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 it here or stream it using the player below. Enjoy!]

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

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

Initially I didn’t think I could write this post. It seemed like an impossible task. How on earth was I supposed to come up with and then rank my favorite albums from the past decade? I have enough trouble doing it for just one year. There’s simply too much good music out there (despite my occasional whining to the contrary).

But when I really started thinking about it, I came to the following conclusion: a decade is a terrible thing to waste. In all reality, I may not get another opportunity like this. After all, who knows what I’ll be doing ten years from now. Also, musically speaking, the past decade was an important one for me. Over the course of ten years, my muted appreciation of music gradually transformed into a full-blown obsession. I now spend most of my free time searching for, writing about, and listening to music.

In the end I guess it was a pretty easy decision. I would’ve been extremely foolish to let the decade pass without weighing in on my favorite albums. It was a lot of work, but I managed to compile a list of my 30 favorite albums from 2000-2009. Not necessarily the best or most important albums, but those that had the greatest impact on me.

With all that said, I proudly present the Top 30 Albums of the Decade…

ALBUMS 30 – 21

ALBUMS 20 – 11

ALBUMS 10 – 1

Like I said, compiling this list was no easy task. In the end, tons of amazing albums got axed. Check the comments to see which ones barely missed the cut. And leave comments to let me know which albums I missed completely!

Throughout most of 2009, I struggled to find inspiration to write on my blog. If not for my monthly Mike Mixes, my site would’ve been rather quiet. So what gives? After some thought, I’ve decided that 2009 just wasn’t that great of a year for music. There was plenty of hype but very few albums actually delivered.

With that said, I’m pleasantly surprised by how my list shaped up this year. Initially I couldn’t even come up with 10 albums worthy of the honor. But after spending several weeks reexamining the year’s output, I’ve assembled a list of 10 truly amazing albums. Normally I would write short blurbs about each one but I’m a little tired after the New Year’s Day tragedy (aka accidentally deleting my entire website and having to rebuild it from scratch).

So without further ado, I present the Top 10 Albums of 2009…

I kick off my year-end coverage with the Top 10 Songs of 2009. Unlike previous years, I assigned a specific order to the songs on the list. Click any of the cells below to download individual tracks, or grab all ten here. You can also stream the entire mix using the flash player at the end of the post.

THE BIG PINK :: VELVET A late addition to the list, “Velvet” is big, dramatic, and grabs your attention on first listen. Too bad the rest of The Big Pink’s debut can’t quite measure up to this fantastic song.

FANFARLO :: I’M A PILOT This song pretty much has it all: great lyrics, gorgeous strings, beautiful piano melodies, thunderous drums, and (of course) an epic climax.

DEER TICK :: SMITH HILL What’s the best way to lament losing your true love? There are many options, but on “Smith Hill” Deer Tick choose to sing an incredible, soaring chorus. I think it’s pretty effective.

CAMERA OBSCURA :: FORESTS AND SANDS I’m not the biggest Camera Obscura fan, but something about “Forests and Sands” really gets me. I love how the instrumentation perfectly matches the sorrowful lyrics.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF :: DANIELLA I’ve said this before but it needs repeating: the intro to “Daniella” is one of the most beautiful and relaxing pieces of music I’ve ever heard. The rest of the song is icing on the cake.

BUILT TO SPILL :: THINGS FALL APART The song title pretty much says it all. On “Things Fall Apart” Built to Spill temporarily abandon their signature detachment for a more personal (and vulnerable) sound.

LONEY, DEAR :: DISTANT LIGHTS I had a very difficult time picking just one song from Dear John. On an album full of amazing tracks, “Distant Lights” shines slightly brighter than the rest.

ARCTIC MONKEYS :: DANCE LITTLE LIAR Every time I listen to this song I fall in love with a different part. First it was the hair-raising guitar solo. Then the monstrous drum beat. Now the cryptic lyrics. I can’t wait to see what’ll be next!

BRAND NEW :: BOUGHT A BRIDE On “Bought a Bride” Brand New sound almost unhinged. I thought their old material was as intense as it gets. I was wrong. This song is on another level.

THE ANTLERS :: TWO This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. I’ve been obsessed with this song since first hearing it back in June. Heartbreaking and epic, “Two” is damn near perfect.

