FALL 2010 MIXTAPE

fall 2010 mixtape

another season has passed us by so it's time to look back and reflect on some of the great tunes that have come our way in the past few months.  i'll be taking the rest of the season off from posting so we'll see you back here in 2011 to continue the sharing.  i hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed holiday.

click on the cassette below to download the files or stream it in its entirety above.   the tracklist is after the jump. enjoy...

JUST LIKE TROPICA-L by soft powers

just like tropica-L
gummi

i'm trying to figure out what's going on over at soft powers bandcamp.  they posted the baby blue house sessions back in october, but still only certain tracks can be streamed...hmm...anyways, head over there and check out the tune 'i began to cringe at eight ten.' i was going to post that track, but decided otherwise because...

[on repeat] I LOSE by girls names

i lose

graveyard

bury me (live session)

out of belfast, girls names is a duo that strikes a very strong resemblance to crystal stilts.  they released  two EPs earlier this year within a few weeks of each other on different labels.  the first, self-titled, is on captured tracks records and is loaded with 4 solid tracks.

ALWAYS ON MY MIND by reading rainbow

always on my mind
underground

reading rainbow are a boy/girl duo out of philadelphia who just put out their wonderfully catchy second LP, prism eyes, on 11/23 on hozac records. last year they released a couple of singles and their debut LP, mystical participation in 2009, which made it onto WTD's list of best albums of the year...

LOSE YOURSELF by iowa

lose yourself
wires

iowa is a band from melbourne, australia who take a good chunk of influence from the 90's rock of swervedriver and dinosaur jr.  their first 7" for the single 'am' was released earlier this year on their own label, desert mouth records.  their latest single is the double a-side 'lose yourself/reasons,' released on 11/26 and continuing down

[on repeat] WATERFALL by the fresh & onlys

waterfall
tropical island suite

it's taken me a while to get around to posting about the fresh & onlys latest LP play it strange which came out in october on in the red records.  the last time they were featured on here it was to promote a track off their six track EP, august in my mind, released earlier this year.  they followed it up with... 

CHORUS by cool runnings

chorus
when i got high with you

the last time i wrote about these guys was to promote their single 'i am you.'  they're back with another catchy single i wanted to share called 'chorus.' they have a forthcoming lp called teenage, TN, but not sure of a release date, nor am i sure if this new tune will be on it.  either way, enjoy 'chorus' and a song off an earlier EP.  all of their earlier releases are available...

2010 favorite albums

10		beach house – teen dream [the first great album of the year] 10-mile stereo
9		white fence – white fence who feels right

SICK OF SUMMER by white laces

sick of summer

spirituals

after a few sold out cassette releases, this hazy, guitar driven four-piece from virginia currently have their first EP available on their bandcamp for $10, but as part of the deal you also get a 12" vinyl of the same songs in the mail.  nice deal, right?

[official | bandcamp]

BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL ('TIL YOU GET KICKED OUT) by white wires

be true to your school ('til you get kicked out)

roxanne

ottawa's power trio known as white wires are following up their self-titled debut from douchemaster records with a second record aptly called WWII

STILYAGI by puro instinct

stilyagi
luv goon

L.A.'s puro instinct have a new single featuring ariel pink.  the tune is from their upcoming full-length, headbangers in ecstasy, and the 7" is available for pre-order from mexican summer.  it comes with beautiful gold vinyl + metallic gold on sleeve and will ship late december / early january. hear the tune here along with another

MALLARD by trailblazer

mallard

gut reaction

some good noise here from my inbox to make you move. coleman guyon is out of kentucky and is trailblazer...dance pop, hypnotic layers, fuzzed electronics and gutted vocals. the vinyl is available here and is limited to 300 copies. thanks to moniker records for sharing.

