but now i've seen it through

this morning, i opened my web browser and immediately clicked over to new york magazine, like i do most every morning. it threw me when the first five or six articles were all top 10 lists -- books, movies, albums, plays, pop culture moments, and on and on. i mean, sure, i felt the year coming to an end, but i still feel a little caught of guard.

that means it's time, then, to start going through my itunes, sorting out the good from the bad and the best from the good. usually by the time i've posted my final list of favorites, i'm sick of the project, tired of listening and then (in particular) describing -- i have a such a limited vocabulary when it comes to musical analysis. that said, right now, i'm actually really looking forward to writing all of this. i usually am -- but i think the feeling is even stronger this time around.

this year was really concentrated around music for me, in a way that previous years haven't been. a lot of that, i think, is due to the hours i spent working my way through various music blogs (pretty much amazing, gorilla v. bear, indie shuffle, record lbl, earmilk) listening for sounds i could play at dance parties. it's probably no coincidence, then, that this year's "soundtrack" will probably sound a lot different than the two that came before (2010 // 2011). it'll sound dancier, and maybe a little darker, definitely more chopped and screwed. i'll get into that a little more once the lists are up.

until then, here's the most recent mixtape i made:

  

gonna show you where it's dark

dang. it's been a while. i have a flash that i hardly ever use. one night recently, though, i went for a walk while some friends hit the streets on their blades and boards. these are some of the photos i took. also, here's a recent mix tape called 'nite vizionz.' seemed to fit the theme. enjoy + more soon.

let's do it again

another polaroid 450 test shot.

i've been pretty awful lately about putting together playlists for this blog. normally i'd have one up for the summer by now, it's just hard to find the time and energy. still, i did just put together my first true attempt at a dj mixtape. take a listen if your ears are in need some some noise ...

  

i wonder if i could be your mirror

cannon beach shot on tz artistic film with an sx-70

life's been crazy these past couple weeks -- moving, traveling, etc. -- and this little blog of mine has suffered. i never did get around to posting my usual seasonal mix. it seems a little late to fix that now, so i'm gonna cheat and just post a set that i put together last weekend. you can download it from soundcloud, should you feel so inclined.

(UPDATE: I took the mix off my soundcloud to make more room for other bits and pieces. you can still download the mix by right clicking here.)

2011 soundtrack [songs 1 - 15]

(cheat no. 4: there's a tie for my top song. download songs 1 - 15 here or click on the track titles to play them in youtube.)

1. 212  [azealia banks]
everything about this song is infectious, from the opening beats, to azealia's dirty-but-smart lyrics (seriously, pull 'em up, she fits a lot in and you hardly notice). banks tries a lot here, breaking 212 into, essentially, four different songs and attacking each part in a way that keeps you dancing from start to finish. i love the breakdown that she puts in the center so that when her last rap comes roaring back, it packs a hell of a punch. i don't know how many times i danced/listened to this song as the year came to a close, but ‘a lot’ hardly covers it. 212 never, ever got old. (also check out: liquorice.)

1. oblivion  [grimes]
i'm not sure i would have been as impressed with claire boucher had i not seen her in person first. there's just something totally surreal about the way she's able to create sounds and beats and layer them so quickly to produce her sweet, beat-heavy, synth-filled pieces. this song, like her others, is all her. 'oblivion' is fun because she gets the contrast between the heaviness in her underlying rhythms and the lightness in her child-like voice just right. (also check out: vanessa.)

3. rolling in the deep (remixed by jamie xx, ft. childish gambino) + someone like you  [adele]
rolling in the deep became a true anthem for the first part of this year, running well into the summer months. it's a beautiful song and amazing showcase of adele's talents. somehow, though, jamie xx made it even better by laying down a few more beats and really exaggerating some of the song's natural crescendos. childish gambino's rap was a brilliant add, too, underscoring the theme with smart lyrics and offering a nice counter weight to adele's more soulful form. once the winter hit, this song got replaced by 'someone like you.' the lyrics are universal and her ability to belt them out is just insane

4. nuclear seasons  [charli xcx]
a lot of the songs in my year-end list this go around have a strong bent toward nostalgia. 'nuclear seasons' is a total throw back to the 1980s and the manufactured sounds of those time. i'm not sure i can articulate exactly why it is that i think charli xcx beats everybody else with this song (midgnight by m83 has a very similar vibe), but it worked it's way into my year in a way that the others didn't. it's partly, of course, her vocal range, which she keeps largely monotone through the bulk of the song but stretches just as it becomes necessary.

