I listen to a lot of music. I like music, music is good. I like discovering new music, and recommending music so that others can do the same. But short of filling a syringe with my tastes and hiding the needle through a cinema seat, the best I can do is whack together a monthly mixtape for the handful of Voodoo Radio readers. Kicking off is, as one might suspect, September 2006. Enjoy.
1. Rohypnol - The Zico Chain
Every good mixtape needs to pack a punch in the very beginning and right now there's few bands around which are able to provide such a thing as ruthlessly as The Zico Chain. No-nonsense, balls-out, straight-up rock is the name of the game here, and their debut EP is simply brilliant. Keep an eye out for Chris Glithero and his bandmates, they could be in for big things in the future, beginning no doubt with upstaging Disturbed through September and October.
2. Pray For Me - Love Equals Death
Setting aside some serious punk-rock edge to accommodate a touch of beauty and heartfelt dedication, Bay Area success-story Love Equals Death move the VR mixtape in a new direction. Well, if it was just badass all the way through it wouldn't be a mixtape, would it? 'Pray For Me' shows that I haven't just gone for bruising metal and I'd say this is one of my favourites of the lot. A classic in the making, find it on the superb album Nightmerica.
3. Superbitch - Authority Zero
Track three picks up the punk torch from its predecessor but picks up the pace in Authority Zero's inimitable style. 'Superbitch' is best described as a good old-fashioned mosh anthem. There's a lot of ska and reggae influence present in the Mesa, Arizona band's music, and yet they remain punker than punk. Find it on A Passage In Time. This number leaves the listener gagging for something fast and heavy to follow it...
4. Grief Stricken - Kingsize Blues
On my musical travels this year I've seen a lot of fast and heavy music, but few bands combine that with the skill and natural songwriting ability of London thrashers Kingsize Blues. I first discovered KSB sandwiched between Testament and Bury The Dead this summer, and they stole the show. 'Grief Stricken' was the outstanding moment of the night and one download later it was clear that the recorded version stands up to that. An absolute triumph.
5. Red Flags And Long Nights - She Wants Revenge
And to ease the listener away from the sheer bloody mentalism of KSB, I've thrown in a stunning track from San Fernando Valley duo She Wants Revenge. SWR have already drawn inevitable comparisons with Joy Division from the UK music press. Though there are similarities in a sense, this is really new ground. Easily described in three words: electronic, beautiful and heartbreaking. And yet somehow their music is oddly upbeat. This is an absolute must.
6. I'll Go Until My Heart Stops - 36 Crazyfists
From the blissful bittersweet delirium of SWR, 'I'll Go Until My Heart Stops' drags the listener back to consciousness with a kick in the balls for good measure, just as it does as the opener of the 'fists' new album Rest Inside The Flames. It's pacy, it's melodic and it's criminally catchy. In ten days' time I fully expect it to be ripping my face off at Brixton. Just give it a listen, it's irresistable.
7. Devil In A Midnight Mass - Billy Talent
Combining that pace with a touch of punk, 'Devil In A Midnight Mass' is, for me, song of the year by a country mile. The Toronto outfit's second major album is out of this world, their energy and vocal harmonies are not matched anywhere in music for my money. This Friday at Hammersmith I'll be checking them out live for the first time and I can't wait. In years to come this track will be recognised as a real high point in mid-00s rock, though for me it goes down as much, much more than that.
8. Just A Picture - 650north
Every so often I come across a random band and a random track which just grabs me. I have no idea how I came to be listening to Indiana band 650north but 'Just A Picture' is perfect to sit between the two songs which sandwich it, putting a calmer and less quirky edge on their rock than Billy Talent. There's not much to say really. It's catchy, accessible rock. Great, great song.
9. Mr Evasive (Video Version) - Kharma
Following the (slightly) calming influence of 650north, the sadly-departed Kharma provides the truly melodic moment of this month's mixtape with the stunningly beautiful 'Mr Evasive'. This version centres on vocals and piano and is, frankly, magnificent. It can be found on the MySpace profile of former Kharma vocalist Emma Skipp. As well as Emma's page, check out Breaker and APE to see what Matt and Dan from Kharma are up to.
10. Overrated - Allister
I don't wish to leave you crying after Kharma so it's time for some upbeat punk naughtiness. Who better to bring that right now than Chicago's Allister? It's fun, it's cynical and it's ace. I was lucky enough to catch Allister at the Opera House in Bournemouth during the summer and they were a joy to behold. They're fantastic live, and 'Overrated' is a wicked track. Check it out.
11. Only - Nine Inch Nails
One of Trent's funkier numbers, 'Only' oddly provides the perfect link between its predecessor and its successor here. Lyrically cutting though it is, the beat of 'Only' makes the listener want to...erm...well, dance really. It's a cracking tune and in the impossible mission of linking Allister and SikTh I was stunned to succeed. I'm sure Reznor would hate me for saying that but give the three a listen. Trust me.
12. In This Light - SikTh
Every good mixtape has to come to a point near its end where it simply takes the listener off into space, into a trance-like state where the music fills your head and makes you daydream, like it or not. Hertfordshire experimentalists SikTh hi-jack the subconscious of the listener with the best of them, and 'In This Light' is a slower-moving track which gives the word 'infectious' a new meaning. Though not the kind of infection SikTh have been known to write about, of course.
13. Domination - Bullet For My Valentine
And so we need something to kick us back to reality once more, and this time I've gone for this blinding cover by much-maligned Bridgend boyos Bullet For My Valentine. This respectful and ear-splitting cover of the Pantera classic is just the business. Great guitar, great vocals and a top cover of a huge, huge tune. Real metal, no matter what people say. Ignore the haters, give this a try. You'll love it.
14. Chapter Four - Avenged Sevenfold
While we're on the subject of real metal, let's chuck in an old favourite from Avenged Sevenfold. A metal classic in every sense of the word but age. Riff-based brutality, brought up to date in true A7X style, 'Chapter Four' is a track deserving of its place on any mixtape. To cut a long story short, it's epic. Rage and beauty in one. Just the ticket.
15. K.I.N.G - Satyricon
And so we come to the end, and just as the beginning is key, a big smack around the head is necessary to end a mixtape. Surprisingly, I've found myself delving into a little black metal recently, and this track is superb. It's catchy in its own way, absolutely brutal and yet strangely accessible. I think I've listened to it at least daily since it appeared on a Metal Hammer CD in the summer, and it's made me fall in love with the Norwegian outfit. What an excellent way to close out a great mixtape.
You're welcome, don't mention it.
CV