Hey Folks,
For the next 5 Fridays I will be posting podcasts of my Summer Pop mixes. I began making these mixes back in the late 90′s, to feed my romanticized imaginings of which tunes might provide the ideal soundtrack to a beach vacation, backyard barbecue, block party, or top-down-convertible-joyride along a coast.
The eras span from the late 60′s forward and I try to give classics, british invasion-era, 80′s, indie-rock and punk-pop, all equal time here. For a long time these mixes have been the safe place where single tunes by bands I never really followed, can peacefully co-exist alongside the catchiest hooks by my all-time favorite bands.
I believe this particular mix made its debut at a spontaneous roofdeck party at Rugg Road around 1999. At the time it took up 2 sides of a cassette and it has barely changed compositionally during it’s subsequent transformation to CD mix and now mp3.
I confess that though they are designed for the summer I throw these mixes on, no matter the season, whenever I need a dose of sunshine. And for my money this first one, like the 4 Summer Pop Volumes that will follow, continues to stand the test of time. I hope you will agree. -Evan
(Playlist below the fold)
The Beatles – Rain
Brian Eno – Cindy Tells Me
Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me
The Jam – I Got By In Time
Sleater-Kinney – You’re No Rock n’ Roll Fun
The Ramones – I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
Pavement – Summer Babe
The Clash – White Man in Hammersmith Palace
The Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Violent Femmes – Please Do Not Go
Talking Heads – Love –> Building on Fire
Lou Reed – Satellite of Love
The Kinks – Can’t Stop Worrying Bout that Girl
David Bowie – Starman
Liz Phair – A Boyfriend
Elvis Costello – Pump It Up
Nirvana – I’m On A Plain
Elliot Smith – No Name #3