Monday Mixtape: Heather Jewett

"I tend to listen to the same songs from at least 14 years ago over and over. BUT I regret to inform you, lately I’ve been finding some bops via Instagram reels :( "

Monday Mixtape is another path towards music discovery, featuring people whose taste I admire answering a series of questions and prompts with songs (which might change from time to time).

Heather Jewett is a musician, writer, comedienne (you heard me), podcaster, and soundboard auteur. Her podcast Planet Heather regularly makes me cramp up with laughter and I find myself reacting to real life situations with particular phrases from her incredibly rich and poignant sound board (what IS popping Dr. Phil?). She is a founding member of seminal electroclash (are we just saying “indie sleaze” now like that’s a thing because I give up) outfit Gravy Train!!! and recently debuted her new music project Heathers, including the god-tier disco-y earworm of a banger “Jealous”, which is definitely one of my songs of the summer even though I am of course not jealous of anyone as my spirit is tranquil and god fills my cup daily and I want for nothing (certainly not a new neck or pink satin Versace pumps or a single day without the wet cold blanket of existential dread draped over my shoulders).

You can catch Heather and her band the Hot Guys in Oakland opening for Josie Cotton this Friday, July 17th at Eli’s Mile High Club as part of the excellent Mosswood Meltdown Festival (hosted by John Waters!!). Get tickets here.

Heather has excellent, exquisite, and often surprising taste in music (I think she might be one of the world’s foremost Aerosmith lovers) so of course I had to ask her to contribute a Monday Mixtape:

photo by Dev Bowman

Heather Jewett
Pisces Sun, Taurus Moon, Capricorn Rising
Los Fefe, California

How do you find/discover music?

To quote Dan Allegretto, new music scares me. I tend to listen to the same songs from at least 14 years ago over and over. BUT I regret to inform you, lately I’ve been finding some bops via Instagram reels :( It’ll be a 12-year-old girl doing therapy-speak about “avoidant attachment styles” with 50k likes and in the background she’s bumping some compelling “new music” that I then somberly add to my Spotify favorites. :(

What was the first song you put on when you woke up this morning?

“White Freckles” by Ariel Pink. I can’t get enough — it’s both the most euphoric AND annoying song to have in your head all day. “FRECKLES, FRECKLES, WHERE’D YOU GET THOSE FRECKLES?!?!” is a lyric I long to have written.

What song have you listened to more than once this past week?

“Astronaut” by Versus, “Coffin Nails” by MF Doom, “Stratford-on-Guy” by Liz Phair, and a lot more Ariel Pink (lock me up) especially “Fright Night,” “Lipstick,” and “Beverly Kills.”

What is a recent song you think everyone should know about?

I love “What Love is 4” by my House of Feelings label mate, Pisha! It’s very Goldfrapp-coded. Also, a NOT recent song I’d love for everyone to discover is “Your Love Been So Good to Me” by Ruth Copeland. It’s the 70’s woman banger that should have been as big as “White Rabbit” or “Barracuda” but the good news is it’s finally available on streaming — RUN DON’T WALK.

A song off your workout playlist:

I have two workout playlists: “Stripper Metal Workout” and “Beastmode Workout Crusher.” A standout from the former is “Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)” by W.A.S.P., which I consider to be the greatest hair metal song of all time. A staple from the other playlist is “I Can’t Get No Sleep” by Masters at Work — slow burn house diva heaven with a big finish that will CRUSH your PR (that’s “personal record” folx, I’m a bit of an athlete)!!!!

Do you listen to a song before you go on stage to get in the zone? What song?

“I Love Sex (And Rock and Roll)” by The Plasmatics is so empowering in terms of stage presence. Also, at one of Gravy Train!!!’s reunion shows, Kate Mosher-Hall DJ’d “Tangerine Rose” by Angelyne right before we went onstage and it was so soothing, sensual and perfect… so that’s also on the playlist now!

What song can you do at karaoke without looking at the tv screens?

Well I bodied “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith at Sam Buck’s local KFM Country Karaoke Night, which was a huge accomplishment because it’s SO hard. I practiced for weeks and flopped every time, but I didn’t miss any words when I actually got onstage. Is there a division of the Nobel Peace Prize or even just the MacArthur Genius Grant that awards this kind of thing??

Song you associate with being 13 years old:

Oh my God, well it was 1994, my PEAK year of music obsession and alt rock excellence, I mean Live Through This came out and sooo many others… but if I had to pick 3 (not what you asked) that really feel like time travel, I’ll say “Your Favorite Thing” by Sugar, “Interstate Love Song” by Stone Temple Pilots, and “Low” by Cracker (ed note: DEF had this cassingle and bumped the fuck out of it).

What song do you listen to when you want a lobotomy?

“Love Gun” by KISS or “Horny” by Hot n’ Juicy… any song about sex from a simple, dog-like perspective.

What song do you use to indulge your wallowing?

Gracie Abrams “That’s So True” lol, “Cherish” by the Association, “Little Earthquakes” by Tori Amos, and above all, “Recording 15” by Shannon Lay, who has been my dear friend for over a decade and is now playing bass in my live band, Heather and the Hot Guys… in which her backup vocals have ALSO made me cry. If you come see us, you better bring a damn hanky!!!

What song do you use to renew your spirit?

“Needle in the Camel’s Eye” by Brian Eno, “Cherub Rock” by Smashing Pumpkins (best alt rock song of the 90’s imho), “Head On” by Jesus and Mary Chain, “6’1”“ by Liz Phair, “Catch Me I’m Falling” by Pretty Poison, “Thunderkiss ‘65” by White Zombie (the OTHER best song of the 90’s… don’t @ me!!!)

What is your favorite cover song?

“Burnin’ Up” by Mike Watt/Sonic Youth or Ciccone Youth or whatever covering Madonna!!! It’s so raw, menacing, and sexual, but you can really hear the warm California sun in it too, San Pedro to be exact!! I keep waiting for another cover to eclipse this and it just hasn’t happened, BUT I also love “Nights in White Satin” by Giorgio Moroder (Moody Blues), The Gories “There But for the Grace of God Go I” (a primal, stripped down tin shack version of an obscure disco song by Machine), and “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” by Aerosmith (Shangri-La’s).

What song would you like to hear just before you die?

Carmina Burana “O Fortuna.” I’ve been stomping along to it on my little rage-walks around Los Fefe… really hits the spot when you’re craving drama and wanting to feel like your life is a movie. Since death is the ultimate main character moment, I think it would really help me go out with a bang!

All of the songs on Heather’s Monday Mixtape live HERE