13 July 2007

Mix Tape Friday: Mighty Aphrodite

We’re debuting a new series for Mix Tape Friday: Mighty Aphrodite, or chicks-only musicians (I stole the name from a weekly show on my college radio station). The first in the Mighty Aphrodite series is The Renae Tape, for my best friend who’s in town right now. Her feet hit Georgia clay, my toe started tapping to Renae-and-Beth classics. I used to make Renae mix tapes all the time with that week's favorite bands and songs. Hope y’all enjoy this one.



  • Mother's Finest: Baby Love

  • Elastica: Connection

  • The Breeders: Cannonball

  • The Pixies: Gigantic

  • Ultra Vivid Scene feat. Kim Deal: Special One

  • Jane Siberry: Everything Reminds Me of My Dog
  • Garbage: When I Grow Up

  • The B-52's: Legal Tender

  • Voice of the Beehive: Beat of Love

  • Oh-OK: Such N Such

  • Magnapop: Merry

  • 10,000 Maniacs: Pit Viper

  • Pylon: Crazy

  • Gang of Four: Is It Love

  • Neneh Cherry feat. Michael Stipe: Trout

  • Tom Tom Club: Genius of Love

  • Deee-Lite: Groove Is in the Heart

  • Yaz: Nobody's Diary

  • Jody Grind: Peter Gunn

  • Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

  • Rickie Lee Jones: Dat Dere

  • Patti Smith: When Doves Cry

  • Hem: So. Central Rain

  • Joan Armatrading: Willow

  • Cat Power: Wonderwall

  • Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez: Aria from 'La Wally'


There’s a good story or great memory behind every song on the list, but we have time for just a few.

Renae’s R.E.M. is Oasis (you should read all her comments to my (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? post) + Renae’s husband introduced me to Cat Power = the perfect cover tune for this mix tape.

Rickie Lee Jones is one of Renae’s all-time faves, one of the few musicians she found on her own (she's introduced to most bands by her husband or me, the music bullies). I picked the track “Dat Dere” (from Pop Pop) because we all loved going to Cafe Erewhon to see Cy Timmons in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he’s the first person I heard perform the song.

Renae discovered 10,000 Maniacs, back when they were new wave, not folkie, back they were semi-local, in 1983. Their first albums — Secrets of the I Ching and Human Conflict No. 5 — were great for dancing and spinning all night long … as long as you didn’t notice how bleak the lyrics could be. Give “Pit Viper” a spin. I danced and did Natalie spins all over the room every time I played it.

Patti Smith covering Prince? If you'd been blessed to see Renae's imitation of Prince dragging himself across the bathroom floor, you'd find a way to get "When Doves Cry" on the mix tape, too.


Info on the local bands included on this mix tape:

Pylon is probably my favorite 1980s Athens band, next to … well, you know. Vanessa Briscoe has one helluva voice, and they had the coolest songs. R.E.M. covered “Crazy” for the “Driver 8” B-side (I think on the “Wendel Gee” single, too); my boys did the song justice, but the original is, as always, the best.

Oh-OK, one of my faves during the Athens heyday, was founded by Linda Hopper and Lynda Stipe (yep, Michael’s sister). Linda Hopper went on to found Magnapop. Whenever I’m in the same place as Linda Hopper, she always says she recognizes me from back then, which always gives me a thrill. Be sure to listen to both tracks — and dance while you listen!

Back in the 1980s, The Jody Grind boasted the fabulous lead vocals of Kelly Hogan, who left Atlanta and went on her own a few moons ago. Ms. Hogan kicks aural ass with this version of “Peter Gunn Theme.”

If you went to high school in Georgia or our neighboring states in the 1970s, you danced your teenaged ass off to Mother’s Finest. They were the best Atlanta-based rock band during that time. It was rumored they lived together in a big house on the south side of town. Joyce Kennedy, who sings lead on “Baby Love,” went on to have a pretty good R&B career.

And, of course, The B-52’s, Cat Power’s Chan Marshall, and the adorable Michael Stipe started their music careers in Georgia.

