I haven't compiled love or "anti-love" songs in tribute to Valentine's Day for quite some time, so I thought I'd spend the day curating some new tracks to consider. I hope I don't repeat any inclusions from playlists I've posted in the past, but you can find those here: 2/14/12  — Valentine’s Day: “Love” is in the Title... 2/14/13  — Valentine's Day: "Love" is in the title... (again, but not really) Some of the links are dead, but there are still some tracks to listen to. Embrace your loved ones today and beyond, everyone. Betty Davis  — “Anti Love Song” Julian Cope  — “Beautiful Love” The Gun Club  — “Sex Beat” Blonde Redhead — "Valentine" Tom Waits : "Blue Valentine" Louis Armstrong : "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) Henry Rollins : "A Man and a Woman" Liz Phair : "Flower ( Girlysound demo)" Muddy Waters  — “I Just Want to Make Love to You” The Mojo M...

It's President's Day. Have a great, but very reflective, President’s Day! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2018 I've spent enough time reflecting on this vomit bath of an administration, so I'll happily compile some of my favorite President-related songs instead.  If you have any additions you'd like to add, hit me up in the comments or Tweet at  @letterstapehead . Killer Mike : "Reagan" The Evens : "Dinner with the President" Dead Kennedys : "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now" D.O.A. : "Fucked Up, Ronnie" James Brown : "Funky President (People It's Bad)" Marvin Gaye : "Abraham, Martin, and John" Public Enemy : "Son of a Bush" Frank Zappa : "Reagan at Bitburg" Arlo Guthrie : "Presidential Rag" Death : "Politicians in My Eyes" Minutemen : "If Reagan Played Disco" Fran...

I agonize over these fucking things. About midway through November, I started pulling tracks for this year's 2016 mix with a few must-haves in place before building each of them out with good lead-ins and bridge tracks.  And then, editing, filling gaps, fades...etc.  I'm mostly happy with how this year's selections worked out, but truthfully I could probably start all over again and assemble an entirely new mix at this point. The only must-have I later reconsidered was David Bowie 's "Lazarus."  It just didn't fit with the rest of the comp and it was too much of a bummer.  I thought "Anthrocene" from Nick Cave 's Skeleton Tree and "String Reprise/Treaty" from Leonard Cohen 's You Want It Darker LP provided enough of a sad bastard treatment, not to mention "False Readings On" from the Eluvium album of the same name, which I used as more of a melancholy transition track.  Bowie's "Sue (Or In A Season of ...

Happy Labor Day, everyone. With this being an election season, expect that much of today's best wishes and recognition to working people is going to be delivered alongside campaign slogans and false promises.  So, while politicians patronize and attempt to relate to those who go out everyday and help make this big machine called America "go," maybe listen to this selection of tunes instead.     R.E.M. : "Driver 8" Subhumans : "Work-Rest-Play-Die" John Handy : "Hard Work" Frank Zappa : "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" Tom Waits : "I Can't Wait to Get Off Work" Howlin' Wolf : "Work For Your Money" Minutemen : "Working Men Are Pissed" Replacements : "God Damn Job" Talking Heads : "Found a Job" Primus : "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers" Black Flag : "Clocked In" Saccharine Trust : "Mad at the Co." ...

It's April 20th.  Four-twenty.  Sleep put it best: You know what day it is, and you know what to do... — Sleep (@sleep_official) April 20, 2016 A while ago I'd compiled some songs written as tribute to or inspired by the holiest of all leaves .  I was going to re-post the list, but found that many of the links are no longer operable.  So, in the spirit of the occasion, I'm revisiting the list and adding more tracks.  Hopefully, you'll find this mix suitable to today's agenda.  Any additions?  Hit me up in the comments or on the socials. Cypress Hill : "Hits From the Bong" Cypress Hill/Sonic Youth : "I Love You, Mary Jane" Black Sabbath : "Sweet Leaf" Sleep : "Dopesmoker" High On Fire : "Fertile Green" Kyuss : "Gardenia" The Goats : "Wake 'N' Bake" The Other Half : "Mr. Pharmacist" Electric Wizard : "Dopethrone" The Pharc...

Another year, another mix... I began assembling my Best Of compilation for 2013 mentally around January when I'd listened to the Mystical Weapons album.  Real assembly began midway through November, sequencing and transitions being my normal areas of focus.  I had a version of this mix locked down until I made the mistake of listening to the Savages album and then suddenly I HAD to include one of their songs.  So, one track was eliminated and then a lot of space had to be cleverly handled to gain one minute so I could fit all of this neatly into one 80-minute CD.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. For the cover, I hijacked press materials from The Monkees ' the 1968 psych train wreck, Head . Original image   Cover image What do you think of my selections? Melt-Banana – My Missing Link ( "fetch" ) Dead in the Dirt – No Chain ( The Blind Hole ) A Fucking Elphant – I'm Addicted to Drugs & Sex and I Want Y...

