From Wikipedia…
Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth of Nations and Greece. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in Australia and Canada is a “shopping holiday” associated with after-Christmas sales. It is usually celebrated on 26 December, the day after Christmas Day…
Boxing Day dates back to the century in which the primary practice of giving gifts to employees or to people in a lower social class. The name has numerous folk etymologies[3].
Boxing Day is also likely related to, and ultimately derived from, the ancient Roman Saturnalia[4], which also had elements of social role reversal.A Christmas box is, in English tradition, a clay box used in artisan shops. Apprentices, masters, visitors, customers, and others would put donations of money into the box, like a piggy bank, and then, after Christmas, the box would be shattered and all the contents shared among the workers of the shop. Thus, masters and customers could donate bonuses to the workers anonymously, and the employees could average their wages. The habit of breaking the Christmas box lent its name to Boxing Day. The term “Christmas box” now refers generally to a gift or pay bonus given to workers.
The Oxford English Dictionary attributes it to the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: “To give a Christmas-box (colloq.); hence the term boxing-day.” The date coincides with the Feast of St. Stephen.
Naturally, we’ve got a mix.
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“Mele KalikiMIXa is the thing to say…”
It’s the holiday season and EAR FARM has got another super swell Christmas mix for your listening pleasure. Last week we featured an indie-rock centric mix, this week it’s all about the Christmas classics. Whatever your faith, denomination, system of beliefs, or family tradition might be, we here at EAR FARM hope that each and every one of you have a very happy holiday season and we wish you all of the best in the new year. Happy holidays!
“Do you hear what I hear? A song, a song, high above the tree…”
It’s the holiday season and EAR FARM has got another super swell Christmas mix for your listening pleasure. In fact, we’ve got TWO: an indie-rock centric one this week and some Christmas classics next week. Whatever your faith, denomination, system of beliefs, or family tradition might be, we here at EAR FARM hope that each and every one of you have a very happy holiday season and we wish you all of the best in the new year. Happy holidays!
Look out! It’s a Grammy High School Dance Party!
As you no doubt know by now, Grammy nominations were announced Wednesday evening and….the surprising thing is….they did a pretty commendable job spreading the love this year. Go Grammy! Mixtape #36 represents a fairly wide spectrum of nominated artists in categories ranging from dance and electronic to hip hop and metal and back to some good old rrrrock. The result approximates the most kickass 2008 high school dance soundtrack, like, ever. Check out the full list of nominations HERE, check out the mix below: Read more…
Black Friday is “the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many employees take the day off, which increases the number of potential shoppers. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores.”
Naturally, we’ve got a mix for you to listen to as you shop shop SHOP. From home. On the interbahns… Read more…
Johnny Marr recently began his career as a Visiting Professor to the University Of Salford’s school of Media, Music And Performance by delivering an inaugural lecture that focused on the notion that the greatest music has always been created by life’s outsiders, stating “nothing of any value was ever created inside the British or American music business”. During the speech he named eighteen different bands or artists directly and we’ve put together a mix of songs from these very bands: Professor Marr’s outsiders. Listen below, read the lecture HERE. Read more…
Last week we crash-bang-boomed our way through a mixtape that focused on songs that feature percussive/drum intros (listen HERE). In memory of one of rock’s great underrated drummers who passed away this week, Mitch Mitchell (pictured above), we’re back with Volume TWO. Crank up the volume, prep your air drum kits, and grab an umbrella… ‘cos these beats gonna bring the rain. BRING THE PAIN. Hear the drummer get wicked! Read more…
In honor of Halloween, EAR FARM has a mix for you that includes 18 of the creepiest songs from classic horror movies including Halloween, The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and MORE. Listen to this alone… we DARE you!
