Los Angeles

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So after the NYC mixtape, here's the L.A one. The idea is still to conjure the vibe of the place, rather than simply having songs about the city.

Here's my first unsequenced short list:

-Fleetwod Mac "Sarah"
-Hole "Malibu"
-X "Dancing with tears in my Eyes"
-Joni Mitchell "Court and Spark"
-Dr. Dre "Let Me Ride"
-Medicine "One more"
-My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult "Daisychain 4 Satan"
-John Frusciante "Going Inside"
-Iggy Pop "Candy"
-Lydia Lunch "Champagne, Cocaine and Nicotine Stains"
-Captain Beefheart "Sue Egypt"
-Mazzy Star "Ghost on the Highway"
-Roxy Music "Every Dream Home a Heartache"
-Tarnation "Little Black Egg"
-Anita Lane "I Hate Myself"

I guess there be some more hip-hop tunes on this.

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Friday, 17 October 2003 11:57 (twenty years ago) link

How about "Too Fast For Love" by Motley Crue, and some Jane's Addiction, maybe "Summertime Rolls"....those two bands really informed my idea of what LA was (before I'd ever been there) as a youngster.

Also, the Red Hot Chili Peppers should have something on there...maybe "Under the Bridge" they are a quintessential LA band to me...

Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 17 October 2003 15:04 (twenty years ago) link

Guns'N'Roses - "Welcome To The Jungle"
Dr Dre feat Snoop Dogg - "Still DRE" - just for them cruising in that bouncing car in the video, although "Let Me Ride" is more of a cruisin' anthem.

Nick H, Friday, 17 October 2003 15:07 (twenty years ago) link

Frank Black "Los Angeles"

David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Friday, 17 October 2003 15:17 (twenty years ago) link

Beck "Tropicalia"

Some Chaki.

adaml (adaml), Friday, 17 October 2003 15:24 (twenty years ago) link

I forgot Tones on Tails "Go"

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Friday, 17 October 2003 16:26 (twenty years ago) link


A formula for the ultimate LA mixtape:

1. Record the entire tape with really great rock songs.
2. Record over this.
3. On Side A: the same four rap songs looped.
4. On Side B: KROQ's latest date-rape soundtrack.
5. Listen and enjoy?

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:19 (twenty years ago) link

you need to mellow out and tune in to KCRW.

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:34 (twenty years ago) link

I was reflecting the other day on how the "Becomes Electic" programs play what is LITERALLY the worst music I have ever heard in my life. Sometimes I stop and listen for a few minutes, just to marvel.

Sam J. (samjeff), Friday, 17 October 2003 17:37 (twenty years ago) link

sKCReW KCRW (sorry JasonD)... 88.9fm mofos!

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 17 October 2003 18:17 (twenty years ago) link

NO REDD KROSS???????????

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 17 October 2003 18:20 (twenty years ago) link


kcrw is weak. sad that kxlu can be so much more interesting and often more "eclectic." i just want an LA radio station that plays decent music ... too much to ask for?

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Friday, 17 October 2003 18:56 (twenty years ago) link

Patti Smith - "Ask the Angels"

nickn (nickn), Friday, 17 October 2003 19:00 (twenty years ago) link

gygax (and all other kcrw hataz), you're not hurting my feelings. mommy works there, not me. i don't listen to the station either.

missing persons: nobody walks in l.a. - it's true, you know.

JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 17 October 2003 19:24 (twenty years ago) link

something by the beach boys?

JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 17 October 2003 19:25 (twenty years ago) link


IN DEFENSE OF KCRW!!!

They have a nice office building. I run by it. Cute.

Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Friday, 17 October 2003 19:50 (twenty years ago) link

KCRW is a good station (although yeah, Morning Becomes Eclectic is awful). But the evening and weekend shows are great. Also, KXLU is awesome until they play some irritating polka-core joke song which forces me to switch. You haterz are just too cool for school!

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 October 2003 19:55 (twenty years ago) link

I like how KXLU goes all-Latin for the weekends.

Sam J. (samjeff), Friday, 17 October 2003 21:34 (twenty years ago) link

I like that too.

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 October 2003 22:07 (twenty years ago) link

and classical at 6pm-10pm.

i was there! i had an afternoon spot from 93-96, little JasonD was in diapers then.

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 17 October 2003 22:33 (twenty years ago) link

you cock. i was in HS / College then

but i was a big fan of the station. i was sort of a little groupie since i grew up blocks from the station.

