JOHN’S MUSIC BLOG GOES “IN THE MIX”
FOR MILEY SERIOUS ON RINSE FRANCE
Listen to the mix here. John’s Music Blog starts at the hour mark.
After the pandemic, I sort of assumed that I was done with DJing. It had been years since I have really, truly gotten in the mix. But my friend Miley Serious hit me up about doing something for her Rinse France show, and I had to consider the damn offer. I’m a fan of Rinse FM, and I’m a fan of Miley, so I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to dust off my non-existent turntables and get back into the imaginary club. And then, the obvious kicker, the moment of true inspiration: I could use “John’s Music Blog” as a DJ name. I could order John’s Music Blog DJ drops. “This blogger is going in on the ones and twos.” That kind of thing. It would be nice to be a different person.
The resulting mix is the result of my “weekly blogging practice,” which has, against all odds, kept me feeling positive about music. It has also loaded me up with a cache of tracks that I could use as a base to put together a semi-coherent hour of music, one that represents for the anything-goes raprockrave energy that defines the blog. I had more fun making it than I expected. Maybe I like DJing again? I run through 30 tracks in an hour, and I wouldn’t be doing my music blogger duties if I didn’t break down each tune, one by one, for the newest edition of John’s Music Blog. All 30.
There was no doubt in my mind about what had to set things off: Myaap’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs-flipping Milwaukee lowend hit “Wait.” I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Rap rock comes in many forms.
Dazy & Militarie Gun “Pressure Cooker”
Two quality hardcore pop bands team up for a breakbeat pogo stomper that feels pretty good mixing out of that Myaap tune. The song sounds like crowd surfing while chugging a can of Starry brand lemon-lime soda.
Munch Lauren, Mula Mar “Shake It”
Back to Milwaukee with a certified shmacker from two of the best in town. Damn, I’m really in the mix, aren’t I? Somebody get me a residency at a boutique hotel! Breakbeats and lowend work pretty well together.
Case in point: For no good reason, I’m dipping into a classic Chapterhouse shoegaze groover, which coincidentally has a sort of similar pocket as that Dazy and Militare Gun tune.
Cortisa Star “Get it Down (John’s ‘Roachclip’ Edit)”
Cortisa Star was a breakout star of 2024, and “Get it Down” is her best tune. It takes a blown-out, Xaviersobased-ish palate and it pushes it into a rainbow pop zone. I thought the track was missing some breakbeats, though, so I put my favorite one over the whole song. Why not?
Lolina “Easy Rider Geneva Heat”
Keeping things on a bit of a “lo-fi” tip, here is an excellent Prince-quoting Casio burner from art school hero Lolina. “The only thing in life worth doing again is trying.”
RealYungPhil, Gud “Make Moves Not Excuses”
That Lolina line leads us nicely into an inspirational RealYungPhil tune, featuring the RealYungPhil flow we all know and love. Who doesn’t love RealYungPhil? Who doesn’t love that flow?
The best New Orleans bounce track of 2024 is on target to possibly be the best New Orleans bounce track of 2025. These things seem to have a long tail.
I’m telling you, people: It is simply joyous mixing New Orleans bounce into new Milwaukee rap music. Though some of the Milwaukee heads I’ve talked to have professed ignorance about bounce, the two sounds are stylistic cousins—it’s all in the claps—and any decent DJ would be able to make a meal out of a mix.
Marjorie W.C. Sinclair “Sticky & Disgusting”
I saw Evanora Unlimited play a show last year. It was a one-man, mosh-inducing fusion of digital hardcore and post-punk. After it was over, the dude behind Evanora switched it up and went into his other project, Majorie W.C. Sinclair, rocking a set of frantic Bay/Detroit-flavored rap. The mosh pit stopped.
I felt like splitting the mix up with a single, perfect jungle tune by the contemporary master Tim Reaper. Do not ask me why. I’m just trying to live my life and grow up.
