April! Here in the Taebaek Mountains of South Korea, winter is still in full force- so I am doing my best to gravitate towards spring music, even if the weather here doesn’t call for it. There is lots of good stuff out there this month, so listen in!

Beach House and Amiina are two big-name bands that have new albums out this month.  Amiina has that same icelandic etherial sound they’ve always had and Beach House sounds about the same…which I like.

Day Joy just came out with a new EP and it is top-notch. They have this banjo intro that sucks me in every time.

It has been one year since Adelyn Rose came out with Broken Hearted melodies- time flies! She has an unbelievable voice and her new album is much more polished up with several new instruments thrown in the mix. This album is definitely worth your time.

Celista, Thrupence and XXYYXX have some excellence chilled out vibes. Little Chords and Sing Leaf are back with a warm vocal treatment. And Sibylle Baieris an oldie brought back to light thanks to Friends with Both Arms. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Myth- Beach House

2. Remember- Little Chords

3. Downtown Chicagoland- Spanish Prisoners

4. Moon and Stars- Clams Casino

5. Bone and Bloody- Day Joy

6. Never Get Tired- Adelyn Rose

7. Wim- Sibylle Baier

8. Over and Again- Amiina

9. Same Old Satellite- Sing Leaf

10. Warm- Celista

11. Swashbuckle (Seabed Stroll Redo)- Thrupence

12. Overdone (feat. Anneka)- XXYYXX

Here is a quick five song mid-way mix.

Spanish Prisoners have made an appearance here before- and they’re back for obvious reasons.

Real Estate became an indie-hit after their self-titled album in 2009. Exactly Nothing is off their upcoming album. It sounds just like their last album, which is perfect.

Hospitality is a NY three piece that has been making waves all across the interweb. They have a nice up-beat-lady-vocal-vibe. 

Secret Mountains is a terrific group. The lead singer has a voice like you won’t believe. This is off their Winter Sessions album.

Quakers includes a crowning member of the late Portishead. This has been my hip-hop track of choice lately. Their album from which this song is from drops March 27th. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Downtown Chicagoland- Spanish Prisoners

2. Exactly Nothing- Real Estate

3. Betty Wang- Hospitality

4. Make Love Stay- Secret Mountains

5. Smoke- Quakers ft. Jonwayne 

March might be my favorite month of the year. So here’s to another month and another musical mix.

Bahamas has a great balance of edgy guitar riffs mixed with smooth vocals. It’s poppy enough to enjoy but not so poppy that you’re embarrassed when it comes on (just don’t tell anyone that he’s on Jack Johnson’s record label if that’s the kind of thing that embarrasses you). Enjoy this one.

Cliff Dweller is an art/music group based out of Los Angeles. They make tunes that blur the lines between avant-guarde and pop while still being pleasant to listen to. They do a lot of work and it’s worth your time to flip through some of their albums. 

Paul Stewart’s Permanence album has provided the perfect acousticy folk soundtrack for those end-of-winter rainy days for me. His music matches that rainy day mood without being depressing.

Fleet Foxes have recently set up a Tumblr dedicated to themselves covering mostly old songs. Most of them are pretty rough around the edges but it’s fun to hear Robin Pecknold’s voice in place of Whitney Houston, Phil Collins and GaGa. 

Ailien, Handbook and Town Hall are a couple of great beatsters that will sooth your earbuds. Aaron Embry and Jordan Klassen will scratch your folksy itch. Maston, KYNAN and Sean Nicholas Savage are the futures of indie pop/rock so listen in. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Over the Falls- Maston

2. He Just Wants to Make Love- KYNAN

3. I Got You Babe- Bahamas

4. You Changed Me- Sean Nicholas Savage

5. Eciov- Charles Murdoch

6. Forgetting About You/An Intro- Amai

7. No Go- Aaron Embry

8. Cosmic Puddle- Ailien

9. Hot Air Balloons

10. Mud Doctor- Cliff Dweller

11. Alywz- Nature’s Kid

12. Meet the Frownies (Snowmine Remix)- Twin Sister

13. I Am My Love- Galapaos

14. Go To Me- Jordan Klassen

15. I Though I Was an Alien- SoKo

16. Horses Mouth- Paul Stewart

17. Charlie (Different Sleep Remix)- Town Hall

18. Perch Verdad (Ricky Eat Acid Remix)- Cliff Dweller

19. I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston cover)- Fleet Foxes

February is here, which means spring isn’t too far off! There are a lot of good tunes out there this month so listen in. We have some exciting guest mixes on the horizon for you also- keep checking in for all kinds of new musical surprises!