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31 Comments:

At 7/13/2007 01:10:00 AM, Blogger lulu said...

Kelly Hogan lives here now; at least I am assuming it's the same Kelly Hogan. She plays shows and does some stuff on a local radio station.

 
At 7/13/2007 01:13:00 AM, Blogger lulu said...

Oh yeah,and I fucking LOVE Pylon!

Thanks for all the new tunes!

 
At 7/13/2007 03:39:00 AM, Blogger Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Mother's Finest, man did they rock or what?

 
At 7/13/2007 09:44:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"...Jane Siberry: Everything Reminds Me of My Dog..."

Canadian content! Good on ya girlfriend.

What about "Cherry Bikini"?

 
At 7/13/2007 10:20:00 AM, Blogger Johnny Yen said...

Patti Smith did a cover of "You Light Up My Life"-- yes, that "You Light Up My Life," the one by Debby Boone. It's great.

 
At 7/13/2007 10:24:00 AM, Blogger Splotchy said...

nothing....can hurt YOU!

 
At 7/13/2007 11:01:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

LULU: I knew Kelly moved to Chicago, but I didn't realize she was still there. Her voice is amazing, isn't it? And I knew you'd be a Pylon girl.

DR. MONKEY: Yes, they freakin' did. I'll upload "Mickey's Monkey" on your birthday.

RHETORICALLY STERCULIAN: I'll include Cherry Bikini on an upcoming Friday.

JOHNNY YEN: I don't think I've heard her "You Light up My Life." Must. Find. Now.

SPLOTCHY: I'll take that as a compliment, sir!

 
At 7/13/2007 12:09:00 PM, Blogger Tim Frederick said...

LOVE Kelly Hogan. Keep these mix tapes coming.

 
At 7/13/2007 12:27:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cherry Bikini on an upcoming Friday?
Will you be posting any lyrics?

My first girlfriend was named Aphrodite Theodasakos. Now if I could date Venus Williams, I'd have a good Greco-Roman thing goin'

 
At 7/13/2007 12:54:00 PM, Blogger Zed said...

Wow, wow, wow! I'm going to have one busy weekend. Thanks so much, Beth.

 
At 7/13/2007 02:27:00 PM, Blogger Jacy said...

Nice mix! And I LOVE Oasis. Still never tire of the first Oasis album, with Live Forever and Supersonic on it. Could listen to it all day, every day.

 
At 7/13/2007 04:52:00 PM, Blogger anandamide said...

Jane Siberry: if you ever post the song "Hockey" on your site, let me know. Its on the same album, which I can't seem to find.....

 
At 7/13/2007 05:17:00 PM, Blogger Moderator said...

I would like to browse through your collection. I think you probably have a ton of stuff I've always wanted but never got. I had "Athens, GA. Inside Out" on vinyl which contained the only Pylon songs I own.

My wife and I love the Pixies, but we've argued about their best song. I say "Gigantic" is far and away their best song. She says that's unfair since Frank Black was their primary songwriter.

She has a point, but I am right.

I still owe you songs from that REM bootleg. I'm a bad efriend.

 
At 7/13/2007 05:19:00 PM, Blogger Moderator said...

Also, Cat Power covered Pavement's "We Dance."

It's okay.

 
At 7/13/2007 06:05:00 PM, Blogger lulu said...

Grany--Best Pixies song is either "Gigantic" or "Caribou". Caribou is so much fun to sing.

I had the cassette of "Athans GA Inside Out" when I was in college. There are clips from the movie on youtube.

 
At 7/13/2007 09:19:00 PM, Blogger Barbara Bruederlin said...

Wow! You are spoiling the heck out of us! Thanks, it's an honour to be privy to your aphroditeness.

Weighing in on the Pixies debate: Caribou is definitely fun to sing, but so is Holiday Song. Gigantic is certainly a great song, but so is Wave of Mutilation. How's that for fence-sitting.?

 
At 7/14/2007 12:27:00 AM, Blogger Writeprocrastinator said...

