A Most Vicious Crime

Every month or so I make a mix CD I hand out to my friends that encompasses the music I've been listening to since the time of the last mix. If you ask any of them about them they'll probably say that I spend an excessive amount of time on them. I spend all that time perfecting the playlist and the flow of the mix as well as making it accessible to those who listen to certain types of music or (like me) all types of music.

The latest of these is called 'A Most Vicious Crime'. I've already uploaded some tracks from this mix on to the site but I intend from now on to post at most 5 of the tracks from the mixes to promote the artists and to let people sample what I consider to be their best songs.

The name of the mix, A Most Vicious Crime comes from the opening track Sparta's "The Most Vicious Crime" from their third album Threes. I do not always have a running theme throughout these mixes. However, I name the mixes through either extremely impacting lyrics or titles that might run true to at least two or three tracks on the CD.

Let's Get Started!

A Most Vicious Crime - Mix by Siulelbon, Summer 2007

1. The Most Vicious Crime - Sparta (Threes) [Download!]
   - I hadn't completely listened to this song before I fell for it. I first heard parts of it on the trailer for the band's independent short film, Eme Nakia about drummer Tony Hajjar's young life. You can see it here. (The movie features Pablo Orrantia as young Tony, who incidentally is one of my younger brother's best friends. The band Sparta hails from El Paso, Texas like myself.) The monumental build and fall of the song is what makes this track worthwhile.
   
   
2. Starts With One - Shiny Toy Guns (We Are Pilots) [Download!]
   -Please see my post on Shiny Toy Guns for my opinion on both the band and this song.
   
   
3. The Underdog - Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) [Download!]
   - Spoon has created this great upbeat song for their upcoming album (Which I call Ga x 5) once again exploring a new sound that is highly effective. The song features a very happy horn section making the song both fun, poppy and grand (as in, big). What I love about this band is their deceptive sound, much like The Killers' Hot Fuss, which almost hides the meaning of the lyrics behind catchy melodies and amazing production.
   
   
   
   
4. Time Wont Let Me Go - The Bravery (The Sun and the Moon)
   -The first single off the Bravery's sophomore album has the same deceptive sound as "The Underdog", the lyrics are mournful yet the song sounds light and fun. The dichotomy is very intriguing to me because it works so well. [The section of 'ba ba ba's' near the end of the song is marvelous.]
   





5. Scythian Empires - Andrew Bird (Armchair Apocrypha) [Download!]
   -Andrew Bird is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. The wonderful melodies complimented by intricate instrumentation and lyrics this and most of his songs hold makes listening to Mr. Bird an experience in itself. If that doesn't make the song notable to you, maybe his whistling solo will.








6. Either/Or - Elliott Smith (New Moon)
   -Part of the posthumously released collection of B-sides and demos, the absent title track of his album Either/Or is revealed. It's a compelling track which has that aforementioned deceptiveness I like so much. Listening to Smith is heartbreaking. I suggest you do it, your heart may just need that.






7. Cold As Ice - Foreigner (Foreigner: Greatest Hits)
   - Yes, Foreigner. This song is interesting to listen to in this day because so much pop-rock music has begun to emulate this style of music. Also, the production of this 1977 classic is incredible. The song is huge featuring synth strings, a piano, a chorus of Lou Gramms and of course a good rock beat and guitar.






8. I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears And None On My Fingers - Fall Out Boy (Infinity On High)
   -This is one of the bands I was talking about which has begun emulating 70s rock or 70s music in general. The opening of the song sounds straight out of the 70s with a piano, beat, horns and again, synth strings. My only beef with this song is that it goes in strong and then devolves into another Fall Out Boy song. Disappointing. One day this band will reach its potential, that and I hope that Patrick Stump will begin to correctly pronounce words while singing in his God-given key.






9. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5 (It Won't Be Soon Before Long)
   -Hearing a pattern? The band's chart-topping single sounds like a disco/funk song from, you guessed it, the 1970s. This song is far from exceptional but it makes for a fun time and that's always great for a summer mix.






10. Throw It On Me (Feat. The Hives) - Timbaland (Timbaland Presents: Shock Value)
    -The single from the megaproducer's "solo" album features rock band The Hives. Timbaland once again proves that the studio is an instrument, too by melding hip-hop and rock in an exquisite and unique way. I have never heard a track like this.
    
    




11. Alfie - Lily Allen (Alright, Still)
    - Lily Allen blows me away. She's cute and funny with witty lyrics and light concepts propelled by creative sampling and really great beats. This song is truly worth a listen.






