Tag Archives | music mix

Beautiful Life

Wednesday 9 May, 2012 / Music / Comments { 28 }

boy oh boy have i been getting a lot of emails, tweets and comments from people hinting that i need to put together another music mix soon. the last one i posted was back in march, and for that i’m sorry – but you see, i have been without a steady internet connection for about 10 weeks (!!) until i finally managed to get internet hooked up in my flat this week. cue: yay. many, many yays.

so i’ve been catching up on what’s been released in the past while, which is always enjoyable. amongst this batch of new tunes is a new passion pit track, which i was really excited for because i LOVED manners – i played that album non-stop when it came out back in 2009. take a walk is quite a different direction for them… i don’t know how i feel about it yet, but i threw it in anyway.

one of my favourite new discoveries has to be TV Girl – and here’s some most excellent news: you can download their entire album for free at stereogum.

i also posted a couple of these tracks over at Noonday Tune, a collaborative music blog by twitter pal Rowan who has rounded up 9 south african twitter folk to contribute a track a day at noon local time – the perfect accompaniment to the sound of cape town’s noon day gun.

so, what new stuff have you been listening to? i’d love to know.

Beautiful Life. download it here. tracklist:

  1. Kishi Bashi – Bright Whites
  2. Here We Go Magic – How Do I Know
  3. Stepdad - Must Land Running
  4. Thundercat – Walkin’
  5. TV Girl - I Wonder Who Shes Kissing Now
  6. Goldroom - Fifteen (ft Chela)
  7. Passion Pit – Take A Walk
  8. RAC - Hollywood (featuring Penguin Prison)
  9. Craft Spells - Talk about the Past
  10. Dent May - Best Friend
  11. Beatenberg – Echoes
  12. Kindness - House
  13. jj – Beautiful Life

cover image courtesy of life. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 28 }

Feel It All Around

Friday 16 March, 2012 / Music / Comments { 28 }

first of all i have to say a huge THANK YOU to my blogger pals who were so generous in helping out with their wonderful guest posts while i was moving. i know everyone enjoyed having them around (and it was nice having a different perspective around here for a little while).

i still don’t have internet at my new place – but i am begging, borrowing and stealing a connection wherever possible. while i catch up on what’s been happening online i thought i’d make up for my absence with a new music mix, a pretty mellow electronica tinged affair to help ease you into the weekend.

Feel it all around. download it here. track list:

  1. Beach House – Myth
  2. Grimes – Genesis
  3. St Lucia – Closer Than This
  4. Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth (Virgin Magnetic Material Remix)
  5. Mmoths – Summer
  6. Adele vs. Daft Punk - Something About The Fire (Carlos Serrano Mix)
  7. Washed Out – Feel It All Around
  8. Mint Julep - I Never Wanted You (Headphones Cover)
  9. Lemonade – Neptune
  10. College - A Real Hero (feat. Electric Youth)
  11. Fleetwood Mac - Landslide (Virgin Magnetic Material Remix)

all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 28 }

This Will Be Our Year

Friday 27 January, 2012 / Music / Comments { 31 }

hey, it’s a music mix. happy friday!

this will be our year. download it here. playlist:

  1. the shins – simple song
  2. miniature tigers – boomerang
  3. summer camp – down
  4. citizens! – true romance (gigamesh remix)
  5. ladyhawke – black, white & blue
  6. papa – i am the lion king (st. lucia remix)
  7. of montreal – dour percentage
  8. eli mardock – everything happens for the first time
  9. the brokenmusicbox – we will
  10. yellow ostrich – marathon runner
  11. ghost beach – first time
  12. memory house – this will be our year (zombie cover)
  13. conveyor – mukraker
  14. mesita – on through the dark

cover image one hundred percent completely inspired by this. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 31 }

Butter Your Popcorn

Friday 13 January, 2012 / Music / Comments { 20 }

i have a special treat for you. truth is it’s a special treat for me too. i have been nagging my boyfriend to make an extra special funk music mix for the blog for some time now. when i say nagging i mean, i make him coffee and shower him with chocolate speckled eggs and sweetly ask if that funk mix he’s working on is ready yet. it’s finally ready, and it’s here.

a little background story to this – when we were first getting to know each other we exchanged various bits and pieces online (as you do when you’re sussing someone out, wooing them as it were). he sent me a funk mix in a zip file – which is basically the modern day equivalent of making someone a mix tape – and it was all stuff i had literally never heard before. Anton knows his funk. you can have a discussion with him about funk. well, i can’t – but he can teach me. and now he can teach you a bit, too.

