May is a beautiful time of year. Buds turn to flowers and clouds let way for the sun. Here is yet another music mix to match whatever occasion May brings.

Moon Bounce has been on my radar for a long time- their remix of Phoenix’s Trying to Be Cool manages to make that song cool. 

Floating somewhere between New York and Washington Foxygen has smooth sounds with rough edges. Also, kind of sounds like Bob Dylan.

Kodak to Graph, SpookyFish, Unistaja and MisterrCha each have a unique approach to creating just the right beat set. They keep the electronic genre from getting boring.

Dark Dark Dark, Other Lives and Daft Punk all have new albums on the horizon, these are all sneak peaks at what’s to come.

Lastly, Chance The Rapper wraps up this mix with a song that’s been stuck in my head for weeks. This guy is going to get big. Keep an eye out for his quick rise to fame. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1.  Trying To Be Cool- Phoenix Remix by Moon Bounce

2.  No Destruction- Foxygen

3.  Aurescent- Kodak To Graph

4.  Everything Around Me- Trace Mountains

5.  —-t-t-r—- - Lee (asano+ryuhel)

6.  Back To Slumberland- SpookyFish

7.  Kolmanda Planeedi Saladus- Unistaja

8.  Sunset-  MiseterrCha

9.  Tell Me- Dark Dark Dark

10.  Take Us Alive- Other Lives

11.  Get Lucky- Daft Punk

12.  Cocoa Butter Kisses- Chance the Rapper

AND WE’RE BACK. After a much too long hiatus from this blog we are back in business, providing you with a collection of nothing but the best tracks each month.

April is a month of both sunshine and rain. I feel that this mix reflects both moods- upbeat/downbeat. Brooklyn-based Salt Cathedral has a complex instrumental backdrop that leaves room for the female-led vocals to soar. Beautiful.

Devendra Banhart and Pickwick both have new albums out that don’t disappoint. Toro Y Moi’s side project, Les Sins, has slowly been releasing tracks in preparation for a full length- a more funky, instrumental version of what he already does.

TOTΛLMΞSS, FXXXYBLNT, Wondr and Tapes are all on the cutting edge of beat-making, electro-chilledout-goodness. Let these tunes carry you through April, rain or shine. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. Lady Luck- Pickwick

2. Bridges- Twin Cabins

3. Take Me To The Sea- Salt Cathedrals

4. The Blue Room- Tapes

5. Home- TOTΛLMΞSS

6. Departure- Kodak To Graph

7. Raw Wood- John Vanderslice

8. Phantasm Feat. Nicole Miller- Cosmo’s Midnight

9. Never Seen Such Good Things- Devendra Banhart

10. Space Station- Fog Lake

11. Window Water Baby Moving- FXXXYBLNT

12. You Can Hear Your Heart Beat- Magical Mistakes

13. Change (Alex G Cover)- R.L. Kelly

14. What Memories- Wondr

15. Grind- Les Sins

Trick or Treat! October is a big month for this blog- this marks 1 year of music mixes! While I officially started at the end of October/beginning of November, in my mind October is where it all starts. In this case, October is also where it ends…for a little while. I will be traveling for the next 3 months and won’t be able to keep up on this while i’m out and about. I’ll be back in the swing of things come February- so keep an eye out!

This month’s mix has a good feel- a bit more laid back for the fall time. How To Dress Well’s stripped down opening track grooves. Secret Mountains, Neil Halstead and Diego Garcia all have new albums out and each are as good as you’d hope.

Ásgeir Trausti is an Icelandic band that I’m particularly excited about. This track is a bit more upbeat, but the rest of their album is much more low key. If you always wished that Bon Iver and Sigur Ros would combine into one band, here it is (though, not literally)!

Markum and Lingrenfunkle wrap up this mix with a tune I can’t stop listening to. These guys are friends of mine from California- they’ve been making music together for a long time and have developed a unique sound that is spot on. Don’t miss this one. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. & It Was U- How To Dress Well

2. Freaking Out The Neighborhood- Mac DeMarco

3. Leyndarmál- Ásgeir Trausti

4. Flaw- Duck House

5. Black Gold Marrow- Levek

6. High Horse- Secret Mountains

7. (Stay)- Ricky Eat Acid

8. Cigarettes- Patchwork

9. Yerfeet- Neil Halstead

10. You Were Never There- Diego Garcia

11. Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)- Unknown Mortal Orchestra

12. You- Grasshopper

13. All Eyes On You- Diego Garcia

14. Midnight Song- Markum and Lingrenfunkle 

Here is a quick mid-month collection of chilled out song.  Fall is in full swing- light a fire, collect some colored leaves and just relax. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. The Weight of my Words (Four Tex Remix)- Kings of Convenience

2. Cigarettes- Patchwork

3. Huron River Drive- Shigeto

4. CoolMeDown- Skywave

5. Missing (bug)- Snacs

6. Bemidji- Eaves

7. Alaska- Teen Daze

8. See What She Seeing- Dirty Projectors

9. No One- Aria Rostami

10. Set Yourself on Fire- Ben Gibbard

11. Old Pine- Baby Hide

Autumn is slowly making it’s mark- colder winds are sweeping through, the leaves are beginning to tint a lighter shade of green and it seems more acceptable to make pie and drink cider. As usual, there is a ton of fantastic music floating around this month. Here is is a small catch of what’s out there. 

