Monday Mixtape, Vol. 182

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I really think this M.A.G.S. guy is going to be a big deal. There’s something to him. His track on this week’s mixtape is just a taste of his great stuff, so please dig in more.

Starting the mixtape off with some Creedence! What a song. That little riff is the reason music exists.

Morgan Wade, a country rock-ish / songwriter, released her debt album this year. Think she’s got big things ahead of her as well!

A couple oldies but goodies because I’ve been listening to them so much this past week: Post Malone and Hippo Campus. Post Malone really is a pop genius. And Hippo Campus is sneakily one of my favorite 5 bands to come out in the past five years, if not my favorite of new bands over that time. I just bought their entire discography on vinyl, and I can’t wait to absorb all the little nooks and crannies of notes and instruments that vinyl brings out (for example: I bought the 20 year anniversary OK Computer vinyl edition, an album I’ve listened to an unfathomable amount of times, yet the vinyl let me hear some instruments on a couple songs that I had never heard before!)

Enjoy the rest of the tunes and your week. Rock on.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 181

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Happy Monday! I first heard about Mallrat by listening to BENEE who I first heard about by listening to Joji, all new artists I’ve discovered in the past handful of months. Seeing who artists choose to feature on their tracks is a great way to find new music ;)

Speaking of new music, check out King Green’s new album if you like the track on this mixtape.

Also, Benny the Butcher’s recent mixtape, The Plugs I Met 2, is really good. It’s dark as hell coke rap, a brutal honesty of a life before rapping:

This supposed to be success / then why the fuck I feel stressed out and guilty? / Cuz I’m paid and all my niggas in the Feds or the grave / that shit kill me / That coulda been me / I think about it every day / That coulda been me / I answer every call from jail cuz that coulda been me.

Go find some new music and go down the rabbit hole of sounds :)

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 179

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A few notable musical events this past week:

  • Kings of Leon released their eighth album. While after a listen, I thought maybe this one is a mellow release, but no, it’s a snoozer. Caleb Followill is STILL PLAYING THE SAME GUITAR WITH THE SAME TONE AND THE SAME BAR CHORDS THAT HE’S BEEN PLAYING SINCE Only By the Night. WTF.

    • "The Bandit” is a totally regurgitated track in almost every sense and instrument from previous outings, but I can’t deny that chorus.

    • KOL used to be one of my favorite bands. Their first three albums still kick ass and sounded nothing like I had heard before. I will always love those albums (and really, their two albums after that are pretty good too.)

  • Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak created a supergroup, Silk Sonic, and all that can be said is DEAR GOD YES.

  • M.A.G.S. gives me indie rock Frank Ocean vibes. Really interested in this artist.

  • The bass line on the first track, “Slowly” by the young Irish band, NewDad, is a heaping of 90s grunge and a dash of shoegaze. Some Nirvana with a bit Pixies and a smidge of DIIV. Good stuff.

  • I can’t hate on Post Malone. I’ve been giving this guy love since 2015 when I had “White Iverson” on Monday Mixtape, Vol. 15! And when he covers Hootie for a Pokemon movie, I mean come on, let’s all just enjoy it.

  • I don’t know who she is, but Julia Jacklin is pretty badass.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 178

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Welcome to this week’s mixtape! I shouldn’t even be using an exclamation point because this mixtape is so chill and subdued.

Ichiko Aoba reminds me of Seu Jorge (who got famous by performing David Bowie tracks with his beautiful voice and classical guitar for Wes Anderson’s movie, The Life Aqautic). Her voice is so delicate, pure, and relaxing. The fact that she’s singing in another language makes it that much better to get lost in. The same can be said for the following track by the incomparable, Jose Gonzalez.

Hayley Williams of Paramore released a solo album a few weeks ago on the heels of her great 2020 solo album. This album, Flowers for Vases / descansos, sounds like a nod to Taylor Swift’s stripped-down phenomenal album, folklore. I love the album because Williams has a beautiful voice, and she’s a hell of songwriter. Mainly just her and her guitar, the album has so much room to breathe and relax in, and it sounds like Williams is in a place comfortable enough to air out all her troubles.