Butter Your Popcorn - a guest mix courtesy of my guy, Anton. download it here.

Funk is my favourite kind of music. It’s like the extroverted, more fun cousin of jazz, with some soul and R&B thrown in for good measure. Some of the best vocalists, guitarists, drummers and musicians who ever lived played in funk bands, but as skilled as they were they rarely took themselves seriously. Every time I hear funk I picture a group of people in a recording studio having the time of their lives. The mix starts with Miles Davis’ ex wife Betty who was a pioneer in her own right and pushed Miles into his later, funkier experimental work like Bitches Brew. It also includes one of my favourite artists, Sly Stone, who was a heavy influence on Prince. And then we end with a more soulful moment from the godfather himself.

  1. Betty Davis - If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up
  2. Carlton Basco - Don’t Chain My Soul
  3. Hank Ballard - Butter Your Popcorn
  4. The Meters - What’cha Say
  5. The Sweet Inspirations - Slipped & Tripped
  6. Cold Blood - Kissing My Love
  7. Round Robin Monopoly - Life Is Funky
  8. Cymande - Brothers Slide
  9. Sly and The Family Stone - In Time
  10. Roy Porter - Party Time
  11. Co-Real Artists - What About You (In The World Today) *
  12. The Fatback Band - Do The Bus Stop
  13. James Brown - That’s Life (Live)

* my favourite. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records.

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 20 }

Six Months In A Leaky Boat

Friday 2 December, 2011 / Music / Comments { 14 }

i’ve been wanting to make the guest music mixes a more regular thing, and couldn’t think of a better way to kick that off than this playlist from my new friend Nick. he played it in the car when we were driving around cape town on one of those perfect almost-summer days, where the most important thing on your to-do list is eating gelato by the sea.

Because I’m out of touch with the new sounds, my mixes tend to be archaeological; I’m totally preoccupied with stuff thats a few sedimentary layers down and immediately recognizable and resonant to me when I find it. “Wait, holy shit, that’s Van Morrison?!? That’s important.”

To wit, 11 tracks of some importance to take with you on a leaky boat.

1. Once Upon a Time in the West – Dire Straits
2. Hold Me – Fleetwood Mac
3. Dweller on the Threshold – Van Morrison
4. Castles Made of Sand – Rhett Butler
5. Think Too Much (B) – Paul Simon
6. But I Might Die Tonight – Cat Stevens
7. Fearless – Pink Floyd
8. Green Shirt – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
9. Cattle and Cane – The Go-Betweens
10. Things Can Only Get Better (Live) – Howard Jones
11. Six Months In A Leaky Boat – Split Enz

Download the mix here.

cover image courtesy of the gahetna archives. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 14 }

Sunlight On Your Eyelids

Monday 14 November, 2011 / Music / Comments { 22 }

go find a grassy knoll somewhere and listen to this with your eyes closed.

Sunlight on your eyelids. playlist:

  1. Rostam – Wood
  2. Netherlands – Something or Nothing
  3. Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence (T2MM edit)
  4. Tennis – Origins
  5. Emil & Friends – Prescriptions
  6. White Denim – No Real Reason
  7. Fanfarlo – Replicate
  8. Real Estate – Wonder Years
  9. Sea Pinks – Autumn Song
  10. Youth Lagoon – Afternoon
  11. Young Man – Tired Eyes
  12. Wintercoats – Working On A Dream
  13. Feist – Graveyard
cover image source. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!
Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 22 }

Boys

Friday 28 October, 2011 / Music / Comments { 6 }

when i started putting together the Girls mix i knew that i would eventually want to do a Guys version – there are plenty of guy bloggers and dudes i follow on twitter with excellent taste in music, so i have been compiling the list of potential guys in my head waiting for some free time to get my act and a nice little playlist together.

well, i’ve been beat. by some pretty cheeky boys i might add. kidding! Francois took it upon himself to create a Boys version, which made me partly jealous but simultaneously excited – because even though i had no hand in this it still means you are getting a new mix my friends. just in time for the weekend.

