Monday Mixtape, Vol. 3

If Joywave's "Tongues" doesn't at least wake you up from your Monday stupor, then I suggest downing at least four more 5 hour energies. But seriously, don't do that. 

Now that Joywave has enlivened you, may I provide the White Denim fans out there with a track from lead singer James Petralli's solo project? (If you don't know White Denim and are into slightly southern rock with a dash of jammyness (NO idea how to spell that but I am certain it's not a word - or is it jamminess? That actually looks better), listen to their album D). The piano that starts "Dani's Blues" sounds straight from a dueling piano bar.

Now that you've woken up, it's time to get a little weird. I have no idea how to describe "Rain or Shine" by Young Fathers. Is it, like, sort of rap? Is it, like, sort of not? Whatever it is, it's totally their own, and I respect the hell out of that. The start SHOULD make you start bopping your head. If not, time for another 5 Hour Energy. 

Love the guitar work on "Sequence," especially at the 2:18 mark as the guitarist rides (what my amateur ears hears) six chords up the fretboard then back down one. 

Anytime Alex Turner (one of my favorite songwriters, lyricists, and lead singer/guitarist to one of my favorite bands, Arctic Monkeys - while we're here, check out my Best Of for them!) is a guest on a track, I will listen. Mini Mansions is actually another solo project, this time from the bassist of Queens of the Stone Age. I'm putting two and two together here: Josh Homme, also of Queens of the Stone Age, produced Arctic Monkey's third album, Suck It and See, so I'm guessing Alex Turner had a favor to return? Or they're just good buds, who knows. 

I hate to say it, but the recent Death Cab for Cutie album just isn't very good and feels pretty uninspired, which is crazy because Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel got divorced before this record was made. Doesn't heartbreak bleed creativity? Though I should also point out that guitarist Chris Walla left the band too. Sometimes when an integral guitarist (Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante is the best example I can think of off the top of my head) leaves, the band is never the same. That being said, I still think "Ingenue" is a classic Death Cab song. Hope you agree.

Snoop's "It Ain't No Fun" was remade into a love song???

Snoop Dogg's track "It Ain't No Fun" from his first album back in '93 is most definitely not a love song. It was pretty much the exact opposite. Although the production is catchy as hell and Nate Dogg provides the ever reliable hook, the message of the song is about what you'd expect from an album called Doggystyle.

So I was quite amazed when I heard the track "Number One" by Tuxedo, the funk/disco duo fronted by crooner Mayer Hawthorne, who just released their self-titled debut album. I don't know whether these guys have a sense of humor by turning Snoop's song into a sentimental love song whose title rhymes with the original, but either way, it's an interesting take for a cover and an even better song!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 2

Monday is here, sorry about that. But it's not all bad, you have a little mix to get your morning started or daze off to at the end of the day.

I started adding a few tracks that I've been digging recently, and I realized a theme was coming together with these songs: they are all very ethereal and chill in their own way and sound. Each genre of music in this mix, whether it's rock (The Bright Light Social Hour), electro-pop (Miami Horror), pop (Soko and U.S. Girls), rap (Action Bronson feat Wiz Khalifa), or a singer/songwriter (Alice Boman), has ways of providing laid back versions of themselves. I love making chill mixes (which I'm surprised I haven't posted yet, but this is a swift kick in the ass to get that posted) because I feel like I can get so much work done with a mellow vibe rolling in the background. Hope you enjoy!

By the way, if you're a fan of My Morning Jacket (new album release date May 5, 2015!) and you like the track "Dreamlove" on this mix, you HAVE to check out The Bright Light Social Hour's album. It kicks ass.

The Monday Mix!

A bit of a new idea to treat our incurable cases of the Mondays: Start off each Monday with a short mix that you can get through in under thirty minutes which will hopefully provide you a band or two to check out further!

The first band, Avid Dancer, is a band I just started listening to. Their album is a hazey journey that feels like I'm drifting through the 1970s (see: first track of their album, "All the Other Girls"). If you like "I Want To See You Dance," you have to check this album out.

I've already spoken about my obsession of Hippo Campus, so I had to include my favorite song from their EP, "Little Grace."

The second I heard "Hard Time" from Seinabo Sey, the Swedish 24 year old, I thought of Adele. Her pipes sound pretty similar to her, but the heavy drum beat plots an original course and leads the way.

After seeing The Weeknd at Coachella last weekend (no, I'm not gonna do it), his talent became even more apparent. He has a number of tracks that I can't stop listening to (it was between this and "Earned It" - the track with an amazing 140 million listens on Spotify!), but the transition from "House of Balloons" to "Glass Table Girls" around 3:25 mark is downright dirty.

If you like the xx, then you'll love Jamie XX's new track, "Loud Places."

Finally, if you haven't read the Haim sisters or Taylor Swift tweeting about Tobias Jesso Jr., the new piano man, and if you're into that kind of thing (which I admit isn't for everybody), I wanted to end the mix with his lovely ballad, "Without You."

Playlist - That's a Rap, Vol. 1

There's been an ever expanding list of rappers over the past few years that have brought rap back to the forefront of music for me. Sometimes I wax poetic and think of the good ol' days when A Tribe Called Quest and Biggie (amongst so many others) were making the best rap music imaginable. But now there are rappers influenced by them, their sounds, the culture, and everything in between, spitting out their own rhymes. This is the best rap has been since those golden days in the 90s - just listen to Kendrick, Drake, A$AP Rocky, and Kanye. 

I finished Volume 3 of this playlist series today, but I thought it might make more sense to start from the beginning!

I made this playlist back in 2012 as I was discovering a number of my favorite rappers today, such as Childish Gambino, Kendrick, A$AP, Schoolboy Q, and Joey Bada$$. These were primarily my favorite songs by these guys at the time, and I'm hoping for those not as well versed in rap (or those who might have given up on rap for a bit) that this playlist will be a primer for the next two volumes I'll put up in the next few weeks or so!