Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer. I think he might have been our only decent teacher.

At the time I am writing this, I have 145.10G of music spanning 27,964 songs, 2,525 artists, and more genres than you can likely imagine. Even trying to group songs into the most general of categories seems like an insurmountable task. I've recently found myself throwing Alternative Rock on anything that takes more than ten seconds to sort and I feel a bit guilty about that. I've also found myself wondering just how specific I need to be- is this Breakcore or Noise Rock? Does anyone else even use these terms? What makes this song Punk and this one Punk? How do I categorize the new Bright Eyes album? He's always been Folk rock (right?) but this is more electronic (isn't it?). If the band is a well known Indie Rock band that recently signed to a major label but didn't change their style, should they still be filed under Indie Rock? Who actually cares? The answer always comes to me from the most unlikely of places; namely the most genre bending artist I can think of. When I find myself in genre trouble, Saint Joe Strummer comes to me speaking words of wisdom: "I'd like you to write 'Punk Rock Warlord' with Warlord being one word." You may or may not be familiar with Joe Strummer depending on your knowledge and interest in late 70s proto-punk bands. He was the lyricist, rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist, and co-founder of the English rock (?) band The Clash. He was also in a number of other groups pre and post-Clash including The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, and The Mescaleros. Throughout his participation in all of these bands, and even within single albums by any one of his bands, he blends genres so seamlessly into an album its as if they didn't exist in the first place. So rather than worry about genres, I put on The Clash or The Mescaleros and make peace with the fact that whatever I label it, it's music that I enjoy. That was yesterday. Today, I have another mixtape for you, dear readers.

St. Joe Strummer of England
http://www.mediafire.com/file/s894logvtr0m6od/%5BLIJ%5D%20Mixtape%20%236-%20St.%20Joe%20Strummer%20of%20England.rar

1) Intro
Just a little spoken word track. I'll let you enjoy this one for yourself.

2) Should I Stay or Should I Go?
The actual first track. I hate using terms like 'entry level' because I feel it gives a off a vibe of pretentiousness that I neither have or condone. For lack of a better word though, this is entry level Clash. You may have heard this song or a cover of it in a movie or on the radio. You may not have known it was a song by The Clash. Either way, it doesn't diminish its worth or quality, you're just more likely to have heard it. And now I vow to never use the term 'entry level' unironically ever again.

3) City of the Dead
City of the Dead is the B-Side to Complete Control, the first single from their self titled album. I found this track a while ago in a compilation of B-sides and unreleased material and it has become one of my favorite Clash songs; mostly for the line "Don't you know where to cop/That's what New York Johnny* said/You should get to know your town/Just like I know mine". Just struck a chord with me. I love Joe's writing.
*This is in reference to The New York Dolls' lead singer and guitarist Johnny Thunders.

4) Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad
This song wins the award for Most-Often-Stuck-In-My-Head-Out-of-Nowhere. I don't know what triggers it, but again and again I'll start humming it and it winds up stuck in my head. Give Em Enough Rope isn't even my favorite Clash album.

5) Coma Girl
This track is from Strummer's post-Clash work with his backing band The Mescaleros. There's something about this song that really gets to me- in a good way. It brings back nostalgic memories of a summer roadtrip that never actually happened. That's just the image I always get in my head. It's one of those songs that just makes me feel good (along with The Violent Femmes' Please Do Not Go, The Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want, The Pillows' Hybrid Rainbow, and several more in case you were wondering). It's definitely my favorite Mescaleros song.

6) Johnny Appleseed
This is another great Mescaleros song. It doesn't capture the same feelings I get from Coma Girl, but it comes close. The two Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros albums I have are great; the third, not so much (But that's just my take on it). All three are pretty different from most of his albums with The Clash; more folk-world-rockabilly sounding. Genres cannot contain this man.

7) Ramshackle Day Parade
Three Mescaleros tracks in a row? It's more likely than you think. Ramshackle Day Parade is a folk-rock ballad with an emphasis on the rock half of the equation. The beginning almost sounds like U2 but it slowly turns into a slow jam folk ballad with a choir in the background that gives it a world music feel.

8) The Card Cheat
This is probably The Clash's most layered song. Some people say its overproduced but I like it. Even if its a little busy in the background, I like the melody and how the piano interlocks with it. This is one of my old favorites from London Calling.

9) Trash City
Trash City is a track by Latino Rockabilly War, a band Strummer was in between The Clash and The Mescaleros. It's Rockabilly, a genre that for all intents and purposes is just punk-folk. Bonus points to Joe for using Kalamazoo in a song more than once.

10) Train In Vain
I'll talk about this more later in the month. Just know that it is my all time favorite Clash song.

11) Midnight Jam
Midnight Jam is another Mescalaros track. well, technically, it's just recordings of Strummer doing introductions to songs on his radio show over a slow jam. I thought it would be a good track to end on.

BT) In the Pouring Rain
Finally, your bonus track for this entry is an otherwise not recorded live track. It has some of my favorite Clash lyrics of all time, though they're hard to pick out in the recording. This one may take a few listens, but they're enjoyable listens so it all works out.

So in the words of the Hold Steady "Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer. I think he might have been our only decent teacher." Don't fear the genres.