The Top 25 Tracks of 2013: 1-10

Alright here we go. 10 to 1. 0 to 60.  Back to front. Moms and dads. 

(Again not all of these were on Spotify so you'll have to click the links for the ones in blue.)

• 10. Nils Frahm - Says - Brian Eno's Big Ship used to be my go-to for huge, epic sounding ambient that made any normal day seem like the last hours you would spend on Earth. Now Says has taken the torch on that one.

• 9. Close - My Way ft. Joe Dukie - Simple, short, and sweet. You don't need flashy effects when the core elements already sound so good. This one was on repeat for weeks.

• 8. Darkside – Golden Arrow - Darkside is Nicolas Jaar's new project with his friend Dave on guitar. Jaar is a master of dynamics and uncommon builds. Add in some choice guitar licks and you have one juicy piece of music. Let this one fill up the room. The video is pretty badass too.
• 7. Tessela - Nancy’s Pantry - This one is unruly.  It sounds like nothing else in 2013.  It feels underground in that it is so different from your typical dance music formula and yet it is eminently danceable.  I see it being an anthem to a huge basement party for the Occupy crowd.
• 6. Foxygen – No Destruction - Sure you could track down and buy a bunch of exquisite vintage gear and hire some knowledgeable producer to record your would-be 60's psychedelic album, but at some point you'd need to play those instruments and make real music. What sets Foxygen apart is their ability to master both - the music and the sound. If someone played this for me blind I would not be surprised at all if they said it was recorded in '68. This is really a placeholder for the whole album, No Destruction is just one of the more fun, whacky tracks off of it.
• 5. Disclosure – Help Me Lose My Mind ft. London Grammar - I'm not one for singing along to songs, but your better believe I was testing out the pipes on this one.
• 4. Dirty Projectors – Socialites (Joe Goddard Remix) - Joe Goddard consistently puts together well-rounded tracks that make you want to play them over and over. The muted intro and steady build made this one my go-to for leaving the office and re-entering the madness that is New York City.
• 3. Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal - Hopkins has spent most of his career creating moody, ambient albums rather than dance music and you can tell. The songs on Immunity are long explorations into simple grooves that are in no rush to pull any gimmicky bass drops or cameo appearances. They kind of just grab you by the ears and say, 'hey look at this.' That being said, there is a lot of energy here and the album is a ton of fun to listen to while you yourself are in motion - on the train, running, biking whatever. Open Eye Signal captures that well and made a lot of Best Of lists as a result.
• 2. Jim James – State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U) - This song came out around the time New York was dealing with the reality of Hurricane Sandy's devastation. It was insane. Everywhere below 39th St. in Manhattan, which might as well be the center of the modern universe, was dark - unable to function. ("I mean it, the powers goin out). People lost so much: TVs, rugs, whole homes, tragically even fellow family members. When you go through something that traumatic it makes you more grateful for the things that truly matter in life. You start to question all the things that you thought were important ("state of the art technology, supposed to make for better living"). What does it give us anyway? ("Are we better human beings?"). State of the Art felt like someone pulling back the curtains reminding us that we are merely human despite our best efforts to distract ourselves into thinking we are more.

• 1. Rhye - Open - This one speaks for itself.

Thanks for reading folks. Godspeed in 2014.

image: forgotten-hopes

The Top 25 Tracks of 2013: 11-25

This blog was never designed to be a music news blog, but if I don't post my favorite tracks from 2013 as a compilation then they will never get posted in a soundtrack-style playlist at all.  So without further ado, here are my Top 25 Tracks of 2013 - the songs that rose above the noise, pushed boundaries, and made me excited about music again.

(Not all of these were on Spotify so you'll have to click the links for the ones in blue.)

