sum the greater

Listen on Rdio Listen on Spotify Welcome to a (somewhat...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:01:41 -0700

Welcome to a (somewhat belated, but what do you expect from me at this point?) SXSW edition of the Sum The Greater playlist! SXSW has definitely gotten out of control over the past five years I’ve attended, but it’s still unparalleled for the sheer volume and quantity of music in a small space. I had to throw two events for work, which were great fun. We had an afternoon arcade where we literally brought in arcade games and a wheel of prizes (plus the usual free booze and such). We also had Chairlift (swoon), Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Gardens & Villa, Rubblebucket (I only haven’t posted them because the recordings don’t do the live show service — my god are they amazing live), and Young Magic play. All were incredible, and it was a fun time throwing my first ever concert event. The next morning, we got up and had an industry-focused brunch with Alpine, G-Easy, and Dana Buoy, along with DJ sets from homies Ears of the Beholder and Rollo Grady.

Since then, I’ve been traveling the country in support of my product and our fancy new card reader and printer — it’s kinda fun to carry a box office around the country in your backpack :)

Anywho, I should probably get to the music.

<3 | ∑>

1. Django Django - “Default”

I had fallen in love with this record a month or two back, and lucked upon their first show outside Scotland at SXSW. It was a showcase of all Scottish bands, and there were lots of Scots in the audience. Fascinatingly, that was a trend — foreigners going to see bands from their own countries. Anyway, Django Django plowed through a perfectly executed set, with little flair but lots of power.

2. Electric Guest - “This Head I Hold”

I was very excited to see Electric Guest, but when I got to the venue (they were the first band of the night, which rarely means a crowd), the line was all the way down the block. Turns out Jack White was playing a couple hours later, so folks had turned out in droves. Ah well. I’m sure they’ll be touring extensively after this debut comes out. My friends built a cool website where you can check out a couple more tunes by dropping some puzzle pieces in place.

3. Nick Waterhouse - “Some Place”

I’ve been trying to hunt down a Nick Waterhouse show for ages, but always seem to find out about them the day after they happen. Thankfully, I tracked him down on the east side of Austin after an outstanding dinner at East Side Showroom (perhaps my favorite restaurant/bar in the world). He brought the heat with three backup singers, and epic keyboardist, sax, etc. I danced! I danced!

4. Bobby Darin - “Minnie The Moocher”

Bobby was not at SXSW (for obvious reasons), but I did find out about him through a post on our brunch DJ Rollo Grady’s blog. He’s amassed an incredible list of favorite records of 2011 from a wide variety of artists. This one came, appropriately, from Nick Waterhouse.

5. Poliça - “Violent Games”

I skipped Poliça at SXSW, because I had just seen them play perhaps the most epic show of the year at Bottom of the Hill a few weeks prior and I didn’t want that to be spoiled by the notoriously faulty sound systems in Austin. I was lucky enough to catch them again a few nights ago at Brooklyn Bowl, and it was a totally different experience — gone were the vocal effects, in were some new tracks, but the show was just as powerful, if not more-so. This is undoubtedly one of the best records of 2012, and I can’t recommend the live show (with two drummers) highly enough.

6. Young Magic - “You With Air”

With any SXSW showcase, I find it’s best to include at least one wild card — a band whose live show you know nothing about, who hasn’t released a ton of music, but who seems to have something good going on. Young Magic was that for our party, and they brought the heat.

7. Yalls - “Settle Down”

No SXSW connection here, but gotta give this SF local some love — he’s been putting out good stuff for a minute, and this is an absolute jam. I’m sad to say I haven’t seen him live yet, but I’d love to book a show with him opening for St. Lucia (you know, in all my free time).

8. St. Lucia - “All Eyes On You”

I didn’t know quite what to expect from a St. Lucia show — either they would be hipsters going through the indie rock motions, or they could maybe possibly be solid and fun. Little did I know, they bring the house down. We were at a small, awkward bar (the oval-shaped bar took up most of the space, and the stage was in the corner, so anyone who wanted to see was crowded right in front), but they made it feel like an arena rock show. Every song was a hit, and played with such power and energy, you couldn’t help but sing along and get sweaty with everyone around you. Expect big things from this band.

9. Korallreven - “Sa Sa Samoa”

Sadly, the Korallreven show we went to suffered from some of the standard SXSW pitfalls — loads of technical glitches meant they went on 30 minutes late, and even when they did go on, the lead singer’s mic barely worked. Yet they were still awesome. And like the Django Django set, the crowd was made up largely of their countrymen (Swedes in this case).

10. Michael Kiwanuka - “I’m Getting Ready”

We were front row center for Kiwanuka’s tragically short church performance. He played earnestly and perfectly, and will certainly be playing to much larger crowds in no time.

11. Jimmy Hughes - “Steal Away”

This Muscle Shoals, Alabama native wrote and recorded this epic soul classic in 1964, and it rose to #17 on Billboard. He had a few rough years, dropped from his label and such, but had a few more bright years starting in 1966. By 1970, though, he quit singing (beyond his church choir) and got a job making parts for nuclear power plants.

12. Randy & The Rainbows - “Denise”

This classic came on when I got my last haircut. Hadn’t heard it since I was a kid. Blondie later had a hit in Europe with it, changing the name to “Denis,” but it doesn’t compare to the original. Funny enough, they’re still together, just in two different bands with the same name. Not confusing at all.

13. Alpine - “Hands”

We were honored to have Alpine play their first American show at our Eventbrite Brunch, and they rocked it hard. They showed up jetlagged and amused by how their stereotypes of America were both confirmed and dispelled, but they looked totally comfortable in this new setting once they were at home on stage. Even a broken kick drum pedal couldn’t stop them.

14. Charlotte Gainsbourg - “Paradisco”

I don’t have much left to say about Charlotte Gainsbourg. She’s lovely.

15. Evan Voytas - “Feel Me”

Sadly Evan wasn’t at SXSW this year, but his new EP is as good as ever, and I still think back to his SXSW performance last year.

16. Audra Mae - “Eli, The Barrow Boy”

I’m not a Colin Meloy hater, but I’ve gotta believe his songs could sell a lot more records if they were sung by someone else. This is a perfect example.

17. Low Roar - “Just A Habit”

There’s something in this song.

Listen on Rdio Listen on Spotify Welcome to a (somewhat...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:01:26 -0700

Listen on Rdio

Listen on Spotify

Since then, I’ve been traveling the country in support of my product and our fancy new card reader and printer — it’s kinda fun to carry a box office around the country in your backpack :)

Anywho, I should probably get to the music.

<3 | ∑>

1. Django Django - “Default”

2. Electric Guest - “This Head I Hold”

3. Nick Waterhouse - “Some Place”

4. Bobby Darin - “Minnie The Moocher”

5. Poliça - “Violent Games”

6. Young Magic - “You With Air”

7. Yalls - “Settle Down”

8. St. Lucia - “All Eyes On You”

9. Korallreven - “Sa Sa Samoa”

10. Michael Kiwanuka - “I’m Getting Ready”

We were front row center for Kiwanuka’s tragically short church performance. He played earnestly and perfectly, and will certainly be playing to much larger crowds in no time.

11. Jimmy Hughes - “Steal Away”

12. Randy & The Rainbows - “Denise”

13. Alpine - “Hands”

14. Charlotte Gainsbourg - “Paradisco”

I don’t have much left to say about Charlotte Gainsbourg. She’s lovely.

15. Evan Voytas - “Feel Me”

Sadly Evan wasn’t at SXSW this year, but his new EP is as good as ever, and I still think back to his SXSW performance last year.

16. Audra Mae - “Eli, The Barrow Boy”

I’m not a Colin Meloy hater, but I’ve gotta believe his songs could sell a lot more records if they were sung by someone else. This is a perfect example.

17. Low Roar - “Just A Habit”

There’s something in this song.

Ahoy mateys! This little puppy came together incredible...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:00:05 -0800

Ahoy mateys!

This little puppy came together incredible fast, then got released incredibly slowly (you can tell by the number of songs that you’ve probably already heard). My apologies. I got distracted by a number of things, but probably the most relevant to this crowd is the development of hearts.fm. It started at Music Hack Day, but we want to release it to the world in the next week or so. The idea is that we listen to music all over the web, and most sites have a handy little heart button to let you favorite a song. But no single place lets you listen to all those songs you’ve favorited. We do that, and we also let you select collections of those songs and turn them into a beautiful playlist to share with the world. Let me know what you think!

Oh, I also booked all the bands for my company’s SXSW Party — you’ll see almost all the bands on this or the next mix. I’m incredibly excited, and hope some of you will join me there! Mmmmm…Chairlift…

<3 | ∑>

LISTEN ON RDIO

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

1. Races - “Big Broom”

I would put these guys in a similar category with 1,2,3 — capable of big rock anthems, generally writing catchy blue collar blues-rock jams, occasionally mixing in more modern sounds. I’m stoked to hear their full-length!

2. The Shins - “Simple Song”

What can I say? It’s The Shins.

3. fun. - “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monae)”

I’m glad fun. is blowing up the way they are. Nate has been screwed by the music industry as many times as anyone, and always finds a way to overcome and keep writing great songs. This track has been out for months and just keeps growing. The band sold more of their last record over the last month or two than they did when they were first promoting it. Don’t miss their new record (just released).

4. Miniature Tigers - “Female Doctor”

Miniature Tigers are a band who write some of the most infectious tunes you’ll ever hear, but are just that tiny bit too weird to catch on in a big way. Whatever, I still love them.

5. Nite Jewel - “One Second Of Love”

Cute? Check. Good voice? Check. Solid songwriting? Check. Slightly unique sound? Check. Game on.

6. POLIÇA - “Lay Your Cards Out”

I’ve had this album on repeat more than any other in recent memory. And to make things even better, I saw them live last week. Hooooooooooly wow. I never thought I’d like vocal effects live, but everything about their show was perfectly executed and visceral.

7. Blouse - “Into Black”

I know little about this band apart from the fact that they’re from Portland, play alluring tunes, and are rather attractive people. Straight out of Vice. I’m sure they’ll have a bunch of fans all over.

8. Gotye - “Somebody That I Used To Know”

Gotye (aka Wally) once again proves he’s capable of BIG pop jams with an emotional edge. I can’t walk three feet without hearing this tune, but it doesn’t make it any less awesome.

9. Good Old War - “Calling Me Names”

Good Old War is finally starting to sound like the folk band they want to be, shirking their emo roots and writing their best song yet.

10. Chairlift - “I Belong In Your Arms”

OMG CHAIRLIFT. It’s funny that I used to not like these guys (when they didn’t have a drummer live; it irked me; but I still had a great time at the show and met the folks who became my best friends in LA at the show). Love them now (in case you couldn’t tell from the last three playlists).

11. Pat Clayton - “You Gotta Share”

I first discovered Pat Clayton from a mix that Nick Waterhouse made from his personal vinyl collection. Alas, this is the only track of hers on Rdio or Spotify. It’s still rather awesome, but I want to find more of her stuff!

12. Nina Simone - “Mood Indigo”

A rare Nina song that is as clearly as much about the music as her voice. Sure, the music’s always good, but she usually overpowers it. Here, she plays a cat and mouse game with it. Gorgeous.

13. High Highs - “Horses”

More from this duo, and I still know nothing more about them. Maybe once they put out a full-length?

