.C. artists have been a major influence on the progression of punk rock and hardcore. Their music is heavy, sometimes droney, and sometimes almost jammy. Be prepared for some quality yelling. They are equally well known for their DIY (Do it Yourself) methods and musical ethics. For instance, they view pricey admissions to shows as unacceptable and prefer that the cost of admission not exceed $5.

What to Listen to: Repeater, Fugazi’s 1990 release is a great album. Also, 13 Songs is a great compilation of their hits and would give you a good variety of their music.

If You Like This: Then you may be a punk rocker at heart. Go back in time a little and look into The Clash and The Ramones. Also, check out Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye’s former band Minor Threat. Also cruise around the Fat Wreck Chords, Epitaph, and Dischord Web sites. There is a wide variety of punk out there. If you dig this sound, pay some respect to the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop.

2. Dinosaur Jr.: A little more on the alternative side of the music spectrum, Dinosaur Jr., was formed in 1984 by J. Masic, Lou Barlow, and Murph. Over the years, members have come and gone. Recently the prolific band has reunited its orginal lineup. Their music exemplifies the rebirth of the extended guitar solo, without making it sound masturbatory. The lyrics are simple; the sound is often upbeat and it features heavy feedback and the loud-quiet dynamic.

What to Listen to: If you can only get one album, it should be 1987’s, You’re Living All Over Me. It is great from start to finish and has a great cover of the song “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure. Green Mind was released in 1991 and is also very good and 2009’s Farm proved that the band has not lost its talent.

If You Like This: Check out the bands, Pavement and Husker Du. Both are so good they should have made this list along with Guided By Voices.

3. Gang of Four: This post-punk band has seen some musical changes in their lifespan. They are perhaps best known for their mixing of punk with reggae, and funk with a minimalist quality, making music you can dance to. They were pioneers of the dance-punk/dance-pop movements of today. Still, their music often political, offers several levels of listening.

What to Listen to: Entertainment! was their first full-length release and is often regarded as one of their best. However, Solid Gold and Hard have both been ranked in the charts at one time in both the U.S. and the U.K.

If You Like This: The Rapture, Liars, and Bloc Party have all taken musical cues from this band. If you like to dance, give MGMT a try too. Don’t rule out Beirut, their music blends dance-pop rhythms with eastern European folk.

4. The Pixies: David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, and Thom Yorke can’t all be wrong. Pound for pound, The Pixies are arguably one of the most influential bands of the past 20 years. Bands like Radiohead and Nirvana have named The Pixies as an influence. Their sound blended punk and surf rock. They were able to be highly melodic and abrasive almost simultaneously. They also were proponents of the loud-quiet dynamic. Lyrically, the subject matter often focused on contreversial topics such as, biblical figures, violence, molestation, and incest.

What to Listen to: 1988’s Surfer Rosa is their most widely acclaimed album, which features the song “Where is My Mind” which had some commercial success via covers and movies.

If You Like This: Since they were so influential, you can find elements of their music all over the place. Look into Sonic Youth and Blur to start and add spice to taste.

5. Joy Division: The sad and mournful vocals of lead singer Ian Curtis coupled with the bands slow drone and sparse music has been an indie mainstay since the suicide of Curtis in 1980. Their sound is rather dark and gloomy but still maintains a high level of emotional energy. The songs often relate to their lead singers battles with depression and epilepsy. An interesting piece of trivia: Curtis allegedly hung himself while listening to the Iggy Pop album The Idiot.

What to Listen to: Joy Division only released two albums. 1979’s Unknown Pleasures and 1980’s Closer. A horse a piece.

If You Like This: Bands like Interpol and Nick Cave’s The Birthday Party have very similar musical qualities. If you like low, somber vocals of Joy Division you will appreciate these two.

6. Heavy Vegetable: Minimalism at its best. Heavy Vegetable is Rob Crowes first real foray into the music world and the music is characterized by simple melodies layered on top of one another. The lyrics are simple if not quaint and the vocal harmonizing is often pleasant. Probably one of the least known bands on this list, Heavy Vegetable features a lot of short, catchy songs.

What to Listen to: This band wasn’t around very long, but their album Frisbie has 28 nice tracks.

If You Like This: Then you will like Pinback and Thingy; Crowes other bands that take his minimalist layering to the next level.

7. Hum: The hometown heroes of Champaign, Illinois, Hum is a kind of space rock band that is best listened to loud. The sound seems to stretch for miles and employs a variety of effects pedals and distortion with almost monotone vocals. The lyrics often use metaphors and similes about cosmic phenomena as well.

What to Listen to: Whether you choose to listen to 1995’s You’d Prefer and Astronaut or 1998’s Downward is Heavenward, you will get a great scope of their music. By this point, Hum had refined their sound.

If You Like This: Dig up some Spacemen 3. If you like that, then try and find some Castor or Centaur, which feature members of Hum.

8. Neutral Milk Hotel: Perhaps you prefer things on the softer, folk side. Neutral Milk Hotel formed in the early 90’s uses skilled and intricate instrumentation mixed with passionate vocals. The subject matter is often spiritually motivated and employs poetic imagery.

What to Listen to: 1998’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, is their most acclaimed album to date.

If You Like This: Then you enjoy the softer side of music. Try Destroyer, Iron and Wine, and Rogue Wave. Each has their own style but keep to folk roots. Also, you will probably enjoy Bon Iver.

9. The Velvet Underground: You’ve probably walked down the street and seen people dressed in the “hipster” uniform. You know, the tight black jeans, a disheveled, sickly appearance, and thrift store apparel. These people, whether they know it or not, are taking their fashion from Lou Reed. It’s been said that only 1,000 people bought a Velvet Underground album, but everybody that did started a band. They have a pivotal influence on all sorts of subculture music like punk and alt rock. Andy Warhol was their manager for Christ sake. The music can seem to be all over the place, but normally employs twangy guitar, drones, and nihilistic outlooks on things as well as a non-apologetic approach to drugs.

What to Listen to: The Velvet Underground and Nico from 1967 is one of their best known with songs like “Heroine”, “Venus in Furs”, and “Waiting For The Man.” 1968’s White Light/White Heat is another great album.

If You Like This: You will like bands that have a retro sound. Give The Brian Jonestown Massacre a try. If you are attracted to some of the more innovative, wild, drug related material, then look into Modest Mouse; especially their earlier albums.

10. Big Black: Steve Albini fronted this experimental, noise rock band throughout the 1980’s. This is a band that is not suitable for everybody’s ears, but if you enjoy brutal, angry vocals and slashing guitar you will more than likely like this band. Its harsh, full of energy, and pushes the boundaries of what some people would call “music.”

What to Listen to: Songs About Fucking from 1987. The name says it all.

If you Like This: Listen to Albini’s Shellac. If you like things that are experimental but less abrasive, then look up The Desert Fathers and Don Caballero.

All said and done, you actually have more than ten bands to look into. Have fun and support local music.