Yo La Tengo

Here's a band that has skirted accessibility for years. They always release high-quality stuff but it is a mix of catchy pop gems and noisy rock that I find myself prone to cherry-pick.

Yo La Tengo - A Take Away Show - Part 2 from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Here are two great songs by Yo La Tengo, one old and one new. I've put Periodically Double or Triple on a mix and it worked well. Really enjoyable stuff.

The Rolling Stones

Obvious, of course. And my first choice for a mix is obvious, too - the iconic Gimme Shelter



Folks of a certain age will identify very strongly with this song, but I just think it is a rock gem and pretty much sums up the stones for me. Let it Bleed, needless to say is my favorite RS album.

Then again maybe you're looking for something a bit more uplifting. How about this one? This song stands up against any Bob Dylan track you were hoping to throw onto that mix of yours.


If you're not familiar with the Stones' canon, you need to get in there and give them a listen. They aren't ageless superstars for nothing.

They Might Be Giants

Ah, the inestimable They Might Be Giants. I don't know a man, woman or child alive that hasn't enjoyed a lovely TMBG song or two over the years. As such it is difficult to find a good song to include on a mix that your friend may not have heard or enjoyed, no? Well, ladies and gentlemen you know I'm here to help. Here's a fantastic track from their 2007 release The Else:

Dirty Projectors

We keep things dirty for another day with a song from a couple of years ago, Two Doves by Dirty Projectors. I really like this song on its own merits, but it appears to riff pretty heavily on These Days by Nico, which of course is a classic.



The "riff" is one of my favorite things in modern music. Take Gillian Welch's track "Elvis Presley Blues" - which is about Elvis but also riffs on some of his lyrics from All Shook Up, Run On, etc. as part of the song.



If you make a mix for a big nerd, the riff makes a powerful statement.

Dirty Gold

Well, summer is on us, isn't it? This was a big deal late last year sometime but you really won't do better for a little summer trinket than this pop gem.



Throw it at the beginning or at least in the first half before things cool off or get too serious.

Fleet Foxes

Well, this one might be a bit obvious but I really do like these guys. Here's their first big single from a couple of years ago.



And my favorite track off the latest effort.



So what is there to say about Fleet Foxes? They create some expansive songs, that's for sure. As such they are fantastic playlist fodder, something to provide you something big to chew on in the late middle portion of your mix.

The Rosebuds

Here's a band that has a new album and tour approaching right now. I just picked up the new one so I don't know it well enough to suggest anything from it yet but I was happy to see them resurface as I really liked them so long ago when they released this song:



A similar track came an album or two later which I also find really enjoyable:



If you see them touring this summer or pick up their new record, I also urge you to dig deep into their back catalog for these gems. After all, what mix isn't improved by an old or obscure track thrown in 2/3 of the way through as a pleasant surprise?