Most obsessive music geeks have made their share of mixes for friends, fellow crushed-soul wage earners and, more often, chicks or dudes they're interested in dating. Back in the day, kids, we’d even tape songs from vinyl onto cassettes, a quaint notion in the pre-CD-burning/file-sharing age.
Doug Hoepker, a former music editor for an alt-weekly in Champaign, Ill., now working in academic publishing—and a self-professed mixtape addict—has combined old school and new school with Mixtured, a collaborative, virtual collection compiled by music junkies for music junkies. The first edition, “Pure Power Pop For Now People,” can be heard here.
“A few months ago, I began to consider ideas for a new, months-long compilation process,” Hoepker said. “I came to the realization that I wanted to do something that involved other people's perspectives rather than mine. I wanted to start a community project. Being a music nerd can certainly be a solitary existence at times: alone in the records room for hours on end while the vinyl spins. To combat that feeling of loneliness, I wanted to get outside of my own head and participate in some groupthink.”
Mixtured’s simple, yet brilliant, concept has Hoepker selecting 10 contributors who then each round up another, resulting in a 20-song batch. (The first version, however, has 21 tunes, as power-pop expert John Borack penned an introduction and also selected a song that closes the mix.) Not unlike a fantasy-sports draft, the participants choose tracks in a randomly determined order and are able to follow its progress; the only caveat is that they can’t pick an artist selected by someone else. Contributors also provide commentary on why they chose a particular tune.
Participants for “Pure Power Pop For Now People” range from the esteemed (Velvet Crush’s Paul Chastain, singer/songwriter/producer Adam Schmitt, Chicago Cubs TV broadcaster Len Kasper) to the less-esteemed (me); future Mixtureds will be open to essentially one and all.
“I have an open-door policy for referrals,” he said. “People can go to the site and send me a note if they want to play along. The idea is to have future mixes compiled entirely by people I don't know.”
Hoepker took some time to talk about Mixtured from his cubicle, as his “post-lunch malaise” settled in. Q&A after the jump.
MAGNET: How did you come up with the Mixtured idea?
Hoepker: For as long as I can remember I've been making mixes. When I was 15, I attempted to chronicle the "500 greatest songs in rock history." As you can imagine, that exercise was fraught with the sort of poor decisions a kid who had just discovered his older brothers' '60s and '70s LPs would make. I made my first real girlfriend about 80 mixtapes in five years, full of all the indie-rock seven-inches I was gobbling up in the '90s. As an adult, I moved on to making thematic mixes, where the topics have ranged from "songs about girls," in which the songs reference a girl by name, to "Foreign Substance,” a collection of psychedelic music from around the world paired with snippets of found-sound references to the drug experience. I just finished chronicling the decade of pop music I grew up enjoying, the 1980s, via a 16-disc compilation titled "Totally, Dudes!" and its five-disc counterpart "Ladies From The Eighties."
Were you attempting any kind of statement about musical taste/online music criticism, etc., or was it just something you thought would be fun?
Honestly, I rarely think politically when it comes to mixes. The process of creating and sharing a mix with someone is such a fun endeavor that I don't try to overthink it, at least from the standpoint of making a critical statement. Making a mix to woo someone is an entirely different subject and must involve far too much overthinking. I enjoy reading music criticism and could bury my nose in a Trouser Press for hours on end. Criticism will always have its place in the music world, but Mixtured is about celebrating music and the geeks who love it, pure and simple.
You structured Mixtured in kind of a fantasy draft way, with "teams" having one selection and unable to pick an artist someone else selected. Why did you go that route? And would you be averse to allowing people to swap positions for future considerations?
As a longtime fantasy-sports enthusiast, there are few exercises that are as exciting—OK, in a dorky way—as participating in a draft. The concept also lends itself to those who make lists, and so it seemed like a natural way to structure the compilation process for a mix. It adds a bit of suspense for those participating in the selection process—"Will my song be around when I pick next to last?"—and allows readers to critique the mix based on the draft order. As far as swapping spots in the draft order, the only future considerations I'm willing to allow for involve copious amounts of alcohol—and I get my cut.