14. Islands - “This Is Not A Song”

After going all Lady Gaga on his last (amazing) record, Islands has toned it down a bit for his new LP. He’s a master, and shows it again here.

15. Diagrams - “Black Light”

I got really into a few songs from Tunng a few years ago, and was excited to hear one of the main guys had a new project. Diagrams is very different, but equally quality.

16. Evan Voytas - “When We Could All Float Away”

I doubt an Evan Voytas release will ever pass without me posting it, and they keep getting better and more fluid (here especially).

17. Cuckoo Chaos - “Jesus Flag American Ship”

These San Diegans write some simple but beautiful songs that wash your cares away.

18. Michael Kiwanuka - “I Need Your Company”

Be prepared for the invasion, America. Just sayin.

19. Extra Classic - “I Need Your Love”

I wasn’t particularly into this band til I saw their Yours Truly performance of this song. Damn.

Happy newt, dear! As promised, this mix contains a far...

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00:05 -0800

Happy newt, dear!

As promised, this mix contains a far crazier mix of songs — jazz from the good ol’ days to the modern times, soul from a similar stretch of time, chillwave from…ok, maybe not that one. But hopefully this scratches your itch for variety when the rest of the world is feeding you the same top records of 2011 (ok, that’s also not true…but you get the idea).

Not sure when the next mix will come — got some major projects I need to work on for Yours Truly, and that will be taking some time. I’ll keep my stockpile of mixable tracks building, though, and you may well hear from me sooner than I think :)

<3 | ∑>

PS - Buenos Aires ruled. Brazil didn’t happen. Mexico did. Music did. I wound up watching a friend from college (in NC) play in a hostel with his friends from Columbia (the country) and talking to a Brazilian who spoke no English and little Spanish.

PPS - For anyone new here, you can subscribe to the mixtape via email and get the mp3s in your inbox whenever a new mixtape is published.

1. Nick Waterhouse - “I Can Only Give You Everything”

Nick is one of my favorite artists to come out of SF in a while. He brings new life to soul music. Fingers crossed for lots more to come!

2. The Coasters - “Poison Ivy”

This, like many Costers tracks, is one of those songs I can barely believe got made, particularly in the era from whence it came. Perhaps most impressively, it’s a good song in its own right.

3. Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound - “Ne’er Do Wells”

I can’t tell you much about Audra (except that she has a distant family tie to Judy Garland), but I think her voice says enough for this Oklahoma City girl.

4. Summer Camp - “I Want You”

I’m hot and cold with blog darlings Summer Camp, but something about this track stuck.

5. Chairlift - “Amanaemonesia”

I was similarly hot and cold with Chairlift after their debut record, but their new tracks are blowing me away.

6. Keep Shelly In Athens - “DIY”

This is one of the more eclectic EPs to come out in a while, and it took me a minute to wrap my head around it, but in the end I think it’s highly promising and thoroughly enjoyable. Oh, and Athens is Greece, not Georgia ;)

7. Pyyramids - “That Ain’t Right”

An LA duo comprised of OK Go’s Tim Nordwind and singer Drea Smith, Pyyramids bring a sound they accurately describe as “underground pop” — there’s dirt in the keys and whiskey on the voice, but the songwriting is all there.

8. The Zombies - “She’s Not There”

I don’t think I need to write anything about The Zombies, but please enjoy this track if you haven’t heard it in a while. If you’ve never heard it, get your learn on.

9. Ernesto Djedje - “Lola”

This is the Ivory Coaster’s second appearance on a Sum The Greater mix. This isn’t his best song, by a long shot, but I was feeling in a Djedje mood and this was all Rdio and Spotify had to offer. C’mon guys! Get on those licenses!

10. Nina Simone - “Feeling Good”

I’ve been listening to a ton of Nina Simone lately. Just can’t get enough of that voice. Sadly, my mom’s reaction to this song was, “Ty, this is jazz…I HATE jazz.” She’s missing out.

11. Surfer Blood - “I’m Not Ready”

Surfer Blood’s latest EP, Tarot Classics, finds them growing up a bit from their plenty-good debut LP. They’ve lost the reverb on the vocals, they’ve gained some songwriting depth, and they’ve produced four songs that were very difficult to pick from for this mix. Can’t wait to see what’s up next for these guys, particularly now that they live in SF.

12. The Beach Boys - “Vega-Tables”

When you can do waaaaay too much acid, write a song about drugs that’s not-so-subtly veiled behind the metaphor of health and vegetables, and have it turn out this f*cking good, you’ve officially won at life. Congrats, Beach Boys. And thank you.

13. Beat Connection - “In The Water”

These dudes are from Seattle, but that’s about all I can tell ya. Sometimes they seem like a surf pop band, sometimes like electro pop. Naturally, it’s best when those two converge.

14. White Arrows - “Get Gone”

LA-based White Arrows have been getting significantly better with every release, and this is their climax thus far. I was sad to miss them playing with Races a few weeks back, but hope they’ll come around again soon.

15. High Highs - “Flowers Bloom”

These guys met in Sydney, but live in New York, and have a sound that seems to come from somewhere far away from city life.

16. Coeur de Pirate - “Someone to Watch Over Me”

I was introduced to Coeur de Pirate by this amazing Wood & Wires session video. She’s reasonably well known on the Montreal Jazz scene, but I’m a long way from that. Thank the internets.

17. Daughter - “Landfill”

I really want to post some of Daughter’s new stuff, but for whatever reason it’s not up for streaming on Rdio (though they have the artwork and track listing). Thankfully, any Daughter is good Daughter.

18. David Ruffin - “I’m So Glad I Fell For You”

I probably shouldn’t admit how much David Ruffin my friend Kramer and I listen to together. Oops.

Listen on Rdio Listen on Spotify Well hey there, everyone!...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:01:06 -0800

Listen on Rdio

Listen on Spotify

Well hey there, everyone! Back with another installment of the mixtape. Came together a bit faster this go-round. Sadly a lack of old tunes, but we’ll get back to those next month — too much goodness in the indie/pop world these days.

I’m also a bit sad to say that since I assembled this playlist in Spotify (because they let me keep it private from my friends til I’m ready to publish), I didn’t realize some of the tracks weren’t on Rdio (the converse has happened in past months, but I’ve corrected before the mix was “done”). Sorry homies!

In other news, I’m off for Buenos Aires and Sao Paolo in a couple hours. No idea what to expect. Haven’t packed yet. Just locked in a place to stay in BA, still don’t have a visa (required) to go to Brazil. It’s going to be an adventure.

Catch y’all on the flipside!

<3 | ∑>

1. Chairlift - “Sidewalk Safari”

After a spurt of success with a ridiculously catchy song in “Bruises,” which famously made its way to an iPod commercial, Chairlift is back with a pair of singles in anticipation of their sophomore record. Good luck getting them out of your head.

2. Wise Blood - “Loud Mouths”

While I know Wise Blood isn’t for everyone, these brits remind me of a conversation I had in college with Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra where he described the moment he knew he wanted to be a musician as the first time he felt evil and like he wasn’t supposed to be experiencing what he was (at a show). There’s something beautifully twisted here without losing pop sensibilities.

3. Friends - “I’m His Girl”

I’ll admit, I had most of this mixtape made and waiting for this track to come out officially. Cannot get it out of my head. It’s got all the best elements of the past five decades of music put together in the simplest form possible. Awesome.

4. Young Buffalo - “Catapilah”

This song makes me want to run. That is all.

5. Gringo Star - “Got It”

Dirty rock from the dirty south, but more than a little catchy. I was singing this song all day after I heard it the first time on The Hype Machine’s premiere. Then I saw them live a few weeks back, and they didn’t disappoint.

6. Ten Bears - “Braces”

This song came out last year, but it could have come out any day since the early nineties and still been relevant. You can’t deny that hook.

7. Dominant Legs - “Hoop Of Love”

As promised last mixtape, here is the first (and I think best) single from this SF band’s excellent latest album, Invitation. Check a beautiful interview and live performance of another great track here.

8. Lana Del Rey - “Video Games”

Most of you have probably heard this song by now, but I doubt any of you hate it. Say what you will, this is an absolute jam.

9. Twin Sister - “Bad Street”

This Philly band has been dominating the east coast scene for a bit (just ask homie Yvynyl), but their latest record is full of gems. If you get a chance to see them live, don’t you dare miss it.

10. Lord Huron - “The Stranger” (not on Rdio)

This band seems to get better by the month, so don’t pass all judgement if this track isn’t quite perfect for you (though I insist it’s quite good).

11. Monogold - “Spirit or Something” (not on Rdio)

I’m not really sure how to describe where the influences for this track or band (from Brooklyn, considering themselves DIY experimentalists) come from, but they sure come together nicely.

12. White Denim - “Handwriting”

After a couple straight up psych-country-rock albums true to their Austin roots, White Denim have begun experimenting with several different song styles with a great deal of success. They’ve blown my ear drums for days at multiple shows, so this may be the calmest song they’ve written, but I absolutely love it.

13. Fruit Bats - “So Long”

I’m not as die-hard about Fruit Bats as many folks I know, but it’s tough to deny their songwriting ability, and their latest record, Tripper, is excellent proof of that.

14. Cast Spells - “Glamorous Glowing”

This was the last addition to this mix, but one of the first to be released (in 2009). The front man from Maps & Atlasses struck out on his own for a long EP and a collaboration with Good Old War before going back to M&A, but not before constructing some gems like this one.

15. Rubblebucket - “Came Out Of A Lady”

These guys came highly recommended by my good friend Kramer, who say their epic live show is something of a hippy version of Givers. Very sad to have missed them in SF last week.

16. Pearl and the Beard - “Voice in my Throat”

Sometimes bands just absolutely nail their strengths. In this case, Pearl and the Beard weave their voices together to tell parallel but intertwining stories for the duration of the song, creating a playful intimacy that can only be described as adorable.

17. Feist - “How Come You Never Go There”

I listened to most of the new Feist album nonplussed — nice, but nothing new. Until this song hit. It doesn’t hit you in the ears so much as licking you there, while punching you the stomach.

18. The Antlers - “Putting The Dog To Sleep”

I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a better use of guitar cuts to stab vocal tension, nor one that can be repeated for so long without losing its impact. As the lyrics suggest, this one doesn’t go down easy — it demands your attention and sympathy.

You know it’s time to put out another mix when someone...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:17:35 -0700

You know it’s time to put out another mix when someone (I’m so sorry dude, I suck at names — please email me!) comes out of nowhere (ok, maybe I was just distracted) and tells you there’s a girl inside a nearby restaurant who loves your mixes and wants to meet you. I have to admit, the only thing keeping me from publishing these more often is the headache of downloading MP3s, uploading them to Topspin, correcting all the metadata, and building and updating the widgets for streaming, email collection, and download. This one had been sitting in my Rdio account for about a month. Does anyone have any interest in being an “intern”? I pay in beer. It would help a lot and mean more music for everyone :)

At any rate, it’s been an extraordinary week of music thus far in SF. Monday, I saw my friends Kinch open for Jimmy Eat World (who played Bleed American from front to back) at The Fillmore. Tuesday was Painted Palms, Pepper Rabbit, and Braids (while Nurses and Dominant Legs played across town). Wednesday was Active Child and Chad Valley (whom you’ll meet on this mix). And on and on. I hope you’re all out supporting your favorite bands, and I hope this mix helps you discover a few more worth checking out in person.