After hearing Diana’s mix chosen by girls, I was inspired to find more music and looked to my guy-friends. As we’re guys, we kept it simple – just a tweet got these replies from those who have great taste in music.

thanks to Francois and all the guys involved.

Boys. download it here. Playlist:

01. Ritual Union by Little Dragon submitted by Christopher Evans
Sweden’s electro-pop act Little Dragon are on fire!

02. Rome by Phoenix submitted by Marco Rietskins
Rome – Italy – Fashion

03. Howlin’ For You by The Black Keys submitted by Andrew Brauteseth

04. Sutphin Boulevard by Blood Orange submitted by Rhett Trickett
I love the tempo and groove of this song. It’s a truly genuine expression of present state self-acceptance and individualism. It’s about being comfortable with yourself, in the moments that may not be your finest. You could be drunk and walking alone down a street at night with no money in your pocket or pursuing an unusual interest that other people might think is weird, but ultimately you’re comfortable being who you are.

05. Truth by Alexander ft. The RZA submitted by Andy Fenner
Some tracks make you want to get in a hammock with a cigar and some good rum. None more than this. Alexander is an Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zero’s side project. Recognise that whistle AKA “Alabama Arkansas”?

06. Mornings (Acoustic) by Portugal The Man submitted by Rui Esteves
I think he chose this because the name had “Portugal” in.

07. The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash submitted by David Cope
Johnny Cash needs no introduction

08. Here Comes The Man by Boom Boom Room submitted by Jaco-Louis Groenewald
One Word: Classic.

09. Chinatown by Destroyer submitted by Rouen Smit

10. 16 Years by Phantogram submitted by Murray Mitchell

11. Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons by Simon Wibberley
I have vague recollections of doing a circle-embrace-stomping-dance on this song, at a wedding recently – early morning, wearing what was left of a tux.

12. 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins submitted by Luke Adams

13. Fake Empire by The National submitted by Francois Botha
This has to be one of my alltime favourite tracks. Technically this song is simply baffling and the lyrics speak to my inner-child.

14. Heartbreaker by Girls submitted by Richard Dimblebee
What an appropriate choice of track. ;-)

there are a number of tracks in here that i have included in my mixes before, you will just have to deal with some double trouble i’m afraid. all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows.

cover image courtesy of francois botha.

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Girls

Monday 17 October, 2011 / Music / Comments { 27 }

in august i sent out an email to some of my girl blogger pals asking them to contribute one of their favourite songs to a collaborative music mix. we are all busy ladies, which explains why this mix is only surfacing now, but i’m glad it finally is because it’s a wonderfully eclectic collection – exactly what i was hoping for. i can see this as a movie soundtrack… it’s only a matter of time before a movie comes out about awesome girl bloggers anyway, right?

Girls. download it here. Playlist – in alphabetical order by contributor :

1. The Black Keys – Too Afraid to Love You (Alison of TeenAngster)

“Blues rock” usually brings to mind images of Blueshammer (gag!), but the Black Keys manage to make contemporary bluesy tunes that sound straight out of the ’60s.  

2. Talk Talk – I Believe in You (Anabela of Fieldguided)

It sounds like late summer to me, which is what we have here now (Anabela sent her choice in August)

3. French Films – Golden Sea (Angie of Lucky Pony)

 I pretty much listen to it on repeat because it literally makes me feel like lifting my arms up (especially between 0:34 – 0:57 seconds) and dancing frantically back and fourth like nervous Chiwawa. Minus peeing on the floor. 

4. Bombay Bicycle Club – Light Out, Words Gone (Diana aka me)

their new album,and this song in particular, has been on repeat for the past month.

5. Pa Pa Power – Dead Man’s Bones (Cath of Wolf Eyebrows)

A happy, slightly eerie song which is always nice to listen to. I like to combine it with the songs of Grizzly Bear and Siskiyou.

6. Crowded House – Private Universe (Hila of Le Projet d’Amour)

I love this song because it’s so gently suggestive, you feel as if there’s a whole other layer to it hidden beneath its rhythm and lyrics. I tend to listen to it when I have a lot on my mind.

7. Just Like Honey by The Jesus & Mary Chain (Jen of Honey Kennedy)

Because the day I heard this song when I was a teenager–everything else in the world froze in place and this song changed everything for me. It was like it was meant to pool up inside my ears. It still swirls around in there.