5. afternoon + 17  [youth lagoon]

there's something about youth lagoon songs that make them feel almost cinematic, but none so much as 'afternoon' and '17.' it's possible, and even likely, that a lot of their appeal has to do with the fact that they've both come on my radio at just the right time, just when i needed to hear what they had to say. even so, the fact that i can feel such a connection to them must mean something. 'afternoon' is lovely for its bright, fast sound (even if the lyrics are as sad as the others), and '17' wins for probably my favorite lyric of the year, a call to never forgetting the wonder of this world: 'when i was 17 my mother said to me, don't stop imagining, the day that you do it the day that you die.'

6. who am i to feel so free?  [men + antony]
this song is such an awesome rallying cry for the disenfranchised and different. i caught men in person earlier this year and the crowd embraced the chorus with such energy that it was impossible to not to feel a little moved. of course, i'm sure, the euro-dance backing track had something to do with the excitement. this recording subs jd samson's voice with antony hegarty's. i'm a big fan of hegarty's out-of-this world vocals, but jd sings the song just as well in her own way.

7. countdown  [beyonce]
beyonce has to be one of the most talented musicians of our time. 'countdown' is a perfect example of what she can do. she uses her voice to its fullest in this track, while, simultaneously killing some crazy complicated runs. (i didn't even realize the full extent of what she packs in this song until i heard it slowed down in a cover.) the countdown is my favorite part; i can't think of anything i've heard that sounds quite like what she does here. it's the perfect song to see the year out on. three, two, one ...

8. the future + beat & pulse  [austra]
from the second 'the future' starts, with it's heavy beat and piano runs, it grips you. and then katie stelamanis enters in with her unique and surreal voice. the way she holds certain notes without letting them falter even a little is seriously impressive. here, her singing sets the rhythm just as much as the drums and the synth. her voice rises and falls, almost like a wave, only to give way to short staccato bumps when the song calls for it.  'beat & pulse' is slightly less impressive musically, at least to my uneducated ear. but what it lacks in that area, it makes up for with its immanently danceable beat -- the track title is no mistake, the rhythm really does find its way into your bones.

9. bad things (remixed ft. freddie gibbs)  [cults]
i like the cult's original cut of 'bad things,' but on its own it never would have made it into my top 60 songs, let alone my top 10. the addition of the freddie gibbs' rap really boosts its appeal for me. there's something about the way in which the harsh rap and the sweet, melodic chorus mix that makes this such a pleasure to listen to. the heavy drum beats that were added to help connect the two musical threads really does the trick, too. it's a great sound for backing the rap, but, if anything, i like it more behind the pop sound of the cults original lyrics. somehow it anchors them, making them feel more substantive and less nice-but-forgettable.

10. keep you  [class actress]
i put this song on a mix for a friend and a couple days later i got this text: 'track five is sexxxy who is??" that sort of sums it up, i suppose. elizabeth harper is playing the same 80s throwback game as charli xcx and m83, but she adds a slightly more sensual feel to her hommage. it's insanely effective. her vocals, too, are impressive. she plays a lot with staccato rhythms (keep. you. in. my. hea-art.) as she sings to help make the base beats as effective and catchy as possible. it definitely works. (also check out: weekend.)

11. my country + gangsta  [tune-yards]
merrill garbus has a voice unlike any other musician i've heard. there are songs on her latest album, w h o k i l l, that sound as though man must have sung them, then there are others where she jumps up into a range that sounds more traditionally feminine. there are so many good songs on this album, but my heart belongs to 'my country' and 'gangsta.' in the first, i can't get enough of her smart lyrics (my country 'tis of thee/ sweet land of liberty/ how come i cannot see my future within your arms) and the way she mixes patriotic sounds with world beats in such a discordant fashion. with 'gangsta' she embraces loud, powerful sounds -- siren screams going off in the background, her signature tribal whoops and "bang, bang, bang, oi" -- and some more smart, albeit almost angry, lyrics (what's a girl to do if she'll never be a rasta/ singing in her heart but she'll never be a rasta).