JasonD (JasonD), Friday, 17 October 2003 23:21 (twenty years ago) link

wang chung 'to live and die in la'

keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 18 October 2003 01:10 (twenty years ago) link

"I'm In Love With Your Mom" -- Vom

"Sit on My Face, Stevie Nicks" -- The Rotters

"Beat Her With a Rake" -- The Weasels

George Smith, Saturday, 18 October 2003 01:22 (twenty years ago) link

minutemen - history lesson pt 2
eric dolphy - 17 west

Pablo Cruise (chaki), Saturday, 18 October 2003 02:02 (twenty years ago) link

LA Weekly had a section in their "best of LA 2003" issue that focused on mediocrity. They talked up Morning Becomes Eclectic:

"Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW — The name implies that we will hear all kinds of music from Tuva throat singers to Prokofiev to Trail of Dead. Of course, we don’t. We hear mostly new rock product, the kind that is easy on the ear. Record companies are happy to take advantage of host Nic Harcourt’s apparent belief that what is new must therefore be exciting. Like all of his immediate predecessors, Mr. Harcourt has a fine corporate career ahead of him."

The music on the station blows in general, and I'm still wondering why there are about seven differently named shows that play the same Starbucks yuppie shit, some of it with slightly faster beats, some of it including guitars, but all of it thoroughly forgettable.

KXLU is great, too bad about those damn evangelists in the Antelope Valley.

Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 18 October 2003 02:56 (twenty years ago) link

"why you'd want to live here" - death cab for cutie


"it's a lovely summer's day and i can almost see a skyline through a thickening shroud of egos. (is this the city of angeles or demons?)"

captain badass, Saturday, 18 October 2003 06:46 (twenty years ago) link

ben gibbard is so deep.

keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 18 October 2003 16:34 (twenty years ago) link

Soul Coughing, "Screenwriter's Blues"

jaymc (jaymc), Saturday, 18 October 2003 17:47 (twenty years ago) link

(I mean, if you like songs about L.A. by boho NYCers.)

jaymc (jaymc), Saturday, 18 October 2003 17:48 (twenty years ago) link

Danny Cohen, "Los Angeles"
Atmosphere, "Los Angeles"

J. Weiss (jweiss), Sunday, 19 October 2003 03:04 (twenty years ago) link

oh yeah, Neil Young - "Revolution Blues"

J. Weiss (jweiss), Sunday, 19 October 2003 03:09 (twenty years ago) link

cheech 'born in east l.a.'

keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 19 October 2003 03:25 (twenty years ago) link

everybody knows the best station in la is power 106

Pablo Cruise (chaki), Sunday, 19 October 2003 07:30 (twenty years ago) link

with the beat 100.3 the 2nd best

Vic (Vic), Monday, 20 October 2003 06:17 (twenty years ago) link

the fall "LA"

the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 20 October 2003 07:55 (twenty years ago) link

doors "l.a. woman"

the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 20 October 2003 07:55 (twenty years ago) link

Frank Sinatra - "L.A. Is My Lady"

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 October 2003 16:45 (twenty years ago) link

In defense of KCRW, my good friend from UCLA days Eric J. Lawrence, who holds down a weekly late night spot on the station and is still a good egg to this day.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 October 2003 16:49 (twenty years ago) link

they kinda let the late night djs play stuff that's different than the KCRW norm, yes?

JasonD (JasonD), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:27 (twenty years ago) link

Such is my understanding, yup.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:39 (twenty years ago) link

There's also some weekend show that's all micro-housey.

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 October 2003 20:21 (twenty years ago) link

missing persons: nobody walks in l.a. - it's true, you know.

Damn, I was gonna say this (pedantic note: it's actually called "Walking in L.A.")

Also, Burt Bacharach's "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" (I know it names San Jose in the title, but the song's all about LA.)

o. nate (onate), Monday, 20 October 2003 20:34 (twenty years ago) link

Also, Steely Dan's "Showbiz Kids".

o. nate (onate), Monday, 20 October 2003 20:46 (twenty years ago) link

next person to use the term "city of angels" in a song gets the gas face

J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 20 October 2003 20:56 (twenty years ago) link

What about the "city of the fallen angels" line in J. Mitchell's 'Court and Spark'?

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 06:20 (twenty years ago) link

to live and shave in la

Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 06:22 (twenty years ago) link

Bran Van 3000 - "Drinking In L.A."

