A Brooklyn based band by way of California and Canada actually got its name from a local colloquialism while in college in Boston, The Big Dig, which was a an ill planned vast piece of construction that lasted for the better part of 10 years. Fortunately The Dig dropped the Big and they’ve put out a very solid yet underrated second album, Electric Toys. “You’re Already Gone” finds itself in best of The Strokes territory, hijacking their urbanite punk derived rhythms into something enjoyable, comforting in its familiarity and yet exciting in its unique take.
While the lead singer possesses a Casablancas like vocal, The Dig breaches into darker songwriting territory with other songs such as “Two Sisters In Love”, which is probably the most enjoyable piece of incest-murder you’ll ever hear in a song. Download both songs after the jump.
Hello folks, welcome back to a brand new year of Art of the Mixtape. To help kick it off I bring you a nice bucolic little mixture of some great songs.
1. Greatest Show On Earth- The Felice Brothers
On their eponymous debut, The Felice Brothers very much earned their label of following in the tradition of Bob Dylan and The Band. Perhaps what is most impressive is their narrative ability, delivering slices of Americana in a world weary mood. However, “Greatest Show On Earth” stands out with its jaunty New Orleans infused melody. Come for the story, stay for the music.
The Dodos burst onto the San Francisco music scene with a unique drumming centric sound, but don’t let that scare you, they’re very much a rootsy rock band with a percussive twist. Many of their other songs showcase a more daring aesthetic but “Fables” is a very endearing acoustic standout with a nice vocal to boot.
You’ll be hooked from the very beginning of this number by the unfortunately little known Port O’Brien, very much a cousin to The Shins output circa “New Slang”, the guitar/vocal/drum hook is amazing.
Blake Mills came out with a very under-promoted debut and his number “Hiroshima” is delightful ear candy that grows from the likes of worthy predecessors such like the homegrown material of Paul McCartney’s McCartney and Ram, absolutely beautiful melody, before a slide guitar solo comes out of nowhere sounding like Duane Allman coming from the dead.
Detractors would say that they took this directly out of the book of previous acts like Fleet Foxes, they would be right, but they do it so well that its hardly an insult, their harmonies are gorgeous.
16. Let The Distance Keep Us Together- Spoon/ Bright Eyes
Spoon can create a great melody out of anything, but when they write great lyrics to go with it, there’s hardly a modern band that can compete with them.
Perhaps no man is better qualified to write a finger-picked acoustic piece of Americana than one who went to Oberlin and graduated with a self made major in “American History through Narrative Folk Music”
I’ve assembled a playlist of all those good classic Christmas songs, so you don’t have to sit through all the bad ones on the radio, and Merry Christmas!
The Art of the Mixtape 