Hey Hey

A new one for you all, this is a light hearted good jams kind of mix

Robert Palmer-Addicted to Love

Suave meets power rock, awesome combination

Monsters of Folk- Say Please

This is a super group of Jim James, M. Ward, and Conor Oberst, Say Please is a Beatlesque tune, the guitar solo is a nice touch

The Shaky Hands- The Sleepless

Nice bouncy groove on this one, fans of Modest Mouse will like this one

My Morning Jacket- Golden

One of the prettiest acoustic melodies you will ever hear, if gold had a sound it would be this

The Dodos- Fables

Great melody and drumming on this one and the singing is in fine form too

Donovan Frankenreiter- These Arms

Just a nice light-hearted acoustic tune, nice touches with the organ

Geto Boys- Straight Gangstaism

I could swear Tupac was on this, great sample, great flow

Harper Blynn- Centrifugal Motion

It’s like E.L.O. and Billy Joel decided to have a musical baby and this was the result, catchy melody, great vocal performance and great bridge

Pete Willett- Something

Most of the time, Beatles covers are like heresy in my book, but the laconic way he delivers the lyrics brings the song to a different place, dreamy and wistful, perfectly conveying the feeling Harrison was getting at by not being sure.

Forest Fire- Fortune Teller

Great vocal performance, great arrangement, a new band that more people should know about

The Clash- Guns of Brixton

London Calling is a fantastic album for a number of songs, and this is one of the best, fantastic arrangement, snide vocals, a powerful song through and through

The Shaky Hands- Sunburns

Just a sunny day tune, a happy song, good backing harmonies and easy going arrangement

Liam Finn & Eliza Jane- Honest Face

Tight harmonies with a wild arrangement

The Generationals- When They Fight, They Fight

Great homage to beach boys/ motown girl group style, this song is amazingly catchy and it is hard to believe it was recorded this year

Portugal The Man- The Home

Oasis meets Dispatch, these guys have a great sense of dynamics and melody and they’re a pleasure to listen to

Pete and J- No More One More Chance

This song could easily have been straight out of the CSN &Y songbook, great acoustics and singing performance

Arcade Fire- Haiti

Very nicely done arrangement on this one

The Explorer’s Club- Do You Love Me

The Beach Boys 2.0, catchy, strong harmonies and a summer melody

The Dutchess and the Duke- Reservoir Park

Similar to House of the Rising Sun but good in its own right

Dean Martin- Gentle on My Mind

Great upbeat country arrangement and Dean Martin shows his considerable vocal chops on this one, this is a hard melody to get off your mind.

Advertisement

Mixtape Monday: In Ears

In Ear Park- Department of Eagles

The intro to this song is a beautiful weave of guitars and pianos going in and out like waves crashing into the shores that leads into an ethereal vocal and beautiful backing instrumentation, a lament on loss, the beauty of this song just speaks volumes

So Far Around the Bend- The National

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Boxer nor did I see the big attraction to the National until this song came out.  The lyrics are perfectly understated and performed, with a creative arrangement and a sentiment that everyone can identify with, it doesn’t hurt that the melody is so damn catchy as well

Fine For Now- Grizzly Bear

Veckatimest, the latest album by Grizzly Bear is full of songs that range from the sweet to the bizarre, Fine for Now starts off with a strangely beautiful vocal arrangement before turning into an otherworldly meld of guitar and drums and vocals, truly a song worth multiple listens

Chinese Translation- M. Ward

M. Ward has a knack for great studio production and melody, and this has a great chorus, and no theres no chinese in a single second of the recording, just a great overall song

Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River

I love the vocalist in this band, his range is affecting and his lyrics are well written, and i can hear glimmers of Paul Simons Graceland and the Jam’s Town Called Malice woven in

We Were Sick- The Thermals

Like Blink 182, fun upbeat and catchy, but better because you don’t get tired of the nasal voice and the chord progression is classic

Race You- Elizabeth and the Catapults

Little known bands often provide the most happiness to the listener when they make great catchy songs, because you feel like you’re the one discovering them, it’s a little feistish and happy and just puts you in a good mood

Wilco (The Song)- Wilco

Love this song, a little weezerish but with less pop culture reliant lyrics

Take A Walk Around the Table- White Rabbits

This song is so delightfully weird that you can’t help but listen to it over and over again

Metal Detektor- Spoon

Of all the great Spoon songs there are to choose from, this is one of, if not their finest songs ever put to record

Golden- My Morning Jacket

Beautiful acoustic guitar, beautiful singing, beautiful lyrics, need i even say more

The Golden Age- Beck

Great progression and arrangement, both of which Beck has an undeniable knack for and this is one of his finer songs

Songs for the Fireflies- Josh Ritter

This is one of those songs that feels as if the performer is right in front of you not in some far off studio and the buildup is wonderful

The Honeymoon Song- The Beatles

It’s hard to find a Beatles song that the whole world hasn’t heard millions of times.  This one comes from Live at the BBC and the arrangment lets Paul McCartneys voice take front and center, and how sweet and young he sounds, the only bad thing is the song ends so soon

Honeymoon- Phoenix

Love every part about this song, the bass, the guitar, the singing, the build up, it works perfectly

Everything Hits At Once- Spoon

Another early Spoon song, undeniably their own, from the arrangment to the melody and the buildup as well the great guitar and piano hooks

Fernando Pando- The Virgins

this son builds from intimate guitar and vocals to a great energetic arrangement.  Terrific vocal performance throughout

Changes- David Bowie

Because this song is undeniable in its classic status, love the progression and the lyrics

A Day in the Life- The Beatles

Arguably the greatest song Lennon and McCartney put together from the arrangement to the lyrics to the orchestra build up and McCartneys part.  Also the interplay between the musicians is great, McCartney’s piano and Lennon’s guitar and Ringo’s drums couldn’t have fit any better

You Got the Silver- The Rolling Stones

this song goes a long way in saying that Keith Richards was as underrated a singer and songwriter as Harrison was in The Beatles.