• 11. Bibio – A Tout A L’Heure - Bibio has always had a great texture to his music, but it wasn't until A Tout A L'Heure that he managed bring excellent vocals into the mix. This one is going to make every vacation playlist I make from here on out.
• 12. Phosphorescent - The Quotidian Beasts - Call me crazy for not putting Song for Zula in this slot, but Quotidian is really the one on this album that does it for me. The guitar line that holds it all together, filled with attitude and experience, is one that doesn't happen so often in music nowadays. It's an ambitious tune and even Phosphorescent barely has the years under their belt to pull it off... but they do... and it's awesome.
• 13. Blondes - Andrew - Swisher was my favorite electronic album of the year, because it was made for the club, but could easily be dissected by a group of intellectuals over a bottle of wine. Andrew is representative of Blondes' slick attitude and knack for the adventurous. DJs use this to separate the early stage of the night from gametime. You're not messing around when you throw this on.
• 14. Juana Molina - Eras - The guitar here really reminds me of early Radiohead and I love it.
• 15. Sophie - Blipp - Imagine a DJ dropping this in the middle of a house set? Everyone would lose it. It's so different, but immediately likeable. I imagine people absolutely breaking it down, kind of like the dance scene in Two Lovers.
• 16. Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener - Talk about a head trip. It's rare to find a song where the vibe between the lyrics and the instruments meet up so well. Barnett pulls off the straightforward indifference to her own anxiety problems so well that someone should probably call a doctor.
• 17. Toro y Moi – Rose Quartz - the best build of the year.
• 18. Burial – Rival Dealer - Just before the end of the year Burial released the Rival Dealer EP composed of three cinematic tracks that surprised pretty much everyone for their dramatic departure from his slow, sparse dubstep history. Hiders is a close second here, but Dealer wins, because it drops a relentless jungle beat out of nowhere. Not only is it a surprise in the song itself, but in the context of Burial's career no one saw that coming. So to hear it for the first time was truly mindblowing.
• 19. Daft Punk - Doin’ It Right ft. Panda Bear - Who knew Panda Bear and Daft Punk would sound so good together? Random Access Memories is cool in that before Daft Punk would just sample a vocal like this, but here they actually collaborated on new material with leading musicians from a couple different genres and eras. Kind of refreshing in the age of digital everything.
• 20. Almunia - Wrapped In Your Hair - My new favorite roadtrip album. The guitar line around 3 minutes gets me every time.
• 21. Motor City Drum Ensemble - Send A Prayer pt. 2 - throw it on some good speakers and pour yourself a drink.  What a good track to play in the middle of a classy party. Just people floating around from room to room checking out the scene. Sheesh. The double bass beat is so damn confident it’s sexy.
• 22. White Denim - Pretty Green - Sometimes I feel like new indie bands hide behind their trendy lo-fi fuzz effects, too afraid to play it to us straight.  Not White Denim.  They want you to hear what’s going on and that is a very good thing, because these guys have serious chops. 
• 23. CFCF - Beyond Light - The Last of the Mohicans meets Mission to Mars.
• 24. Eluvium - Rain Gently - Rain Gently is Eluvium doing what he does best, slowly creating introspective atmospheres that start out as songs and evolve into something much more.  It’s the sound of you having an epiphany. The title is downright corny though.
• 25. Finnebasen - Bella - You’re driving your red 1969 Ford Mustang Boss through the Nevada desert at night.  It was hard to leave but you had to.  Things would have never worked out between you two.  Have you really been driving all night? I guess so... the sun is about to come up.

1-10 will be posted later this week.

image: Fedrigoni Woodstock

It's Summer Y'all

Here's some breezy tunes for a do-nothing weekend.

