Spring! After early December, there's always a bit of a lull in music releases. I think of the annual spring mix as once again offering an abundance of choices. They always seem to take on distinct personalities; last year's was packed with uptempo electronic music, and 2007's remains one of my favorites, including artists we heard about through the summer festival season, like Amy Winehouse, Arcade Fire, and Peter Bjorn & John.
As the gorgeous, spirited, and generally awesome custom cover art by San Diego artist Christy Zaragoza might hint, I think of this mix as being filled with music by women. Right and left this season I heard songs I absolutely loved by female artists. I was mildly amused and disappointed when I tallied up the female vocalists and found that they were roughly equal to the number of male vocalists on the mix. When I looked at previous seasons, though, there was a definite increase. I've been pondering whether this reflects my own tastes or a broader exclusion of women from music.
I also think of this mix as being particularly international in a way that's easy to miss; it's packed with artists from Great Britain and its colonies. Thunderheist, Brasstronaut, the Great Lake Swimmers, Romi Mayes, and the Weather Station all hail from Canada, Lady Sovereign's out of England, the 1990s are Scottish, and the Hilltop Hoods and An Horse come to us via Australia. I believe Osdorp Posse's the first Dutch band I've included on a mix, MIS are unsurprisingly from Mexico City, Doctors and Dealers are Swedish, Zee Avi is from Malaysia, and Juana Molina has lived a past life as a comedian actress in Argentina. The San Francisco Bay area is also particularly well represented (slightly like a different country).
Anyway, I like to think this mix incorporates some of the best stuff coming from all over, and hope you enjoy it. Some of these songs I've been playing over and over and singing, dancing, and running along to for months now, and I still love them.
Don't forget to download a higher-res image of the
cover art for your iTunes! Those of you who need past covers can find them in
my flickr set.
Jerk It - Thunderheist
Brent can't stand "Jerk It," finding it repetitive and slightly embarrassing to have playing when he goes through the base gates to work. I can't say I disagree on either point but it and "I Got You Dancing" make up a pair to which I haven't stopped listening all spring. They're fantastic for adding to your running mix, and wouldn't be out of place following some retro tunes in a decades-spanning set: Technotronic's "Rockin' Over the Beat," Brassy's "Gettin' Wise," and the Knife's "We Share Our Mothers' Health (Ratatat Remix)," perhaps? Or maybe some Peaches? In any case, women musicians seem able to straddle dance, electronic, and rap in a way that almost makes up for the dearth of female voices in hip-hop.
"Jerk It" was created as an internet collaboration between a couple of Canadians, and their full-length followed this spring. I absolutely do not mean it as an insult of any kind when I report that their eponymous album is the perfect CD for doing a giant pile of dishes. It's a solid album, and while "Jerk It" is the main standout single, the rest is solidly listenable.
I Got You Dancing - Lady Sovereign
If you haven't seen the
video to "I Got You Dancing," it's bizarre and fun and you can't help but become a little bit crazy for her. Watch it now. I wish all of
Jigsaw were as solid as "I Got You Dancing."
For more dance music with female vocalists, check out Ear Pwr's "
Future Eyes." It's slightly saccharine, but I like it when I'm in the right mood.
Geek to the Beat - Zion I
Oakland duo Zion I have released a few albums already, and their latest, The Take Over, is a nice solid effort with cameos from past gelmix hero Brother Ali and the hilariously cringe-inducing Devin the Dude (of "she used to be elegant, now she's an elephant" fame).
The Nosebleed Section - Hilltop Hoods
This one's a few years old, but when I went to look for it I learned that the Australian Hilltop Hoods haven't even had their albums distributed in the US. Given the slickness of the website for their upcoming album, I wonder if that's about to change; despite the new music they've been working on, I still liked "Nosebleed Section" the best of anything I heard, and despite
The Calling only being available as an import I highly recommend picking it up. I particularly liked "Tomorrow Will Do," but "The Sentinel," "Walk O," Illusionary Lines," and "Testimonial Year" are also well worth checking out. I also really like "The Hard Road" off their album of the same name; you can listen to it on the band's
myspace page.
Origineel Amsterdams - Osdorp Posse
Another old-to-the-world, but probably new to you (unless you're Dutch, in which case you're probably laughing at me for including this) band, the Osdorp Posse made some of the earliest Dutch hip-hop, though I'd previously written them off as being more of a metal band (and it doesn't help that they neighborhood from which their name derives is best known as a terminus of tram lines and a place full of those giant Dutch housing developments named after American places that sound really exotic to Dutch people but clearly indicate the architects have never visited, like "Oklahoma" and "Detroit"). "Origineel Amsterdams" may be nearly 10 years old, but it's hilarious (I'll have to put up a translation), a sort of linguistic exploration of the local dialect.
I've never before included Dutch music since usually it goes a little like this: I ask a randomly chosen arbiter of taste whether I like something because it's good or because it's in Dutch, I'm informed that it's the latter, and I shelve my plans of subjecting you all to my fellow-1013ers de
Jeugd van Tegenwoordig or
Fouradi or
Doe Maar. Well, nobody appropriate to ask was on google talk at the right time, so the Osdorp Posse slipped through the cracks.
