San Francisco artist K. Flay has already established herself as a master of the awesome mix tape. Last year, she released MASHed Potatoes, on which she took existing tracks and put her own twist on them, including adding new lyrics that play on the song’s original title. (She recently revisited this idea with “2 Weak,” her take on Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks.”) Therefore, she was the natural choice to provide this week’s mix tape for MAGNET. Flay just completed a U.S. tour supporting her self-titled debut EP, which was released last month.
“2 Weak” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/2Weak.mp3
Cat Power “The Greatest”
Her voice is incredible here. Raw and vulnerable. Even though it’s titled “The Greatest,” the track is really about failure, that unshakable sense of defeat when nothing you imagine or want comes true. And no one does disappointment like Cat Power. Video
Girls “Lust For Life”
There’s something about this song. When I listen, I feel nostalgic and exuberant and hopeless, all at the same time. I saw a really interesting interview with Christopher Owens a little while back, and I was just struck by the complete honesty with which he spoke. Their music feels entirely uncalculated, which is what draws me to it, I think. Video
R.L. Burnside “It’s Bad You Know”
My dad used to listen to R.L. Burnside after dinner, and I would run circles around the sofa, bopping my 10-year-old dome like a crazy person. I always loved the rhythm of this song, the way it compelled me to move. Video
Lauryn Hill “Lost Ones”
Sometimes I forget what an incredible and scathing dis track this is. “Every man want to act like he’s exempt.” That line sums up at least half of everything anyone ever needs to know. Video
The Kills “U R A Fever”
It’s hard to be sexy and dirty and somewhat menacing while maintaining badass musicianship, but the Kills have the uncanny ability to do just that. To me, what’s so cool about “U R A Fever” is its versatility. It’s the perfect sonic backdrop for makeout sessions and nurse’s offices. Video
Mariah Carey “Honey”
Whoever wrote the five-note piano riff that kicks in at the end of the second bar deserves some kind of bear hug. As an added bonus, the music video is the pinnacle of late-’90s absurdity, with Mimi getting kidnapped, insulting her captor’s overly Aquanetted hair in bad Spanish and effortlessly swan-diving into a freaking swimming pool. Video
Lissie “Pursuit Of Happiness”
A friend sent me this video a few months back, and I was immediately like, “Who is this chick??” Indie-rock covers of hip-hop tracks can be hit or miss, but Lissie pulls this Kid Cudi track off in a totally authentic, non-cheesy way. Which is pretty amazing. She doesn’t really start rocking out until two minutes in, but she definitely rocks out. Video
Wiz Khalifa “The Statement”
To me, this is the ultimate driving-when-you-have-nowhere-in-particular-to-go song. On a related note, I read somewhere that Wiz Khalifa spends $10,000 a month on weed. I’m not even sure how that’s possible. I guess he’s sharing a lot with his friends. Which is actually very sweet when you think about it. Video
Metric “Handshakes”
Metric’s second album, Live It Out, is one of my all-time favorites. If you ever find yourself riding the bus in San Francisco, pop this baby in. Video
Big Boi “Ain’t No DJ”
Big Boi’s new album is the perfect amount of weird. I have no clue how André 3000 came up with the beat for this track, which is probably why I love it so much. Video