1. Chilly Gonzalez - Kenaston
2. White Denim - River to Consider
3. Foxygen - No Destruction
   Started out as a joke band - then they got good... like really good.
4. Generationals - Put a Light On
   You've heard it by now, but it's still worth a listen.
5. Toro y Moi - Rose Quartz
   The best song off of TM's latest album. A real creeper.
6. Airbird & Napolian - In the Zone
7. Tourist - Your Girl
   This kid has serious talent.
8. Gabrielle Aplin - Home (umami & Alle Farben Remix)
   We're not there yet, but we'll get there.
9. Tanlines - Yes Way
10. Andrew Ashong - Flowers 
    Big weekend morning jam.
11. Au - RR vs. D.
    Nonsensical vibe + upbeat bells = summer jam
12. Mark Maguire - Get Lost

 

image: mason_mashon on instagram

Getting It Right

This is for those times when you come home from work, throw your keys on the table
and know you've just put in a good days work.  It is full of front porch guitar, positive rock, and retrospective folk.  This is not the mix you put on when you build the log cabin.
This is the mix you put on when you want to remember building it.

Keep it simple, friends.

1. Leo Kottke - Part Two
2. Tallest Man On Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone
3. The Head and the Heart - Lost in My Mind
   Can't argue with these harmonies.
4. Alt-J - Something Good
5. Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
   Try listening to this while walking down the street without smiling.
6. ALO - Blew Out the Walls
   Those big chords in the middle will shake up your day.
7. Broken Social Scene - Meet Me in the Basement
8. Megafaun - Heretofore
9. Jack Johnson - Enemy (Worst Friends Light Leak Remix)
10. John Renbourn - I Know My Babe
11. Mark-Almond - Friends

image: theyardpdx.tumblr.com

Lost in Summer

This is a reserved summery-slowjam playlist that goes well
with mornings, latenight bonfires, and a cerveza. 

Sorry for the lack of blog activity. 
Who would’ve thought your free time becomes
limited once you land a real job??

1. Brian Briggs – Aeo (Pts 1 and 2)
   Welcome to what is quite possible the best morning song: it creeps in gently, it is light and fun-loving, it has a repetitive rhythm… it makes you coffee.
2. Patrick Lee – Hovercraft Song 
   Just uncovered this older Patrick Lee jam.  Some of his hip-hop pieces are too glitchy for me. He is best when he keeps it straightforward and simple.  This is the getting out of work on payday jam.
3. Sorcerer – Cobra Coven
   Taking it back to Miami.
4. Sandro Perri – Changes
   Changes wins the award for the most unexpected song twist.  The chromatic breakdown in the middle surprisingly doesn’t sound out of place.  Thanks to Jack for the suggestion.
5. Umberto Tozzi – Dummi Di No (Nassau Poste80 Edit)
   If I ever landed a sweet job in the 80’s I would put this on as I exited the elevator.
6. Steely Dan – Peg
   Couldn’t resist…
7.  Sailcat – Motorcyle Mama
   You can’t listen to this without clearing the sweat off your brow with a cold Sol.
8. The War on Drugs – Taking the Farm
   TWOD are the band of the year for me (although technically Slave Ambient came out in 2011).  You could argue that a lot of their songs sound the same, but I love that sound.  As Johnny put it, “It’s like driving a red convertible in the desert while smoking a cigarette.”
9. Marco Benevento – You Must Be a Lion
   Sorry to bring you down, but I have been wanting to post this track for awhile now.  Something about it reminds me of the feeling you get when you know you are growing up.  The outro is incredible.  By the way he is playing a free show at the City Winery on July 10^th if anyone is interested.
10. AA Bondy – No Man Shall
    AA Bondy used to front a punk band. His most recent work is all acoustic, but no less punk in spirit.  Really great for night walks. 
11. The Books – There Is No There
    If I had any say I would’ve picked this song for this Oregon timelapse video – especially for the night sequences.
12. Damian Jurado – Cloudy Shoes
    Big thanks to BK for introducing me to Damian Jurado through this Berrics skate video.  Can music get any more introspective?
13. Jeff Tweedy – Sunken Treasure (live)
    Just give it a listen – preferably with no one else around.  Thanks to Hazlett for recommending the Live in the Pacific Northwest album, which is fantastic.

image: Oh Pioneer

Happy Friday

 

Here's just a couple feel good tunes to remind us all to not take ourselves too seriously.
Have a good weekend everyone!