I went analogue.  It'd been too long. For those who resist cassettes as a viable medium, I completely understand.  Cassettes take work.  Cassettes require patience and the act of fast-forwarding or rewinding seems a chore next to the immediacy of track selection or digital playback.  But, I will continue to promote any resurgent interest in the medium and, if you ask why, I will simply answer with the following: I'm selfish. As I get closer and closer to forty years of age and remember the hours I would spend experiencing music, I ache.  I ache because the feeling I used to get listening to music, which was nothing short of visceral and life-altering, exists only as some very distant recollection and fails to be either relived or re-experienced in the now.  Music no longer affects me like I used to and that realization is painful. This isn't to say that I don't still love music and that I don't remain passionate about it, but there was a time and environm...

Well, I published my favorite albums of the year yesterday, so now, as it's tradition, I'm posting the contents of my Year End mix for all to see, scrutinize and maybe even emulate.  This year, I didn't have the easiest time assembling, sequencing or even selecting music as I got a little too ambitious and consequently second guessed just about every decision I made.  2011 may have made for a better compilation, but 2012 is at least odd and maybe a little more abrasive. Cover image   Earth – Sigil Of Brass ( Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II ) METZ – Rats ( METZ ) Liars – Octagon ( WIXIW ) Alaric – So Far Down ( Split LP ) The Evens – Sooner Or Later ( The Odds ) Pop. 1280 – West World ( The Horror ) Ty Segall Band – I Bought My Eyes ( Slaughterhouse ) Locrian/Mamiffer – Corpus Luteum (excerpt) ( Bless Them That Curse You ) Mr. Dream – Believing and Shitting ( Fatherland EP) Menomena – Giftshoppe ( Moms ) Mark Lanegan Band – The Gravedigger...

So, how was 2011 for you?  Though I've yet to post the entire list of albums I've enjoyed this year, I did notice how much it deviated from many of the various lists I've been reading since the beginning of December, people's tastes revolving around tired folk ( Bon Iver ), dry Antony Hegarty/Sufjan Stevens -informed dubstep ( James Blake ), solo electronic masturbation ( Washed Out ) or electronic monotony ( Cults ) and gorgeous-sounding-boredom-mistaken-for-gorgeous-sounding-rock-music ( The Antlers ).  Call me out of touch, fine; I'm the last person in the world to declare superiority of taste or downplay a generations' music based on my perspective, (though I know I've been guilty of that from time to time).  I will say, though, that if you pieced together a compilation of many of the year's big picks, it could very likely be used as a soft rock radio DJ's suit-selected playlist of light, accessible, non-threatening to the ears background noise...

It's late: a school night for some; work night for others.  A little wired tonight despite zero caffeine since this morning, so I decided I'd spend some time locked in my record room making a mix tape.  It's been CD-Rs lately, so I'm going analog tonight, manual pauses and audio playback, winding tape by hand for cuts, the works.  No real concept, though.  Just stuff I want to hear.  Some of the songs I've chosen have been in mixes before, so maybe I'm not venturing far enough, but...  It's just what I'm in the mood to hear.  Right now, I'm playing through the 9+ minutes of "Footprints" by Miles Davis , feeling relaxed for the time being.  I don't get to do this nearly as much as I probably should, allotting myself a minute or two to sit down, uninvolved in anything pressing, nary a deadline or obligation in hand.  For a few minutes, I can just breathe deeply and listen.   How many of us get to do this now?  How many of you r...

Times like these, I wish that I'd been able to attain the artists' collective permission so as to issue this compilation because I'm very happy with how it turned out.  Transitions were spot on for the most part, sequencing was decent, song selection was, I thought, varied enough to be unpredictable. There were, though, a good amount of songs I couldn't include.  Below is the playlist and, after that, some credit to the intended inclusions. As always, I'd really like to hear what you think, so... Hate mail? Comments?  Hit me up. My wife had this to say about Mi Ami 's "Harmonics (Genius Of Love):  "2010 was an angry year for you, huh? That first song was like ear rape." I disagree, but still appreciate the comment. Cover image Mi Ami – Harmonics (Genius Of Love) ( Steal Your Face ) Grinderman – Evil ( Grinderman 2 ) Liars – No Barrier Fun (Sisterworld) AFCGT – New Punk 27 ( AFCGT LP ) Black Mountain – Let Spirits Ride ( Wild...

