Monday Mixtape, Vol. 34

Music is like so many other things in life - it’s cyclical. Sometimes we have a decade or more of great music, and other times it’s a stagnant regurgitation of better music.

Rap right now is on the upswing. Everyone will always be nostalgic of 90s rap, and I can thank A Tribe Called Quest, Biggie, Nas, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, Mos Def and Taleb Kweli, Big L, Naughty by Nature, Big Pun, OutKast, Eminem, DMX, Little Brother, The Pharcyde, Jurassic 5, Gang Starr, and many, many more I’ve failed to mention.

But in the past five years we have had Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, Drake’s Nothing Was The Same, Kanye’s Yeezus, Run the Jewels Run The Jewels 2, and then in 2015 alone: Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, Lupe Fiasco’s Tetsuo & Youth, Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, and Future’s DS2.

The last time I was listening to this much rap was back in college when I completely immersed myself in the world of 90s rap (since I spent most of my life in the 90s as a chubby kid rocking out to grunge music wearing No Fear t-shirts with a bowl cut).

I’m immersed now and as a byproduct, I’m immersing you.

Monday Mixtape, Vol. 18

There's no denying this first track by soul singer Allen Stone. Try to deny it. You can't! (Though I listened to the rest of his album and wasn't too impressed - "Upside" is by far the best song on the album.)

I still don't know much about San Diego's TV Girl, but this track is like a mix between Panda Bear and Belle & Sebastian.  It's dance-y yet a bit trance-y, and if you dig it, they just released another track, "Natalie Wood," which you should check out!

"Kodiak" is classic indie. A flowy guitar with a simple snare lets the younger Jeff Tweedy-like vocals pace a track that would best be heard on a beach with a beer. It reminds me of that simplicity that Real Estate has perfected.

After hearing Mumford & Sons at Outside Lands, I once again revisited their new album. Hearing an album live is like meeting someone on Tinder. Maybe they look nothing like their profile pictures and you're left confused and disappointed, but maybe their beauty has even more depth after connecting with them and you're left feeling even better than you came. (For the record, I still think Wilder Minds is a regurgitation of Coldplay's X&Y (which for the record, isn't an insult but not exactly a compliment either).)

I just love Badbadnotgood. I've spoke about them before in my 5 Faves Ghostface Killah writeup, but if you like jazz, check out the discography from these Canadians.

A seven minute rap song? I love the aggressive start and change of pace. Good way to end a mixtape!