Mike Mix 21 is, in a word, epic. At nearly 80 minutes, it’s the longest mix to date, featuring a gut-busting quantity of amazing songs. Which seems appropriate considering many of us spent the long weekend gorging ourselves on food and football. So maybe I should label this the Thanksgiving Mike Mix, because you’ll feel disgustingly full after listening to it. On second thought, maybe not.

In all seriousness, Mike Mix 21 features a ton of great songs. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Tales of loss and heartache abound, yet underneath all the sadness lies a sense of optimism. In other words, the type of music that drives me crazy: songs that are equal parts devastating and comforting. Devastating because they evoke memories of difficult times. Comforting because they remind you that you’re not alone – someone else out there has endured something similar.

Prime examples of this duality include “Love Is All” by The Tallest Man On Earth, “Oh My Sweet Carolina” by Ryan Adams, and “I Will Be There When You Die” by My Morning Jacket. Each song features a vocal performance so incredible it makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen. Other highlights include “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” by David Gray, one of the greatest covers of all time, and “The Weary Kind” by Ryan Bingham, the inspiration for the mix.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 21 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. Weinland – God Here I Come
• 2. Gillian Welch – Annabelle
• 3. Beck – True Love Will Find You In the End
• 4. The Tallest Man On Earth – Where I Thought I Met the Angels
• 5. Songs: Ohia – Translation
• 6. The Tallest Man On Earth – Love Is All
• 7. Ryan Bingham – The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)
• 8. Ryan Adams – Oh My Sweet Carolina
• 9. Rose Cousins – If You Were For Me
• 10. M. Ward – Carolina
• 11. Calexico – Removed
• 12. My Morning Jacket – I Will Be There When You Die
• 13. Iron & Wine – Upward Over the Mountain
• 14. David Gray – Say Hello Wave Goodbye
• 15. The Everybodyfields – Good to Be Home
• Download entire mix

Here are a few random facts about Mike Mix 20. The mix features: a song by a band I passionately hated for a long time; a song that should’ve been on Mike Mix 19; a song I hope the producers of MTV’s The Shore never get their hands on; a song featured on Greys Anatomy, quite possibly the worst show on television (The Shore is a close second); and a song by the son of an artist also featured on Mike Mix 20. Some of these facts should be pretty obvious, others may require a little research.

Mike Mix 20 may very well be my best mix yet. With that said, it could take a few listens before it grows on you. The first half is a little slow. Songs like “Stupid Is As Stupid Does” by South San Gabriel and “Banshee Beat” by Animal Collective develop at a glacial pace, though it’s the journey that makes these songs great. “Slow Jabroni,” one of my favorite tracks from Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast, takes over 3 minutes before it fully comes to life.

Anchoring the middle of Mike Mix 20 are two drastically different versions of high-energy songs, one by We Were Promised Jetpacks (“Short Bursts”), the other by Manchester Orchestra (“Shake It Out”). Both versions trade in the ferocity of the originals for subdued, sublime beauty. And speaking of sublime beauty, there’s also “Cold Summer” by Seabear. Amazing melodies, gorgeous violins, and heartbreaking lyrics reinforce why I love the band so much.

As always, I strongly recommend listening to Mike Mix 20 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below. Enjoy!

• 1. The Twilight Singers – Martin Eden
• 2. Songs: Ohia – The Black Crow
• 3. South San Gabriel – Stupid Is As Stupid Does
• 4. This Will Destroy You – Threads
• 5. Animal Collective – Banshee Beat
• 6. Surfer Blood – Slow Jabroni
• 7. We Were Promised Jetpacks – Short Bursts (Alternate Version)
• 8. Manchester Orchestra – Shake It Out (Alternate Version)
• 9. Seabear – Cold Summer
• 10. Basia Bulat – The Shore
• 11. Steve Earle – Over Yonder (Jonathan’s Song)
• 12. Justin Townes Earle – Someday I’ll Be Forgiven For This
• Download entire mix

Let’s get straight to it: Mike Mix 19 is different than previous mixes. For starters, it’s only 7 tracks long. Not because I’m running out of good music. Quite the opposite, actually. Lately there’s been so much good music I’ve decided to dedicate Mike Mix 19 to a very specific genre: instrumental rock.

I’ve toyed with the idea of putting some instrumental tracks on Mike Mixes for a while now. I never actually did it because I felt they would’ve disrupted the flow of the mix too much. I just couldn’t sandwich an epic, mind-blowing instrumental piece between two quiet folk songs. These monsters needed their own space.