<3 | ∑>

PS - These mixes are now also available on Rdio and Spotify, for those streamingly-inclined.

1. Generationals - “Ten-Twenty-Ten”

I don’t think I can add anything beyond what I’ve already said about this New Orleans band — they’re awesome. I finally got to see them live, and they definitely bring it as much as you’d hope they would. If you get a chance, GO!

2. Blood Orange - “Forget It”

I first heard this record on one of The Hype Machine’s awesome pre-release premieres, and immediately fell in love. Any record that starts with a chorus of “I am not your savior, baby girl” and an effortlessly epic guitar solo in the bridge is sure to please.

3. Girls - “Honey Bunny”

Are Girls my favorite San Francisco band? Nope. Do they write some damn good songs? Yup. Is this one of them? Fer sher. Will I stop talking in questions? Depends on how nicely you ask.

4. Dominant Legs - “About My Girls”

I’ll post some stuff off their new (highly worthwhile) record on future mixes, but I couldn’t go another mix without getting this track out there. The lead singer of Dominant Legs used to be in Girls, and both are at the forefront of the SF music scene.

5. Wallpaper - “2 Pair A Shades”

Staying on the local SF tip, I cannot get enough of this Wallpaper record. It makes me laugh, dance, and maybe even cry a little bit. Maybe. This track in particular is just so catchy it should be illegal. Who wants to start doubling up on sunglasses with me?

6. Chad Valley - “Now That I’m Real (How Does It Feel?)”

Chad Valley, who also leads Jonquil, doesn’t have much in the way of stage presence, but that doesn’t mean he lacks the ability to get a crowd moving. His beats and keys get your feet and hips moving, then his voice comes in and overpowers your head and arms. It’s almost unfair how easy he makes it seem.

7. Active Child - “You Are All I See”

There are shades of Jonsi in Active Child’s live show (though they can’t yet afford the full band setup and have to sub in some electronics) — soaring vocals, unique string sounds (in this case from a harp), and impeccable songwriting. Their latest album of the same name is on constant rotation in my collection these days.

8. Young Galaxy - “Peripheral Visionaries”

I know precious little about Young Galaxy, and frankly couldn’t get into the record beyond this song, but this song would not leave my head for weeks.

9. Gardens & Villa - “Black Hills”

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an opener get an encore (last time was Katzenjammer at Summerfest a few years back), and it’s especially rare on a band’s first tour. Gardens & Villa pulled that off, then dominated the crowd with a cover of “Cars.” Can’t wait to see them again when my homie EOTB hosts them at Bottom of the Hill.

10. Bombay Bicycle Club - “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep”

BBC has been the most requested band on this blog, and I’m finally on board with their latest record. But now you guys have to suggest something else ;)

11. Givers - “Saw You First”

Everyone loves Givers. How can you not? They’re adorable, write great songs, and play their hearts out. Look for big things from these guys in the future.

12. Pepper Rabbit - “Rose Mary Stretch”

Though they claim to be from LA (fair, they live there), a lot of Pepper Rabbit’s inspiration (and recording) comes from New Orleans. Think they ran into Generationals? :)

13. Boy & Bear - “Milk & Sticks”

Man, I want to see what happens when Sweden and Australia have a musical love-child. Boy & Bear are another great Australian export — they’re absolutely blowing up down under, and are finally touring America in support of their debut album, Moonfire.

14. Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside - “Cage”

Dirty Radio is about as appropriate of an album name as I’ve heard in quite a while. The Portland-based band writes instant-classic radio-worthy songs with a sound to match, but Sallie brings that extra passion with her through the lyrics that can’t help but shower you in the dirt and grime she and the characters she sings about have been through.

15. Jumbonics - “Last Night” (Strokes cover)

Hat tip to Kramer for this find. I haven’t heard a lot of Strokes covers in other genres — someone had to do it, right?

16. Mr. Little Jeans - “Single Ladies” (Beyonce cover)

I gotta say, as a guy I find this laissez-faire approach to the lyrics far more intimidating (and thus powerful) than Beyonce’s original in-your-face version.

17. Little Dragon - “Little Man”

Much like Mr. Little Jeans, Little Dragon thrives off building tension by hitting notes with more of a hover-and-tap than a strike. Check out the live version we recorded with Yours Truly.

18. Adventure - “Rio”

I was first turned onto this song via the epic video. You may want to start there, too.

19. Other Lives - “For 12”

It’s no secret that Other Lives is an incredible live band. They play a plethora of different instruments and bring them together into some of the fullest sounds you’ll find. They’ve been (very appropriately) on tour with Bon Iver of late. Definitely check them out if you can.

Howdy loves - I really meant to post about half this mixtape...

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:00:05 -0700

Howdy loves -

I really meant to post about half this mixtape right after SXSW. Alas, my music collection has hit full on diaspora status. I had to download about 90% of these tracks onto the computer I’m writing this post from tonight (even though I have them elsewhere) so I could upload them for streaming and download. I’ve been using Rdio a lot more lately (though it definitely makes me feel uncool with its limited library of small indie bands, I do so love its convenience), so those of you who also use Rdio and want to listen there can check it out here.

<3 | ∑>

1. Thao & Mirah (feat tUnE-YarDs) - “Eleven”

What do you get when you put the bay area’s three most talented females together? THIS.

2. tUnE-YarDs - “Gangsta”

You’ve been hearing me preach the gospel of tUnE-YarDs for ages, but the new record, W H O K I L L, is absolutely epic. It makes you wonder what world Merril lives in, lures you into that world, scares the living crap out of you, then rests you back home, more comforted than you’ve ever been before.

3. EMA - “Milkman”

Don’t f*ck with EMA.

4. Hooray For Earth - “True Loves”

I found this song on a bus checking out homie Yvyvnyl’s Tumblr. He had posted one of the most epic videos I’ve seen in a very long time, and I thank him for that.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “Skeletons”

After the most impressive debut EP I’ve heard in ages, DEJJ have completed and released their full-length, It’s A Corporate World. It definitely lives up to (very high) expectations, as does their epic live show. Don’t let the name fool you, these dudes are legit.

6. The Generationals - “I Promise”

I can’t tell you how stoked I am to finally see The Generationals next week. I attempted to see them three times at SXSW, and was foiled each time (time change, full venue). Their debut, Con Law, is incredibly fun, and their latest, Actor-Caster, keeps the fun while showing added maturity in the songwriting.

7. Painted Palms - “All Of Us”

Arguably the hottest band in SF right now, Painted Palms have already toured with Of Montreal, despite only having a single EP and having never played live together nine months ago. Adding a modern twist to classic surf sounds, Painted Palms are near pop perfection.

8. 1,2,3 - “Riding Coach”

Very clearly carrying the influence of their hometown of Pittsburgh, 1,2,3 write some beautiful guitar-driven songs with a snarky edge.

9. The Antlers - “I Don’t Want Love”

Hoooooly crap. You just don’t hold that high a note that long in that dark a song. Except apparently you should.

10. Twin Shadow - “Castles In The Snow”

I can’t say enough about Twin Shadow. They’re the real deal. Check out the Yours Truly video from SXSW I was lucky enough to witness.

11. The Wombats - “Jump Into The Fog”

The Wombats have a history of writing great British pop songs (proven by a platinum record, amongst other awards), and this number off their latest effort is no different.

12. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - “FFunny Frends”

This is one of the most polarizing bands in recent memory amongst my friends, but I can’t figure out from the sound why that is. Instead, I suspect it’s their overt hipsterdom that turns some friends off. Whatever, they write some good songs, so I can’t hate.

13. Architecture In Helsinki - “Contact High”

For fans who were hoping AIH could bring another song as deliciously poppy as “Heart It Races,” “Contact High” is an absolute treat. For new folks, welcome to the dance hall for nerds.

14. Grimes - “Vanessa”

This was another incredible Yours Truly shoot I witnessed recently (the video isn’t done yet), primarily because Claire is so talented and successful a performer, yet so nervous and unassuming in conversation. We had a great time talking about her home town of Montreal and her desire to be incredibly prolific (she’s certainly capable, and well on her way). She, in turn, provided an incredible performance in a warehouse basement a couple blocks from my apartment.

15. Evan Voytas - “Tomorrow Night We’ll Go Anywhere”

Evan and his band are the only folks I’ve ever seen get insistent calls for an encore from an entire audience at SXSW — and they were the first band at a day party! I was certainly one of those folks cheering, and will continue to do so in any way possible. Bathe yourself in this jam’s sleazy goodness.

16. Seapony - “Dreaming”

I caught the end of Seapony’s Yours Truly shoot (the part where I show up with cookies as they’re packing up the van), but the next weekend, this was the first song I heard on the radio as I pulled into San Antonio, TX. I couldn’t believe how out of place it felt, but I felt pretty out of place, too, so it fit.

17. Simon & Garfunkel - “You Can Tell The World”

My mom reminded me of this one while I was home last weekend. My parents definitely have a fun mix of records — it’s all the bands you know from the 60s, but almost none of the most popular albums.

18. Kurt Vile - “Baby’s Arms”

Um, watch this.

19. Frank Ocean - “Novacane”

The most recently added member of LA’s hottest urban music collective, Odd Future, Frank drops some serious R. Kelly vibes.

20. The Head and the Heart - “Lost In My Mind”

Yes, one more Yours Truly shoutout (sorry, it’s how I spent my SXSW) — seeing these guys in their element makes all the difference.

Hello my loves - I’m through with apologizing for...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:00:07 -0800

Hello my loves -

I’m through with apologizing for delays between mixtapes (though I do still feel bad), so consider this a pre-pre-SXSW mix. It unintentionally highlights several artists I’m excited to see, like Acrylics, Evan Voytas, Mr. Little Jeans, and Alex Winston. Who’s gonna go dance with me?

<3 | ∑>

1. Mean Lady - “Lonely”

Talk about great music from a dorm room! The Mean Lady EP “Kid Friendly” impressed me plenty before finding out it’s the debut effort from two kids from University of Delaware. They gave it away free at one record store, a Mediterranean Grill in Newark, and at their shows. This deserves WAY more attention.

2. Aloe Blacc - “I Need A Dollar”

My homies at Yours Truly turned me on to this one, but apparently I’m way behind the times — Aloe is already playing 600+ person venues and one hipster friend noted that he was “sooooo sick of him and all the remixes.” Man, I’m just not cool enough these days. But hey, this song is good, and sorry if you’ve heard it too much :)

3. Foster The People - “Pumped Up Kicks”

Joe from A B & The Sea insisted I check this track out, calling it the best chorus of the year. I gotta give it to him, it’s mighty catchy. Definitely will want to catch them at SXSW.

4. The Western States Motel - “Country and Western Song”

I will admit to mixed feelings on this song. It’s so simple it’s frustrating, but it’s also quite beautiful and the simplicity matches the song so well.

5. Mr. Little Jeans - “Rescue Song”

I think I’m in love. Monica Berkenes is an LA resident originally from Norway with a stop in London in between. She likes La Sera and has an incredible voice of her own (she covers Beyonce with ease and grace).

6. Blood Diamonds - “Aires”

I wish I could tell you more about Blood Diamonds, but all I know is they’re from Vancouver and make some groovy beats and blips.

7. Teen Daze - “Let’s Fall Asleep Together”

Teen Daze seems to be following Toro y Moi’s lead somewhat by leaving the pure electronics behind in favor of more real instrumentation. And, perhaps the bigger surprise considering his laptop-and-a-mic live show, he pulls it off!

