Mixtape #1

The noble mixtape, that thing of the past, once so ubiquitous and easy to do. Blank tape, record songs, try not to get annoyed at the DJ spelunking through the last 30 seconds. Yes its fantastic to have such a wide variety of media and great access to new ways of getting it ON to solid formats but.....nostalgia sometimes makes me want to go back to those old taped days of family cars and unending loops of Al Stewart. It seemed geared romantically towards the semi-professional pretensions of music fans with the veneer of the artisan, the simulation of the capable that the hand-holding approach of CD burning places on you. Maybe that was the main difference - you felt like you were imposing yourself on something by physically imprinting it, by the clicking of large and vulgar buttons with semi-universal symbols on them. Once you strip away the physicality of music maybe you lose something?

Sam Amidon - How come that blood

With that insistence and repetition of an ancient folk song combined with the misery-loves-company lyrics of country this song strobes and bottlenoises itself along forcefully under the surface. Electronic noises disrupt the surface of the song and perfectly match the theme of the lyrics. 

Foals - This Orient

An omnipotent bass wends its way through the surprising d'n'b of this indie examination of conquering sexually and of examining the other as purely different. Coming from a band who declared they would make 'a ballet with beats' this could be remarkably ridiculous stuff but luckily it avoids the minefield of the rest of the Foals' back catalogue by being....well.....good. 

Holly Miranda - Sweet dreams

A little piece of poetry and wailing concealed crescendo's with an upbeat horn section that embeds itself amidst the sparkles.

Errors - A rumour in Africa

Those lovely occasional brushes of the piano light up this track, the excited kisses of the guitar making a smile cross your face involuntarily whilst the perfectly proportioned segments of sound divide and partition each other with a neat segue. A definite happy song.

Janelle Monae - Cold war

Apparently Janelle Monae is Afrofuturistic which is an awesome genre but whatever genre she is moulding let it be known that she is fantastic at anything she points her vocal cords at. One of the more straightforward pop songs on the album it showcases her craft perhaps more than her invention and ingenious squarerooting of exhilarating music from the 20's onwards. Check out her whole album - it comes seriously recommended. 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads will roll (A-Trak Remix)

What should be a brutal and fairly insensitive remix actually takes off at points into a weird sort of sexually lucid and postmodern clubbing fairytale. Surreal strings and and ear ringing beeps service a melody that appears to have escaped from the 90's.

Lawrence Arabia - Look like a fool

A stunningly rounded piece of indie-pop that seems to plunder everything fantastic from the Beatles of the experimental early 70's and emerge with its own identity feeling fresh. A dash of Elliot Smith makes a delicate and breathy vapour of music that sways from vocal cracking high note to definitive snare hit. 'Just leave me undesirable?' I'm afraid with tracks this short and sweet its a hard confection to resist.

  

Thievery Corporation - Sweet tides

A morning sun rising over excess and indolence, little pools of sweetened affection making you close your eyes and drift off. 

What has made a difference though is we can now put those moving picture whatsmadoodles in with the soundamajigs. And THAT is awesome. Price of progress = one part super sad, one part super awesome. 

Ahhh another great instrumental - somewhat more brutal than the above though.