2016 Year-End Mixtapes

[Brett]

I like that even though "dad psych" is a new term to me, I have a pretty good idea of the sound it's supposed to invoke.

Folk rock with psychedelic flourishes? Psych-adjacent? Did I coin a new term?

"A Night in the City" made another appearance! Sweet.

Something like that, yes. Not sure if "dad psych," as a term, will have the same appeal as "dad rock," though.

[Birds in Hell]

Brett, LV: I've grabbed your mixes, will hopefully listen soon.

Here's mine, for anyone interested:



1. I'm the unknown - Cavern of Anti-Matter
2. Snare, Girl - Nels Cline
3. When I Try, I'm Full - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
4. Back to Snowdonia - Nocturnal Habits
5. Speaking Gently - BadBadNotGood
6. Come Near Me - Massive Attack
7. Ill Wind - Radiohead
8. Somebody Else Should Be on That Bus - Hedvig Mollestad Trio
9. Sleep Chamber - Pye Corner Audio
10. She Sleeps, She Sleeps - Fire!

[super nintendo chalmers]

Here we go, tried keeping it to stuff not on my top twenty list and assorted 7"s and EPs.



1. Bitchin Bajas and Bonnie Billy May Life Throw You a Pleasant Curve
2. Ryley Walker The Roundabout
3. The Rutabega Lip (demo/sketch)
4. Mint Mile Park
5. Tony Molina No One Told He
6. The Submissives This Hum
7. Primetime Tied Down
8. Tyvek Choose Once
9. Spray Paint Heavy Loiter
10. Dark Blue Vicious Romance
11. Chung Antique Artesian Swell
12. Protomartyr Born to Be Wine
13. Neil Young Glass Accident
14. Purling Hiss Everybody in the USA


Enjoy
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iat4f9lgq48gv ... r.zip?dl=0

[doone]

Thanks for all the mixes! Considering I've not heard of most of these artists, it should make for interesting listening. Cheers!

[Brett]

I've got some time to start paying attention to these things, so I'll give them some spins and do little write-ups for them.

Starting off with Spenno's, the one that is probably going to be the closest in style to my own preferences. I gave it a listen yesterday, and am listening again as I write.

"I'm the Unknown" is a wonderful opener. I think you recommended Cavern of Anti-Matter before, Spenno. I should get around to checking them out, it seems. It also transitions really well into Nels Cline's version of "Snare, Girl." I don't know the original tune, as I haven't been able to get into Sonic Youth outside of Murray Street, but this is also really good. Kind of a weird lounge-jazz thing going on; it reminds me a bit of Martin Arnold's Marmots project, or some other stuff in a similar vein.

The bubbling synths and sampled/chopped/manipulated vocals in "When I Try, I'm Full" are interesting, and then the Nocturnal Habits song shifts gears, bringing an angular edge to the sounds so far presented. I have heard of BadBadNotGood, but never any of their music. This is also quite enjoyable.

Not feeling the Massive Attack track. It might have been okay without the vocals, though still a little dull, but as it is, it's kind of annoying. I can see why "Ill Wind" was left off of A Moon Shaped Pool; it's a little closer to King of Limbs style Radiohead than much of the rest of the album, favoring keyboards and electronics more than strings and guitars.

The Hedvig Mollestad Trio track is also not quite as enjoyable as the first half of the mix, but with it's doomy psychedelic tone with trace jazz inclinations, I can see why Spenno likes it. Pye Corner Audio goes back to some of the same stylistic lineages on the first few tunes, and again, I like what I'm hearing, even if it ends a bit too soon. The mix closes with a moody 14-minute piece. From the little I know, Mats Gustafsson is a monster on the saxophone, and he gets plenty of chance to show it here, being the lead voice against the textural backing. Kinda makes me wish I had left a Jason Sharp track on my own mix, since he has a related approach to improv and composition. Something you might enjoy, Spenno.

I intended that to be more of an overview, but got carried away with a track-by-track, LAL approach. Oops. Anyway, I like most of it, clearly, and it gives me some stuff to look into.

[Brett]

SNC's mix: "Have some guitars, motherfuckers!"

As usual, it's outside of what I normally listen to, but there's plenty of fun let go and rock moments on this thing. I've said before, and I'm saying again, if I had unlimited time and money, I'd make a serious attempt at digging into Will Oldham's catalog. "May Life Throw You a Pleasant Curve," indeed; good stuff in this song. Ryley Walker, The Rutabega, and Tony Molina round out the nice mellow opening before things get down to the gritty details.

I like the wandering opening in "Park," and it's driving vocal portion is pretty enjoyable, too. Further on the mix, other highlights come through in the drowsy drawl of The Submissives tune, the rumbling beat of "Vicious Romance," Chung Antique's "Artesian Swell" (which might be my favorite tune from the whole bunch), and the nasty, meaty tones and discordant swell of Protomartyr.

