The Monday Mixtape

Welcome to this week's edition of The Monday Wednesday Mixtape, a weekly update of songs, both old and new, that have been on my own personal heavy rotation.

This week’s is a mega mixtape of sorts, as I added an extra six songs or so to the usual amount of tunes.



As far as the delays are concerned, I’m sorry for my lack of blog attendance and maintenance as of late. Spring Break, combined with new classes starting and a new roommate moving in have made things a little hectic, but this issue signals a return to the norm and the blog will now be updated regularly and more frequently.

I should say that this mixtape was made upon my return from Florida, which probably affected a slew of my selections. This week, there’s a pretty big divide in the types of music present: Bright indie rock and all sorts of electro, with some avant-noise thrown in for good measure. Onto the list...


Cold Hands – Black Lips
The first mixtape track on this week’s issue is off of the Black Lips’ 2007 LP, Good Bad Not Evil. On their fourth album, the Black Lips continued to perform what they know best and retained their dingy garage rock sound. “Cold Hands” has obvious surf-rock overtones, of which Dick Dale would surely approve.

The Hounds of War – The Subjects
The Subjects are a band that completely flew under my radar last year when their first album, titled With the Ease Grace Precision and Cleverness of Human Beings, was released. Made up of two graduated high school students and two of their teachers, The Subjects owe a lot of their sound to the pseudo-recent rave of New York indie rockers (such as, yes, The Strokes). However, something about their songs, whether it be the melodies they weave into their harsh, minimalist songs or the stark rawness of the album’s production, have had me listening to this record quite a bit.

Altibzz– Autechre
Autechre is a band that’s been around for awhile now. Having made nine albums, the first being released in 1993, and a variety of EPs, the electronic duo set the standard for the IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) genre. “Altibzz” is off of the recently releases Quaristice album. Though not as dance-oriented or up-tempo as other tracks off the record, “Altibzz” is filled with lush waves of sullen synthesizers and electronic ambience that presents itself as strikingly beautiful.

Ladies of Cambridge – Vampire Weekend
After months of hype and the following backlash, Vampire Weekend is still one of the best new acts of 2008. “Ladies of Cambridge,” a b-side off of the “Mansard Roof” single, sounds like it could fit anywhere on the band’s self-titled debut from earlier this year, boat shoes and warm, indie-pop included.


Crimewave - HEALTH
Part Killing Joke, part Liars, HEALTH is a noise-rock band out of Los Angeles. Their self-titled debut album was released last year and “Crimewave” is a highlight track. Two minutes of tribal drums and feedbacked guitars make up the powerful song and even if you don’t have a taste for the avant-garde, anyone can appreciate the drumming from the 1:31 mark and on.

Torn Blue Foam Couch – Grand Archives
“Torn Blue Foam Couch” can be most simply described as indie-pop. The track, off of the Grand Archives' 2008 LP, reminds me of Summerteeth-era Wilco. There’s a great emphasis on hook and sugar-coated production, but it’s clear that’s Mat Brooke’s (formerly of Band of Horses) intention; the entire album is sunny and upbeat, with the record’s songs rarely lingering longer than they should.

A New Chance – The Tough Alliance
“A New Chance” is the definition of The Tough Alliance’s patented Swedish-dance-pop. With dance music, it’s really hard to explain exactly why it’s so catchy or fun, so just press play and enjoy the electronic duo weave summery confections of sampled beats, synthesizers, and harmonious vocals.

African Rhythms – Mi Ami
Mi Ami is a band made up of a post-punk dub-dance band made up of ex-members of the Black Eyes. They just recently released an EP and the title track is “African Rhythms.” The song can best be described as tribal electronics heavy on the beat and dub influences, a sonic experiment that runs all over the music of M.I.A. However, Mi Ami doesn’t rap or rhyme, but rather rhythm is at the song’s forefront and it’s backed by schizophrenic guitar work and high pitched, yet nondescript, vocals. An interesting listen, even if the track wears a little thin due to its nearly seven minute length.


Horny Hippies – The Dodos
I placed The Dodos’ track “Jody” on my first issue of the mixtape. Since then, their second record, Visiter, has been released and that album is pretty amazing. “Horny Hippies” is not a track off of Visiter, but the band’s debut LP, Beware of the Maniacs, (released not even a year ago) which is a solid record itself. The previously mentioned (and posted) “Jody” does a great job capturing the duo’s acoustic guitar/drum sound, but “Horny Hippies” is an example of the band doing something a little different; it’s simpler and less dynamic or thematic than “Jody,” yet its quaint and honest. And of course, like most Dodos tunes, it’s catchy.

