Tuesday music: Mix-tape confidential

I’m a fan of the mix-tape. Always have been.

Here is the latest mix-disc getting play in the car (called “Bad Dudes and Englishmen”):

1. Arctic Monkeys, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor” — The first single off their great debut disc is loud, fast and wild
2. Pearl Jam, “Wasted Life” — A return to form and the best single they have release in years.
3. Iggy Pop, “Wild Child” — Danceable mid-’80s Iggy.
4. Bon Jovi , “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” — I don’t generally like Bon Jovi, but this is catchy and stays with you.
5. Dixie Chicks, “Not Ready to Make Nice” — No, they are not. A passionate response to the death threats and attacks that followed their dissing of the president, and just a great song.
6. Bruce Springsteen, “Leah” — An underrated song from the great Devils and Dust disc.
7. Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris, “Comin’ Around” — A great duet.
8. Shakira w/Carlos Santana, “Illegal” — The great guitarist underscores a great vocal.
9. Corrine Bailey Rae, “Put Your Records On” — Catchy, infectious pop-soul from the next big thing.
10. Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy” — Funky and hard to describe.
11. Fine Young Cannibals, “She Drives Me Crazy” — These guys are a lot better than some might remember and deserve a lot more attention. Their first single has a nice groove.
12. Natasha Bedingfield, “Single” — This song should be given to every high school and college-age girl.
13. Rihanna, “SOS” — A sexy dance song.
14. Shakira w/Wyclef Jean, “Hips Don’t Lie” — See comment above, watch the video and get on the dance floor.
15. Nancy Sinatra, “These Boots Were Made for Walking” — Jessica Simpson wishes she could sing like this.
16. Macy Gray, “Boom Boom” — A sultry song from the Desperate Housewives soundtrack. Whatever happened to her, anyway?
17. Fine Young Cannibals, “Good Thing” — Second single is better than the first.
18. Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams, “You’re Still Standing There” — Another great duet, this one spiced up with a pair of Southern drawls.
19. Bruce Springsteen, “Bring ‘Em Home” — Listen to him.
20. Johnny Rivers, “Memphis” — A great live version from a forgotten blues man.
21. Chuck Berry, “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man” — The master.
22. Bruce Springsteen, “How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times as These and Live?” — Springsteen sings for New Orleans.

Pass along your playlists.

The South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet