Divaville!

Another great mix from Christa. It's fabulous, and definitely has the diva vibe (though it's a pretty wide-ranging pot-pourri). This mix does exactly what I hope a mix will do, reinforce my own taste (Billy Bragg - yeah! The Kinks - yeah!), introduce me to some new stuff (Land of the Loops, M. Ward), and incorporates a soupcon of cheese (Joan Jett, Naughty By Nature). I have to say, I have really enjoyed listening to all the mix CDs I've gotten back. The rest of you - get yer fingers out!

Anyway, here are Christa's liner notes: Christa's CD

Track	Artist	Comments
Kissing Things	The 6ths	I suppose I would have made an entire mix tape of Stephin Merrit songs if I felt I could have gotten away with it.
Save Me	Aretha Franklin	I love me some Aretha, and her delivery of the song just knocks my socks off.
Bad Reputation	Joan Jett	I binged on "Freaks and Geeks" this year.
Must I Paint You a Picture?	Billy Bragg	Honestly, I'm a little surprised that there's any Billy Bragg in this mix. I've watched Mary's obsession with him for quite some time, but it wasn't until I heard this song in the closing credits of some movie that I decided that new love was fully justified.
This	Brian Eno	With a name like Eno, it's got to be good.
Jump in the Line	Harry Belafonte	I don't dance, but this song propels me.
They are in love	David Byrne	Oh Lord, which David Byrne song do I choose? Let's pick a pretty one.
...Multi-family Garage Sale	Land of the Loops	So, I started DJing at WXDU around 1994 (holy crap) and despite the relatively sheltered musical life I'd led until then I fearlessly tackled a wealth of unfamiliar genres at the station. My primary love soon became dance music. This was one of the first songs that really struck my fancy.
OPP	Naughty By Nature	Yeah, you know me.
U.R.A.Q.T.	M.I.A.	I heart M.I.A.
One April Day	Stephin Merrit	See? Another Stephin Merrit song! This one is from the movie "Pieces of April'\" and it is perfect in its brevity and simplicity.
Supersonic Rocket Ship	The Kinks	Ray LOVES the Kinks, and consequently has sparked my interest in them too. One time, at Federal, I watched Jake and Ray have a whole conversation about how gloriously populist this band is. That was fun.
Deep Dark Well	M. Ward	I saw M. Ward perform at the ArtsCenter a year or so ago. He had a long fuzzy tail pinned to his jeans.
Love Letters	Ketty Lester	I only recently discovered this song. Charlotte knows it well, though, and she was so moved by Ruth Brown's version at the Durham Blues Festival that she actually broke down in tears.
Quelqu'un m'a dit	Carla Bruni	I first heard Carla Bruni at my hairdresser's salon. My hairdresser's name is Erin, the salon is called The Garden. It's in downtown Durham, which is to be commended. Anyway, Erin is always playing cool music in there and that's one of the many reasons I love her. She's on her way to China right now to pick up her new adopted baby, though, so you can just forget about having her cut your hair or introducing you to any cool music.
Allo allo	Les Sans Culottes	One morning Ray and I were lying around listening to NPR (this is not typical behavior for us, mind you) and a feature on this band caught our attention. I bought the CD for Ray for his birthday; this is the best song.
Ride your Pony	Lee Dorsey	Just do what the man says... Stay in the saddle.
I'll Marry an Angel	Wes Whitener/Rock and Roll Summer	Here's a band you've never heard of. Wes is actually a neighbor of mine, and is coincidentally the husband of my hairdresser (which means he's also on his way to China right now). Rock and Roll Summer only plays occasionally around here, so next tim they perform I want you to promise me you'll go see them. Well, go see "him". It's really all about Wes.
First of the Gang to Die	Morrissey	I hate Morrissey. At least I did until I happened to see him perform this song on Letterman. It was so damn catchy I found myself tapping my toes (gasp!) as he strutted around in a priest's robe.
A Song For You	Donny Hathaway	I worked for the American Dance Festival for a number of years. I left on very good terms and continued to stay in touch with the staff. Whenever I saw Stephanie Reinhart, one of the co-directors of ADF, she would always tell me how much she loved listening to me on the radio. She had such motherly pride in her eyes when she saw me. Stephanie died of leukemia in 2002, and at her memorial service the always-amazing Ron Brown used this song to dance his tribute to her, There was not a dry eye in the house.
Political Science	Randy Newman	If I could do one thing to change the world, I would put Randy Newman in charge.
Hands on the Wheel	Willie Nelson	I wonder if you feel the same connection to Willie I do. His kind eyes, his modest grin... I think he is one of the most phenomenal, good-hearted celebrities this country has ever known. I would love to shake his hand someday.
Can't Stop Talking	Betty Hutton	Every week on Divaville I end the program with a Betty Hutton tune. I figured I'd better do the same here. This is one of my favorites. She's such a kook.