Running Down the Hills – Glass Candy
Glass Candy is a throwback to Blondie and the popular image of synth-oriented pop music of the 80’s. “Running Down the Hills” is heavy on the beat and wears its influences on its sleeve, though there’s nothing wrong with that, or a band that wants to you d.a.n.c.e. The track is chalk full of diminished sampled waves of synthesizers, guitar, and rhythms.

Fucked for Life – Dirty Projectors
Since picking up Dirty Projectors’ 2007 Rise Above, I’ve really been into the band’s distinct sound. There are numerous sonic elements the band frequently takes advantage of, such as the innumerable guitar arpeggios, the vocal orchestration of the band’s three vocalists, and their ability to produce such tight, charged, and up-tempo music. This cut of “Fucked for Life,” originally off of their New Attitude EP, is actually from the Dirty Projectors’ semi-recent Daytrotter Session.

Archangel – Burial
Burial is an tremendously talented and anonymous dubstep producer out of the UK. In 2007, he released his second record, Untrue. “Archangel” is the second track off of that album and it’s filled with grimy beats, low-fi sampling, and a pitch-fluctuating, cryptic vocal track. Burial creates all of his music from a low-tech setup in his home, but despite the ability for overproduction, the music his creates benefits greatly from the crackle and pop of such amateur equipment, and speaks volumes about his ability to create successful material. Something about each song on the record, most notably “Archangel,” has a mysterious infectious quality which draws its listener in.


You Made Me Realize - My Bloody Valentine
In 1988, My Bloody Valentine released their You Made Me Realize EP and it was the first output of theirs that consistently demonstrated the “shoegaze” sound the band championed with later material (and perfected with 1991’s Loveless). “You Made Me Realize,” starts out tough, with a hard, almost grunge, opening riff, then transcends into shoegaze bliss, as the dual vocals of Kevin Sheilds and Bilinda Butcher create an ethereal atmosphere amongst the swell of feedback and distortion – a classic example of earlier My Bloody Valentine.

Machine Gun – Portishead
On April 28th, Portishead will release their greatly anticipated third record (the band’s been on an eleven year hiatus), titled Third. “Machine Gun” is a raw, industrial sounding track, yet trip-hop elements are obviously present throughout the track. Vocalist Beth Gibbons provides eerie, wailing vocals and, combined with the sludge-like electronics, “Machine Gun” sounds like a ghost haunting a machine.

Stay Don’t Go – Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was one of my favourite records of 2007. It had all the right touches of mid-fi production and Beatlesesque-pop perfection. However, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, is far from the only good Spoon record. “Stay Don’t Go” is a cut from 2002’s Kill the Moonlight, and might even be the better record. The song opens with a loop of lead singer Britt Daniel beat-boxing and the minimalism remains for the duration of the track. There’s the addition of like tambourine, power chords strummed on a guitar, and light touches of bass, but Daniel’s vocals are what sell the song. Despite being incredibly simple, the song still grabs your attention and gets a toe or two tapping.

You! Me! Dancing! – Los Campesinos!
With the band’s first LP release on April 1st in the States, I’m adding a Los Campesinos! track to the mixtape. The song contains everything the seven piece band out of Wales is all about; there’s twee-pop, multiple instruments, multiple singers, and, perhaps of course, dancing. However, I was always partial to the band’s early demos that first surfaced on their Myspace. Sure, the take of You! Me! Dancing! is the exact same song that appears on their album appears on their album, but it’s the little flourishes and small touches which make this take better: there’s the difference in guitar tone, the more playful (and amateurish) singing, and a just more energy involved, which makes all the difference, surely.

Sweet Love for Planet Earth – Fuck Buttons
Alas, this week’s Mega Monday Mixtape closes out with a track off of the new Fuck Buttons album, Street Horrrsing. It’s a prime example of the English duo’s experimental, noise-based music. Opting to loop different electronics, guitars, and rhythm pieces, “Sweet Love for Planet Earth” begins as a morning would, with the sun slowly rising. However, as time progresses and loops are built upon other loops (and the addition of crudely-mechanized vocals), the morning sun explodes in your ears. Fuck Buttons are loud and “Sweet Love for Planet Earth” certainly constitutes noise, but there’s beauty in the breakdown. Much like the gentle chimes that twinkle throughout the track, Fuck Buttons never lose sight of that beauty.

Enjoy.