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Next week, New York will be deluged by thousands of bands, fans, and music industry types attending the CMJ Music Marathon ‘08. With so many shows, which one(s) should you see?? We’ve got you covered. Here is a mix of sixteen songs from bands playing CMJ, and where/when you can see them. Obviously, six of these artists are from the EAR FARM CMJ party, so you might want to start there if you notice a few of these tunes scratching you where you itch…
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Just because I didn’t like the first mix I had going, I scrapped it to go for a more well-formed mix. One that presents a clear mood throughout. Just because this year has been so full of good music I limited the selections to songs that have come out in 2008. And, because this year has seen major advances for women in American politics, I decided to limit the selections even further to music performed by female artists. To recap: gotta fit the intended mood, released in ‘08, women artists only. This one turned out pretty well…
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Last we checked, tonight’s scheduled presidential debate in Mississippi is still up in the air. But hey, that doesn’t have to stop us from putting together a soundtrack for the planned throwdown. So if things do go as planned tonight and you find yourself at home, beer nestled in crotch and eyes glued to the television, consider putting the below mix on for some soothing - and pertinent - background noise and/or soundtrack for when you need a breather (you will need a breather). Will they or won’t they delay it? Stay tuned, and let’s get ready to rumble!
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Two days ago I went to log in to EAR FARM’s Facebook account and what to my wondrous eyes should appear? Nothing! It seems those few warning emails they sent weren’t simply empty threats: they did indeed intend to delete our Facebook account if we didn’t stop adding “friends” at an alarming rate. Guess they hate popular people?
Anyway, EAR FARM does not have an interactive page on Facebook anymore. The powers that be have killed it. In memoriam we offer up the following mix. EAR FARM’s Facebook is dead: long live EAR FARM’s Facebook!
Join the EAR FARM Group or become a fan of EAR FARM on Facebook.
EAR FARM’s Mixtape #26: Ode to EAR FARM’s Facebook Account
1. “Bookends Theme” by Simon & Garfunkel
2. “Banned In The U.S.A.” by 2 Live Crew
3. “Broken Face” by Pixies
4. “End of Freedom” by The Wilderness
5. “Making Friends” by Bishop Allen
6. “Something of an End” by My Brightest Diamond
7. “I Need All The Friends I Can Get” by Camera Obscura
8. “Ain’t No Right” by Jane’s Addiction
9. “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” by Liars
10. “Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone” by The Walkmen
11. “Friendship Update” by The Go! Team
12. “No More” by Dirty Projectors
13. “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” by Culture Club
14. “Like A Friend” by Pulp
15. “You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends” by The Wedding Present
16. “Shut us Down” by Brakes
17. “Shine In Exile” by Beat The Devil
18. “Never Going Back Again” by Fleetwood Mac
19. “I Miss You” by White Hinterland
20. “There’s A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends” by Morrissey
21. “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” by Edith Piaf
22. “Bookends Theme” by Simon & Garfunkel
*front image from HERE.
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8tracks is a simple way to create and share mixtapes that we’re now using in lieu of Muxtape, we may even like it more. Check back, as we post a brand new mix each week on Friday morning. You can see all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.
This is a song chain, based around the combination of sun and rainy weather we’re experiencing at the moment. A “song chain”? Sure. It goes like this: start with a two-word theme (here it’s sun to rain) and try to get from one to the other by connecting a sequence of songs where the last word from one song title is the first word in the next. Check out the list of songs below, you’ll get the idea.
Join EAR FARM’s Community for a link to download the entire mix as three separate ZIPs. (currently disabled)
EAR FARM’s Mixtape #25: Song Chain, from Sun to Rain
1. “Sun” by Burning Spear
2. “The Sun Smells Too Loud” by Mogwai
3. “Loud Love” by Soundgarden
4. “Love Buzz” by Nirvana
5. “Buzz Saw” by Xiu Xiu
6. “Saw Red” by Sublime & Gwen Stefani
7. “Red Red Red” by Fiona Apple
8. “Red and Purple” by The Dodos
9. “The Purple Bottle” by Animal Collective
10. “Bottle of Smoke” by The Pogues
11. “Smoke Attack” by Twisted Mind Records
12. “Attack of the 60 Ft. Lesbian Octopus” by Does It Offend You, Yeah?
