hearsay

What a good month for new releases January was, and at the top of my list are Beach House’s Teen Dream and Laura Veirs‘ July Flame, both of which are included on this mix. I’m glad the Beach House album has gotten such a good response, I think it is entirely well deserved and no song depicts how amazing it is better than album closer, “Take Care.” The song is simultaneously simple and complex, layered with orchestration in a way that simultaneously recalls the 50s and 80s while feeling out-of-place enough that it is very ‘now.’ As always, I am constantly thrown off by Victoria Legrand’s sultry but detached voice, which reaches maybe an album-wide apex as she sings, “I’ll take care of you / If you ask me to / In a year or two.”

I think that a lot of the other selections work well around “July Flame” and “Take Care,” especially the Washed Out track and the S (Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa’s Wierd) track. Both are fantastic. Other (relatively) new music on here is Real Estate, who I have meant to put on a mix ever since Freed played them for me last fall, as well as a new Oddisee track from his free winter EP, and a new Dios track, from a free single. Oh, and Gloria Jones kicks this off because she is awesome and this version is 10x better than the version you are used to.

[Image by Bryan Schumaat]

February 2010 Mix
01 Gloria Jones – Tainted Love
02 Laura Veirs – July Flame
03 Dios – I Feel Finite
04 Velocity Girl – Forgotten Favorite
05 Oddisee feat. X.O. – Black Broadway
06 Lali Puna – Alienation (Alias Remix)
07 Washed Out – New Theory
08 S – Falling
09 Real Estate – Beach Comber
10 Beach House – Take Care

I’m excited for a new year, and I’ll let my anticipated list speak for itself in terms of my optimism for the year. This month starts of with post-Ima Robot band, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, who made it onto my best of the year list as well. “40 Day Dream” has probably the most Ima Robot feel of any of the tracks from their debut, Up From Below, which is probably why it is, nostalgically, one of my favorites. Surfer Blood was another 2009 favorite that never made it onto a mix until this one. Beach House sounds amazing, and I’m glad that I only have a few more weeks here to wait for the album. Many of the others are older favorites, the only one I’ll stop to point out is Califone’s “Michigan Girls,” which I was reminded of when they performed it live after debuting their feature length film, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. It really is one of the most beautiful and engaging tracks they’ve recorded… I love the pace, the pizzicato strings, and the “don’t give it a name” lyric. And then there is Detroit rapper, Danny Brown. Danny Brown, with his nasal and unapologetic delivery, had my favorite guest verse on Elzhi’s The Preface (“I fired up the blunt and it tasted like gumbo / Hit the trees hard like George in the Jungle”), and another solid cameo on J Dilla’s Jay Stay Paid last year. I finally did a bit more digging to find some old mixtapes of his from 2007. “Get Down,” a reworking of the Nas track of the same name, references various Nas lines and recontextualizes them into an utterly brilliant demonstration of why Brown is one of the most exciting rappers out there right now.

January 2010 Mix
01 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream
02 Clear Tigers – Boredom
03 Danny Brown – Get Down
04 Beach House – Silver Soul
05 Califone – Michigan Girls
06 Surfer Blood – Take It Easy
07 Arthur Alexander – Dream Girl
08 The National – Without Permission (Caroline Martin cover)
09 Modest Mouse – Sleepwalking (Santo & Johnny cover)
10 Mt Egypt – Song Till 1

01. Oddisee-produced Finale album {05.25.2010}

02. Pavement reunion shows, maybe new material

03. Arcade Fire – LP3 {05.2010}

04. Beach House – Teen Dream {01.26.2010} [sample]

05. Black Milk – Album Of The Year [sample]

06. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks {03.09.2010}

07. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh {02.23.2010}

08. The National – new album?

09. Black Milk, Sean Price & Guilty Simpson – Random Axe

10. Freeway & Jake One – The Stimulus Package {02.15.2010} [sample]

[2009 list]

I’m the last man standing at hearsay this year, so sorry for the poor year-long and end-of-year showing. But I wanted to share my picks all the same, here they are.

topomodesto’s favorites 2009:

01. Diamond District – In The Ruff [mixtape sampler]
Released, at first, for free in order to grab attention; the fantastic boom-bap production, athletic lyricism, and all-together undeniable cohesion was well deserving of the amount that it got from the hip-hop blogosphere, though it should have gotten much more. If you haven’t been bumping this in your car or on your ipod in the subway, download it and do it now.

