The past few weeks have been dead quiet in terms of new music, explaining why I haven’t updated my New Releases page since July 12. Fear not, however, there will be plenty to discuss come August 2.

In the meantime, I’d like to use the brief respite to introduce Mike Mix 26. The latest installment in my never-ending series contains an assortment of what I affectionately call modern classics. And by that I mean songs from the past few years that are amazing and should be known and loved by everyone.

For starters, there’s “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire. I’m sure most of you probably know this song already (after all, Arcade Fire is kind of a big deal), but I won’t let that stop me from talking about how much I love it. While I found The Suburbs (the album) to be slightly underwhelming, “The Suburbs” (the song) is whole other story. The track occupies some of my favorite musical territory; it’s a happy-sounding song that upon closer inspection reveals itself to be incredibly sad. I especially like the piano line that comes in around the 2:45 mark.

Then there’s Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More”, which grabbed the coveted closing spot on my Top 15 Songs of 2010 playlist. And for good reason: the song is completely captivating. A few harmonium notes and Van Etten’s gorgeous voice is all it takes.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of Mike Mix 26 is littered with modern classics, each one waiting patiently to lodge itself deep inside your skull. As always, I recommend listening to the mix in the order presented below, though I’ll understand if you feel compelled to listen to “The Suburbs” or “Love More” first. Download and/or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Menomena – Muscle’n Flo
• 2. Suckers – A Mind I Knew
• 3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
• 4. Strand of Oaks – Sterling
• 5. The National – Anyone’s Ghost
• 6. Carissa’s Wierd – Sympathy Bush
• 7. Frightened Rabbit – Learned Your Name
• 8. Justin Townes Earle – Far From Me
• 9. Sam Quinn – Gun
• 10. Jill Andrews – These Words
• 11. Sharon Van Etten – Love More
• 12. A Silver Mt. Zion – The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes
• Download entire mix

In case you were wondering (and I’m guessing you probably were), the artwork for Mike Mix 24 is (supposed to be) a caricature of my girlfriend. If you know what she actually looks like, it’s pretty hilarious because it looks nothing like her. The shape of her face and color of her eyes and hair are completely wrong. She looks way better in real life, trust me. Therefore, I feel like I should take a moment to publicly apologize to her, first for drawing the picture, and second for sharing it with the entire internet. I hope she forgives me.

Luckily the selling point of my Mike Mixes has never been the artwork – it’s always been about the music. And on that front the latest installment doesn’t disappoint. At first glance, Mike Mix 24 could easily be mistaken for my Top 15 Songs of 2010, which I finally posted last week. While there is substantial overlap in the artists featured, only two songs are repeated: Broken Social Scene’s “Sweetest Kill” and Joanna Newsom’s “Baby Birch.” The rest of the tracks on Mike Mix 24 are appearing on my site for the first time.

The mix storms out of the gate with a set of infectious, upbeat songs by Frightened Rabbit, Surfer Blood, Spoon, and Delta Spirit. Titus Andronicus’ opus “A Pot In Which to Piss” anchors the middle, transitioning the mix from its fiery opening to its quieter second half. Highlights of the second half include “Conversation 16″ by The National, “Angel’s Share” by Doveman, and “Sweetest in the Morning” by Jill Andrews. If you listen closely to “Angel’s Share,” you can hear Matt Berninger of The National singing backing vocals during the chorus. It sounds amazing, a perfect match for Thomas Bartlett’s breathy delivery.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 24 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Frightened Rabbit – The Loneliness and the Scream
• 2. Surfer Blood – Harmonix
• 3. Spoon – I Could Be Underground
• 4. Delta Spirit – Streetwalker
• 5. Titus Andronicus – A Pot In Which to Piss
• 6. The National – Conversation 16
• 7. Broken Social Scene – Sweetest Kill
• 8. The Acorn – Misplaced
• 9. Doveman – Angel’s Share
• 10. Joanna Newsom – Baby Birch
• 11. Jill Andrews – Sweetest In the Morning
• Download entire mix

By now, 2010 is a distant memory for most people, but it was a truly amazing year for music. So amazing I had to expand my list of favorite albums from ten to fifteen. I realize it’s almost four months late, but it gives me great pleasure to present my Top 15 Albums of 2010. Better late than never I suppose. Enjoy!

All We Grow, the gorgeous debut album from S. Carey, doesn’t make much of an initial impression. Meticulously arranged, the album meanders quietly from note to note, thought to thought, song to song. It never feels forced or hurried, instead choosing to reveal its beauty slowly with time, which, coincidentally, is my favorite kind of music.

