Mixtape 30

Mixtape 30

I miss making you playlists for your disc drive, so I made you this. I know it’s not the same… but it’s the closest I can get. New mixtape monthly up on my spotify. Find me there at @jawnmo, and if you’re not on spotify, track list included here for you to burn to a cd and put in your 1996 jeep wrangler and turn up the volume. Have a nice weekend out there

about

I worked out of a studio on Skid Row I swear was haunted. In every room you walked by in the far-too-quiet hallways there was a hard-eyed person sitting staring out at you, like they’d been waiting for you. There was a windowless hallway that must have been a hundred yards long on the way to the bathroom, lit with flickering fluorescent lights, and no matter when you turned the corner, there was always a man on a scooter disappearing around a corner at the far end of the hall. The bathroom was filled with flies that exploded out of the urinals as you walked up. There were ashtrays next to fans, and each time you turned on a powerstrip one of the fans would turn on and blow black ash all over your instruments, equipment, and clothes. I’d leave these sessions rattled and smelling like ash. This is the playlist I had on when I was setting up sessions there.

The Ford Mustang in the picture is a mock police cruiser that was parked inside the garage entrance to deter any break-ins. The stripes and security sign are nothing more than red electrical tape.

But, about the music here…

Supertramp’s “Logical Song” must be one of the greatest recordings of all time. Supertramp’s music, to me, came of age in a time where recording quality was excellent, songwriting was innovative and different, and they capitalized on the times so well. To me, it’s like the musical equivalent of Hollywood’s Director’s era, where Francis Ford Coppola was given free reign to experiment and create films like Apocalypse Now, and The Godfather. I love this song and its lyrics.

Then one of Giorgio Moroder’s breakthrough hits - “I Feel Love,” by Donna Summer. One of the all-time great dance songs.

Here are some hidden gems I think you should know about:

Hidden Gems

Perfetto Non So - Mina

This is a vibe - it reminds me of classic Burt Bacharach songs like “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.” There’s something very elegant in the restrained instrumentation here.

So Peaceful - Jain

French Pop singer Jain has made an excellent, dubby reggae track with a killer chorus.

Come Around - M.I.A., Timbaland

A lesser known song by M.I.A. with the most chaotic lyric I’ve ever heard. I know all the words in this chorus.

Think I Wanna Die - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Someone gave me this relatively obscure album on vinyl when I was a teenager. I wanted to listen again so I put it on here. There’s something so nice in the sweetness of this melody.

TRACKLIST

1. The Logical Song - Supertramp

2. I Feel Love - Donna Summer

3. Think I Wanna Die - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

4. So Peaceful - Jain

5. Heartbroken, In Disrepair - Dan Auerbach

6. Duman - Murda, Ezhel

7. Golden - Harry Styles

8. Perfetto Non So - Mina

9. Come Around - M.I.A., Timbaland

10. Touch Me 2 - Budgie

11. Summer Fog - Christopher Kenji

12. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs

13. Yellow Magic Orchestra

14. Inside Friend (feat. John Mayer) - Leon Bridges, John Mayer

15. Old Bone (Jim-E Stack Remix) - Wet, Jim-E Stack

16. On the Rise - Eric Krasno

17. Come Around - Collie Buddz

18. Muscle - Issy Wood

19. Modern Love - David Bowie

20. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole