Song of the Day

**2/28/11
Washed Out - New Theory

Mixmaking is an artform - some people make jumbled together, out of order mixes that are as creative as a kindergarten’s fingerpainting project. But some are fine works, crafted meticulously and harmoniously to the ultimate listening experience. Washed Out was on one exceptional Pollock of playlists I received not too long ago. 

Washed Out, the stage name for Ernest Greene, is a part of what some call the “chillwave movement” that is happening in music. Washed Out follows the format of Caribou and LCD Soundsystem on a more minimal scale. The song “New Theory” has pop-techno elements that make for a festival favorite. Get it from the Life of Leisure EP. 

Song of the Day

**2/27/11
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
--------------------Some people have New Year's resolutions, but this is my one-week resolution: I will post every day this week! I know, right? I mean, that's sort of what I should be doing anyways but I've been busy as a bee. Like that bee in the White Stripes video though, adorably lonely and such.

  Anyway, Foster the People make catchy pop-tinged haze rock that works well alongside Blur and the Gorillaz. The group from LA formed in 2009 and started some hype from a well-received performance at SXSW. They released a self-titled EP a month ago, and I'm looking forward to where they take their sound beyond the preview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLK7hrRijes&feature=player_embedded

Mix Time

1. Beach House - Wedding Bells

2. Fruit Bats - Primitive Man

3. Real Estate - Out of Tune

4. Four Tet - She Just Likes to Fight

5. South - Paint the Silence

6. The National - Conversation 16

7, Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots

8. Billy Bragg - The Busy Girl Buys Beauty

9. Jawbreaker - Want

10. Jonzetta - Paint & Picture

11. Nada Surf - Blonde on Blonde

12. Augustana - Coffee and Cigarettes

13. Norah Jones - Be My Somebody

14. Jason Mraz - Did I Fool Ya? (Live at Java Joe's)

15. The Mumlers - Tangled Up with You

16. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

Song of the Day

**2/21/11

PJ Harvey - The Words that Maketh Murder

----------------I have to say that PJ Harvey have impressed me. I adore their lead singer, who makes "The Words that Maketh Murder" sound like a weather-beaten tale of impending doom from the days of pirates and rouges. But with a 2011 update, of course. The range of instruments and easy-flowing down beats are wonderful. Get it from the new release Let England Shake. 

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12116-the-words-that-maketh-murder/

Song of the Day

**2/20/11
The Blakes - Don't Bother Me
-----------------An album ends and you need something to listen to - happens every day. I was asked what I wanted to hear next, I said "anything that sounds like the Beach Boys took too much acid, recorded some demo tracks during a punk phase and never released it." Wil pulled out a band called The Blakes, and he was pretty spot on with my description.

  The Blakes hail from Seattle, and have had a varied career independent of labels and within them. In 2009 they released Lights On EP and Souvenir LP. "Don't Bother Me" is from their 2006 self-titled album released on a local label Light in the Attic. It was their first commercially available album, and it's definitely a more pop driven sound.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUA8QXd99I

Song of the Day

**2/2/11
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko (remix)
--------One of the main contributions to my music library is tuning in to what’s playing in coffee shops, record stores and other music-oriented establishments. BeansTalk is my mainstay when it comes to a good hazelnut mocha chai (Mad Monk, if you ever come by in Boone, NC). Occasionally I’ll donate a mix or two to the store to shake things up, but usually I like the music.

Today, it’s Shiny Toy Guns, and I listened to “Le Disko” like I’d listen to a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. This one’s a remix that drew my attention. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nliiohnseU