The Monday Mixtape

"A day late, but still great!"

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

This week is filled with a few things new, but its heavy on the older tracks.



Something to note: If there's anyone who can't get the IMEEM player to play, or certain songs only play for 30 seconds or less, try disabling your internet protection software (i.e. Norton) when attempting to listen to the mixtape. It's possible that IMEEM is being viewed as a pop-up by your protection software, so adjusting your security settings should clear that problem up.


Roadrunner – The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers, one of the godfathers of indie rock. In 1972, Jonathan Richman, along with session musicians such as Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads fame) recorded demos for what would be their first label release. However, the band never produced an LP for Warner Bros. and the label soon withdrew their support for the band, leading to the group’s division. In 1976, Beserkley Records released the band’s posthumous demos, on which “Roadrunner” is the opening track. Based around two chords, a pulsing rhythm, Richman’s croon, and a “1-2-3-4-5-6” count-off, “Roadrunner” is Richman’s ode to The Velvet Underground. “I'm in love with the radio on/It helps me from being alone late at night.”

Eraser – No Age
Whereas No Age’s previous output could be easily be defined as experimental noise-rock, with elements of shoegaze and punk. With “Eraser,” the band isn’t necessarily exploring new sounds, so much as they’re pushing new elements into the sonic forefront. “Eraser” begins with a breezy and sunny melody as the sounds of an acoustic guitar and swells of distortion compete for the attention of your ears. It’s certainly one of the band’s most accessible tracks with its pop-sensibility and is a demonstration of the band will put out on May 6th with their album Nouns is released.

Grease 2 – Thee Oh Sees
“Grease 2” off of The Oh Sees new record released last week, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In, is a straightforward garage-punk anthem, though there are several elements that make it a worthwhile listen. There are traces of both The Cramps and The White Stripes, while the psychobilly guitar is complimented well with throbbing drums and dual female/male vocals.

Bounce (feat. N.O.R.E.) – MSTRKRFT
Sometime this September, MSTRKRFT will release a follow-up to their 2006 LP, The Looks, and “Bounce” is the upcoming record’s first single. MSTRKRFT, the electronic duo made up of Jesse Keeler (of Death from Above 1979) and Al-P, make pretty straightforward electro music and their debut LP was heavy on repetition and vocoders, but “Bounce” sees the duo aim for a more club-oriented dance tune. The song is certainly a grower, but it’s as good a dance track as anything else I’ve heard in 2008.

My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille – Beirut
Taken from a charity compilation disc, “My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille” fits in with the aural structure of Beirut’s 2007 LP, The Flying Club Cup. That is, the bourgeoisie, European, classical-pop sound that makes up the aforementioned album. Unlike the heavy brass and string arrangements of Flying Club Cup, “My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille” uses electronics as the basis for its sonic arrangement. Much in the way that “Scenic World” stood somewhat apart from Beirut’s 2006’s record, Gulag Orkestar, because of its use of electronic elements, “My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille” offers a refreshing adaptation of Beirut’s solidified dramatic sound.


Tongues That Possess the Earth Instead – Half-Handed Cloud
John Ringhofer is the one man band that makes up Half-Handed Cloud. Named after an occurrence in the Old Testament, Half-Handed Cloud’s music is full of religious overtones, however, Ringhofer is never overtly preachy; he masks his subject matter with lo-fi drum patterns, poppy hooks, and pleasant melody. This track clocks in right under a minute and is off of the band’s 2006 record, Halos & Lassos which was released by Asthmatic Kitty, Sufjan Stevens’ record label. The song also happens to be extremely catchy.

The Gospel According to Effice – 31Knots
Off of the band’s third record, It Was High Time to Escape, “The Gospel According to Effice” is track from Portland’s 31Knots. The song mixes a myriad genres, where indie, prog, and The Police meet. The song strongest hook comes in at the 47 second mark; a simple guitar chord set punctuated by minimalist drums. “The Gospel According to Effice” also changes itself constantly, as the drummer, bassist, and guitar player frequently shift both what they’re playing and how they’re playing it, never letting their listen get bored or indulging in their own hooks, all of which make the song a solid listen.

Raised by Wolves – Voxtrot
“Raised by Wolves” is off of the Texas quintet’s first EP of the same name. Though their 2007 full-length was a disappointment, Raised by Wolves, both the EP and the song, offers up some of the band’s strongest material. Filled with sounds reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian and early Smiths, the EPs title track exemplifies the band’s knack for toe-tapping melody that’s certainly twee throughout, though its twee perfected; a pleasant, well-put-together confection best enjoyed while one’s in a bright mood.

Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash) – Anathallo
Take the dramatics of Illinoise-era Sufjan Stevens, add in tremendous percussion, sprinkle in group vocal harmony, and top of with xylophone and there you’ll have Anathallo’s “Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash)” pretty well defined. The seven piece band, which originated out of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, all play a variety of instruments ranging from guitar to the flugelhorn, many of which are on display in “Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash).” The song breaks open with sonic brashness, but ends on a beautifully soft and mellow note. Having an ear for the epic, the song has a few radical musical shifts, but ultimately forms a somber piece of audio art.

Divine – Sébastien Tellier
Even though I placed the video for this Sébastien Tellier track on my latest post of YouTube Fridays, I felt the song needed to be present in a higher quality mp3 format. “Divine” is the fourth track of the French electro artist’s latest album, which was released earlier this year. It’s full lush synthesizers, sparkling vocal samples, and the twinkle of all things pop. The hilarious video adds a lot to the already catchy dance song, check it out if you haven’t already, but the track is still fun without the absurd visuals provided by Sébastien Tellier himself.

Enjoy.


Coming up later this week: Album of the Week, an Artists Spotlight, and photos of the upcoming Dodos show.