[myspace | moniker]

WRECKIN' BAR (RA RA RA) by the vaccines

wreckin' bar (ra ra ra)

blow it up

watch out, the british hype train, in its usual overdone fashion, is moving full steam ahead on this one so either jump on or get the hell out of its way. as expected, it's a little exaggerated when applied to the actual music being pushed, but i indulge in sharing. the double a-side single was released in november, and it's sold out and not available here...but you can still hear both tracks here.  a full LP expected in early

MIGHTY by lord huron

mighty
the stranger

lord huron recently released his mighty EP in early november, and it's available at his bandcamp along with his previous EP from earlier this year into the sun.  you can catch him headlining at the echo on 12/16 ($8 tickets), or opening up for tennis (earlier post) at the echo on February 4, 2011 ($10 tickets). 


[official | bandcamp]

REDS by houses

reds
soak it up

houses are a couple out of chicago with a pretty interesting bio. their LP, all night, came out on 10/19 from lefse records and it features a collection of some wonderful intimate synth-pop (buy). the band is looking to tour, but has a limited budget so they've come up with a nifty idea to try to make it happen.  a donation of:

TRANSPORPIRAÇÕES by lê almeida

lê almeida is from brazil, the lyrics are in portuguese, and there are a handful of EPs available for free download from the label transfusão noise records.  the band definitely carries a 90's college rock sound to them with fuzz and swirls galore reminiscent of dinosaur jr and apples in stereo.  the debut LP, mono maçã (mono apple for the english folk) is expected in January 2011.  transporpirações is the band's first single and you can get a taste of the new record below.  i've also included 'me de sua mao' off a 2007 EP, loufailandia, which deviates from their fuzz sound and opts for a little more fun energy, and 'nunca nunca' from a 2009 EP, revi.  a lot of their stuff is definitely worth listening to so if i were you i'd take advantage of all the free downloads at transfusão noise records.  if you feel inclined to purchase any of these gems you can do so at midsummer madness.

transporpirações

me de sua mao

nunca nunca
by lê almeida - (myspace | transfusão noise records | midsummer madness )

DON'T WAKE THE DEAD by guards

here's another band pointed out to me by my new neighbor.  currently its only release is a self-titled EP with contributors that include caroline polachek of chairlift, james richardson of MGMT, loren shane humphrey of the willowz and madeline follin of cults.  you can grab the EP for free at the band's bandcamp, or pick up a physical copy on limited edition (500 pressings) vinyl through 3 syllables records.

don't wake the dead

resolution of one
by guards - (bandcamp | 3 syllables records)

TAKE YOU WITH ME by french films

some fun pop from this finland band a la the sound of drums and stellastarr*.  weird, combo? yeah, i thought so too, but it still seems to work and i wouldn't be surprised if it catches on very soon.  they have a 4-track EP titled, golden sea, available now on itunes and here.  two of the tracks, including the title track are below.

take you with me

golden sea
by french films- (myspace | itunes)

FUNERAL SONG by minks

minks released a couple 7'' singles earlier this year on captured tracks including the very catchy 'funeral song' (buy) that has been playing here regularly via the radio stream.  well, the band has just announced that its debut lp, by the hedge, will come out january 12th on the same label and will feature both songs below.  also announced is a tour featuring dum dum girls and minks, which will span both coasts of the u.s. and canada.

p.s. happy 48th birthday john squire.  you had an indelible effect on my 20's (did i just date myself?)

everyone have a safe and joyous thanksgiving holiday.  see ya monday!

funeral song

cemetary rain
by minks - (myspace | captured tracks)

WHALE by yellow ostrich

alex schaaf is yellow ostrich.  he is from new york via wisconsin and has crafted some masterful songs with just his voice, loops, and a drum machine for some EPs.  he's recruited others (notably the drummer from we are scientists) for his new collection of songs called the mistress.  the vocal harmonies are still front and center, but now they are backed by an equally intriguing and dense soundtrack.  it's definitely worth a listen.  two tracks are below, and the entire album is available as a pay-what-you-want download...so...download it. he has also put together a kickstarter campaign to raise funds to get the album pressed on vinyl so if you find yourself enjoying the tunes, you really ought to give a little. he's a talent.