Alocatel - Mexican Institute of Sound
The Mexican Institute of Sound's
Soy Sauce is a surprisingly varied production from a Mexican City DJ. "Cumbia" is definitely worth a listen, and the album includes an interesting Ad Rock remix of "Alocatel." You can also download "
Jalale."
Pulling on a Line - Great Lake Swimmers
The Great Lake Swimmers' recent Lost Channels is a strong album out of Canada that I think will be especially appealing to fans of Sufjan Stevens. It's full of good songs, but "Palmistry," "Everything is Moving So Fast," and "New Light" are also favorites of mine, to name just a few.
She's a Hater - Grand Lake
This one's dedicated to all the guys who are no longer with us. I love this song from newbie Oakland band Grand Lake. Listen to it a few times, it's a grower, and the lyrics crack me up. Such mystery! So much backstory hinted at! Love it, especially that Craigslist line.
Self Esteem - Garfunkel and Oates
Usually if I include enough angsty relationship songs with female vocalists on a mix, I start hearing notes of general concern for my mental health or receiving awkward, interrogating dispatches out of the Rainbow Palace. The things I risk for all of you! But I couldn't resist including "Self Esteem." The sound quality is terrible - I apologize, it's the best I could do, since I don't think brilliant duo of Los Angeles comediennes Garfunkel and Oates has ever sat down in a studio to record this one. I hemmed and hawed, but was eventually convinced by the peanut gallery to include it because it is awesome, and it made me giggle fiendishly the first 5 or 10 times I heard it. If you haven't heard them yet, be sure to check out "
Pregnant Women are Smug" and "
Sex with Ducks" and "
Me, You, and Steve" and last but not least, their
Ashanti poetry reading.
The Butterfly Effect - Doctors and Dealers
Stockholm singer Sparrow is one of my new favorite singers. While I find the album a bit high-pitched to listen to in its entirety, I think it's terrific mixed in with other songs. In addition to the delightful, sharp "Butterfly Effect," I like "Rock 'n' Roll Dream" and "He Said that I was Crazy" quite a bit.
I Am Me Once More - Zee Avi
It blew my mind to learn that singer-songwriter Zee Avi is Malaysian, something I don't pick up from her music. I don't know if she picked up such a tremendous talent for writing English language songs while studying in London or some other way, but in any case, her eponymous album is absolutely terrific. Be sure to listen to "
Bitter Heart," "Honey Bee," "Poppy," "Just You and Me," "First of the Gang to Die," "Monte"...really just go get the album.
Glory! - Photons
I am very enthusiastic about young Bay area musicians the Photons, who recently released the Glory! EP. It's a short release but definitely worth looking at; the song "Witness Protection" is another favorite (I am tempted to say that any song written as an address to a judge is bound to be entertaining, but having recently attended a flawless production of the thoroughly mediocre Peter Grimes, I am no longer convinced this is the case.)
The Box - the 1990s
I absolutely love this song, which I like to think was inspired by Paul Newman. It's a great album too, with echoes of all things great about British rock and punk (for example, if you're not busy being annoyed at their mispronunciation of "Vondelpark," the song will bring Led Zeppelin to mind very distinctly).
Postcards - an Horse
Fans of Tegan and Sara will love an Horse, I think; they actually toured together in the past. In addition to the catchy "Postcards," I've been listening to "Company" and "Rearrange Beds" a lot.
Dar (Que Dificil) - Juana Molina
I'm a big believer in quitting while you're ahead, which is why I've only included the first three minutes of "Dar." Juana Molina left a successful acting career to pursue her music, so I'm sure she'd agree with the decision. Her songs are rhythmic and haunting, although those who aren't confirmed lovers of more experimental styles might want to listen to the CD before buying it.
Rio - Hey Marseilles
Hey Marseilles' latest, To Travels & Trunks, is one of the all-around best albums I've heard in the last few months. In addition to "Rio," I think "To Travels & Trunks" and "Cannonballs" are both great songs, and "Marseilles," "Cities," "Someone to Love," "Hold the Morning," "You Will Do For Now," and "Cigarettes" are really solidly good as well. The Seattle band gets extra credit as well for sending me the CD with a personalized note.
Run Chicken Run - The Felice Brothers
I think "Run Chicken Run" has some of the more clever lyrics I've run across recently. I love their distinctive bluesy style.
They're wildly unrelated, but for whatever reason, this seems to me a good point to mention that you should listen to the Pansy Division's hilarious "
Twinkie, Twinkie, Little Star." It didn't quite make it into the mix, but is nonetheless entertaining.
Bright Eyes Gone - Boris Skalsky
Skalsky's music is fairly spare, but I enjoy his voice. This song feels like being at an open mic night or something (like, with talented performers).
Achin' In Your Bones - Romi Mayes
Unfortunately I have to take issue with the assertions made in this song: forty hours on the dog bus sounds interminable. Even if you can stand the Lord of the Flies-esque underworld underway, you might well end up beheaded by the end of your journey.
Still, the lady can sing.
Requiem for a Scene - Brasstronaut
Canada's Brasstronaut is one of my new favorite musical finds; I love that they feature the piano and trumpet, instruments most popular music bands don't bother employing.
East - The Weather Station
The Weather Station is singer Tamara Lindeman's project. Her album is a bit of a mixed bag, but I also particularly like "Amaranth," which has something of a Georgian-era folk song air about it.
