December 2022 Vinyl Spin Challenge: The Intergalactic Mixtape Dance-Off!

Day 31 – The Final Countdown
It's the final countdown, the final countdown. The final countdown (final countdown). (Oh) Oh.
To close out the year, play an album with a track that you feel is a great mixtape/playlist closer.

I usually like to ease out of a playlist, and this will ease your way into the New Year with January Hymn.

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

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Day 29 – (I Ran) So Far Away
… And I ran, I ran so far away. I just ran, I ran all night and day. I couldn't get away.
Play some 80’s music. Or play something by an artist with a crazy hairdo.

New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies

Synths. 80s.

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Day 31 – The Final Countdown
It's the final countdown, the final countdown. The final countdown (final countdown). (Oh) Oh.
SHUT IT DOWN!! Ha! In before Y2K or whatever is happening tonight...
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Freestyle Fellowship "Innercity Griots" - Going to end this mess the same way FF finished one of my all-time favorite records...this mess comes to a close with the track Pure Thought, which I believe was a CD only track but I could be wrong and well it doesn't matter, it's included in the reissue!


Big shout out to @Turbo for running this madness and letting me re-live the stress of trying to build the perfect mixtape! Actually I had more fun trying to make it make sense with guidelines than I would if I just threw together a 31 song mixtape/playlist!! It doesn't make sense by the way but that's the fun of making a mixtape, this really took me back to the good old days of making pause tapes which lead to me trying my hand at mixing and blending... anyways, it was fun and in the words of Aceyalone of the Freestyle Fellowship, "I'm so glad we had this time together..."
 
Day 31 – The Final Countdown
It's the final countdown, the final countdown. The final countdown (final countdown). (Oh) Oh.
To close out the year, play an album with a track that you feel is a great mixtape/playlist closer.

Air - Moon Safari

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To me, the album closer should have been "Ce matin-là" instead. As an instrumental, it is resolution-worthy.



Currently creating a playlist to fit within a 60-90min window. Been busy with the megalist in the past hour.
 
Day 30 – Holding Out For A Hero
I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light. He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon,
and he's gotta be larger than life.
Play your favorite album of 2022.

Florence + the Machine - Dance Fever

Ok, so this isn't my favorite of the year, but it is my favorite album from 2022 that I found on the clearance rack at Target today.

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Here's my challenge schedule. Thank you for hosting this month, @Turbo!

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Here's the relevant playlist, making sure to at least follow the playlist opener/closer prompts and stick to the idea of my lame playlist title. I kept it within the 60-90min intended range of a mixtape by cutting a third of the selections, avoiding heavier albums or ones that go too hard where possible, while making it a tight twenty tracks.

 
avecigrec said:
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Thanks @Turbo - it's been an absolute blast, and brought some great memories of mixtapes past back to mind after a long long time! I'm gonna look at this and see about trimming it down to something that would fit on a 60 or 90 - above is the full 31-track list, which flows best as a 3-sided mix.
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Such a cool set! I have to add more Sheila E to my own mixes. It occurred to me that Irresistible Entanglements into that Sheila E track would be a fantastic transition. I'd love to hear a mix of yours where you focus on tracks like that along with stuff the Shed, Wu-Lu, Sons of Kemet, Ibeyi, Ondatropica, Osibisa, Bill Withers... and the like. I mean your whole set super tight save for a few intruders you were forced to include because of my challenges. Well done! I'm going to steal this and tighten it up for myself if you don't mind.
 


Edit my list down?! No way!! I actually added tracks, not because I thought 2 hours isn't enough, I added because some things just weren't on Spotify!! This mix makes no sense!

Added/replaced tracks:
The Power of Zeus isn't available so I added a gospel song called "I'm Drunk & Real High (In The Spirit of God)... because it seemed appropriate

Seawind is also not on Spotify so I added a Busdriver song that samples Seawind and has a yacht rock vibe

Replaced Dr Dre with Parliament Funkadelic Mothership Connection, see if you can spot the sample... eventually...

Speaking of samples Snoop Dogg, not available on Spotify, "samples" Billy Joel The Stranger and most great mixes follow up Funkadelic with Billy Joel!

That was truly the icing on the cake! Fun month, terrible playlist!
 
jamieanderson1968 said:
Somehow we made it through December

I wanted to keep all 31 tracks from the month so it is a bit of a long playlist, clocking in over 2 hours. Tried to have it start off rocking, then go into a more mellow middle and then finish off with the tempo coming up again.

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I love how everybody's mixes sound like themselves. This is exactly what I would expect. Power pop, post punk, jangly stuff, alt, etc. I really like the offbeat breaks throughout - like the DJ Spooky and Miles Davis. I have to listen to more of The Chills. They're kind of a blind spot that shouldn't be for me. Also, that Steve Earl cover is great (was it used on The Wire? I don't remember). And somehow you managed to keep the mix focused until the end. Impressive. Thanks for sharing!
 
Turbo said:
I love how everybody's mixes sound like themselves. This is exactly what I would expect. Power pop, post punk, jangly stuff, alt, etc. I really like the offbeat breaks throughout - like the DJ Spooky and Miles Davis. I have to listen to more of The Chills. They're kind of a blind spot that shouldn't be for me. Also, that Steve Earl cover is great (was it used on The Wire? I don't remember). And somehow you managed to keep the mix focused until the end. Impressive. Thanks for sharing!
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Wes C. Attle said:
Thanks for a great month, @Turbo ! This was a lot of fun.

