Mud Pump Wrangle mixtape

I enjoyed creating a new mixtape on Friday and Saturday of this weekend. Searching for the songs was great fun, sifting through the selection to find the song that belongs to this Mud Pump Wrangle mixtape.

A couple of songs founded the theme for this tape: Tom Waits’Make It Rain (Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law vibe), Left Lane Cruiser (goodness, what a band), and Grinderman’s Electric Alice. I was looking for a scratchy guitar, probably a very American, rural feel, bar band, and fun to play. Instruments may be slightly out of tune, distorted, scratchy, drum sounds improvised, wobbly, and the singer hissing and humming in the microphone. And goodness, Black Diamond Heavies – Oh, Sinnerman, what a song with that keyboard solo let through a fuzz-box!

You can listen to the Mud Pump Wrangle playlist on Spotify.

I drew, scanned, cut, and glued the black-and-white cassette cover using the templates from de Bandjesfabriek.

Side I
Tom Waits – Make It Rain – Remastered
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Sure ‘Nuff ‘n’ Yes, I Do
Left Lane Cruiser – Big Momma
De Kift – Kijker
T Bone Burnett – Palestine Texas
Grinderman – Electric Alice
Black Diamond Heavies – Oh, Sinnerman
The White Stripes – One More Cup of Coffee
Side II
Mr. Airplane Man – Sun Sinking Low
Soledad Brothers – Going Back To Memphis
Billy Childish, Dan Melchior – Bottom of the Sea
C.W. Stoneking – The Thing I Done
The Wanton Bishops – Howl
James Leg – Drinking Too Much
The Dirtbombs – Livin’ for the City
King Automatic – Le Redresseur De Torts
Don Cavalli – I’M Going To A River
The Abigails – The One That Let Me Go

Melkmuil mixtape

mixtape

Creating this first mixtape after getting a (cheap second-hand) Pioneer cassette deck was tremendous fun.

I reused an old cassette I found in my mother’s cassette deck. I tried to fix the cassette deck but had to part with it in the end—replacing the electromotors became too much of a hassle. I found another place that sold old cassettes for 50 cents. I bought a handful and will use these for other mixtapes.

The first mixtape theme I hit upon was Dutch bands, probably most 90s bands, although De Kift and The Ex have been around much longer and are actually still active. I called it Melkmuil. You can find the Melkmuil playlist on Spotify.

Creating the cover – collating – was another part of the fun. Cassette cover templates were easy to find, for example, at de Bandjesfabriek.

Side A

  • De Kift – Nauwe Mijter
  • Skik – Betonpaolties
  • The Ex – Soon All Cities
  • Tröckener Kecks – Andere Plaats, Andere Tijd
  • Bettie Serveert – Healthy Sick
  • JOHAN – Day Is Done
  • Spinvis – Paradijs
  • Daryll-Ann – A note about time
  • Eton Crop – It’s My Dog Maestro

Side B

  • Claw Boys Claw – On The Run
  • Hallo Venray – Slow Change
  • Bertje Doperwtje – Alleen Maar Jou
  • Roosbeef – Vergis ik mij
  • Urban Dance Squad – Demagogue
  • Ivy Green – Another Sub-Culture Going Bad
  • Blue Murder – Get Lost
  • The Vernon Walters – Present History

Wallpaper and Vinyl: Ian Dury’s ‘Do It Yourself’

Some weeks ago, I found the vinyl album Ian Dury & the Blockheads’ “Do It Yourself” at a small vinyl market in the once-famous Buk Buk in Heiloo. The album largely slipped from my memory, waiting to reveal its surprises.
Ian Dury did not want to include singles on his albums. This choice results in a more nuanced collection of songs. These album tracks showcase a different side of the artist—more restrained and soulful than the raucous energy of familiar hits like “Hit Me” and “Reasons to Be Cheerful.” The songs feel more intimate, trading pop exuberance for subtle musical depth. The album’s last track, “Lullaby for Franci/es” underscores this.

My copy is a later release, interestingly bundled with a 7″ featuring “Hit Me” and “There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards.” I’m uncertain whether this bonus single was part of the original release or added subsequently.

Funny facts: Stiff Records released it with an extraordinary twist. The album came in 34 or more alternative sleeves, each featuring a unique Crown Wallpaper design. Each sleeve displays the Crown catalog number for its specific wallpaper pattern in the bottom left corner. In a delightful bit of cross-promotion, Crown even wallpapered the sets for the Blockheads’ subsequent promotional tour.

Cosmic Psychos at Db’s in Utrecht

Last Friday, I saw the Cosmic Psychos at Db’s in Utrecht with my old friend M. Sometime around 1988 I first saw this Australian punk band at Metropool in Hengelo (I thought Atak, but according to setlist.fm it was Metropool: the pumping, monotonous, rough songs and the wah-wah guitar solos of Peter ‘Dirty’ Jones.

The beer punk, or concrete punk rock Cosmix Psychos make is stripped-down punk rock in the tradition of the Ramones and Motorhead. Straightforward songs, heavy bass, short, chaotic solos. The band cultivates a barnyard image of raw, hard-working farmers who open their first can of beer early in the day.

The band has cult status in the music world. The band has played worldwide and at festivals with more famous bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Helmet. Since its formation, the band has had several member changes, with only bassist and vocalist Ross Knight remaining from the original lineup. An interesting rabbit hole I might dive into later.

On this night at Db’s, drummer Dean Muller is absent due to family matters, if I understand correctly. BC Michaels of Dunerats replaces him. The music they make today is as unpolished as ever. Peter Jones’ wah-wah solos have given way to the more traditional bluesy punk rock solos of current guitarist John McKeering. Ross Knight has a raw voice somewhat similar to Lemmy Kilmster, and also his bass lines lay a heavy foundation under the songs. McKeering completes the band’s image with his big belly that he doesn’t try to hide under his shirt. At the end of the show, the shirt also comes off.

A documentary about the band was made in 2012, which I have yet to watch.

I took some pictures.

Sealed

Otoboke Beaver in Paradiso

I saw Otoboke Beaver in Paradiso last Thursday, July 4th. Arguably the most innovative band in the world.

Otoboke Beaver

Zwart-Wit

Ik vond uiteindelijk toch de zwart-wit beelden van Money & The Man en Magnetic Spacemen toch beter.