Mixtape #2: heartbroken ladies' open mic night.

Get it HERE. I thought of the concept for this mix when I heard Patty Waters' version of "Black is the color of my true love's hair", a fourteen minute avant-jazz piece in which the singer's typically smooth vocals quickly descend into tormented screaming of the word "black" for over ten minutes, amidst free jazz drums, piano and bass. It was initially the final song on the mix, but I didn't think many would enjoy it, so I replaced it with one of her more accessible, traditional songs.

Anyway, we're all familiar with the mentally unstable or emotionally tormented male singer/songwriter archetype (Brian Wilson, Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith come to mind), but women with similar conditions aren't often given as much attention. While I don't pretend to know the state of these singers' mental or emotional health, each is sung in with such pain, unease, and conviction that I had to compile them into a mix. I'm not celebrating mental illness, as it's truly an important issue that can't afford to be overlooked, but I won't deny that thinking about it informed this playlist. It's not bright or cheery, but these are some powerful songs from powerful singers. There are some recognizable iconoclasts, as well as some lesser-knowns, but each song is from a singer that I love. I hope you find something you like!

Finally: as you can see, i enjoy compiling mixes thematically or by mood, and would love some suggestions for future mixes. You'll be credited for the idea! blog notoriety will be yours!

Track order:
0:00-4:04 "Winds of St. Anne" - Evangelista
3:37-7:24 "If I Had a Heart" - Fever Ray
7:16-10:20 "First Communion" - Gang Gang Dance
10:20-15:46 "Hidden Place" - Björk
15:42-18:30 "Heavy Water/I'd Rather be Sleeping" - Grouper
18:30-20:48 "Polar Nettles" - Neko Case
20:49-24:26 "Ne Me Quitte Pas" - Nina Simone
24:26-27:33 "Adieu Mon Couer" - My Brightest Diamond
27:32-32:54 "Kounandi" - Rokia Traoré
32:52-35:52 "Moon, Don't Come Up Tonight" - Patty Waters
35:52-39:21 "The Neighbors" - St. Vincent
39:17-End "Threads" - Portishead

Mixtape #1: May 2009

Download HERE

For those of you keeping up, my blogging has always been sporadic at best. In an effort to bring fresh content, I've decided to start posting some mixtapes to share the music that I love. They'll be mixed DJ style (ie, one continuous mp3) in adherence to the spirit of the mixtape: the songs were sequenced this way for a reason, so no skipping around. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy, and I'd appreciate feedback.

This mix was inspired by the title track to Bibio's latest album Ambivalence Avenue. I'm typically not a big proponent of analog and lo-fi sounds and techniques (certainly not against them, either), but I love the sound quality of the track. The hazy, lazy feel... it reminds me a bit of the first half of Panda Bear's "Take Pills" played at twice the speed. The rest of the tracks are in a similar vein, for the most part.

0:00 - 3:29 Bibio: "Ambivalence Avenue"
3:29 - 6:48 Broadcast: "Accidentals"
6:48 - 11:20 Animal Collective & Vashti Bunyan: "Prospect Hummer"
11:20 - 14:25 Benoít Pioulard: "Palimend"
14:25 - 18:08 Kurt Vile: "Beach on the Moon (Recycled lyrics)"
18:08 - 20:01 Grouper: "When We Fall"
20:01 - 24:34 Here We Go Magic: "I Just Want to See You Underwater"
24:34 - 31:48 Lotus Plaza: "Antoine"
31:48 - 35:06 Dan Rossen (of Grizzly Bear): "Deep Blue Sea"
35:06 - 36:00 Jon Brion: "Row"
36:00 - End Chad Vangaalen: "Rabid Bits of Time"

Gothic (?) music

No, this is not a post about bands that sold well in Hot Topic in the early 2000s. I've been really into some pretty haunting records lately. This is not the kind of music to listen to on a cheery day. At the same time, I don't recommend listening to this stuff if you're feeling down. I guess going into any of these albums feeling "neutral" would be best. If you're in the mood for an engrossing, challenging, and even frightening listen, I recommend delving into any of these. And when/if you do, listen in a dark room with headphones on. It could be an experience tantamount to any horror film.

1) Grouper: Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. I already blogged about this HERE.

2) Scott Walker: The Drift. He began his career as a radio friendly pop artist in the 60s, I believe. In 1995, he resurfaced with Tilt, a record that couldn't have been farther from his early work in the Walker Brothers. He underwent another hiatus until 2006, when he released his masterpiece, The Drift. Incorporating electronic embellishments, intensely claustrophobic atmospheres, grotesque lyrics, and a litany of other very uncomfortable elements, this album is downright horrifying. In all honesty, it's the most frightening album I own. Heavily indebted to 20th century modern composition, Walker's stunning voice and dissonant, atonal string sections are incredible. Abrupt dynamic shifts and long-form but never merely meandering song structures captivate throughout. It's something that I don't listen to often, but it's rewarding every time I do.

3) Evangelista: Hello, Voyager!. I only got this album today, but it was essentially the impetus for this post. Carla Bozulich sounds like Joanna Newsom if she smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and just escaped from a mental hospital. Maybe that's not appealing, but tell me it's not intriguing. At the same time, her voice is a lot more immediately "listenable" than Joanna's (don't get me wrong, Joanna Newsom's Ys is one of my favorite records of all time. Her lyrics are cryptic and brooding, and are perfectly complimented with the noisy, free jazz meets modern composition style music from the band. Slight glimpses of optimism are seen throughout. A bizarre and visceral release that hardly ever falters.

4) DM Stith: Curtain Speech EP/Heavy Ghost. Well, Heavy Ghost isn't released yet (I got an advance copy), but if you want a taste of the man's music, I highly recommend the (far too short, yet tantalizing) Curtain Speech EP. I first heard his austere compositional style on a My Brightest Diamond remix of "Gone Away" (which is breathtaking, by the way). His voice, curious lyrics, and dense (and often primal) instrumentation combine to make a truly (at risk of making this adjective banal) haunting experience. Ultimately a lot more welcoming and positive than the other three albums listed, there are songs that are almost celebratory in nature.

Spotlight: Grouper

Grouper is Liz Harris, from the impossibly hip Portland, Oregon. It's a dreary, rainy day in Tallahassee, the kind of day that's perfect for sitting in bed and listening to music like this. Harris sounds alternately like a scared little girl and a siren, both wandering through a foggy clearing in the woods. The very creepy cover is a perfect visual accompaniment to the music inside. Acoustic guitar, nearly indecipherable lyrics, and occasional piano, all drowned with reverb. It took me a few listens to warm up to this one, but it gets better each time. Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill is pretty simple and straightforward, but incredibly effective. Though I have no idea what she's singing about, it's an intensely emotional record.


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