The Foreign Embassy

I try to make a mix tape every month or so, but lately, it's been coming down to every season. I present, without further adieu, the Spring '05 Space Hardware Mix.

• "A New England" by Billy Bragg

A forgotten gem from the 80's, with one of my favorite lyrics ever: "I saw two shooting stars last night / I wished on them, but they were only satellites / It's wrong to wish on space hardware / I wish, I wish, I wish you cared." Hence this mix title.

• "An Honest Mistake" by the Bravery

Yes, it's a new retro-sounding band with "The" in their name, but it's a catchy tune

• "Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights" by Aqueduct

Good beat, and you can dance to it, with a nice electo touch thrown in. Plus, a great title. I'm digging it.

• "Will You Smile Again for Me" by ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Our Dead

Yes, AYWKUBtToOD is a pretty ridiculous name for a pretty ridiculous band, but they're so gosh-darn earnest. They pound their instruments like they're the next Led Zeppelin, and I love the tune just for the fact that it goes a dozen directions in seven minutes

• "More Than This" by Peter Gabriel

No one does haunting synth-rock like ol' Pete, and it's nice to have him back in rotation

• "Maps" (live) by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Acoustic versions of hard rock songs rarely work, but this is a nice exception. Her voice carries it, and makes the in-your-face original sound almost poignant.

• "Teardrop" by Massive Attack

The first time I heard this song was in the credits for my new favorite show, HOUSE. Luckily, my wife is much cooler than I am and owns MEZZANINE, which I've been listening to on a regular basis every since.

• "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley

Another gift from television, heard a couple years ago in a West Wing episode. A beautiful song, nonetheless.

• "Redmen and their Wives" by Guided by Voices

One of the (many) things I love about GbV is that, every time I listen to them, I find a new favorite song...heard this one on their AUSTIN CITY LIMITS performance.

• "Specialist" (live) by Interpol

The missus is currently obsessing over these kids, and there's no denying the appeal of their soaring melodies. And, as she says, it's nice to hear a band on the radio that's got half a brain in their head.

• "If You Leave" by Nada Surf

I loved these guys before ANY of you alt-rock posers. And yes, this is a cover of the OMD 80's classic. Who cares? Shut up!

• "California" by Low

See the "All at Once the Ghosts Come Back" post.

• "I Have Known Love" by Sidecar

This is one of those songs that just came to me out of the ether. Seriously, I found it in my iTunes Library one day. No idea whatsoever how it got there. But I like it.

• "Banquet" by Bloc Party

When the EP came out, these guys were shaping up to be the new Arcade Fire. Now the full-length is out, and they're shaping up to be the new Killers. This album is very, very good. Buy it now and give it a good listen so it's out of your system by the time the nimrods on K-Rock (or your local jackass-populated radio station) start raving about it as the new big thing six months from now.

• "Hounds of Love" (new mix) by the Futureheads

See the above about the Bravery. This one's even catchier, though.

• "Don't Save Us from the Flames" by M83

M83 has seen the hole left wide open in the electronic-cinematic-swoop-rock field since Brian Eno disappeared fully up his own arse in a whoosh of processed dead air, and they've filled the gap nicely.

• "No One Takes Your Freedom" by DJ Earworm, the Scissor Sisters, the Beatles, George Michael, and God knows who else

Yes, it's a mash-up. Mash-ups are the new big thing. Mash-ups are COOL. Don't you listen to the radio?

This mix, albeit in a bastardized iTunes version, is available on, what else, iTunes, if any of the above has piqued your curiosity.