You asked 10 people to participate, then they each asked one person. How did you end up selecting the initial 10 participants? Since I was included, I can only assume it's because we were all really cool and interesting.
But of course! The idea is to enlarge the footprint with each mix. So for the first mix I wanted to begin with people I knew were fans of the genre and would be into the idea behind the mix, but then ask each of them to reach out to people I didn't know in the hopes of adding a bit of an unknown element to the compilation process. Plus, it's fun for someone to get to ask a friend to play along, too. You're a perfect example of how it should work: You invited a sports celebrity to participate, someone who most people didn't realize knew a thing about music. And he made a great choice.
When you asked people, you didn't put any limits on whom we could recruit. So you had faith that we'd all pick qualified selectors?
Sure. As curator, I did a bit of homework for this first mix and asked people to participate who I knew would take it seriously and would want their opinions, as well as those of the person they brought on board, to be respected. The same holds true for those who want to get involved in a future mix.
Why was power pop the first edition?
I sort of randomly chose a theme for the first mix that would produce a fun first comp for the listener. Few genres are as unabashedly entertaining as power pop. It's also a genre that is somewhat difficult to define, or at least lends itself to a wide range of interpretations. So I thought that debate would help to center the conversation for the compilers.
What, if anything, surprised you about the songs that ended up making the list?
You mean other than the fact that 21 people worked on a power-pop mix that doesn't include Big Star, the Raspberries, Cheap Trick, Nick Lowe, Badfinger, the dB's, Jellyfish or several other giants of the genre? That said, I think the songs that were selected show off a good range of the genre, from the obscure to the acclaimed, from the origins to more recent contributions.
What genre do you think will be next?
Actually, many of the future mixes will not be tied to a specific genre. Most people who obsess about music don't tend to think about it strictly in terms of genres—we think about music in terms of experiences and emotions. So I don't want to limit the compilation parameters with rigid guidelines. The theme for the next mix is probably going to be "songs that made you blush," which opens it up to any genre and allows the participants to run with the idea. Hopefully, the participants' justifications for their selections will reveal a bit about themselves, which should make for good copy. When I return to a genre-based mix, I might do so in a fashion that is a bit unorthodox. For example, one of the participants in this first mix suggested I choose heavy metal for a future theme but select participants who are not linked to the genre in the obvious way that Suzy Shaw or Adam Schmitt are linked to power pop. So I may end up with some closeted heavy-metal freaks who happen to be indie-pop musicians putting together a mix full of Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen and Anthrax. That could be a lot of fun.
What genre will you avoid at all costs?
Absolutely nothing is off the table. A good compiler shows no fear.
—Matt Hickey
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
Proud Evolution is the new EP from Liars (pictured), due out October 19 via Mute. It features six tracks including a Thom Yorke remix, a live recording from the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn and three exclusive b-sides. Liars will be playing several dates in Canada before the release … Brian Eno collaborated with Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams for his highly anticipated new album, Small Craft On A Milk Sea, which is out via Warp on November 2. It's available in several formats, ranging from standard CD to a $450 deluxe package signed by Eno … Badly Drawn Boy returns with his first studio album in four years October 12 via The End Records. The release is the first of a trilogy of LPs and is called It’s What I’m Thinking Part 1: Photographing Snowflakes … Decades-old Bob Dylan material will finally see the light of day October 19 with the release of The Bootleg Series Volume 9: The Witmark Demos (Columbia), in conjunction with a boxed set of his first eight albums, Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings … Fans will also be able to hear previously unreleased material from Bruce Springsteen with the November 16 release of The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story (Columbia), which includes 21 never-before-heard songs, an essay by Springsteen and unseen photographs … Capitol/EMI is releasing a collection from the late Syd Barrett on October 26. An Introduction To Syd Barrett features the artist’s solo material as well as his work with Pink Floyd and includes several remixes and a previously unheard 20-minute instrumental track … On September 28, Mike Kinsella (a.k.a. Owen) is releasing a limited seven-inch, Abandoned Bridges (Polyvinyl), which features a b-side cover of Wilco’s “I’m Always In Love.” 
