Get it here.(Mediafire)

Or here.(Spotify)

I wrote a ridiculously long email regarding this mix and other topics. If you didn't get that email but love the sound of a "ridiculously long email," let me know. You're just a FWD away.

Well, I broke my mix-a-month streak, but here it is. A new month. A new mix. This is a collection of some brand new stuff, some stuff I've had for months but just couldn't decide on before and now it's a must (this means it could be on the radio, but I don't listen to the radio so I wouldn't know), and some "other" stuff.

You might not love it all, but you will respect it.

Enjoy by Clicking Here.

Here are two mixes by a guy I really enjoy. I listen to the 2nd one almost every other day on my bike ride home. His mixes are lots of fun.

Bird Peterson-Drankenstein 2 by maddecent

Bird P Til' Infinity (The Best of Bird Peterson's Hottest Trunk Poppers) by Bird Peterson

I guess Diplo and friends have a show on XM Radio. Great dance mixes. All over the place.

Diplo - Sirius/XM "Blow Your Head" 09-17-2011 by diplo

Diplo - Sirius/XM "Blow Your Head" 08-20-2011 by diplo

Diplo - Sirius/XM "Blow Your Head" 07-23-2011 by diplo

Diplo - Sirius/XM "Blow Your Head" 06-18-2011 by diplo

Great mix by Jamie xx (of The xx). This guy is 22 or 23 and from the UK. Super talented musician. Makes some really interesting minimalist dance/electronic music/remixes. So hit play and enjoy some great beats.

Jamie xx Essential Mix by Young Turks

DOWNLOAD

It's a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n roll... No. No, it's little bit pop and a little bit indie... and a little bit dance. Please enjoy responsibly.

If you're like me and missed this mix... man, this thing is fantastic. Get it. I'm loving DJ Sega right now so this is just a delight. This is like classic Diplo/M.I.A. sounding stuff. I love it.

Get it here.

More DJ Sega DJ Sega Sixer Series Vol. I by DJSega

It's a bit dance-y but hey, maybe you're into that sort of thing.

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass (Dino Roc & DJ CJ Remix) by Dino Roc

This pretty cool.

Amy Winehouse- Rehab (Flam Clap Remix) by Flam Clap

A new Hood Internet mashup mix. Always enjoyable.

Grab it over at TheHoodInternet.com

Heartbreak Presents Moombahsoul Vol.II

Can't beat free music. Especially when it's good.

Get Volume 1 Here.

Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci (Long Jawns x Bobby la Beat Moombahton Remix) FREE DL IN DESCRIPTION by longjawns

This is awesome.

Beastie Boys - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (Feat. Santigold) (Major Lazer Remix) by maddecent

Told you I had a non (well, less) electronic mix on the way. Well guess what. You're lookin' at it. This is a bunch of upbeat, fun, feel-good tunes from recent. It's feeling more summer-y where I live and it's definitely lifted my mood from where I was in the winter months. Two new albums by Foster the People and Hooray for Earth have been on repeat for me. They are stellar. A track from the new Bon Iver album makes me so happy. The whole album is amazing, but this one track has Peter Cetera and Bruce Hornsby all over it. I love it. The rest are just a mix of things that have been running through my headphones. Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD.

(For the mix purists out there, and I know there are a bunch, I did break the 80min mark. It was either, respect this ancient established value for traditional reasons (and whoever still burns CDs) or just give you all the songs I wanted to and spit in the face of tradition. So I spat.)

This is crazy and cool.

Hyetal - Phoenix (Fantastic Mr Fox Remix) by Black Acre Records

3.5min of just Robyn dancing. One take. Very entertaining. I can't believe you don't hear her on the radio. Something is seriously wrong with radio.

Since I find myself swimming in new music and therefore putting together mixes every time I turn around, I thought I'd organize my older ones into one place. So in order of most recent to not, here they be (they're all on Mediafire, hands down the best and fastest file hosting site).

Possibly my favorite cover art so far. Too bad I completely misspelled "Rhythm."

Donezo!!8OH!21OH! Appendix8OH!21OH!Don't Stop Now But I Don't Blame ThemRythym & Blues & ZombiesI'm Workin' On ItNOW That's What I Call Dancehall, Vol. 1TIIIBest of LOSTI Can't Believe It's Not HipHopFrom: Jamaica, To: Di WorlMixtacular

And that's about it I think. The last one is from before we went to Jamaica so it could be dated, but I'm sure there's still a gem or two on it. Same for the other older ones.

More to come.

This is part one of the recent music in my ears. Part II will be more band (non-electronic) oriented. So rather than mixing bluegrass between club bangers, I'll just keep them separate. However, to call these club bangers would be... inaccurate. There are a couple mainstream-ish songs, but at least half of them are of kind of wacky and by artists I've never heard of till recently. All of them very cool in their own way. So check 'em out and turn up your bass. (Well, for some of you, turn down your bass. Scott.)

DOWNLOAD

Stay tuned for the next mix. It's going to have some solid tunes on it.

Tom: Meeting in one hour, if you don’t make it you’re on my donezo list.Ben: Oh, what’s a donezo list?Tom: It means you and I are donezo. Hangin’ out gettin’ food together, donezo. You wanna come over to my house and play video games? Donezo. Hey Tom, you wanna come play putt-putt with me? No, we’re donezo.

