On Wednesday, we published the first of the Valentine’s playlist mix, featuring tracks from Beach House, Elliott Smith, Magnetic Fields, The Shins, The Kinks, Beck The Cure, and many others more – a total of 14 great indie, pop, folk and classic rock songs dating from the mid-1960’s to present day.
Today, we present to you the second, and final, of our 2010 Valentine’s mixes, showcasing an eclectic mix of artists and bands, including Bright Eyes, Nick Drake, Led Zeppelin, The Clientele, The Kinks, Cheap Trick, Tupac, Kings of Convenience, Woodpigeon, and Deer Tick, as well as lesser known indie bands like Old Lights, Army of Me, Marching Band, Avi Buffalo and Showstar.
For those of you not familiar with some of these bands and artists – past and present – included in this mix, hopefully you’ll find some songs that you’ll cherish forever. Each track has earned it’s rightful place in this mix. For example, it was really difficult to pick just one representative song from the first four artists in this mix. That is not more the case with any other than Led Zeppelin, who have been, and will always be, one of the most monumental and influential rock bands of all time – and that itself is an understatement. Not many bands can claim to have written and recorded so many absolutely kick-ass, classic rock masterpieces in such a relatively short period of time (roughly 1969 to 1975).
On the same note, and at the other side of the spectrum of intense, brilliant composing, Nick Drake will forever be regarded as one of the most gifted singer-songwriters ever. Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (and also solo artist and member of the supergroup Monsters of Folk) is easily one of the greatest wordsmith, composers and musicians of the past decade.
And, of course, The Kinks, are on this list too, but for many people, it may be the first time they’ve ever heard this particular Kinks’ song. It is one of the rare, unknown klassics of the Kinks’ kronology in which the band’s legendary guitarist, Dave Davies (the brother of lead songwriter-singer Ray Davies), wrote and sang the song himself.
The track, “Trust My Heart,” is a far cry from the chunky, hard-core guitar riffs the younger Davies (who was only 17 at the time) introduced in 1964 on the back-to-back hit singles, “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night,” two songs that changed the sound of guitar rock forever, and some respected rock critics credit with inspiring the punk rock movement a decade later.
“Trust Your Heart” demonstrates Davies under appreciated skill as a songwriter and vocalist, while simultaneously re-affirming his status as one of the best guitarists of the golden era of rock and roll. Finally, most of these songs just cannot be properly replicated on an MP3 for sound quality and depth as they are if you listen to them on vinyl with a pair of sweet speakers.
“Lover I Don’t Have to Love” – Bright Eyes from Lifted or the Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground (2002)
“Northern Sky” – Nick Drake from s/t debut (1971)
“Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zeppelin from Led Zeppelin II (1969)
“Trust Your Heart” – The Kinks from Misfits (1978)
“For Your Love” – Marching Band from Spark Large (2008)
“If You Come Over Tonight” – Old Lights from Every Night Begins the Same (2009)
“Here Comes The Phantom” – The Clientele from God Save The Clientele (2007)
“Trust Your Heart” – The Kinks from Misfits (1978)
“What’s It In For?” – Avi Buffalo from s/t debut (2010)
“Love Song” – Army of Me from Make Yourself Naked EP (2009)
“If You Want My Love” – Cheap Trick from One on One (1982)
“Love” – Showstar from Think Ringo (2010)
“Unconditional Love” – Tupac from Greatest Hits (1998)
“The Ghost” – Deer Tick from Born on Flag Day (2009)
“Mrs. Cold” – Kings of Convenience from Declaration of Dependence (2009)
“Trust Your Heart” – The Kinks from Misfits (1978)
“What’s It In For?” – Avi Buffalo from s/t debut (2010)
“Love Song” – Army of Me from Make Yourself Naked EP (2009)
“Love in the Time of Hopscotch” – Woodpigeon from Treasury Library Canada (2009)
Check out the first mix of this year’s Valentine’s playlist and last years Valentine’s Playlist Mix.
Download the Zip of this mix.
Hatred will try. Love will reign.