13. “Octopus’s Garden/Sun King” by The Beatles
14. “King of Rock” by RUN-DMC
15. “Rock Out” by Motörhead
16. “Out Loud” by Mindy Smith
17. “Loud Cloud Crowd” by Stephen Malkmus
18. “Crowd Breaks Out” by John Murphy
19. “Out There On The Ice” by Cut Copy
20. “Ice Dogs” by Man Man
21. “Dogs of War” by Ghostface Killah
22. “War Hero” by Antibalas
23. “Heroes And Villains” by Brian Wilson
24. “Villain’s Dance” by National Symphony Orchestra
25. “Dance Hall Days” by Wang Chung
26. “Days Without Rain” by Patrick Cleandenim
27. “Rain” by Bishop Allen
*above/front image from HERE
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8tracks is a simple way to create and share mixtapes that we’re now using in lieu of Muxtape, we may even like it more. Check back, as we post a brand new mix each week on Friday morning. You can see all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.
It’s that time of the year again… back to school time! As summer wanes and the smell of textbooks again fills the air we’d like to offer you the following mix to enjoy on your way to class. Or while you’re skipping class. Or while you’re enjoying having the kids out of the house for a few hours every day. Whatever. Back to school, and back to mixes rather than muxes! (thanks 8tracks, you rule - get well soon Muxtape)
click the arrow above to listen to this week’s mix
Join EAR FARM’s Community for a link to download the entire mix as a ZIP.
EAR FARM’s Mixtape #23: Back to School
1. “Back to School” by Danny Elfman
2. “The Headmaster Ritual” by The Smiths
3. “School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell)” by Chuck Berry
4. “We Rule The School” by Belle & Sebastian
5. “Nights of the Living Dead” by Tilly and the Wall
6. “Popular” by Nada Surf
7. “Grade School Erection” by Frauke
8. “F**k School” by The Replacements
9. “Late For School” by Ponytail
10. “Cool Scene” by The Dandy Warhols
11. “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” by Pink Floyd
12. “Another Brick In the Wall (Part 2)” by Pink Floyd
13. “Rock ‘N’ Roll High School” by Ramones
14. “Hot For Teacher” by Van Halen
15. “Summer’s Gone” by Placebo
16. “Be True to Your School” by The Beach Boys
*above picture of the Music Conservatory at Oberlin College from HERE; front thumbnail from HERE
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8tracks is a simple way to create and share mixtapes that we’re now using in lieu of Muxtape, we may even like it more. Check back, as we post a brand new mix each week on Friday morning. You can see all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.
This week has seen the passing of a friend as we’ve all had to come to grips with Muxtape being shut down indefinitely by the RIAA. The statement on Muxtape’s site reads: “Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA.”
While we all knew it was likely coming, it’s not like we were prepared for it. The end of the good times, the Muxtape times. OH MUXTAPE I HARDLY KNEW YOU.
In honor of Muxtape we’ve put together a twelve song mix of 100% free and legal songs that (hopefully) express our sadness, our grief, and our ennui now that we’ve no longer got Muxtape to keep us company. You can click on each song below to listen or download, you’ll have to import each song into your own audio player to listen to the full mix in its entirety. What does the future hold for Muxtape, for EAR FARM’s weekly mixes now that there is no Muxtape? It remains to be seen. For now, all we’ve got is the mix below and our memories.
Join EAR FARM’s Community for a link to download the entire mix as a ZIP.
EAR FARM’s Muxtape #22: In Memoriam - Muxtape
1. “This Is Goodbye” by The Monolators
2. “Eraser” by No Age
3. “Where Do You Run To?” by Vivian Girls
4. “Disarm” (Smashing Pumpkins cover) by Amy Miriello
5. “Nothing Can Come Between Us” by Obi Best
6. “Broken Machine” by The New Up
7. “Wait A While” by The Mojomatics
8. “Will You Return?” by The Avett Brothers
9. “Are We All Forgotten?” by Paper Route
10. “Crying” (Roy Orbison cover) by The Morning Benders
11. “Why Do These Parties Always End The Same Way?” by Benji Hughes
12. “See Ya When We See Ya” by Patrick Bower
*above picture from HERE
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A Muxtape was a simple way to create and share mixtapes. We create and share a brand new mix each week on Friday morning, regardless of whether or not Muxtape is alive and working. Check out all of the EAR FARM Weekly Mixes HERE.
