Salient

The Inaugural Salient Mix Tape Jam

By Tom Baragwanath | 12 May, 2008

The Mix Tape: loved by our Mums and Dads in the halcyon days of vinyl, forgotten in the age of the rampant proliferation of the insipid circular plastic filth of the compact disc, touted by a scornfully elitist Rob Gordon in
High Fidelity; the mix tape represents one of the core institutions of pop music fandom.

This week’s music section represents a new chapter in Salient ’08. Partially because we music writers want a chance to show off our extreme geekiness, partially because we think there’s a faint glimmer of a chance that someone in the 18,000-strong Vic readership might find this somewhat entertaining and informative, but mostly because content this week is lacking, this week’s issue features the exciting debut of the Salient Mix Tape Jam.

What’s that then? Well, each week, you, devoted readers, can email us at tom@salient.org.nz or sophie@salient.org.nz with suggestions for mix tape themes, and we will pick the best one and dutifully respond. With a bit of luck, we might track down the odd celebrity to respond with a listing, or possibly even rustle up some sort of reward for the best theme sent in.* So get sending!

Salient Mix Tape Jam #1 - Wrathful Winter

It’s abysmally cold. You’re desperately shivering in your Holloway Road flat under 7 duvets, wearing 4 jerseys, one of which is even made of some sort of fancy merino wool endorsed by a climber, or something, with hot water bottles and microwaved wheat bags attached to your person like absurd lukewarm limpets, but you cannot possibly get warm – the Wellington winter lurks all around, reducing your every thought and movement to an icy doom. What do you do? You put this on, and hopefully things become a wee bit more bearable.

Side A:

1. Animal Collective – ‘Winter’s Love’ from Sung Tongs
2. Nick Drake – ‘At the Chime of a City Clock’ from Bryter Later
3. Yo La Tengo – ‘Autumn Sweater’ from I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
4. Jeff Buckley – ‘Mojo Pin’ from Grace
5. Beta Band – ‘Dry the Rain’ from The 3 E.P.s
6. Miles Davis – ‘Freddy Freeloader’ from Kind of Blue
7. The Beatles – ‘Good Day Sunshine’ from Revolver (you really shouldn’t have to ask)

Side B:

8. Fiery Furnaces – ‘Tropical Iceland’ from Gallowsbird’s Bark (the E.P. version rocks too)
9. Broken Social Scene – ‘Swimmers’ from Broken Social Scene
0. The Bats – ‘Western Isles’ from At the National Grid
11. Iron & Wine – ‘Lion’s Mane’ from Creek Drank the Cradle
12. Leslie Feist – ‘Mushaboom’ from Let It Die
13. Neil Young – ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’ from After the Goldrush
14. Bob Dylan – ‘It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry’ from Highway 61 Revisited

* So, so unlikely.