Highlights: Broken, In the Dirt, In the Stream

I normally avoid putting “best of” compilations on year-end lists, but the Carissa’s Wierd retrospective deserves an exception. It made me fall in love with the band all over again. For those of you unfamiliar with their distinctive brand of melancholy, They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave is a fantastic introduction.

Highlights: Die, Phantom Fireworks, Sympathy Bush, Drunk With the Only Saints I Know

Oh Frightened Rabbit, you dug yourself quite a hole. Following up a record like The Midnight Organ Fight was never going to be easy. So instead of trying to climb out, the band decides to dig even deeper on The Winter of Mixed Drinks. The result: another stunning album brimming with heartache and despair.

Highlights: FootShooter, Yes I Would, The Loneliness and the Scream, Swim Until You Can’t See Land

On his sophomore album Pope Killdragon, Strand of Oaks creates an oddly enchanting little world, full of bowling accidents, lost teeth, the plague, and Dan Aykroyd. Despite the absurdity of it all, the album remains relatable and sincere, blending in just enough sentiment to keep everything in balance. It’s quite the accomplishment.

Highlights: Kill Dragon, Sterling, Daniel’s Blues

Dark, melodic, and haunting, Warpaint’s The Fool is a perfect companion for rainy days and sleepless nights. The album has it all: entrancing guitar rhythms, heavy bass lines, frenzied drum beats, and reverb-drenched vocals. After dozens of listens, I’m still unraveling its many layers, captivated by each one as it slowly peels away.

Highlights: Baby, Bees, Shadows, Set Your Arms Down

After what felt like an eternity, Menomena finally released their follow-up to Friend and Foe, one of my all-time favorite albums. It was definitely worth the wait. On Mines, the band sounds a little less defiant and a little more defeated. The album still contains plenty of fiery moments, but I find the quieter ones more compelling. It’s a gorgeous new direction for a band that continues to amaze.

Highlights: Queen Black Acid, INTIL, Tithe, Killemall

Say what you want about Kanye West and his many idiosyncrasies, there’s no denying he’s an incredible musician. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is proof. No other rapper could tackle the range of emotions he does and make it sound so effortless. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.

Highlights: Runaway, Blame Game, All of the Lights, Power

It may take a few listens, but when the hooks finally dig in (and they will), they dig in deep. On Libraries, The Love Language perfect their infectious, bombastic blend of indie rock and pop. Let this serve as a formal warning: if you want your subconscious free of easily hummable melodies, avoid this album at all costs.

Highlights: Summer Dust, Wilmont, Brittany’s Back

Comprising only seven tracks, Sharon Van Etten’s sophomore album Epic eschews quantity for quality. From the frenetic guitar chords of the opening track “A Crime” to the lulling harmonium notes of the closer “Love More,” the album packs an impressive range of sounds and styles into a mere half hour. However, it is Van Etten’s extraordinary voice that ultimately makes Epic so memorable.

Highlights: Love More, One Day, A Crime

Prior to Teen Dream, I was a casual admirer of Beach House. Their previous albums were intriguing, but I found them to be a little monotonous at times. Teen Dream isn’t a radical change of direction for the band; instead it’s a natural progression to a fuller, more engaging sound. And I’m 100% on board, no longer just a casual admirer but a true fan.

Highlights: Walk In the Park, 10 Mile Stereo, Zebra, Silver Soul

A Silver Mt. Zion makes music that defies categorization. It is simultaneously inspiring and devastating, beautiful and frightening, engrossing and disconcerting. On Kollaps Tradixionales, the band pushes these contradictions to the breaking point. It’s an epic journey, definitely not for the faint of heart.

Highlights: There Is a Light, ‘Piphany Rambler, Kollapz Tradixional (Thee Olde Dirty Flag)

Apparently The National can do no wrong. Each successive album brings the band fresh accolades and hordes of adoring fans. Yet through it all they haven’t lost focus on what matters most: the music. Each new album has improved upon what made previous ones so great. High Violet is no exception, expanding the band’s signature gloomy sound to fill both bedrooms and arenas.

Highlights: Sorrow, Conversation 16, Terrible Love, Anyone’s Ghost

Listening to Meursault’s All Creatures Will Make Merry is like trying to look out through a frosted window. Initially the outside world appears cold, uninviting, and slightly out of focus. But if you get a little closer and stare long enough, the frost begins to melt, slowly revealing a pristine, snowy winter scape. To borrow a line from the album: “Some things will take time, some things time will take.”

