It pains me to say this, but winter is officially over. I put in my last day of snowboarding earlier this week and after today my favorite Lake Tahoe resort is closed for the season. I could easily spend the next few paragraphs complaining about how I won’t be able to snowboard for the next 8 months. But no one wants to hear that. And truthfully, I’m pretty excited for spring (and summer).

So to help gear up for all the fun in the sun, my latest Mini Mix highlights three albums that are poised to get a ton of plays as the temperature rises. Also, this post should purge the backlog of music created by my recent lack of activity. Enjoy!

PETE AND THE PIRATES – Little Death

I must’ve debated buying this album for over a month. Looking back, I don’t know why I waffled so much. Over a dozen glowing reviews on eMusic should’ve clued me in to what I was missing: effortless, off-kilter indie pop from the UK. In their debut, Pete and The Pirates have crafted an album brimming with infectious hooks and clever lyrics. “She Doesn’t Belong to Me” is a fantastic example. In just under two minutes, the band packs in more hooks and one-liners than most can fit in an entire album. The rest of Little Death is just as good.

• Pete and the Pirates – She Doesn’t Belong to Me

HARLEM SHAKES – Technicolor Health

I just started listening to Harlem Shakes but already I can tell their debut has a lot of potential (and also a beautiful album cover). The band has generated a fair amount of buzz and it is well deserved. Technicolor Health is both energetic and engaging. And while it might not break any new ground, it sounds great from start to finish (which itself is quite an accomplishment). It’s a little too early for me to say much more about the album, but I definitely look forward to blasting it in my car as I cruise around this summer.

• Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game

MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY ROBINSON – S/T

I’m surprised by how quickly I’ve warmed to Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. After my first few listens, I felt overwhelmed and somewhat put off by the chaotic nature of his music. The 10 songs on his self-titled debut seemed to lack both structure and melody. At the same time, however, I was also intrigued by the chaos. After the next few listens, melodies began to emerge. Right now, my favorite track is the epic opener “Buriedfed,” though I’m sure this will change as I continue to untangle this gem.

• Miles Benjamin Anthony Davis – Buriedfed

I can hardly believe it. This is the 100th post on my site. I never thought I’d make it this far. And to celebrate this special occasion, I’ve decided to do something I normally avoid at all costs: posting tracks without first writing about the artists.

The 10 songs below have dominated my speakers over the past few months. But for various reasons, I haven’t featured any of them on my site (until now, of course). As the track listing indicates, the mix is a little eclectic. Download all 10 songs using the link below. And as always, if you like any of the songs below, please support the artists!

• 1. Peter Broderick – And It’s Alright
• 2. Mark Farina – Dream Machine (featuring Sean Hayes)
• 3. Lil Wayne – Tie My Hands
• 4. Frontier Ruckus – Dark Autumn Hour
• 5. Phosphorescent – Wolves
• 6. William Fitzsimmons – Find Me to Forgive
• 7. Spiritualized – Sitting On Fire
• 8. Titus Andronicus – No Future
• 9. The Gaslight Anthem – Here’s Looking At You, Kid
• 10. Andrew Bird – Take Courage
• Download entire mix

I’m getting a little frustrated. Lately, I can’t seem to find anything to obsess over (which might explain why I haven’t posted in ages).

So I’ve decided to hit the archives. My second Mini Mix highlights four bands I’ve enjoyed over the past few months but have failed to mention on my site. These bands have one thing in common: they all fly well below even the indie music radar.

VIDEOTAPE

First started listening :: late August

Reasons for waiting to post :: Videotape’s album, My Favourite Thing, is a definite grower. At first, it sounds lazy and a little uninspired. But slowly, after repeated listens, the hooks start digging in. The waves of electric guitar start pulling at you. The sense of laziness remains but the music gradually comes to life. It’s pointless comparing Videotape to other bands because they don’t sound like anyone I know. If you enjoy the song posted below, check out the rest of the album – it’ll definitely grow on you.