Found this in an old magazine the other day. Pretty awesome. Gold AND digital. A rare and valuable combination. Plus the benefit of just one button over the usually pesky four. I know I personally wish I could toggle through all my watch's option with a single button. So much more convenient.

What more could you ask for for $99? How about a free gift box? Done.

Because I didn't want to break the 80min mark... I present the Appendix.

Don't Forget to Download it. Here.

I guess I've been on an electronic thing musically lately. It happens to everyone.

Just promise you'll use more than your computer speakers to listen with.

At least once.

Download.It.Here.Now.

Spent part of my five day weekend taking everything off the walls, painting the walls twice, and then reinstalling everything plus more shelves. I suppose it really didn't take as long as it sounds. All the shelves from Home Depot. Really easy to install. I think it came out really well. Definitely my coolest living room ever.

Saw both of these guys at Hi-Dive last night. First off, I love the venue size of Hi-Dive. It's a perfect 200+ size. However, it's the worst layout I've ever seen. This is it (the blood looking stuff is people)...

So yeah, you come in and the stage is behind a wall right next to where you come in and there's like 10ft of gap between the wall that runs down the middle. So that gap get's way congested and you can't get anywhere. Other than that it's great.

So the bands... The first we saw was Lord Huron. I never hold my breath for opening acts, in general, but these guys were awesome. It was like Animal Collective meets Vampire Weekend. Really Fantastic stuff. I bought there record 15sec after their set was done. Check em out at bandcamp (which is one of my favorite sites for indie music nowadays).

And of course the main act was Rural Alberta Advantage which I was just ecstatic to see. And they didn't disappoint. At all. It was the perfect size show. Maybe around 100+ people, $12/ticket, nothing fancy, just rocknroll in a small room. Those are my favorites.

Frank, AB by theraa

I don't know what else to say. It was a phenomenal show. (I met the drummer and told him how awesome he is and then bought their first album on vinyl.) It was really the first live music I'd seen since going to Jamaica (not counting the larger Girl Talk show we saw last month). It definitely rekindled my love of seeing music made right in front of me.

(If you want to hear more of RAA, just say the word and I'll put it in your (e)mailbox. Seriously, an word, at all, and it'll be there.)

Because some things just won't make a mixtape and because so much music comes out so often, it's time for some links.

I don't exactly know what all this Moombahton stuff is about (sorry, I got lazy there for a sec), but it's interesting. And this short EP reminds me of how crazy, off-the-wall cool Diplo's earlier stuff was (not that he doesn't put out good stuff now, it was just a newer style in the beginning). This is cool stuff.

(Get it at MadDecent.com (or directly here))

Then there's this mixtape by one of the guys who helped on Major Lazer's album GDKPLD. I browsed it and it seems pretty fun.

(More at MadDecent.com)

Bouncin' Bush Stew ft. Prince Zimboo by blondtron

Then somehow I missed this Blaqstarr Mixtape whenever it came out. Good stuff.

Another one I think I'm going to enjoy is Com Truise: Free Here. It's 80s-synth-Baths type music. Pretty cool.

Oh man. And just when I thought the night couldn't get better I come across a Star Slinger Mix with an intro by Donald Glover. I'm loving everything this guy puts out. (Warning: Troy cusses!)

STAR SLINGER - FABRIC MIX - APRIL 2011 by Star Slinger

Good luck with the rest of your week.

Jesse got me a record player for my birthday last month. I've been meaning to write about because it's incredibly cool, but I've been busy being depressed.

Here's why I love it so far...

Records don't sound "better" than CDs. They sound warmer and more unique (nothing compares to the clarity of digital). Records, in contrast, have a very physical, imperfect sound. There are variations in record flatness and turntable rpms that change the way the music sounds every revolution. Things just sound amazing on it. The Beatles? Van Morrison? It's like a time machine. It completely transforms the way the music sounds.

I love that records aren't convenient. It places so much emphasis on just listening to music. You can't listen to records in the car or during a workout. You put on one album at a time. No shuffle. No impulsive changes. It's for start-to-finish album listening. And you have to flip it at least once during the record! (GT's Night Ripper is two records meaning TWO flips!)

I love that I'm buying a physical copy of the music. I don't like buying mp3s. Records typically cost what CDs used to cost ($15-20) so they aren't cheap, but you get everything with it. You get the biggest copy of the album artwork (which is all but lost on mp3s) possible. You get a code to download the digital copy free with the record. And the best thing to me is that I have a physical (and probably limited number of) copy of this music; a physical copy that I can pass on to my kids. I can't wait to pass Bon Iver and Neutral Milk Hotel on to my kids. I love that.

(Look what Jess just got us! AMAZING album.)

And finally, I think records are going to be around forever. They've made it this far whereas several other mediums haven't. In fact, it's the only one still around that's been surpassed by something else, isn't it? So unlike a collection of 8-tracks (which I've had) vinyl will be useable forever. That's pretty freakin' sweet.

So it's definitely given a new form to my passion. I'm not interested in collector's editions this or that, just great albums. And there are lots of great ones out there.

(My first flat TV and wall mounted speakers! Record player sits atop the shelves Sam and I installed.)