Highlights: A Fair Exchange, Another, Song For Martin Kippenberger, Weather

Surfer Blood’s debut album Astro Coast, with its amazing lyrics, awesome hooks, and endless supply of energy, is the complete package. After listening to it continuously for the past year, I’ve found it makes a great soundtrack to pretty much anything: beach bonfires, hipster parties, regular parties, long drives, sunny days, and quiet nights. Like I said, pretty much anything.

Highlights: Anchorage, Slow Jabroni, Harmonix, Floating Vibes, Catholic Pagans

An unrelenting and chaotic celebration of self-loathing, regret, and perseverance, Titus Andronicus’ The Monitor is without a doubt my favorite record of 2010. The first few listens can be a little intimidating, but if given proper time and attention, the album’s brilliance will eventually knock you on your ass.

Highlights: Theme From Cheers, To Old Friends and New, The Battle of Hampton Roads, A More Perfect Union, A Pot In Which to Piss

Those of you fearing the worst can rest easy: I’m still alive and kicking. My website, on the other hand, hasn’t been so lucky: it’s been dead for over three months.

I’m really sorry, I’ve been meaning to post new articles for a while but things keep getting in the way. First it was my qualifying examination in January (which thankfully I passed). Then it was writing papers and attending conferences in February and early March. I was actually in Tokyo attending an earthquake engineering conference when the earthquake struck. It was quite the experience. And now it’s epic snowboarding conditions in Tahoe.

As a result of all of this, I’ve missed three Mike Mix installments and also my year-end coverage of 2010. I promise to eventually restore some degree of normalcy to my site. I hope to post my top albums and songs of 2010 relatively soon and restore monthly Mike Mix production immediately.

In fact I’ve got Mike Mix 23 ready right now, and it features some amazing songs. The mix kicks off with “World Sick,” the epic opener from Broken Social Scene’s Forgiveness Rock Record, an album I initially hated but have since grown to love. After nearly 7 minutes (I said it was epic), the song gives way to a pair of impossibly catchy tunes by Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils. The mix really hits its stride, however, with Surfer Blood’s “Anchorage,” one of the many highlights from their stellar debut Astro Coast. Seriously, if you haven’t checked out the album yet, do so now. And while you’re at it, also grab The Monitor by Titus Andronicus: “Theme From Cheers” might possibly be my favorite song from 2010.

The second half of Mike Mix 23 is a little more mellow than the first, beginning with “Yes, I Would” from Frightened Rabbit’s woefully underrated album The Winter of Mixed Drinks. Then comes “Sorrow,” a song by The National that quietly lives up to its somber title. After the stunning track “Another” by Meursault, the mix closes with a couple twangy numbers by Matthew Sweet and Sam Quinn.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 23 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Broken Social Scene – World Sick
• 2. Wild Nothing – Chinatown
• 3. Beach Fossils – Golden Age
• 4. Surfer Blood – Anchorage
• 5. Titus Andronicus – Theme From “Cheers”
• 6. Titus Andronicus – To Old Friends and New
• 7. Frightened Rabbit – Yes, I Would
• 8. The National – Sorrow
• 9. Meursault – Another
• 10. Matthew Sweet – Winona
• 11. Sam Quinn – Hello
• Download entire mix

To be perfectly honest, I never thought my Mike Mix idea would make it this far. I figured after only a few mixes I’d run out of good songs, at which point in time the idea would quietly disappear from my site.

I guess I was wrong. Mike Mix 22, the seventeenth installment in the series (because I started with Mike Mix 6), is just as amazing as its predecessors. Somehow I continue to unearth hidden gems – songs I loved back in the day that have long since been buried in the depths of my iTunes library. Mike Mix 22 has uncovered some true beauties, including “One Big Holiday” by My Morning Jacket and “Love to a Monster” by Okkervil River.

In addition to these old favorites, Mike Mix 22 also features some of my favorite songs from 2010. I don’t want to give away too much before I post my year-end list, but I can’t resist leaving a few clues: verbal guns, sudden darkness, ice on water, and clocks. Any guesses?