you can also catch yellow ostrich play a live studio set on KEXP radio on tuesday, 11/30 at noon eastern time. you can listen in via KEXP's website.  

whale

hold on
by yellow ostrich - (official | kickstarter)

[on repeat] DYSTOPIC VISION by fungi girls

with the great couple of singles that came out from this texas trio earlier this year, i revisited their 2009 LP seafaring pyramids, on play pinball! records and felt obliged to post about it.  the record is loaded with garage, shoegaze, and surf elements, and has some of the best controlled feedback i've ever heard. here are two highlights that don't feature the feedback i'm referring too (check out the tune kowloon walled city), but you can also listen at their myspace or pick up the record here. 

dystopic vision

into the cosmos
by fungi girls - (myspace | play pinball!)

[on repeat] THERE'S NO SKY (OH MY MY) by jaill

jaill's LP, that's how we burn, is easily one of my favorites from the past year, as evidenced by being highlighted here upon the record's release, consistently holding a space in the 'on repeat' feature for a while, and even earning a spot on the summerset mixtape, so you can imagine how happy i was to see a post yesterday on styrofoam drone regarding a re-issue of another record.  the band's previous LP, there's no sky (oh my my), was recorded in 2008 in the basement of a funeral home (before the band had to add an 'L' to their name), and was released in 2009 as a small-press hand made vinyl copy. burger records later released it as a cassette and has now reissued it on 12" vinyl.  the LP is 12-tracks long and clocks in at just over 30 minutes of catchy, witty, and powerful songs that are definitely worth a listen. the band has been together for over 8 years and it was this record that caught the attention of sub pop!, thus leading to making the release of that's how we burn possible. it's nice to see a band work toward success rather than much of the one-hit, one-record stuff that seems to be everywhere these days.

it also doesn't hurt (and isn't surprising) to hear the milwaukee band say that they're good friends with thomas function, wheels on fire, and the strange boys, which are all favorites here.  the reissue of there's no sky (oh my my) is limited to only 1,000 copies so grab it while you can here or here.   

there's no sky (oh my my)

always wrong
by jaill  (myspace | sub pop!)

DREAM ON (LITTLE DREAMER) by hunx and his punx

hunx and his punx have recently signed to hardly art records and are expecting to release their new album in spring of 2011. the debut record, gay singles (buy), was released last year on true panther and consisted of a compilation of singles.  'dream on' is from a free download of a split 7″ with kid congo powers and the pink monkey birds (lead by a member of the gun club, the cramps, and nick cave and the bad seeds). listen to the hunx song below and go download the 7″ from the scion AV site.  grab it here or here.

dream on (little dreamer)

hey rocky 
by hunx and his punx (myspace | hardly art )

HAUNTED by grave babies

here's seattle's grave babies.  they're goth sounding (surprised?), and i haven't found an uplifting song title in their catalog yet, but i'm not letting that stop me.  i can't seem to find much info about anything on these guys, but these tunes are great.  hopefully we'll get something from them sooner rather than later. 
haunted

eating babies 
by grave babies (myspace)

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by hosannas

portland's experimental noisers hosannas recently released their first official studio album, together (buy) on hush records.  here are a couple of highlights.  earlier this year found them releasing a compilation, then and now and then, derived from two short-run CD-R EP releases plus three previously unreleased songs (buy). 

when we were young

the people i know 
by hosannas (official | bandcamp | hush)

BROKEN UP by wheels on fire

you've probably noticed by now that i have a certain affinity for garage rock.  i try to not dwell on it too much here, but it's hard not to want to share when i come across a great song/band.  wheels on fire and their tune 'broken up' fall into this category.  they are a 4-piece from athens, OH who play the stuff straight up and it's catchy, filled with hooks, and crazy addictive.  they’ve released three albums and a handful of singles, and their new single 'broken up' is off a new 7-inch cherry bomb on kind turkey records (buy).  give 'em a listen.  

broken up 

black wave 
by wheels on fire (myspace | kind turkey records)