This is the result of songs I didn't get to use last time and new songs that needed to be shared asap. There's some dance, remixes, indie and soundtrack. I tried to arrange it in the least jarring way possible.

Just remember, even if there's just one song you don't hate, I've done my job. Well.

Get it.

I love The Crystals. It's such upbeat, hopeful, romantic music. Naive, but not. It's just... amazing oldies. Driving melodies and towering vocals.

This is a song I'd never heard before. Came across it on their Best of album. It reminds me of other songs by them but/so I dig it.

I helped an old Peace Corps friend out with some campaign posters this week. She gave me the ideas. I just produced them. TV themes.

I was out taking pictures at a job site today when I came across this guy. It was shocking and depressing. I don't know where he came from because there weren't any houses around. But the fact that he had a shirt on told me he was someone's very good friend. And if I had taken the time to put a shirt on my very good friend... this would break my heart. Into way too many pieces. I wish I could've told whoever that there dog wasn't alive anymore. I would always want to know what happened to my animals whatever the case may be. I saw this right as I started walking the site. It was hard to get back on track.

Bad things happening to animals upsets me very much. It makes me want express my feeling with the 'f' word. You don't even know how much I want to write this using the 'f' word.

:| fuck.

When's the last time you listened to Bloc Party's Silent Alarm? I think 2005 was an amazing year for indie music. That's when I really got into it and met Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Regina Spektor, MIA, Sufjan Stevens, Mike Doughty, Okkervil River... seriously massive year of music. And Bloc Party is right at the top of that list. Silent Alarm is a phenomenal album. The energy and pace and drums and vocals are just... they're all there from start to finish. It's one you just start at the beginning and let run. It's up tempo British indie rock at it's absolute best. I mean, talk about incredible driving music! It's so energetic and persistent.

Anyway, it's one of those you listen to from time to time and it never ceases to amaze you. I randomly decided to put it on this afternoon for my drive home and it changed my life. Again. For like, the 6th time.

And if you haven't heard it, well, don't tell me.

I guess if you know more than three things about me you know that I have a huge passion for music. And while I post a lot of hip hop and pop and dancehall, I listen to far more than just that. I listen to pop and dance when I'm happy, but when I've got a lot on my mind it just doesn't fit (Well, dance always seem to fit. I love a good beat!). I've also never thought of myself as "good with words" or "able to properly express my feelings" so music and art really helps me there. A lot of times the best thing I feel I can do is hand someone a CD and say, "Here I am. Please listen with headphones."

Something I find interesting about music is the timing of it and how we receive it. Ten years ago I wouldn't have been ready for most of the music on this mix. It's amazing music, but I had to grow to where I am to receive it with open ears. It just wouldn't have happened before now. I think when an album hits you at the right time or you come back to something you weren't ready for at the time, it sticks with you forever. This James Blake album is what Bon Iver's For Emma was for me. It just couldn't be more appropriate for me... for right now. Bon Iver rocked me emotionally when I heard it. I don't even know how many times I listened to Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeroplane when I was finally ready for it. This is why when I think something has potential but I don't love it right away I always keep it for later. You just never know when that time will come.

As for the songs on here... Don't you always wish you could explain why you picked every song on a mix? Like why it's important to you? Suffice it to say all of these are big to me. It's what I've been listening to lately. A lot. Many of these are electronic... based. Regardless of the beat, I love tension and intensity in music. That's why there's a Mumford & Sons song and a Deadmau5 song on the same album. They both have wonderful intensity. Hearing that loudly helps me release tension (which is one of the reasons why the neighbor thing was such a bummer; it wasn't just an inconvenience, it was stifling.)

I've also really been enjoying this guy, Starslinger. His mixes are hazy and nostalgic with fantastic, laid-back beats. Which brings me to another type of music I've been loving that I wouldn't have before. I know when most people hear "electronic music" they think of Fatboy Slim or Tiesto or something. Most wouldn't think of Caribou or Baths. So much is done "electronically" nowadays. It's expanded to so much more and I've been loving the influx of this style of hazy, lo-fi, warm musicians.

Some randomness on there... The Punch Brothers song is phenomenally beautiful. The chords are dark and warm and Chris Thile's voice just floats right over them. It's flashbacks of the darker side of Nickel Creek. A couple of great Iron & Wine songs. If you like Bob Dylan you'll love the Tallest Man on Earth. The Ceo album is terrific. I love the joy in that song. I bought the Teen Daze album on a whim and loved it. It's like the soundtrack for the greatest kid's party ever. Jónsi's album, Go is also one that's just so quirky and full of joy. Listening to it, it just sounds like love translated to music.

I don't want to say this is the greatest mix I've ever put together. I won't say that. I would, however, disagree strongly with me not saying that because it's true. It is the greatest mix ever. I don't know if it will translate what's going on in my heart, but it's a good effort.

So here I am. Please listen with headphones. Download Here

(ps. There is no hiphop or dancehall of any sort on this. It is 100% safe for women and children of all ages.)

