Monday, February 8, 2010
Newsy news
Hey Miraclers, Got some stuff to tell ya. Please see this morning's note on our Facebook page for details. Thanks, XOK
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Rocket Sled
Date February 3, 2010Miracler Steven Trujillo
Location Santa Fe
Notes by ST
Bio: "Steven Trujillo's favorite go-to 3MPM is the part about five to ten minutes into the high-school romantic comedy, when the heroine (canonically, Julia Stiles; others considered on a case-by-case basis) is arriving at school on a sunny day in her cool beater car with her little sister or cool but outcast friend-boy, and we meet the jocks and the weirdos and the cool-girls and the nerds - and there's sunny jangling girl-pop playing over it all. He likes that song a lot. He also likes - quite a bit - our hostess's freshman-year college roommate, the alternate take, the stuttering time signature, the fleeting good idea, the occasional abrupt transition, and, apparently, boys-with-guitars bands."
Mix: "A complicated selection algorithm, several graphs and charts, and an independent review panel were involved in the preparation. Tracks 5, 6 and 8 are a partial unintended response to Ms. Niland's 'What you got?' on Facebook re: best non-miraclized tracks of 2009. Ultimately I inadvertently or subconsciously sequenced the whole thing to align with my morning commute, which I guess kind of points to my primary venue for working on this mix."
Aside: Mix title has no significance other than what's on my mind a lot lately.
PS: Yes, Al Stewart.
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Love Story
Date January 27, 2010Miracler Toby Barlow
Location Detroit
Salient things about TB, by KN
1. He's a favorite among y'all--his Season 2 mix inspired 25 comments. Ah, the good ole' days of lots of commenting...
2. Also a Hostess' pet due to tons of participation: Was the first Season 3 Bonus Miracler with this gem, followed up by the 2009 People-Who-Died memorial as well as Season 2 goodies Get Under the Covers and City Vs. Country and lastly, his collaboration with Your Hostess on their 3-week reign of Obama-fueled polipop in '08.
3. Away from the Prodge, he's a new & ardent fan of Detroit, Michigan, as evidenced here, here, and here.
And if you like it, tell Toby, either here below the post or on our new already 76-strong Facebook group page, where this week's visitors will be treated to an extra-special (free) evening of culture in SF, compliments of one of our dear Miraclers.
Enjoy, XOK
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Bonus DCE Mix #4: Grant-Lee Phillips
Date January 23, 2010
Miracler Kevin Seidel
Location San Francisco
You may remember Kevin Seidel as the man who rose at 4am to win An Evening With Paul Weller back in '08 or the compiler of The Upside and The Downside in '09 or his much-loved California-themed Bonus Mix. Or perhaps you enjoyed Kevin's band Recliner on Your Hostess' Season 3 inaugural mix. Is this one engaged Miracler or what?
And if you're new to the Prodge and have no idea who Kevin Seidel is, that ends today with this: his Definitive Collection of the career of Grant-Lee Phillips.
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
And PS: Compliments of Miracler T. Goodman, an entertaining video montage of GLP's many appearances on a certain TV show.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
bitter/sweet
Date January 20, 2010Miracler Seth Robson
Location San Francisco
Bitter/sweet. This week's Miracler, Seth Robson, has tasted from both cups recently. But like any talented Miracler, he can channel such complexities into a miraculously-popful mix. Seth, an SF-based I.T. hero (he who saved the Prodge from certain tech doom after That One Week last summer), newlywed, and purveyor of all things tasteful, has whipped up a little cocktail here to pick you (way) up and then gently set you back down.
Notes by SR
A bitter/sweet mix for a just-concluded bitter/sweet year. For all that happened in my life over the past twelve months, 2009 was a bumper year for great new music, so there were plenty of new songs to fit my alternating joyous and mournful moods, with added support from some classic tracks that have always been there for me.
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
Sunday, January 17, 2010
TrendWatch, Season 3/Edition No. 1 (click to enlarge)
29 mixes into Season 3, we’re staring down the barrel of a trend so big, so broad, we’re giving it its own TrendWatch. Witness: Season 3/Edition 1. Click to enlarge.
Enjoy,
XOK
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The White Mix: Songs for Moving Very Quickly Down a Snowy Mountainside
Date January 13
Miracler Van Bryan Biesel
Location Decatur, GA
Note from VBB
Whether you are loping along a bunny slope, sailing down a black diamond, or upside down inside a snow drift, these songs will get you through the day, back home to a nice mug of hot chocolate.
