The Mix-Tape Ten: Jared Cheek and Mike Cosper

Today we've got two gentleman that I very much respect. They are both music folks who also happen to be pretty cool guys during the day. Everybody put your hands together for Jared Cheek and Mike Cosper!

Jared Cheek is a man about town...as long as you're talking about the town of Bloominton, Indiana which is fast making its way to the top of the charts as one of the coolest cities in America. He is 20% of the indie-rock supergroup Prayer Breakfast and is the Warehouse Manager for Secretly Canadian Distribution which has slung records by folks like Richard Swift, Antony and the Johnsons, and Danielson. He's an all-around good dude with one of the best music tastes this side of heaven. Here's a Top 10 list from one of the coolest guys around.




My Top 10 Favorite Songs by Jared Cheek


#1 "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell from the album Wichita Lineman
Written by Jimmy Webb, one of my favorite songwriters ever, this song makes me want to cry sometimes. It is so beautiful and true and perfect that I could listen to it on repeat for about ten years.




#2 "Let's Go Away For Awhile" - The Beach Boys from the album Pet Sounds

One of two instrumentals on Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson said that this was the most satisfying piece of music that he ever made. And it's just about the most satisfying thing to listen to as well. This song is probably subtly playing on a continuous loop in heaven.



#3 "On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean" - John Fahey from the album The Transfiguration Of Blind Joe Death

Interesting, emotive fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar without letting the fingers get too busy for their own good. This song is on "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death", which is a good place to start in the John Fahey catalog.




#4 "Powderfinger" - Neil Young from the album Rust Never Sleeps

Look out, mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river with a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail. I think you'd better call John because it don't look like they're here to deliver the mail. Shelter me from the powder and the finger. Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger. Think of me as one you'd never figured would fade away so young with so much left undone. Remember me to my love. I know I'll miss her!


#5 "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes I think was originally just issued as a single....I have it on the box set Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969)

This song rules!




#6 "West Palm Beach" - Palace Music from the album Lost Blues And Other Songs

Gosh, I enjoy pretty much everything that Will Oldham does. I like the way this song makes me feel.





#7 "He Turned The Water Into Wine (parts 1 through 4)" - Johnny Cash from the album The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus Told and Sung by Johnny Cash

I trust Johnny Cash and I like hearing him sing about Jesus. This is from the movie he made about Jesus called The Gospel Road.




#8 "What A Fool Believes" - The Doobie Brothers from the album Minute By Minute

I'm not trying to be funny or ironic when I say that I thoroughly enjoy listening to this. It's a wonderful pop song.





#9 "Something Big" - Burt Bacharach from the album Living Together

This song is from the "Living Together" album, which isn't really as good as albums like "Reach Out", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "Burt Bacharach", etc., but it has a few really spectacular tunes like this one.
"Why do I go on and fill my life with little things when there are big things I must do and lots of dreams that really should come true before I'm through? There'll be joy and there'll be laughter. Something big is what I'm after now. After taking, take up giving. Something big is what I'm living for. Yes, its what Im living for."


#10 Theme From "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith Orchestra from the album A Summer Place Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This song stayed at the top of the charts longer than any other instrumental song ever. Sometimes I wish I lived in the late nineteen fifties/early nineteen sixties.
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Mike Cosper is one of the most scorching guitar players I've ever seen or heard. He's got such control over his playing and hits each note with such ferocity that it sounds like he sets each one on fire. He can also play it cool and highlight what's around him, but I like it best when he burns down the house. When he's not playing with fire, he's playing with fire as a pastor over at Sojourn Church in Louisville. You've heard him though doing session work for dudes like Jamie Barnes, Bill Mallonee, Peter Searcy and others and he's got a huge affinity for the Great American Fender Telecaster- the true symbol of Americana. Here he gives us his Top 10 Telecaster Songs (a good mix to listen to when reading It Still Moves by Amanda Petrusich).


The Top 10 Fender Telecaster Songs by Mike Cosper

1. Jimmy Bryant - Limehouse Blues (The standard by which all teles are judged.)







2. Roy Buchanan - Sweet Dreams from Roy Buchanan








3. Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick (Yep, that's a Tele, in fact all of Led Zeppelin II was a tele)







4. Bill Frisell - Blues for Los Angeles (from East-West)








5. Roy Nichols - Mama Tried - from Merle Haggard's Okie from Muskogee








6.Brent Mason - My Life's Been a Pleasure (from Last of the Breed, by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price)







7. Jim Campilongo - Monkey in a Movie - from Heaven is creepy








8. Radiohead (Johnny Greenwood) - Just - from the Bends








9. Bill Frisell - Pretty Stars Were Made to Shine - Blues Dream








10. Brent Mason - Limehouse Blues - from Smokin' Section







Worth mentioning - if you haven't got The Little Willies, an old-school country record featuring Norah Jones and Jim Campilongo, you MUST. All 15 tracks could arguably be mentioned above. Campilongo is the crazed twisted tele master these days.