Monday Mixtape, Vol. 132

I haven’t exactly been reliable with these Monday Mixtapes every week, so apologies. But this week’s mixtape is quite an eclectic mix. We got rap, rock, indie, grime, a country-ish ballad, and electronic instrumental.

I’m really digging the new Logic album, another great one by a very under appreciated rapper. On the other side, there’s another track on here with an over appreciated, a well appreciated, and a much appreciated rapper, Young Thug, J. Cole, and Travis Scott, respectively. Then there’s Skepta, the gunslinger from the UK, with a new track, the spacey “Bullet From A Gun.”

Something about “Big Softy” just clicks. The song only gets better as it goes along, and I can listen to this one over and over. Albert Hammond Jr., the guitarist of The Strokes fame, has created a hell of a solo career. Nothing will top his top debut album, Yours to Keep, which I hold near and dear to my heart, but he continues to make great stuff, and he’s clean now! Yay!

Does this Justin Townes Earle song sound so much like Van Morrison? I get so many hints with his voice and the overall vibe of the track. His new album is a good listen, give it a whirl.

That’s all I got people. Enjoy your week. Think positive! Your thoughts are the only things that create action.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 82

Ladies and Gentelmen, 

It's been a hectic weekend with my attendance at Outside Lands so I won't be writing much. It's been pretty disappointing given that A Tribe Called Quest cancelled their performance TWICE and crushed my dreams of seeing them (although with 2/3 the group in tow, RIP Phife). They were far and away the band I wanted to see most. You win some, you lose some. 

In retrospect, this was the most disappointing festival I've been to. The lineup was not all that impressive, and the acts just failed to really perform at a high level consistently. Surprisingly, one of the best acts of the weekend was Goldroom who came out with a full band and just crushed the small Panhandle stage. The crowd loved them. The other two great performances of the weekend go to Royal Blood and Metallica. 

But in honor of Tribe, this week's mixtape is focused on rap. Haven't done one of these in a while, so I hope the hip-hop heads out there keep nodding that head. 

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 42

Because I missed last week (which makes it two missed mixtapes in about the past four weeks - sorry), there is a large amount of music that I would love to just jam in here. Fortunately for me, I can add some tracks to the backlog that didn’t make the cut. 

So what’s happened in the past two weeks? Kanye’s album got released on Spotify, I discovered a new rapper from DC who is amazing (thank you Paddy), Pete Yorn released a Pete Yorn-y album, my Spotify Discover Playlist was ON POINT and I found two really cool new bands, Young Thug dropped a mixtape/album/who knows and was featured in a captivating GQ profile, Bibio released an album, AND Tame Impala decided to remix a song from Miguel’s new album.

The crazy thing about Tame Impala’s remix (last track on the mixtape) of Miguel’s “Waves - It wasn’t even the best remix. That honor goes to Kacey Musgraves, who gave a bit of twang and a whole lot of beach vibes while still keeping the super charged sexual innuendos alive. “Body surf on me / don’t stop / I wanna ride that wave / all night / I wanna ride that wave.”

Miguel makes some baby making music, but hearing Musgraves sing these lyrics takes it to another level. 

KANYE. A divisive figure who I officially can no longer defend. The transgressions are too many at this point. I can still love his music, but I’m totally tired of him. This is one of my favorite tracks from his new album with rap god Kendrick Lamar. I think the album is pretty great and certainly worth a listen for any rap fan. I’ll have some more tracks from the album in other mixtapes.

I spoke about Thugger earlier. His music is just strange, but that profile I read provides a bit more insight into the guy. He’s an alien. And it sounds like a man with a lifestyle that will leave him dead at a very early age. 

LOVE this song from Moses Gunn Collective, particularly that drugged out guitar bending to infinity. 

Remember Pete Yorn? That guy that had a classic album musicforthemorningafter? Well this track reminds me a lot of it. Sorry that I’m just asking the guy to play the hits, but when you’ve made like five other albums (most of which i’ve listened to!) and just aren’t doing it for me, it’s all I ask. 

Bibio releases tracks like “Wren Tails” that make me think I’m coasting through a Wes Anderson movie in a convertible watching the leaves change. Beautiful songs. 

Oddisee is a rapper from DC who my buddy put me on to. I have been listening to him a lot the past week and am amazed with his technical abilities (his second verse in “Want Something Done” is sick!) and production. This guy has some serious talent and is due to breakout. Just a taste of his rhymes: 

“We started off locally / and now this chains globally / that’s the way it’s supposed to be / single seeds only grow to trees / if left alone to breathe / so lets take some time to expose the weeds / feeding off the roots of the culture vultures next to you / convincing you to stay in the forest when they the record crew.”