8. Evan Voytas - “Tomorrow Night We’ll Go Anywhere”

Evan continues to crank out amazing tracks.

9. Acrylics - “Nightwatch”

This is hands-down the most played new album of my last month. It’s at once cheesy and brilliant enough to play that cheesiness off as mere fun. It’s an homage to the best indie rock of the last decade and a step forward, seeming to say “I see what you did there, now check this out!”

10. Alex Winston - “Sister Wife”

Alex Winston has been incessantly running through my skull for the last week. She has a new EP that you should probably get, even though it will drive you mad.

11. The Crystals - “He’s A Rebel”

The Crystals were one of Phil Spector’s great successes, and this track is my favorite of their triumphs. It was originally offered to The Shirelles, but they turned it down because of the anti-establishment lyrics. Interestingly, even this version wasn’t sung by The Crystals — Phil was in such a hurry to record the song that he got The Blossoms to back up Darlene Love before The Crystals could fly to LA from NYC, but released the song under The Crystals name.

12. Onra - “The Anthem”

Onra is french DJ and beat maker Arnaud Bernard. That’s about all I got.

13. Mount Righteous - “We’re All Going Crazy”

Mount Righteous is from Grapevine, TX and has nine(-ish) members & tons of energy. Definitely a modern form of marching band.

14. Clive Tanaka y su orquesta - “Neu Chicago”

Clive Tanaka hails from Japan and collaborates with a group called su orquesta (whom I know nothing about).

15. Micah Smith and mirF - “Touch”

DJ Micah Smith hails from Chicago and teamed up with Spokane, WA based beat maker mirF for the album Kosmos, which is equal parts soul, jazz, and Chinese hip-hop.

16. Love Lake - “Things U Did”

Love Lake’s debut was recorded in various bedrooms of Minneapolis, MN by Anders Carlson (with help from a few friends).

17. Toro y Moi - “Still Sound”

Toro y Moi is back with a new, more decidedly live-instrumented record Underneath The Pine. This is very clearly the single, but the rest of the record has lots of solid tracks as well, and it’s fun to hear him break out of pure chillwave.

18. Persianettes - “Call On Me”

I got this track from a 60s Philly Soul Girls sampler I picked up off homie yvyvynl’s blog. This track was a b-side on a 1965 single that wound up getting released by three different labels between 1965 and 1969.

19. Jonny - “Continental”

Jonny is the collaboration between Norman Blake of Teenage Fancluband (ex-Gorky’s) Welsh musician Euros Childs. They put this track out with four others on a Free EP last fall, and now have a full record out. They also have some of the worst SEO in the business.

20. Fishing - “OOOO”

Speaking of terrible SEO, I’m not even going to try to find out much about this band. Just kick back and enjoy :)

Happy New Year! This mix started out dark and depressing and...

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:35:26 -0800

Happy New Year!

This mix started out dark and depressing and somehow wound up just as happy as usual. WHAT?! Ah well, tis the season. Hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday. I, for one, spent Christmas in bed, recovering from a violent stomach illness. Ah well, back to life and having a blast.

I thought about posting a Best of 2010 list, but The Owl Mag already posted my favorite albums and you guys probably have all the songs already. If you’d like a year end list, just drop me an email and I’ll throw one together. In the meantime, I’ll be eating all the cookies I missed at Christmas :)

<3 | ∑>

1. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - “Bleed Like There Was No Other Flood”

I’m head-over-heels for Wildbirds & Peacedrums, and their new record has vocal support from a classical choir. Swoon.

2. Parlovr - “Hell, Heaven”

Man, some epic indie rock comes out of Montreal — Parlovr are the latest in long tradition that includes the likes of Arcade Fire, Tegan & Sara, Islands, and Wolf Parade. They seem to bring Islands’ songwriting to Wolf Parade’s energy and Arcade Fire’s massive sound. I’ll take it :)

3. Dirty Gold - “California Sunrise”

I’m not supposed to post this track (sorry Kramer! more on why in another post) but it’s been playing nonstop through my skull for the past two weeks. Don’t worry guys, I’ll post again when you have the chance to re-record. It’s that good.

4. Ernesto Djedje - “Golozo”

Ernesto hailed from Cote d’Ivoire and brought together his homeland’s Bete roots music with Congolese rhythms. This 1977 jam comes from what most consider his best record, Le Roi du Ziglibithy. Sadly, Djedje died six years later at the age of 35.

5. The Mamas & The Papas - “Go Where You Want To Go”

“Go Where You Want To Go” was the first single from The Mamas & The Papas, and while it lacks the songwriting maturity of their later work, it still has those enchanting vocal harmonies. Sadly, this track never made it to the charts.

6. Tennis - “South Carolina”

In a somewhat rare occurrence these days, a crazy-buzzy band came to town, sold out a club that didn’t know what a sell out was (they sold to a point where people with tickets physically couldn’t stand in the room where the band was playing), and totally lived up to the hype. That band was Tennis, and they impressed me mightily. At one point the lead singer was getting feedback in her monitor, and in a feat of strength that would destroy a band like Surfer Blood (last year’s comparably buzzy band at this time), she opted to forego the reverb. The results were incredible — she can really sing!

7. La Sera - “Never Come Around”

Holy crap I can’t wait for a full record of this.

8. GROUPLOVE - “Colours”

Los Angeles’ GROUPLOVE began on the lower east side of Manhattan, then met the rest of the band, who were from London and LA, in Greece. Crazy, right? Well so is their music, in an equally awesome and eccentric way.

9. Maps & Atlases - “Living Decorations”

Mathy folk pop from Chicago. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it.

10. Kids of 88 - “San Fran”

Well, I live here. Kinda have to love the romance of this song.

11. Keith Canisius - “The Beach House”

Danish bedroom version of Mew? Whatever it is, I’m groovin.

12. Long Long Long - “Mandarin Collars With Women”

It’s not about being liked. NO! It’s about being respected!

13. Cloud Control - “Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight”

More fun from these favorites from Down Under.

14. Warpaint - “Baby”

Oh god this song gives me shivers. Sounds little like the rest of the record, and I can’t find a live version anywhere, but I maintain this is one of the best songs of the year.

15. Cotton Jones - “Glorylight and Christie”

This record continues to be my most played of late. Not sick of it yet.

16. Bill Withers - “Ain’t No Sunshine”

The man who was a plumber, decided to sing some songs, and generated some of the best songs ever written disappeared near the peak of his success. He became disillusioned with the music industry and moved back home to live a humble life. Watch Still Bill. It’s an awesome flick.

17. Dark Dark Dark - “Daydreaming”

One of the most gorgeously unique voices of our generation, and an entrancing live show.

Helloooooooooooo! I have to say, I’m proud of this...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:44:02 -0800

Helloooooooooooo!

I have to say, I’m proud of this little bundle of joy. It’s an amalgam of two mixes I made for a recent trip to Alabama with my best friends in the world, and every song was vetted twice as hard as normal for awesomeness. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

<3 / ∑>

1. Jukebox The Ghost - “Schizophrenia”

Nary has a song been writ so frantic yet coherent. But if anyone is a master of such things, Jukebox The Ghost be they.

2. Wild Beasts - “All The King’s Men”

Most of the Wild Beasts’ set is dominated by a guy singing incredible falsetto, but then this other guy comes in and sings a higher falsetto before going full-on Morrissey. This is the song that turns the concert into an experience.

3. Humans - “Avec Mec Mecs”

I’m not quite sure what to say about this British Columbian duo. It’s definitely a bit more bass-heavy than you tend to find on my speakers, but the soft vocals create a truly fascinating layering effect. It’s like a slow-motion strobe-lighted disco.

4. Absofacto - “Punch Drunk On Black Mold”

I can’t get enough Absofacto. Jon keeps writing great, exciting, diverse songs every month.

5. Cults - “Oh My God”

Cults is two film students from NYC who wrote a few songs together and posted them on Bandcamp for their friends to hear. Word spread (fast) and now they’re one of the hottest bands around. Rightfully so, even if it wasn’t intentional.

6. Cotton Jones - “Somehow To Keep It Going”

The latest Cotton Jones record, Tall Hours In The Glowstream, has been on repeat for me on a daily basis for the last two months. It’s that good. It’s both emotional and easing.

7. Iron Horse Bluegrass - “New Slang (The Shins Cover)”

The Iron Horse Bluegrass band is incredible. Their original songs are innovative, and their covers (of anything from Metallica to Modest Mouse) are gorgeous. This cover in particular goes straight to my heart.

8. Warpaint - “Undertow”

God, this is just one of those songs that you FEEL. Yours Truly recently did a session with these girls from LA, revealing they’re just as beautiful and likable as their music.

9. Miracle Fortress - “Hold Your Secrets To Your Heart”

This is the record that’s played the most on my computer for the last two years, yet for some reason I never talk about it. Montreal’s Graham Van Pelt writes some of the spaciest, most beautiful pieces of indie rock you’ll find.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “God Only Knows”

Have I mentioned I love these guys? Seriously, who attempts, AND PULLS OFF, a cover of “God Only Knows” on their first EP? A band originally intended as a side project, apparently. Kudos, fellas.

11. Tyler Lefebvre - “Summer Eyes”

Baltimore / DC based Lefebvre writes almost acid-jazzy dance-alongs, including this gem. This is a track that is equally appropriate in a convertible, a dark club, and a hotel lobby. Oh, and of course an indie dance party :)

12. Mndr - “I Go Away”

I’m excited to see Mndr when they come to San Francisco next month. They’ll be back again in February, but at a much larger venue with Chromeo. They’re somewhere between Tegan & Sara and School Of Seven Bells, and I think I like that middle ground more than the edges.

13. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - “My Heart”

You all know this already, but I am head over heels in love with Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Apparently their new record expands their sound from a single voice and drums to a whole chorus of backing vocals. I’m incredibly excited to hear how that sounds.

14. Jonsi - “Animal Arithmetic”

I’ve loved this track since I first heard it at the start of the year because it’s so playful. The first time I saw Jonsi, he reappeared for the encore with an elaborate headdress on and proceeded to dance while singing this song. He seemed like a little kid playing in his room, which was a beautiful sight to behold (especially when accompanied by the incredible music).

15. Annuals - “Hair Don’t Grow”

Annuals is one of several bands I love who I think got pigeonholed far too early in their career as part of the emo/pop-punk scene. Their elaborate and uplifting songs go far beyond those genres, and their sound continues to grow.

16. Oh No! Yoko - “90s Kids”

This song is almost too easy — everyone who was a kid in the 90s can relate to nearly every line and get nostalgic — but still a freaking blast.

17. Modest Mouse - “Spitting Venom”

I was never a fan of “Spitting Venom” until seeing an epic 20 minute version live in Dublin last year. Isaac Brock writes incredible songs, but he’s also a great band-leader, enabling all six members on stage to extend any song endlessly on a whim and make it look like it was rehearsed.

Greetings lovers! I’m back with another mixtape, ripe...

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:17:37 -0700

Greetings lovers!

I’m back with another mixtape, ripe with my latest favorites. I’ve been running to work with this mix for the past couple weeks, and it works well for me — energetic to kick-start my day, then easing into a rhythm, then becoming more soothing. Then a slow motion disco. Or something. You’ll just have to figure that out for yourself.

