Happy New Year Cassette Exchangers! Yes, I do know it’s February, but we are breakin’ up and breakin’ down the month of January right now! We found some great tunes to highlight our highs and fill in our lows and we are beyond excited to share this month’s haul with y’all!
We have received some incredible tapes, and we know that we have said this before, but we may have received the raddest and baddest tape ever compiled!
Raddest AND Baddest Tapes:
This month our Raddest Tapes was a pretty easy call to make! We recieved the tapes above along with some wildly far out stickers, trading cards, and even some original music. These mixes were rockin’ but also rather eclectic, so naturally, we felt right at home giving these puppies a play! or several. We’ve shared all of the track listings below, but before we get to that we have to give a major shout out to this exchanger and the NDWA for going above and beyond the call of duty. Please, exchangers of good faith, check them out!
| Filth Opera Side A: | Filth Opera Side B: |
| Nancy Sinatra – Flowers on the Wall | The Gourds – Gin and Juice |
| Them – Gloria | The Poppy Family – Where Evil Grew |
| Seu Jorges – Life on Mars | The Troggs – Supergirl |
| WITCH – Like a Chicken | REM – Voice of Harold |
| The Yardbirds – Jeff’s Boogie | Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days |
| Grant Hart – You’re the Reflection of the Moon on the Water | |
| Piggly Whiskersnoot Side A: | Piggly Whiskersnoot Side B: |
| Focus – Hocus Pocus | Ian Hunter – Once Bitten, Twice Shy |
| Ike and Tina Turner – I Can’t Believe What You Say | Neil Diamond – Holiday Inn Blue |
| Electric Six – Synthesizer | Kokoshca – La Fuerza |
| Ezra Furman – Tell ’em All to Go to Hell | |
| Catsup for All Side A: | Catsup for All Side B: |
| Cher – Walk on Golden Splinters | David Bowie – Bombers |
| Lowell Fulson – Why Don’t We Do it in the Road | Link Wray – La De Da |
| Clothilde – Et Moi, Et Toi, Et Soie | Primus – My Name is Mud |
| Southern Culture on the Skids – Liquored Up, Lacquered Down | |
| DEVO – Are We Not Men (Live Acoustic) | |
| Tmesis Side A: | Tmesis Side B: |
| Polaris – Coronado II | Three headcoats – Davey Crockett |
| Uriah Heep – Stealin’ | Wings – Magneto and Titanium Man |
| Prince – Nothing Compares 2 U | T Bone Burnett – Palestine, Texas |
| Peter Noone – O, You Pretty Things |
Baddest Tapes:
This month’s baddest tape was submitted by a local exchanger. This is a bad ass and high octain mix or real rockers and feel good knockers. This is a tough tape to beat right’chere!
| Eat Up the Hot Sky Side A: | Eat Up the Hot Sky Side B: |
| Rush – What You’re Doing | The Cars – Good Times Roll |
| Foghat – I Just Wanna Make Love to You | The Who – Eminence Front |
| Nazareth – Hair of the Dog | Roky Erickson – Two Headed Dog |
| AC/DC – Giving the Dog a Bone | Black Sabbath – Hand of Doom |
| KISS – She | Frijid Pink – Tobacco Road |
| Thin Lizzy – The Pressure Will Blow | Golden Earring – Twilight Zone |
| Beck, Bogert, Appice – Black Cat Moan | High Reeper – Die Slow |
| Blue Oyster Cult – The Red & the Black | O’K and the Night Crew – God Fearing Man |
| Fresh Blueberry Pancake – Hassles | RHCP – True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes |
| Clutch – In Walks Barbarella | |
| Mountain – Better of with the Blues |
CTEP’s Contribution:
January was an interesting month, musically speaking. We took some time to return to our roots while also making space for new jams! Like usual, our mix incorporates a few different genres and creates a surprisingly cool compilation, but we do suppose that it’s tough to go wrong when you’re finding some good stuff! Check it out below!
Here’s a link to a complete Spotify playlist!
CTEP’s Monthly Tape Exchange: January 2021
SIDE A:
Chuck Berry – No Particular Place to Go
Classic. Timeless. Jangly. Twangy. Nearly innocent. This is probably our favorite song of his and we welcome familiar sounds as we live through another year in this brave new world. What hasn’t already been said about Chuck Berry? This is just a great tune.
The Isley Brothers – Shout, pts. 1 & 2
Did we already say classic? Whoops, well, we’re saying it again. This song is unbridled energy, power, and soul! Are you a musician? Do you struggle with dynamics? Well, TAKE NOTE!
