Mix Tape of the Day: February 19, 2015 - Smash Mouth Forever

It's been too long since we've had our bimonthly Smash Mouth fix.

1. Promenade (Satellite Pictures at an Exhibition) - Neil Cicierega (2014) No tribute to Smash Mouth would be complete without Cicierega's fantastic deconstruction of "All Star" over and over again.  But I'll limit myself to only two remixes for today.

2. All Star - Smash Mouth (1999) From 1999 to 2001, this song was inescapable.  Then we never talked about it again.

3. Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth (1997) But before "All Star," this was the signature Smash Mouth jam.  It was more subtle and nuanced.

4. The Fonz - Smash Mouth (1997) Smash Mouth entered the world amidst all the ska-punk greats, and they carved out their own signature sound.  While they'd eventually fall into "radio friendly pop," they clearly could do so much more.

5. Then the Morning Comes - Smash Mouth (1999) 1999 was when Smash Mouth truly hit it big, with a glorious effort in Astro Lounge.  Not only was "All Star" on this album, but we got this other earworm to listen to during our Y2K madness.

6. Stoned - Smash Mouth (1999) It was hard to limit my choices from this album, but once I heard "Stoned," I had to include it.  It's better than "All Star" and that's the best song ever!

7. Come On Come On - Smash Mouth (1999) And of course, "Come On Come On" was soon to follow.  Man, why has Smash Mouth been relegated to joke status?  These are great!

8. I'm a Believer - Smash Mouth (2001) Thanks to life's happy coincidences, Smash Mouth became forever linked with Shrek.  Say what you will about either one, but at one time, we loved them all unironically, and that was a truly special era.

9. Holiday in My Head - Smash Mouth (2001) Why'd we all have to stop listening to Smash Mouth?  What did they ever do to us?  We missed this one...

10. Always Gets Her Way - Smash Mouth (2003) ...this one...

11. Story of My Life - Smash Mouth (2006) ...and this one!  (Admittedly, a music video tie-in with The Cat in the Hat in 2003 didn't help matters.)

12. Magic - Smash Mouth (2012) I understand that some bands have to take long breaks, but had Smash Mouth had a little more luck in success, we'd all be more familiar with their current output.  Wouldn't you rather hear this on the radio than...um...commercials?

13. Imagine All Star People - Neil Cicierega (2014) No tribute to Smash Mouth would be complete without Cicierega's fantastic deconstruction of "All Star" over and over again.  But I'll limit myself to only two remixes for today.

Mix Tape of the Day: January 10, 2015 - The Best of 2014, Part 2: The Rest

These are the songs I listened to a lot over the past year.  For a song to be eligible on this mix, it must have either been published in 2014 or hit its peak on one of Billboard's Year-End genre charts in 2014.  (That means "Blank Space" will have to wait.)

1. Everything Is Awesome - Tegan and Sara ft. The Lonely Island (2014) Aren't you glad 2014 kicked things off with an awesome movie like The Lego Movie.  In the film, this song was used to keep everyone in line, but when it sounds this fun, you can appreciate totalitarianism.  (Judging from all the positivity heard in pop music last year, maybe this song was trying to warn us that we are being subliminally pacified through our mass media.)

2. The Walker - Fitz and the Tantrums (2013) And then we were forced to listen to this song for a month as we geared up for the Oscars.  Another upbeat piece, but this time, we're encouraged to break away from the confines of society.  Mixed messages much?  (And the background music for this song keeps giving me déjà vu for some reason.  Have we heard it before somewhere?)

3. Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic (2014) Speaking of mandatory fun, that was the theme of Weird Al's latest album.  While I don't feel it was his strongest offering, I did love this grammar stickler song.  Not only was it clever and funny, but it also allowed us to appreciate the melody of "Blurred Lines" without ever having to listen to that song again.

4. I'm Only Joking - Kongos (2011) With this song and "Come with Me Now," I'm happy that Kongos was finally discovered (were finally discovered?).  Finally, someone has captured the hardcore intensity of joking with someone.

5. Dangerous - Big Data ft. Joywave (2013) This is one of those songs that I enjoy just because of how it sounds.  It reminds me of an instrumental piece that I'll share later this year, but it's something about that unnerving beat that makes you feel like you're living inside a video game that draws me to this song.

6. Girls Chase Boys - Ingrid Michaelson (2014) I just like that popular music is continuing to break down gender barriers.  Also, it was always welcome to listen to after whatever my latest relationship drama was.

7. Stolen Dance - Milky Chance (2013) This! It kept reminding me of the Flight of the Conchords theme song every time it came on, which drew me in.  Then it hit me with it's lyrics.  Big dances are the best and worst thing in life.  So when the next big dance of my life was coming up, I listened to this song to calm my nerves.  We don't need to talk about it.

