Rocket Boys

13 / June 2011 / John Kuhn

This disc represents the beginning of our second year and our third round.  My goal is always to make the best mix I can possibly make - consolidating the best mix of music that I'm finding out there.  It takes some doing - there is alot of garbage, in my opinion, on the musical landscape.  The assembled tunes (or at least most of them) have been percolating for well over a month, so I like to think it's pretty representational of what I'm finding interesting - which may or may not jive with other people's taste.  But that's why we do what we do here.  Right?

While there are a few exceptions, this is mostly a guitar based mix - which I guess should come as no surprise.  It's mostly newer stuff, but, again, with some exceptions.  

I hope everyone is still enjoying this exercise.  I think we can improve over the next year on how we share and interact.  It's been a year of transitions and changes for many of us - but that isn't likely to change.  

In any case, I hope you enjoy listening to this mix as much as i enjoyed making it.  

  1. Cage the Elephant / Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

    I'm always on the lookout for the first song on a mix and this song has been sitting atop the draft mix since I started it several months ago. It's a song that always makes me smile. Love when the bass comes in at the start of the 2nd verse.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Cage the Elephant are an alternative rock band which formed in 2005 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States.The band consists of Matt Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Nick Bockrath (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass, vocals), Jared Champion (drums) and Matthan Minster (keyboard, vocals, guitar). Their breakthrough single was Ain't No Rest For The Wicked, which peaked at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100, #32 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Read more on Last.fm more...

  2. Mary Chapin Carpenter / I Have a Need for Solitude

    I just don't get tired of listening to this song. I'm not a huge MCC fan, but this song is just great and has some of the tastiest understated guitar playing I have heard in a long time.

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    Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958 in Princeton, New Jersey) is a highly successful country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. According to Songfacts, Carpenter had a fairly privileged upper middle class upbringing. Her father was at least partly responsible for her embarking on a musical career. The song "House of Cards" was inspired by the divorce of her parents when she was sixteen. One of her most widely known singles is "Passionate Kisses" (written by fellow singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams) Read more on Last.fm more...

  3. Ruth Ann / I'd Die for You

    I may get slammed for including this tune - it is rather Madonnaesque. But I love it's spareness and clarity - it's sparity (if that isn't a word, it should be). Great mix and production - and seemed to make a good sandwich with MCC and Stoll.

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    Ruth-Ann Boyle (born April 26, 1970 in Sunderland) is an English pop singer who became famous during the 1990s. Together with producers Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth, she formed the British band Olive. The band became world famous with "You're Not Alone" in 1996. In 1999 she sang lead vocals on the track "Gravity of Love" on Enigma's album The Screen Behind the Mirror, which was also released as a single. She also performed guest-vocals for their 2003 album Voyageur. Read more on Last.fm more...

  4. Stoll Vaughan / The Weatherman

    I feel like I should be in West Texas bar listening to this guy - long necks and pool tables. I'm always a sucker for a delayed bass entrance (see above) and the same is true with the chorus here. Kept finding this melody creep into my head during the day.

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    Stoll Vaughan has made a name for himself as a reputable, young songwriter. With an expressive rustic style, profound lyrics, and a resonant voice, Vaughan’s identity is carried by a timeless authenticity all his own. Born in Kentucky, his music embraces his own style, although he has been favorably compared to the likes of early Springsteen and Townes Van Zandt. After the release of his first record “Hold on Through Sleep and Dreams” in 2005, Vaughan gained national recognition through air play on the AAA and Americana Radio formats. Read more on Last.fm more...

  5. Noah & The Whale / L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

    Second mix in a row with these guys present. Love the images of this song - Little Lucy Looney Tunes is a winner and probably should be set up with Big Jim Vigado further south in the mix. Great imagery.

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    Noah and the Whale are an English Indie folk band from Twickenham, London, England formed in 2006. The band consists of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Matt "Urby Whale" Owens (bass guitar), Fred Abbott (guitar/ keys 2009- ) and Michael Petulla (drums)The name 'Noah and the Whale' is a combination of the title of one of the band's favourite films, The Squid and the Whale, and the director of the film's name, Noah Baumbach. Read more on Last.fm more...

  6. Scattered Trees / Four Days Straight

    OFf the debut album from this Chicago sextet. There is an anthemic quality to the chorus that gets to me every time. "Oh no!' Plus the staccato rhythm thing is infectious.

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    Scattered Trees is a young group of artists who grew up together in the outskirts of Chicago, often playing music. Some of the members share last names, albeit for different reasons. They are the kind of friends who can separate and come back together at ease, entertained by a constellation of conversations and the familiarity of each other’s voices. As is the case with any ambitious set of individuals with aspirations beyond their hometown, as they grew, Scattered Trees spent more and more time apart until it seemed the norm. Read more on Last.fm more...