I can’t get enough of Y La Bamba and their Portland-folk jams. They have a new album that’ll drop mid-February, keep an eye out for them.

Similar Objects comes out of Manila with some complex and laid back sounds. They have two songs on this month’s mix for a reason.

Magical Mistakes is a new project from the Kasset Klub folks- Jordan Lee is now based in Japan and produces some great stuff.

Feathers is a an older band that I came across that makes some great instrumental sounds to the likes of Six Parts Seven and Joan of Arc. Don’t skip this track.

Tennis has some great songs out in anticipation of their full length. Wondr is a new producer from LA with a great laid back vibe. Kaligraph E lays down some solid hip-hop beats. And Day Joy is just an all around good elctro-spacepop listen. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Squawk- Y La Bamba

2. Cherry Tree- Gathered Ghosts

3. Someone- Tuksta

4. 100 Staq- Thirtycenturyman

5. Bathed in a Glorious Blue Light- Similar Objects

6. Bossanova Groove- Magical Mistakes

7. Murder- Albatross

8. And I Say- Nicolas Jaar

9. The Rushing Dark- Laura Gibson

10. New Ordinary- Day Joy

11. Origins- Tennis

12. Forget Me- Dozens

13. We Were Lovers, We Were Friends- Glam Shell

14. In the Present- Miró Belle

15. Gityoself- Kaligraph E

16. Di la Della Vita- Similar Objects

17. What Memories- Wondr

18. Go to Sleep, Mess- Day Joy

19. My Apple Has Four Legs- Feathers

Welcome to 2012! We have a delicious monthly mix to get your year off on the right foot.

Spanish Prisoners is about as solid as a Brooklyn-indie-experimental-pop band can get. Very accesible and very delightful.

Kwala is labeled as post-brostep…not sure what that is, but if this is it, it’s good. This album is perfect for almost every occasion-laid back, yet complex. Get your hands on it asap.

Sondre Lerche has conquered most musical geners. He has stellar jazz, pop, rock and acoustic albums as well as a movie score. This Christmas he blessed everyone with a fantastic acoustic cover of Beyoncé’s Countdown. You won’t be able to stop listening to it, I promise.

I had the great pleasure of knowing Grant Geertsma through my college years, and I still check back up on what he’s up to every now and again. He has an album of remarkably well done home recordings up on his bandcamp that are altogether phenomenal. His cover of Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You has been in my head for two weeks now. Do yourself a favor and grab everything Grant has ever recorded.

I Am Oak has some choice indie-rock jams. Blue Hawaii produces some great mish-mash tunes. Craft Spells is a hip 80s throw-back Seattle band that’s on the rise. Orion Rigel Dommisse is the new Mirah. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Know No Violence- Spanish Prisoners

2. Elbows- I Am Oak

3. Aquarius Machine Co.- Kwala 

4. Cord- Orion Rigel Dommisse

5. Indecisions- Tip Toes

6. Dream Electrixra- Blue Hawaii

7. Babe Esp- LAY BAC

8. After the Moment- Craft Spells

9. Fly Me Out- RAJA

10. Countdown (Beyoncé Cover)- Sondre Lerche

11. Fool in the Rain- The Blank Tapes

12. Plantain Chips- RAJA

13. Chin Chin- Sean Nicholas Savage

14. Tobias- Kwala

15. A Case of You (Joni Mitchell Cover)- Grant Geertsma

Friends With Both Arms is one of the best music blogs out there and I was beyond honored when I was asked to make a guest mix for the site. Check it out and give it a listen!

CORAL AS A COLOR for FRIENDS WITH BOTH ARMS

It’s about halfway through December and I have gathered up some new jams to refresh your listening pleasure.

The mix starts off with a beautiful string arrangement from Paper Route- a fantastic band that does something new every few years. This tune is from their Christmas EP that they released a few years ago.

J Biscuits’ Quests EP brings a lot of different genres into one, great sounding modern album. His EP is free, so you can’t really afford not to get it.

