Monday Mixtape, Vol. 162

My Morning Jacket just released a surprise album, The Waterfall II. It’s a release of other songs that MMJ recorded while making their last album, The Waterfall. Check out my album review from 2015 of the Waterfall here!

What I’m left guessing with this second installment is that the songs on this new album are b-sides. I’ve listened through the album a couple times, and it needs many more, but “Feel You” is the standout. It’s a great ballad with a killer guitar riff that will bring you back wanting to hear the song again. Love these guys.

There’s some new stuff from a couple bands that have made frequent appearances on the mixtape: Whitney and Foster the People. There’s also some brand new bands, like the unique teenage artist, boy pablo (hailing from Denmark!) and the spacey Mildlife.

Have a great week!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 161

Party peoples, put on some headphones and enjoy an eclectic mix of R&B, pop, electro-pop, rock, rap, soul, rhythm, and flow! This mixtape has everything, so I hope you like at least a few of the songs.

And if you don’t, I hope that one of the things my Monday Mixtapes bring is music that you don’t like at first. Have you ever noticed that some of the most impactful music for you is not kind to the ears the first time you hear it?? It’s too new, you’re not use to the sound, and therefore, you don’t like it. But that’s just a first impression! Please give everything a chance.

So I hope you don’t just listen to this mixtape once. Listen to it many times and see if anything grows on you. The first time I heard Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Kanye West, and so many more, I didn’t like it. Time and patience made me realize.

Anyways, that’s my soapbox. I’ll see myself down and out.

RIP to Pop Smoke.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 160

Some great music today starting with the aptly titled, “Dreamland,” by the incomparable Glass Animals. These guys sound like no one else, and I can’t wait for the new album.

I heard “Edge of Town” by Middle Kids on SiriusXMU and was blown away by it. That chorus! It indelibly sticks in your mind and will not leave, you just wait!

Come to think of it, this is a pretty catchy mixtape. Every song except for Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher” were all songs that I liked the first time I heard them, which is usually the result of something sticky in the sound. Let’s see if it works with you!

Enjoy the Monday, I hope you had a good fourth of July amidst what has been a year that’s been a very dark test of our democracy, and the strangest fourth of July’s in my lifetime. America will endure.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 159

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s a good day for music.

Let’s start with the young lads from Dublin, Ireland, Fontaines D.C. I found about them through a random video I watched of their performance on Seattle’s famous radio station, KEXP.

They give off some DIIV vibes (certainly on the first track on the KEXP video for “The Lotts“), but there’s more to them than DIIV. They’re raw, and their debut album from last year spans all sorts sounds from ballad (“Roy’s Tune”) to party starter (“Boys in the Better Land”) to Irish diddy (“Dublin City Sky”).

Part of the performance was an interview, and it was interesting to hear them talk about their origins, which started with beers at pub discussing poetry. Fast forward to now, a band to watch, a sound I love.

Haim just released their third album. I enjoy it so far though there doesn’t seem to be a better song than the previously released (and bonus track) “Hallelujah.” I love the opener “Los Angeles,“ and I’ll be listening much more to see whether I get into it.

Twin Peaks is a band that started out years ago as a bunch of knuckleheads who sounded like they had just picked up their instruments as tools to drink more and get louder (that’s a compliment!), but they’ve really turned into a band that’s keeps improving and making better music. “What’s the Matter” is the most recent example.

I still don’t know what I think of Grimes’ new album. It’s good, and I don’t think I’ve given it the proper time, because if I did, I think I’d like it a lot more. I rediscovered “Delete Forever” as I listened to the album again recently, and there may be a few more to add in the coming weeks as I cycle through some more listens.

Finally, I have no idea who Israel Nash is, but he’s got some soul a la St. Paul and the Broken Bones and sound country feel a la Chris Stapleton while giving some Neil Young (who ALSO released a new album, which I hope to feature next week) vibes. That’s a pretty, pretty, good combo.

And that’s it people, enjoy your week!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 158

Put your headphones on, put the volume on high, and let Run the Jewels wake you up.

RTJ, this generation’s Rage Against the Machine, released their new album, RTJ4, two days early and released this message:

Killer Mike has been in the news recently due to his impassioned plea to the people of Atlanta amidst the looting amidst the protests in the wake of George Floyd:

If you haven’t listened to this, please do.

So Run the Jewels released their newest album amidst a lot going on in our world and country. It’s an amazing album full of deep reflections (“I used to wanna get the chance to show the world I'm smart. Isn't that dumb? I should've focused mostly on the heart.”), humor (“I’m chubby, husky, thighs rubbin’, fuckin’ up my Levi’s”), bravado (“Stack addict, a mack with blackest fabric, I’m back”), and sense amongst chaotic and raucous beats that fill the entire air with energy.

The album is the energizer bunny, stomping and banging its cymbals. Killer Mike, as usual, holds court, and El-P plays Robin (don’t forget he also produces RTJ’s beats along with the help of others) better than anyone.

