Monday Mixtape, Vol. 122

I follow a number of random playlists by music doppelgängers that I’ve found during my searches through time, and many of them will post their favorite current albums by bands I’ve never heard of and wonder what rock these guys found them under, but alas, I will listen to the first two tracks of every album by these randomly named bands which will give me a feeling of whether they’re worth digging into more.

This is an easy technique to listen to a TON of new stuff to quickly cull through the garbage and find that which rings my ears. I bring you into this weird world of mine because I’ve started today’s mixtape with the first two tracks from James Blake’s (I know, I know, not exactly a “random” artist - WE’RE STARTING SLOW) new album, the fourth of his career, called Assume Form.

If you don’t know James Blake, words don’t exactly do him justice, his voice says it mostly and his production/orchestration say the rest. He’s not everyones’ cup of tea, but these two tracks (the second is expertly assisted by Travis Scott) give you a great approximation of whether you should dig in further to this album.

The remainder of the mixtape includes two tracks from Deerhunter’s EIGHTH ALBUM (I write this in CAPS because it’s wild that I’ve been listening to these guys since the beginning of their career back in 2007 - Yes, this is a sign that I’m (we’re) getting old), Post Malone’s new track, a great track from the perennially underrated Bear Hands, and my favorite song from Sharon Van Etten’s new album.

Happy New Year to all. Let’s have a hell of a 2019 in music and life.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 45

In the past few weeks, my two favorite albums of the year (to date) have been released, James Blake’s The Colour in Anything and Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. I had to make a mixtape with my favorite tracks from each.

As you may have noticed in my last pseudo Mixtape, I am pretty obsessed with Blake’s new album. I am a bit surprised that the overall reaction to the album has been so muted, especially considering Blake is a critical darling almost to the heights of Justin Vernon (who sneezes and gets a post in Pitchfork and Stereogum hinting that he’s working on new music). This is a GORGEOUS album made all the more impressive that a 27-year-old made it (with the help of Frank Ocean too!).

Well, guess what? Justin Vernon/Bon Iver IS working on new music…and it’s with James Blake! “I Need a Forest Fire” is the last track on this week’s Monday Mixtape, Vol. 45, and one of my favorite songs from Blake’s new album. Pairing two very high falsettos together could have ended terribly, but these two are the top of their class vocally and made the vocals blend seamlessly. 

The rest of the the James Blake tracks are my remaining favorites from the album. It was impossible to pick one or two (as I usually do for these mixtapes) songs as I’m enamored with so many. Listen to these to get a feel. 

Sturgill’s album is a sailor’s letter to his family back in the states. From the sweet and sincere (“Breakers Roar”) to a raucous hootenanny (“Call To Arms”) to funky and jazzy (“Keep It Between the Lines”), then swing-sounding country (“All Around You”), Simpson crashes through the walls of sound and gives the middle finger to expectations of genre. For an album that rocks around while sailing full speed ahead, it’s surprisingly cohesive and flows really well. I love this album. 

Happy Monday!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. James Blake

Ok, so I'm cutting it close to still being Monday, and this is not exactly the Monday Mixtape, but it's something better: a beautifully haunting album by a lovestruck Brit with some great pipes, James Blake.

This album isn't for everyone because of its electronic elements and auto-tuned voice that Blake uses at times, but the album's flow, delicacy, and arrangements are something special. I always thought Blake to be a tad bit overrated, but this album proves me wrong and showcases his abilities in a way I had never heard before. I think it's my favorite album of the year to date.

Give it a try this week!  

Albums to look forward to in 2015!

I've scoured the interwebs for a bunch of info on 2015 album releases (thank you Consequence of Sound, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Metacritic, Ranker) and here's an incredibly quick listing of albums that I promise to listen to MANY MANY times which are ranked from somewhat excited to RIDICULOUSLY excited):

Brandon Flowers - TBA
Savages - TBA
The Dodos - Individ (1/27)
Wild Nothing - TBA
Panda Bear (Noah Lennox from Animal Collective) - Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
Heems (from the now extinct Das Racist) - Eat Pray Thug (3/10)
Jose Gonzalez - Vestiges & Claws (2/17)
Fleetwood Mac - TBA
Chromatics - Dear Tommy
Pusha T - King Push
Freddie Gibbs - Lifestyles of the Insane
James Blake - TBA
DIIV - TBA
Purity Ring
Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (1/20)
The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (1/20)
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear (2/10)
Death Cab for Cutie - TBA
Chance the Rapper - Surf
Blood Orange - TBA
Joey Bada$$ (finally!) - B4.DA.$$ (1/20)
Band of Horses - TBA
Drake - Views From the 6
Adele - TBA
Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves (3/3)
Beach House - TBA
A$AP Rocky
Grimes - TBA
Run the Jewels - RTJ3
My Morning Jacket - TBA
Kanye West - TBA
Kendrick Lamar - TBA
Radiohead - TBA
Frank Ocean - TBA