Steffaloo has been busy lately- she put up a covers album and then shortly after she came out with some Yuketide Cheer. All of it is top notch, as usual.

Merry Christmas:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. The Music- Paper Route

2. Bells- Thrupence

3. Interstellar- J Biscuits

4. Ploy- Galapagoose

5. Floating Houses- Unravel

6. Remember- Little Chords

7. Infinite Jet- Happy Particles

8. Heart of Gold- Ivana XL

9. The Day (We Fell in Love)- Appaloose

10. Moving (w/ Angela Krusi)

11. Wake Me Up- Steffaloo (WHAM! cover)

12. Sore- Arrange

December ding dongs! This month I had so many great tunes, I had to split it into two parts. The first part is more electric while the second has more of a full-band feel. I have the tracks set up so you can combine them into your itunes to make one continuous 27-track playlist, or you can split it up if you like.

Part 1 opens up with a track from Bones- an elusive producer who goes by the name Ed Carroll and has only two (fantastic) songs up on his Soundcloud. That’s about all we know.

As you listen to Hollow Pigeons, think about how the person who made those tracks is 15 years old. You won’t believe it.

Nicolas Jaar was born in New York, but grew up in Chile. Naturally his music would be this good.

Other Lives and Snowmine have been a couple of sleepy bands that I’ve been keeping my eye on for quite some time. They both have finally come out with some new material. If you like what you hear, I suggest you inquire further.

You should listen to Sharon Van Etten and Coeur de Pirate when you’re sad. Listen to The Dø, Canyons and Peter Peter when you’re happy, and listen to Death Songs and Jess Williamson if you are looking for a good indie-modern folk tune. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD PART 1 // DOWNLOAD PART 2

Part 1

1. Always Falling- Bones

2. Auburn Epitaphs- Mutual Benefit

3. More Affection- Hollow Pigeons

4. Don’t Break My Love- Nicolas Jaar

5. Gray Town- Dafu 

6. Library- Telescope Thieves

7. You(th)- Hollow Pidgeons

8. Quilts- Gracie x Steffaloo

9. Benefits- Jezus Million 

10. Y O U prt2- Melodiesinfonie

11. Last Summer Song- Sweetheart of Kairi & CoMa 

12. Blondie- Edda Magnason

13. Pas Pour Toi- Ava Carrère

Part 2

14. Wicked Games- Coeur de Pirate

15. Man Who Lives Forever- Lord Huron 

16. I’m Sorry- Steffaloo

17. Shoulder Seasons- Joel P. West

18. Give Out- Sharon Van Etten

19. Tamer Animal- Other Lives

20. Curfews- Snowmine

21. Water in the Eyes of Man- Death Songs

22. Tergiverse- Peter Peter 

23. Medicine Wheel- Jess Williamson

24. Keep Calm- Sleepyvillain 

25. Apples & Pears- Canyons

26. Slippery Slope- The Dø

27. Peso- ASAP Rocky (prd. by Ty Radio)

November ditties.

Well, Giraffage made in on here twice, and for good reason. This SF based beatmonster has brought me many pleasant smiles lately. Too good.

Velanova has some great tracks to add to your dance party playlist…so I recommend that you bounce over to her SoundCloud and find the ones that fit your fancy (Lost Remains, though unavailable for download is top of my list).

Lastly, the elusive Purity Ring has made their way into the hearts and minds of twenty-something year old dance partiers. We have been eagerly waiting for them to drop an album, but all we get are single tracks every few months. This mix ends with their newest tune. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Meet Me There, On the Hill- [bird]bones

2. As Soon As It Hits- Gradient/Shark/Sam Sally

3. Far From Here

4. Sorry Safari- Slow Magic

5. Elephants- Chocolate Girl

6. Daybreak

7. Waste Yr Time- Giraffage

8. Heart- Jezus Million

9. Psychonautics- Silasisdead vs Velanova

10. Roof- Glamour Lakes

11. Moments- Giraffage

12. Blessa- Toro Y Moi

13. Monday- JRG

14. Brooklyn- Doah

15. Spell- Sugarglider

16. Divine Flight- Duck Warrior

17. Wildflowers- Made in Heights

18. Surfer King- A.A. Bondy

19. Nobody- Sugarglider

20. Green Aisles- Real Estate

21. No Names- Mutual Benefit

22. Bellspeak- Purity Ring

Here is a pleasant mix of tunes all coming out of Seattle.

