So I suppose the final result is open to interpretation, and people will hear in it what they will. I for one consider it the hip hop-retro folk-British indie-Latin mix, and it includes what I consider the best music I've heard this summer. You can download some hi-res art for iTunes
here, and past mix art is always available in my
Flickr set.
Sun Children - Nickodemus (feat. The Real Live Show)
I can't think of a more perfect way to start off a summer mix than New York DJ Nickodemus's upbeat "Sun Children." His Sun People album incorporates influences from all over the world with an incredible diversity throughout the tracks. I particularly like "2 Sips & Magic," "Just Move!," "Brookarest," and "N'Dini." If you still can't get enough, I highly recommend the 10 year anniversary, 2-disc Turntables on the Hudson retrospective.
Say Yes - Wax Tailor (feat. ASM)
French DJ Wax Tailor has put together an amazing album; In The Mood for Life was released just days after the Summer Mix shipped, and once I had a chance to listen to the whole thing I realized there were several tracks that could have easily made the summer mix cut, but I love "Say Yes," which to me sounds a little like Jurassic 5. I'm also particularly fond of "B-Boy on Wax," "No Pity," "Dry Your Eyes," "Until Heaven Stops the Rain," "Leave It," "This Train," "Sit and Listen," and "Fireflies." If you buy only one DJ/hiphop album this summer, this is the one to keep your stereo warm until the new RJD2 vinyl boxed set comes out in October.
Grind Til I Die - SPAID (feat. B.G., JR Brown)
So far I've had listening friends and family mistake SPAID for a number of much better-known rappers, but he's actually a promising hiphop artist from the Bronx. Or, in his own words, "To his surprised the audience was highly fascinated by his entertainment. This wasn’t an enigma; SPAID knew with morsel practice he could reach the inaccessible." Clearly he's practiced his morsels.
Hiphop fans who don't mind a little repetition should also definitely check out Troublemaker's remix of Matt & Kim's "
Daylight" with De La Sol.
Pon de Floor - Major Lazer (feat. VYBZ Kartel)
The name Major Lazer is new, but this is the latest project from Philly's always-notable DJ Diplo and M.I.A. producer DJ Switch. Influences here are a sort of cross between M.I.A./Santogold style electronic dance and dancehall reggae, with a splash of later Tricky thrown in. The result is Gunz Dont Kill People, Lazers Do, a thoroughly listenable release with some standout tracks like "Can't Stop Now," "Anything Goes," and "Jump Up."
Big or Small - Fresh Espresso
Fresh Espresso is Seattle's latest hip hop collaboration to get a lot of attention, and like the Blue Scholars, Common Market, and others before them, they've got a great mellow sound. I nearly put "Girls and Fast Cars" on the mix until Brent convinced me that "Big or Small" was a catchier choice, but those are only a couple of the good tracks on their "Glamour" debut.
Save My Soul/Changing - The Moondoggies
The Moondoggies' Don't Be a Stranger was released last year but I missed hearing about the Seattle band until I heard the live medley of "Save My Soul" and "Changing" on the most recent KEXP Live compilation. They seem to be a band that needs the lightest of hands in production; don't miss the spare but lovely "Undertaker."
Far and Wide - Roadside Graves
Another great band that straddles the folk, rock, and country lines and calls to mind influences from a couple generations ago, New Jersey's Roadside Graves have released a very listenable album. Check out "Ruby," the quiet "Wooden Walls," or the ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Irish pub music "The Snake and How it Lost Its Legs."
The Box - Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit
British folk singer Johnny Flynn's A Larum is a fun album, and I think "The Box" fits right in here. The British set a high bar for their folk (the Independent labels him one of an overabundance of "boarding school folkies" (albeit one of the best) while the Times declares that he was signed "more for his looks than his originality." Regardless, if Johnny Flynn is going to lead a British folk revival movement, I am not going to oppose him.
Black River Killer - Blitzen Trapper
Sub Pop artists generally tend to be a little hit or miss for me, but Portland's Blitzen Trapper are definitely the former. "Black River Killer" was released on last year's Furr, but this summer it's been made the star of its very own EP. I love the track's great retro feel, though its entertaining narrative leaves me wondering why prisons would keep giving murderers weapons upon their departure.