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
This fall, Deerhunter (pictured) is touring North America in support of upcoming fourth album Halcyon Digest, which is out September 28 via 4AD … Jeff Castelaz, co-founder of The Pablove Foundation and Dangerbird Records, will cycle 1,425 miles across the country this fall in order to raise money and awareness for fighting childhood cancer. Along the way, he’ll be met with benefit concerts by Minus The Bear and others … Not Music, Stereolab’s 12th album, is being released November 16 by Drag City … Caribou, the musical project of Dan Snaith, is kicking off a North American tour in September supporting Swim, which came out earlier this year on Merge. 
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
The prolific Sufjan Stevens (pictured) is touring North America this fall with a number of new songs, which were debuted last year as works in progress … If you’ve ever dreamed of sailing the high seas with a member of Ween, look no further. Mickey Melchiondo (a.k.a. Dean Ween) got his formal certification as a captain and is now the owner of 
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
Blonde Redhead (pictured) returns September 14 with Penny Sparkle (4AD), followed by a European tour (more dates, including a U.S. jaunt, will be announced soon). 
Two of the most influential pop-culture figures of the last 20 years, singer/songwriter Ben Folds and novelist/screenwriter Nick Hornby, have collaborated on a record called Lonely Avenue, which is scheduled for release September 28 on Nonesuch Records. Lonely Avenue features music and vocals from Folds and lyrics by Hornby and was made specifically to be heard on vinyl, according to Folds, though digital and CD versions will be available ... Big Boi (a.k.a. Antwan André Patton), one-half of Outkast, is set to release his first solo record July 6 on Def Jam. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty features collaborations from fellow Southern rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, in addition to Outkast's more eclectic half, Andre 3000, and several others ... Celebrated female indie duo Azure Ray will finally close the lengthy gap between records with the September 14 release of Drawing Down The Moon on Saddle Creek. The album was made in Asheville, N.C., at Echo Mountain Studios with Eric Bachmann and features guest performances from fellow Athens, Ga., pals Andy LeMaster (Now It's Overhead) and Liz Durrett ... Rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures have booked a series of benefit shows in London and Los Angeles to assist Eagles Of Death Metal bassist Brian O'Connor, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. O'Connor will be temporarily replaced by Dean Fertita (Dead Weather, Queens Of The Stone Age) on Eagles Of Death Metal's current tour. If you'd like to contribute to O'Connor's medical care fund (like so many musicians, he doesn't have health insurance), please visit 
To celebrate today’s crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
Beginning with 1999's Tennessee Fire, My Morning Jacket (pictured) will be performing each of its five albums in chronological order on subsequent nights at New York City's Terminal 5 starting October 18. Tickets for the shows go on pre-sale tomorrow, with five-night packages available ... ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead has signed a worldwide deal with Superball Music, which will release its next record in conjunction with Richter Scale Records, the band's imprint. Trail Of Dead is currently recording its follow-up to 2008's critically acclaimed Century Of Self, which is due out early next year ... Pete Yorn's forthcoming self-titled album, produced by Frank Black, will see its release September 28 on Vagrant Records. The LP was recorded in a mere five days, despite Yorn coming down with the flu during tracking ... In late April, Japanese doom rockers Boris collaborated with Ian Astbury (Cult, Doors) on an EP, modestly titled BXI, which will arrive in the U.S. via Southern Lord this September ... Perennial punk band Bad Religion is currently working with producer Joe Barresi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Tool) on its 15th studio album. According to guitarist Brett Gurewitz, the new songs reveal a more introspective side of the band as a result of a myriad of forces, including parenthood ... Filter, the Cleveland-turned-L.A. band that helped define industrial guitar rock in the '90s, is back with its fifth studio album, The Trouble With Angels, arriving in stores this August via Rocket Science Ventures. First single "The Inevitable Relapse" hits the airwaves June 21 ... Prolific DJ/producer/songwriter Matthew Dear is following-up 2007's Asa Breed with Black City, which has been described as "Dear's darkest and most engrossing work to date." Black City will be released August 16 on Ghostly International. 