I accidentally came upon Juniper because I was looking for Junip, Jose Gonzalez’s band of yore, who have a instrumental featured on this mixtape. Fortunately, Juniper sound great and remind me a ton of a favorite newer band of mine and frequent contributor to this blog, Hippo Campus.

Ending the mixtape with my favorite type of instrumental, one layered in sustain from a piano. Keep calm and carry on.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 177

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Hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl…my favorite commercial was the GM-Will Ferrell-Norway commercial. The punch through the globe did it for me lol.

Threw some jams together that should make you bop your head, starting with infectious Offset, he of fame from the rap trio Migos. Dude is awesome, love his flow.

Lots of random stuff on this one, including a single from Lana Del Rey, a great ballad from Taylor Swift’s second album of 2019, and more.

That’s all I got! Have a good week.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 176

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Happy 2021 all! And what a 2021 it’s been so far.

There has been very little new music released this year, but thankfully, we have an incredible live version of Bombay Bicycle Club’s phenomenal 2009 release, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose. This live album is even better than the recorded album, a rare feat! It showcases the range of LOUD, symbol crashes, and excellent drum fills with the subtleties of intricate rhythm guitar playing and angelic off-kilter vocals. This is a piece of art, and I’ve already bought the vinyl to treasure for years to come. Enjoy a few of my favorites.

As for the rest of the mixtape, we have a great new track from Ab-Soul, one of my favorite rappers from many years ago who has fallen off the face of the earth since his last awful album (which got a brutal review in Pitchfork). So maybe there’s still some hope for him.

As for a more recent great rapper (and occupier of one of my Top 25 Albums of 2020) who I hope can continue to make great stuff, Kota the Friend released a 15 minute mixtape, and “Luke Cage” might be my fave of the many very short tracks.

Finally, this Myd track featuring Mac Demarco remixed by Metronomy is such a strange song, but I love it. Myd seems as weird as Mac Demarco, and that’s saying something!

Enjoy the week.

Top 25 Albums of 2020

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  1. Taylor Swift - folklore

  2. BENEE - Hey u x

  3. Mac Miller - Circles

  4. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

  5. Beach Bunny - Honeymoon

  6. Run the Jewels - RTJ4

  7. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension

  8. Fleet Foxes - Shore

  9. SAULT - Untitled (Rise)

  10. HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III

  11. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

  12. Georgia - Seeking Thrills

  13. Glass Animals - Dreamland

  14. Delta Spirit - What Is There

  15. Caribou - Suddenly

  16. Amine - Limbo

  17. Marlowe - Marlowe 2

  18. Samia - The Baby

  19. The Neighbourhood - Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones

  20. Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters

  21. Statik Selektah - The Balancing Act

  22. Kota the Friend - EVERYTHING

  23. Dogleg - Melee

  24. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin - SAVAGE MODE II

  25. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy

Top 100 Songs of 2020

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  1. Video Game – Sufjan Stevens

  2. WHATS POPPIN – Jack Harlow

  3. Supalonely (feat. Gus Dapperton) – BENEE

  4. august – Taylor Swift

  5. Blue World – Mac Miller

  6. Your Love (Déjà Vu) – Glass Animals

  7. Is It True – Tame Impala

  8. The Wheel – SOHN, Metropole Orkest

  9. Pretty Please – Dua Lipa

  10. Cherry Flavoured – The Neighbourhood

  11. Promises – Beach Bunny

  12. Gamesofluck - Parcels

  13. ooh la la (feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier) – Run The Jewels

