New Year's Mixmania

It's Mixmania time again and this time around, the theme was a New Year's Eve mix. I decided to make a double disc mix that would not only serve as something fun to end 2006 with, but also be a recap of some of my favorite songs of 2006.

Disc "E": This disc was called "E" because a good amount of the music was electronic.

1. Hot Chip - “Careful”: This song starts out quiet and unassuming then becomes crazy and upbeat. It was the perfect beginning to Hot Chip's sophomore album The Warning and I thought it would be a good thing to start this disc.

2. The Chemical Brothers feat. Bernard Sumner - “Out Of Control”: I've always loved this song and it just seemed like a good, fast song to put on here.

3. Justin Timberlake feat. Timbaland - “Sexy Back”: This track pulled a very nice crossover move to urban radio despite the fact that it's really an electronic pop song. Although I'll be glad when people stop saying they "brought sexy back," I really enjoy this song.

4. The Go! Team - “Huddle Formation”: This group is the epitome of upbeat, happy music. I decided to use this song in part because it's been used in a lot of commercials lately.

5. Clipse feat. Slim Thug - “Wamp Wamp (What It Do) (Pistol Pete Remix)”: This remix is the complete opposite of the original in sound and I think it kicks ass. Hear this remix at Pistol Pete's Myspace.

6. Basement Jaxx - “Take Me Back To Your House”: Country and house music...together? My word!

7. Yoko Kanno feat. Ilaria Graziano - “From The Roof Top ~ Somewhere In The Silence (Sniper's Theme)” from Ghost In The Shell Solid State Society: Yoko Kanno fans were eagerly awaiting the release of this song (usually called just "Sniper") after hearing it in GITS:SAC 2nd Gig. When I heard it for the first time, I thought their anticipation was justified. The intro portion manages to help and hurt the song at the same time. I tried removing the intro for this mix, but the song without the intro didn't sound right. Weird.

8. Mouse On Mars - “I Go Ego Why Go We Go”: Upon listening to Varcharz, the new album from Mouse On Mars, this song stuck out immediately. What an electronic groove.

9. Tigarah - “Girl Fight”: Take MIA, make her Japanese and add a little bit of semi-crunk flavor, and I guess you get Tigarah.

10. Hot Chip - “Over And Over”: Another Hot Chip song with this one being the one you probably have had a chance to hear somewhere. I was very close to putting a mashup version of this song featuring Pitbull's lyrics from "Shake" on here but decided against it.

11. The Chemical Brothers - “Loops Of Fury”: I bet people go nuts when they hear this song in a club.

12. Various - “Day At The Academy” from the XBOX 360 game Enchanted Arms: This song begins the "cool down" portion of this disc. One of my favorites "finds" of 2006, you can find a link to download this track in a Sterfish Shares post.

13. Boards Of Canada - “Skyliner”: The cool down continues with a really cool BOC track.

14. Basement Jaxx - “Lights Go Down”: Something about this song seems like it should be the last song played at a club.

15. Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians - “Auld Lang Syne”: A "bonus" track of sorts, this is the song we all try to sing when we ring in the new year. This instrumental version is laidback and a nice disc capper.

Disc "H": This disc was called "H" because it's mostly hip-hop.

1. The Roots feat. Dice Raw of Nouveau Riche and Malik B. - “Here I Come”: Loved this song the moment I heard it.

2. T.I. - “I'm Talkin' To You”: This is a blistering attack of a song from the beat to T.I.'s (or should I say Tip's) aggressive flow.

3. Gnarls Barkley - “Smiley Faces”: This song is my favorite track from St. Elsewhere and it proves that there is more to that album than the track you couldn't avoid in 2006.

4. J. Dilla - “Workinonit”: J. Dilla's instrumental album Donuts, from which this track came, is my favorite album of 2006. I'll go more into detail in my best albums of 2006 post and my overdue review of the album, but let me say that there is no album from 2006 that I have listened to more times than that one.

5. Lupe Fiasco - “I Gotcha”: This song took a little bit to grow on me since The Neptunes beat is one of their most complex, but now I really like it.

6. Gwen Stefani - “Now That You Got It”: I just randomly found this song on a blog I frequent and I like it a little more than current single "Wind It Up." I predict that Swizz Beatz, the producer of this song, will have a big 2007.

7. OutKast feat. Scar and Sleepy Brown - “Morris Brown”: My favorite track from OutKast's Idlewild and pretty much one of the only ones upbeat enough for this mix.

8. Ludacris - “Girls Gone Wild”: This Neptunes production is 10 times better than "Money Maker." I also love Luda's flow on this one.

9. Justin Timberlake - “Summer Love”: Gotta love the simplicity. Good beat, simple lyrics, and good singing. Oh, and a good beat.

10. Beyonce - “Green Light”: There is only one reason why I put this song on this mix: the horn breakdown.

11. J. Dilla - “Lightworks”: One of the best tracks off Donuts, this song is really something special.

12. T.I. - “Stand Up Guy”: Too bad this song wasn't released as a single. It's a really good club song.

13. Gnarls Barkley - “Crazy”: The song you couldn't avoid in 2006 I mentioned above. Not that I'm mad that you couldn't avoid it.

14. Clipse feat. Slim Thug - “Wamp Wamp (What It Do)”: Listening to the original after hearing the Pistol Pete Remix on the "E" disc really makes you appreciate how different these two versions are.

15. DJ Shadow feat. Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker - “Enuff”: One of the only good songs off The Outsider.

16. Raconteurs vs. Nelly Furtado - “Steady As She Goes/Promiscuous (A-Trak Remix)”: I enjoyed this mashup remix a lot during 2006, although in hindsight, it probably fit better on the "E" disc.

17. Lupe Fiasco feat. Jill Scott - “Daydreamin'”: Ah, the cool down portion all contained in one song. I really like this song and I wish it had gotten nominated for a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy.

Side Note: I really, really wish I had put Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" on one of these discs.

Well, that sums up my discs. Thanks to Jim for another great Mixmania!