Stuff I Shoved in My Head: 2Q Mix (Part Four)
31. Pharmakon “Bang Bang”: This isn’t the first time Cher’s song (possibly made more famous by Nancy Sinatra, via Quentin Tarantino) has appeared on my mix, but this one seems a lot more brutal thanks to what sounds like gunshots. Where does Pharmakon’s version measure up with the one by 2Cello & Sky Ferreira?
32. Mark Mothersbaugh www.kohngallery.com/“Daisy Bell”: Also known as “Bicycle Built for Two,” this song from the late 1800s might be best known as the creepy little number HAL 9000 sings in 2001: A Space Odyssey when Keir Dullea’s Dave tries to deactivate the too-intelligent computer. Well, this version has DEVO frontman, Mark Mothersbaugh, ‘tarding out like the subject of his band’s “Mongoloid.” It’s from an LA art exhibit called “The Gay 90s,” and different versions of this song were provided by the likes of Tyler the Creator, Nick Cave, Katy Perry, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
33. Soundgarden “Girl U Want”: You just heard Mothersbaugh – now hear one of his band’s songs covered! This was originally released on an EP (called SOMMS, or Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas) that came with a limited edition of Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, released as they embarked on the 1992 Lollapolooza tour. The EP also featured covers of the Rolling Stones’ “Stray Cat Blues” and Black Sabbath’s “Into the Void (Stealth).” You’re listening to it now because Soundgarden dropped a crap-ton of Superunknown 20th anniversary, including a massive singles collection, and this was a b-side to “Fell on Black Days.”
34. The Mountain Goats “Danny Says”: This Ramones ballad, from 1980’s Phil Spector-produced End of the Century, is given the dry John Darnielle treatment . . . and it’s still easy to listen to, which is a testament to how great the original version was. Tom Waits also covered this on Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards.
35. Bleeding Rainbow “Glynis”: Smashing Pumpkins did this for the No Alternative compilation back in 1993 (before Billy totally lost his shit), but this version is from Philadelphia’s Bleeding Rainbow, who appeared on the 2013 Q1 mix with “Pink Ruff.” They released Interrupt earlier this year.
36. Courtney Barnett & Billy Bragg “Sunday Morning”: Everyone’s favorite Australians team up to create a down under super friends kind of . . . oh, just forget it. They’re doing Velvet Underground’s classic, and everyone already knows I’d listen to Courtney read a phone book.
37. R.E.M. “Femme Fatale”: Speaking of Velvet Underground, here’s R.E.M. with their take on another track from 1967’s The Velvet Underground & Nico. This originally appeared on R.E.M.’s Dead Letter Office, a collection of b-sides and rarities from 1987, but turned up again this year when they issued two massive collections from the two halves of their career – this is from Complete Rarities: I.R.S. 1982-1987. VU’s version turned up on my 2012 Q4 mix, during one of the eight billion releases of their debut album.
38. Joseph Arthur “Walk on the Wild Side”: Why not make it three Lou Reed-penned songs in a row? That’s my homage to the late artist, and this track comes from Joseph Arthur’s much more impressive tribute, Lou: The Songs of Lou Reed. “Wild Side” was the first single released from Reed’s 1972 David Bowie/Mick Ronson-produced Transformer.
39. Janelle Monáe “Heroes”: Speaking of Bowie, here’s Atlanta’s Janelle Monáe with her take on his often-covered track from 1977’s album of the same name. Don’t kill me – this is from some Pepsi ad campaign.
40. Jay Reatard “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle”: The late Memphis garage rocker contributed this track to a Nirvana tribute album called In Utero: In Tribute: In Entirety, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Allegedly, this one of Reatard’s final recordings before his coke-and-booze fueled death. Hard to believe the super-talented Reatard has been gone for over four years already, although I swear he might actually be Ty Segall. RIP you crazy bastard. You’re forgiven for cancelling that show in Dallas in August 2008, because I was too sick to go and didn’t know you were a no-show.