Like there's something really great ahead of me, but all I can see is the mud blocking my view. I know good is out there, but stuff just kind of sucks right now. It's been cold as balls here this past week. We've had several pipes freeze and bust. We spent a few days without heat and now a pipe on the other side of the bedroom busted leaking water down our wall and into the carpet. So we're currently sleeping in the living room. There's not enough room to sneeze without bumping into something. It's enough to drive me out into the snow to freeze to death. Not that I don't love sleeping in the cat's nightly playroom, but the place is barely big enough as it is and this is just beyond... You can't carry out a normal life living in 10sqft. It's maddening.

So we're looking at other places. Things out here cost a lot. Food, living, everything. So we need more space but it costs more. However, if I had an engineering job (that paid me the appropriate amount) we could move out tomorrow. We'd have plenty to get a 2br place maybe with a garage. And we found one and it's awesome, but we have to decide whether or not it's worth stepping out and holding it or to wait till I find a fulltime job and keep looking. It's frustrating and everything would settle down and we'd get to living life here rather than just scrimping and waiting to run out of money if something would just pan out soon.

I'm sure it will. I know it will. But until it does, it's like wandering the desert. Then boom, someone calls you with a glass of water.

Sorry. Just a bad week.

I wonder how many people love driving. I mean, really get a kick out of steering and accelerating and shifting. I do. I love driving. I also love not having to drive, but that's a different story. Driving is so fun me. I've been particularly enjoying driving around Denver. There are lots of stop signs and lights, but there are tons of corners and curves and cool over/underpasses. While I don't like driving in stop and go traffic with the manual transmission, I absolutely love shifting through the gears throughout town. On top of that the street lanes in Denver are much skinnier than TN's which you'd think would make it worse but I think it makes you have to pay attention more and therefore focus more on just driving. I'm sure if I wasn't scooting around in a little Civic I'd be singing a different tune, but I am, so whatever. I don't get as good of gas mileage out here. Probably a combo of the cold and city driving. So what if driving it like a rally car yields me 30mpg instead of the usual 33mpg. Seriously.

I just started a temporary job doing some stormwater plans and general CAD work for an environmental company. There are so many routes to get there! Commuting is an odd thing. It can be a daily drain on you or it can be a fun few minutes you get to enjoy being alone and listen to music as loudly as you want. I know anything get's old after a while, but there are so many ways to travel through Denver. I find that on the way to work I want to take the fastest way possible regardless of how many cars will be on the road with me. However, on the way home I'm up for taking any which way as long as it avoids me sitting in traffic.

And another thing! Since I'm trying to avoid anymore interactions with my funbag of a neighbor, I don't listen to music very loudly at home. It get's old but I'd prefer never to speak with funbag again. (Although I did pass him the other day coming in the entrance. I said, "What's up, Mike?" in the friendliest tone possible and he responded with a very cheery (seriously) "Hey! How's it going, pal?" I don't know if he actually knows what I look like. Maybe he just gets angry and blacks out and comes and yells at me. Either way, it was odd.) So anyway, because of all that, the car has been my stereo for jams. And I must say, it's a good one. A sub is about the best investment I can think of for a car stereo. My 12" is like an instant pick-me-up for me. I get in the car, away from everyone who can complain, and start shaking the mirrors. So combine that with the joy of driving and I feel like I'm in Need for Speed every time I commute. It's like a club on wheels but I don't have people all up in my mix everywhichway. It makes me so happy. There aren't a lot of things doing that lately. I'm really getting tired of not having a "direction," so to speak, in life. Temp job is working out fine, but it's only for a month and everyone else I call, it's just, no one is hiring in the Civil Engineering field right now. I know something will work out. It has to eventually. I know. But it's still stressful and disheartening.

I think Radiohead, Chemical Bros, Baths, and The Field are good morning commute soundtracks. In the evenings it's Dancehall or Swedish House Mafia or something of that nature. Those dancehall mixes by Kalibandulu are absolutely mad. If you check out one Dancehall mix your whole life, get Jugglin' from Mars, Vol 3. This guy makes killer mixes.

That's all for now I guess. I got a new lens for $192. Quite possibly the best deal for an amazing lens ever. The 35mm f/1.8. Big thumbs up. Also got a printer because it's really annoying to go to Office Max to print everything. I've also cut white carbs out of my diet and started doing kettlebell swings everyday. I guess that's pretty fun. With that diet I've been cooking a lot and have discovered my two favorite additions to any meal: lemon or lime juice. Either one literally transforms anything into pure tastiness. Lemon Juice: The New Salt.

Oh. And I've been kind of sick. I've been doing this every morning and it's awesome. (huh. more.)

It's all down hill from here... till Monday. Then it's back uphill.

Saw this on Photojojo the other day: Make a Color Mashup. Pretty cool looking and not that hard in Photoshop. The bowling example is pretty fun. Any three shots will work (preferably with all with the same framing).

Not sure if you've heard this new song Walking Far From Home by Iron & Wine on his upcoming album. It's really fantastic. Kind of chorale-like with nice variations every verse/chorus. It sounds beautiful. What a great evolution of his sound.

Walking Far From Home by Iron & Wine

I'm reading this "book" right now called Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far by a guy named Stefan Sagmeister. Jesse got it for me for Christmas (she's so creative). It's basically a collection of twenty "ideologies" he has learned and used throughout his career as a designer. The title above is one that currently stands out to me: Everybody (always) thinks they are right. It makes so many things make so much sense and still opens up more questions. Hitler, Obama, my neighbor, and me. We all do what we do because we think we are right. He writes...

