Mix Tape Friday: The Rainbow Connection

In honor of this weekend’s AIDS Walk, I’m goin’ all rainbow on you with a mix of colors. I unfortunately found out about the AIDS Walk too late to raise funds, but I plan to walk this Sunday to show my support and to remind folks that, yes, people can still contract AIDS.

However, if you wish to donate funds for my Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk next Saturday, click here. I’m shameless — and determined to raise $1,500.

I take these mix tapes way too seriously, so of course I set a couple of rules for putting together this one: (1) five songs per color; and, (2) avoid more obvious color choices (“Purple Rain,” “Orange Crush,” “Red Rain,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” "Purple Haze"). It was damn hard to narrow down blue tunes (sorry, Lucinda, but Barbara would be all over me if I cut “Blue Monday”).

Okay, let’s stop writing and begging — and let’s start dancing and singing.

• The Rolling Stones: She’s a Rainbow

• Bees: Voices Green and Purple

• Gogol Bordello: Start Wearing Purple

• One Block Radius: Purple and Orange

• Nas: Purple

• Snoop Dogg: Don’t Blow My High (Purple Haze)

• New Order: Blue Monday

• Rod Stewart: True Blue

• Tommy James & The Shondells: Crystal Blue Persuasion

• R.E.M.: Pale Blue Eyes

• Leonard Cohen: Famous Blue Raincoat

• Tom Waits: All the World Is Green

• Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians: Dark Green Energy

• George Baker Selection: Little Green Bag

• The Lemon Pipers: Green Tambourine

• Elvis Costello: Green Shirt

• Donovan: Mellow Yellow

• Yo La Tengo: Yellow Sarong

• Wussy: Yellow Cotton Dress

• Music Machine: Double Yellow Line

• Pearl Jam: Yellow Ledbetter

• Beck: Burnt Orange Peel

• 10,000 Maniacs: Orange

• Moonbabies: The Orange Billboard

• Alexi Murdoch: Orange Sky

• Tori Amos feat. Damien Rice: The Power of Orange Knickers

• Cat Power: Red Apples

• Neil Young: Red Sun

• Pernice Brothers: Red Desert

• The Replacements: Red Red Wine

• Sweet 75: Red Dress

• Wire: Pink Flag

• The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Pt.1)

• XTC: Pink Thing

• Stephen Malkmus: Pink India

• Nick Drake: Pink Moon

• Sarah McLachlan: The Rainbow Connection

Not up to clicking and downloading each track? Here’s your pot of zipped gold.

There are some great psychedelic garage bands on this mix. If you don’t yet own the Nuggets box set, Haahnster and I strongly encourage you to save your allowance and pick it up before the month is out.

Find the Stipe! That's obviously Mr. Stipe singing the "Pale Blue Eyes" cover — but Michael's also backing another colorful artist. Can you find his backing vocals? Bonus points if you can also find the visiting Peter Buck.

"Green Shirt" is probably my favorite Elvis Costello tune evah. It's the song that took me from liking his very early hits to being obsessed with everything he recorded. It also reminds me of those fun, carefree college days. Give it a listen if you're not familiar with it.

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Mix Tape Friday: Mighty Aphrodite

I think we need girls gettin' groovy to guide us into the weekend. There’s no real theme here today, other than we’re featuring only female vocalists. Well, maybe there is a theme; these are some of my favorite songs.

You go, ladies!

Kirsty MacColl: In These Shoes

Jill Sobule: I Wanna Be a Supermodel

Imani Coppola: Legend of a Cowgirl

Amy Winehouse: You Know I'm No Good

Labelle: Lady Marmalade

Lucinda Williams: Hot Blood

Madonna: Music

Holly Golightly: A Length of Pipe

P.J. Harvey: Big Exit

Moe Tucker: Too Shy

Rilo Kiley: The Moneymaker

The Pretenders: Mystery Achievement

Suzanne Vega: Blood Makes Noise

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Maps

Björk: Human Behaviour

Annie: Chewing Gum

10,000 Maniacs: Candy (Everybody Wants)

Bananarama: Robert De Niro's Waiting

The Pipettes: ABC

The B-52's: Deadbeat Club

Regina Spektor: Better

Sam Phillips: I Need Love

Joan Osborne: Right Hand Man

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Do You Wanna Touch Me

Aretha Franklin: Chain of Fools

Gladys Knight & The Pips: On and On

Throwing Muses: Ruthie's Knocking

Francine Reed: Wild Women

Here’s the Moxie’d mix zip, in case you’re not up to downloading each individual track.


Find the Stipe! Where’s my darlin’ Michael hiding out and singing with today? Bonus points if you can also find Peter Buck.

Lucinda Williams’ “Hot Blood” is one helluva sexy song. I love the way she purrs “Washin' your clothes, gettin' all the dirt out.” And, speaking of helluva sexy songs, Joan Osborne’s “Right Hand Man” nails it, too.

The B-52’s “Deadbeat Club” is a sentimental favorite. Cosmic Thing is their album about Athens, and this song reminds me the things I did and places I went during my UGA days — toga parties, Allen’s, parties in Normaltown (where I first saw The B-52’s perform). Ah, my misspent youth.

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Mix Tape Friday: Kizza Me

It’s hot outside. Steamy. The blood is boiling and clothes are sliding off. So, of course, my mind’s on kissing right now. Celebrate the smooch with these great songs.

Prince: Kiss

The B-52’s: Whammy Kiss

The Pipettes: Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me

The Replacements: Kiss Me on the Bus

Frank Black: My Favorite Kiss

Bryan Ferry: Kiss and Tell

Ben Harper: Steal My Kisses

Big Star: Kizza Me

Jonathan Richman: When She Kisses Me

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Passionate Kisses

Amy Rigby: Beer and Kisses

Spacehog feat. Michael Stipe: Almond Kisses

Siouxsie & The Banshees: Kiss Them for Me

The Shins: Kissing the Lipless

Magnetic Fields: Kiss Me Like You Mean It

Lucinda Williams: Still I Long for Your Kiss

New Order: The Perfect Kiss

Joan Armatrading: When You Kisses Me

Holly Golightly: One Kiss

Badly Drawn Boy: Without a Kiss

Van Morrison: Give Me a Kiss

Johnny Thunders: Great Big Kiss

Ray Charles: Kiss Me Baby

Rosebuds: Wishes for Kisses

Sam Phillips: Love and Kisses/Signposts

Jill Sobule + Warren Zevon: I Kissed a Girl

Tom Jones feat. Art of Noise: Kiss

The Weekly R.E.M. E-scavenger Hunt: Michael Stipe’s on this mix tape with Spacehog. Peter Buck’s here, too — but on which track?

I really wanted to include Cher’s cover of “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” — but sadly, I don’t own it. So I ask you, dear readers: Where do you do your online MP3 shopping? I use eMusic for my indie discoveries, but it doesn’t have an extensive catalog. I’d love to find a reputable site that doesn’t sell proprietary file types, as iTunes and Rhapsody and Napster have. Any suggestions?

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