Teenage Kicks are dear friends of mine, a word I try not to use so lightly. I don’t know the actual moment when it happened, must have been somewhere in between all the inappropriate brotherly jokes, the pie or the earnest love that they have for music- but at some point I felt a certain kin to them. They are two ordinary brothers, who play music together, but their self-proclaimed ordinary selves are something much more spectacular when you watch them play together on stage. It is because of their humour and humility that they really resonated with me, and I believed in their music even more.

I asked them to do a mix for the series and they of course fought over who would do it, because their taste in music is so specific and well, they’re brothers. I think they put their heads together to come up with this one, and it’s in the vein of their youth and nostalgia. These are the bands that made them who they are: The Beatles, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana.. They’ve taken those sounds themselves and reappropriated them, made them their own and created Teenage Kicks, a classic rock and roll sound that pledges it’s allegiance to the music of their past. Seriously, you have to read their writeups to get a sense of just how goofy these dudes are, it makes this mix that much more awesome.

*Special thanks to Nathaniel at Think or Smile for designing to kick ass album artwork. Seriously, my mind has been blown by this dude. Check out his blog and watch out for more collaborations (super exciting stuff) to come in the future.

Tracklist

Led Zeppelin “Your Time Is Gonna Come” – Jeff is clearly scornful towards all women. Beware ladies, your time is gonna come. If you’ve seen this man please call…

The Band “Jemima Surrender” – Peter has always loved maple syrup and he actually discovered this song after uploading a video for his song “Aunt Jemima Surrender” on Youtube.  He found this song and the Band, which forever joined his two loves: maple syrup and songs about maple syrup.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead “Another Morning Stoner” – Peter has a penchant for getting so high in the morning that can’t function for the rest of the day, so he chose this song.

Otis Redding “Mr. Pitiful” – They call Peter Mr. Pitiful.  That’s it.

Dinosaur Jr. “Back to Your Heart” – Being a devoted Jenny Jones fan all his life, Peter saw Dinosaur Jr’s performance and immediately fell in love with the “Geek 2 Chic” guests… I mean.. the band.

Ladyhawk “I Don’t Always Know What You’re Saying” – Jeff looks like the singer from this band. I think they both could be pretty convincing bears if they were ever to enter the realm of gay porn.

Pearl Jam “Faithful” – Peter and I grew up on grunge.  One of my first memories is of me listening to “Ten” on our drive down to Florida.  However, there were a few dark years where Peter listened to two songs exclusively.  “Bad Boy” by Ma$e and “Every Breath You Take” by Puff Daddy.  After those years, Pearl Jam marked a heralded return to grunge and this song is a testament to that.

Neil Young “Powderfinger” – I’ve never been a big fan of Neil Young mostly because he creeps me out.  But it just so happens that Peter is also creepy so they’re a perfect fit.

Wilco “Impossible Germany” – Peter’s been called a “Canadian Jeff Tweedy” by some, but I don’t see it.  His name isn’t even Jeff!

The Constantines “Working Full-Time” – Jeff thinks the Cons are the best rock band in Canada, I agree with that sentiment. This song reminds me of AC/DC but Jeff absolutely despises them, hidden pleasure perhaps?

The Pixies “Bone Machine” – Peter thought this song was called “Boner Machine” and that it was funny.  He was wrong.

Tears For Fears  “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” – Jeff was born somewhere around the time this song was released; a true testament to his future occupation – world ruler.

St. Vincent “The Party” – Jeff’s love affair for St. Vincent is stronger than the earth’s own gravitational pull. Much like my (failed) attempts at winning her over with my covers of her music, Jeff hoped adding this song to a public mixtape might grant him passage to her beautiful heart.

Eddie Vedder “Setting Forth” – Great movie, great album and great song. Jeff has some great taste, but he probably got that from his older, handsomer brother – whomever that may be.

The Raconteurs “Consoler of the Lonely” – The brothers van Helvoort are somewhat late bloomers to the Jack White game. Jeff refers to him as the “Tone King”, he truly is the king of Tone City.

Robert Plant & Alison Kraus “Rich Woman” – Robert Plant is great, but Jimmy Page is better.  Best, however, is our grandma… who looks like Jimmy Page!

The Beatles “I’ve Got A Feeling” – There was a time when Jeff didn’t like the Beatles. That time was when he was in the womb.

Creedence Clearwater Revival “Long As I Can See The Light” – A few weeks ago, Alan Cross was kind enough to say we sound like the grandchildren of John Fogerty.  After Peter heard this, he just had to find out who this Fogerty character was!  He’s been hooked ever since.

Soundgarden “Pretty Noose” – Cornell is the king of wail and Jeff is his loyal subject, no more explanation is needed.

Nirvana “All Apologies” – It wasn’t thought possible for a five year old wearing a stylish outfit of Northern Getaway to enjoy grunge at such a young age, but Jeff has proven that stereotype to be a false one. A nation of ‘Spicemice’ and ‘Catstreet Boys’ bide your time.

Download the mix at the link below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?o9qxq2axzqzmb9n

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Teenage Kicks- Shook Our Bones

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