Despite a minor hiccup last month, Mike Mix production rolls on with the twenty-eighth installment in the series. This might be a bit of a stretch (and somewhat dramatic), but Mike Mix 28 reminds me of a gentle Midwest thunderstorm. Let me explain.

Storms in Wisconsin typically have three distinct phases. During the first phase, a dark, ominous cloud looms on the horizon. Everything is still and eerily quiet. As the storm slowly approaches, a few drops of rain start to fall and the wind begins to swirl. The sky flickers faintly with distant lightning. This is the calm before the storm (tracks 1 and 2).

• 1. Sufjan Stevens – All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
• 2. Animal Collective – Loch Raven

In the second phase the storm finally hits. Flashes of lightning become brighter and more frequent. Thunder builds from a low, muffled rumble to a deafening, house-rattling cacophony. The heavens open, inundating the earth with sheets of torrential rain. In short, all hell breaks loose (tracks 3 trough 8).

• 3. Meursault – The Dirt & the Roots
• 4. Jaill – The Stroller
• 5. Yeasayer – Madder Red
• 6. Twin Shadow – Castles In the Snow
• 7. The Walkmen – Juveniles
• 8. Modest Mouse – Ohio

In the third phase the storm starts to break. The rain eases and the lightning and thunder fade away. Birds slowly begin to emerge from their nests. The air is cool and fresh. This is the calm after the storm. Off in the distance, however, looms another dark cloud (tracks 9 through 13).

• 9. South San Gabriel – Inhabitants
• 10. Sharon Van Etten – Much More Than That
• 11. Bad Books – I Begged You Everything
• 12. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Boneindian
• 13. Joanna Newsom – Does Not Suffice

Despite being presented in three distinct parts, I strongly encourage listening to Mike Mix 28 in its entirety. Stream the mix using the player embedded in this page. Download a zip file with all thirteen songs using the link below.

• Download entire mix