  7. Alela Diane & Wild Divine / The Wind

    A haunting song of loss - from her recently released third album. About a close friend being randomly murdered in LA a few years back.

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    Following the success of her two first solo albums, Alela DIane came back in 2011 as the frontwoman of her band, Alela DIane & Wild Divine. Band members includes her father, Tom Menig, and her husband, Tom McGee. Read more on Last.fm more...

  8. The High Llamas / Fly Baby, Fly

    Makes me think of the Beach Boys or Chicago, a little bit, and summer in the sixties. Horns and harmonies.

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    The High Llamas are a London-based musical project created by Irish-English guitarist and songwriter Sean O'Hagan after the demise of his group Microdisney. Although he writes and arranges the music and frequently uses the High Llamas moniker for his own personal musical efforts (e.g. remixes), the High Llamas are nominally a group, which usually includes Microdisney bassist Jon Fell and a rotating cast of others including keyboardist Marcus Holdaway and drummer Rob Allum. Read more on Last.fm more...

  9. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi / Two Against One

    It does sound kind of dangerous, doesn't it? All those minor chords make it seem almost threatening. This guy (Brian Burton) gets around and is found further south on this mix as one of the two members of Broken Bells.

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    Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, (born July 29, 1977 in White Plains, New York) is an American artist and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined a cappellas from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from the album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). He formed Gnarls Barkley with Cee Lo Green and produced their albums St. Elsewhere and The Odd Couple. He produced the second Gorillaz album Read more on Last.fm more...

  10. Wye Oak / Two Small Deaths

    Love the way this starts - like you're in a crowded bar or restaurant somewhere. I gotta get me one of those shaker/rattle things. Ethereal and grand - and the ending is a palate cleanser (ode to AG) for Bugs.

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    Wye Oak (née Monarch) is a duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, formed in mid-2006. Wasner and Stack have been playing music together and apart in Baltimore, MD, and chose their name from the honorary state tree of Maryland. If Children is the culmination of many months of recording, polishing and perfecting to achieve what Any Given Tuesday best described as, “. .. . mingling in a room full of shoegaze, alt-country, folk, and noise, shaking hands, kissing cheeks, and making friends with everyone. Read more on Last.fm more...

  11. O'Death / Bugs

    Love the chuka- chuka thing that starts with the second verse. Brooklyn based boys.

    More Info from Last.FM

    O'Death are an American Gothic Country band from New York. Borrowing their band name from a traditional American folk song that comes out of Western North Carolina, O’Death draws on traditional folk, bluegrass, punk, gypsy music, metal, swing and jazz stylings. Originally formed in 2003 while the members attended SUNY Purchase, the band played a series of shows at the now defunct Apocalypse Lounge in NYC, and quickly began building a fanbase with Read more on Last.fm more...

  12. John Mellencamp / Just Another Day

    I've never been a huge JM fan, but I just love this song - and I admire that he's stayed close to and loyal to his roots in Bloomington, Indiana. And welcome to Big Jim Vigado. This song sounds like it would have been a gas to record.

    More Info from Last.FM

    John Mellencamp (born 7 October 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American singer-songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack & Diane", and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event. Mellencamp currently lives in Bloomington, Indiana. John's first record released was under the stage name "Johnny Cougar" at the behest of Tony DeFries, his first manager. Mellencamp claims it was against his knowledge and will, and he hated the name. Read more on Last.fm more...

  13. American Babies / Dance All Night

    AB is the brainchild of Tom Hamilton - now Philly based (Saunders?).

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    Since 2007, American Babies has been the mouthpiece for Philadelphia based musician Tom Hamilton. After spending the early 2000s building a national fan base fronting the electro-rock band Brothers Past, releasing two critically acclaimed albums, and averaging 150 shows a year, a change was in order. "Musically, I wanted to get back to the basics" he explains, "Get the song right, first. Then worry about the live show and how the music opens up from there." Read more on Last.fm more...

  14. Painted Palms / Falling Asleep

    I feel like I should be at the carnival when I listen to this song - kind of a whirring psychedelic vibe that keeps echoing around your brain.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Whether living four states away or four blocks away, Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme have always used the Internet -- at first out of necessity, later out of preference -- to collaborate on their songwriting. Although the cousins grew up together in Lafayette, Louisiana, Donohue eventually moved to San Francisco, while Prudhomme stayed near New Orleans. The newfound distance between them forced the pair to start sending song ideas back and forth via e-mail Read more on Last.fm more...

  15. The Civil Wars / My Father's Father

    Saunders scooped me on this duo on her recent mix, but I love this song too much not to include it. Talk about sparity, this song has it in spades. It makes home sound pretty good.