Booker T & The M.G.’s – Time is Tight
Okay this is the last time we’re using the word classic. You know that we’re lying, but we don’t think you really care all that much. This is a jam. It’s mellow but it’s relentless. This is just over three minutes of stellar musicianship. If you funk, rock, jam, or even have the blues – you need some Booker T. in your life. The organ is going to swirl around us and everything will be okay!
Neal Francis – Can’t Live Without Your Love
This is a modern classic! (See what we did there!) No, seriously! This guy is like a modern Barry Goldberg. If you know your stuff, or you want to know your stuff, then you should know this. It’s catchy, twangy, and even a little dusty. It’s damn good!
John Hiatt – Whistles in My Ears
Hiatt lays it down a fine song like the master song-smith that he is. It’s country sensibilities give the tune some added depth and a feel not too far off from ‘Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright’. We discovered Hiatt through his involvement in Little Village, so it’s cool to experience him in his own right.
Waxahatchee – Fire
Slow and steady. Easy going yet determined. This tunes trots along as a master song-smith works his magic. It’s tight and perhaps even bright or sunny, but you can feel the cold wind creep in with it’s chorus. An all around solid tune with some clever licks and well played lyrics.
Sans Soucis – Visible
Dark and sexy. This tune has some soft and light vocals over some synth bass and a dependably steady and danceable groove.
John Fogerty – Vanz Kant Danz
This song should probably not exist. Can we start there? That being said, it’s still pretty cool and plenty catchy. An earworm of a hook is complimented by synths and Fogerty’s signature semi-pseudo-cajun delivery. The CCR legend bought a synthesizer because it was the 80’s and this is the end result. We’re just kidding but we’re probably not too far off, either. Actually, this is a reference to Fogerty’s arch enemy Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records, as the song was originally titled ‘Zanz Kant Danz’ and was changed a defamation lawsuit.
SIDE B:
Madvillain – All Caps
MF DOOM was one of the greatest rappers of all time. When you combine his flows with the beats and production of Madlib, there is no other result but greatness. It’s crazy to think that we now live in a world without the super villain, but in these transmissions he lives on.
Alex Izenberg – To Move On
Obviously, there’s a melancholy element at work here. Listen to how happy this song sounds, it’s like a room full of balloons, yet there are some gut wrenching sentiments presented in this tune.
Plain White T’s – The Giving Tree
We’ll be honest, this song was selected as a result of running our mouths. We boldly declared that the Plain White T’s had no songs of note other than the infamous ‘Hey There Delilah’. So when our bluff was called, and we had to admit that we actually didn’t know any other songs, we did some listening and were blown away by this number. It’s folky but not in a bad, half hearted, it’s really just pop way. This has some serious merit. Listen to the vocal work here; this is quality songwriting.
Nicole Atkins – AM Gold
Strong. Bold. Solid Gold. This is slow yet unstoppable funk laced banger. It will get you movin’, but it does also possess a hazy feel, full of soft and rounded sounds. It’s a confident number that defies time and convention; what year is it!? This is a newer song but it’s retro elements are the real McCoy.
TOPS – Witching Hour
Sugary sweet candy indie pop, but don’t underestimate the power hidden within this arrangement. The chorus shows the pipes behind the soft almost baby like vocal delivery of the verse. Cool 80’s guitar and keyboard vibes presented in a modern fashion by way of crisp and tight indie focused drums and bass.
Adryon de León – Ally
Some more bold solid gold! This time a little more classic in nature. Funky washed out guitar, auxiliary percussion, and some hand clapping make this mother a real mover and groover! We’re talking straight 70’s style captured in a modern format, like much of this month’s collection. We are Adryon’s ally from here on out!
The J. Geil’s Band – Must of Got Lost
Great pocket tune! Upbeat and determined! It features some cool organ and guitar work and has such a nice rich texture! What else could be said about this classic tune? Damn it!
Molly Hatchet – Beatin’ the Odds
High octane southern rock baby! This a rockin’ number that will crank you up to do or achieve anything foolish enough to stand in your way. This song has likely generated countless speeding tickets in it’s day, and probably encouraged a few high speed pursuits.
David Bowie – I Can’t Explain
This is a big song! Lots of cool layers here, sax, and keyboards, but it’s an interest hybrid of 70’s blues rock/alternative/new-wave vibes and more 50’s/60’s style crooning. Classic Bowie, tough to pin down, easy to enjoy!
that does it for January. As always, check out the tunes, it only takes one song to change your life!
Respect,
DJ O’K
Cassette Tape Exchange Program 