Slacker of all Slackers

Fatherhood has allowed this blog to take a significant backseat. That being said, I have now moved over to Spotify as the app du jour to hold many of my various playlists. I am including my 2011 playlist here and may continue to add to it from Spotify. Most of these gems were discovered via my new love Sirius XM Radio. Specifically the Sirus XMU channel whidh does it's best to unearth indie gems. Most of the songs were great loves for me last year and I hope you can enjoy as well!

Specific Standouds included Lorelai by Fleet Foxes, Cruel by St. Vincent - so quircky but so good, and the lovely Local Natives track, though many songs came from that album as a whole that may still make this list.   Enjoy!

End of year Shenanigans

XM radio has been good to me this year. Helping me stay mildly in the loop while daddyhood takes center stage. I've run into some truly great gems this year and i'm thankful for it. I could have made this mix significantly longer, but never like a too long mix.

Here's the original order.

Weezer: Prettiest Girl in the whole wide world. - Rivers can always write a meaty hooky song. I just want to sing along.

Tennis: Marathon. I found a new love in this retro 60's chanteuse goodness. I love this song. It makes me long for old record players and static-ey speakers.

Best Coast: When I'm with you. This video is totally nuts and this is actually an 09 single, but I love the Lazy summertime California feel of this.

Foster the People: Pumped up kicks. Still has that vocal in a tin can quality that producers are into these days, but I also love it. Just pop goodness that make me want to go to an mod dance party.

Diamond Rings: All Yr Songs. Sometimes all you need is a drum machine and a guitar. Hypnotic dance pop with it's playful sing song uh oh ohhhhsss. Another 09 single.

Metric: Black Sheep. Despite the fabulous goodness of their Fantasies release this year, this gem off the weird Scott Pilgrim soundtrack is Emily Haines in fine form.

White Lies: To lose my life. I understand the urgency of this wrapped in a delightful gothy wrapper. Now where are my creepers?

Matt & Kimm: Cameras. Hipsters in New York doing their electro pop damndest to stay on my radar and succeeding. I love all this whirring and chirping.

Arcade Fire: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains): Slow gallop of a song that cheers on the suburbs! Hooray stripmalls ;) I'm just glad I can be along for the ride.

Crooked Fingers: I am not Willing. Rolling piano verse drives along Eric Bachman's smokey voice on this afternoon drive of a song.

Ultra Grrrl playlist from Nylon Magazine's book "Play"

I love this book!

Nylon Play, The Nylon Book of Music




Share Sarah Lewitinn AKA ultragrrrl playlist from Nylon Mag book

• The Cutter-Echo and the Bunnymen
• Rebellion (Lies)-Arcade Fire
• 36 Degrees-Placebo
• The Rapid-The Oohlas
• Not Even Jail-Interpol
• Midnight Show-The Killers
• Credit In The Straight World-Hole
• Apocalypse Please-Muse
• Lithium-Nirvana
• Love Will Tear Us Apart-Joy Division

New year goodness... iMix Jan10

Here's a new release on the mix horizon. It's been awhile I know, but here it is in all it's lovely glory.



My original mix order is thus:
1. Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson: I don't know what to do
Though her voice is heavily processed, I'm still loving retro chanteuse quality of it.
2. Twighlight Sad: I became a prostitute
Fantastic and noisy goodness.
3. The Sunshine Underground: Standby for nothing.
Great new uk indie
4. The Big Pink: Velvet
5. Mew: New Terrain
6. Muse: Undisclosed Desires
7. Martin Gore: Gone
An old cover from the Depeche Mode songwriter of his first solo album. I've always loved it.
8. Weezer: Girl got hot
Man those weezie boys know how to throw down a pop party gem!

2010 Anticipation: Alt/Indie mix - courtesy of Rhapsody

a tiny glimpse of most anticipated alt/indie albums set to release during the first quarter of 2010. Enjoy!