CARRYING THE TORCH by generationals

ok, i think it's official...i have a thing for these guys.  first, this new orleans 3-piece released the title track off their upcoming trust ep, which was featured here previously, and i could not stop listening to it. now after listening to the record i have another track that just keeps getting played over and over. they are simply just good, fun pop music. you can hear this other track below as well as a tune from their debut album con law that came out july '09, and is somewhat of an unknown gem. the ep was released on 11/9 exclusively on itunes for $1.99 and physically it will be released on 11/16 through park the van records (buy). catch the video for 'trust' after the jump.

carrying the torch 

our time 2 shine 
by generationals (official | park the van)

Generationals - Trust

HEART IN YOUR HEARTBREAK by the pains of being pure at heart

ny indie darlings, the pains of being pure at heart, are continuing to provide their joyous pop on the wave of success from their self-titled first album released last year.  a new single, 'heart in your heartbreak' will be released on 12/4 (pre-order), and is from an upcoming new lp, belong, that comes out in march, 2011 on slumberland records.  'say no to love' is a single that's not available on their first lp, but was released as a single earlier this year.

you can catch them live tomorrow at echoplex with chrome waves radio favorite weekend, and along other parts of california with stars, glasser, and sonny and the sunsets.  tour dates after the jump

heart in your heartbreak 

say no to love 
by the pains of being pure at heart (official | slumberland records)


nov 9 – the independent san francisco, ca (with weekend)
nov 10 – soho santa barbara, ca (with weekend)
nov 11 – the loft UCSD la jolla, ca (with weekend)
nov 12 – echoplex los angeles, ca (with weekend and sonny and the sunsets)
nov 14 – glasshouse pomona ca  (with stars)

GHOST IN MY HEAD by niva

i just recently moved and now have a new neighbor that is seemingly as fanatical about new music as i am.  this is something that he turned me on to recently and it's very good.  christian niva (aka niva, get it?) is from stockholm.  he used to go by the name of 'the quiet boy' and is behind remixes of other bands stuff while also putting together his own songs.  check out the tunes below and be sure to visit his bandcamp. 

ghost in my head 

the boy from the sun 
by niva (bandcamp | myspace) 

hawaii (niva remix) 
by blackbird blackbird (bandcamp | myspace)

WEEKEND by smith westerns

great new track from the upcoming smith westerns lp titled dye it blonde out on fat possum on 1/18 (pre-order).  they've ditched the fuzz of their previous album released last year for a more poppy sound on this tune with wonderful results.  the second tune below is from a split single with magic kids' 'superball' released this past march (buy).

weekend

imagine, pt. 3
by smith westerns (fat possum | myspace)

TIP OF YOUR TONGUE by porcelain raft

mauro femiddi is from italy and now calls london home.  he is also the one-man behind everything that is porcelain raft.  he made a splash at this year's cmj fest in new york, and this song is one of the key reasons.  the 7" for 'tip of your tongue' b/w 'despite everything' is out 11/8 on acéphale (buy).

tip of your tongue

dragonfly
by porcelain raft (official | acéphale)

and...in a bad way to start the week, i have come across the news that one of the better music blogs on the interweb has called it quits after a year and a half of shedding light on some great music.  i'll miss delicious scopitone. 

DREAMING by seapony

seapony are a three piece from seattle who are continuing the popular sounds of the 50′s/60′s that seem to keep popping up everywhere you look.  their debut 4-track ep is available on bandcamp and features the songs 'dreaming' and 'i really do' below.  they are also releasing a 7″ single for 'dreaming' with two new songs on november 15th via double denim records that is limited to 300 copies, with the first 150 on colour vinyl (pre-order).

dreaming

i really do
by seapony (bandcamp | double denim records)

[on repeat] TINY SPIDERS by the soft moon

luis vasques (aka the soft moon) has released a couple of previous singles, but a new self-tited debut album on captured tracks comes out on 11/16.  a little late for halloween, but does dark, sinister synth in the vain of 80's era post-punk via bauhaus and the chills with a little new order ever get old?  i didn't think so...