• Videotape – Night Lights

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH

First started listening :: late June

Reasons for waiting to post :: I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to write about The Tallest Man On Earth (aka Kristian Matsson), a young, talented singer-songwriter from Sweden. I’ve actually been listening to him constantly for the past few months. I think the reason for the delay is that I couldn’t pick a favorite track from his amazingly consistent catalog of folk music. So naturally, I chose a couple. And while his music may sound a little like early Bob Dylan, it flows so effortlessly I could really care less.

• The Tallest Man On Earth – Over the Hills
• The Tallest Man On Earth – Where Do My Bluebird Fly

PORT O’BRIEN

First started listening :: early June

Reasons for waiting to post :: I don’t think I fully appreciated Port O’Brien until I saw them live at Treasure Island Music Festival a month ago. Despite a stellar lineup (including Okkervil River and Fleet Foxes), Port O’Brien stole the show with their raw energy and passion. These guys rock pretty hard. Which is a little surprising given that their two studio albums, The Wind and the Swell and All We Could Do Was Sing, are pretty mellow. This versatility and range speaks to their talent as musicians and entertainers.

• Port O’Brien – Don’t Take My Advice
• Port O’Brien – My Eyes Won’t Shut

CRANES & CROWS

First started listening :: late April

Reasons for waiting to post :: It took me a while to warm up to Paul Brandt’s vocals, which doesn’t make much sense because there’s nothing unusual about them. In fact, I now find his voice to be very comforting. Which is also how I’d describe the sound of their music in general. And unlike my initial qualms about the vocals, this actually makes sense: Cranes & Crows hail from Wisconsin, my home state. And like most people, I find the thought of home very comforting.

• Cranes & Crows – Wrecking Ball
• Cranes & Crows – So It Goes

In order to return my blog to its usual format, I need to clear out the backlog of music created by my summer hiatus. This post should bring you up to speed on some of my favorite albums released in the past few months. It won’t be poetic, but then again, housekeeping rarely is.

MY MORNING JACKET

After the massive disappointment that was Z, I expected very little of My Morning Jacket’s latest album Evil Urges. After several months of listening, I can honestly say Evil Urges doesn’t suck. In fact, it’s pretty solid. The band continues to distance themselves from the sound they perfected on At Dawn, which, at least for me, is disappointing because that’s the sound I originally fell in love with.

I think, however, I’ve come to terms with their new direction. Seeing them live at the Greek two weeks ago definitely helped. These guys put on an amazing show. One of the many highlights that night was an incredible version of “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2,” the epic closing track on Evil Urges. The studio version of this song is posted below.

• My Morning Jacket – Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2

THE WALKMEN

On You & Me, The Walkmen not only perfect their sound but finally feel comfortable with it. And they sound as if they’ve just shaken off an epic hangover: their new album contains a sense of weariness and regret not present in previous albums. Maybe The Walkmen have grown up.

If so, it’s for the better. You & Me is their most consistent, and ultimately, their most rewarding album to date. Ironically, its consistency might also be its biggest turn-off. Songs sometimes bleed too much into each other. It takes repeated listens before tracks distinguish themselves. After nearly two dozen spins, I’m finally there. Right now, “On the Water” is my favorite track, but this will probably change on a weekly basis.

• The Walkmen – On the Water

SHEARWATER

Similar to The Walkmen, Shearwater sounds like they’ve finally figured themselves out. With the release of Rook, Meiburg and his band fully step out of the shadow of Okkervil River. I’m only disappointed it took so long.

There is a lot going on under the surface of Rook. The shear gorgeousness of the music often masks a strong undercurrent of anger and frustration. Which is part of the reason I like Shearwater so much: their ability to combine beauty and violence is striking. The title track from Rook, which is posted below, captures this balance perfectly.

• Shearwater – Rooks

SIGUR RÓS

Sigur Rós has yet to release a disappointing album. With every new CD, they manage to explore new territory while at the same time maintaining their core sound (My Morning Jacket should take a lesson from them). The first few tracks on Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust, for example, can almost be described as joyous, which is definitely new territory for the band.