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 22 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes
• 2. Akron/Family – River
• 3. Delta Spirit – Strange Vine
• 4. Deer Tick – Easy
• 5. Titus Andronicus – Upon Viewing Brueghel’s “Landscape With the Fall of Icarus”
• 6. My Morning Jacket – One Big Holiday
• 7. Vampire Weekend – Horchata
• 8. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Don’t Haunt This Place
• 9. Seabear – I’ll Build You a Fire
• 10. Okkervil River – Love to a Monster
• 11. Josh Ritter – Change of Time
• 12. Frightened Rabbit – FootShooter
• 13. Spoon – Out Go the Lights
• 14. Horse Feathers – Heaven’s No Place
• Download entire mix

Eventually I will break this vicious cycle of posting nothing but Mike Mixes on my site. But I fear it won’t come soon enough: good music is piling up way too fast. I’ll try my best to write about it all eventually, but in the meantime here’s a short list of amazing albums: High Violet by The National, Astro Coast by Surfer Blood, The Monitor by Titus Andronicus, and Kollaps Tradixionales by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. And that’s only half of what I hope to post. I have my work cut out for me.

While the introduction to Mike Mix 18 may be short on words, the mix is definitely long on good music. It’s also fairly upbeat, slowing down only a few tracks from the end. Highlights include “I Can Feel a Hot One” by Manchester Orchestra, “If Work Permits” by The Format, and “Satellite Skin” by Modest Mouse. But who am I kidding, Mike Mix 18 is one big highlight.

As always, I strongly recommend listening to the mix in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Please enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Fanfarlo – I’m a Pilot
• 2. Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land
• 3. Throw Me the Statue – Ancestors
• 4. Devin Davis – Iron Woman
• 5. The Shins – Sleeping Lessons
• 6. Modest Mouse – Satellite Skin
• 7. Sin Fang Bous – We Belong
• 8. Vampire Weekend – Taxi Cab
• 9. The Boxer Rebellion – Soviets
• 10. Seabear – Sailors Blue
• 11. The Format – If Work Permits
• 12. Bon Iver – Flume
• 13. Manchester Orchestra – I Can Feel a Hot One
• 14. Lackthereof – Ask Permission
• 15. Grizzly Bear – Foreground
• Download entire mix

Those of you familiar with my site know that I love Frightened Rabbit. I discovered them two years ago (after they released The Midnight Organ Fight) and have been obsessed ever since. I even got a chance to chat with the band before one of their shows in San Francisco. Super nice guys!

So when I found out Frightened Rabbit was releasing a new album this year, it quickly became my most anticipated album of 2010. Considering the ridiculous number of bands releasing new material this year (including The National, Menomena, and Sun Kil Moon), this is quite a feat.

Luckily I didn’t have to wait too long for it. On March 9 Frightened Rabbit released The Winter of Mixed Drinks. After nearly three months of digesting it, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts.

Let me start by saying that following an album like The Midnight Organ Fight is pretty much impossible: release more of the same and critics attack you for stagnating; change your sound too much and your fan base revolts. On The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the band walks this fine line about as well as five inebriated Scotsmen possibly can. The album sounds bigger and more produced, which initially led me to believe it was more upbeat than The Midnight Organ Fight. But after repeated listens I realized I was horribly wrong. The album is brimming with tales of heartbreak, regret, and despair. You know, the stuff that makes us love Frightened Rabbit so much.

So while The Winter of Mixed Drinks ultimately succeeds as a follow-up, I’m not obsessed with it like I was with The Midnight Organ Fight. And I’ve finally figured out why. On The Midnight Organ Fight, the instrumentation and lyrics perfectly complement each other. But on The Winter of Mixed Drinks there is a disconnect between the two. As I mentioned above, the instrumentation is upbeat while the lyrics are quite the opposite. Because of this the album sounds slightly muddled, like the band is emerging from the shit-storm of emotion that was The Midnight Organ Fight.

Picking a favorite song from The Winter of Mixed Drinks is like picking a favorite beer: you really can’t go too wrong with whatever you choose (though some are definitely better than others). Right now my favorite is the aptly-titled “FootShooter.” It’s the most mellow track on the album and, coincidentally, features some of the best lyrics. I especially love the line “I will blink my eyes and hope the blink can erase / All the shit that I said and did.” Vintage Frightened Rabbit. Listen to it now.

• Frightened Rabbit – FootShooter

Initially I didn’t think I could write this post. It seemed like an impossible task. How on earth was I supposed to come up with and then rank my favorite albums from the past decade? I have enough trouble doing it for just one year. There’s simply too much good music out there (despite my occasional whining to the contrary).

But when I really started thinking about it, I came to the following conclusion: a decade is a terrible thing to waste. In all reality, I may not get another opportunity like this. After all, who knows what I’ll be doing ten years from now. Also, musically speaking, the past decade was an important one for me. Over the course of ten years, my muted appreciation of music gradually transformed into a full-blown obsession. I now spend most of my free time searching for, writing about, and listening to music.

