Galactic Zoo Mix Tape Club

Last fall I joined the Galactic Zoo Mix Tape Club. As a club member, I get 6 mix tapes over the course of a year. Last week number 2 showed up and, like number 1, it was full of crazy unknown garage bands, wobbly pop folk wonders, lo-fi space jams and all kinds of crazy sounds from the 60's and 70's. On this recent tape I only recognized two songs: "Who Dat?" by The Jury (which I have on an obscure compilation) and "Ramblin Gamblin' Man" by the Bob Seger Sound System (yes, that Bob Seger).

Plastic Crimewave (also known as Steve Krakow) is the man behind the tapes. He of course has a band (Plastic Crimewave Sound), writes and illustrates an art/music zine called Galactic Zoo Dossier, and curated the Two Million Tongues festival in Chicago.

Another Galactic Zoo Mix Tape Club membership benefit is a copy of the club's Manifesto, which is a really cool musing on the culture and experience of the mix tape. Thurston Moore got some mileage from praising the mix tape in his book but why would you read a book about mix tapes when you could join the Galactic Zoo Mix Tape Club and get actual mix tapes. Six of them!