The Seattle group the Dead Science has a very good new album coming out in a couple weeks called Villainaire, and in anticipation they’ve issued not one, but two mixtapes through their Web site. One is mixed, the other not, something lots of DJs are doing more of now–DJ /rupture’s forthcoming Uproot mix is scheduled to be accompanied by Uproot the Ingredients, featuring full versions of the DJ’s chosen tracks, and we’ve noted before the trend of MP3 versions of DJ-mix sets containing the selections unmixed.
Though the Dead Science’s new album is full of Wu-Tang Clan references–the opening track is called “Throne of Blood (The Jump Off),” for instance–the mixtape promo route is one we’re likely to see more of from indie bands. Of course, plenty of rock musicians (and other non-Djs) have made mix-CDs for public consumption, but we’d like to see which artists you’d like to see go this route in the comments.
Jarvis Cocker
@Audif Jackson Winters III: The Jarv did do something like that for The Trip series… P’fork review below:
[www.pitchforkmedia.com]
Spoon, seriously.
That album’s awesome. Quix*O*Tic and Porter Wagoner and OMD and more.
I’d like Broadcast to make one, if they haven’t already.
@the rich girls are weeping: I nearly said Spoon in the post itself. Yes, definitely. I’ll vote for Ted Leo as well.
@Michaelangelo Matos: OMG, yes to Ted Leo, but his covers are almost like a mixtape. Also: Piano Magic.
The Fiery Furnaces for sure
What’s funny about this thread is that plenty of indie rock types used to be semi-celebrity djs, and were kind of ridiculed for it. (*cough*carlos d.*cough*; bob mould, so looking at you…)
But! As there’s been more x-over between indie rock and blog house, etc., there’s less stigma. This pleases me. And some people’s dj sets are actually pretty great — Jeremy Warmsley comes to mind, for sure.
Actually, one of THE BEST dj sets I’ve ever heard, ever was in between sets one night at Glasslands from Bad Seed/Grinder-dude Jim Sclavunos. Then again, he was totally pushing all my NOLA soul/funk buttons, so…
@the rich girls are weeping: between BANDS, duh.
Mould’s playing style is anything but celeb-DJ, though. He’s a house/dance guy playing for primarily gay audiences, which is fun to hear and dance to (as I did in Minneapolis a couple years ago), especially since his primary objective is maintaining the groove.
I’m kind of jealous! I bet that was fun!
I don’t have a beef with his style — I just know that he got a lot of shit for it at the beginning from purists on both sides, you know?
Also, to be fair, Carlos was a pretty great dj too, though not in the same way.
No Age could probably throw together a good mix tape. I like the picture in the Nouns artwork of (what I’m assuming is one of the guy’s) eclectic cassette collection.
Any musician that didn’t go to art school, or is currently going to art school. Also, preferrably a musician that’s never been online.
@MayhemintheHood: I’m sure there’s a band called the Noble Savages out there somewhere.
@Ned Raggett: That actually made me LOL. Good job.
@MayhemintheHood: One does try.
Distributing the stand-alone tracks from a DJ mix seems like giving people the eggs, flour, etc. that you used to bake them a delicious cake.
Better to just give them the ingredient (ie: tracklist) and let them go from there.
But generally, I support the mixtape thing.
I would say members of radiohead, but they kind of already have (DJ sets during webcasts, picking songs to play during radio interviews, etc.). Most of the others I though of have already been mentioned, so I’ll go with:
Travis Morrison.
“give them the recipe” even.
Oh, also: James Murphy is kind of an indie rock dude. And both alone and with Pat Mahoney is one hell of a DJ.
I listen to this set pretty regularly ever since I stumbled across it a couple years ago. There’s a bunch more Murphy and Murphy/Mahoney sets floating around.
And that’s before you get to Fabriclive 36.
John Darnielle. Not only is his taste mostly impeccable (I still can’t figure out why he likes CocoRosie, though), but it’d be fascinating to see how he artfully segues from one track to another. I mean, you can’t put norweigian black metal up alongside just anything, right?