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 16:45 (twenty years ago) link

showbiz kids is way more vegas than la. im serious about power 106 kickin ass. big boy in the morning has me out of bed like a mofo. during the day its top 40 hiphop with titos top 4 at 4! then at night its oldskool and slow jamz then really late at night its usually some crazy live underground dj mix hosted by the beat junkies or something. during the mixmaster mike show you can usually hear alot of rock music. sometimes its a deephouse show or something. i dunno. the jason bently techno show on kroq at night is hella weak. but loveline is good.

Pablo Cruise (chaki), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 17:47 (twenty years ago) link

I Love Power106 too!

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 19:27 (twenty years ago) link

http://ladj.com/ladjsnd/images/blade2.jpg

gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 19:32 (twenty years ago) link

showbiz kids is way more vegas than la

"Show business kids making movies of themselves"? I'm sure they make movies in Vegas too, but doesn't that sound like a Hollywood reference? Anyway, if you'll take the band's word for it, in the liner notes to the CD, there's even a little note by the song that says it's about LA.

o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 19:46 (twenty years ago) link

Power 106 rocked around 1993 when they really started getting into booty, playing 'Dayzee Dukes' non-stop.

Baaderist (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 06:10 (twenty years ago) link

eight years pass...
one month passes...

recommended: http://lapostpunk.blogspot.com

tylerw, Friday, 18 May 2012 21:38 (eleven years ago) link

tanks

puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Friday, 18 May 2012 21:43 (eleven years ago) link

Nice

www.gbokchoymail.com (admrl), Friday, 18 May 2012 21:55 (eleven years ago) link

incred steaming coils choice

puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Friday, 18 May 2012 22:07 (eleven years ago) link

three months pass...

Did we talk about it?

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/top-20-greatest-la-punk-albums/

Aceveda (admrl), Thursday, 30 August 2012 22:41 (eleven years ago) link

three years pass...

http://www.hatandbeard.com/product/i-slash-a-punk-magazine-from-los-angeles-19771980-i

The legendary punk and new wave alternative weekly magazine Slash was founded in Los Angeles in 1977 by Steve Samiof, and published a total of 29 print issues before its demise in 1980 (though it did have a second life as the punk label Slash Records, which was eventually bought by Warner Bros. Records in 1999). In its brief run, Slash defined the punk subculture in Los Angeles and beyond with the comic strip Jimbo by Gary Panter and photographs by Melanie Nissen, the founding publisher and longtime photo editor. Writing by Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Chris D., Pleasant Gehman and Claude “Kickboy Face” Bessy explored reggae, blues and rockabilly in addition to punk and new wave.

Slash diagnosed the nascent punk scene’s challenge to the music industry and established its own oppositional voice in the editorial of its very first issue, staking a position against disco, Elvis and concept albums, and declaring: “Enough is enough, partner! About time we squeezed the pus out and sent the filthy rich old farts of rock ’n’ roll to retirement homes in Florida where they belong.”

Slash: A Punk Magazine From Los Angeles, 1977–80 pays homage to the magazine’s legacy with facsimile reproductions of every cover from the publication’s run and reprints of some of the magazine’s best articles and interviews. These are interspersed with new essays, reportage and oral histories from Exene Cervenka, KK Barrett, Gary Panter, Vivien Goldman, Richard Meltzer, Cali Thornhill DeWitt, Chris D., Bryan Ray Turcotte, Chris Morris, Ann Summa and Allan MacDowell, among others, telling the story of this critical chapter in the history of American media.

Edited by J.C. Gabel and Brian Roettinger
Designed by Brian Roettinger
Hat & Beard Press #3

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 February 2016 15:42 (eight years ago) link

five months pass...

Ha, I just came here to post that I just got my copy of the aforementioned Slash Magazine coffee table book today! It's awesome, a trove.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 28 July 2016 00:39 (seven years ago) link

three years pass...

On having a home listening mix that had quite a few Los Angeles area rock musicians, it got me to wondering who was the first big rock and roll local hero of LA? Richie Valens? Ricky Nelson? Johnny Otis would be considered more of a bluesman. Lots of R&B and jazz in LA, but off top of my head I could not think of any others.

earlnash, Sunday, 12 July 2020 03:35 (three years ago) link

The Jay Hawks had a big national hit in '56 with "Stranded in the Jungle" - you might call it doo wop though. It's the song that the NY Dolls did on their 2nd album.

Josefa, Sunday, 12 July 2020 15:53 (three years ago) link


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