Enter Mike Mix 19, whose 7 songs are the absolute cream of the instrumental crop. The mix begins with “For We Had No Road,” a gorgeous track by Joy Wants Eternity that steadily builds to a soaring climax. A hypnotic drum beat propels the second track, “The Kidnapper Bell” by Mono, to the edge of a terrifying precipice. The third song, “New Paths to Helicon Pt I” by Mogwai, features shimmering guitars and an incredible bass line. The fourth track is the skittish “A Song For Our Fathers” by Explosions In the Sky. On “We Flood Empty Lakes” by Yndi Halda, violins take center stage, lifting the song through increasingly beautiful passages of music. “Vertex” by Daturah features some of the most breathtaking drum and guitar melodies I’ve ever heard (starting around the 6:30 mark). And if all of this wasn’t enough, the last track on the mix, “The Distance Between Us” by Codes In the Clouds, pummels you with an epic wall of noise.

I’m extremely proud of Mike Mix 19. Instrumental music is a huge part of my catalog, and one that I’ve neglected to write about for far too long. I strongly recommend listening to Mike Mix 19 in the order presented below. As always, enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Joy Wants Eternity – For We Had No Road
• 2. Mono – The Kidnapper Bell
• 3. Mogwai – New Paths to Helicon Pt I
• 4. Explosions In the Sky – A Song For Our Fathers
• 5. Yndi Halda – We Flood Empty Lakes
• 6. Daturah – Vertex
• 7. Codes In the Clouds – The Distance Between Us
• 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

SAN FRANCISCO – In a recent public statement the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criticized the popular music blog Mike Went West over its “wasteful and unsustainable practices.” The agency specifically mentioned the Mike Mix production process, in which company policy strictly prohibits the recycling of songs. The EPA alleges that this policy has “resulted in dozens of perfectly good tracks being thrown away simply because they’ve been used once before.”

Mike Went West has not officially responded to the EPA’s allegations, though in past statements the blog justified its anti-recycling policy, saying it was “essential to satisfying customers’ insatiable appetites for new music.”

Recent activity on the blog, however, hints at a possible shift in policy. The track list for Mike Mix 17, the latest installment in the series, features only songs from previous mixes. Some are calling it a ‘best of’ compilation. Others are calling it a cheap ploy intended to appease the EPA and calm skittish investors. Either way, Mike Mix 17 has been wildly successful. Rolling Stone writes, “The mix effortlessly blends seemingly incompatible genres of music to make a delicious and strangely-satisfying sonic smoothie.”

In unrelated news, the blog is rumored to be redesigning its website. If true, it will be the site’s third iteration since launching back in 2006. True to recent form, Mike Went West has remained silent on the issue. Analysts predict a launch date sometime in August. Perhaps this rumored redesign explains the recent lack of activity on the site. One can only hope.

[Editor's Note: Just in case it wasn't entirely obvious, the above story is completely fabricated. Mike Mix 17, however, is very real. Download or stream it using the links below. Enjoy!]

• 1. Spoon – Metal Detektor
• 2. Modest Mouse – Broke
• 3. Ten Kens – Y’all Come Back Now
• 4. The National – Available
• 5. Brand New – Bought a Bride
• 6. Arctic Monkeys – Dance Little Liar
• 7. Interpol – NYC
• 8. The Antlers – Two
• 9. Monsters of Folk – Temazcal
• 10. Annuals – Always Do
• 11. Deer Tick – Smith Hill
• 12. Yarn – Lies I’ve Told
• 13. Iron & Wine – Love Vigilantes
• 14. Old Crow Medicine Show – Wagon Wheel
• 15. Justin Townes Earle – A Desolate Angels Blues
• Download entire mix

When I posted my first Mike Mix a year ago, I promised to release a new one each month. You might’ve noticed, however, that I’ve posted only ten mixes so far (excluding this one). Normally, I’d apologize for being lazy, but given the general lack of activity on my site, I’m actually pretty pleased with myself. Ten out of twelve ain’t too shabby.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed that Mike Mixes usually follow one of three patterns. They either: (a) start happy and end sad; (b) start sad, become happy in the middle, and then end sad; or (c) start and end sad. Judging from these patterns, it appears as though I can only handle happiness in short bursts. One of these days I’ll make a mix that is entirely happy, just don’t hold your breath.

With all that said, I’d put the latest installment in the series in the (a) category. After two consecutive mixes full of dark and dreary songs, Mike Mix 16 provides a much needed shot of happiness to the series. Just in time for summer!