“I’m ready to mob on these fucking charlatans,” raps El-P at the end of “yankee and the brave (ep. 4).”

“Every child, woman and man / Opinion don't matter, stick to your plan / If they judge, still don't budge / Don't give a inch, don't give a nudge / Life a bitch, leave you battered and bent / Lose or win, gotta hold up your chin / And I put it on Jaime and me / We just gave you inspiration for free / The money never meant much.” - Killer Mike

You have to listen to the album yourself to feel the vibe, the urgency, and Run the Jewels holding homily. It’s epic. It’s what we need.

And on that note, I’ll leave you with RTJ’s lyrics from their last track, “a few word for the firing squad (radiation):”

El-P:
I woke up early once again, that's four days straight
I didn't wake you, baby, I just watched you lay
In the radiation of the city sun
I am in love with you, it is my only grace (Woo)
You know how everything can seem a little out of place?
All of my life, that seemed to be the only normal state
So feelin' normal never really meant me feelin' sane
And bein' clear about the truth and bein' sane have never really been the same
I used to wanna get the chance to show the world I'm smart (Ha)
Isn't that dumb? I should've focused mostly on the heart
'Cause I seen smarter people trample life like it's an art
So bein' smart ain't what it used to be, that's fuckin' dark
You ever notice that the worst of us have all the chips?
It really kinda takes the sheen off people gettin' rich
Like maybe rich is not the holy, ever-lovin'
King of nothin' fuckers, know we know you're bluffin'
You are dealing with the motherfuckin' money-money runners

Killer Mike:
It'd be a lie if I told you that I ever disdained the fortune and fame
But the presence of the pleasure never abstained me from any of the pain
When my mother transitioned to another plane, I was sitting on a plane
Tellin' her to hold on, and she tried hard, but she just couldn't hang
Been two years, truth is I'll probably never be the same
Dead serious, it's a chore not to let myself go insane
It's crippling, make you wanna lean on a cup of promethazine
But my queen say she need a king, not another junkie, flunky rapper fiend
Friends tell her, "He could be another Malcolm, he could be another Martin"
She told her partner, "I need a husband more than the world need another martyr"
Made in Atlanta, Georgia, where I use to ride the MARTA
With a empty .22 in the front pocket of my Braves Starter
Tryin' to make it out the mud as a baby father is much harder
The same children that you love and adore, the court'll use to break and rob ya
Circumstance woulda broke a weaker man, but I put it on my mama
I'm a man of honor and the hardship made me a better money runner

El-P:
This is for the never heard, never even got a motherfuckin' word
This is for my sister, Sarah, honey, I'm so sorry you were hurt (Ayy)
This is for the dawn, mama took a knock, had to change the locks
Dusted up, but brushed off and I watched, talk about a boss
For the holders of a shred of heart even when you wanna fall apart
When you're surrounded by the fog, treadin' water in the ice cold dark
When they got you feelin' like a fox runnin' from another pack of dogs
Put the pistol and the fist up in the air, we are there, swear to God

Killer Mike:
Black child in America, the fact that I made it's magic
Black and beautiful, the world broke my mama heart, and she died an addict
God blessed me to redeem her in my thoughts, words, and my actions
Satisfaction for the devil, goddammit, he'll never, ever have it
This is for the do-gooders that the no-gooders used and then abused
For the truth tellers tied to the whippin' post, left beaten, battered, bruised
For the ones whose body hung from a tree like a piece of strange fruit
Go hard, last words to the firing squad was, "Fuck you too"

Amen.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 157

It’s Monday, and it’s music time.

Beach Bunny’s debut album gets better and better. There’s something raw but refreshing with this rock band.

Speaking of raw rock, Car Seat Headrest just released their new album, and it’s a hard left their standard fare, a bit less rock, a bit more electronic-y.

Perfume Genius has gotten a lot of press for quite some time, and I’ve usually enjoyed a few tracks from each of his albums. His latest album, the subtle titled, “Set My Heart on Fire Immediately,” is getting good reviews, but I haven’t sunk my teeth in yet.

One of the more underrated rappers of our day, Isaiah Rashad, a man who has been on the mixtape many times, finally released a new single! Hopefully, this means he’s got a record coming out, but who knows with him. The throwback sound of “Why Worry" juxtaposes with his flow and creates a song that very few in the rap world could make.

If you haven’t heard Beyonce rap on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix, do yourself a solid and give it a close listen. What a track.

I loved Faye Webster’s debut album from last year, the mellow but terribly and nonsensically titled, “Atlanta Millionaires Club.” The track on this week’s mixtape is more the same mellowness.

You probably didn’t know, but The Strokes released another album. Their first one in six years though it really doesn’t feel that long. I guess they still need dem checks. The album is decent and there’s some tracks I enjoy, but the songwriting feels tired, like “Ugh, I gotta write ANOTHER Strokes song, fine…” and out comes a number of songs that make this album. That sounds terrible, but let‘s remember, The Strokes can write amazing songs, but now it’s more or less recycled great songs. Take it or leave it.