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    The Civil Wars were an American musical duo composed of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White. After releasing a live-performance album and a four-song EP, their full-length album Barton Hollow was released in 2011. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album in 2012. Williams and White met in 2008, during a song-writing session or "writing camp" at a music studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Read more on Last.fm more...

  16. Michael Franti & Spearhead / Say Hey (I Love You)

    This song is just so uplifting - love it. Great video shot on the streets of Rio.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Michael Franti (born April 21, 1967 in Oakland, CA) is a gifted and much-heralded spoken word artist and political activist from San Francisco, CA. As leader of the politically and socially-charged group Spearhead, Franti is at the forefront of hip-hop's renaissance, expanding the music's boundaries as he draws on funk and soul-driven beats. Through his music and poetry, Franti tackles a range of issues--the criminal justice system, corporatization of our daily lives Read more on Last.fm more...

  17. Broken Bells / An Easy Life

    I've always been a Shins fan - James Mercer's voice in one of the most distinctive in contemporary music, I think. Line him up with Danger Mouse and the combo is reflected in this song.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Broken Bells is an American indie rock duo which formed in 2009 in Los Angeles. The band consists of James Mercer (vocals, guitar) and Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton (multiple instruments, production). Mercer is a member of the indie rock band The Shins and Burton is a member of Gnarls Barkley and Dangerdoom, as well as being a respected producer for such artists as Beck, Gorillaz, The Rapture and The Black Keys. The debut self-titled album by Broken Bells was released on Columbia Records on March 9, 2010. Read more on Last.fm more...

  18. Fleet Foxes / Sim Sala Bim

    Off their new disc, I love the unorthodox structure of this tune. Soft echoey first verse, fuller orchestrated second verse - then a frantic acoustic guitar serenade.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Fleet Foxes is an indie folk band which formed in Seattle, Washington, United States in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar), Christian Wargo (bass, guitar, vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, vocals), Morgan Henderson (multiple instruments) and J. Tillman (drums, vocals). Previously signed to the Sub Pop and Bella Union labels, they are now signed to Nonesuch since 2017. Fleet Foxes released the six-track Fleet Foxes EP in 2006 Read more on Last.fm more...

  19. Court Yard Hounds (feat. Jakob Dylan) / See You In The Spring

    I'm always a sucker for a great M/F harmony and this one delivers. Court Yard Hounds is 2 of the 3 founders of Dixie Chicks. The duet between Emily Robison and Jakob Dylan is inspiring - plus it's a great spring song - and it is still spring - kinda sorta.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Court Yard Hounds are an adult alternative and AAA music duo, currently comprised of Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, with Robison on lead vocals. The members are sisters and are also founding members of Dixie Chicks. Dixie Chicks are currently on hiatus. They are signed to Columbia Records and released their self-titled debut album in May 2010. Bio: Strictly speaking, it’s only a few feet from stage left or stage right to the center spotlight. Read more on Last.fm more...

  20. The Heavenly States (feat. Britt Daniel) / Berlin Wall

    Love how this song starts so softly and innocently, then gets kicking into a steady crescendo that ends with a frantic crashing - and another palate cleanser for the Elbow song to follow.

    More Info from Last.FM

    The Heavenly States are Ted Nesseth, Jeremy Gagon, Genevieve Gagon and Masanori Mark Christianson. A Minnesota lefty born of humble means, frontman/lyricist Ted Nesseth plays his guitar upside down and backwards because he taught himself to play on his friends' guitars. Not wanting to wait to learn how to play straight ensured that he'd have an inexorable ticket to a certain kind of sound that was well-suited to the punk Minneapolis scene he came up in. Read more on Last.fm more...

  21. Elbow / Lippy Kids

    This was a last minute addition to the mix. I heard this song on-line - saw a video, actually - and was hooked. Love the steady keyboard note that carries all the way through, the plucky bass line, the incredible vocals - just a wonderful, beautiful song.

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    Elbow is an alternative rock band that got started in Bury, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom in 1990. Formed when its members were in sixth-form college, the group consists of Guy Garvey (vocals, guitar), Mark Potter (guitar, vocals), Pete Turner (bass), Craig Potter (keyboards) and Richard Jupp (drums). Over the band's twenty plus year career, it has released six studio albums and four EPs while also having over five top 40 singles in the U.K. alone. Read more on Last.fm more...

  22. Brad Paisley (feat. Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow & Carl Perkins) / The Railway to Heaven

    This tune was also a last minute addition - and while the train/heaven theme may be out of keeping with the rest of this mix, the musicianship on this song is totally outrageous. Listen to the 8 bar guitar riff after the first verse and fiddle play. That section gives me chills and the folks playing on this tune can play circles around most of the musicians on this mix. Great harmonies too.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Brad Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter from Glen Dale, West Virginia. Brad Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was the opening act for country singers. Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and enrolled at Belmont University (from 1993 to 1995). Read more on Last.fm more...

Past Mixes