"Every human conflict throughout history, every war and every dispute, traces back to this one sentence. I think I am right when I cross the street as the light is changing... The bus driver blaring his horn thinks he is right to blow me out of his way..."

The presentation of the book (it's actually ten or so little books) is really interesting. There are a bunch of openings on his face that let all the different color inserts show through.

Which brings us to... this thing with my neighbor. It's really bothering me. If you don't know, the past two friday nights (both around 7pm) my neighbor who I've never even formally met has come over (after banging on the wall between us) and told me (in an aggressive manner) that he's going to call the cops if I don't turn down the bass. He won't stop to talk with me about it, only at me. It looked a lot like this...

(and he wasn't discussing his passion for !!! with me)

I've spoken with and talked down so many angry/crazy/drunk/etc Jamaicans in the last two years. Even the maddest of them was my best friend after 3min of talking. Now I realize there are some cultural differences with JA and CO, but this guy won't stop for 20sec to talk to me, so he's perpetually angry about the situation. He will not calm down. We could work out hours of listening. He could explain how I'm really interrupting his unusual schedule by playing music at 7pm on a Friday night. Maybe his kids can't sleep. But I can't make any accommodations for him other than complying with his banging on the wall because he won't talk to me. I can't tell you how angry he is. When's the last time someone was so pissed that no matter how calmly and plainly you responded and asked questions they still ended every (declaratory) sentence with a huge exclamation point? It's so bizarre to me.

So do I reward his bad behavior by turning it down? Or do I just go on doing what I think is appropriate for the hour of the day and potentially talk to the cop who responds to the noise complaint? Quiet hours start at 10pm in our building. Would a cop even respond to a noise complaint at 6:30pm on a Friday?

I left him a note requesting an grown-up conversation because the reality is, this is going to happen again. I guess he thinks if he's mad enough it won't? INSANE. I think I was cordial in the note. I realize that no one wants to hear bass from a neighbor all the time, however, is it fair to completely restrict the volume of said neighbor's bass or is a compromise in order? Isn't that what 'quiet hours' are for? Because at a certain point what's more imposing on the other person: his hearing my bass or me not being able to ever listen to music (mildly) loudly during appropriate hours of the day? I would say it's equal any given day.

Jesse thinks that even if he'd come to me politely and maturely (I can't stress enough what an infant this guy comes off as) and asked me to turn it down I still would've had issues with it. I strongly disagree. While I'm certainly more used to constant noise than the average American (see Jamaica) I also realize how frustrating it is hearing a neighbor's music till 8am. I'm thoroughly happy to accomodate someone who shows me even an average level of respect. But the way this guy came across? It really brings out the Todd Burka in me. It makes me want to learn him a lesson that I feel is necessary for his personal growth. Hard. At all hours of the day.

So anyway, this whole issue has been stressing me out since last night. I mean, it's not like I'm arguing with someone on the internet. The guy lives next door. I guess I don't have to worry about him coming out and talking to me when I'm not in the mood. All I have to do is turn my music up and it's like an invitation to him. So next friday when he bangs on the wall what do I do? I could... (a) also bang on the wall and not turn the music down (b) not turn the music down and then when he comes over be extremely polite and tell him "No problem. Sorry about that. Won't happen again." and proceed to not turn music down or (c) comply and turn it down whenever he bangs on the wall (encouraging his behavior).

I don't know if I made the connection with the book very clear. The connection was that my neighbor thinks he's right (he's not, of course). We all do. I do.

What do you think? Stressin' me out.

I quite randomly came across this album several months ago. His name is DJ Nate and the album is Da Trak Genious. It's... really different. It's like this minimalist cut up hiphop/dance. I don't know how to describe it. But I really dug the album, but I had no idea if this guy was some 15yr kid or a legit DJ out there. Well, I came across his name in some Top 5 Artists You May Have Missed thing from SPIN magazine and he was right at the top. So I figured I should share it. It just such weird, cool, completely cut to pieces dance/r&b. I posted one of my favorites below. The horns in it are so cool.

DJ Nate - Footwurk Homicide

Another example of the weird awesomeness...

DJ Nate - A+ (MAYHEM)

04 JAN 2011: So my original post actually got taken down. Apparently just LINKING to files get's you a big copyright take down. However, Blogger was really nice. They just took the post back to draft stage. I thought that was pleasant of them. So anyway, I've left all the albums on there, just no links to them. Would you like to know more about the DMCA? Click here (digital copyright laws is actually pretty interesting stuff).

Man, a year is an insane amount of time. This year in particular seems long; like a day you woke up super early and it just seems to last forever (in a cool way). What a year. I can remember sitting on the beach or riding in a cramped taxi listening to so much of this. And some I just heard last month cementing it's place in my 'Denver time.' Music is a great way of marking time in my life. Music makes my heart and brain turn when sometimes nothing else can. It works like smells for me (like I remember where I was when I burned "that" album into my brain). It's just really fascinating stuff.