8. Fleetwood Mac – Big Love (Jessica of The Shiny Squirrel)

I love how raw Lyndsey Buckingham’s voice sounds in this and the guitar is unreal… it makes me want to go into a wild frenzy.

9. Heart – Crazy on You (Kate C. of The Pessimiss)

I’m a sucker for girls playing guitars, and Heart’s pent-up ode to love and lust starts with the most epic strum-driven bang. It’s also the soundtrack to the scene in The Virgin Suicides where Lux pounces on Trip Fontaine in the front seat of his Camaro and leaves him breathless, her cherry-flavoured gum lingering in his mouth. It’s the ultimate girl power song.

10. Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City (Kate D. of Kate Desmarais)

11. Little Dragon – Night Light (Kate M. of For Me, For You)

This song is a key ingredient in my living room dance parties.

12. Raphael Saadiq - Movin’ Down The Line (Lauren of Dear Golden)

13. Deer Tick – Miss K (Mallory of Where The Lovely Things Are)

I love Deer Tick and this is one of their newest songs. I think it makes for good “driving on a sunny fall day” music.

14. Cat Power – Song for Bobby (Mili of Miss Millib)

I really like sombre music, it relaxes me and allows me to access places that I usually don’t have time to entertain in my busy life.  I listen to the songs alone and I really really love how they make me feel comfortable in my solitude. 

15. Youth Lagoon – Daydream (Victoria Hannan)

all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

cover image courtesy of the life photo archives

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 27 }

Electric Spring

Thursday 1 September, 2011 / Music / Comments { 22 }

it is the first of september, which in south africa is traditionally spring day. well, spring day usually doesn’t fail to be delightfully miserable weather wise as far as my memory serves… probably due to the fact that the seasons only turn on 23 september this year (the spring equinox, which is also my birthday – write that down).

still, couldn’t resist temptation and so created a semi-electro inspired spring mix to kick off my favourite month.

Electric Spring. download it here. Playlist:

  1.  Alex Winston - Velvet Elvis (RAC Remix)
  2. St. Vincent – Cruel
  3. Future Islands - Balance
  4. Mina Tindle - Os Argonautas
  5. Little Majorette - Never Be The Same
  6. Toro Y Moi - New Beat (Star Slinger Dancehall Mix)
  7. Purity Ring - Ungirthed
  8. Kisses – Kisses (Electric Sunset Remix)
  9. Scenic - Another Sky (The Magician Remix)
  10. Phoenix - North (Crystalised remix)

all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

cover image courtesy of the life archives

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 22 }

Byrds Will Fly

Monday 15 August, 2011 / Music / Comments { 14 }

while i was away i received a wonderful email from south african artist Paul Edmunds (also husband of Heather Moore aka Skinny Laminx). paul kindly offered to send me a music mix that he was putting together, “something a little more boy-ish in a way, which is not to say that it’s loud or shouty, more jangly guitars and boys singing harmonies, and even some country stylings. all in the lineage of my perennial faves the Byrds.” – um YES PLEASE.

so what better way to dust off the holiday hiatus than with a mid-month music mix? i listened to this a few times on sunday, and it perfectly accompanied a quiet day catching up on work and pottering around the house. pretty sure this would be an excellent mix to play on a roadtrip, too – preferably through a desert somewhere.

“Enjoy the jangly guitar, golden harmonies and even country stylings of this mix which doesn’t so much pay homage to The Byrds as make a darn good case for the contention that they invented pretty much everything I love.”

Byrds Will Fly. download it here. playlist:

  1. The Decemberists – Calamity Song
  2. Vetiver – You May be Blue
  3. Hush Arbors – Lisbon
  4. The Sadies – Postcards
  5. Volebeats – Asking Why
  6. Vetiver – I Know No Pardon
  7. Teenage Fanclub – Dumb Dumb Dumb
  8. Mojave 3 – Running with Your Eyes Closed
  9. Cashier No. 9 – Goldstar
  10. The Coral – Two Faces
  11. Shack – Byrds Turn to Stone

cover photo by paul

all music is for sampling purposes only – please go out and buy the artists’ records & support them at their shows!

Posted in Music / Read full story / Comments { 14 }
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