1. Tanlines - Reinfo
   I couldn't wait until summer to post this.  A fan just sent this video to the band and they turned it into their official video.  Sound like nice guys.
2. Tourist - Placid Lake
   What a great kickstart to a weekend.  You're feeling a little tired, a little beaten down from the work week and then BAM you remember how fun weekends can be.
   
3. Faith Evans - Love Like This Before (B+S Edit)
   I don't find something like this too often.  It has some real rhythmic attitude, but gels perfectly with dance vocals.  This is more than an choppyy edit.  This is a whole new song. Nice work.
4. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
   A clever use of the bounce.
5. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Moplen Remix)
   
   Just for fun.
 

image: sezio

Like Riding a Bike

 

For those of us who like a good bicycle ride.

Originally made for my brother's morning commute,

this has equal parts motivation, fun and patience.

1. Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - Shake It Out
   Throw some gear in your backpack or basket and let's go...
2. Amadou & Mariam - Dougou Badia (ft. Santigold)
   Best played loud.
3. Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It
4. Buddy Holly - Slipping and Sliding (Jacques Renault Remix)
   The part of urban biking that gets me is the feeling of gracefully sliding in between the immobile skyscrapers and slow pedestrians.  It's like you've discovered a better way to travel and everyone else is still asleep.  It's fun to cruise around, look up at the buildings and see how the daylight changes from street to street.  These next three songs go well with that feeling of awe.
5. Air Waves - Knockout
6. Flume - Sleepless (feat. Anthony for Cleopatra)
   At first this will sound like just another instrumental hip hop track, but the tension and build up lead to an all-encompassing outro where vocal samples are coming from all angles.  Great stuff.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dance, Dance, Dance
   Yeah that's right, I put a Chili Peppers song on this playlist.  I wouldn't normally put this much bubblegum on the blog, but I happen to put this on when I was biking home from Mt. Tabor at sunset and it just FIT.  Best going downhill so you can feel the wind on your face.
8. SBTRKT - Pharaohs
   Somehow London's Aaron Jerome managed to squeeze two of the most fun tracks of 2011 on his selftitled album.  I almost didn't put it on here, because I didn't want anyone dancing so hard they don't notice that truck heading right for them.  You're on your own.
9. High Contrast - Racing Green
   Now you're not going to want to listen to this when it starts, but give it time and you'll soon be cutting off taxis running red lights.  The genius of High Contrast is that he hooks you with emotion rather than aggression like most Drum 'n Bass artists. He almost tricks you into becoming a DnB fan.
10. The Winstons - Amen, Brother
    When you get hired as a bike messenger they give you a Walkman
    with Amen, Brother and Sea Groove on it.
11. Big Boss Man - Sea Groove
12. Youth Lagoon - Daydream
    How can you have a bad day and listen to this song?  Man I feel like I just had a picnic with my sweetheart and now we're biking home in tweed on a Saturday in June.  Sheesh.
13. LCD Soundsystem - All I Want
    For those long rides alone.

 
Links
------------
Interview with Brendt Barbur, Founder of the Bicycle Film Fest
NYC to get largest bike-share effort in the country
Copenhagenize (pre-eminent bike blog)
Support NYC Bike Efforts
Reasons to bike to work
Bowery Lane Bicycles
Extraordinary Paths
NYC Bike Maps

Friends can message me for a download.

image: Design Sponge and Regular Basis

Design Will Save the World

"Architecture in general is frozen music"
-Friedrich von Schelling

A combination of design theory, IDM and sampled piano lead to one crisp, emotive playlist.
I recommend browsing some of the amazing shots at archdaily , ISO50 or Wanken while this plays out.