This mood, however, doesn’t last long. Soon the band retreats to familiar ground, slowing the flow of music to that of a glacier. “Illgresi,” the track posted below, resides on the slower second half of Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust and features the band at its simplest: a pretty acoustic guitar riff, some violin flourishes, and Jónsi’s plaintive vocals.

• Sigur Rós – Illgresi

This post is dedicated to my Aunt Judy, who passed away March 29 and will be dearly missed.

I apologize for the long hiatus, but the songs on my this Mini Mix should make up for my absence. They are nothing short of brilliant. Upon first listen, the songs are strikingly beautiful, packed with catchy melodies and gorgeous harmonies. Subsequent listens, however, reveal an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair. I think the word that best describes this mix is bittersweet (hence the title).

Appropriately, all these songs fit my current mood: happy on the surface, yet for some inexplicable reason tinged with a profound sadness on the inside. I think I will let the songs do the rest of the talking.

• 1. Drive-By Truckers – Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife
• 2. Hayden – Home By Saturday
• 3. Sera Cahoone – Only As the Day Is Long
• 4. Jason Collett – Somehow
• 5. Justin Townes Earle – Far Away In Another Town

Some of you may have noticed that the top banner of my site changed a few days ago. I figured it was time for something new and exciting. Let me know your thoughts!

As I mentioned on my previous post, I’ve been inundated lately with tons of good music. So much so that I’m quickly falling behind. I can take one of two corrective actions: either post everything I’ve been listening to, OR, be a little more selective. I’ve chosen the latter (mainly because I don’t have the time to post more than once a week).

Which hopefully means you get the cream of the crop. And this week’s crop features a couple of songs from two artists that haven’t gotten much coverage on my blog.

The first is a track by The Wrens called “Thirteen Grand.” A sad lament set to a catchy guitar riff, the song features the band at its softest, and coincidentally, its best. Check out The Meadowlands if you like what you hear.

The second song is “Baby That’s Not All” off Hello Starling by Josh Ritter. It’s a pretty little lullaby from an equally gorgeous album. Many thanks to my brother Andy who recommended this excellent track to me. Hey hermano!

• The Wrens – Thirteen Grand
• Josh Ritter – Baby That’s Not All

One of the reasons I love eMusic is that I can always count on them having those rare compilation discs put out by my favorite indie labels. Which is great for two reasons: (1) I don’t have to track them down in the stores and (2) I don’t have to spend big bucks on the one or two tracks I actually want.

With that said, there’s not much more I can say about the tracks posted below. Recorded by two of my favorite artists, both songs can only be found on the Kill Rock Stars compilation The Sound the Hare Heard.

Keep your eye on Devin Davis and Jeff Hanson as they are both looking to release new albums sometime soon (I cannot be more specific because they refuse to be more specific). Hopefully the songs below will make the wait more tolerable, or if you’ve never heard of these artists, will serve as a proper introduction.

• Devin Davis – When the Angels Lift Our Eyelids In the Morning
• Jeff Hanson – Daylight

Maybe, just maybe, you’ve noticed the recent lack of activity on my blog. You’ll be happy to know that this time I attribute it to a reason other than laziness.

As of late, I’ve been listening to lots of old music: Tokyo Police Club, Songs: Ohia, Jeff Hanson, Tom McRae, Devin Davis, Ryan Adams, etc. Or, in other words, stuff I’ve already blogged about. And while I’ve also been listening to lots of new stuff (Ryan Adams, Rocky Votolato, Interpol, Spoon, Bishop Allen), nothing has inspired me to post on the ole blog. As a result, I effectively missed the first birthday of Mike Went West and, maybe more importantly, left my readers out in the cold in the middle of a rather active month for music.

I can’t say that I’m disappointed with the recent batch of new releases. Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is quite solid; Ryan Adams and Rocky Votolato put forth worthy discs; Interpol is quickly gaining strength. All this goodness, however, has been obscured by older stuff in my catalog.

