Hey hey, reporting live from somewhere for some music! While I have not been good at posting new music, I have been good at listening to a bunch of new stuff. I’ll try to get it on these mixtapes! Enjoy, some great new artists here.
It was 2012, I was a spry 28 years old spending a weekend at Austin City Limits in Austin, TX with a group of great friends and music lovers. We walked into the concert at Zilker Park in the early afternoon on a sunny Friday to a band I had heard of but never heard, Delta Spirit.
The song we heard is indelibly marked in my brain as a reminder of that day, that weekend, and the joys that music can bring, bringing friends closer together:
“Tear It Up,” from Delta Spirit’s self-titled third album, was the opening to our weekend of fun and a hell of an anthem. What a memory.
Eight years have passed, and Delta Spirit just released their fifth album, What Is There. I’ve listened to it all the way through a few times, and it’s great. I want to say it’s their best, but I’m still debating whether their self-titled album was better.
Wherever I end up on that internal debate, nothing will take my ears off of “Making Sense,” the first track on today’s mixtape, and on e of the best songs Delta Spirit has made. There’s something to the spacey synth that punctuates this song. It ties together a typical yet great Delta Spirit song.
“The Pressure” is another banger by Delta Spirit on the mixtape. Their energy is infectious and the pace non-stop.
Another thing I’ll never forget from that awesome set at ACL in 2012 was their frontman/guitarist, Matthew Vasquez, in the midst of his band going to town on a hard rock interlude, started climbing the scaffolding on the side of the main stage. Easily twenty feet into the air, high off god knows what (I can’t imagine it was just life at 1pm in the afternoon, but who am I to judge?), he starts dangling with one arm and swinging on the scaffolding.
We’re all witnessing a potential death while also getting to see some crazy rock star shit a la Eddie Vedder.
I remember the look on his bandmates’ faces. They continued to play, but they all saw their future falling before their eyes in the name of rock. Most of them looked slightly bemused. No one was angry, no one was particularly scared. That was Matthew being Matthew, I suppose.
But I’ll remember the energy. The feel of the crowd’s shock, fear, and genuine appreciation of some dude’s craziness and commitment to being a showman.
Vasquez climbed down easily, grabbed the mic, and screamed on.
Happy Monday all! Some jams to get your week started, and nothing bumps better than Friendly Fires! Their new album is great, a high dose of energy and electronic signals straight to the brain, and I added another one of my faves from the album on this week’s mixtape.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Post Malone ever since I posted “White Iverson” on Monday Mixtape, Vol. 19, back in 2015, many moons ago! His look and approach was always ridiculous, but the guy is as catchy as Bruno Mars and a sound all his own. I give kudos to the guy.
Malone now lives in Utah because “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” as his new album’s title states. Lots of bloodsuckers and friends who aren’t friends who become enemies, looking for a handout. I assume the Hollywood life for a guy like Posty is awesome for a period of time and then gets very weird when you realize your money and fame act like the world’s strongest magnet, attracting awful people looking for free drugs and god knows what else. So kudos to your move as well, good sir!
ANYWAYS, one of my favorite rappers ever, the one, the only, Ghostface Muthafuckin’ Killah, released a new album on Friday, and he’s got a killer track with Cappadonna and another original, Method Man. You shall be nodding your head shortly.
I’m seeing John Mayer tonight at the new Chase Center in San Francisco, and I haven’t seen him for six years when he was touring on his “Born and Raised” tour. Super pumped, particularly because he has no new album to play, so I’m hoping the setlist will be EPIC and have some mind-melting solos. Pumped!
Happy Monday all! And apologies to all, I haven't posted for at least three weeks, so I'm sorry for my absence because there has been a TON OF MUSIC released in the past month or so. There's been so much music to camp to that I have musical ammo for many weeks :)
Let's start with Shakey Graves. I can't get his new album out of my head, one I keep coming back to. It's atmospheric, it's raw, it's rock, it's its own animal. But it's not for everyone. I'll post a few of my other favorite tracks in the next couple weeks.