Do you think I left out a song or two? You’re probably right. Let me know what I’m missing by leaving a comment!

As it turns out, every song on Mike Mix 11 is new to my site. I don’t know how this happened, but needless to say I have my work cut out for me.

So I guess I’ll start with the obvious: Mike Mix 11 features a ton of great music. And it starts out firing on all cylinders. After almost two minutes of quiet noodling, the first track, “Brother” by Annuals, explodes in a cacophony of guitars, drums, and violins. The next two songs keep the pedal to the floor. “Percussion Gun” by White Rabbits rides a thunderous drum beat while “Quiet Little Voices” by We Were Promised Jetpacks soars on a relentless guitar riff. It’s hard to imagine a more energetic start to a mix.

Following this fiery opening is a trilogy of fantastic songs. “Y’all Come Back Now” by Ten Kens is one hundred percent badass. “Available” by The National is the angriest, most bitter song the band’s ever recorded. And “Papillon” by The Twilight Singers is dark yet surprisingly upbeat.

The second half of Mike Mix 11 doesn’t quite pack the same punch as the first. But what it lacks in energy it makes up for with raw emotion. “Lies I’ve Told” by Yarn is completely devastating. So too is “Fool” by Cat Power, though for different reasons. In “Lies I’ve Told” the lyrics break your heart, whereas in “Fool” the instrumentation paints an overwhelmingly bleak picture. But the second half isn’t all doom and gloom, however. The mix closes on a relatively upbeat note with “Epilogue,” the soaring finale from Hospice by The Antlers.

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 11 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

Every time I make a new Mike Mix I’m amazed by how much good music falls through the cracks over time. After all, only a small number of songs on each mix have been featured previously on my site. There simply isn’t enough time to write about them all.

Which is why I love making these mixes so much: songs that otherwise would’ve remained permanently buried finally see the light of day. The 14 tracks of Mike Mix 09 are no exception. Many of them are appearing on my site for the first time; most of them should’ve been posted months ago.

With all that said, it’s time to introduce Mike Mix 09.

Despite its quiet start, Mike Mix 09 packs quite a punch. “Lookout Mountain” by Drive-By Truckers rocks incredibly hard; “Else” by Built to Spill bounces around nervously; and “Only In Dreams” by Weezer builds to an epic climax. At the opposite end of the spectrum, “My Lady’s House” by Iron & Wine plods along gently while “The Blackest Crow” by Justin Rutledge quietly refuses to end (in a good way).

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 09 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

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!

As you may have noticed, I’ve been updating my Twitter page on a fairly regular basis. Sadly, the same cannot be said for my actual site. Despite listening to lots of new music lately, I haven’t come across anything worth writing about.

So once again I find myself digging through the archives. Except not really. Two months ago, I wrote about The Antlers. In that post (which can be read here), I gushed about the song “Two.” Now I want to gush about the album Hospice. Especially now that I’ve had some time to digest it. But before I start, I must disclose something: I’m completely obsessed with Hospice. With a fair amount of confidence, I can say it will top my year-end list. I realize 2009 is only half over, but it’s that good. Here’s why.

Much like Blind Pilot’s 3 Rounds and a Sounds, Hospice is a complete album. As much as I love “Two,” the other nine songs on the album are just as good. “Kettering” sounds ethereal, “Sylvia” soars to ridiculous heights, and “Epilogue” features some of the most gorgeous vocals I’ve ever heard. With the exception of the opening track (which is ambient), there is no filler.

And much like Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight, Hospice has many layers. Most tracks reveal their beauty only after repeated listens. The album is packed with so much emotion it’s almost overwhelming. I can’t imagine the events or experiences that inspired some of these songs (nor do I want to). But while there is an abundance of sadness and heartbreak, the album also contains moments of inspiration and joy. In short, Hospice is a roller coaster of emotion.

Below I’ve posted my two favorite songs from Hospice (“Kettering” and “Two”), though it was difficult narrowing it down to only two. I’ve also included the title track from The Antler’s debut album Uprooted, which clearly hints at the band’s enormous potential. Potential that has been fully realized with Hospice.

[mp3] The Antlers :: Kettering
[mp3] The Antlers :: Two
[mp3] The Antlers :: Uprooted

By the way, you can download the iTunes bonus tracks “Sylvia, An Introduction” and “Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing” for free here.