tiny spiders

parallels
by the soft moon (myspace | captured tracks)

THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BRAIN by veronica falls

london's veronica falls are beginning to catch traction and they're sharing their new single for free on their website.  the track is called 'the right side of my brain' and it's from their upcoming debut lp next year.  you can grab their previous singles (such as the other tune featured below) over at insound or stream some of their tunes at the band's website or their myspace. they take the familiar UK fuzz sound and throw in some surf to make it all their own.  i'm looking forward to more.

the right side of my brain

found love in a graveyard
by veronica falls (official | captured tracks)

GAGDAD by the soft pack

san diego's soft pack released their exceptional self-titled lp earlier this year, and now we have a relatively new tune from them called 'gagdad.'  the track is featured on the mexican summer records compilation that is available entirely for free on amazon.

gagdad

mexico
by the soft pack (official | mexican summer)

I'M GONNA TRY by shimmering stars

out of british columbia, shimmering stars have a new cassette release, it's just as well, out on trivial pursuit.  here are two highlights.  a split 7" 'east van girls' w/ 'i'm gonna try' is available 11/15 on almost musique.

i'm gonna try

east van girls
by shimmering stars (myspace | trivial pursuit)

FACE IT by beach fossils

2009 saw brooklyn's beach fossils releasing the 'daydream' 7" and then a follow-up self titled lp both on captured tracks.  now they have a new 7" called 'face it' b/w 'distance,' and according to the label, 'gone is the "lo-fi" and the comparisons that go with it. more expansive sounds, john pena and katie garcia on guest vocals, keyboard, electronic drums....consider it a taster of things to come.'  what does that mean?  you'll have to listen for yourself by comparing the new single below to a track off their debut.  then, go to their myspace to check out the b-side 'distance.'  if you like it you can buy it here.  personally, i love the clarity and am looking forward to more.  have a great weekend!

face it

daydream
by beach fossils (myspace | captured tracks)

[on repeat] BELLADELIC by les bellas

les bellas started out with an expected release of their debut lp, belladelic, three years ago in perpignan, france.  the record label that promised to released the record went back on its word and unfortunately it never happened.  since then, the group has disbanded and moved on to other projects, most notably the liminanas who have been featured on here previously and are currently getting very regular spins.  two french labels (SDZ and Les Disques Steak) have pulled belladelic from the rubble and made it available to the world on 9/1.  the ironic thing is that it sounds just like that...a dusty relic that could've been discovered in the basement of a french beatnik, coffeehouse.  one of the more admirable qualities (i suppose) is that they don't just sound like a band from the 60's, they feel like they existed in that time and are being re-released today.  belladelic is availably on vinyl here.  so what goodies are available here today you ask?  well, two tracks from belladelic, two b-sides from singles (not on the lp, but grab the a-sides for free at profet records), and of course one tune from their current project, the liminanas.  enjoy!

belladelic

a dream that slips

she's on my track (from hey i'm going down 7") 

out for a nonsense day (from electrified 7")
by les bellas (myspace | SDZ | Les Disques Steak)

je ne suis pas tres drogue
by the liminanas (myspace | trouble in mind)

DISAPPEAR by the crayon fields

one of the popular favorites from this past year's SXSW festival, i came across this band by luckily tuning into KEXP while driving and listening to this live studio set for the station from the festival.  the lovely orchestral pop hooked me immediately.  they borrow a thing or two from the clientele in 60's psychedelia, but kick it up with a bit more energy.  these tracks are from their '09 release, all the pleasures of the world, which didn't seem to get the attention it deserved.  these boys from melbourne, australia will be playing at the hotel cafe this friday 10/29.  it's a small place that seems perfect for their sound and tickets are still available because they're only available at the door on the night of the show.

disappear

graceless
by the crayon fields (myspace | chapter music)