Childish Gambino's "This Is America" is the topic du jour, a piece that's generated a ton of publicity and analysis and misinterpreted by god knows how many people already. The video is one of the best music videos I can remember (cue the Grammy music for Single of the Year and Video of the Year), an intentionally uncomfortable and symbolic video of the representation of Gambino's America.
Speaking of lyrically poignant rappers, Wale released his second EP this year, both of which I've thoroughly enjoyed. This recent one's got a more political lean, particularly "Salary Kaep," but Wale's flow has improved dramatically over his (now) long career as evidenced best by "Negotiations."
LOVE the new Leon Bridges album. It's a bit more pop and dancey than his debut album which was too much exactly like the Sam Cooke / Marvin Gaye sound. "Shy" is easily my favorite song on the album.
A few other notes: Janelle Monae has made her best album, Young Fathers continue to get the award for weirdest yet interesting band, and DJ Koze with the feature from one of the dudes from Arrested Development (the band - not the show)!
Enjoy the week.
It's time to enter into a new century of Monday Mixtapes, and we'll be doing it with beats and rhymes. Starting off is Tom Misch, an English multi-instrumenalist, who created a pretty cool album spanning and blending all sorts of genres. These first two tracks on the Mixtape are the first two tracks off his album, featuring a guest verse from DC's own, Goldlink.
Pac Div hasn't released an album in a few years, so it was a great surprise to see their new album pop up on my Spotify feed. Extra bonus points if you can remember what the song the chorus pays homage to. A 90s classic.
So Cardi B has taken over social media, and I listened to this track because SZA was on it, but Cardi B kills it too. She's a good rapper.
I stumbled upon Kali Uchis because a guy I follow on Spotify (who is sort of my music doppleganger) listed this as one of his favorite albums this year. It's a pop-fused R&B/Rap album, and it's definitely an enjoyable listen. Don't think it'll be making my top list, but these tracks are a couple of the standouts.
A.A.L. made a pretty cool instrumental album that I've been listening to as background music. Cool album.
Happy Monday all!
Kendrick Lamar was tasked with creating a soundtrack to the recently released Black Panther, and the results aren't exactly surprising. It's great. It's varied in sounds and production yet stays cohesive, and Kendrick pastes hooks, verses, and his imprint over most of the songs. Featuring appearances by Future, The Weeknd, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, SZA, Schoolboy Q, Khalid, Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, James Blake, and Travis Scott, it's like rap's All-Star Game. The album is one of my fave soundtracks I've heard in quite some time. Check it out!
I was watching (the movie) Whiplash again, and it prompted me to get on a jazz kick last week. I stumbled upon this track from John Coltrane and Duke Ellington, a beautifully rhythmic song strolling through a wintry evening.
And finally, MGMT released a new album which goes way back to their pop-like ways. I still need to digest it, and I'll get a couple more tracks.
What with my new business starting and my wedding coming up, I've been a tad bit busy, so my writing will not be up to snuff for the next month or so. Apologies, but I'll still keep the music coming!
And please, if you haven't checked out SZA's album, it's a must. This is the best female R&B (if that's the genre it falls into) album I've heard in a long time. Just can't stop listening to it.
I recently published a poem I wrote, it's called Fixture. It's a poem on life, and I'm proud of it. I don't often feel proud of my writing because the majority of it is terrible, but sometimes, it feels good to write. This was one of those times.
It didn't take quite as long to get another Monday Mixtape out as it took to write another poem, but there's been a ton of music! All sorts of great albums have been released in the past couple weeks which I'll get to on this mixtape and the next one, but it includes Vince Staples, Haim, SZA, Washed Out, Poolside, Miami Horror, Dan Auerbach, and even Jeff Tweedy released a solo acoustic album of Wilco songs. Wow. Breathe. Listen. And enjoy!