1. Got Nuffin - Spoon
2. Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
3. The High Road - Broken Bells
4. Heaven Can Wait - Charlotte Gainsbourg
5. One Life Stand - Hot Chip
6. Psyche (Flash Treatment) - Massive Attack
7. Grain of Salt - The Morning Benders
8. There Are Listed Buildings - Los Campesinos!
9. Swim - Oh No Ono
10. In The Dark - The Whigs
11. Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit
12. Cousins - Vampire Weekend"

The June 09 iMix

Lots of electronic indie pop including tracks from Metric, Iamx and SLC retro newwavers Cavedoll. Ends with guitar noodling from Jason Lytle of Grandaddy fame, Manchester Orchestra and old faves BTE.

Metric: Gimme Sympathy
Cavedoll: Decoder
Kyle Andrews: Blow it out
IAMX: You can be happy
Cavedoll: Vader
Better Than Ezra: Absolutely still
Jason Lytle: Yours Truly, The Commuter
Manchester Orchestra: My Friend Marcus

Manchester Orchestra:

Airy iMix April 09

Today's mix turned into a more significant challenge than I expected. I've always loved the song Battersea by Hooverphonic and wanted to build a mix around it. I found the first few songs easily and knew they'd fit my mix. These included Geneva's Tranquilizer and Wanderlust by Delays. But soon thereafter it became significantly more difficult to find that same sort of feel that the original songs had. I was looking for songs with a light airy feel, orchestral perhaps and hopefully with a soaring upper octave range vocal. I didn't meet it for every song, but I like the end product. The mix comes off like a post britpop hangover with many of these songs filling a late 90's early millenium pocket of time.



listing:
Hooverphonic: Battersea
Geneva: Tranquilizer
Delays: Wanderlust
Cocteau Twins: Iceblink Luck
Radiohead: Let Down
Badly Drawn Boy: Silent Sigh
Haven: Til the End
Puressence: Heart of Gold
Blur: The Universal

April Goodness

I've forgotten to post April's splendid little mix. It's filled with plenty of singles from new releases and a recent release by a band called Phoenix. I have Chad to thank for the Phoenix. Best LP in this mix, so far, is the Metric release called "Fantasies". Electronic whirring and churring at it's finest. The Ian Moore track is actually 2 years old at this point, but I've JUST found this guy courtesy of my buddy Matt who is touring/recording with him right now. I highly recommend that release as well, called "To be loved".

Anyhow. Here's the list in no order.

Metric: Stadium Love
Ian Moore: 30 Days
The bird and the bee: Love letter to Japan
Phoenix: 1901
Depeche Mode: Jezebel
Doves: Kingdom of Rust
Neko Case: This tornado loves you
Silversun Pickups: Sort of

March 09

Here's a new one. Really just an exercise in mixtaping where I'm simply finding old faves as opposed to spotting the new gems out there. Most of these songs are truly some of my favorite for each artist. I hope you enjoy..

My Thieving Playlist heart

Pure theft.

Most of this month's playlist must be dutifully credited to a guy in SF named Tyler, that I do not know, but appears to be a beacon ear to the type of music that I just find fantastic. Amie also pointed me to a couple of songs that just run me round. Tiff and Andrew round me out with a couple of new finds as well. Anyhow, I'm attaching my lists with only a couple of truly Ivan found gemmies. Thank you all!



Sia-Breathe me
Iron & Wine- Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Keane-Black Burning Heart
Whitey-Wrap it up
Blonde Redhead-Dr Strangeluv
BRMC- Am I only
Jenny Lewis-Carpet Baggers
Neon Neon-Dream Cars