I’ve also been blogging about more music industry related things over here of late, so if that tickles your fancy, by all means check it out :)

As always, please feel free to email me with any feedback!

<3 / ∑>

1. The Like - “Wishing He Was Dead”

I was a bit hesitant about The Like at first because they seemed too perfect — beautiful girls playing 60s-style pop jams with just a little punk edge. Turns out they are, in fact, pretty darn near perfect, both on record and live. I had the privilege of seeing them a couple weeks ago and I think everyone in the audience was flat out stunned.

2. Jake Troth - “Material Things”

I was going to post this track regardless, but then I discovered that Jake is from the small town in North Carolina where I went to college (though you’d never imagine it from his music). Regardless of where he lives, he’s got hooks for miles.

3. Blackalicious - “Deception”

I was reminded of this classic by a tweet from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. a few weeks back. All too often overlooked in the greatest rap songs of all time charts, it’s the classic tale of the rise and fall of a rap star.

4. Teddybears - “Get Mama A House (feat. Desmond Forster)”

Teddybears might be a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I’m okay with that — their goofy lyrics and bangin beats make for a damn fine dance party.

5. Eddie Holland - “Leaving Here”

Eddie Holland spent a good portion of his Motown career behind the scenes (as the team’s lyricist) due to stagefright. Luckily he snuck out from behind the curtain on occasion to make jams of his own like this plea to get men to treat their women better.

6. Young Man - “Home Alone”

Young Man finds a glorious and beautiful space somewhere between Freelance Whales, Avi Buffalo, and Here We Go Magic. Their debut release, Boy, is full of sprawling melodies and harmonies, and “Home Alone” is no exception.

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “Simple Girl”

I had never loved every minute of an EP so completely prior to DEJJ’s Horse Power EP. Turns out they back it up live, as they happily proved recently to crowds on the west coast as part of The Rumble tour. While they might have you believe their sounds are highly computerized, the show is alarmingly organic, with rich harmonies, spot-on whistling, and an American flag made out of Christmas lights.

8. IDRchitecture - “(Sign of the Fish)”

IDRchitecture are like a brit-pop version of American band Why?. They rhyme in complex sentences over indie rock. And I love them for it.

9. The Young Veins - “Take a Vacation!”

The Young Veins are the second example of members of a Decaydance (Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz’s label) emo band growing up and playing legitimately good pop (the other being This Is Ivy League) — the members are from Panic! At The Disco (whose second album, Pretty Odd, started to point in this direction).

10. Buried Beds - “Ivory Towers”

I’m sure Yvynyl will appreciate more love for the Philly scene — Buried Beds have been killing it out there for the better part of a decade. It’s a marvel they haven’t grown much larger. I also love the quote on their MySpace: “On their sophomore album “Tremble the Sails”, Buried Beds trades delicate banjos for dualing guitars to create a landscape where love, death and your future-self throw a party.”

11. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - “The Drop”

I’m constantly amazed at the sheer force that comes from such a simple setup of two people. Just, wow.

12. Absofacto - “No Power”

Absofacto is the alter ego of Mason Proper’s Jonathan Visger. He’s been pretty consistent about posting one great song a month for the last year (twenty since beginning the project), and you can get them all for pay what you want. I ordered a poster and got it very promptly and with a smile.

13. Young Rebel Set - “If I Was”

Like a softer, sweeter version of Frightened Rabbit, Young Rebel Set charm their way into your heart. It can be a bit cheesy at moments, but in the end I’ll chalk it up as too cute to pass up.

14. Born Ruffians - “Sole Brother”

One of my big regrets from SXSW last year was going back to my hotel to drop my backpack and some food while my friends caught a Born Ruffians show. Tragedy.

15. Cloud Control - “This Is What I Said”

I posted “Gold Canary” by these Aussies a few months ago (it remains a favorite), and am delighted to follow it up with this jam. Man, I wish this record would come out in the US already!

16. Dominant Legs - “Clawing Out at the Walls”

Labelmate of Neon Indian, Dominant Legs have emerged with a debut album, Young at Love and Life, that creates magical tensions between soothing instrumentation and a nervous voice and chord progression.

17. Dan Black - “Symphonies”

Dan Black feels a little bit sleazy at times, but it’s somehow still very much worth grooving to.

18. Mystery Jets - “Flash A Hungry Smile”

Mystery Jets are the biggest band in the UK that you’ve never heard of. They, very appropriately, opened for Arctic Monkeys in a jaunt around Europe early this year, and have since embarked on their own headlining tour.

19. The Goodnight Loving - “The Pan”

The Goodnight Loving bring us properly back to where we began — both the mixtape (modern take on the 60s), and my life (Milwaukee). Glorious.

Hello again, long-lost pen-pals! I could sit around and make...

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 -0700

Hello again, long-lost pen-pals!

I could sit around and make loads of excuses for why this new mix took so long to find you, but that would just be sad. And frankly, I’d rather focus on the music. We’ve got a more adventurous mix this time, starting with roots in the oldies of the previous mix and exploding into a fit of awesomeness. I was fortunate enough to see several of the bands recently, and not a single one disappointed. Have you been to a show lately? It’s probably time :)

<3 / ∑>

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “Vocal Chords”

Despite one of the most questionable names in recent memory, these guys have been my obsession of late. They only have an EP out, but every second of it is sheer brilliance. Can’t wait for more.

2. Teddybears - “Cardiac Arrest”

I hadn’t heard of Teddybears til recently, but they’re my go-to uptempo music right now.

3. GOBBLE GOBBLE - “Wrinklecarver”

I caught GOBBLE GOBBLE last Thursday and holy wow. I have never experienced a show like that. They have the hipster dance party nailed to epic levels, and there are fairies and glow sticks and tarps and pots and pans and a whole lot of questionably-ironic mustaches. And it all comes together in a thoroughly enjoyable orchestration of music and dance.

4. The Like - “He’s Not A Boy”

The Like added a member between the last record and the new one and suddenly HOLY CRAP THEY’RE AWESOME. I want to go to a high school dance just to dance to this song.

5. Fitz & The Tantrums - “MoneyGrabber”

I’ve been a big fan of Fitz since the beginning, but I am now more convinced than ever that they are going to be huge. I saw them live two weeks ago and I can’t even put into words how professional yet endearing it was. As my friend (who had never heard of them) said incredulously “There’s no way they’ve only been around a year! They’re playing these tracks like they’re standards!”

6. Jukebox The Ghost - “Empire”

I’ve seen several overwhelmingly positive reviews of the new record from this DC band, but have yet to happen upon a copy for myself. If this track is any indication, it stands to more than live up to their fantastic 2008 debut.

7. A Lull - “Weapons For War”

Chicago’s A Lull are a mysterious bunch, but the sextet promises an LP, Confetti, later this year. I can hardly wait.

8. Mates of State - “Laura”

Mates of State latched onto the cover song trend and turned in a full-length effort comprised entirely of covers. Luckily they’re all pretty good, including this cover of Girls’s hit “Laura.”

9. Best Coast - “Boyfriend”

Won’t get out of my head. No matter how hard I try. Which isn’t very hard because it’s awesome.

10. Faded Paper Figures - “Invent It All Again”

Faded Paper Figures fit right into the Postal Service niche, but with a bit of extra nerdy charm. I caught them live a few weeks ago and came away rather impressed.

11. Anni Rossi - “Crushing Limbs”

Chicago seems to be adding some talent to the mix these days, and you can add Anni Rossi to that group. The multi-instrumentalist recorded her debut LP, Rockwell, with Steve Albini in a single day. Impressive.

12. Elsinore - “Yes Yes Yes (Eric Enger Remix)”

Yet another Illinois export, Elsinore have been around for several years, but keep getting better with age. This track is arguably their best to date, and the remix just kicks up the party vibe a little more.

13. Kings Go Forth - “One Fine Day”

Kings Go Forth bassist Andy Noble owned a record store in my home town of Milwaukee specializing in rare soul records, but he shut it down to pursue a career in creating new songs that sounded like those records. He and the nine other members of Kings Go Forth have done a fantastic job of doing so.

14. Happy Birthday - “Girls FM”

I can’t say I know of any other bands from Brattleboro, VT, but if Happy Birthday are any indication, it sounds like a lovely place.

15. The Crookes - “Backstreet Lovers”

With a new spin on traditional british pop music, The Crookes are winning fans the world over. Including me. Sadly, only folks in the UK have an opportunity to see them this summer.

16. Hesta Prynn - “Pepper”

Everyone’s favorite indie-rapper-turned-uptown-diva Hesta Prynn has outdone herself once again, teaming up with Clown from Slipknot on this cover of Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper.” Not even a month before its release, I was commenting to a friend that this would be one of the toughest songs to pull off an original cover of. I guess Hesta’s just that good.

17. The Books - “Beautiful People”

The Books is one of those bands that’s quietly crept their way up the totem poll to playing rather sizable venues. And rightfully so. Their sound and subject matter are some of the most unique going today that can still be recognized as rock.

18. April Smith and the Great Picture Show - “Colors”

I gave an advance copy of this mix to my friend Mica and all she could talk about the last week was April Smith and the Great Picture Show. They’ve benefitted recently from a song in a Weeds commercial, but they benefit more from April’s incredible voice and an inviting and fun sound.

19. Snowglobe - “Love”

By their own description (I can do no better), “Snowglobe is a rather amorphous, unwieldy group of artists who share a love for all things honest, poppy, and psychedelic. All members to date hail from Memphis, TN, but the music and idea of Snowglobe has its origins in Athens, GA. The group played many of it’s first shows with the artists of the elephant 6 collective, including Of Montreal and Olivia Tremor Control. They have since returned home, and today Snowglobe strives to continue the age old Memphis tradition of playing honest music for the right reasons.” Word.

Helloooooooo! Didja miss me? If so, I’m sorry. I...

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:09:58 -0700

Helloooooooo!

Didja miss me? If so, I’m sorry. I warned you last time I would have some news to share shortly, and I do — I’ve decided to trade career opponents from traditional music industry models to incumbent ticketing giants (*cough*), and thus have moved from Topspin to Eventbrite. As a result, I had to turn in my Topspin work computer, which had almost all of my new music on it, and have been traveling almost constantly without a laptop, and so have been listening to a lot of oldies. You’ll notice here. We’ll get back to more new stuff next week, but the summer seems like a good time for oldies anyway. Hope you like!

<3 / ∑>

1. Beach Boys - “California Girls”

I’ve been traveling a lot and this song has been running through my head constantly. Man is it ever true.

2. The Turtles - “She’d Rather Be With Me”

I’d make a case for The Turtles as the most under-appreciated band of their time. They never had a #1 hit, despite cranking out gems like this day-in and day-out.

3. We Five - “You Were On My Mind”

Like many hits of its day, this is a cover (originally by Canadian country music icons Ian & Sylvia). However, San Francisco’s We Five do a bang-up job turning it into a pop gem.

4. The Knickerbockers - “Lies”

Part of me wonders if this song only reached the Top 20 because they sounded nearly identical to The Beatles, but anyone who can pull off legitimate Beatles comparisons on their own original songwriting is A-OK in my book.

5. Best Coast - “When I’m With You”

I wasn’t a huge fan of Best Coast when they started to make noise on the LA scene, but I think this song and its accompanying video have turned me around a bit.