Happy Monday all. Stay safe.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 155

I’m VERY excited about an artist I just stumbled upon, and I have been listening to him nonstop since. I have listened to his entire discography many times, and wow, I’m pretty excited about how good this guy is. Next week I will have a Monday Mixtape dedicated solely to him.

As for now, I’m just going to shutup and play the hits.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 154

Morning, it’s the Monday Mixtape, version one hundred fifty four fed directly into your ears.

I will start with an utterly gorgeous LIVE song by Sohn with an orchestra. Words don’t do this justice, just listen.

One of my front runners for album of the year (so far!) is The Districts’ You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere, their fourth album. This album exemplifies that the sum is greater than its parts. It’s meant to be ingested whole.

The first track (and second track on this mixtape) is a warmup lap, warning those who have listened to The Districts before that the violin, trippy bubbly echoes, and reverb signify this will be a different experience. “Cheap Regrets” (track three on the mixtape) is likely my favorite song on the album, a buildup of a banger.

Which effortlessly glides into the electro magicians, Disclosure. These guys make songs that you nod your head to and want to dance. I remember seeing them at Treasure Island Festival in 2013. People LOST THEIR MINDS when they came on, just dancing like only Disclosure was looking. It’s contagious.

“OK” by Wallows is a great track by a band I know nothing about, and “People, I’ve been sad” by Christine and the Queens is another.

You all know how much I love Mac Miller. I’ve now listened to his 2020 posthumous album, Circles, probably 30 times or so. It grows and grows and grows on me. His vocals are akin to Bob Dylan. He doesn’t have a good voice, but it’s his voice that makes the songs.

Miller was becoming so comfortable wading between musical styles and confident in his abilities (and love from his peers), it’s a loss to music that he’s gone.

The Mac Miller track I put to end this week’s mixtape, “Woods,” is a song, like the album, that kept getting better with time. A slow paced beat with only sustaining keys and Miller’s vocals, it’s a song to get lost in or zone out in your work while it plays in the background.

Miller starts the song ominously, “Things like this ain’t built to last / I might just fade like those before me.” Too soon.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 153

My loyal readers and listeners, I’m back! It’s been a couple months, and I apologize for the very long absence, but the silver lining is I have a TON new music to share, so I will try my best not to abandon you again.

Let’s start with Tame Impala. As you know, I love Tame Impala. In the past twenty years, I’d say my favorite bands are Radiohead, Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Wilco, and Kings of Leon, probably in that order.

Tame Impala’s (I’m sure you know this, but Tame Impala is really just Kevin Parker - He writes, records, mixes, and does engineering on EVERYTHING and has with all his albums) fourth album, The Slow Rush, is a companion album to Currents, in the same way that Lonerism is a companion to their debut, InnerSpeaker. Each duo has similar sounds yet show tracks and themes going in other ways.

The Slow Rush seems like a look back to the scale of fame and “rock star status” Kevin Parker attained after Currents. Crazily, Parker took five years in between these albums, and A LOT has changed.

I’ve seen Tame Impala live five times, and after their second album, they were still slotted in the 3pm-4pm festival circuit. Once Currents came out amidst full blown adulation and critical acclaim, Tame Impala started headlining every festival and selling out arenas.

Five years later, here we are with The Slow Rush. Meaning this in the best way possible, it’s the hangover album to Currents. The shades feel drawn on this album, like Parker doesn’t want a lot of sunlight in. Not depressing but reserved.

Compare the first tracks on both albums, “Let It Happen,” Parker’s masterpiece, with “One More Year,” a softer and safer version and vision. The difference in these two tracks is the difference in the album.

You don’t really get to a real upbeat rhythm until the ninth track! This track, “Is It True” is my favorite track on the album, and where I think Parker excels, finding different sounds (those drums and keys make the song) to pair with his reverb-laden vocals.

I don’t think there are any songs on this album that come close to the majority of songs on Currents, but I still enjoy every single song (except maybe “Tomorrow’s Dust”). I think I’d rank this album third, in front of InnerSpeaker then behind Lonerism and of course, Currents.

As for the rest of the this week’s mixtape, I gotta give love to Glass Animals, they are so unique. No one sounds like these guys, and they just find weird ass and cool hooks. I have no idea who Do Nothing is, but they give me a lot of vibes of Parquet Courts mixed with some garage rock like Interpol. Great track.

Caribou released one of my favorite albums of 2020, and this track is awesome.

Arlo Parks is a new artist I stumbled upon, and everything I’ve listened to has been good. She’s one to watch out for.

For some reason, “Good Day” by BBC really resonated with me. It’s a song that doesn’t sound like them and stuck on our their average new album.

Finally, Dan Croll keeps improving as an artist. “Yesterday” is a really great song.

Have a great week all. Stay safe.