  14. Kool – BENEE

  15. Everybody – Mac Miller

  16. Light One Write One – Elzhi

  17. Can I Believe You – Fleet Foxes

  18. Joy Of My Life – Chris Stapleton

  19. Borderline – Tame Impala

  20. the last great american dynasty – Taylor Swift

  21. SMELLS LIKE INCENSE – Jack Harlow

  22. Woodlawn – Aminé

  23. The Good Ones – Widowspeak

  24. People, I've been sad – Christine and the Queens

  25. Edge of Town – Middle Kids

  26. Tangerine – Glass Animals

  27. Santos Party House – Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T., Girl Talk

  28. Eugene – Arlo Parks

  29. Starting Over – Chris Stapleton

  30. Kawasaki Backflip – Dogleg

  31. Hammond Song – Whitney

  32. Sunblind – Fleet Foxes

  33. The Things We Do – Foster The People

  34. Better Distractions – Faye Webster

  35. If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – The 1975

  36. April – Beach Bunny

  37. Don't Wanna – HAIM

  38. Déjá Vu – The Dead Tongues

  39. I Don't Belong – Fontaines D.C.

  40. 17 – Pink Sweat$

  41. Laugh Now Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk) – Drake

  42. Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat – Del Water Gap

  43. I Feel High – Poolside, Ben Browning

  44. Rich Nigga Shit (feat. Young Thug) – 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, Young Thug

  45. Nebraska Dreams – Joshua Lee Turner

  46. Making Sense – Delta Spirit

  47. Landslide – Sufjan Stevens

  48. Small Business – Marlowe, L'Orange, Solemn Brigham

  49. Keep It Moving (feat. Nas, Joey Bada$$, & Gary Clark Jr.) – Statik Selektah

  50. Minnesota – Samia

  51. Afterthought – Joji, BENEE

  52. Started Out – Georgia

  53. I Know The End – Phoebe Bridgers

  54. The Climb Back – J. Cole

  55. Rare Air – Mildlife

  56. Shiva (with JID & EARTHGANG feat. Benji. & Jurdan Bryant) – Spillage Village

  57. Yesterday – Dan Croll

  58. FEDS – Nick Grant, Tae Beast

  59. Hit Different – SZA, The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams, Ty Dolla $ign

  60. Mr. Man & K.i.D – KYLE

  61. Give It To Me – Pink Sweat$

  62. Swimming Pool – Eliza & The Delusionals

  63. Real Love Song – Nothing But Thieves

  64. Savage Remix (feat. Beyoncé) – Megan Thee Stallion

  65. out of sight (feat. 2 Chainz) – Run The Jewels

  66. Drifter – Tree Theater

  67. Feel You – My Morning Jacket

  68. Introduction – Joshua Lee Turner

  69. Preach Honest – Marlowe, L'Orange, Solemn Brigham

  70. Graceless Kids – Best Coast

  71. anywhere – Jonah Yano

  72. Windows Cry – REASON

  73. VERY ALONE – Zaia

  74. Dionne (feat. Justin Vernon) – The Japanese House

  75. Extinct – REASON, Isaiah Rashad, JID

  76. Underneath – Public Practice

  77. Lo Mein – Lil Uzi Vert

  78. Moments / Tides – Goth Babe

  79. RIP Luv – 21 Savage, Metro Boomin

  80. Falling Thunder – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

  81. Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) – Bombay Bicycle Club

  82. She Knows This – Kid Cudi

  83. OK – Wallows

  84. And It's Still Alright – Nathaniel Rateliff

  85. Cuba – Theophilus London

  86. Sign – Roosevelt

  87. Black Habits I (feat. Jackie Gouché) – D Smoke

  88. Canyonheart – Israel Nash

  89. Thank God I Made It (feat. Queen Naija) – Benny The Butcher

  90. Every Tradition – Bully

  91. Opaline – Jeff Tweedy

  92. Mustang – Bartees Strange

  93. B.Q.E – Kota the Friend, Joey Bada$$, Bas

  94. honey – boy pablo

  95. Bluebird – Gus Dapperton

  96. Fits – Do Nothing

  97. Life – Dom Kennedy, 24hrs, Casey Veggies

  98. anything – Adrianne Lenker

  99. Lifetime – Romy

  100. King – Ark Patrol