I guess I should clarify what I mean by “older stuff.” I have this terrible habit of listening to an album for about a month and then tossing it aside for something new (that’s how I can listen to so much new music all at the same time). The main drawback to this approach is that if the album doesn’t hit me almost immediately, it gets lost in the noise. And while some deserve this kind of treatment, others do not. To make a long story short, I consider “older stuff” to be anything I’ve already tossed aside.

Time to bring this rambling mess back on track. Below I’ve posted several mp3′s. The first is a gorgeous sad-bastard song by Ryan Adams. The second is super cool track from Spoon’s newest release Ga x 5. And the last is a haunting number by Tom McRae, a guy I should’ve mentioned a long time ago. Enjoy.

• Ryan Adams – Elizabeth, You Were Born to Play That Part
• Spoon – Eddie’s Ragga
• Tom McRae – Walking 2 Hawaii

Seems like consistency isn’t one of my strengths. New posts and podcasts are long overdue. I’ll try to work on that. Soon. But for now, please enjoy the following Mini Mix, which I’ve title “Bedroom Kids.”

The first track on the mix is an incredibly gorgeous song by Joanna Newsom called “Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie.” Those of you who think she is a bit strange could potentially like this song – it’s definitely one of her more normal recordings.

The second track is my favorite song from the National’s new album Boxer. It’s called “Slow Show” and while it may be my favorite track at the moment, it’s likely to change. Finally, a new album that hasn’t disappointed me.

And the last track is a one I’ve recently become re-obsessed with. It’s yet another song by the National, this one titled “90-Mile Water Wall” from Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers. Did I mention I’m seeing them live in a few weeks? It’s gonna be amazing.

I’m also seeing Menomena in a few days. It’s like Christmas in June.

• Joanna Newsom – Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie
• The National – Slow Show
• The National – 90-Mile Water Wall

This week’s post features of set of songs from the past, present, and future.

But first, as an addendum to last week’s post, here’s yet another excellent version of “Moonshiner,” this time by Uncle Tupelo (there are many other fantastic versions of this song – I think I could dedicate my entire blog to only that song). Remember, my previous disclaimer is still in effect: only binge-drink if looking for musical inspiration, or something like that.

• Uncle Tupelo – Moonshiner [live]

THE PAST

Not many bands can pull a complete 180 like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club did back in 2005 and survive. With the release of Howl, BRMC abruptly transitioned from Interpol-esque bombastic prog rock to rollicking, jangly Americana. Turns out they can write a pretty good country tune.

• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl

THE PRESENT

I’ll be the first to admit I was a little late hopping on the Modest Mouse train. My first exposure to them came with “Float On” from the extremely polarizing Good News For People That Love Bad News.

I really liked the majority of that album (“Bukowski,” “The View,” and “One Chance” are instant classics), and I also liked the majority of their older albums. So I guess that’s what I’ve come to expect from them. And I’m fine with that, because the songs that hit are, most often, incredible.

The song posted below hits the mark big time. I’ve listened to We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank several times through and I’m pretty happy. While it’s not quite as good as Good News, it’s definitely not as bad as some reviews make it out to be. If you’ve been reluctant to give it a try, I suggest you just listen to it and form your own opinion.

And while at it, give the band Loney, Dear some attention. I discovered them a month ago thanks to cokemachine. Their sound is hard to describe, but fans of mellow indie pop/rock should like what they hear.

• Modest Mouse – Little Motel
• Loney, Dear – Sinister In a State of Hope

THE FUTURE

I can’t explain what’s been going on recently, but I’m worried about a pattern that seems to be developing. Maybe I should stop listening to music because every new album released by a band I already listen to has been disappointing. Or in other words, if I like a band most likely their new album will be mediocre (see My Morning Jacket, Built to Spill, The Shins, Akron/Family, Explosions In the Sky, Bloc Party).

Now do you see why I’m concerned? That’s a pretty long list of bands, and I even left off a few. But despite the recent string of disappointments, I’m holding out hope that the new National album Boxer will break the pattern. If the track posted below is any indication, I think I can safely continue listening to my favorite bands.

• The National – Fake Empire

PS – With this post, I believe I have cleared out the backlog of music worth mentioning, so future posts should be much shorter.