Despite a hectic 4th of July weekend, I’m excited to get back to work. And by work I mean writing about music. Which is convenient because I suddenly have lots to write about. Who knows, I might even settle into my old routine: posting a Weekly Download every week and an Artist Spotlight every month. Imagine that. We’ll see what actually happens.

One thing I know for certain, however, is that I’ll post a new Mike Mix every month. And it is with great pleasure that I present the latest installment: Mike Mix 07.

Darker and moodier than its predecessor, Mike Mix 07 might require a few listens before it grows on you. It starts quietly with beautiful songs by Tiny Television, Hurray For the Riff Raff, and Spiritualized. City and Colour’s “What Makes a Man?” transitions the mix to a louder section of music, which is anchored to two fantastic songs by Brand New. Following this intense emotional apex, the mix mellows out big time (and stays that way until it ends). I could talk specifically about the next eight tracks but don’t think it’s necessary. Each song is fantastic, otherwise it wouldn’t have made the mix. The only thing left to do is give it a listen! And then maybe another…

As always, I recommend listening to Mike Mix 07 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

I’m afraid no matter how hard I try, I simply can’t do this post justice. It has nothing to do with the quality of the song, in fact, it could be any song.

The problem lies in the backlog of music I need (and want) to clear out. I have enough material for at least two Artist Spotlights and two Regional Mixes. And as much as I want to share my latest obsessions as soon as possible, I’m still working on a good way to organize it all.

This wealth of material stems from my seemingly insatiable appetite for country/folk/bluegrass music. It all began with the Magnolia Electric Co box set Sojourner, which largely inspired my “Midwest Melancholy” Regional Mix. Then I discovered Deer Tick, The Acorn, Gillian Welch, and The Everybodyfields in quick succession. All of these artists have been covered (to varying degree) in previous articles; several more have popped up since then and deserve equal attention.

Needless to say, until I clear all this out, I’m going to feel slightly distracted and unfocused. As a result, the next few posts will likely be short on text (and justice), as evidenced below.

This week’s download features a song called “Late Blues” by Ida. I immediately fell in love with its somber, late night feel. Beautifully understated and achingly delicate, “Late Blues” is a near-perfect combination of electric guitar, bass, and drums. Check out Heart Like a River if you like what you hear.

[mp3] Ida :: Late Blues