Keith Doughty discusses songs, albums and artists that are unappreciated, unknown, and/or unfairly-maligned by the general public. This is Hidden Tracks.

Radiohead - "Cuttooth"

I don't know why I feel so tongue-tied;
I don't know why I feel so skinned alive.

While not as currently popular as they were in the late 1990s/early 00s heyday, Radiohead is still one of the biggest bands in the world. They are clearly not unappreciated nor are they unknown. Yet there is still a wealth of good-to-great Radiohead material that the average listener doesn’t know about. Like many bands, Radiohead frequently releases completed songs that didn’t make the final cut of their albums as b-sides on EPs and singles. However, unlike many bands, Radiohead’s b-sides can actually be quite good. This is particularly true of the b-sides off of OK Computer and Amnesiac. Clearly, Radiohead was in peak form during this time period because many of these b-sides hold their own against the album tracks.

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Mash-Ups are the information age's version of ready-mades. The rediscovery and repurposing of the familiar and culturally ingrained not only is a fun juxtaposition that requires a keen ear and real talent, but it also reveals the underlying unity found across all mediums. When done right, songs recorded in different eras, countries and genres are seamlessly integrated with each other to produce one new piece of music that is altogether unique and accessible to all.

The most famous of this new brand of synthesis artists is probably Girl Talk. But whatever, that dude has a movie about him - he doesn't need any more publicity. So fuck him.

The mash-up artist that I really love more than anyone else, though, has to be Mark Vidler a/k/a Go Home Productions. The British DJ takes a handful of songs and creates a sustained hybrid that fuses these multiple threads into one new song perfectly. There are recurring themes throughout one song and he uses the disaparate element to evoke a particular emotional response. That's an incredibly nerdy way of saying that he makes awesome songs out of other songs (even ones that are not so good).  Here are my 7 favorite mash-ups by Go Home Productions.  All of these songs are available to download at his site for free, so be sure to check them out. Enjoy!

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Song: "True Love Waits" by Radiohead

Event: College.  Yes, ALL of college.

"True Love Waits" was the perennial b-side for Radiohead fans.  Performed live for many years, the achingly depressing song of a misspent existence wouldn't be officially released until the I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings EP in 2001.  (Yes, nerds - it was available on various bonus discs in various other countries, but you know the point I'm trying to make)  The song tends to be performed acoustically (as above) and is a much more stripped down number without all of the various production trickeries of Jonny Greenwood that Radiohead has employed since 1995's The Bends.

And when I hear the song, besides noting how heartbreakingly sad and perfect it is, I think of days full of naps, marijuana smoke, bullshit conversations and extensive philosophy readings.  In short, I think of college.

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