Dj D Wizz “Salt Pepper Ketchup and Hot Sauce”
When it comes to East Coast club music, everyone knows that Baltimore club represents the old school and Jersey club represents the new, but what about Philly club? What about DJ Sega or Dj D Wizz? “Salt Pepper Ketchup and Hot Sauce” remains a perfect transmission from cheesesteak central.
Cornershop “Brimful Of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)”
East Coast club music has a lot in common with big beat. I’m surprised Fatboy Slim never tried making any Baltimore-type tunes. Some of the most fun I have had in years: Laying the intro of this Cornershop remix—the original is a callback to “Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers—over “Salt Pepper Ketchup and Hot Sauce.” What does that say about me?
In a just world, people would be ripping off “Barley” left and right. They would be starting bands inspired by the song; they would maybe even create a genre called Barleycore. They would find ways to dress that correspond with the way the song, and the songs inspired by the song, makes them feel.
Detroit In Effect “Move Yo Body”
Let’s fucking take it back to the Midwest with an electro-bass scorcher from a few years ago. 30 songs is a lot. You start to run out of adjectives. Music blogging is hard.
bar italia “Worlds Greatest Emoter”
Here is some “behind the scenes information” about the construction of this mix: I wanted to drop “Theme From Sparta F.C.” by The Fall, but it just wasn’t really working anywhere.
DJmegan23 “Shaking My Ass Up In Heaven”
And now for some unimpeachable shitpost club from a mysterious newcomer.
Jammin’ Gerald “Pump That Shit Up”
And now it’s time to take it back a few decades with a Chicago classic by Jammin’ Gerald that will never not sound good. If they reboot the Blues Brothers movie, Jake and Elwood would no doubt have to be Dance Mania enthusiasts.
The party grunge anthem of last year. It’s the perfect mix of Veruca Salt and Miss Kitten. I love those “Windowlicker”-ish perc moments.
Toggling between poppy songs and tracky moments feels good to me. It’s a philosophy I learned from reading about the legendary Tony Humphries at Zanzibar—I think?
It’s an Evilgiane-produced tune that samples the 2000s indie dance anthem “Walking On A Dream” by Empire Of The Sun, a first-generation blog classic if there ever was one. What more do you people want?
Che “It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To”
This pixel-crushed SoundCloud warbler is one highlight from the last Che record, and, for me, it seems to be activated in the mix.
Tell me these Amens don’t sound fire coming out of that Che tune?
Back in Detroit. More high-energy American dance music that spans time.
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water “Pacey”
And now, the swerve we deserve: They Are Gutting A Body Of Water throwing down a hazy, Philly-style Dawson’s Creek tribute. I sort of get a “bongos in the dorm room” vibe from it—in a good way.
Mighty Bay (Feat. TisaKorean and Three!) “WhiteBoy Wasted”
An anthem for our age if there ever was one, “WhiteBoy Wasted” sounds nice “mashed-up” with a loop from the band that the kids call TAGABOW. If you ever get the chance to see TisaKorean and Mighty Bay live, you should do it. They might just put on the best live rap show in the game.
Sonic Youth “Sacred Trickster”
Why not mix the beginning of a late-period Sonic Youth classic out of a Mighty Bay and TisaKorean tune? Again: The rap rock spirit can take on many forms.
Graham Hunt “Emergency Contact”
Now we are really “going in,” ending the set with a couple of Certified John’s Music Blog Classics. First, a tune from Wisconsin legend Graham Hunt. For my money, it’s the best pop rock song of the past five years.
xxhardbit3s “KEEP MY HEART OPEN!”
And here is a track that I first heard at a Helltekk rave in the forest; a tune that, right then and there, completely scrambled my dome and made me feel optimistic about the future of music.
Gem Fumigation Spa “Song Three”
I had two minutes to kill so I put in a song from my “new band.” Thank you for listening to my DJ mix.
cool mix i did some cardio then ate turkey to it. "song three" sounds great