Much like its older siblings, Mike Mix 10 is packed with tons of great music. And while I always recommend listening to the mix in its entirety, a few tracks stand above the rest.

The first is “Sublime” by The Twilight Singers. Drifting dangerously close to adult-contemporary, the song features sultry vocals, whiny guitars, and some unbelievably cheesy whispering during the bridge. In anyone else’s hands this song would be a train wreck, but The Twilight Singers make it sound heartfelt and sincere.

The second is “Trailer Trash” by Modest Mouse. Replete with depressing lyrics and fantastic guitar work, the song is vintage Modest Mouse. If you enjoyed “Broke” on Mike Mix 09, you’ll love “Trailer Trash.” Self-loathing never sounded so good.

And the third is “Love Vigilantes” by Iron & Wine. Originally recorded by New Order, the song tells the story of a soldier returning home after war. I would say more but I don’t want to give too much away. Just listen to the song. You’ll quickly discover why I love it so much.

But don’t forget there are 12 more songs on Mike Mix 10. I’ve written about a handful of them previously, but several are appearing on my site for the first time. There’s the sinister “DLZ,” the creepy-but-achingly-gorgeous “Borrowed Your Gun,” and the heartbreaking “Miss Me.” Listen to them all and let me know your favorites!

Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below. Enjoy!

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 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!