The more abrasive punk rock songs that make up the middle run aren't my thing. Tyvek and Spray Paint make me wish Stip was around more so he and SNC could butt heads. The Primetime song is a little better, mostly since it's slightly more pleasing in sound and I guess I like female vocals in punk rock more than male. I'm 'meh' on the Neil Young song, and the Purling Hiss one is too long for its style, but the guitar workout is fun.

Overall, I like more than half of what's on here and might actually look deeper into a few of these artists, so kudos and thanks for that, SNC.

[i got bugs]

Yeah I just dl'ed and am pumped to check out sncs mix

[chewm]

Wow, Vicious Romance is fucking great.

[Birds in Hell]

Thanks so much for the review Brett, really glad you enjoyed it!

Will have to check out Jason Sharp soon, as well as your mix (which I've already DL'd but haven't had time to listen to yet).

[Birds in Hell]

1. The Mike Smith Company - Boneless Ghost
2. Deakin - Just Am
11. Tortoise - The Clearing Fills

Brett, I ended up having time to run through your mix this afternoon and found lots to enjoy. The three songs above in particular really stuck with me, particularly the Mike Smith Company one which I really loved.

[Brett]

Nice. After hearing the first two songs on your mix, I had a feeling you might enjoy the Mike Smith Company tune.

[super nintendo chalmers]

Thanks for the nice review Brett. Usually I aim to give stip an aneurysm, but switched it a bit this year.

[LetMeSleep]

Brad, I enjoyed this mix more than last years. A few of the albums I was familiar with but a few took me by surprise. I'll especially be checking out Angel Olsen, Paul Dempsey (I'd written off SFK but this track is fantastic) and The Jezabels.

01. Angel Olsen - Shut Up Kiss Me
02. Paul Dempsey - Morningless
03. Beyoncé & Jack White - Don’t Hurt Yourself
05. The Jezabels - Come Alive
16. Weezer - Summer Elaine & Drunk Dori
18. Muse - Sign O The Times
19. Beth Orton - Moon
20. Crowded House - Convent Girls

[LetMeSleep]

As I listen to these mixes (and I'm trying to give each mix 3 listens) I'm putting the tracks I like in another playlist. The below made it to that playlist but the ones I'm really keen to hear more from are The Rutabega, Tony Molina and Purling Hiss. I'd heard some PH stuff about 6 years ago but not enough to intrigue me.

The PH and Tony Molina tracks may just be the best 2 tracks that I hadn't heard yet on the mixtapes.

1. Bitchin Bajas and Bonnie Billy May Life Throw You a Pleasant Curve
2. Ryley Walker The Roundabout
3. The Rutabega Lip (demo/sketch)
4. Mint Mile Park
5. Tony Molina No One Told He
10. Dark Blue Vicious Romance
11. Chung Antique Artesian Swell
14. Purling Hiss Everybody in the USA

[LetMeSleep]

I remember not being impressed by Car Seat Headrest upon hearing a track earlier this year so I was surprised to fucking love this track. It and the Camp Cope tracks are killer. This complete mix was a pretty tasty listen but those 2 plus Rutabega are the ones I'll be checking out straight away.

1. The Rutabega - Lip
3. Car Seat Headrest - Destroyed By Hippie Powers
8. Laura Burnhenn - Good Medicine
12. Camp Cope - West Side Story
15. Kevin Morby - Dorothy
16. Heron Oblivion - Your Hollows
17. Aeroparque - Camino Sin Final

[LetMeSleep]

I have not finished the Brett and BiH mixes yet but it will happen.

LV, I listened but there was nothing there for me other than Drones and Bowie. Even the metal and rock tracks left me unmoved.

[LoathedVermin72]

I have not finished the Brett and BiH mixes yet but it will happen.

LV, I listened but there was nothing there for me other than Drones and Bowie. Even the metal and rock tracks left me unmoved.

Yeah.

I'll get my mix that literally no one on RM but me will enjoy up soon

[LetMeSleep]

I have not finished the Brett and BiH mixes yet but it will happen.

LV, I listened but there was nothing there for me other than Drones and Bowie. Even the metal and rock tracks left me unmoved.

Yeah.

I'll get my mix that literally no one on RM but me will enjoy up soon

Man, I tried. I wanted to be surprised.

[chewm]

I remember not being impressed by Car Seat Headrest upon hearing a track earlier this year so I was surprised to fucking love this track. It and the Camp Cope tracks are killer. This complete mix was a pretty tasty listen but those 2 plus Rutabega are the ones I'll be checking out straight away.

1. The Rutabega - Lip
3. Car Seat Headrest - Destroyed By Hippie Powers
8. Laura Burnhenn - Good Medicine
12. Camp Cope - West Side Story
15. Kevin Morby - Dorothy
16. Heron Oblivion - Your Hollows
17. Aeroparque - Camino Sin Final

Intersting that you say that abouy Car Seat Headrest, because it is a bit hit or miss for me, but the best things from it are amazing. I actually don't really care for Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, which is the one everybody seems to go crazy for.

Thanks for listening!

[PHATJ]

I don't have the time to make a mix to share but this would be it.

I like this one.