8. The Troubles - U2 (2014) Remember how U2 just gave everyone a free new album?  It just showed up one day like a present from Santa (or it appeared like a cold sore if you aren't a fan of U2).  I was in the former category.  However, this was the only song I found myself coming back to with any regularity.  It just sounded so different from their usual sound and I appreciated the experiment.

9. Take Me to Church - Hozier (2013) As with "Girls Chase Boys," we have another popular alternative love song.  Here we focus on the conflict between rigid beliefs and natural feelings.  For all the current problems in the world, at least we still get works of art like this out to a wide audience.

10. Try - Colbie Caillat (2014) Colbie Caillat is pretty hit or miss with me.  Fortunately, she hit with this one.  Like Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" before it, we have another positive self image anthem.  It may be cliche in all the wrong ways, and the message may get muddled at times, it's the thought that counts.  And I appreciate that.

11. Push - "Lorde" (2014) Is it sad that one of the best songs of the year was just a minute and a half South Park parody?  Those creators have always been musical geniuses, and this centerpiece of the best episode of the season stuck with me.  Although the conceit is that Lorde is actually Stan's father using autotune, Sia provided her voice for this inspirational song that encourages people to be themselves and fight through the struggles of sitting in a bathroom stall.  Help me unload the car.

12. Best - Neil Cicierega (2014) While all of the Smash Mouth mashups on Mouth Sounds were fantastic, Neil Cicierega really showed is mashup skills on Mouth Silence. I was so impressed that he could use music (and music only) in a comedic fashion.  Every song was great, but this one was "Best."

13. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons (2012) I kind of had to fudge my rules a bit to get this on the 2014 mix.  Yes, it charted in 2013, but it was so omnipresent last year.  And it was a perfect way to cap the Year of Positivity when, especially that one day towards the end of the year when I was literally on top of the world.

Mix Tape of the Day: January 2, 2015 - The Day After New Year's Day

Around the world, many cultures celebrate "the Day After New Year's Day."  Except for those countries where Carnivals are occurring, the standard traditions involve making this New Year's Day, Part 2.  But instead of focusing on new beginnings for yourself, you visit with friends (generally out at a pub or restaurant) to wish them well in the new year.  So, I took that idea of the first night out with friends, capturing the fun and danger that comes with having a party so soon after making New Year's Resolutions.

1. Modest Mouth - Neil Cicierega (2014) I debated between starting this set with "Float On" or "All Star" but thankfully, Mr. Cicierega has got us covered.  Mouth Sounds was one of my favorite creations last year, and I feel this particular mashup sets the mood just right.  Silly fun and a lighthearted laid back attitude.  How else would you want to spend a night with friends?

2. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey (1981) I'm aiming for a general night out soundtrack that also inspires the usual New Years attitude, so I figured I have to go with the classic '80s staple.  Hopefully we can hold on to this feeling all year long!

3. You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon (1986) Originally, I was hoping to play with the duality of the joy and fear that follows New Years Day for this whole mix and I leaned toward upbeat songs with melancholy subject matter.  Those that worked well with the other songs remained on the list and I felt there was no better way to follow "Don't Stop Believin'" than with this secretly depressing jaunt.  I'm all about playing with emotions subliminally.

4. What's Up? - 4 Non Blondes (1993) And then sometimes, you just need to ignore the subject matter and go back to singing unapologetically.

5. That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings (2008) It was then I decided to move into more modern, indie territory.  This may not be indicative of your best night out, but if this song comes on, you know I'm going to stop everything and dance.

6. Kids - MGMT (2008) Yep.  No regrets.

7. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People (2010) When I hear "Kids," I always want to follow it with this song.  I don't know why.  They just go together in my mind.  And, once again, upbeat depressing music is the name of the game.

8. Last Nite - The Strokes (2001) It feels so wrong including this song.  But also so right.

9. Piano Man - Billy Joel (1973) We now enter the quieter (but still fun) portion of the evening.  So of course we need to feature the Piano Man himself.  I wasn't expecting to feature this song so early in the year, but hey, we always need the Piano Man.

10. Who Knows Who Cares - Local Natives (2009) At this point, I just wanted a chill song that reminded you of the fun of hanging out with friends without having to go through all the energy of shouting and dancing.  I found this to be pleasantly charming and calming.

11. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve (1997) I don't have to explain this choice to you.

12. Wish You Well - Katie Herzig (2008) I wanted at least one song to represent the "well wishes for the new year" element of today, and all songs about that subject also involve saying goodbye to a loved one.  So, I went with the most beautiful one.  Think of it as an introspective moment before you leave the bar, one last chance to see a beloved friend before the year takes them down a different path.

13. Hey Jude - The Beatles (1968) One final pick-me-up, sing-along before the group leaves the bar for the night.  Sure, we are saying goodbye to the old year, but as always, tomorrow is another year.