02. Tap Tap – On My Way [sample]
From it’s simple melody introduction to the all out promise to keep promises of “Half Moon Street,” Tap Tap’s second album seems to eclipse their debut in so many ways that it was a shock to the system. Witty and memorable lyrics centered around the travails of single-life and failed relationships, backed by some of the catchiest guitar-centered brit-pop of the decade. Get it mail-order if you have to.

03. Lattimore Brown – Nobody Has To Tell Me [sample]
An undiscovered gem that is a testament to the power of a well-informed and researched music blog, Lattimore Brown was rediscovered as a living should-have-been legend by Red Kelly of The “B” Side (and The “A” Side). Worth it for the liner notes alone, these unheard and barely-heard tracks from the 60s and 70s are collected here in a way that Numero would approve of and that would make TimeLife drool. They could sell it through infomercials and it would still be a must-buy.

04. Finale – A Pipe Dream And A Promise [video]
The most unique and exciting rapper since Busta Rhymes or Ludacris just happens to be from the already ridiculously solid Detroit scene. Oh, and his (essentially) debut album? Amazing.

05. Dan Deacon – Bromst [video]
Even the insane explanation for the album’s inspiration couldn’t take away from this being a fantastically experimental yet approachable album of spaz-pop dance tracks.

06. The Antlers – Hospice [video]
No other album was this emotional, this well considered, or this meaningful. Even if you aren’t necessarily into the emotional but orchestral rock of The Antlers, this album will touch you and stick with you.

07. J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid [sample]
How does an artist who passed away in 2006 still have this depth of material lying around unreleased? Only J Dilla could still be challenging hip-hop this way, 3+ years after leaving us. Turns out he never left.

08. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast [sample]
People finally complained about the last few Weezer albums enough that somebody listened. A catchy and fun, hip-shaking rawk, of which there wasn’t a whole lot of this year.

09. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion [video]
Completely deserving of the hype it received. And that is a tall task to manage.

10. Julie Doiron – I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day [sample]
If you would have told me last year that there was a chance of me ranking a folksy female singer-songwriter above Neko Case’s upcoming album, I would have called you crazy. And weakly slapped you before running away crying. Lo and behold, Julie Doiron’s latest is an amazing work of confident artist; with a wide variety of moods, but always centered around her delicate but strong vocals.

[2008 list]

Most of these found their way onto the monthly mixes, with the exception of some of the more well-known songs. Here they are for you, provided again in a nice Muxtape-style Opentape format. Enjoy.

: BEST OF 2009 MIX :

[2008 list]

After making my lists in 2006 and 2008, Matt & Kim finally hit the top by taking it all off. A couple unofficial versions of videos this year, which I think is pretty cool, but also probably says a little something about the economy. I don’t know if it really should qualify, but I’m also including Califone’s feature length film, All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, which I highly recommend you check out, though it will be best at Sundance where you can experience it with the band playing live through the film.

01. Matt & Kim – Lessons Learned [directed by Taylor Cohen & Otto Arsenault]

02. Oren Lavie – Her Morning Elegance [directed by Oren Lavie, Yuval & Merav Nathan]

03. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (unofficial) [directed by Gabe Askew]

04. Califone – All My Friends Are Funeral Singers (Motion Picture) [directed by Tim Rutili]

05. Animal Collective – My Girls (unofficial) [directed by Rob Chesnutt]

06. Marv Won – Stomp [directed by Mario Butterfield]

07. Röyksopp – Happy Up Here [directed by Reuben Sutherland]

08. Black Milk feat. Royce Da 5′9″ – Losing Out [directed by Anthony Garth]

09. Forest City Lovers – Song For Morrie [directed by Stuart A. McIntyre]

10. The Twilight Sad – And She Would Darken The Memory [directed by Mark Charlton]

[2008 list]