6. Scott McKenzie - “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)”

This song has been running through my head a lot as I think of making a commitment to making this a home. The town has lost some of it’s 60’s spirit for sure, but it’s still a truly remarkable and exciting place, unlike anywhere else in the US. For McKenzie, it was his only hit, and apart from this song he may have regretted saying no to joining his producer’s band, The Mamas & The Papas.

7. The Everly Brothers - “All I Have To Do Is Dream”

I’m so jealous our parents got to slow dance to this song. That’s all I can really say.

8. Dion & The Belmonts - “A Teenager In Love”

I’m also jealous they expressed their teenage angst like this instead of this.

9. Toro Y Moi - “Leave Everywhere”

Toro Y Moi continues to impress me. After starting (and dominating) in the me-too genre of chillwave, he has progressed to playing real instruments — first in a great YoursTruly video, now on this new single.

10. Big Maybelle - “New Kind Of Mambo”

This is a pretty early track from Big Maybelle for OKeh Records. Her 1956 hit “Candy” made it to the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999.

11. Alvin Robinson - “Down Home Girl”

Oh my good lord it doesn’t get much more soulful than this. It’s almost funk with the horns, but the delivery of such incredible lyrics is borderline epic.

12. Singin’ Sammy Ward - “Who’s The Fool”

I can’t find much about Singin’ Sammy Ward beyond the fact that he was an early singer on Motown Records. And my, what a fantastic blues singer at that.

13. Leslie Gore - “How Can I Be Sure”

I stumbled into this song and was so happy I did. For years (before Google) I had remembered the chorus from the Oldies station in Milwaukee, but could never find out what song it was. Turns out it was a hit when recorded by The Young Rascals, but I like this version better.

14. Sandy Selsie - “A Date With Loneliness”

Sandy Selsie came from Ontario, and had a couple songs make it to Canadian and border-state radio in the 1960s, but there’s little documentation of it. Shame.

15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - “Sink/Let It Sway”

A B & The Sea got to go to the listening party for this record in the studio up the street from me and I was so incredibly jealous. It comes out in August and rules.

16. The Turtles - “Elenore”

Two of my “little sisters” in college were named derivations of Enenore (Elinor and Eleanore), so this song has stuck with me. But perhaps more importantly, it’s the only Top 200 song ever to rhyme the word “Etcetera.” Most hilariously, it was written as a parody of their earlier hit “Happy Together.” Oh, and did I mention they were responsible for all the laws around sampling in rap when they sued De La Soul?

17. The Del Vikings - “Come Go With Me”

The Del Vikings were a rare successful racially-integrated doo-wop group in the 1950s. This track in particular is just flat out classic.

18. A B & The Sea - “Johnny”

This is what happens when you put insanely talented kids in a studio, feed them a little bit of alcohol, and say “go nuts, I’m recording.” This track was recorded at the very end of the Boys & Girls EP sessions, when there were a few more hours of studio time to use. As fate would have it, there’s no way the EP could be complete without it. It’s also the first time keyboardist David has been able to show off his chops.

19. Shirley Ann Lee - “There’s A Light”

This long (tragically) forgotten gospel singer was recently tracked down for a movie called Downriver Revival. Good lord.

20. David Ruffin - “Anything That You Ask For”

David Ruffin was one of the original five members of The Temptations, but his later works went largely unappreciated. This is an incredible track from an album called David that was never released (no idea why).

21. Fitz & The Tantrums - “Winds Of Change”

I can’t wait to share the new album (coming out sometime on Dangerbird Records), but this track off the original EP seemed appropriate given the other tracks on the mix and my recent career changes.

Howdy! I’m excited to share the next mixtape with you...

Mon, 10 May 2010 16:47:34 -0700

Howdy!

I’m excited to share the next mixtape with you all. There’s no theme, no background, no nothing this time around, so I’ll just let the music speak for itself. I’ve got loads of other things swirling, and I hope to be able to bring you some big news in the not-so-distant future. For now, plug in your headphones and rock out with me!

<3 / ∑>

1. Beach House - “Zebra”

“They did it. What we were talking about. That ‘Zebra’ track is a killer rock song.” This was my friend Jim’s reaction after returning from a Beach House show a couple weeks ago, having yet to hear the full Teen Dream record in full. Our discussion had been around how long it had been since someone wrote a serious banger of a rock song (a la “Float On,” which he gets to play every night on tour and loves it every time). I’m not quite ready to put it on that level, but man is it ever a jam.

2. The Phoenix Foundation - “Buffalo”

This gem comes courtesy of New Zealander friend Jessie. Can’t thank her enough for sharing this tune that’s as beautiful as the country it comes from. Almost as great as the song is the fact that when you order the CD, they send paper and instructions for folding your own origami buffalo.

“I’m on the sea floor / I am the mammal you adore”

3. Jonsi - “Animal Arithmetic”

I absolutely adore the playfulness of this song, and just about fell to giggles when Jonsi came out on stage at the live show with a full headdress dancing around stage like a wild child (something that the rest of us would totally do in our own bedrooms). Even independent of the rest of the album, this track makes me wonder how much better Where The Wild Things Are would have been had Jonsi done the soundtrack.

4. The Ruby Suns - “Cranberry”

I’ll admit, the new Ruby Suns record kinda pissed me off at first. My first reaction was “oh, great, they heard the Animal Collective and Toro Y Moi records and decided they should jump on that bandwagon.” While that still holds true to some extent, I’m glad I didn’t write them off entirely, as there are actually some really well-written songs mixed in (like this one).

5. First Rate People - “Girls’ Night”

This track showed up in my inbox last week from a friend. Awesome. Love when that happens.

6. The Kindness - “Gee Up”

I can’t really tell you much about The Kindness. Really, nothing. I know what you can find here, and also that this song is awesome.

7. Fang Island - “Life Coach”

The lastest Fang Island record was something I slept on, even through all the SXSW buzz, and in the last two weeks it has become one of my most listened to records. Don’t be silly like me. Get it NOW! Or distract yourself with the totally awesome video for this song.

8. Generationals - “Faces In The Dark”

Generationals have a lot of different types of songs in their arsenal, and this one definitely gets filed under “drunken campfire songs sung with friends.” Check out some of their other sounds here.

9. Turin Brakes - “Sea Change”

Yep, you guessed it, another band I slept on. I had had their record in my inbox for a year before a notice that they were playing Popscene in San Francisco finally got me to have a listen. Turns out it’s quite lovely — quality songwriting, beautiful harmonies, and a good amount of thunderous thumping to drive the beat forward.

10. Lissie - “Bad Romance (Lady Gaga Cover - Live)”

What do you get when you take a really well-written but horribly overproduced song and give it to a girl with a downright earth-shattering voice to play live just for the sake of posting on YouTube? Brilliance.

11. The Wailing Wall - “Speak Not Its Name”

This is the first track off The Wailing Wall’s debut The Low Hanging Fruit. Twenty seconds in, I was about to move the album to the trash. Two minutes in, I had already sent the record to a friend, and I wouldn’t leave my chair until the album had finished. Check a live performance of two other tracks (coming on future mixtapes) here.

12. Born Ruffians - “What To Say”

Look for Born Ruffians to “come out of nowhere” (you know, except those last few records and years of touring) with their latest album, if only as a result of this song blowing up. As has become their style, they craft absolutely masterful and soulful songs from as few pieces as possible.

13. The Benjamins - “Wonderful”

While The Benjamins are now defunct, I still listen to their record at least once a week. Perhaps because it reminds me of Milwaukee, but more likely because of songs like this that are snarky gems of brilliance.

“I’m your Einstein on acid / your Superman, if you will / if you would / think you could do a lot worse than me”

14. Facing New York - “Cops On Bikes”

A far cry from their usual guitar shredding, Oakland’s Facing New York have created a suburban delinquent’s anthem of epic proportions. They’re playing some west coast shows with Dredg, and I hear they’re bringing four guitars. Watch out.

15. 1, 2, 3 - “Confetti”

Challenging Girls, The The, and !!! for worse SEO in a band name, 1, 2, 3 write some dangerously catchy tunes. And after 20 minutes of searching, I finally found a place to point you to more :)

Hi there :) To say I’m humbled would be an...

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:39:00 -0700

Hi there :)

To say I’m humbled would be an extraordinary understatement. I just returned from beers with men whom I consider to be geniuses, and had no idea they paid any attention to this blog. Turns out they do, and so do you, and that that means the world to me. That sentiment fits wonderfully with this week’s theme, which is hope and love. Sure, there’s a bit of timidness involved, but on a whole the tunes are optimistic and full of love. This past week has been full of excitement and anticipation for me, and I think this mix is reflective of that. Hopefully it greets you with the same optimism!

<3 / ∑>

1. Jónsi - “Boy Lilikoi”

I was lucky enough to see Jónsi last Friday and was blown away. It was an incredible piece of genre-bending art that words can only struggle to describe. Be sure to check the conceptual pieces here, and see the show when it comes to your town. Please.

2. Annuals - “Loxtep”

I had no idea Annuals were putting out new tunes til i found this track online. I’m excited about their growth in terms of song structure and depth of melodies, and I think this track is a prime example — a simple melody turned into a glorious track.

3. James Yuill - “No Surprise”

Ok, I’ll admit to sleeping on this one. I’ve been fed this track for an entire year before catching on. Only in the last week did I receive the full album from a friend, and within a minute of beginning to listen, another friend from Germany noticed my status message and felt the need to call out just how awesome the record was. Yes, it’s more than a little great, and this track is just the tip of the iceberg.

4. Hey Champ - “Neverest”

Chicago’s Hey Champ reengineered their two leading tracks, “Cold Dust Girl” and “Neverest,” but there’s a reason these tracks have been out over a year and continue to gain momentum. They freaking rule. Can’t wait to hear a full record from these dudes.

5. Steel Train - “Turnpike Ghost”

I’ll admit I hadn’t kept up with guys after absolutely adoring their previous album, Trampoline. Turns out they’ve continued to write infectious tracks that undoubtedly translate magically live. They’re playing a number of festivals this spring, so don’t miss them!

6. The National - “Bloodbuzz Ohio”

A friend recently said that The National sets the standard for indie rock, and I tend to agree. There’s little I can say about this song except that it’s their next release in a longstanding stream of deep yet catchy tracks that nearly everyone should be able to relate to.

7. Stornoway - “You Don’t Know Anything”

Stornoway, like Annuals earlier on this mix, are borderline guilty pleasure — their songs are not necessarily anything new or innovative, but they’re so infectiously beautiful that they’re impossible to ignore.

8. Dr. Dog - “Jackie Wants A Black Eye”

I’m still confused as to how this is such an incredible song, but I think it has to do with the melding of the infectious melody with the catchy lyrics. The fact that everyone can sing the ”you can say that we’re alone, but we’re lonely together” and ”we’re all in this together now as we all fall apart” bits without straining any sort of vocal chords, but truly mean it, is amazing to me.

9. A B & The Sea - “Down and Around”

I am unabashedly a fan of these dudes and their simple yet beautiful pop songs, and the latest song they’ve unlocked is no exception.

10. The Wailing Wall - “Dandelion”

“You sing to me like a nightingale, and I sing to you like a humpback whale.”

Nuff said, methinks :)

11. Freelance Whales - “Generator ^ 2nd Floor”

This is one of those bands that keeps coming into my life in the most random of situations, the most recent of which being this song being given away for free via Topspin (the drummer also used to live with one of my friends, among other connections). One way or another, you need this album.