To celebrate today's crop of releases, here are new mp3s from 
Arcade Fire’s third full-length, The Suburbs, will be released August 3 via Merge Records. A double-a-side, limited-edition 12-inch single is already in record stores, and both songs will be available for immediate download if you pre-order The Suburbs at the band's website … Barsuk Records is issuing Ra Ra Riot's sophomore album, The Orchard (mixed by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla with assistance from Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij), on August 24 … London Calling: Live In Hyde Park is a film documenting Bruce Springsteen’s June 2009 concert at the Hard Rock Calling Festival. It’s available for pre-order now with a special offer including an exclusive concert poster and T-shirt and will be released everywhere on DVD and Blu-ray in June … Deer Tick is touring the U.S. this summer in support of The Black Dirt Sessions, which is out via the Partisan label on June 8. The band also covered Katrina & The Waves. 
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction, Capitol/I.R.S. is issuing expanded two-CD and digital editions of the album on July 13, featuring the digitally remastered original work plus 14 previously unreleased demo recordings. In other R.E.M. news, the band just completed the second phase of recording the follow-up to Accelerate. Once again, the group is working with producer Jacknife Lee; the album is due next year … On August 24, eels are self-releasing Tomorrow Morning, the final installment of their album trilogy consisting also of Hombre Lobo and End Times. The band is kicking off a world tour starting August 3 … Vampire Weekend has announced the dates for its North American tour this fall, which will feature support from Beach House and Dum Dum Girls … My Morning Jacket’s Yim Yames is joining up with Daniel Martin Moore and Ben Sollee to play nine shows this July. The Appalachian Voices Tour will raise public awareness of the devastation caused by Mountaintop Removal coal mining, with a portion of the proceeds going to Appalachian Voices, an organization dedicated to ending the practice. 
We knew MAGNET contributor Patrick Berkery was a huge fan of Lindsey Buckingham, which is why we asked him to interview the Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist back in 2008 for this 
The Quine Tapes is a six-LP boxed set documenting live performances by the Velvet Underground between May and December of 1969. It’s available now for pre-order through Sundazed Music … On May 19, the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash will take place at The Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza, celebrating what would have been the 59th birthday of the late punk icon. Headliners include Hank III and Morningwood, and the party will end with the Ramone Birthday Bashers, featuring Richie Ramone, Hank III, Walter Lure, Cheetah Chrome, JP Thunderbolt, Ed Stasium, Jean Beauvoir, George Tabb, Ivan Julian, Al Maddy, Walt Stack, Dave Merrill, Mickey Leigh and others … Carly Simon and Queen Latifah have just been added to the 2010 Lilith Fair lineup. The full list of dates for the tour has also been posted, with tickets for several cities on sale now … Robert Smith curated the reissue of the Cure’s eighth studio album, 1989's Disintegration, which is out on June 8 via Rhino Records. The three-disc collection includes demo, rehearsal, studio and stage recordings, along with newly remastered versions of the album’s 12 tracks … The initial lineup for the 10th annual Siren Music Festival has been announced, featuring Matt And Kim, Ted Leo And The Pharmacists, the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Surfer Blood, Harlem and more to be announced. The fest takes place July 17 in Coney Island … Mogwai joined up with La Blogotheque’s Vincent Moon and Nathanael le Scouarnec for a CD/DVD collaboration of concert film Burning and live album Special Moves, to be released in late August … Indigo Girls will release a two-disc live album, Staring Down The Brilliant Dream (IG/Vanguard), on June 29 … Concrete Blonde is touring the U.S. this summer for the first time in seven years in celebration of the 20th birthday of landmark album Bloodletting … On October 5, Secretly Canadian will release Swanlights, the new album from Antony And The Johnsons. A special edition of the LP will also be