And to the rest of you, thank you for such a fun year. These threads are easily my favorite corner of this community. You are all my best friends. 😉

PS: I had to remove some songs to fit into 90 minutes. As much as I love Benny Carter, it didn’t fit well with the predominantly alternative/rock selections

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I don't know how you managed to keep your mix so laser-focused, but awesome! Pulp into Prefab Sprout any day, any time, as far as I'm concerned. You just need some Destroyer to add kindred spirits from different eras. I made a mix of "sophisti-pop" a few years ago, featuring those bands along with Roxy Music and others. But I digress... thanks for sharing! Also reminds me I should pick up a copy of Beck's Mutations and of The Jesus Lizards sometime.
 
Day 31 – The Final Countdown
It's the final countdown, the final countdown. The final countdown (final countdown). (Oh) Oh.
To close out the year, play an album with a track that you feel is a great mixtape/playlist closer.

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West

Just heard about Jeremiah Green's passing, so I will close out my month with "Styrofoam Boots / It's All Nice on Ice, Alright," a great album closer that shows how great Jeremiah's playing was. Over 20 years later, and the point halfway through where he brings those drums in is still a moment that gives me a wonderful jolt and goosebumps.

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Ok, so I'm tabulating those that made it to the end so I can sort out my little bonus draw. I think I'll do it tomorrow.

So far, we got @Yer Ol' Uncle D , @gafacaode , @Poly-Rythmo , @jamieanderson1968 , @avecigrec , @TenderLovingKiller®, @ranbalam , @Potato-Socks , @Wes C. Attle , @imtheocean , @Matt M , @Wicked Dreamer , @Rip_City , @4080 , @LeSamourai

And mixes from @gafacaode , @avecigrec , @jamieanderson1968 , @TenderLovingKiller® , @ranbalam , @Wes C. Attle , @imtheocean , @Wicked Dreamer , @Rip_City , @4080

I have 4 mixes left to listen to as well. Slowly making my way through. Hope you guys are getting a chance to check them out too... some fun discoveries and well-thought-out selections in there.

Thanks so much for participating everyone! I had a blast running this.
 
@imtheocean I think we're kindred spirits. So much stuff I'd listen to and put on my own mixes in there. I'm going to have to make a list of everything I need to put on my to buy list. You guys are giving me so many ideas. Is The La's vinyl good? I need to get Yola and Shabooh Shoobah sometime too. Also, that King Gizzard track blends so well from Christopher Cross... what's that sample? It's bugging me... I know it's a Yacht Rock track. Love the wackiness of side 2 of the mix (especially from the rewind to Moby) - it somehow just gels. And I'm going to have to check out more Kae Tempest. Thanks for sharing!
 
Turbo said:
@imtheocean I think we're kindred spirits. So much stuff I'd listen to and put on my own mixes in there. I'm going to have to make a list of everything I need to put on my to buy list. You guys are giving me so many ideas. Is The La's vinyl good? I need to get Yola and Shabooh Shoobah sometime too. Also, that King Gizzard track blends so well from Christopher Cross... what's that sample? It's bugging me... I know it's a Yacht Rock track. Love the wackiness of side 2 of the mix (especially from the rewind to Moby) - it somehow just gels. And I'm going to have to check out more Kae Tempest. Thanks for sharing!
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Agreed! It wasn't lost on me that while I was assembling the mixtape over the course of the month the Talking Heads "Nothing But Flowers" kept getting recommended to add to it.

The La's vinyl is good IMO but I'm no audiophile. It's a quiet pressing, and a fun spin. Timeless Melody is just a perfect song, lyrically and musically.

Yola is lovely, hearing her cover of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road live at the Ohana festival a few years ago was one of those moments that make live music so special (it's also on her debut album).

King Gizzard doesn't sample as far as I know, that intro struck me as a total 70's synth/Yacht Rock groove though, so it was a natural to move from Christopher Cross on.

I discovered Kae Tempest via their work on The Comet Is Coming, they do the spoken word on Blood of the Past. Loved the delivery, and just dug in from there.

Glad you enjoyed it! I've got everyone's mixtapes favorited, will start listening this week. Looking forward to it as well.
 
imtheocean said:
Agreed! It wasn't lost on me that while I was assembling the mixtape over the course of the month the Talking Heads "Nothing But Flowers" kept getting recommended to add to it.

The La's vinyl is good IMO but I'm no audiophile. It's a quiet pressing, and a fun spin. Timeless Melody is just a perfect song, lyrically and musically.

Yola is lovely, hearing her cover of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road live at the Ohana festival a few years ago was one of those moments that make live music so special (it's also on her debut album).

King Gizzard doesn't sample as far as I know, that intro struck me as a total 70's synth/Yacht Rock groove though, so it was a natural to move from Christopher Cross on.

I discovered Kae Tempest via their work on The Comet Is Coming, they do the spoken word on Blood of the Past. Loved the delivery, and just dug in from there.

Glad you enjoyed it! I've got everyone's mixtapes favorited, will start listening this week. Looking forward to it as well.
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That's hilarious about "Nothing But Flowers". The system sending you subliminal messages...

That King Gizzard sounds so much like a 70's Yatch rock track it was really nagging at me. They nailed it.

I didn't remember where I heard Kae Tempest before. It's from the London stuff then.
 
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