Eclecticpop Mix

a mix! all the way from some kid in Boston -


1. Dictionary - The Go Find
2. I Turn My Camera On - Freshro
3. Wish Coin (Go It Alone) (Diplo Remix) - Beck
4. Wrap It Up - Whitey
5. Lights & Music - Cut Copy
6. Future - Cut Copy
7. Saturdays (LP Version) - Cut Copy
8. Ice Cream - New Young Pony Club
9. Seat Yourself (Diplo Remix) - Roots Manuva
10. Big Lost - Diplo
11. Sarah - Diplo
12. Breathe Me - SiA
13. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
14. Young Folks (Rhapsody Original) - Peter Bjorn and John
15. D.A.N.C.E. [Album Version] - Justice (electro)
16. Untrust Us - Crystal Castles
17. Blood On Our Hands - Justice Remix -
18. Shining Escalade - Hot Chip
19. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
20. Skanky Panky - Kid Koala
21. Restless (Featuring Josh Homme) - U.N.K.L.E.
22. What It's All About - Girl Talk
23. Play Your Part (Pt. 1) - Girl Talk
24. Gold Lion (Diplo Remix) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
25. Together In Electric Dreams - Le Vicarious Bliss Pop Experience

Rhapsody Link

anton wants attention

Here kitty kitty kitty...

8tracks

As you may all know, the RIAA has once again gotten their claws around another organic site dedicated to giving you and me the option of listening to music the way we want to. Muxtape.com is now dead and maybe permanently gone. I am aware of other sites out there trying to fill the void and the current one that appears to have some momentum can be found at 8tracks.com. It appears poised to fullfill the nuances of copyright law while still following the basic idea of muxtape, which was to allow one to create and share mixes of music. We are social creatures after all. In it's effort to follow copyright law it presents some obstacles, but in the absence of anything better it is definitely a positive thing.

I am therefore giving you my first 8tracks.com mix!



Cut Copy-Unforgettable Season
IAMX-spit it out
Delays-love made visible
Glasvegas-geraldine
Ladyhawk-the dugout
The Verve-love is noise
Camera Obscura-Super Trouper (Abba cover)
Black Tide-shout

Sloth

Today, I recognize that I never write on this grand hope of a blog. Dadhood has challenged my ability to keep on top of any music, much less new music. Thus, I'm going to scale back my grand plans and simply drop notes about songs I may be enjoying at present. With this new found humbling of my intent for this blog, I will now briefly discuss or at least list 3 fantastic songs I've come across.

1. Reindeer Section: Cold water. You can find this at bloodtea.muxtape.com. I haven't listened much to Reindeer Section but if all of their songs sound like this, I'd like a complete shower full of "cold water" songs please.

2. The Dears. I know I've missed this bandwagon, but 2 old standouts just hit my radar. Yes my friends, gorgeous songs indeed. I also noted that for an instant I caught a vague hint of morrissey's voice in this gentlemen's pipes. A delight.
- Lost in the Plot. jeremymc.blogspot.com
- You and I are a gang of losers. formicey.muxtape.com

3. Ladyhawk - The Dugout. Bitchin Camaro indie guitar rock song. Sort of wanks on at the end but a grand little pop indie diddy. lolobean.muxtape.com

Note that I do not endorse any of the muxtapes I've listed beyond being a source for the songs recognized above. Also note that these muxtapes may change or vanish at some point so grab a listen while the getting's good!

Metric

A few nights ago I was flipping through Ivan's latest find (muxtape.com) and came across a song by Metric. I believe I've heard something by them before but for some reason it struck me more Tuesday night than ever before.

The song was Soft Rock Star. It is a catchy tune. I've been listening to them on Rhapsody this morning and I've decided they can now officially become part of my collection.

Favorite songs thus far:

- Soft Rock Star (Jimmy vs Joe Mix)
- Combat Baby
- Hardwire
- Police and the Private

I have to laugh at myself a bit. I used to be so annoyed by female artists. I still am very picky when it comes to female vocals but I have fallen in love with some of them (Rilo, Metric, Fine Frenzy, Ingrid Michaelson, Alicia Keys, etc). Yay for great music and talented people who share!

popstar.muxtape.com

And we're live with muxtape! As an early adopter (I think) I was able to grab the much coveted by me link of popstar.muxtape.com for my url. This isn't really an up to date mix but I wanted to throw something out there.