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Untitled- All-Time Quarterback

2. Sunburn- Beat Connection

3. North by Northwest- Blue Scholars

4. Night on the Sun- Modest Mouse

5. Harmless Sparks/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- David Bazan

6. Orange Juice- Grand Archives

7. Carolina- Ben Gibbard

8. White Daisy Passing- Rocky Votolato

9. Out of Times- The Dutchess and the Duke

10. La’La- Fleece

11. Nobody Has to Stay- Mirah

12. Where is My Wild Rose- Robin Pecknold

13. Title Track- Death Cab for Cutie

14. A Year or Two- Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

15. Move to Bremerton- MxPx

October Jams. This, along with most of my mixes, aren’t as themed as they sound. Octuneber isn’t meant to set the mood for a haunted house, but it will provide you with some listening pleasure while carving pumpkins or making carrot coffee cake.

Atlantic at Pacific’s album Seasons is a hit from A-Z. They’ve figured out how to make complex beats that aren’t obnoxious. Bump it all day long.

MADE IN HEIGHTS made their debut last winter with a stellar track sampling Sufjan Stevens. Though their new album, Aporia, doesn’t have Sufjan, Sabzi (of Seattle’s Blue Scholars) and New York’s Kelsey Bulkins make an East Coast/West Coast duo that can stand alone just fine. Listen to it and don’t forget about their past projects- all are worth it. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Television- You Won’t

2. My Fault- Atlantic At Pacific

3. I Don’t Wanna Go- Andras Fox ft. Sui Zhen

4. Better Beedies

5. A Celestial Path- Kinsi

6. La’La- Fleece

7. A Funeral Dressed as a Birthday- We Are the Willows

8. Shirt Tucked In- Fleeta

9. Cayucas- Oregon Bike Trails

10. Viices- Made in Heights

11. The Creature- Kurt Vile

12. I Want You- The Tallest Man on Earth

13. Not Feeling the Love- Kuhrye-oo

Summer Bugs. Not summer anymore? Doesn’t matter. This mix will make the space heater feel like the sun and the bathtub feel like the Pacific Ocean.

Oregon Bike Trails has been on continual repeat for me well into the fall. I suggest you do the same.

For me, Mutual Benefit has been a standard by which I judge a lot of music by these days, their cover of Sam Cooke’s Cupid is no exception. Enjoy:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Broken Hearted Melody- Adelyn Rose

2. Beneath The Sun- Triptides

3. High School Lover- Oregon Bike Trails

4. Years (By One Thousand Fingertips)- Attack in Black

5. Dreamboat- Saskatchewan

6. Soulmate

7. Cupid- Mutual Benefit

8. Bruised Orange- Bon Iver

9. Midnight- Beaumont

10. Deep Sea Diver- Oregon Bike Trails

11. He Walked on the Water- Kissed Her Little Sister

12. Mountains- Tree River

13. Mioso- Aaron Ferguson

14. Cashmere- Domo Genesis

15. Send/Receive- Saint Surly & Monster Monster

A quick mix to bump. These have been some of my most favorite tunes as of late.

Pay special attention to the Evenings track off his new album, Lately- it’s a real treat (and if you haven’t gotten a hold of his North Dorm EP, do it now…chances are it will change the way you look at your life).

The first track belongs to Vashti Bunyan, an almost famous 1970’s London folkster. She returned from the musical doldrums in 2000 tagging along with Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom and has made some waves in the indie-folk scene since. Long story short, she has a voice like no other and really has that Dylan-era folk sound that even the best and brightest of today can’t seem to get right. Enjoy it:

DOWNLOAD

Track List:

1. Timothy Grub- Vashti Bunyan

2. Things We Forget- Ears in the Wall

3. Miss You- Chrome Sparks (ft. Steffaloo)

4. The Romantic Bone in my Sour Body- Flash Forest (ft. Liam Maguire)

5. Overboard (DIrty Gold cover)- TV Girl/Dirty Gold

6. Lo-Vélo- Evenings

7. Skipping Puddles- Abel

From this day forward this will be a blog dedicated to making mixtapes using songs that are brand-spanking new and way old.