Hi, here’s a little background on my choices for The Under 3 mix.

Wire – It’s So Obvious [0:53]
A nice, fast song off their first album, Pink Flag. And it’s under one minute! Delightful.

Pere Ubu – I Will Wait [1:47]
I finally get a Pere Ubu song on a mix! This is a nice poppy-yet-skronky song off their second album, Dub Housing.

Commodores – Machine Gun [2:41]
I had a pretty serious soul and funk awakening a year or so back, during which time I first heard this song. This is a great instrumental track off their album of the same name. Listen closely near the end — there’s a great funky riff the Beastie Boys sampled for their song “Hey Ladies”.

Bo Diddley – Mona (I Need You Baby) [2:22]
I don’t really like a lot of schmaltzy love songs, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like love songs as a rule. Take this song, for example. I can’t think of a better song expressing a sense of longing — sexual, emotional and otherwise — than this.

The Clean – Franz Kafka At The Zoo [1:58]
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I really dig this New Zealand band. While they are a great pop band, they would also play around and experiment. This is kind of a spooky-sounding song off their album Unknown Country.

Cat Stevens – Tea For The Tillerman [1:01]
I think I have Cat Steven’s Greatest Hits on vinyl, so I know “Moonshadow”, “Peace Train”, etc., but I owe my knowledge of this song, off the album of the same name, to the great BBC show Extras, by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The song would play at the end of each episode, and it really fit the mood of the show. Thank you, Extras!

Robyn Hitchcock – My Favourite Buildings [2:50]
One of my favorites (or favourites, rather). This is off the first album I bought by the man, I Often Dream Of Trains.

The Champs – Tequila [2:11]
This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I can’t help but smile when I hear it.