Mixtape: Signals by Kyle DeLash
Driving songs for driving in Los Angeles.
July’s mixtape comes from my good friend Kyle DeLash. Kyle is an impressive person. He is a drummer and has played in bands. He works in television and helps bring some of your kid’s favorite shows to air. And he’s forgotten more about professional wrestling than I’ll ever know about it. Plus, he’s lived in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, so he’s double cool.
But most importantly for us, Kyle has a great eye and a great ear. He’s an observer. And he’s not just aware of the world he inhabits, but genuinely in tune with it. He notices the things we’re all surrounded by that we tend not to notice. So the way he connects music with his surroundings should be no surprise. With Signals, it’s as if the songs and scenery are marbled together. And the scene, in this case, is Los Angeles.
Listen to Signals and read our discussion below.
Listen → Signals by Kyle DeLash
Tracklist:
“If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” - The 1975
“Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus” - The Strokes
“Die A Little” - The Night Game
“Expectations” - Katie Pruitt
“Dream Of Mickey Mantle” - Bleachers
“Face Towards The Sun” - The Maine
“Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” - The Killers
“Barbados” - Lizzy Farrall
“Far Away Truths” - Albert Hammond Jr
“For Now, Forever” - Augustana
“Gasoline” - HAIM
“Would It Kill You” - Young Mister
“I Don’t Really Care” - Mat Kearney
“Anna - From Exile” - The Menzingers
“Los Angeles” - The Midnight
GREEN BANANAS: Walk us through your mixtape!
KYLE DELASH: For my mixtape, I wanted to lean into contemporary songs and really look at songs that have come out in the last 10 years or so. The one theme throughout the mixtape is heavy synthesizers mixed with pop lyrics and some mellow music. The first song, “If You’re Too Shy”, is a throwback to 80s pop music. From there, it goes on a journey of pop/alternative music mixed with some slowed down songs. I’ve always enjoyed putting together a playlist or set list that takes the listener on a rollercoaster with loud, up beat songs mixed with slower more mellow songs.
When would you listen to this mix?
I would listen to this mix when you are driving at night around your town with the windows down on a cool summer night... Or, if you’re a new parent and don’t have the flexibility for a nighttime joyride, maybe throw on some CoComelon for the kids and enjoy Signals on your best headphones.
Was there any specific inspiration for this mixtape?
Living in Los Angeles, there is something very unique and special about driving around the city at night and looking at the different lights mixed with the silhouettes of mountains and palm trees. Whether it’s driving down Sunset Boulevard or through Laurel Canyon, it’s an experience that can’t be experienced anywhere else. Driving on these streets always got my creative muscles going and creating a mixtape to accompany that drive felt like a perfect fit.
Not surprised this is a driving mix. Despite the dynamic songs, there’s a persistent momentum to the mix as a whole. It starts fast and then each song just keeps churning forward. It’s as if they all have a spark of that same energy that “Born To Run” has. Was that a conscious consideration while making the mix?
I’m impressed that you picked up on that! I’ve always been a huge Bruce fan and the energy and attitude that are in his songs. It’s more of a subconscious thing where I love an upbeat song that also has different dynamics—which, I think, make you feel a song on a whole other level.
Well, I always bring up Springsteen, so really it’s just a sheer numbers game for me. But I bring him up here specifically because a lot of the songs on this mix touch on themes that Bruce writes about. It’s this idea of longing for something bigger and then going out to try and find it. Things are moving. People are going places. They’re restless. Thresholds are being crossed. Time is passing, fleeting even. The stakes aren’t life and death, but feelings are, in fact, being felt. And there is this great anticipation of... something. Did this just come together organically or was it intentional?
Music for me starts with the rhythm and composition of the song and what takes it to the next level for me is when the lyrics try to make sense of life, growing up, experiencing new and uncertain things. Bruce’s early music was trying to make sense of these things and had elements of angst and a desire to be more which I’m confident was an inspiration to a lot of these bands as well. I’ve always been a sucker for angsty music (shout out to 2000s pop punk music).
Oh yes, there is certainly a little fist-pumping energy here. So what was the first song you added to this mix?
The first song I added was “Los Angeles” by The Midnight.
Which is now the mixtape’s closer. Funny, I find that the first song I add to a mix has a very high tendency of ending up as the opening or closing track for some reason. Do you have the same experience?