So. the first edition is thus:
Dandy Warhols - Dandy's TV Theme song
Blur- Music is my radar
Jimmy Eat World - Here it goes
The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
The Flaming Lips - W.A.N.D
Crooked Fingers - A little bleeding
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken
Rilo Kiley - Close Call
Radiohead - Reckoner
Jayhawks - Blue
Creeper Lagoon - Wrecking Ball
Delays - Slow burn

mmmmmmmm. goodness.

MUXTAPE

I've just become privy to a very cool new site that essentially works on the very basic premise of the mix tape online. Muxtape doesn't do much of anything but allow you to upload 12 mp3s that you legally own and then provides a url for you to stream them. It doesn't appear to archive playlists so one would have to actively remove songs to build new "mixtapes". I love the idea and may use it as my new de facto link for new playlists that I come up with. Hopefully many of you will follow suit with your faves!

Wherein I demonstrate how much of an NPR nerd I am

I was at the gym last Saturday morning and was listening to NPR as I usually do. Suddenly, they started playing "Save it for a rainy day" by The Jayhawks.

This particular song is one of those songs that I have a very visceral reaction to. The first time I heard it was sitting in a fancy San Francisco hotel with a good friend on a foggy July evening. Every time I hear any song from "Rainy Day Music" it takes me back to that night.

As it turned out, The Jayhawks had not returned, but Gary Louris (one of the founding members of The Jayhawks) has come out with a solo album. The NPR interview with him was kind of boring and beige - except for when he started singing. His songs have the same mix of alt-country/rock that The Jayhawks did and his voice is mellow and soothing.

I've only listened to the whole album (titled "Vagabonds") once all the way through but as of this moment some of my favorite songs are:

True Blue

To Die a Happy Man

Black Grass

DC Blues

I hope you'll take a listen - enjoy!!

2007 Poll

The 2007 poll was a challenge this year , namely because I failed to really be on "top" of everything that came out this year. Most of the things I found came late in the year. Example... the Travis album was a safe and beautiful candy pop gem that I didn't even discover 'til 08. Enjoy this sampler of the year.... for me.


2007 Singles:
Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight
Radiohead: Reckoner
BRMC: Am I Only
Delays: Slow burn
Peter bjorn and john: Young folks
Voxtrot: Start of Something
Apartment: 10000 times
Jimmy Eat World: Here it goes
Alicia keys: No one
Wilco: Either Way
Spoon: The underdog

Honorables
Rilo Kiley: Silver lining
Apartment: My Brother Chris
A fine frenzy: almost lover
Daft Punk: Around the world/harder better faster stronger
Shins: Sleeping Lessons
The National: fake empire
Interpol: There's no I in threesome
Arcade fire: black mirror
Klaxons: Golden Skans


Albums of 2007

Radiohead: in rainbows
Rilo kiley: Under the blacklight
Delays: Love made visible ep
Puressence: Don't forget to remember
Jimmy eat world: Chase the light
Shins: Wincing the night away
Travis: The boy with no name
New Pornographers: Challengers
Tegan and Sarah: The Con
Voxtrot: Voxtrot
BRMC: Baby 81

Honorables:
Spoon: Ga ga ga ga ga
Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Amy Winehouse: Back to black

Winter Thoughts.

So,

A couple of things. Firstly, The Delays have released a new EP called "Love Made Visible". This EP crushes the software slump that their second album (You See Colours) was in many ways. Although carrying a few notable gems, as a whole the album was a let down. The new EP picks up where You See Colours could not. Brilliant songs like the title Track "love made visible" with it's squishy space sound intro, trademark falsetto vocal line and punchy energy AND the simply splendid thoughtful build up of "Slow Burn" make me long for a live show. I love it. I love songs like this.

Secondly, Foo. We love Foo. More specifically, Dave Grohl has somehow managed another irreverant and fantastic video concoction for "Long Road to Ruin". Sonically similar to their very accessible "learn to fly", the video itself just makes me want to get in the fanboy line. See for yourself here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68qqyM-_K4w