I don’t know if it comes off to anyone reading, but I obsess over the selections for these monthly mixes. Since my posting is pretty haphazard, it is often the only way I end up recommending music, and my aspirations for the mixes are always a lot more lofty than 10 tracks will really allow. But I like the constraint of being succinct. I was pretty sure this month was lining up to be a disaster. There are so many songs that have been building up in the backlog… Meanwhile there are all these new albums; I don’t want the mixes to fall too far on either side of vintage or new. And then out of nowhere Frightened Rabbit came in to save the day with their brand new single. Another new track is this mastered version of a track by Grand Archives. For those who aren’t keeping up, Grand Archives is the band of Mat Brooke, formerly of Carissa’s Weird/Band of Horses. Oh, and Thao Nguyen, whose album from last year can be a bit poppy/college rocky for me, but “Bag of Hammers” might as well be by Arcade Fire, it is so good. On the other hand I’ve included a couple of my favorite local rappers, Murs and Aceyalone (I’m pretty sure I live directly between where they each grew up). I love the way the Acey track kicks off; rhyming the first line of each unsatisfactory rapper before laying into them. The production is great and minimal, but what really sells me is the way that he loses his breath during the calling out of “dapper rappers” at the beginning. Acey’s Crenshaw-adjacent Mid-City-repping counterpart, Murs, has been a favorite of mine since 2000 when he won me over with Murs Rules The World. His last two albums have been collaborations with Little Brother’s 9th Wonder, and while I occasionally feel that 9th’s traditionally-styled production is lacking in the midrange, there is no denying him on “Yesterday & Today.” Be sure to catch the video for it, and then check out the Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out themed “Murray’s Revenge” while you’re at it. Oh, and did I mention I’m excited for his major label debut? Yup, I did.
[banner photo by idle type]
March 2008 Mix
01 Aceyalone - Rappers Rappers Rappers
02 The Mary Onettes - Lost
03 Frightened Rabbit - Head Rolls Off
04 Charlie Feathers - Tongue Tied Jill
05 Thao With The Get Down Stay Down - Bag Of Hammers
06 A Smile and A Ribbon - The Boy I Wish I Never Met
07 Murs - Yesterday & Today
08 Grand Archives - Torn Blue Foam Couch
09 Ima Robot - Let’s Talk Turkey
10 Liz Phair - Nashville