Fresh Blood - Eels
Prolific and rotating-door-membership band The Eels have a host of releases under their belt, and have appeared in a previous gelmix (unshared, from 2005 when gradual school sucked away my time and soul) with "Whatever Happened to Soy Bomb." But never mind that; here they sound totally different. "Fresh Blood," off June's Hombre Lobo, is a haunting, vampiric, catchy track that I adore.
Freak Out - Stellastarr*
New York City's Stellastarr* remind me of some of the energetic early-'90s bands I used to like, like Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Sugar. "Freak Out" is, in my mind, the definite highlight of their recent Civilized, but like the releases from those '90s bands I have a feeling that it's the kind of album where every listener will find something different to love.
Blow Away - A Fine Frenzy
There aren't a lot of female musicians on this mix, unfortunately, but Los Angeles singer Alison Sudol, who recently released Bomb in a Birdcage, is a fortunate exception. I think fans of Feist will like this one; I picked "Blow Away" for its upbeat cheerfulness, but "What I Wouldn't Do" also deserves to be heard as well.
Ecstatic Appeal - Jemina Pearl
Jemina Pearl is a refugee from recently disbanded Be Your Own Pet, and from the lyrics of her upcoming solo release it seems like she's still coping with the loss. She's turned the band's breakup into some great work, though, including a must-hear collaboration with Iggy Pop called "
I Hate People." I am looking forward to October's surprisingly titled
Break It Up.
Crush On You - brakesbrakesbrakes
Known in their native Brighton as Brakes but renamed due to a tragic namespace conflict in the US, brakesbrakesbrakes released Touchdown this spring and are already finishing up their next album, written and recorded during their ongoing tour. I love their sound (give "Oh! Forever" a listen) and their lyrics (see also "Ancient Mysteries"), and can't wait until they come to town. Mark your calendars, Chicago kiddies, that's October 12 at the Empty Bottle and we're going. (I'll throw in We Were Promised Jetpacks and the Twilight Sad to sweeten the deal) I love this quirky track, which I downloaded, threw onto a CD of random recent stuff before flying out to Chicago this summer, and then fell in love with while driving around the lake.
Nocturne for an Absentee - De Rosa
Another British band, De Rosa put out a fantastic album this spring, Prevention; don't get too attached to it, though, because the band broke up a month later. Do, however, listen to the lovely "Under the Stairs."
Infinity - The xx
It's ridiculously rare that Pitchfork and I agree on what a great new album is, but London's the xx have managed to do it. Their self-titled debut is one of my favorite new CDs. "Crystallized" and "Basic Space" have already been released as competent singles, but "Infinity" is my favorite track, though you would be remiss to ignore "Islands" and "Stars." Despite "Infinity's" claustrophobic, smugly monogamist lyrics, how can you not love their quiet, haunting sound?
Equivocado - DePedro
Depedro is the solo project of Calexico collaborator Jairo Zavala, and I love the recent self-titled album's sound. Be sure to listen to "
Don't Leave Me Now."
Siempre Nuevo - Federico Aubele
Argentina's Federico Aubele has released a gorgeous album with Amatoria, full of Spanish style ballads that work great for both attentive listening and gorgeous background music to your day. I think he's got a fantastic voice. In addition to "Siempre Nuevo" I also really enjoy "Suena Mi Guitarra," "Otra Vez," "Este Amor," and "Del Ayer."
The seasons in San Diego seem to change a lot slower than places farther north, so it was entirely too easy for me to forget to start creating the summer mix until midway into September. We've had a busy summer, much of it spent out of town in various places around the world. That didn't stop the music releases though, and didn't keep me from hearing great new songs. Listeners rave: "it's the toe-tapping-est mix yet!" "I know I've heard this Kanye West song before." "This is the best 50 Cent track I've ever heard!!" "This song is kind of boring."
I've joined CSAs in the Seattle area, Amsterdam, and most recently San Diego. It's always fascinating to me how they differ from area to area--the growing season, vegetable variety, etc. It's about culture as much as biology; for example, my Dutch CSA gave me no fewer than two varieties of cabbage every week. There were even cabbages that I don't even know the English names for, like the intimidating spitskool.
My latest zucchini treatment appears here in a sambar. I was thrilled to stumble across an Indian grocery store here in San Diego, where we found everything from refrigerated dosa batter to mango lassis to obscure produce to oils etc. etc. etc. I love me some Indian grocery store, and since I usually don't have time to drive up to a Patel Bros when I'm back in Chicago, it was nice to find it. Reheated frozen idli and a super-easy green bean poriyal rounded out the meal, leaving it
