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MIX TAPE

Anabot Makes MAGNET A Mix Tape

As Analise Nelson’s name is a combination of “Ana” and “Elise,” Nelson also created Anabot by combining “analog” and “robot,” which is quite fitting when paired with the sound of her music. It has a strong electronic base, and it’s altogether a very catchy and well-composed. As Nelson prepares for her upcoming EP, Kiss Like A Knife, due out December 2, she has been so kind as to make MAGNET a mix tape of songs from her favorite year in music: 1979. Check it out below.

The Cars “Candy-O”
From the opening guitar line, you get this strange sense you’ve been here before. And perhaps we have! The rhythm feels uncannily reminiscent of the classic 1965 Strangeloves tune, “I Want Candy.” (And how appropriate!) I haven’t read or heard anything that could support this little theory of mine, but it’s almost as if somewhere along the way, “I Want Candy” went on a bender and came out as “Candy-O.” From the pulsing synth to that killer guitar solo that clearly tells us we’re not in new-wave territory anymore, I adore this track. It’s always seemed just slightly off-kilter in the most delicious of ways. Video

XTC “Making Plans For Nigel”
In my second chapter of new wave, we go more classic in terms of style. There’s something beautifully hypnotic about the guitar riff that carries over a great deal of the song. Certain things I could just listen to all day, and for whatever reason, I’ve always felt drawn to this tune. It might be its seemingly contradictory nature with the choppy and layered guitar patterns, pleasant major harmonies and incessant cymbal crashes. You’re meant to really question if Nigel could ever really be happy. It’s equal parts hopeful and dreary. “In his wooooorrrrld … ” Video

Joe Jackson “Look Sharp”
I’ll admit that the first time I heard this song was in one of my favorite episodes of Freaks And Geeks, and every time I listen to it, I get that image of Sam Weir in his Parisian Night Suit walking into school, his confidence sharply waning as more and more people stare, snicker and laugh. It’s a painful moment to behold (because I think each of us has been Sam at one point or another in our lives), but it’s accompanied by the perfect song. I think what I really love about this song is how simple it is. There really isn’t that much going on in terms of instrumentation here: a funk-tastic bass line, fast strummin’ guitars, a solid beat and those brilliant Joe harmonies in the chorus. It’s the perfect example of how a “well-produced song” needn’t be overbearing or over-layered. Guitar riff. Bass riff. Beat. Hit! Video

Supertramp “Gone Hollywood”
The opening track off of a classic record. I visit Breakfast In America quite often and am always entranced by “Gone Hollywood.” It truly plays as an overture to the record with the verse/chorus structure acting more open ended, both lyrics and orchestration playing hand-in-hand to the narrative of the lost Angeleno. I love that only a minute in, the grandiose guitars give way to that hauntingly beautiful piano ostinato and sax with that line that just hits so many close to home, “Ain’t nothin’ new in my life today … ” The idea that the purposeful guitars cut out to what seems like a lost moment is so perfect. I could really pick this song apart piece by piece, but I’ll refrain and just say that there are so many hidden treasures here that I’m always eager to discover more each time I return. Video

Electric Light Orchestra “The Diary Of Horace Wimp”
I’m an ELO fan through and through, and had a very, very difficult time trying to pick my favorite song off of their 1979 release, Discovery. I went back and forth between this tune and a few others, but ultimately, I couldn’t deny how much I adore this song and its charm. I’ve always thought it felt like a semi-futuristic Magical Mystery Tour b-side. The vocoder use here is great, and almost acts as its own instrument with its more ambient/rhythmic properties, rather than a way to change the voice for melodic purposes. And really, who doesn’t love a song about the awkward lad who gets the girl? (Also, I continue to gleefully sing the “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday … ” refrain at random times during my day-to-day life). Video

B-52’s “52 Girls”
There have already been loads of people who have written about the genius of this song, so instead I’ll just say this: No song that is just listing the names of girls has the right to be this good. But the B-52’s managed to do just that. Addictive and driving, this one stands the test of time. Video

The Clash “Guns Of Brixton”
There was zero chance that I could do a 1979 mix tape without mentioning something from London Calling (debated just sending in a track-by-track play-by-play of the whole album, to be honest). So when I sat down to figure out what song I really couldn’t do without, “Guns Of Brixton” came into my mind immediately. I was a high-school kiddo heavily into 2 Tone and reggae when I fell in love with London Calling, so the fact that this song would be my “desert island choice” should come to no surprise. Interestingly enough, what always comes to mind when I think fondly back to this tune is that use of the “boing” sound effect. Really, it seems like a bizarre thing to focus on, but it plays so delightfully with the guitar’s tremolo bends that it somehow works with the lyrical frustrations of the chaotic police brutality. And the classic bass line? I could truly listen to that on a loop forever. A truly fantastic piece, this one, and the only appropriate way for me to end my little mix. Video