APRIL SHOWERS: MORRIS VS. GISPERT
Welcome to Flagpole's first Mixtape Wars
battle! The idea for this new monthly fea
ture came to us from Hardy Morris of Dead
Confederate, and we think you're gonna dig it.
The premise is simple: two local music scene
folks (musicians, writers, promoters, etc.) cre
ate and swap mixtapes inspired by a theme
of our choosing, and then comment on each
other's mixes.
Since this is Hardy's brainchild, we let him
step up to the plate first and show us how it's
done. His challenger? Tour-mate and friend
Parker Gispert of The Whigs. "Man! Hardy
and I love to fight!" Gispert joked via email
when we pitched the idea to him. "The Dead
Confed/Whigs European tour was listed as a
VS. bill. Now we are at war!"
We hope Mixtape Wars will give you a little
insight into the minds and musical tastes of
the mixtape makers as well as expand your
musical horizons. Our first theme is April
Showers. Hardy and Parker give us their per
fect rainy day soundtracks...
Hardy Morris' Mixtape
4. "No Name #3" by Elliott Smith
HM: A beautiful song from Roman Candle.
To be honest, this entire album is perfect for a
rainy day, but this song sounds especially liquid
to me. Perhaps it's just the rhythm or maybe
it's the word "oblivion" that's repeated in the
choruses. I dunno, but it's pretty stuff.
PG: The master of rainy days! I used to
think he was singing "whole new oblivion" in
this song which I thought was brilliant. Not
long ago I realized it was "home to oblivion"
which is probably a better lyric. Dang it. Don't
you hate when that happens?
5. "Paint a Rainbow" by My Bloody
Valentine
HM: Rainy days aren't all bad/sod. After
all, there are no rainbows without rain. This is
some lo-fi, pop-ness from Shields and Co. that
hints towards the fuzz-to-come from the band.
This track hails from the Sunny Sundae Smile
12-inch.
PG: Never been a huge My Bloody Valentine
fan. Sorry for the sacrilege. Any other drum
fills we could paste in instead of that one?
Yeah, THAT one. THAT one... it won't stop...
dear God. I like the words.
1. “Rain" (Beatles cover) by Todd
Rundgren
Hardy Morris on why he
picked the tune: I know this
seems a bit obvious, but it’s an
amazing version of an amazing
song. Pure proof of Todd’s studio
chops. This is from his 1976
album Faithful, the A-side of
which is all awesome cover
songs. Why he did this, who
knows? Who knows why Todd
Rundgren does anything he
does? Who cares? It's great.
Parker Gispert's reac
tion: Got to love a faith
ful cover. Especially with
someone like The Beatles.
I'd be willing to bet they've
already figured out the
best way to present their
song. No need to get
fancy with this one. One
of my favorite bass lines
from my favorite all-time
bass player and least
favorite Beatle. Good
start to your mix, Hardy.
2. "See the Sky About
to Rain" by Neil Young
HM: Again. Obvious. But there aren't many
things more obvious than rain. A killer track
from On the Beach. I’ve been telling myself
that I am going to learn to play it on the piano
for years, but of course I still haven't. I love
this song.
PG: Way to go, Neil. A nice rhyme of "rain"
with "rain." Let's eat some Honey Slides and
jam this thing.
3. "Lightning Strikes the Postman" by
The Flaming Lips
HM: This is a ripper from Clouds Taste
Metallic, and it actually sounds like a light
ning storm. Just when you think this fuzz-ball
couldn't be any more awesome, the outro
sweeps in and hushes... kind of like when the
hard rain stops.
PG: Yes!!! Good call. I wanted "Trains,
Brains, and Rain" as my mix closer but wimped
out with Cat Power at the last second.
6. "Red Sleeping Beauty" by
McCarthy
HM: Who doesn't want to be
"sound asleep for 20 years" (or
even "1000 years") when it's
raining outside? The jongly dual
guitars and rolling tom
patterns sound just
like April showers. I'm
pretty sure he's singing
about Communism, but
whatever, rain makes
me tired... and so do
politics... zzz...
PG: I've never heard
this song! It is cool.
Makes me feel like getting
crazy and doing something
like jogging on a rainy day.
Sometimes I feel like rainy
days are my chance to get
ahead on outdoor activities
because everyone else is
inside. Kind of like work
ing late at night while
everyone is asleep. Then it
occurs to me that everyone
is inside for good reason
and that I should have
simply exercised the day before when it was
sunny. Now I'm wet and running for no reason.
What happened?
7. "Pulvarized" by Calla
HM: Sparse yet calculated rain-rock (?!)
from their 2005 LP Collisions. It reminds me
of raindrops hitting hot desert sand and drying
immediately on impact. They don't get a whole
lot of rain down in Texas, but when they do, it
probably sounds like this.
PG: Calla. Haven't listened to these guys in
forever. Don't remember this song. Very pretty.
Strong words in the chorus.
8. "The Sad Sun" by Deer Tick
HM: The sun must get a little sad when it’s
covered by the clouds. One of my favorite tunes
from The Black Dirt Sessions. The girl/guy har
monies are the silver lining here.
PG: I love this Deer Tick album. Beautiful
singing.