Poor Moon is a new Seattle super group comprised of members from the late Pedro the Lion, Fleet Foxes, and Crystal Skulls. They have a sound that is unique and fresh while feeling all too familiar.

Trails and Ways has been on almost constant repeat for me. Everything they touch is gold. Get in on their sweet vibes as soon as possible.

Benjamin Gibbard is set to release a solo album soon- Teardrop Windows is a pre-released track that’s catchy and vibrant.

My Korean song of the month comes from 검정치마 (or, The Black Skirts). He has songs in Korean, English, and Spanish. This song grooves.

Kith & Kell, Roman Ruins, Peace, Imprintafter, and Kisses have some perfect post-summer jams. Charles Murdoch, Young & Sick, Freeze-Tag and Odesza are some new and old beat-magicians that range from slow jams to trap-hop dance tunes. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. Wilderness King- Kith & Kell

2. People in Her Mind- Poor Moon

3. Nunca- Trails and Ways

4. Love Shine- 검정치마

5. Cherry Picker- Roman Ruins

6. Harps- Charles Murdoch

7. California Daze- PEACE

8. Young & Sick- House of Spirits

9. Angels- The XX (Yalls Bootleg Do-Up)

10. Chinchilla- Imprintafter

11. Tereza- Trails and Ways

12. Teardrop Windows- Benjamin Gibbard

13. Eskimo- Freeze-Tag

14. How Did I Get Here- ODESZA

15. Funny Heartbeat- Kisses 

The August heat has finally settled, which means it high time for beach combing, bbq-ing, and eating as many ice-pops as humanly possible…my favorite time of year. I have dug up more good music than I know what to do with this month, so i’ve split the August mix in two- Here you will find a more up-beat collection and in a week or two I will drop a chilled out mix for the quiter moments spent under the sun. Keep an eye out.

Trails and Ways is a stellar guy/gal duo from Oakland that has a great collection of summer-time jams up on their Cloud- get it all and put it in your rotation.

I loved Sea Wolf’s album that came out a handful of years ago and they are now back- they are set to come out with a new album that seems much like their previous album (which, in this case is a good thing). This track is off their upcoming record.

Speaking of bands that are coming back around after a quiet few years, The Dirty Projectors and The Helio Sequence have new albums out that are well worth your time.

Other big-news bands popping up on this mix are: Frank Ocean’s sweet grooves that have made huge waves in the indie music world, a new track off of Purity Ring’s new debut album and Tame Impala, the Australian indie super star who just produced their sophomore record. Each are big news for a reason, so don’t skip these ones.

Sorcha Richardson sent me a link to her new album, Sleep Will Set Me Free, and I was hooked from moment I listened to the first track. She’s a New York transplant from Dublin that has a beautifully striped down and raw sound that is confident, honest and comforting all in the same breath.

Case Work and Bored Nothing are the sounds of the summer- sun soaked beach-lo-fi jams.

Kuala Lumpur’s Yuna has a gorgeous voice backed by some groovin’ bass and congas. 

As you approach the end of this mix your ears will be overwhelmed by the candy K-pop sounds of Girls Generation. This song is from a few years back, and while Korea has moved on from this song (and become obsessed with PSY’s Gangnam Style), this song is a huge guilty pleasure of mine that I couldn’t resist not throwing in. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. Miracle (Ghost Beach Cover)- Trails and Ways

2. Bright Whites- Kishi Bashi

3. Old Friend- Sea Wolf

4. Gun Has No Trigger- Dirty Projectors

5. Crawlers Out- Purity Ring

6. Sweet Life- Frank Ocean

7. With You- Case Work

8. Live Your Life- Yuna

9. Shit for Brains- Bored Nothing

10. Apocalypse Dreams- Tame Impala

11. October- The Helio Sequence

12. Goodbye Crazy City- Big Harp

13. Alone- Sorcha Richardson

14. I Should Have Known Better (Beatles Cover)- Miniature Tigers

15. Gee (지)- Girl’s Generation

Welcome to summer. If you haven’t yet started in on your summer cooking, now is the time. In the meantime, there are some exciting tunes out there this month,so take a look!

MVSCLES is an irresistibly up-beat, straight bumpin duo that SmokeDontSmoke appropriately dubbed as Yo Gabba Trappa. If I hadn’t met sour, i’d never know sweet.