So I put together a weird mixtape. The weirdest? No, but all of the songs won't be for everyone. Some rap, dance, electronic, R&B, and Hip Hop. Some you may have heard on the radio a bunch and some you'd never hear anywhere else. Most of it from the latter part of the year since I've put earlier stuff on previous mixes. The only songs I left off (in this genre) were songs from these I've put links to below. The Robyn, Kanye West and Girl Talk albums were all too dense with awesomeness to single out one for a mix. I highly (highly) recommend listening to a sample below and getting the whole thing (one way or another*).

DOWNLOAD

Please enjoy.

*All of the albums below I simply found by Googling "artist album mediafire." Please don't shoot the messenger. I just want to share. Obviously, I would encourage supporting any artist that adds enjoyment to your life. But if it means the difference in hearing it or not... well, I just really want you to hear it.

UPDATE: Well, Blogger didn't shoot me, but it did slap me on the wrist so I've removed all the links.

Girl Talk [All Day]

Girl Talk - Let It Out

Robyn [Body Talk]

Dancing On My Own by robyn

Kanye West [My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy]

Dark Fantasy

All of the Lights

Power [Remix] (Ft. Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

Flying Lotus [Cosmogramma]

Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane

Four Tet [There is Love in You]

Four Tet - Angel Echoes

Star Slinger [Volume 1]

Star Slinger - Dutchie Courage

Star Slinger - Mornin'

Health [Disco2]

HEALTH - In Heat (Javelin Remix)

And there are just so many more...

Sleigh Bells [Treats]

Spoon [Transference]

Sufjan Stevens [Age of Adz] (is crazy but amazing)

Vampire [Weekend Contra]

Yeasayer [Odd Blood]

Pantha du [Prince Black Noise]

Delorean [Subiza]

Bonobo [Black Sands]

Man, can't even begin to list it all. What an amazing year of music.

(Also, don't miss some great Jamaican Dancehall Christmas music over on the PCBlog.)

What did I miss? What album changed your year?

Man, a year is an insane amount of time. This year in particular seems long; like a day you woke up super early and it just seems to last forever (in a cool way). What a year. I can remember sitting on the beach or riding in a cramped taxi listening to so much of this. And some I just heard last month cementing it's place in my 'Denver time.' Music is a great way of marking time in my life. Music makes my heart and brain turn when sometimes nothing else can. It works like smells for me (like I remember where I was when I burned "that" album into my brain). It's just really fascinating stuff.

So I put together a weird mixtape. The weirdest? No, but all of the songs won't be for everyone. Some rap, dance, electronic, R&B, and Hip Hop. Some you may have heard on the radio a bunch and some you'd never hear anywhere else. Most of it from the latter part of the year since I've put earlier stuff on previous mixes. The only songs I left off (in this genre) were songs from these I've put links to below. The Robyn, Kanye West and Girl Talk albums were all too dense with awesomeness to single out one for a mix. I highly (highly) recommend listening to a sample below and getting the whole thing (one way or another*).

DOWNLOAD

Please enjoy.

*All of the albums below I simply found by Googling "artist album mediafire." Please don't shoot the messenger. I just want to share. Obviously, I would encourage supporting any artist that adds enjoyment to your life. But if it means the difference in hearing it or not... well, I just really want you to hear it.

Girl Talk All Day

Girl Talk - Let It Out

Robyn Body Talk

Dancing On My Own by robyn

Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Dark Fantasy

All of the Lights

Power [Remix] (Ft. Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

Flying Lotus Cosmogramma

Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane

Four Tet There is Love in You

Four Tet - Angel Echoes

Star Slinger Volume 1

Star Slinger - Dutchie Courage

Star Slinger - Mornin'

Health Disco2

HEALTH - In Heat (Javelin Remix)

And there are just so many more...

Sleigh Bells Treats

Spoon Transference

Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz (is crazy but amazing)

Vampire Weekend Contra

Yeasayer Odd Blood

Pantha du Prince Black Noise

Delorean Subiza

Bonobo Black Sands

Man, can't even begin to list it all. What an amazing year of music.

What did I miss? What album changed your year?

I’ve watched a lot of great TV shows this past year. I think maybe TV has gotten better over the last few years. Maybe enough time has passed since the writer’s strike or maybe with the advent of DVRs there’s a justification to produce better shows with more rewatchability. Either way, there have been some great one I’ve seen this year. (All of these I’ve watched from beginning to current.)

Battlestar Galactica is really enjoyable. It’s nothing like the connotation that the name implies. It tackles some really interesting human struggles and ethical dilemmas through the near extinction of the human race. I love the way officers always paint people in the most optimistic light regardless of their errors. Plus it’s in space which is awesome. It get's a little weird in the latter part of the series but I think it's a really quality addition to the world of sci-fi.

Mad Men. “It’s like watching poetry” I read once. It is just a dynamic, beautifully fluid show. All the characters have such high and low points. So many grey-area issues.

Glee. I think the pilot for Glee is possibly one of the greatest pilots ever made. The series is funny and touching (sometimes overly dramatic (I guess typical of high school?)), but the pilot is an amazing work of high school drama, finding one’s place in that time of life, the confusing peer pressure and being who you are. The whole thing ending in the greatest cover of Don’t Stop Believin’ ever made. I think the show does an awesome job recontexualizing pop songs into everyday struggles and celebrations. They don’t always line up perfectly, but they always present emotions in an interesting way.