Interesting to hear that—I would say it’s either the opener or closer. Playing in a band and putting together a setlist one of the best feelings was imagining the opening to the show and the close of the show and how you can make it more than just another song but make it an experience. “Los Angeles” to me is a very cinematic song and feels like it brings you home after this journey around town.
So what was your thought process on ending this mix? (I think you stuck the landing, by the way.) I’m just curious because there’s so much perpetual energy leading up to the end. And the songs don’t offer much finality either. They’re about going, moving, embarking. It presents no universal solutions, just a hunch that there might be some answers out there.
I appreciate it! My initial thought was how can I bring this train back into the station without causing a halting crash. It felt like a perfect ending to have The Menzingers, who are from Pennsylvania, sing about Philadelphia, my hometown, and lead into a song about Los Angeles, the place I’ve called home for the past four years.
What is your favorite moment on this mixtape? Not your favorite moment in a song on this mixtape, but your favorite moment on the mixtape.
Listening to Katie Pruitt sing her heart out going right into Jack Antonoff and Bleachers.
“Expectations” is really reminding me of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac for some reason (that is probably the vocal performance). And “Dreams” is, I find, one of the ultimate cruising songs (obviously), but also one of the greatest mixtape songs because you can almost slot it in at random anywhere on any mixtape and it would still fit. So kudos to you for keeping things fresh and not including it here.
Yes, I couldn’t agree more. “Dreams” is a great tune and the song itself takes you on a ride which is very similar to “Expectations”. From starting out musically as a mellow song to ending with an insane vocal. I also love the lyrics of “Expectations” and think they are words most everyone can relate to in their own way in 2021.
While we’re on the topic of excellent older driving music, I want to bring up Sheryl Crow, who was the queen of breezy Los Angeles driving music in her time. Is it just me or does HAIM’s “Gasoline” give you serious Sheryl Crow energy?
I would agree and that’s a great observation! The harmonies and airiness in “Gasoline” give that easy feeling and make you want to transport to a warm summer afternoon.
What were the last two songs that hit the cutting room floor, if any? And why didn’t they make it?
Two of the last songs were “Like We Did (Windows Down)” by The Maine and “Twenty Something” by Nightly. Both are songs about growing up and thematically I would have loved to put them in but I was going for a specific feel and rhythm to the mixtape and it was difficult to find a slot for each song.
So happy to hear some debut-era Killers on here. This band fascinates me for some reason. I recently spent basically an entire week listening to Hot Fuss. It has aged nicely. Tracks 2 through 5 are “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It,” “Somebody Told Me,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Is there a modern album with a stronger four-track run on it?
That’s so funny, just the other week I went down a YouTube rabbit hole watching old performances of The Killers and they are all epic. It’s really fascinating to me that The Killers, Coldplay, and Maroon 5 to some extent receive this backlash for being “lame” and “sell outs”. When I first listened to all of these bands in the early 2000s they were the alt bands that not many people listened to. Within a year or two that changed and these bands went on to become some of the biggest bands of the 2000s, but I think now it’s really impressive to see how they’ve all sustained in their own way and stayed relevant as well. I don’t think there is a modern album with a stronger four-track run, there are some good three song-runs but the scale of those songs is impressive. The Killers debut album in retrospect is extremely impressive.
And finally, any parting words? What are you working on now? Where can people find your work? And is there anything you want to plug?
I’m working on a lot of really exciting children’s shows right now. Check out CoComelon on Netflix, Blippi on Peacock or Hulu, and Little Baby Bum on HBO Max. They’re really inventive, educational, fun and worth your time if you’re a parent with young ones at home.
You can find me on Instagram or Twitter talking about music, sports or professional wrestling. In the spirit of shopping locally, I’d also like to give a shout out to a local Los Angeles business my friend started a few years back, Brady’s Bakery, after we worked together at Fremantle for a few years. They make some of the best cookies around (and they ship nationwide).
Thanks to Kyle for compiling these ice cold cruisers. Please enjoy them responsibly.
Also, consider this the official opening of the floor/discussion/debate in regard to whether any album released between 2000 and 2010 contains a stronger four-song run of hits than The Killers’ Hot Fuss.
Alumni Spotlight:
Dan Svizeny recently released a fifty song, nearly three-and-a-half long playlist called Summer Of Love 2 over on Weekend Guide.
Our pals over at Little Fish are now at Smorgasburg LA every Sunday! Check out their Green Bananas Mixtape here.
It’s still summertime and Woodward is still a great, big, cheesy mixtape for the summertime.
That’s all for July. Big things coming in August. Big things.
Stay safe. Stay sane.