12. Secret - The Pierces (Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge)
    - This song is very high concept. The opening song of the Pierce sisters' debut grabs you, holds you down makes you listen. It is obvious that the girls had a great time making this track - their enthusiasm is infectious.








13. The Bird and the Worm - The Used (Lies for the Liars) [Download!]
    -Check out my post on this song. Since then I've learned that this song is pretty addictive.






14. Teenagers - My Chemical Romance (The Black Parade)
    - Many people compare My Chemical Romance with The Used but I feel that they have grown into two very separate entities both with different sounds. This track, out of MCR's masterful The Black Parade cries out as a tribute to big 1980s rock. The guitarwork is stellar.






15. Mind Reader - Silverchair (Young Modern)
    - Young Modern is not yet available in the United States. The band's fifth album is a smash hit in their native Australia. The band has once again re-invented their sound and even this track has so many layers of influence it's hard to decide what genre to attribute to it. If one must, they should make it broad, like 'Rock' or something.
    
    




16. Move Away - The Killers (Spider-Man 3 OST)
    - I love this band. It's one of those few bands that because of their constant output of quality music, in my eyes can do no wrong. They will always have the benefit of the doubt with me. This song is from the new (disappointing) Spider-Man film which had a phenomenal soundtrack. This song, of course, is one of my favorites. The bridge about "jumping out of my skin" is gorgeous. I don't know if I would classify the song as one of the band's best but it is a great deal better than anything you'd hear on the radio lately.
    
    




17. One On One - Illinois (What The Hell Do I Know?)
    -The Pennsylvanian band, Illinois' (odd, I know) first EP is packed with songs that each have a very different sound, making it a remarkable listen. "One on One" is poppy and catchy, though not all of their stuff is. I suggest you pick up a copy at a local record store or on iTunes. Support an indie band today.






18. New Shoes - Paolo Nutini (These Streets)
- This song goes around, I think I heard it on a commercial for AT&T the other day. The Scottish singer has a very cool voice, in my opinion. the song is catchy and good. The song isn't actually about a new pair of shoes. It's about deciding to change your life. You know, like the expression "walking in someone else's shoes" it's a spin on that. I think it's a good song, maybe Nutini will make some more interesting music in the future, I think he has good potential.






19. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (Dusk and Summer)
- This song was released about one year ago but Chris Carraba, the man that once made up the whole of Dashboard Confessional, and his company re-released the album Dusk and Summer with an uptempo take of the song in which Carraba's voice is much more agreeable. (I.E. not as whiny.) The new take is great, I had actually included the original on a mix I made a year ago but I much prefer this version of the track.






20. Make A Plan To Love Me - Bright Eyes (Cassadaga) [Download!]
-Cassadaga might have already been my favorite album of the year if this year hadn't seen light to Wilco's Sky Blue Sky (but more on that later). This song is one of Conor Oberst's most beautiful ballads. The song is beautifully written both lyrically and instrumentally. The string sections are sweet, the acoustic guitar is touching and the horns are soothing. The backup vocals of the lead singers of the band Eisley, the DuPree sisters, (especially near the chorus) give a 1950s air to the song (and just make it so much more beautiful.) The lyrics long for reciprocating love and they also show how Oberst's perception of it has grown. He's understanding of the other person's desire to know the world: "Life's too short to be a fool, I don't owe you that. Do what you feel, whatever's cool. But I just have to ask, will you make a plan to love me sometime soon?"






21. The Story - Brandi Carlile (The Story) [Download!]
- See my last post for my feelings on this gorgeous song.






22. On and On and On - Wilco (Sky Blue Sky) [Download!]
    -This song is emotionally impacting. The last track of Wilco's brilliant new album Sky Blue Sky is a perfect endnote. The song is about life and love, more specifically the eternality of them. "Please don't cry, we're designed to die" is repeated throughout the song as well as "On and on and on, we'll be together, yeah." The woman that he is talking to, the woman he loves, must fear death because as humans it is hard to not see it as an end. At the beginning of the song he tells her "don't deny what's inside" and at it's climax he tells her "this world of words and meanings makes you feel outside, something that you feel already, deep inside. You've denied, go ahead and cry." This suggests that by the end she understands that she has denied the truth of eternal life. It's beautiful and powerful and extremely subtle, but then, isn't life? To deny it is a most vicious crime.
    

(Yes, all of these tracks fit on one CD)

What do you think of the mix and the tracks? Please leave me a comment!