Matt's Eleven Songs

Here you go, my rendition of our eleven song standard.

First things first: the odd title on your disc (each disc has a different one) is an anagram of "Matts Eleven Songs."

Methodology: Well, I just started by picking my seven or eight favorite artists and/or songs that I thought the crew might appreciate. I borrowed Jorge's ethic of choosing more accessible songs if the artist might be more obscure.

After that I just organized what I had organically. I knew what I wanted first, and each song after that is one the previous song reminded me of on some organic level, which I either won't disclose or can't articulate. I filled out the remaining songs based on that idea -- this song or that reminded me of one I didn't have in the mix yet, so I added it. Somewhere in my pea brain, these all flow perfectly one to the next.

The numbers: Being a data guy, I can't help but notice the numbers. Eleven songs, 48.9 minutes. That's an average of almost 4:30 a song. Pretty long. Four songs here are over five minutes, and one is over six. Three are four over four minutes.

The notes:

1. "Use It" by The New Pornographers.
Great band, Canadian I think, and this is among their latest releases, if not their latest. I wanted something with pace and energy to start with. I listen to this album often, and picked this for, among other reasons, the great piano hook. I love poppy kind of hooks.

2. "To Go Home" by M. Ward.
Neil turned me on to M. Ward in a mix he gave me before we started the group. My fave song by this guy is the one Neil gave me, but I didn't want to gift that back to Neil, so I picked another off the same album, which I bought immediately after hearing "Chinese Translation, which Neil posted in video form on this blog. More piano here, kids singing backing vocals, which I think is cool, and this great lyric: "God it's great to be alive, takes the skin right off my hide, to think I have to give it all up some day.

3. "While You Were Sleeping" by Elvis Perkins.
Pandora introduced me to Perkins. I loved this song instantly, the way it builds from a simple folk song with guitar and vocals to a kind of acoustic riot by the end, with each verse adding an instrument. Perkins, if you don't know, is the son of actor Anthony Perkins of "Psycho" fame and who died of AIDS may years ago. His mother was on a plane that hit the World Trade Center on 9/11. He can be kinda dark, but I love this album.

4. "Elephant Gun" by Beirut.
Jorge gets credit for turning me on to Beirut, which is mainly this teenage prodigy (when he started the band, anyway) from New Mexico. It's the atmosphere and ethnic flavor of this stuff that grabbed me, along with the horn hook.

5. "All Her Favorite Fruit" by Camper Van Beethoven.
Before David Lowry turned out to be an enormous asshole and Cracker went to crap, Lowry wrote amazing songs for Camper Van. The European flavor of the Beirut song I think reminded me of this tune, a favorite of mine for its mood and lyrics. "She serves him peppered steak, and corn... and pulls her dress up over her head."

6. "Hang Down Your Head" by Tom Waits.
Back when I was an unrepentent punker, it was Tom Waits who opened my mind to the music I was missing by blowing my mind. I saw him on Letterman one night doing "In the Neighborhood" from "Swordfishtrombones." Bought the LP the next day at The Record Exchange and I've loved Waits ever since. This is from "Rain Dogs," the follow up to "Swordfishtormbones," an album more guitar-driven and country and blues flavored than the former. Keith Richards plays on a few tracks.

7. "Dried Up" by the Ass Ponys
If Skynard and Crazy Horse had a bastard child and left it in an orphanage in Cincinnati, this is what it would sound like. Simple songs here, alt.country basically, lyrically moody -- and often hilarious, though not on this song. Alot of these songs evoke for me being a kid in the 70s and having a teenage brother. "I recall the smell of summer on your skin. We were 17 and everything was pounding and it wouldn't top." I feel like I've seen this before, kind of like when I watch "Dazed and Confused."

8. "Two Way Monologue" by Sondre Lerche
Chris introduced me to this album by this Norwegian guy, which is alternately Beatle-ish, poppy and jazzy. Great arrangements, too.

9. "Fiery Crash" by Andrew Bird
This is Bird's second appearance on an 11-song disc, and this is from the same album Beth chose hers from. I could have picked any number of songs from the album, but chose this one because earlier this year, I was sitting in O'Hare in line to board a plane and this song came on my iPod. "You have to imagine the fiery crash."

10. "Real Estate" by Scott Brookman
This guy is from Salem -- Salem!!! Scott's an old, old friend of mine who I used to play a lot of music with when he stilled lived here. He's based in Richmond now. Scott's enamored of 60s pop, even the stuff you might consider dreck, like Burt Bacharach. But bear in mind that people as uber-cool as Elvis Costello have recognized Bacharach's genius and recorded with him. I find Scott's whole album -- and I say this with obvious bias for my friend -- to be absolute candy. (Shameless plug: Available on iTunes and eMusic.)

11. "Missing the War" by Ben Folds Five
This may be the most common song on the disc, but I love Ben Folds and I love this song because it evokes the life of a middle-age male pretty damn well. I think one of the main reasons I included it, though, was to give the song before it some context. Plus, it builds to a terrific finish, which every mix needs.