James Browwwwn
James Brown
Jammes Brrrooown
James Brown

 
At 7/14/2007 02:07:00 AM, Blogger Jay said...

Shirley Manson could drink my blood any day of the week.

 
At 7/14/2007 04:59:00 AM, Blogger BeckEye said...

What, no Kim Wilde?

Yeah, I don't know. She just popped into my head for some reason.

 
At 7/14/2007 12:10:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jaysus Katertot, do you eat with that same mouth?

 
At 7/14/2007 02:27:00 PM, Blogger Jacy said...

Please come to my blog, byekoolaidmoms.blogspot.com, and tell me what your Top Five favourite albums are. Would love to hear the picks from such enlightened music-lovers.

 
At 7/14/2007 09:15:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks

I find it hard to stay in the mix.

Commercial radio is so niche-based:album-oriented-NY-soul, LA soul, classic rock.

Local university radio stations are a good source for me, as is BBC Radio 2.

 
At 7/14/2007 10:28:00 PM, Blogger Tenacious S said...

Funny, I saw 10,000 Maniacs at an Electra Records showcase when The Wishing Chair came out, and all I remember about Natalie was her spinning around and around. I love the Mix Tape! You totally rock!

 
At 7/15/2007 01:54:00 PM, Blogger Dale said...

Excellent tunes Beth! Connection, When I Grow Up, Gang of Four and a whole bunch of others -- so damned fine. Love the background notes too!

 
At 7/16/2007 06:37:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

DJ CAYENNE: I wish Kelly was still ours.

RHETORICALLY STERCULIAN: You dated an Aphrodite? Are you Prince?

ZED: You're welcome, Zed. You'll have to come back and let me know which new songs are your faves.

JACY: I never tire of Oasis, either. They make me so happy ...

 
At 7/16/2007 06:41:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

ANANDAMIDE: You'll be the first to know.

GRANT MILLER: If you want more Pylon, let me know. The Pixies argument is a good one; would make for a good post, actually ...

LULU: I am Athens GA Inside Out all over the media place: CD and cassette, VHS and DVD. I'll try to post tracks from it on upcoming mix tapes.

BARBARA: I'm sitting on the Pixies fence with you. And I'm glad you enjoyed my aphroditeness; big compliment coming from you.

 
At 7/16/2007 06:44:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

WRITE PROCRASTINATOR: Couldn't have said it better myself.

BLOG PORTLAND: Shirley's one of those all the guys love, like a punk Neko.

BECKEYE: Renae and I never shared a Kim Wilde moment, so no KW. But who knows? Maybe a future Mighty Aphrodite tape ...

JEWGIRL: Glad you like the mix! Let me know which new ones you snagged.

RHETORICALLY STERCULIAN: Now, now; we don't pick at other commenters in this box. And we all adore Ms. Jewgirl.

 
At 7/16/2007 06:46:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

JACY: I did ... and I'm still changing my Top Five mind. I may be back in a day or two with a different list.

GIFTED TYPIST: Word of mouth is my main source for discovering new music these days — that, and blogs.

TENACIOUS S: My best friend and I used to spin 'round and 'round, Natalie-style, all the time. Miss those days ...

DALE: Thank you, sir. How about that Diva aria closing out the tape?

 
At 7/16/2007 08:09:00 PM, Blogger bigshoulders said...

Great mix, Beth!

I think I've settled on Chan Marshall as my RSGF. Those eyes! Those pipes!

Oh, and she spent some formative years growing up just 30 min. away from me, in Greensboro, NC. (sigh) Course this was after Georgia, I believe... so we can't claim her as a native.

cheers,
b.s.

 
At 7/17/2007 06:42:00 AM, Blogger Cup said...

BIG SHOULDERS: The Beloved Ex fell for her when we saw her last September. She still has a house in Atlanta, if you get a hankerin' for stalkin' ...

 
At 7/17/2007 07:55:00 PM, Blogger bigshoulders said...

I'll admire Chan from afar.
I guess I'm old-fashioned like that. :)

b.s.

 

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