12. Lissie + George Stanford - “Don’t Be The One”

Chalk this up as the best track I’ve downloaded directly from Twitter in a long time. Tis beautiful. Thanks Lissie :)

13. Blitzen Trapper - “Heaven and Earth”

This is the first single off Blitzen Trapper’s new album, and it certainly lives up to the last, if not lyrically then at least musically. More please :)

14. Generationals - “When They Fight, They Fight”

Every song on this record is a 7-9 on a scale of 10, but each are infectious enough to fool you into loving them completely and dearly. This is one of those tracks that is particularly infectious. I ignored it until I started humming it to myself walking down the street. Touche, Generationals.

15. Foxy Shazam - “Oh Lord”

It’s been a while since a rock band has broken out based on their ability to simply project the “over the top” sensation that rock n roll has traditionally embodied — I would stake The Darkness to be the most recent example — but Foxy Shazam does a helluva job to re-plant that stake and hold onto it for dear life.

Howdy y’all! Ok, so it’s been a little while...

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:20:43 -0700

Howdy y’all!

Ok, so it’s been a little while since South By Southwest, but life’s been hectic (I haven’t even unpacked) and blahblahblah. Hopefully I can make it up to you with appropriate assloads of good tunes from bands who played at the Austin-based annual proving ground for bands we call SXSW.

Those tunes come in two chunks:

A mixtape made of bands I saw, or otherwise felt their presence, while at SXSW
A compilation of the top tracks I hadn’t previously heard from the unofficial SXSW torrent

My own experience at SXSW was a bit out of the ordinary — I spent the vast majority of the time holed up in a corner of our demo space working away. I did get to see a few bands, but unlike past years I didn’t have a chance to really discover new music. Sad. Thankfully I did get to see some friends and meet some famous-ish blogfriends and designers, which made the whole experience worthwhile.

Luckily, through the magic of the interwebs, I can do my music discovery by digging through a multi-gigabyte mass of music. Last year I made it through all the thousand plus songs, but you’ll have to forgive me this year for only getting through a little over 400. I put the torrent playlist on random, and it wound up spitting out a lot more loud rock gems than anything else. Hope that’s ok with you :)

Ok, enough chit-chat, let’s get to the music!

<3 / ∑>

1. Wallpaper - “T-Rex”

I was actually intending not to see Wallpaper while at SXSW (I go to almost every show in SF), but it seemed unavoidable. First I ran into them on the street as they were about to go all funky dinosaur (wear a dinosaur mask, play saxophone, make it rain — yes, really) on some unsuspecting people in line for shows, then I found myself with badgeless friends and spotted a tweet for a free Wallpaper show across the freeway with free beer. Sold. We danced our asses off, and even got some metalheads to get down with the jams. Speaking of jams, they’ve got a new track out for free that’s DEFINITELY worth your time.

2. Hesta Prynn - “Can We Go Wrong (RAC Remix)”

Longtime readers know I love me some Hesta, but surprisingly enough this was my first show. It won’t be my last. She absolutely slayed, and had a really freaking cool dress(?) on.

3. Fitz & The Tantrums - “Breakin’ The Chains Of Love”

LA’s Fitz & The Tantrums have only been around a short while, but have almost instantly joined the elite of the white boy soul movement. This was my first time seeing them live, and they truly delivered. I also got my hands on their forthcoming full-length while I was down there, and all I can say is wow — not a bad track on this record. Watch out suckas!

4. Magic Wands - “Black Magic”

Big thanks to my friend Austin for being willing to have our meeting at a show — I desperately needed to get out of the office and had two wristbands to a private daytime showcase that featured Magic Wands. Already a fan, I gained a ton of respect for this trio for rocking straight through any musicians nightmare (and par for the course at SXSW, where venues vastly outnumber competent sound engineers) — pedals broke, guitar cables went in and out, and they had to play to a tiny group of hand-selected folks earlier in the day than they’re used to waking up. They got through it totally unphased by anything, rocking the crap out of guitar solos that the audience had to imagine they could hear.

5. Chew Lips - “Play Together”

File this one under band I heard a lot about and wish I had gotten to see. There are definitely tones of Little Boots, which I understand the live show also echos.

6. The Golden Filter - “Thunderbird”

Yes, I know this track has been on past mixtapes, but the force with which they played it live compelled me to pick it again over some of the other tracks on their wonderful debut album. I first saw this band at SXSW last year at a HypeMachine party and was blown away. This year they stepped up the energy even further, sending swirling synth sounds through the audience, accented by double drums and Penelope’s airy-yet-stunningly-powerful voice leading the crowd in chants and dance.

7. Bear In Heaven - “Lovesick Teenagers”

Another band I didn’t actually get to see, but man did I hear about them a lot. Even Metric was all about them!

8. Miike Snow - “Silvia”

The last time I saw Miike Snow, I was dancing my butt off with some friends in a small bar shortly after moving to SF last summer. Now they’re selling out far bigger venues and headlining the KCRW showcase at SXSW. Well deserved. Heck, even Mark Ronson was hanging out for their set. That said, I can’t totally agree with the changes they’ve made to their set — it seems like they’re incredible songwriters trying to also be great musicians. Most obvious example: the lead singer now picks up a guitar and attempts to shred when he’s not singing, overpowering all the delicate intricacies of the electronics that make Miike Snow what they are. As my friend Kron kept repeating “Put the guitar down!” It was still a great show, but I’d love to see them again without the guitar. (Big ups to my friend Brad for this epic 9 minute version)

9. Surfer Blood - “Take It Easy”

File this under didn’t see at SXSW because I’ve seen them and was going to see them again shortly. Thankfully, I did get to see them on Friday in SF. They still look ridiculously young, but they are definitely more comfortable with their songs and themselves than on their first tour. I also have to give them a virtual fist pound for giving out their hotel room info on Twitter and telling folks to come get free beer.

10. Tanlines - “Real Life”

Yet another I didn’t see but wish I had.

11. Ozomatli - “Can’t Stop”

From an informal survey of friends from around the globe, I am the last person in the world to see Ozomatli live. As promised, they delivered a really high energy performance. They were victims of the SXSW sound curse as well, though, as their microphones cut out with about 10 minutes left in their set. Being the pros that they are, though, they didn’t skip a beat in grabbing the nearest drums and horns and dancing out to the middle of the audience, leading the audience in impromptu song and dance. Awesome.

12. Get Busy Committee - “I Don’t Care About You”

Another group I wish I saw. Unfortunately hunger had the trump card and I wound up sitting down to dinner for the first and only time (seriously — one sit-down meal the whole week) while these dudes jammed.

13. White Denim - “I Start To Run”

White Denim was the first band I saw this year, and I think it was technically still during the Interactive (tech) part of SXSW. They ALWAYS put on a great show, so of course this was no exception. The audience was another issue, though — the mix of nerds and local drunk pseudo-punks didn’t exactly mesh, making things a little awkward for everyone.

14. Lissie - “Little Lovin’”

Hoooooly crap. I think I fall a little more in love with Lissie every day. First she put this track out on a wonderful EP. Then she did a killer Yours Truly session. Then I saw her at SXSW, putting on easily the best show I’ve ever seen in a church (plus she apologized to me on Twitter after Jakob Dylan & posse kicked me out of my seat). Then she covered (probably not a strong enough word) a Lady Gaga song, turning into a musical masterpiece. Wow.

15. Sleepy Sun - “New Age”

This was my first show of the music side of SXSW, and it was a helluva way to kick things off. Not only is the band incredible, they also brought about a dozen kids from the Austin Children’s Choir on stage to accompany the second half of the set. Just to cap things off, they closed their set with a riotous version of The Guess Who’s “No Sugar Tonight.”

16. Local Natives - “Wide Eyes”

Another band I didn’t see at SXSW, but didn’t intend to — I’ve seen them so many times I didn’t feel compelled to compete with the throngs of fans who clamored for every opportunity to see them. That said, I would see these guys every night of my life if I reasonably could.

17. Rogue Wave - “Lake Michigan”

Rogue Wave was the last (and most unexpected) band I saw. They played after The Middle East around noon my last day in a big room in the conference center. They played a lot of their new stuff (which is ok) and closed with this classic (which is awesome). It was a nice way to ease out of SXSW.

18. The Middle East - “Blood”

I was ready to chalk these guys up as “most disappointed to have missed” until I was on my way to see my CEO’s panel and saw that they were about to play to a big, largely empty room in the conference center. Score! I swung open my laptop to do work (as I was planning to do at Ian’s panel) and was both soothed and mightily impressed by their smooth sounds.

19. Dark Dark Dark - “Bright Bright Bright”

I had made a note to myself not to miss this band at SXSW, and yet still managed to. Very sad. I’m hopeful they’ll make their way out west soon.

20. Marina And The Diamonds - “I’m Not A Robot”

Sadly, I missed this band as well, but at least they were the last folks I saw as I checked out of my hotel (Lemmy from Motorhead was the first person I saw when I arrived). Someday I will get to see them, and it will rule. Someday. In the meantime, I’ll just keep singing along…

Bonus Tracks!

I’m not going to break these down or put them in any sort of order, but here are the my top tracks I had never heard before from my sampling of approximately 2/5 of the SXSW artists.

And So I Watch You From Afar - “Set Guitars To Kill”

The Coal Porters - “No More Chains”

Cosmo Jarvis - “She’s Got You”

Diamond Rings - “All Yr Songs”

El Ten Eleven - “Hot Cakes”

The Ghost of A Thousand - “Bright Lights”

Hieroglyphics - “Proper Aim”

High On Fire - “Frosthammer”

Le Loup - “Forgive Me”

Lost In The Trees - “Fireplace”

Magic Magic - “Sleepy Lion”

Neon Trees - “Animal”

Soko - “How are you ..?”

Solillaquists of Sound - “New Sheriff in Town”

Venus Flytrap - “Shoot The Breeze”

The Wave Pictures - “Come On Daniel”

And just for good measure…

Thought I’d mention my favorite up-and-coming bands that WEREN’T at SXSW this year:

Howdy peeps! I’ve had this mixtape fairly well...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:49:00 -0800

Howdy peeps!

I’ve had this mixtape fairly well organized for a week or so, but hadn’t fully realized its glory until a weekend trip to Muir Woods. On the way out, we rocked our way through the first eight and a half tracks, then chilled out to the second eight and a half on the ride home. It was almost as glorious as the woods themselves. As you may have noticed on some of the other mixtapes, my taste can be quite eclectic. The first half of the mix is fairly heavy on female singers, falsettos, and heavy beats, whereas the second half favors more traditional guitar rock. One of the coolest parts (ok, maybe I’ve just listened to it too much) is that it sounds great on a loop :)

Anywho, hope you enjoy as much as I do. As always, don’t be afraid to let me know what you think!

<3 / ∑>

1. Jonsi – “Go Do”

This song has been blowing my mind the last few weeks. Jonsi is the lead singer and creative driver behind Sigur Ros (who I’ve honestly never been a huge fan of), and he’s now releasing his first solo record, supported by what appears to be an incredible tour. This track, like the rest of the record, features vocals and instruments meant to invoke nature as a driver of the same emotions music evokes. Even without thinking of it in such detail, the song is flat out marvelous.

2. Marvin Gaye – “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”

I jumped in my cousin’s car last weekend just as this track started and immediately asked who it was. Marvin Gaye? Really? It sounds so fresh! I guess the tastiest grooves never go sour.