Swimming’s beautiful tri-tone vocal introduction had me hooked from the beginning. I think this has been my most listened to song over the last few weeks.

Patrick Watson has brought together a fantastic group of musicians that have created a unique blend of classical, farm-boy guitar strumming and indie rock. I dig it.

Gabe Schray is a part of the longstanding Cleveland post-emo indie/experimental scene. His connection to the Bark & Hiss crowd keeps him on my radar. Good stuff.

The Eastern Sea has an EP version of their new full length up for free (or donation) on Noise Trade. These tracks blew me away! They have a tight sound that echos the sweet vibes of the late Anathallo.

Lastly, Kissed Her Little Sister is a lo-fi group from LA that just dropped a new (free) album that rides that thin line of being lo-fi enough to have an edge, but not so fuzzy that it’s hard to listen to. I loved their 2011 release, and their new jams do not disappoint.

Ivan & Alyosha recorded an EP in a log cabin in the Pacific Northwest, so naturally it rocks. TIger Waves sounds like the beach boys but a little more fuzzy. Kontent drops beats like no other. Tallest Man on Earth has a new album out that sounds just like his previous one- which is perfect. And, JJ recently released some new hazed-out summer tunes just in time for high-tide. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. Sweet n Sour- MVSCLES

2. Animals- Swimming

3. Into Giants- Patrick Watson

4. Be Your Man- Ivan & Alyosha

5. Warme Waves- Observer Drift

6. Pointless Groove- Gabe Schray

7. 1904- The Tallest Man On Earth

8. A Lie- The Eastern Sea

9. Weekends- Tiger Waves

10. My Nature- Kissed Her Little Sister

11. Times- JJ

12. LYFWITHOUTU- KONTENT

13. The First Wealth is Health- Young Triforce Cat Baron

I’m posting a bit more regularly over on the twitter if your interested: here

June, the beginning of summer- sweet sun-soaked days spent doing everything in your power to be outdoors and enjoy the warm weather. Though watching the spring flowers die off is a bit depressing, beach days and bbqs make everything ok. 

Here are some straight groovin’ tunes to blast during all of your June festivities:

Uncle Skeleton just released a double LP chop full of summer jams. It comes in four movements- each provides a great time! Get the whole thing and immediately enhance your summer for only seven bucks!

Motown legend, Brian Holland has taken Mozella under his wing to help produce a modern-Motown album that will drop this July. This sneak peak, Another You, is phenomenal. 

Beat Connection is a great Seattle group that started out doing DJ sets, then came out with a more chillwave album year or so back and now have leaked a new tune that is just fantastic. 

I don’t know a whole lot about AGOR, but the whole album is pleasantly perfect. Get it for free, or a kind donation.

Brisbane’s Charles Murdoch has been making waves in the blogosphere lately, and for good reason. His beats are top-notch. He’s got lots of great stuff up for download on the cloud.

De Frank & His Professionals are a Togolese band that will blow your mind.

Seattle lady duo, Lemolo, is hauntingly beautiful. My friend Nate of Friends & Family introduced me to this new group. Keep an eye out for their album at the end of the month.

I couldn’t help but not throw in Happy Bubble by Winterplay. This Korean jazz group as been a great spring soundtrack for me. This particular song put Winterplay on the (Korean) map when it was featured in a washing machine comercial. Perfect.

Also: Portals, Turntable Kitchen and a collaborative Smoke Don’t Smoke/Flashlight Tag/Head Underwater have some great mixes out this month.

Night Panther, Save the Clocktower, and The Hiya Dunes are bumpin’ and full of soul. Mean Lady, Father John Misty (aka J. Tillman), Birkwin Jersey and Tomemitsu have a great downtempo sound. Dudes, The Blank, Taquwami and Tours rock the beats like none other. Enjoy:

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Track List:

1. Sophisticuffs- Uncle Skeleton

2. Snudge- Night Panther

3. Another you- Mozella

4. Like That- Save the Clocktower

5. The Palace Garden, 4am- Beat Connection

6. Tempelhof- AGOR

7. Nancy From Now On- Father John Misty

8. Afe Ato Yen Bio- De Frank & His Professionals

9. Your Swell- The Hiya Dunes

10. Grand Lux- Tours

11. Messiah- Heavenly Beat

12. Somethin’ 2 Say- DUDES

13. In Dreams- Tomemitsu

14. Ahama- Charles Murdoch

15. Her Favourite Song- Birkwin Jersey

16. On Again, Off Again- Lemolo

17. Once- Slow Magic & Beat Culture

18. Smoke- The Blank

19. Happy Bubble- Winterplay

20. ßlυe ;;- Taquwami

21. Pony Ony O- Mean Lady

Also, I have set up a new Twitter dedicated only to music/this blog- follow on over!

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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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:

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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