Notes from Your Hostess
I first met This Week's Miracler, Van Bryan Biesel, back in the mid-80's, when he was studying acoustical engineering, dating my lil' sister, and playing drums with The Bedspins (still a great band name). Fast forward a couple of decades to The Facebook Era* which finds V. Bryan living in Georgia with his wife and four (4) daughters, one (1) bathroom and, hopefully, one very (VERY) large man cave somewhere on the outer edge of the property.And what has VBB brought us today? Here's what: a bunch of new artists for this group, hinted at by (back by pop demand) the V.B. Biesel ClueStrip.
*And speaking of the Book of Face,
We've got a real party going on there now, with about 60 Miraclers chewing up the scenery. Last week, one Miracler was offering free tickets to that evening's mod-music at the SF Symphony (thanks, Sam). Currently there's a rousing discussion on those 2009 hits which DIDN'T find themselves on a Miracler mix (and a good crib sheet for upcoming lazy Miraclers).
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
Saturday, January 9, 2010
2009: The Leftovers
Date January 9, 2010
Miracler Pete Kellen
Location Milwaukee
Notes from PK
In my humble opinion, these were the best tracks of the year. Or, at least, the best tracks that weren’t already part of someone else’s mix (thanks, Jessie and Allie). Sure, 2009 wasn’t exactly 1966, when Revolver, Pet Sounds and Blonde on Blonde were all released. Then again, 1966 was sorely lacking in morbidly obese albino rappers (hello, Brother Ali).
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Soul Stew
Date January 6, 2010Miracler RB
Location San Francisco
This week’s Miracler is RB, the 30-Comment Muse of Season 2, between this gutbuster and this Saturday Morning Staple at the Bramland house.
So what has RB, SF denizen, movie maven, non-ager, serial brown pant wearer, and the kind of Miracler whose mixes always end up feeling like the soundtrack to an impossibly wonderful movie, brought us today? Go see for yourself.
Mix is way UP. Enjoy, XOK
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Weekend Miracle No. 3: The Not Completely Dead
Date January 3, 2010
Miracler Toby Barlow
Location Detroit
Notes from TB
“Oh, seems like people dying just happens more and more.” said the infamous seamstress Betsy Ross, just before she stuck her steely knife into the back of General Cornwallis and single-handedly won the Revolutionary War.
Blossom Dearie, Thou Swell: Blossom Dearie is a woman whose work I was completely ignorant until Doug Patterson turned me on to her. What is up with her voice? It’s incredible.
Koko Taylor, Born Under a Bad Sign: She sounds like life.
The Delfonics, Ready or Not Here I Come: The Philly sound gave us a lot of amazing stuff. Bowie wanted to sound like them, Darryl Hall maybe even sounded better than them. But they were good.
Mink Deville, Spanish Stroll: I bought a sampler album in high school that had this song on it. I played it a lot. There was a sort of Walk on the Wild Side with a zoot suit twist. Willie DeVille, rip.
NRBQ, Me and the Boys: is the most immortal band nobody ever listened too. I love them ‘cause they made life more fun. Their lead guitarist was Steve Ferguson.
Vic Chesnutt: We can never know how much inner strength it took to push himself as far as he did long after others would have certainly given up or even how much he had to endure in pain and patience, but we do know one thing, Vic sure knew how to put a whole lot of sweet into bittersweet.
Wilco, Summer Teeth: The whole album is a memoir of a short, torrid affair between Jeff and Jay. And then it ended. Jeff hired Jay Bennett because he could play the keyboard and nobody else in the band could. And this song has my own personal favorite keyboard hit on it of any pop song ever (it’s at 1:10, and it’s perfect. Thanks Jay!)
MJ. What can be said that hasn’t been said? Pro'lly nothing. Amazing.
The Stooges, I Wanna Be Your Dog: They weren’t just little Iggy, they were also a goddamned real band, Iggy would tell you that guitarist Ron Asheton was a critical part of the invention of it all. Lose the guitarist, you lose the band. Forever.
The Seeds, Pushing too Hard: More inventors of punk. Sky Saxon’s band had a sound. No one knows how old he was when he died. Some said 63, others say 71. Far out.
The Cramps, You Give Me Fever, Lux Interior was a work of art. He could stop traffic in the East Village just by walking down the street. And that’s saying something. Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie owe him.
Peter Paul and Mary, Leaving on a Jet Plane, It’s easy to be cynical about folk music. But this woman had a beautiful voice. Righteously beautiful. Mary, R.I.P.
Jim Carroll: You can't say he didn't see it coming.
Les Paul and Mary Ford Les! Genius!
Blossom Dearie Doop-Doo-De-Doop: Just had to have some more of her.
Ventures, Apache '65: Good end credits. Lead guitar Bob Bogle, rip.
Mix is here. Thanks for the Miracle, Toby! Enjoy, XOK
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