Monday Mixtape, Vol. 190

Did I mention last week that Billie Eilish released an album? Well, the first track on this week’s mixtape is breathtaking, raw, vulnerable, sexy, and unlike any song I’ve ever heard. It’s so unique it’s haunting. She’s an original. And her brother, FINNEAS, producing all these tracks really does show his genius.

Isaiah Rashad is one of the most original voices in rap in a decade. No one sounds like him. You can definitely say he can sounds like Outkast and is influenced by certain sounds or genres, but his production, flows, and changes in vocals from silky smooth to smokey gnarl to in-between is rare. He’s rare, and while he’s on one of the hottest labels around (TDE, same as Kendrick, Schoolboy Q, SZA, and Jay Rock), he’s still underrated and under appreciated. Don’t just listen once to this guy and give up, listen A LOT.

Listen to his flow in RIP Young and how he transitions from a verse in a spitfire of syllables to instantly pumping the brakes in a cooled down chorus (starting 1t 0:35):

Verse
My dog out layin' down the law, ain't breakin' no laws or serving out the rock /
Southside still fuckin' in the car, still flippin' in the car, still shootin' out the car /
Lil' hotbox smokin' our jar, now I'm fuckin' on a star, hold up, I got a call /
My dog out layin' down the law, ain't breakin' no laws or serving out the rock /
Southside still fuckin' in the car, still flippin' in the car, still shootin' out the car /
Lil' hotbox smokin' our jar, now I'm fuckin' on a star, hold up, I got a call /

Chorus
Bitches say that I'm a cool cat, fuck that /
Tell them bitches I'm a Top Dawg, get shot /
Roll the window, let the propane outside /
Bunch of niggas doin' donuts /
Got the money in a headlock, big dog /
Every time we hit the red lights, just shine /
It ain't nothin' but a good day, don't die /
They ain't teach 'em how to pump fake, big shot

In other news, one of my favorite bands of the past five years, Hippo Campus, just released an LP, Good Dog, Bad Dream. Still haven’t decided on my favorite track, but I love how this bass line guides the song the whole way through.

M.A.G.S. continues to impress me with every single he releases. Who the hell is this guy??

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 182

I really think this M.A.G.S. guy is going to be a big deal. There’s something to him. His track on this week’s mixtape is just a taste of his great stuff, so please dig in more.

Starting the mixtape off with some Creedence! What a song. That little riff is the reason music exists.

Morgan Wade, a country rock-ish / songwriter, released her debt album this year. Think she’s got big things ahead of her as well!

A couple oldies but goodies because I’ve been listening to them so much this past week: Post Malone and Hippo Campus. Post Malone really is a pop genius. And Hippo Campus is sneakily one of my favorite 5 bands to come out in the past five years, if not my favorite of new bands over that time. I just bought their entire discography on vinyl, and I can’t wait to absorb all the little nooks and crannies of notes and instruments that vinyl brings out (for example: I bought the 20 year anniversary OK Computer vinyl edition, an album I’ve listened to an unfathomable amount of times, yet the vinyl let me hear some instruments on a couple songs that I had never heard before!)

Enjoy the rest of the tunes and your week. Rock on.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 134

Happy Monday, all! A bevy of tunes for your enjoyment, starting with Dylan LeBlanc, a newcomer (for me) with a new rock album that’s been blasting through my speakers. The first track of his album, the first track of this mixtape, is probably his best.

Have I told you how much I love Midland? Probably the only “country” band that I listen to regularly a band who I also saw live and they completely rocked the place. Really great show and crowd. And did I mention that “Drinking Problem” has to be the best country song written in the past decade or two? IT JUST IS. This is their new track off their upcoming album. My britches are bunched.

Speaking of great live performers, one of the best rappers I’ve seen live, Big K.R.I.T., has a bass thumping new track which I believe you will enjoy.

A number of other great tracks, including a belated one from Andrew Bird, whose new album this year, My Finest Work Yet, may be facetious (I’m using Andrew Bird words) on his part but aptly named in my estimation.

Leaving us is a “demo” track from Hippo Campus. This band is AWESOME and UNIQUE, and I can’t exactly believe why they’re not beloved by more, but they released some more intimate demo tracks from their previous albums. Always cool to hear songs in their infancy.

Have a good week!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 121

I don’t have a lot to say because I don’t have a lot of time!

The 1975 released their new album which I’m still digesting, Palace made an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL SONG, Anderson .Paak dropped a disappointing album but it’s still got this jam, some new artists to check out for ya, and a lil’ Hippo Campus unplugged.

Enjoy. More to come next week, and my Top 100 Songs and Top 25 Albums of the Year SOON!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 116

A great Monday for music all! I stumbled upon Brent Cobb from Rolling Stone, and I’m sold. He will give you some Chris Stapleton vibes probably just because this is the way country should sound, some twang and rock and not the recycled bland pop stuff that you hear on the radio. His second album released this year is awesome, check it out!

I spoke about Hippo Campus last week. I love this album. More songs this week.