HEARTBREAKER by girls

bay area's girls are back with a new 6-song ep called broken dreams club to be released 11/22 (pre-order) on true panther records.  'heartbreaker' below is a sneak peek off the ep, which seems to continue in the same musical direction as their wonderful debut lp, album, from 2009 which features the other track below. 

heartbreaker

morning light
by girls (myspace | true panther )

TONY FATTI by white denim

texas' white denim have been busily working on their third lp, but have still managed to put together a group of 12 songs as 'a little summer retreat from our ongoing work.'  it's titled 'last days of summer' and is far from being just a casual release.  a couple of tracks are featured below.  you can download the whole thing for free here.  the band is graciously requesting donations if you feel inclined.

tony fatti

through your windows
by white denim (official)

IN MY TIME by kurt vile

this past summer, philadelphia's singer/songwriter kurt vile released the enjoyable ep, square shells after putting out 3 lps in 2 years.  he's releasing this new single, in anticipation of a new lp in 2011.  the single comes out digitally on 10/25, and is available physically 11/7 via matador records (pre-order). 

in my time

freeway
by kurt vile (official | matador)

MOOD RING by harlem

i accidentally came across this little find yesterday (via sd) to discover that the fun live act harlem released a single earlier this year to surprisingly very little fanfare.  the single, 'lsd saves,' was released in 2/10 (buy), which preceded the release of their second lp, hippies, in april.  hippies was released on matador records  and is the record that brought the band much wider recognition (at least it did for me).  anyways, no news of them coming back to LA anytime soon, but below is the b-side from the single entitled 'moon ring,' and another favorite from hippies. 

mood ring

someday soon
by harlem (myspace | matador)

DIRTY SECRETS by mind spiders

here is some more great music to come out of texas this year. mind spiders are out of fort worth and is a side project of mark ryan.  his 'permanent' gig is with the raucous marked men, but we can focus on them another time possibly.  these tunes are off the first single that featured 4 tracks and was released earlier this year on dirtnap records (buy). it's another inexpensive single full of quality tracks that are addictive and well worth the money. go listen already!

dirty secrets

world's destroyed
by mind spiders - (myspace | dirtnap records)

[on repeat] TALK TO ME by cloud nothings

cloud nothings are the brainchild of 19-year old clevelelander dylan baldi and were featured here previously to highlight the great title track from the (at the time) upcoming leave you forever ep.  well, the $4 ep that features the fuzzy jangle of 'talk to me' below was released on 10/12 via true panther records and is well worth the money (buy).  the band also released turning on on 10/12 via carpark records, which includes the track 'cool kid' and is a full length collection of previous vinyl singles and a cassette only release (buy).  we can expect a proper full-length in the winter.

talk to me (from leave you forever ep)

hey cool kid (from turning on)
by cloud nothings - (myspace | carpark records | true panther)

DIALTONE by bell

the hype surrounding alaska’s bell had been pretty high for a while when olga bell and company released bell ep in 2008.  then came the track 'magic tape' and not much else...until now.  new single 'dialtone' from a yet to be named upcoming debut lp.  let the bjork comparisons begin...

dialtone

magic tape
by bell - (myspace)

[on repeat] TRUST by generationals

generationals are from new orleans and released the lp, con law, in 2009.  the trust ep is due out 11/9 on park the van.  the ep's title track, which is available below, has a richer sound with nice bass riffs, guitar textures, and the same jangle from the aztec camera type sounds of previously.  sounds promising. no word yet on a follow-up to con law.

trust
by generationals - (official | park the van)

WHEN I GOT HIGH WITH YOU by coolrunnings

these knoxville boys sound more like they're from the west coast than from the south, but regardless they've released two free eps entitled babes forever and buffalo through their bandcamp site prior to releasing their latest single 'i am you' (also available at their bandcamp).  they have a forthcoming lp called teenage, TN.  'when i got high with you' is from the babes forever ep.  i didn't post the brilliant cover art above because this is a family blog, but you can catch their NSFW cover when you download the record at their bandcamp, or you can sneak a peek after the jump.

when i got high with you

i am you
by coolrunnings - (bandcamp)