Despite its obscenely ugly album cover, Mike Mix 08 features some great music. It’s also the most upbeat mix to date – even the sad songs sound kinda happy. But don’t worry, it’s not all sunshine and puppy dogs. Beneath the surface lurks an undercurrent of sadness.

The mix contains so many amazing songs I can’t possibly write about each one. So instead I will focus on a select few.

The first is “Broke” by Modest Mouse. One of the darkest songs on the mix, “Broke” features a pretty guitar riff and some of the finest (and most self-loathing) Modest Mouse lyrics ever recorded. At the other end of the spectrum is “Two Kids” by Strand of Oaks. Though slightly self-deprecating, the lyrics are also undeniably sweet. Lastly, “Bones” by DeYarmond Edison captures the mood of the entire mix: the cheerful instrumentation masks feelings of longing and regret.

These three songs are only the tip of the iceberg. The other eleven lie waiting to be discovered. I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 08 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

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).

• [mp3] Peter Broderick :: And It’s Alright
• [mp3] Mark Farina :: Dream Machine (featuring Sean Hayes)
• [mp3] Lil’ Wayne :: Tie My Hands
• [mp3] Frontier Ruckus :: Dark Autumn Hour
• [mp3] Phosphorescent :: Wolves
• [mp3] William Fitzsimmons :: Find Me to Forgive
• [mp3] Spiritualized :: Sitting On Fire
• [mp3] Titus Andronicus :: No Future
• [mp3] The Gaslight Anthem :: Here’s Looking At You, Kid
• [mp3] Andrew Bird :: Take Courage

As the above track listing indicates, the mix is a little eclectic. Download all 10 songs in a zip file here. And as always, if you like any of the above songs, please support the artists!

2007 was a great year for music. New albums from Radiohead, Interpol, The National, Andrew Bird, Okkervil River, and Spoon all rocked hard. My discovery of The Acorn, Kings of Leon, The Everybodyfields, and Menomena, coupled with an impressive debut from Deer Tick, made the year that much more amazing.

So when it came time to assemble my annual Top 10 Songs of 2007 list, I just couldn’t chop it down to size. As a result I’ve decided to expand the list to 15 songs. Plus I’ve already blogged about 9 of the 15 songs on the list, so the 5 extra slots allow me to post some new mp3’s.

Continuing to break with tradition, I’ve decided to categorize the 15 songs into 5 separate categories based on their mood and style. Enjoy!

Songs I listen to when I am happy (aka pop songs):

[mp3] The Shins :: Australia
[mp3] Okkervil River :: Unless It’s Kicks
[mp3] Modest Mouse :: Missed the Boat

Songs I listen to when I am sad (aka bawlers):

[mp3] Andrew Bird :: Cataracts
[mp3] The National :: Slow Show
[mp3] The Acorn :: Glory

Songs I listen to when I party (aka rockers):

[mp3] Interpol :: Rest My Chemistry
[mp3] Spoon :: Eddie’s Ragga
[mp3] Kings of Leon :: McFearless

Songs I listen to when I drive (aka rollers):

[mp3] The Everybodyfields :: Aeroplane
[mp3] Deer Tick :: Dirty Dishes
[mp3] Magnolia Electric Co :: Nashville Moon

Songs I listen to whenever (aka great songs):

[mp3] Kings of Leon :: On Call
[mp3] Radiohead :: Reckoner
[mp3] Menomena :: Rotten Hell

Get ‘em while they’re hot! Check the comments for additional lists…

If anyone out there still actually reads my blog, I’d be amazed. Thank you for your support through these dire times.

In an incredibly misguided attempt to make up for the lack of activity, I’ve decided to post a slew of mp3’s that’ve been in heavy rotation as of late.

Here’s an catchy little song from a band that reminds me a lot of The Strokes when they were actually good. Check out their EP A Lesson In Crime if you like what you hear.

[mp3] Tokyo Police Club :: Be Good

The following track closes out Of Montreal’s most recent LP Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, which even in the age of iTunes and digital downloads, is a remarkably cohesive and engrossing album.

[mp3] Of Montreal :: We Were Born the Mutants Again With Leafing

Fans of Menomena will enjoy this radically different version of “Wet and Rusting.” It may even convert those of you who have yet to recognize the brilliance of this band.

[mp3] Menomena :: Wet and Rusting [live]

I was looking forward to Andrew Bird’s new album Armchair Apocrypha ever since the beginning of 2007. Despite being slightly disappointed thus far (which is only because The Mysterious Production of Eggs was so damn good), I absolutely love the gorgeous track posted below.

[mp3] Andrew Bird :: Cataracts

“You’ve got your reasons / And me I’ve got mine / But all the reasons I gave / Were just lies to buy myself some time.” Enough said.

[mp3] Arcade Fire :: Ocean of Noise

The closing track on Dr. Dog’s We All Belong sounds unlike anything else on the album. Make sure to also check out the two mp3’s posted on their site here before buying.

[mp3] Dr. Dog :: I Hope There’s Love

This one isn’t so new as it is amazing. If you have yet to discover Jeff Hanson, use the following track as a starting point. Then check out previous posts (here and here) for more of his tunes (and yes, that’s a guy singing).

[mp3] Jeff Hanson :: Somedays and Sundays