released by Abrams Image, which includes the CD inside a book containing Antony’s paintings, collages, photography and writing … Allison Moorer will digitally release the Crows Acoustic EP on May 25, featuring six solo acoustic versions of songs from latest full-length Crows … Thomas Dolby is returning after 20 years with a new album. A Map Of The Floating City features guest appearances by Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Natalie McMaster, Bruce Woolley and Imogen Heap. Dolby will also issue three digital EPs for members of his online fan community leading up to the release of the album, set for late 2010 … On July 23, former Bangs and the Need are both reuniting for a benefit show in Portland, Ore., to raise money for Natalie Cox, a former employee of Kill Rock Stars Records who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
On May 11, MGMT will do Live On Letterman, an exclusive webcast performance from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. The Brooklyn band has also added more dates this summer in support of sophomore album Congratulations … The lineup for the 2010 Pickathon fest has been announced, featuring appearances by Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang, Dr. Dog, Heartless Bastards, Langhorne Slim and many others. The festival will take place August 6-8 at Pendarvis Farm, near Portland, Ore. … In response to Arizona’s new immigration law, Chuck D of Public Enemy penned a new song. 
Former MAGNET guest editor Adam Green’s debut art exhibition, Teen Tech, will open on Thursday at the Morrison Hotel Gallery Bowery in New York, coinciding with his two gigs at the Bowery Ballroom on his tour supporting Minor Love. The exhibit features 12 sculptures, 18 paintings, 19 drawings and 20 collages, all of which will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to Artists For Peace And Justice … On Tuesday, the Broadway adaptation of Green Day’s American Idiot will open at the St. James Theater in New York City, and Reprise Records is releasing the original Broadway cast recording, featuring the 24-member cast accompanied by Green Day … I Need That Record: The Death (Or Possible Survival) Of The Independent Record Store (MVD Visual) is a documentary by Brendan Toller examining the closings of more than 3,000 U.S. independent record stores over the past 10 years. It features appearances from Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Patrick Carney (Black Keys), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group) and more. It was offered exclusively yesterday to indie record shops for Record Store Day and will be available everywhere July 27 … Scissor Sisters’ third album, Night Work, will be released June 29 via Universal … Oh Boy Records is issuing two John Prine projects in the upcoming months. In Person & On Stage, a live album from Prine featuring appearances by Emmylou Harris, Iris DeMent, Josh Ritter and Sara Watkins, is out May 25. Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine will be released June 22, consisting of Prine songs re-worked by artists such as My Morning Jacket, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), the Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive-By Truckers and many more … On Tuesday, VHS Or Beta is issuing its new digital single bundle, All Summer In A Day, exclusively on beatport.com, including the original title track along with remixes from Turbotito and Disko Dali … The Futureheads will hit the road in June for its first U.S. tour in four years. The band is supporting new album The Chaos, which is out June 1 via Dovecote Records … During the next two months, Tummy Touch is reissuing four Kimberley Rew and Katrina And The Waves albums, plus the 25th anniversary edition of Walking On Sunshine … The Golden Palominos are reuniting after more than 20 years to perform at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge on May 7.
Neil Young is embarking on the Twisted Road Tour, his first solo jaunt in many years, on May 18. Each show will include a mix of classic fan favorites and new, as-yet-unrecorded songs ... This summer, Mates Of State (pictured) will release Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), which consists of the duo’s take on songs by artists such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Fleetwood Mac, the Mars Volta and more. 
Follow MAGNET On Twitter