In the end I guess it was a pretty easy decision. I would’ve been extremely foolish to let the decade pass without weighing in on my favorite albums. It was a lot of work, but I managed to compile a list of my 30 favorite albums from 2000-2009. Not necessarily the best or most important albums, but those that had the greatest impact on me.

With all that said, I proudly present the Top 30 Albums of the Decade.

albums 30 – 21

albums 20 – 11

albums 10 – 1

Like I said, compiling this list was no easy task. In the end, tons of amazing albums got axed. Check the comments to see which ones barely missed the cut. And leave comments to let me know which albums I missed completely!

This post is dedicated to my grandmother, who passed away May 27. She was an amazing woman and will be missed dearly.

When I first launched Mike Went West nearly 3 years ago, one of my site’s main features was a monthly podcast of music. Sadly, I abandoned this feature after releasing only 5 mixes. I felt like each podcast took an inordinate amount of time and energy. I also felt like the quality of each mix was sliding steadily downhill.

As it turns out, I lacked the proper motivation. About 10 months ago, I started dating my girlfriend. To help her better understand my crazy little world, I decided to make monthly mix tapes for her (which I coined “Mike Mixes”). So far I’ve made ten and I’m still going strong. I hope to post a new mix every month. I decided to start with Mike Mix 6 for one simple reason: the first five are decent but nothing special. Also, it seems appropriate that I should pick up where my podcasts left off – with number six.

Now a few quick words about the pacing and sequencing of the mix. Mike Mix 6 starts off with “If Only It Were True,” a slow, lumbering song by The Walkmen. Two consecutive tracks by Brand New help transition the mix to a slightly faster pace, which is maintained by the next four songs (fantastic tracks by Okkervil River, Frightened Rabbit, MGMT, and Arctic Monkeys). Following this upbeat middle section, two tracks by The Rural Alberta Advantage help slow things back down. The mix ends with three of my all-time favorite songs: “3 Rounds and a Sound” by Blind Pilot, “A Desolate Angels Blues” by Justin Townes Earle, and “Okkervil River Song” by Okkervil River.

I highly recommend listening to the songs in this order (a full track listing is provided below). Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. The Walkmen – If Only It Were True
• 2. Brand New – The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
• 3. Brand New – Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis
• 4. Okkervil River – Another Radio Song
• 5. Frightened Rabbit – Square 9
• 6. MGMT – Kids
• 7. Arctic Monkeys – 505
• 8. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Edmonton
• 9. The Rural Alberta Advantage – In the Summertime
• 10. Blind Pilot – 3 Rounds and a Sound
• 11. Justin Townes Earle – A Desolate Angels Blues
• 12. Okkervil River – Okkervil River Song
• Download entire mix

According to iTunes, my 10 most played songs of 2008 come from only two albums: Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight and Sera Cahoone’s Only As the Day Is Long. Which probably explains how these two albums found themselves at the top of my Top 10 Albums of 2008 list. But my most played tracks in iTunes are not my Top 10 Songs of 2008 for a couple reasons. First, it would be a little boring. Second, I would probably run into legal issues if I posted half the songs from those two albums.

With that said, I present my actual list below. The songs are ordered in a way that I think flows best. A zip file containing all 10 tracks is provided below for your convenience. Enjoy!

• 1. Drive-By Truckers – Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife

  Starts the mix off on a sad note, though it’s hard to tell because it’s such a pretty song.

• 2. Shearwater – Rooks

  So intense and haunting, yet so gorgeous. Amazing guitar riff.

• 3. Sera Cahoone – Only As the Day Is Long

  Simple but powerful drum beat. Probably my favorite song of 2008.

• 4. Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines

  I loved this song the first time I heard it – very infectious and fun.

• 5. Frightened Rabbit – The Twist

  Another catchy song. Sounds best when played loud. Very loud.

• 6. Frightened Rabbit – Backwards Walk

  Amazing lyrics. Eases the transition to the slower songs that follow.

• 7. Grand Archives – George Kaminski

  Didn’t really appreciate this one until I heard it live – simply stunning.

• 8. Bon Iver – Skinny Love

  You can literally hear the emotion pouring from Justin Vernon as he belts out the chorus.

• 9. Justin Townes Earle – Far Away In Another Town

  Perfectly captures a sentiment I’ve always hoped to be true (but probably isn’t).

• 10. Sera Cahoone – Seven Hours Later

  Ends the mix on a sad note – bringing the whole thing full circle.

• Download entire mix