Mike Mix 16 kicks off with “Next Exit,” the opener from Interpol’s sophomore album Antics. This might sound a little cheesy, but I really like listening to “Next Exit” as I’m driving to the city for a night out with friends. I’m not a big partier, but the opening notes of the organ always get me pumped. The next few tracks keep pace with (and even eclipse) the opener. “Poison Cup” by M. Ward is the benchmark by which all love songs should be judged. “Walkabout” by Atlas Sound features a melody so catchy you’ll need a lobotomy to get it out of your head.

By now you might be wondering when Mike Mix 16 transitions from happy to sad. Look no further than track 8, the über-depressing “Lost Cause” by Beck. Other highlights from the second half include Horse Feathers’ delicate cover of “Orphan Girl” and Deer Tick’s heartbreaking “Smith Hill.” Despite the shift in tone, the second side of the mix punches just as hard as the first.

As always, I strongly recommend listening to Mike Mix 16 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below! Enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Interpol – Next Exit
• 2. M. Ward – Poison Cup
• 3. Modest Mouse – People As Places As People
• 4. Josh Ritter – Golden Age of Radio
• 5. Timber Timbre – We’ll Find Out
• 6. Atlas Sound – Walkabout
• 7. Memory Tapes – Green Knight
• 8. Beck – Lost Cause
• 9. Horse Feathers – Orphan Girl
• 10. Gillian Welch – Everything Is Free
• 11. Calexico / Iron & Wine – Sixteen, Maybe Less
• 12. Deer Tick – Smith Hill
• 13. The Everybodyfields – Birthday
• 14. Molina & Johnson – Lenore’s Lullaby
• 15. Horse Feathers – Different Gray
• 16. The Antlers – Cold War
• Download entire mix

If you thought the previous Mike Mix was a downer (which it was), wait until you hear Mike Mix 15. I don’t know what inspired it, but holy crap is it depressing. It’s also one of the longest mixes to date. Better buckle up…

Mike Mix 15 kicks off with “Untitled,” the opener from Interpol’s classic debut Turn On the Bright Lights. The track, much like the album, perfectly captures the seediness of the city after the sun goes down. “Ghost of a Shark” by Tom McRae, on the other hand, would make an excellent soundtrack to escaping the city limits at the break of dawn.

I could continue like this for the rest of the mix but I think you get the idea: the songs of Mike Mix 15 are the opposite of happy. Some of my favorites include the fiery “Bought a Bride” by Brand New, the monstrous “Dance Little Liar” by Arctic Monkeys, the dejected “Things Fall Apart” by Built to Spill, and the wistful “Forests and Sands” by Camera Obscura. If these tracks seem familiar, it’s because they all made my Top 10 Songs of 2009 list. I loved them back then and still love them today.

As always, I strongly recommend listening to Mike Mix 15 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below! Enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Interpol – Untitled
• 2. Tom McRae – Ghost of a Shark
• 3. Shearwater – Rooks
• 4. The National – Squalor Victoria
• 5. Radiohead – All I Need
• 6. Radiohead – Climbing Up the Walls
• 7. Brand New – Bought a Bride
• 8. The Walkmen – The Rat
• 9. Arctic Monkeys – Dance Little Liar
• 10. Monsters of Folk – Temazcal
• 11. Built to Spill – Things Fall Apart
• 12. Modest Mouse – Bankrupt On Selling
• 13. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Strange Form of Life
• 14. Shearwater – Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine
• 15. Camera Obscura – Forests and Sands
• 16. Portland Cello Project – Travel
• Download entire mix

I find it mildly ironic that on the heels of one of the most upbeat Mike Mixes on record comes one of the most depressing. Mike Mix 14 is, without a doubt, a complete downer. A quick glance at the song titles (see the track list below) reveals themes of loneliness and asphyxiation – not the most uplifting subject matter.

But in my experience, sad songs often have the most beauty and depth. And the tracks on Mike Mix 14 only reinforce this. Consider “Strangulation!” by My Morning Jacket. The song immediately explodes with a cacophony of guitars, drums, and muffled screaming. Then after a minute everything cuts out, leaving Jim James’ reverb-drenched vocals front and center. What follows is quite possibly the best six minutes of music ever recorded. It is both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. Even after all these years the song still hits like a ton of bricks.

Mike Mix 14 features a handful of artists that are appearing on my site for the first time. One of them is Manchester Orchestra. If I wasn’t so lazy, I would’ve written about these guys months ago. They are incredible. The two songs on the mix (“Where Have You Been?” and “I Can Barely Breathe”) are from their debut album I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child. Hopefully I’ll post something about them in the next few weeks. They deserve more attention than these few brief sentences.