1. Swod - Hellerau
   I have been waiting for a track like this for a long time.  Someone who samples a grand piano and rearranges it into something of a hybrid.  I imagine this is what architects listen to when they draw up blueprints.
2. 3iO - Eple (Royksopp cover)
   3iO is a jazz trio that covers popular electronic tracks. It doesn't always work but the minimal style really plays well on Eple.
3. Gold Panda - Back Home
   Gold Panda has been a favorite of mine for awhile, but I have been waiting for the right mix to share his style.  Back Home has that driving energy that fits right in on train rides.
4. The Field - Silent
   I had the opportunity to see the Swede play recently and it was a real treat.  To me, it sounds like he creates drawn out soundtracks to those fleeting moments in life that make you feel like you're truly alive.  They all require patience, but once they sink in you are in love with the guy.
5. The Foreign Exchange - Happiness
   The Foreign Exchange have a Postal Service-esque story where a producer sends beats online to an MC and occassionally sparks fly.  I'm just happy someone is carrying the torch from Nujabes.
6. Bibio - Kaini Industries (Boards of Canada cover)

image: ArchDaily

Happy Weekend

   
Here are some gems that I couldn't wait to share. 
They work well with a giddy weekend vibe.

1. Tycho - A Walk
   Tycho released his much anticipated new album Dive this month.  With these seven new tracks (and three re-releases) Scott Hansen breathes new life into his sun-drenched, Northern California wonderland.  You can't say this sound comes from the Haight & Ashbury 60's, because it's far too optimistic and perfect to be rooted in reality.  It's more like the soundtrack to your memories of a perfect day on the Mendocino coast.  I love a good album opener and A Walk delivers.  This is the best intro I've heard since the Secret Machines'   Alone, Jealous and Stoned.
2. Real Estate - It's Real
   The new surf rock of New Jersey's Real Estate returned this month with Days.  RE really gets me, because you can listen to their whole albums straight through and then easily decide to do it again.  I wish they had released Days on tape so it could be that album that never left my car's tape deck player - a perfect go-to that is creative and laid-back but not without it's sing-a-longs (see It's Real).
3. Os Mutantes - Bat Macumba
   The next time I come back from a particularly fruitful banana picking adventure, I'm going to load up my old wheelbarrow and throw this on.  The bass sounds like a rubber band.
4. Daphni - Yes, I Know
   I could never really get into Caribou, but Daniel Victor Snaith's side project, Daphni, has my full attention.  Snaith picks his samples wisely: a soulful chorus, native chants and tribal drummings - then he arranges and tweaks them in the true Caribou fashion to make an utterly timeless piece of music that is as much for your body as it is for you head.

 

Heathered Pearls Mix

Heres a mix to thrown on the next time you put the Millennium Falcon on autopilot and smoke a jay with your co-pilot.  It's a daytime disco breakdown to help you space out and tune up. 
I've also found it to be great for late night biking.

via Jakub/Heathered Pearls from ISO50

Tracklist

Boards Of Canada – Ithcus Sound
Ikons – Honey (Coyote rmx)
Woolfy vs. Projections – Isabella
Tornado Wallace – Swimmin’
Worst Friends – Ski Hive
Clashing Egos – Aminjig Nebere (Joakim’s afrobot mix)
Motor City Drum Ensemble – Raw Cuts #6
Studio – Life’s A Beach (Todd Terje beach house mix)
Sourya – Anatomy Domine (Prince Language mix)
Blackjoy – Moustache (Prins Thomas diskomiks)
Tiger & Woods – Deflowered
Spoon – Don’t You Evah (Matthew Dear mix)
Seth Troxler – Aphrika
John Selway – Shake The Snow
18 Carat Affair – I Wanna Love You

 
You can download this mix by clicking the arrow on the right.

image: io9.com

MFNW - Day Two

The global sounds of Little Dragon.

Thursday
Sun Angle @ Holocene

Little Dragon
Unkown Mortal Orchestra
@ The Hawthorne Theater

Thursday started out at a relatively empty Holocene with some noisy bursts of energy from Sun Angle.  Noise rock was never my thing, but you get the feeling that this trio is on to something.  With a well known DJ on bass (Copy) and a quirky drummer with enough energy to power a small car you feel compelled to do a little dancing.  That gets lost in the rough distortion and feedback from synths and guitars, but hey, maybe it's an intellectual thing.