3. Wild Beasts – “We still got the taste dancin’ on our tongues”

I got to see these guys at The Troubadour a couple weeks ago and got everything I was hoping for out of the show – I had struggled to get into their recordings precisely because they’re so complex and out there, but putting a human face to it and watching them construct the sounds was truly magical. As the name might suggest, they sound like what might happen if Mew lived with wolves for a year.

4. Evan Voytas – “I Run With You, Spirit Animal”

More great space-pop from Silverlake, CA’s Evan Voytas. He’s been on so many mixtapes I’m running out of things to say, except that the video for this song is freaking nuts (in a good way).

5. The Blow – “True Affection”

My friend was drunkenly spinning records after a night on the town recently, and out of nowhere this track came on. All conversation stopped, and a new level of afterparty erupted. Catchy, soulful, clean – does it get any better?

6. Wildbirds & Peacedrums – “Doubt/Hope”

The first few times through this song I definitely failed to realize that what feels like a full-bodied track is actually just a single girl singing alongside a drummer. Rarely is so much done with so little. Color me impressed.

7. Sleigh Bells – “Ring Ring”

This one comes in by request from my big brother, who recently heard another Sleigh Bells track on the radio. Sure enough, they’re blowing up (apparently working with MIA, among others), and rightfully so.

“Wonder what your boyfriend thinks about your braces. / What about them? / I’m all about them”

8. Hesta Prynn – “Can We Go Wrong”

Hesta Prynn has probably been on as many mixtapes as Evan Voytas, and I’m running out of things to say about her as well. Suffice to say I’m stoked to finally catch a live show at SXSW.

9. A B & The Sea – “Yellow Haired Girl”

Things are going well for the A B & The Sea guys, as they unlocked this second track off their EP within a week of launching a cool campaign where they’ll give away more music as more people join their mailing list. They also recently played an awesome set to close out Noise Pop with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. More goodness on the way.

10. Say Hi – “Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh”

Seattle’s Say Hi (formerly Say Hi To Your Mom) have been around for the better part of a decade, and gems like this are almost expected at this point. Don’t believe me? Listen to more.

11. Dr. Dog – “Shadow People”

Like a lot of people, I am unbelievably excited for the new Dr. Dog record. They rightly draw comparisons to The Beatles, and I’ve only heard allegorically of their magical live show – hoping to change that next month :)

12. Tame Impala – “Half Full Glass Of Wine”

Discovered this one through the inimitable yvynyl. Heavy guitar rock from Perth, Australia. I think my head might explode if I saw these guys share a stage with fellow Australians The Drones.

13. The Appleseed Cast – “On Reflection”

This track is pulled from the soundtrack to 72 Musicians, an incredible film (which you can get free for at least another couple hours) made by my friend and coworker Bob and designed to answer the eternal question of why we sacrifice and do stupid things for the sake of music. It’s a moving documentary with interviews of, well, 72 musicians in Kansas, and also includes some amazing music like this.

14. Beloved Rogue – “Daysleeping”

Beloved Rogue has to be my favorite music to magically appear in my inbox since starting this blog. I never really counted myself as a fan of shoegaze, and barely of ambient music, but there’s something really cohesive and heavy about this EP that I just can’t get enough of. You can get the EP free from their website.

15. Rodriguez – “Inner City Blues”

No, this isn’t a cover of the Marvin Gaye song from earlier on the playlist, just a happy coincidence of names. I got this track from a mixtape my friend at Ears Of The Beholder put together and dig it’s bluesy vibe. He’s somewhat of a mythical figure, forgotten by a generation of Americans but a cult favorite in South Africa. Check out more of his tale here.

16. Portugal The Man – “The Dead Dog”

Alaska’s Portugal The Man have evolved somewhat from haunt-rock into a more traditional rock sound, and their songwriting continues to improve as well. They were part of the first show I ever saw at The Troubadour, and I would love to see them again. Their newest record, American Ghetto, is a favorite in our office.

17. Band Marino – “Every Time I Make A Girl Cry I Know I’ve Done My Job”

Yes, that is the title of the song, and yes, it is one of the best titles ever. Sadly, the band is no more, but this gem lives on. I probably played this song more than any other when I had my radio show in college, and I’m still not sick of it – the concept is hilarious, and the songwriting impeccable. What more can you want? Check out more of their tunes, in memoriam.

Hey all - I’m not sure quite what to say about this mix...

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:56:00 -0800

Hey all -

I’m not sure quite what to say about this mix — it’s definitely all over the place. Then again, I have been, too. I’ve been out of town two of the last four weekends, and had friends in town the other two (to say nothing of work and helping on the A B & The Sea campaign). This mix has been traveling with me, though — I wrote half of the below descriptions while on a bus heading the wrong way after the Noise Pop Pre-Party, then had to stop at the end of the line (which happened to be on the opposite side of the city from home, right next to the ocean…oops). At any rate, I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

<3 / ∑>

1. The Golden Filter – “Hide Me”

After a couple years of leaked demos and remixes blowing up the blog scene (numerous #1s on Hypem, three of the top 50 downloads of 2009 on Stereogum), The Golden Filter have finally announced their debut full-length, Voluspa, which arrives April 14^th. This is the lead single and can be downloaded free for an email or a tweet on their website.

2. Marina and the Diamonds – “I Am Not A Robot” (Penguin Prison Remix)

Penguin Prison is back with another killer mix, this time of a Marina and the Diamonds song that is beyond catchy in its own right. Stuck somewhere between trance, dance, and straight up pop, this song is perfect for nearly any situation.

3. Get Well Soon – “5 Steps / 7 Swords”

I’m not shy about being a sucker for horns, and there are plenty of those in this dark tune.

“If we set sail now / we’ll make it to heaven or hell before dawn”

4. Givers – “Up Up Up”

Borrowing very heavily from Vampire Weekend’s afro-pop influences, Givers write catchy yet soulful tunes with both male and female vocals offering playful harmonies. Don’t be fooled by the first couple minutes – these kids aren’t shy on the guitars, either.

5. Micachu – “Calculator”

I’ve been struggling for a year to find an accurate way to describe Micachu, and I still haven’t come up with anything. They’re mathy, playful, jazzy, and outright ridiculous, yet somehow wind up back at catchy pop. How? I’m not quite sure, but that’s what fascinates me about them. Their live show consists of everything from ukuleles to vacuums to racks of empty bottles and trash can lids.

6. Chapeau Claque – “Das Karussell”

Lalala French circular madness lalala

7. Rye ‘n Clover – “Black Hoodie Dreams”

Another one for the “should’ve been on the Juno soundtrack” files.

8. Lissie – “Everywhere I Go”

I have been harboring a not-so-secret obsession with Lissie the last couple months. There’s just something so earnest about her (incredible) voice and songwriting. Cannot wait for her debut LP this Spring.

9. Dawes – “When My Time Comes”

My best friend and I went to a Dawes concert a couple weeks back and perhaps the most apt description of the experience came from my friends mouth: “I think I get how people in older generations can like Bruce Springsteen.” We weren’t the only ones there getting excited either – I spotted members of Port O’Brien and A B & The Sea amidst the mixed crowd. They closed with this track and the entire venue erupted in song together. The experience has since made me feel like the production on this track falls flat, because it really is a song for a community to shout at the top of their lungs together.

10. Cloud Control – “Gold Canary”

This song has been growing on me since my first listen, to a point I find myself humming it repeatedly throughout the day. Sydney’s Cloud Control write a lot of uptempo songs, so the song is already a bit of an anomaly. The chanting juxtaposed with the howling vocals creates incredible textures in an otherwise simple song.

11. Josiah Wolf – “The Trailer And The Truck”

Xylophones, muted horns, and a whole lotta percussion. Need I say more?

12. Wakey! Wakey! – “Twenty Two”

I’ve been getting emails about these guys for months, but hadn’t given them the time of day til recently. Turns out this song is a jam, and the rest of the record ain’t too shabby either. It’s definitely an easy and familiar sound, but the use of a single word for the chorus is pretty damn cool.

13. Darwin Deez – “Bad Day”

The first couple times you hear this song, you’ll laugh along with it. After a few more listens, you’ll be singing along to every word, possibly even with someone in mind (or not — I cannot get enough of this track, and I harbor no spite for anyone).

14. Anders Ponders – “Slowest Motion Miracle”

I think what drew me into this song was the concept of “pacifists on the attack” and the ideal of “bring(ing) another golden age.” Naturally, such change doesn’t happen quickly, hence “the slowest motion miracle.” For now, they sing.

15. Caribou – “Odessa”

Ontario’s Caribou are back with a new record and an even more polished sound. Something about the beat reminds me of the early nineties, or at least what they must have felt like to a twenty-something back then. That may be totally misguided, but I mean it as a positive.

16. The Tindersticks – “Falling Down A Mountain”

I was browsing through recent Topspin releases a few weeks back and stumbled upon this gem. Everything about it is just so smooth, in spite of its driving tempo. Oh, and HORNS!

17. Erik Hassle – “Nothing Can Change This Love”

Add another name to the list of outstanding white male soul singers seeming to emerge in the last year or so. Sweden’s Hassle croons with the best of them, and I’ll let him say the rest.

And so it begins… We had a great release party last night...

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:46:00 -0800

And so it begins…

We had a great release party last night for A B & The Sea, and now it’s time to get the music out there to the masses. For free! We’ve designed a campaign to reward fans for the spread of the band’s music. How?

Easy: The more fans who sign up for the band’s mailing list, the more tracks the band will give all the email list subscribers for free. In other words, if you get your friends to sign up, you both get more music.

We’ve set up thresholds, so the first song will be free to anyone entering their email, the second song will be unlocked at 500 emails, the third at 1000, the fourth at 2000 (and maybe a bonus or two after that, who knows). Fans also have the ability to share and embed the widgets just like a YouTube video to maximize the spread. Want to do that? Use the button above, or copy and paste this code onto your blog or web page:

As always, be sure to let us know what you think.

<3 / ∑>

PS - New mixtape coming SOON! Just been busy getting everything together for this :)

A B & The Sea - “Bone Dry” A B & The Sea...

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:00:00 -0800

A B & The Sea - “Bone Dry”

A B & The Sea (listen to demos and watch a couple live videos here) hail from San Francisco via Wisconsin (no, I didn’t know them before they moved out). They play insanely catchy, harmony-rich pop songs reminiscent of The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and The Shins. Oh, and they make teenage girls cry when they talk to them (no joke).

We’re helping premiere a very cool campaign with these guys (more details to follow), and will be hosting a listening party tonight using software called MixApp, which allows friends to listen to music together online (think chatrooms but with the ability to stream music together). I’ll be at the studio with the band during the party, so consider yourselves all invited to the (digital) studio.

The A B & The Sea EP premiere will be at 8pm PST (11pm EST), but we’ll be streaming mixtapes (including a debut of #14) from sum the greater before and after.

To join the listening party, use this link to sign up for MixApp: http://mixapp.com/invite/87c8395de6
Then join the room “sum the greater” anytime tomorrow evening.

Facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=312900741379&index=1

The campaign will kick off immediately following the listening party, so as of around midnight EST you’ll be able to get the first single, “Bone Dry,” for free from http://abandtheseamusic.com (it currently re-directs to their MySpace profile, but that will change :) ).

Stay tuned for much more greatness.

<3 / ∑>