Glee - Any Way You Want It (Journey)

Here are some of my favorite examples. Teenage Dream and Hey Soul Sister are by another school and their songs are more in the style I’d like hear on a show called ‘glee.’ Just because I think a lot of the songs have too much back up instrumentation and not enough vocal support. Which is a shame because everyone does sing really well. I think several of the people are off broadway. They have amazing voices.

(I love the enthusiasm in this one. In the episode they're on a cold medicine that's clearly an 'upper.')

Glee - Teenage Dream

Just realized this was a Florence + the Machine cover. Rad.

Glee - Dog Days are Over

Breaking Bad. Amazing drama. Really intense show. (If you don't know, the premise is he's a high school chemistry teacher who finds out he has cancer and wants to provide for his family in case he dies.) It starts off good in season one, but really hits it’s stride in season three. It was great season. Although it’s weird when a character displays a trait or characteristic(s) you have but never really realized you had. Other than cooking Meth, I see a lot more of myself than I’d like to in Walter White. Most characteristics are more exaggerated (I hope) but they’re there. Pride, poor communication, stubbornness, and the last one, the one that’s new to me is his need to work on anything and everything except for the real issue. In one episode he starts doing house repairs because it’s basically the only thing he can successfully repair at the moment (as opposed to his marriage or job or cancer). He just goes all out repairing a water heater. As soon as he finishes he realizes that the floor underneath the old water heater is rotted from leaking water. Repairing the floor leads him to the mold problem underneath the house. What starts off as one minor hill ends up being this mountain range. He finishes, but it’s takes a toll on other things that need his attention (family).

I don’t know what causes that, but I’ve got it. Sometimes I feel like I can’t control anything and so I pick something I can control and just hit it full steam. It makes me feel better but it doesn’t help with the issue that pushed me there in the first place. And it generally involves a physical project whether it be cleaning or constructing. Sometimes it’s a project I started out working on but in the process I lose all perspective. The other day i got a new bike (well, and old bike, but new for me). It was really really dirty and had a flat tire. So I thought, “I’ll just look up ‘How to repair a flat’ and go get the parts and do it!” So I went out and got the stuff and came home to fix it up. After starting I realized I had to take the wheel off. It was the back wheel so it involves the chain and gear changing mechanism and everything. In taking that off I realize every part is getting dirty black grease on everything, so I figure I’ll just pull the bike in the shower, spray it down with Mean Green and brush off the grease. Well I did that. I put my bathing suit on, drug the bike into the shower and started washing. An hour or so, a full bottle of cleaner, two bathtub brushes, and shower walls and floor covered in grease washoff later I was done. I would’ve taken a picture or shown jesse, but I was scared I wouldn’t be able to clean up what I’d produced. A half hour scrubbing the shower and things were good as new. I got out, dried off and finished repairing the tire. Amazingly, I was able to reassemble the bike without too much trouble (and an extra set of hands from Jess). The only thing I didn’t put enough time into was tightening the nuts back on sufficiently because on my ride the next day the back wheel came undone and I bent the wheel. Oh well. Another project awaits.

But I do that stuff all the time. We’d be cleaning for company in Jamaica and I’d get sidetracked defrosting and chipping ice out of the freezer or disassembling the fan to clean off the dust. What causes that? Should I see someone?

I was disappointed when Cranston and Paul won Emmys for their performance in season 3 because I was watching Mad Men at the time and thought they should’ve been rewarded. However, after just finishing BB season 3... rightly so. Their performances were phenomenal.

Anyway, I’m not sure what the point of this post is. I have other things I could be doing but instead I’m writing about TV shows that have had an impact on me this past year. Regardless, I highly recommend all of these shows. AND I think that the character of Walt White is interesting. He's so motivated and driven to power through and succeed. He makes so many mistakes, especially regarding friends and family. And he always ends up in a really bad situation and just when you think he's truly done it this time, he reminds you that he's a really intelligent and fairly ingenious. And while he's a pathological liar (he's working on it) you always feel that he's trying to be honorable. He's messed up, but I like him.

I'm sure you've all heard this song or part of it by now, but if you haven't listened to the 9min album version you're missing out. Basically, the second half of the song is Kanye singing along with the melody but with a distorted, autotuned voice. That may sound stupid, but it sounds like someone jamming out on an electric guitar (with massive overdrive distortion) over strings and piano. It's mesmerizing. It's awesome.

Kanye West - Runaway by holycamille

On top of that, the album really is something spectacular. There are a few songs I don't care for simply because I'm more of a music than words guy and those one or two songs aren't my cup of tea. But overall... he's really outdone any previous effort.

Commenting back and forth with a friend on Facebook about how it sucks that West always has to come across as such a d-bag. And another friend won't even listen to the album because of how much he personally dislikes Kanye. I understand that, but to me it's like people complaining that a particular athlete is a bad role model for kids... well, that may be true, but no part of what that athlete does outside of his sport adds to or takes away from what he does on the field/court. Who says he has to be a good role model? What does that have to do with how great of an athlete he is or isn't? Now, that athlete won't have my utmost respect in life in general, but how can I not appreciate his abilities and skills? Wouldn't that just be being selectively ignorant? I guess I see Kanye West the same way. I don't respect most things he does in his personal/public life, but that can't take away from his talent as a artist. I see his album as a work of art independent of the person, Kanye West. I think that's the only way to judge a work.

