Friday, July 1, 2011

Sex Mix




This month’s theme came to me when I realized that three artists that I listen to have written the same song about copulating in a cold car with varying degrees of eloquence and descriptiveness: Death Cab For Cutie’s “We Looked Like Giants”, Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive” and Deftones’s “Passenger” (Only one of these songs ended up making the cuts on this mix because the other two were just inferior versions of the former). I then thought it would be interesting to gather all the songs I enjoy that are basically about that one physical act and compare how each artist approaches the subject and how cute, sexy or creepy the result is. I’ve also devised a fun game to play with this mix: Always keep it playing in your car and don’t explain it to the people who ride with you until they are super creeped out by the obvious motif.

I’m going to have to postpone the announcement of the giveaway winner.

Track 1 – “I Just Had Sex” by The Lonely Island featuring Akon
The Lonely Island are a very funny group of people (especially Jorma). Steven and I were talking about this song the other day (mainly because neither one of us could get it out of our heads) and we both agreed that the tone of this song is really adorable. It’s not aggressive or objectifying just very sweet.


Track 2 – “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent featuring Olivia
I have a hard time not laughing whenever I hear this song. It’s just so uncomfortably graphic. Those are some serious metaphors.


Track 3 – “Alive With the Glory of Love” by Say Anything
This song starts out sounding like your typical love song until it mentions “boot-stomped meadows” when you realize that it is a holocaust love song. It endeared it to me much more once I realized that. The song is a tribute to the lead singer’s grandparents who were survivors.


Track 4 – “Ignition (remix)” by R. Kelly
Though it is harder to enjoy R. Kelly’s smooth R&B since his little urinary mishap I still love this song.


Track 5 – “Sex On Fire” by Kings of Leon
Lately Beyoncé has been closing her concerts with a cover of this song. It is a whole hell of a lot sexier to hear her sing this than KoL(sorry guys) but try as I might I could not find a copy of her version to share with you(it’s on youtube if you want to watch it, but the links are always changing because someone litigious is taking down all the videos from her concerts.)


Track 6 – “Smack That” by Akon featuring Eminem
It’s weird to remember that Akon used to write songs and feature other hip-hop and r&b artists instead of just being featured on everyone else’s songs. Either way though he rules.


Track 7 – “Clothes Off!” by Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes are quick tongued and great at working samples into their tracks and this spoof of “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off to Have a Good Time” demonstrates both.


Track 8 – “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
I couldn’t resist putting this song on. The mix would simply not be complete without the sexiest song ever written.


Track 9 –“Very Busy People” by The Limousines
I have mentioned this song before but luckily never used it for a previous mix. Listening to this song kinda skeeves me out because I feel like they really meta’d our entire generation (especially me with the bit about staying up late making mix tapes.)


Track 10 – “My Love is Like… Wo” by Mya
This song was suggested by my friend Wesley. He played me the video and I agreed that it needed to be on this album. I love how confident Mya is in this song. Nothing is sexier than empowered women (I’m going to get slapped for that comment.)


Track 11 – “Fuck You” by Garfunkel and Oates
Garfunkel and Oates are a comedy duo consisting of Kate Micucci (who you might know from Bored to Death, Raising Hope or Scrubs) and Riki Lindholme (who I always remember as the car model with the eating disorder in Pushing Daisies). They write very honest and hilarious songs about relationships and friends.


Track 12 – “Caress Me Down” by Sublime
Almost every Sublime song has some suggestive content but none more so than this one. This is another track that I have a really hard time not laughing during.

Track 13 – “Rude Boy” by Rihanna
I have always admired the aggressive tone of this song. Rihanna is very comfortable being direct with her sexuality (as evidenced by her later singles such as “S&M”.)


Track 14 – “Portions for Foxes” by Rilo Kiley
When Jenny Lewis whispers “There’s a pretty young thing in front of you/ and she’s real pretty and she’s real into you/ and then she’s sleeping inside of you” and then proceeds to breathe heavily into the microphone I find it quite difficult to maintain composure…


Track 15 – “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones
When my mom used to listen to this song around me she would make a point of telling me that it was not an appropriate song for children. It’s ironic because if she hadn’t said anything I don’t think I would have gleaned what the lyrics were implying until I was old enough for it to be okay.

Track 16 – “Tired of Sex” by Weezer
There will always be a very special place in my heart for every song from “Pinkerton”, Weezer’s sophomore album.

Track 17 – “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men
Yet another song that I could not rightly leave off this compilation.


Track 18 – “Business Time” by Flight of the Conchords
Jermaine’s delivery makes this song unbelievably funny.


Track 19 – “We Looked Like Giants” by Death Cab For Cutie
Ben Gibbard is such a masterful wordsmith that I couldn’t put the Deftones or Jimmy Eat World versions of this song on the mix. Death Cab’s version is just so much more elegant. Ben makes a song about hooking up in a car sound like the greatest love story ever told. His handling of certain details is also just a lot classier than Jimmy Eat World and Deftones. To compare:
“And together there in a shroud of frost the mountain air began to pass through every pane of weathered glass and I held you closer than anyone would ever guess.” – Death Cab For Cutie
“Come alive on the driver’s side, so close I taste your breath. Your lips go dry, but there's a sweet inside. Wine must go right to your head.” – Jimmy Eat World
“Roll the windows down this cool night air is curious. Let the whole world look in, who cares who sees anything. I’m your passenger.” – Deftones

Track 20 – “Me vs. Madonna vs. Elvis” by Brand New
This song has always had a really sinister tone to me. The lyrics intrigue me the way “Tiny Vessels” by Death Cab For Cutie does. It makes me sad to think about the author of the song actually feeling this way but the song exists because the songwriter understands that their behavior is reprehensible.

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