As soon as I finally got around to seeing Melancholy For Medicine, an indie flick that I missed at last year’s L.A. Film Fest, and that took a long time to make it to rentable DVD, I knew that I was starting off this month’s mix with Casiotone For The Painfully Alone’s “New Year’s Kiss.” I must admit to have never fully ‘gotten’ Casiotone. I like an occasional song of theirs that seems like a take on Stephin Merritt-style deep-voiced pop. But I can tell there is more to them than that. “New Year’s Kiss” fits the movie perfectly: both in subject matter and mood. And hopefully it fits this mix as well.

Again this month, a lot of artists that should be familiar from older mixes. Vitalic is a throwback to the sort of electronica Freed used to play when we worked together many years ago. For the record, we also played American Analog Set back then. And Calla too. I still am crazy for the last year’s Wilderness album, even though I know “Own Anything” is probably a bit too post-hardcore for the average hearsay mix, and I may very well get complaints about it.

I promised myself to dedicate a post (it’ll happen…) to Diamond District, so I won’t expound on it much except to say you can expect to see it high on my albums of the year list. “Hologram” is a head nodder that puts me in a good mood every time I hear it.

And then there’s this Charlie Feathers track. Charlie is probably one of the most well known Rockabilly acts, and an good bridge between country folk and rock n roll. Punk kids from the 90s might know him thanks to frequent covers by The Cramps. Today people will probably be most familiar with him thanks to use of his songs in both Kill Bill soundtracks. I love listening to Feathers, especially at work – where I know that the his country twang is too much for some coworkers to take. “Early In The Morning” is centered around painfully obvious subject matter (“Early in the morning it’sa hard to get up”), so much that it is a fantastic song to start the day with. This mix, and this year ends with another Pete And The Pirates track. One of my absolute favorites, and also one of the most Built To Spill-sounding. In the best way possible, short of having Doug Martsch as your singer and songwriter.

[Image by .kimmika. The font is FFF Tsuj by Magnus Cederholm]

December 2009 Mix
01 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – New Year’s Kiss
02 The American Analog Set – Come Home Baby Julie Come Home
03 Vitalic – Trahison
04 Dirty On Purpose – Fake Lakes
05 Charlie Feathers – Early In The Morning
06 Diamond District – Hologram
07 Calla – As Quick As It Comes/Carrera
08 That Ghost – When There’s No One Else To Sing To You Sing To Yourself
09 Wilderness – Own Anything
10 Pete And The Pirates – Song For Today

I have sort have removed myself enough from the music blogomasphere enough that I really don’t know what people are picking up on of new music. I mean, I know people are crazy for Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective, but I mean more at the Chin Up Chin Up/Beirut level of exposure. You know, for bands that Michael McDonald doesn’t do guest vocals for.

Tap Tap has been a Hearsay favorite ever since “100,000 Thoughts” smacked us across the head, and we went on to realize that we could fill more of our Tap Tap needs with singer Tommy Sanders’ other band, Pete And The Pirates. I fully recognize that Tap Tap isn’t at the level of exposure of getting a day of release Pitchfork/Cokemachineglow reviwe. I think he deserves to be, but I get it, not yet. Well the new album, On My Way, will hopefully change that. I loved 2006’s Lanzafame, but the new album is more cohesive, catchy, and lasting. It starts well and ends well, but it really picks up midway through with “Half Moon Street.”