After reaching the conclusion that Little Dragon was not to be missed I decide to head to the Hawthorne Theater early.  It doesn't hurt that opener Unknown Mortal Orchestra had been compared to Led Zeppelin and Big Audio Dynamite.  Packing into the back room of the Theater, it was evident that something was in the air.  A noticeably more vibrant crowd had come out to get down.  UMO lived up to the Zeppelin reference with big funk rock drum beats and loaded bass lines.  Ruban Nielson knows how to write a vocal hook.  It sounded like white people's response to hip hop - still playing rock instruments but with a goofball attitude and fun vocals.  It doesn't surprise me that they have opened for Toro y Moi.
  But the real treat of the night was Little Dragon.  Having heard a few mellow remixes I wasn't quite sure what I was in for, but was intrigued by an "electro-soul" tagline that someone had given them. Hearing that they were from Sweden sealed the deal.  If there's one thing I've learned it's that the Swedes know how to make good music. 
   They came out in typical rockstar fashion, one at a time, layering their individual sound on top of one another - it doesn't make sense at first but once they're all moving you realize the submarine has left the dock.  I can really appreciate the hybrid dance bands that are creeping up, because I often get bored with the extremes - authentic rock bands and straight 4/4 DJs.  Bands like Little Dragon take a little bit from both and manage to put on a great show.  They played two 10 minute percussion-driven jams that scared away the straight-edge crowd, but brought everyone else that much closer to ecstasy.  This was the most animated I have ever seen a crowd of people in Portland - we're pretty reserved here.  But people were screaming at almost every change in the music and masses were grooving.  It's been awhile since I've seen good dance music so this might be commonplace, but I doubt it.

The show ended shortly before midnight and while everyone was pulling themselves together in the sweaty exit hallway I had my eyes on Phantogram at the Doug Fir.  Apparently there are a lot of "pysche pulse" fans in Portland because the line was around the block even after they started playing.  I decided that latenight hypnosis was best served on a weekend so I hit the road.

Sun Angle - Vague Light



Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Thought Ballune
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can You Luv Me
Little Dragon -Ritual Union
Phantogram -Mouthful of Diamonds

Unkown Mortal Orchestra brings the New Zealand brand of psychedelic funk

Little Dragon gets weird.

Images: stereogum, Hannah Gregg, Noel

Nothing Like the Sun Mix

Nothing Like the Sun - Live at Coco66 - Friday February 4, 2011 - Part II by h34dup

I'm on vacation this week so I will leave the music selections up to those who are on duty.  I came across this deep disco mix from Headup/Alex Koplin that has some real head nodding potential.  Great for the east coast heat right now.  The Tornado Wallace Remix around 35 minutes makes me want to wear a white visor around town.  Hope your summers are going well.

Recorded live at Coco66 in Brooklyn. February 4, 2011

Tracklist:
Gorillaz - Empire Ants (ft. Little Dragon)
Duff Disco - I Need Ya (Eddie C's Sober Summer Remix)
Basanov & Mario - Caribbean Girl (New Found Land Exclusive Juno Remix)
Tiger & Woods - Gin Nation
Mark E - Special FX
Tornado Wallace - Swimmin'
Opolopo & Amalia - Life's A Dance (Nu Opo Swing Mix)
Polygon Palace - Tokyo Getaway (Tornado Wallace Remix)
Shed - Keep Time
Tornado Wallace - Paddlin'
Hot Natured - Modern Amusement
Tornado Wallace - Whispering Twirl
Tornado Wallace - Always Twirling
Deep Space Orchestra - Last Exit
Daft Punk - Face to Face
Walter Jones - Hot Contact
Tiger & Woods - Deflowered
Walter Jones - I Am Loved
Bassfort - The Street Is My World (Piano Mix)
Hot Natured - Turning Tricks
Tevo Howard - The Age of Compassion

via Wanken

Saturday Morning Mix

Sun-drenched.