A couple newbies in Roosevelt and Yumi Zouma to get your BPMs up. Whether you like the song or not, you gotta give it to the intro for “Take Me Back”, it’s a little LCD Soundsystem-like with a bit of Disclosure and some 80s feels maybe INXS with the keys. Cool jam!

Not sure if you ever listened to Empress Of’s debut album, but it was really out there, using samples and electronics cycling around her vocals to create this loud atmospheric chaos. It was a really unique album, one of those you hear and just say, “No one else could have thought of that.” ANYWAYS, her new track, teasing for her new album, is VERY different and leans way more towards pop. It’s kind of a love ballad. Will be interesting to see what the album is like.

Happy Monday all!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 115

The surprise of the weekend was seeing that Hippo Campus released their sophomore album, Bambi, on Friday. And what an album! The lead singer reminds me of Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, but their melodies are a bit more out there, I’m not really sure they sound like anyone else. Their second album shows some subtleties in songwriting that show the band’s growth. This is an album that flows from front to back with slow jams bookending the albums intersected by waves of rhythms and tempos. What I’m trying to say is just listen to it!

My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel released his second album and this “Wished Out” track immediately reminded me of The Allman Brothers Band. Never a bad thing.

I’ve gotten on a bit of a Jeff Tweedy kick recently, one because he’s such a great lyricist, two because he’s in one the best (and most underrated) bands of the past two decades, and three because his solo album of acoustic Wilco tracks is phenomenal (it’s called Together at Last - check it out!). Tweedy has a voice that finds a place in the hollows of the acoustic guitar. This is his most recent solo effort.

Speaking of voices I love, Thom Yorke released a track from what I hope is an upcoming solo album, and Bright Light Social Hour (whose vocalist’s solo album I had on last week’s mixtape) released a new track for all to hear, the spacey “Trip with Lola.”

Finally, the killer three-piece jazz band, BADBADNOTGOOD, who do a ton tracks with rappers and bands, have just released a track with Little Dragon, and it’s a “raise your lighters” type of jam.

That’s all I got folks, enjoy!

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 114

This week’s mixtape comes with little writeup, so listen up!

Monday Mixtape Vol. 69

"Slide," the new track from Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, and Migos has to be an early contender for song of the year. I assume this is going to be a huge hit everywhere (if it isn't already) because HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE THIS SONG?? 

Hippo Campus was a band I wrote about one whole year ago when they released a super catchy EP and compared them to Vampire Weekend and Local Natives. With the release of their debut album a week ago, the comparisons to Vampire Weekend will surely continue while the songs continue to keep me bopping my head. These guys just make you feel good listening to them. Their music puts a smile on your face and also plays as great background music with its balance of upbeat but chill vibes. Def start digging into this album if you like the two tracks from this week's mixtape!

John Mayer released part 2 of his EP, and I definitely enjoy it more than the first one. "Helpless" sounds like a b-side from his "Heavier Things" and "Continuum" era albums. This has that catchiness of a "Vultures" a similar little guitar lick. When he's on, Mayer makes some great pop music with a touch of blues.

I told you I would have another Future song on this mixtape! He released his second album in two weeks (and was rumored to be dropping in three albums in three weeks - but that didn't happen)   and I've been listening to it non-stop. I can't particularly describe why I like Future. I remember not liking his music when I first started listening to him, but as I began to accept his auto-tuned voice, I started to hear his different rhythms and flows and ability to ride with a song. "Incredible" is Future with a little reggae beat and a hook that keeps you coming back for more.

Circa Waves' 2015 album was a really fun uplifting album that always makes you feel like you're soaking in sun at the beach. See: T-Shirt Weather:

Their music is not particularly original or transformative, but it just feels good to listen to. They have a ton of energy, and this single from their upcoming album gives them a bit more grit and rock n' roll. Excited for the album. 

Have a good week! 

The Monday Mix!

A bit of a new idea to treat our incurable cases of the Mondays: Start off each Monday with a short mix that you can get through in under thirty minutes which will hopefully provide you a band or two to check out further!

The first band, Avid Dancer, is a band I just started listening to. Their album is a hazey journey that feels like I'm drifting through the 1970s (see: first track of their album, "All the Other Girls"). If you like "I Want To See You Dance," you have to check this album out.

I've already spoken about my obsession of Hippo Campus, so I had to include my favorite song from their EP, "Little Grace."

The second I heard "Hard Time" from Seinabo Sey, the Swedish 24 year old, I thought of Adele. Her pipes sound pretty similar to her, but the heavy drum beat plots an original course and leads the way.

After seeing The Weeknd at Coachella last weekend (no, I'm not gonna do it), his talent became even more apparent. He has a number of tracks that I can't stop listening to (it was between this and "Earned It" - the track with an amazing 140 million listens on Spotify!), but the transition from "House of Balloons" to "Glass Table Girls" around 3:25 mark is downright dirty.

If you like the xx, then you'll love Jamie XX's new track, "Loud Places."

Finally, if you haven't read the Haim sisters or Taylor Swift tweeting about Tobias Jesso Jr., the new piano man, and if you're into that kind of thing (which I admit isn't for everybody), I wanted to end the mix with his lovely ballad, "Without You."