So, here’s what happened: I compiled my favorites for 2009 and sent the list out to No Ripcord before 2010. I was going to use the list for my own “Best Of” feature, but I fucked myself. Basically, for my birthday, (December 21st when I usually wish Happy Birthday to Frank Zappa ’s ghost), I went out record shopping and bought nothing but 2009 albums and they’ve subsequently twisted my perception. So, now I’ve expanded my “Stragglers” feature by about five albums, (Volume 2 is STILL in the works), and have to rework the list. In the meantime, I’ve been so wrapped up in January’s new releases I haven’t really been able to devote the amount of time required to finish up 2009. Cover image So, though it’s a bit premature, I really wanted to get a mix together for my favorite songs of 2009. Below is the playlist, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Sonic Youth – Sacred Trickster ( The Eternal ) Faux Hoax – Your Friends Will Carry You Home ( Your Friends Will Carry You Home 7”) Th...

Another mix inspired. I wound up pulling together a two-disc compilation of my favorite songs of 2008. Some of the songs I used were from albums that didn’t make it to the Best Of list, results of decent songs winding up on lackluster or “so so” albums. I was happy with how it turned out. Disc 1 — French Miami - God Damn Best (French Miami) WHY? - Good Friday (Alopecia) Wire - Circumspect (Object 47) Eagles Of Death Metal - High Voltage (Heart On) These Are Powers - Chipping Ice (Taro Tarot EP) Ten Kens - Downcome Home (Ten Kens) Carlos y Gaby - Hot Heavy Heat (A Chase Theme) (La Voz Sabia De Los Cosmos) Bauhaus - Endless Summer Of The Damned (Go Away White) Dub Trio - Regression Line (Another Sound Is Dying) The Gutter Twins - Seven Stories Underground (Saturnalia) Man Man - Poor Jackie (Rabbit Habits) Mike Patton - A Dream Of Roses (A Perfect Place) Beck - Replica (Modern Guilt) Panther - Glamorous War (14kt God) Marnie Stern - The Crippled Jazzer (This Is It An...

A week or so ago, I received an anonymous comment regarding my last "mix tape" entry that made me laugh out loud and simultaneously go "wha?" Read, consider, react: I have a confession. I made this mix and it got me laid. Apparently, I am cooler, thanks to your site. Did it get your brother laid too? Don't get the Monkees track - but I kept it in. Response: Honestly, I don't know how this playlist got you laid because there's NO Al Green , NO Barry White ...this is an unsexy mix of songs. If it offered you some kind of cred, that makes me happy and I'm glad that I could assist you in your carnal endeavors. As far as whether or not this mix got my brother laid, I would guess not. I could always ask, but it's really none of my business. Now, the Monkees track: "Writing Wrongs" was one song that, as a kid, I could not stand. Mike Nesmith pouring his lungs out over a back-and-forth piano combo just didn't sit well with me and the...

Earlier this week, I got the urge to work on another mix for my brother. A lot of what I used incorporates some new music I acquired along with other tracks he might enjoy. Mostly, I was hoping that he hadn't heard a lot of this yet. It seems like I always end up trying to unify the last 40 years into these tight collections and hope they work. It's true. I do. This time, I didn't really have time to go the cassette route, so this is a CD-R. I'm calling it "SIDE A." Here's the playlist: Brian Eno & David Byrne - America Is Waiting (My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, 1981, reissued 2006) The Gutter Twins - All Misery/Flowers (Saturnalia, 2008) The Monkees - Writing Wrongs (The Birds, The Bees, The Monkees, 1968) Mike Patton - Car Radio (FM) (A Perfect Place, 2008) Beastie Boys - Nervous Assistant (Aglio e Olio EP, 1996) The Kinks - Nothin' In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl (Kinda Kinks, 1965) Sic Alps - Dr. Bag and ...

Children of the 80s could easily have been dubbed "The Cassette Generation." I don't really remember when the "tape" bug sunk its fangs into my consciousness, but I do remember being ridiculously excited when I got my first tape deck. It was a small cassette recorder with a mic port and an FM/AM radio. I'll say I was maybe 10 years old, and heavily into The Monkees at this point. I was also listening to a ton of oldies' radio, inspired by a deep love for Stand By Me and the surge of 50s nostalgia going on at the time. My first tapes were recorded from my Dad's extensive collection of vinyl and from FM radio. Already showing signs of perfectionism regarding these tapes I was slaving over, radio DJs became my enemy. They would constantly break into banter during the last 10 seconds of every track I was recording, leaving me no choice but to abruptly stop the recording. It was around this time where I was learning how to make cuts and I would ...