This word comes to mind when listening to this fantastic new mix from Brooklyn duo, Worst Friends (aka Slowhands and Tom Croose).  They seem like friendly guys that know how to have fun.

Slow-disco, folk, hypnotic vocals.  You're in for a chill yet loosey goosey hour.  I can't talk about it too much or I will spoil some of the moments, but I recommend the remix of Vetiver at 11 minutes.

Check out ISO50 to skip around in the mix or head to Autobrennt to download it directly.

Earth Day Playlist

via panopticamx

Spring!
Keep it light. Keep it hopeful. 

It's Earth Day. 

By all means go outside and do somersaults.  This playlist was meant for just that.  

 If you have a second, read something - here and here to make sure you stay in the know. 
Ride a bike.
Support your local CSA or Farmers Market.
Make a Meatless Monday plan.
Donate one dollar.
Write a letter.

But like I said, do some somersaults too.

1. Windsor for a Derby - Melody of a Fallen Tree (We Fight Til Death, 2004)
2. Tycho - Costal Brake (Coastal Brake 12", 2010)
    Pay attention. Everything Scott Hansen touches turns to gold.
3. Fat Freddy's Drop - Roady (Based on a True Story, 2006)                                                                      Fat Freddy's Drop is a New Zealand powerhouse of soul, reggae, dub... you name it.
4. The Dining Rooms - Cosi Ti Amo (Numero Deaux, 2009)                                                                      You know those movies where the little league players aren't working together, but you know they have so much heart and could be great if they just played naturally?  Then there's an inspiring speech by the unlikely leader of the group and all of a sudden there's a montage where they're catching fly balls, hitting homers and laughing while leaving the field... yeah this is the song for that scene.
5. Benoit & Sergio - Boy Trouble (Boy Trouble 12", 2011)                                                                      Really more of a summer jam, but maybe if you start playing it enough now, by mid-summer it will be the jam.  For open air parties where your friend of a friend brings his fog machine so you're worried about the cops, but it ends up being a great night.
6. Lemonjelly - The Staunton Lick (Lemonjelly.KY, 2000)                                                                 Lemonjelly gets trashed on, but this is just so feel good I couldn't resist.
7. Bibio - K is for Kelson (Mind Bokeh, 2011)                                                                                               As noted before.
8. Paul Simon - Rewrite (So Beautiful or So What?, 2011)                                                                      Paul Simon's new album came out this month.  This song is so clever that it was published in the New Yorker.
9. Air - Ce Matin La (Moon Safari, 1998)                                                                                              Classic.
10. Sugar Minott - Oh Mr. DC (Oh Mr. DC, 1978)                                                                                      Some ace Studio One reggae to finish it out. 

Phoenix Salon

image: Luis Beltran

So you just moved to Phoenix to open a hair salon.  You're pretty excited about the potential especially since you landed a small spot in the cool part of town.  You want to be different than those other clunky places.  Maybe you could serve cocktails?  Have a choice magazine rack and show old films? You know you want to attract the hip, younger crowd so before you start playing the newest Buddha Bar over a boombox - get a legit soundsystem, wash the windows, and put this on.