One reviewer wrote, "West may be obnoxious, but at least he's interested in confronting those aspects of his identity through his music." I think that really says it. Give the album a listen (below) on headphones and see what you think. If you can stop thinking about the person Kanye West for 68min I think you'll really dig it. Pitchfork did.

Album V (MBDTF)

One of my favorite Daft Punk tracks. I love the simplicity and fat, distorted bass. I love how the songs just takes it's time with an awesome beat.

Daft Punk - Oh Yeah by zimbodeux

I wanted to try out sharing tracks via Soundcloud. I've gotten to really like their system and whatnot. So I thought I'd try it on this amazing string cover of Let Down. I like that it's not really built up. It just sounds like chamber music. Just playing Radiohead.

Radiohead - Let Down (String Quartet) by zimbodeux

Last night Jordan accidentally hit Goob with his car as he was coming up the road. He said Goob just darted out as he came by. He thought it was a raccoon. He swerved which I don’t think he normally does. That swerve probably saved Goob's life.

...my dad came running in and said he need us to come down. It was midnight. When he said Goob got hit I ran and got my shoes and bolted outside. As we got in the bulldog to ride down there and I had to talk myself out of a frenzy. i was freakin out. There was a blood stain in the road and Goob’s collar. The woods down there were thick so i called for him with the flashlight for a minute or two and then just took off into the woods. I was terrified at what I could find. Was he dead? In horrific pain? Was he even still in one piece? If my brain could’ve thrown up from the shock it would’ve.

My first cat, Nacho, back in 9th grade got attacked by an owl when he was a kitten and then a year later died from a kidney infection. He pretty much died in my arms. To see your pet dying right in front of you and not be able to help it is beyond heart breaking. it’s like a knife in there twisting back and forth.

Our next little kitten got grabbed by a big dog in it’s mouth. It was only for a second or so before we hit the dog to let it go, but it broke the little cat’s back. When we got him inside the little kitten acted totally fine accept he wasn’t moving his back legs. I didn’t understand. My dad took him out back to put him down. I still don’t have any idea where my dad found the strength to do that. I couldn’t have. We’d only had the kitten for days. I cried a lot that night.

Felix was a great big black cat who kept us company for several years. Up through 1 or 2 years in college. He liked to sleep on top of the garage door (when it was up). My dad called me at school one day and said he’d somehow gotten crushed when the garage door got put down. I think he said the neighbors found him there, still alive. The thought of him being stuck there suffering makes me so angry that I wasn’t there to help. Furious. And sick.

I was saturated with that feeling of sickness and rage that Goob’s safety and condition weren’t in my control last night as I ran through the woods looking for anything and calling out for Goob trying to make my voice sound normal and not terrified. But I was. I was terrified at what I would find, but even more terrified that I might not find him and that he’d die out in the woods alone.

I think maybe we must’ve scared him back up to the house going through the woods. Whatever it was, when Jesse yelled she found him I bolted up to the house. When I went to pick him up he was obviously in shock but when he saw it was me he calmed down and let me pick him up. His face was swollen and bloody, but everything else seemed okay. We took him to the garage and I held him until my dad found a vet that could meet us. I was holding him in a sheet because his blood was getting all over. He was meowing for a while, but actually calmed down; like he felt comfortable enough to relax and rest. I just thanked God that I was able to hold him no matter what happened. Just so thankful that we’d found him.

The vet took him and said he’d take care of him and we went home and washed the blood off our hands. We sat there thinking how lucky we were that it had been Jordan that hit him and not a stranger who would’ve just driven off. The fact is, we all fly up and down Tate Lane and it could’ve easily been any of us. And the fact that he was still in one piece with seemingly no internal damage is miraculous. How many animals just get hit and left? How many people's pets just disappear and are never heard from again? Makes me sick.

Love is such an bizarre thing, you know? We present it as this all around great thing. It makes everyone feel good and happy. And truly, my greatest joys in this world stem from my love for others and their love for me. But at the same time nothing in this world hurts more than love. To lose or have hurt that something or someone you love is mind bogglingly painful. Last night I just laid there writhing in bed. I could barely keep still. My very being was just so uncomfortable and in pain at the thought of not being there for Goob if something went wrong in the night. It’s just staggering how painful the other end of love can be.

I think anyone who’s communicated with us in the last 2yrs has a pretty good idea how much we love Goob. He was literally one of our greatest sources of joy through our years in Jamaica. The thought of losing our little peace corps cat is simply devastating. I know he’s a cat. But if any cat on this planet could possibly understand one iota of how loved and adored he is, it’s Goob. If any cat has any grasp whatsoever of this concept of being loved, it’s him.

We went and saw him at the animal hospital a few minutes ago. He was fairly sedated. He looked tired and swollen. They had an IV in him. The vet said his jaw had broken in the middle which was fairly common, but also that the palette at the top of his mouth had split and could cause sinus problems later on if not fixed. Also maybe some small fractures in his nose. Going to do some surgery tomorrow and should be okay to come home Thursday. I think he's going to be fine, but I don't want to get my hopes up until Thursday.

Thank you for your prayers.