As always, I strongly recommend listening to Mike Mix 14 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below! Enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Loney, Dear – Under a Silent Sea
• 2. Cat Power – Rockets
• 3. Interpol – The New
• 4. Brand New – You Won’t Know
• 5. Manchester Orchestra – Where Have You Been?
• 6. Manchester Orchestra – I Can Barely Breathe
• 7. My Morning Jacket – Strangulation!
• 8. The Cave Singers – Bramble
• 9. Kevin Devine – Less Yesterday, More Today
• 10. Ryan Bingham – Rollin’ Highway Blues
• 11. Steve Earle – Lonelier Than This
• 12. Drive-By Truckers – Goddamn Lonely Love
• 13. The Helio Sequence – No Regrets
• Download entire mix

I absolutely love making new Mike Mixes every month but for some reason always dread writing about them. Maybe I’m overwhelmed by the shear quantity of music in each mix, or maybe I’m suffering through a debilitating case of writer’s block. Either way, it’s annoying and needs to end. Especially since I don’t plan on halting Mike Mix production any time soon.

With that said, the latest installment in the series upholds the fine tradition established by its older siblings. Mike Mix 13 is instantly accessible, uniquely diverse, and endlessly rewarding. Think I’m exaggerating? I might be, though you won’t know for sure until you check it out yourself. But first, here are some quick details:

The first half of Mike Mix 13 is surprisingly upbeat. It kicks off with a trio of bombastic, hypnotic pop songs by indie heavyweights Andrew Bird, The Dodos, and Annuals. Next follow a pair of lo-fi gems by The American Analog Set and Blur. I especially like “Caravan.” It sounds like a long, trippy journey through the desert. So pretty! Rounding out the first half of the mix are two amazing tracks by the late Jeff Hanson and one by Carissa’s Weird.

The second half of Mike Mix 13 is unapologetically twangy, starting with a country-fried slice of perfection by Justin Rutledge. The next song, “Quattro (Worlds Drift In)” by Calexico, is the perfect soundtrack to traveling down a lonely, dusty highway at twilight. Following this is Cat Power’s incredible cover of “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love WIth You)” by Hank Williams. A couple of epic barn burners by Wye Oak and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson lead into a pair of quiet Dylan-esque numbers by Deer Tick and Vandaveer, closing the mix on a very sweet note.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 13 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below! Enjoy responsibly.

• 1. Andrew Bird – Fake Palindromes
• 2. The Dodos – Two Medicines
• 3. Annuals – Springtime
• 4. The American Analog Set – Born On the Cusp
• 5. Blur – Caravan
• 6. Jeff Hanson – Welcome Here
• 7. Jeff Hanson – I Just Don’t Believe You
• 8. Carissa’s Wierd – Fluorescent Lights
• 9. Justin Rutledge – A Letter to Heather
• 10. Calexico – Quattro (World Drifts In)
• 11. Cat Power – Still In Love
• 12. Wye Oak – For Prayer
• 13. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – My Good Luck
• 14. Deer Tick – Nevada
• 15. Vandaveer – Beverly Cleary’s 115th Dream
• Download entire mix

I just realized it’s been well over a month since I last posted an mp3 and almost 3 months since my last Mike Mix! I sincerely apologize. Now that my year-end coverage is officially complete, I will return to my normal schedule. And I have a lot to write about. Over the past few months, I’ve become obsessed with a handful of amazing albums. I hope to write about each one in the coming weeks. I might even come up with a catchy title for the feature. Stay tuned.

But before I do that, I have a brand new Mike Mix to introduce. A quick glance at the track list (below) reveals that nearly half of the songs come from only two bands: Loney, Dear and Annuals. If you’ve never heard these two artists before, Mike Mix 12 will serve as an excellent introduction to them. Make sure to check out the track “Always Do.” The pedal steel and soaring middle section of the song are truly incredible.

Scattered between these tracks are dusty gems by some of my all-time favorite bands. Highlights include: “Metal Detektor,” an effortlessly cool number by Spoon; “Uprooted,” a slow-burning anthem from The Antlers; and “About Today,” a slice of late-night perfection by The National.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 12 in the order presented below. Download or stream the entire mix using the links below! Enjoy!

• 1. Spoon – Metal Detektor
• 2. Loney, Dear – Distant Lights
• 3. The National – About Today
• 4. My Morning Jacket – The Bear
• 5. Annuals – Always Do
• 6. Annuals – Ida, My
• 7. The American Analog Set – The Postman
• 8. Bishop Allen – I Get Along
• 9. Loney, Dear – I Was Only Going Out
• 10. Loney, Dear – Summers
• 11. Annuals – Sway
• 12. Devin Davis – Deserted Eyeland
• 13. The Antlers – Uprooted
• 14. Hayden – You Are All I Have
• Download entire mix