Parker Gispert's
Mixtape
like to eat dessert food every day, and a rainy
day is a day. Originally Ween made two contri
butions to my mix. It was between this song
and "Polio Asado" off The Pod. Maybe I'm just
getting hungry.
HM: I am not a Ween fan, and this
tune does not convince me that I have
been missing anything by avoiding
their music at all costs. I'm sorry, but
I am going to stop right here and
listen to "Little
Green Apples"
again... and
maybe again.
5. "Here
Comes That
Rainy Day
Feeling Again" by
The Fortunes
PG: I can't remember why
I thought this song was a
good fit for this mix.
HM: Now this is what I'm
talking about! Start with the
chorus. Strings. Xylophone! And
the bridge is slamming! This song
6. "Days" by Television
PG: Richard Lloyd steps up with
my favorite song off Adventure. I
bought this album on a rainy day
and have distinct memories of driv
ing The Loop in circles listening to this
jam.
HM: There's definitely something about
Television that fits with dreary weather. It
must be in those drippy guitars. Make it rain,
Verlaine...
9. "Hold on Hope" by Guided by Voices
HM: As much of a downer as rain can be,
there is also something very hopeful about
it. You know it will clear up, and beautiful
things will result. As sappy as that
sounds, it’s not half as sappy as
this song!
PG: We both put the most
hopeful tracks of our respec
tive mixes in the pitcher's
spot. Numbah nine?
Numbah nine.
10."Another
Beautiful Day
in the Pacific
Northwest"
by Big
Business
HM: You
can see the
dark clouds
rolling in on
this one. There is
storm a cornin', and
it ain’t letting up!
Perfect closer for this
mix because it rules
AND is the last jam
on the appropriately
titled Here Come the
Waterworks.
PG: I think Dead
Confederate should cover
this song. And I should
sing it. What do you think?
1. "The Secret of Her Smile" by Green
Pajamas
PG: Mark Opel gifted me this Green Pajamas
album in 2005, and I've been jamming it with
growing frequency ever since. I chose this song
as my mix opener because it has an appropri
ately relative lyrical concept and an overall
pleasant and positive vibe.
HM: I like how this song seems to be
inviting me to step inside and listen to some
strange secret story. The mix sounds rad.
Especially the panning of the guitar and key
boards on the walk-downs. And, of course, the
blown-out drums. Always a plus.
2. "Gold Day" by Sparklehorse
PG: If I have a bunch of errands and things
to accomplish on a rainy day, I often conclude
"there's no particular reason for me to do those
things. Guess I'm not going to the post office
today. Yes, ma'am, count today as an unex
cused absence." This song reminds me that I've
got no where to be, and that I should probably
stay put, stay home, procrastinate and enjoy
the rain.
HM: This track has that extra-intimate
Sparklehorse sound which makes for a fantas
tic fit here. Strangely beautiful. Like rain when
the sun is shining.
3. "Little Green Apples" (Single Version)
by Roger Miller
PG: This song sounds like a distant paradise.
Where do I find this babe? When I first heard
this song I thought they were messing with
tape speed during the second verse of his vocal
track. I was wrong. Good story.
HM: There are really not enough good
things I can say about this choice. Roger
Miller's voice, the amazing lyrics, the stand-up
bass... it all sits perfect and you just kind of
sink into this one. Yesss...
4. "Chocolate Town" by Ween
PG: I'd like to sail to Chocolate Town. I love
the Ween so much. I love the chocolate, too. I
7. "Coming Down Again" by Rolling Stones
PG: Go Keith! The song I've listened to more
than any other in the past two years. I'd been
under the impression the song was about Brian
Jones and Anita Pallenberg. Bummer Keith's
new book denounced that theory. Whatevers...
A terrific rainy day song.
HM: The fact that it's a Keith song makes
me think that "coming down" might not refer
to rain. It is a killer song, however, and the
sax solo takes it all to the next level. I dig!
8. "That's That" by Cass McCombs
PG: The album I'm looking forward to most
this year is the new Cass McCombs. A pure
singer and talent.
HM: I absolutely love Cass McCombs. I do
not own the record that this song is on, but
I am going to get it immediately. The drum
and bass thing they have going here is right
on time, and I love his voice on this track...
very nice.
9. "Over the Rainbow" by Sarah Vaughan
PG: I’ve been racking my brain as to which
version of this song to throw into my mix. This
version comes from Get Happy: The Harold
Arlen Centennial Celebration compilation. The
ultimate song of hope for a rainy day.
HM: I'm pretty sure that this is the first
song that I remember ever hearing. My mom
has a tape of me singing this at age three...
My three-year-old version isn't quite as jazzy.
As well as I remember, I did it in 6/4 and in a
counter-tenor voice rather than her 5/7 time
in mezzo-soprano... But seriously. What an
amazing song... This kind of stuff just doesn't
seem to happen anymore.
10. "Could We" by Cat Power
PG: After the rain stops we're going to have
to get out and go do something. This sounds
like a nice plan.
HM: Ending with a walk through the rain...
I like it The horn melody is crucial here, and I
love how Chan Marshall does her own back-up
vocals. O
APRIL 20,2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 17