1. Thievery Corporation - All That We Perceive (The Richest Man in Babylon, 2002)                                No messing around.  We're starting this off right away.  This is my go-to if a friend has some serious speakers.
2. Wax Tailor - Que Sera (Tales of Forgotten Melodies, 2006)                                                                   Crisp intro.  He gets points for sampling Doris Day singing in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.
3. Thievery Corporation - Amerimacka (The Cosmic Game, 2005)                                                             I hate to post two tracks from the same artist so early on, but Thievery Corporation has this sound down.
4. Dusty Springfield - Spooky (Dusty Definitely, 2001) 
5. St. Germain - So Flute (Tourist, 2000)                                                                                               Business is picking up...
6. Affkt and Felipe Vargas - Meilan (2 Years Cecille, 2010)                                                                       LOVE the breakdown.  A patient groove.  I see this going over well in Majorca.
7.  The Chemical Brothers - Lost in the K-Hole (Dig Your Own Hole, 1997)                                     
8. This is where I would put Chris Joss -Atomic Tape                                                                         (Terraphonic Overdubs,  2008) but I could not find an mp3 version.  You might question it at first.  Wait until the private eye guitar kicks in.
9. Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band - A Special Morning                                                              (A Special Album, 2008)  The reverb on the whistling makes this sound so surreal.
10. Nujabes - Kumomi (Metaphorical Music, 2003)                                                                                     If you pick up one artist from this mix make it Nujabes.  Modal Soul and Metaphorical Soul are essential listening.
11. Red Astaire ft. Erykah Badu - Rollin' Stone (Nuggets for the Needy, 2007) 
12. Lemon Jelly - Come (Lemonjelly.KY, 2000)                                                                                       After putting in a solid day of hard work.           

Happy Friday

Bibio - K is for Nelson
(Mind Bokeh, 2011)


In my opinion, Bibio is one of the most creative and intelligent artists out there at the moment.  He manages to capture a childish playfulness that is both catchy and new.  It's lo-fi samples with quirky percussion and hip-hop beats.  Makes me want to play on one of these.

Mind Bokeh was released this week and I will mot definitely be buying it.  That's right.  I will pay for music.  You should too.  Its the kind of album you want on vinyl.

Stay tuned for a spring mix sometime next week.

Happy Friday

image TangYauHoong

Ndumiso - Mofolo Hall
                 (African Groove, 2003)

           Heres a great one for Friday at 5 o' clock.  I can see Tadhg dancing to this. Alone.
           Relax, I know it's cheesy.
           Embrace it - you'll have fun.  Thanks to Hank for this.

I couldn't resist throwing this in there as a little bonus:
           Austra - Lose It 
           (Feel It Break, 2011)
        
           Fans of Florence and the Machine will dig this.
           Schmidt will be singing along to it in about a week.

Out In the Sticks

image: Brian Brown

Morning.

Bottles of Jim Beam on the floor.

A black and white Epiphone guitar.

Smoke.

Cracked front porch.

Humid.

Empty icebox.

Handrolled cigarettes.

Grass growing through the rusted Ford pickup in the front lawn.

Cotton.

1. R.L. Burnside - Long Haired Doney (Acoustic Stories, 1997)
2. The Black Keys - Everywhere I Go (Thickfreakness, 2003)
3. Skip James - Crow Jane (Today! 1966)                                                                                         Skip James is the man.
4. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Crawdad Hole (She-Wolf, 1981)                                                                         It's been awhile since I've heard the tambourine used for its original purpose instead of by  some whiny indie band.
5. Mississippi John Hurt - Stack O Lee Blues (1928 Sessions, 1928)                                                              It sounds so lighthearted you might forget that it's about a man who avoided arrested for murdering a father of two small  children, because the man had stolen his hat.
6. Steve Earle - I Feel Alright (I Feel Alright, 1996)
7. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Standin' In My Doorway Cryin' (She-Wolf, 1981)
8. Moby - Run On (Play, 1999)                                                                                                                 “Some people go to church just to signify tryin to make a date with the neighbor’s wife.  Brother, let me tell ya just as sure as your born.  You better leave that woman alone.”
9. Amadou & Mariam - Mon Amour, Ma Cherie (Sou Ni Tile, 1999)                                                     Thanks to Hank.
10. John Lee Hooker - Tupelo (The Folklore of John Lee Hooker, 1961)
11. Wilco - Walken (Sky Blue Sky, 2007)                                                                                                      Love the second half of this song.  Might make me a Wilco convert.
12. Jesse Winchester - Step by Step (Let the Rough Side Drag, 1995)                                                             Such a well produced song.  The bass and drums are in lock-step, catchy lyrics, harmonica and the horns are a nice touch.
13. Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Lucky Millinder's Band - That's All (Live, 1941)