I think what I like so much about the song is the way it is simultaneously a simple song with some complex guitar and vocal harmonies that builds well to take on different moods. Plus I love the lyrics… a somehow sweet song about a casual hookup; it seems to convey itself in a very honest way:

I’ve seen photos of you
I know we’ve nothing in common, girl
But I share a love of drinking
And you want a polite man, that’s not me

But my favorite part of the song has to be the high energy chorus, where the lyrics come out so fast that the breath control alone almost makes it a rap:

My thoughts are tearing each other apart
In the back of the car
Conversation has probably gone too far
Keep me guessing
Tongue-tied and messy
Don’t make me feel stupid
I’ll do that on my own
You put the key in and
Just stop believing that
You’ll go to hell if you have fun this evening
Come to me telling me all kinds of secrets
Promises, promise I think I can keep it

While I’m on the topic, I want to point out that last year’s Pete And The Pirates album, Little Death, is also awesome; in a more rock-oriented, Built To Spill way. I’m desperately hoping for a Tap Tap tour, but I fully recognize that L.A. is a far cry from Hackney, London. For now I’ll just have to work on my own car-karaoke renditions.

: Tap Tap – Half Moon Street :
: Pete And The Pirates – Bears :

For a while now (and when I say a while I mean more than 3 days… more like since i started doing monthly mixes), I’ve wanted to do a delta blues-themed mix. But every month something new comes along that I really want to put on a mix and I scrap the blues for a more eclectic mix. Occasionally one or two blues tracks make it in to the otherwise indipophoptronicoul mixes, but this one is finally dedicated to being more of mood music than the other mixes. And it was hard too… this month the new Diamond District and Tap Tap nearly put me over the edge. Luckily my all-together behindedness assembling selections forced my hand. Yes there are a couple gospel tracks, a jazz track and a 60s blues track, but I think they all fit the mood. Mississippi Records (out of Portland, Not Mississippi) should get some credit for this mix, as I used 3 tracks from their own delta blues and gospel LPs. Go out and research further into any of these artists, there is plenty more to be rediscovered. Well, except maybe Radio Four… I don’t think there really is anything else by them.

[Image by Stan Douglas. The font is League Gothic]

November 2009 Mix
01 Cryin’ Sam Collins – Lonesome Road
02 Cecil Gant – I Wonder
03 Radio Four – Walk Around My Bedside
04 Jack Teagarden – Stars Fell On Alabama
05 Mississippi John Hurt – Stack O’Lee Blues
06 Memphis Minnie – North Memphis Blues
07 Elmore James – Dust My Broom
08 Kokomo Arnold – Milk Cow Blues
09 Robert Wilkins – That’s No Way To Get Along
10 Washington Phillips – The Church Needs Good Deacons

I’m late on this month’s mix, so I’m not going to bother going on about it too much. How could you not like Kitty, Daisy & Lewis‘ bluesy Canned Heat cover? The Nouvelle Vague track is another guilty pleasure cover that made it in to this one. Finale makes it on to another mix, from his album deep with amazing tracks… This one is produced by electronic producer, Dimlite, who was featured last month. I only recently noticed The Middle East after Jason Bentley played them one morning, but they seem like a nice Rogue Wave + female vocals act, and I mean that in a good way. Wrapping up this month is the hipster collaboration to define hipsterdom for the next decade, Michael McDonald singing Grizzly Bear’s “While You Wait For The Others.” I know that, just in that it exists, it is like the epitome of hipster irony: to have a 70s yacht rocker incorporated into an indie track; but at its heart, it is a pretty awesome song and enjoyable listen. I give them credit for making it happen.

[I really don't remember where I got the banner image from, but it was some "boring postcards" collection or something. The font is Pattua]

October 2009 Mix
01 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Going Up The Country (Canned Heat cover)
02 14KT – Black N Gold (prod. by Black Milk)
03 Themselves & Why? – Canada
04 Holiday Shores – Phones Don’t Feud
05 The Middle East – Blood
06 Tsunami – Hockey
07 Nouvelle Vague – In A Manner Of Speaking (Tuxedomoon cover)
08 Mayer Hawthorne – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out (Astronote El Camino Remix)
09 Finale – Issues
10 Grizzly Bear with Michael McDonald – While You Wait for the Others