12. sunlight  [the one a.m. radio]
here's another ode to the neon-lit 80s. i find myself singing the chorus constantly (come on sunlight/ get me out of here alive). hrishikesh hirway's voice is so soothing, a perfect partner for the low, mellow -- but gripping -- instrumentals. maybe it's the fact that i really am waiting for sunlight to come save me from another portland winter, but i can't get enough of this track.

13. warm in the winter + beautiful object  [glass candy]
i feel like i've waited forever for some new stuff from glass candy. i'm glad that they're sticking to their signature sound while mixing it up just enough. 'beautiful object' has some really lovely vocals happening with the breakdowns that you've come to expect from these two. 'warm in the winter' is fun because it's hardly a song in the traditional sense. it starts with their usual synthy beats and etheral vocals and then gives way to a sweet entreaty to love yourself: 'we want you to know, if ever you should look in the mirror and wonder who it is that you are, and wonder what it is that you came for, well, i know the answer, you're beautiful ... we love you.' cheesy? maybe. but i love it.

14. my angel is broken  [atlas sound]
bradford cox is a genius. i love everything about this song from the opening progression with the deep, heavy bass (incredibly catchy) to his timeless, crooning voice (which he accomplishes without the reverb that so many musicians have been turning to these days). he switches up the melody and his own register, jogging between something that sounds almost happy to something that sounds just sad. but even with the shifting, the song manages to hold you. (also check out: lightworks.)

15. ritual union  [little dragon]
i'm so happy i finally got wise to little dragon. this band does some really nice things with electronic sounds. the vocals, too, are super appealing. 'ritual union' was one of those songs that became an official anthem of almost any trip i made this summer. also i can't help but love this sentiment: 'love is not like they say/a lie/ it's hard to make it stay.' (also check out: little man, remixed by tycho.)

2011 soundtrack [songs 16 - 30]

(download songs 16 - 30 here or just click on the individual track titles to play them in youtube.)

16. ungirthed  [purity ring]
the way this song plays with ambient sounds is so much fun to me. the electronic noises that the band weaves throughout the track are just completely unexpected and, even in their oddity, almost calming. what the band does really well here, though, is adding some higher, sweet sounding vocals. somehow, the contrast between the heavy noise and the sweet singing lets both of them standout. i also really love the audible tug of war that happens now and again when a sound is played, only to be pulled back half a step and played again. such a nice trick.

17. i'll take care of you  [gil scott-heron + jamie xx]
this song is just so illustrative of what happened so often this past year: somebody lays down a track, somebody picks it up and covers it or remixes it and then somebody else adds their own take on that initial collaboration, rinse and repeat. i was talking to casey about this, she said it reminded her of the 60s recording houses and how songs got passed around from artist to artist. whether its a shout out to times past or a new phenomenon, it seems like such a right and perfect use of the technology at hand. it also leads to some amazing results -- i think jamie xx has had a hand in at least 10 of my top 60. this song, of course, is a high point in all of this. scott-heron produced a truly beautiful track here and, if it's even possible, jamie xx was able to shake it up and make it even more enjoyable. i especially love the way that, around the two-minute mark, jamie plays with scott-herons single 'ah-ah-ah' line, looping it in a genius way. drake and rihanna moved this song forward a third time by adding to jamie xx's remix. check it out.

18. painted eyes  [hercules and love affair]
a sick, dancey jam of the sort you've come to expect from hercules and love affair. that in and of itself is enough reason to get it on my list, but the addition of aerea negrot into the mix pushes it even higher on the list. i can't get enough of her vocals in this song.

19. midnight city  [m83]
it took me a while to get into this song, but ultimately this hommage to retro time filled with neon charmed me like it has almost every music blog i read. there's something about this synthy tune that makes me think of 'bright lights, big city' or 'less than zero.' it seems so joyous in the remembrance of those lost times with the horns and building crescendos. it's a truly difficult song to describe. maybe that's what makes it so good, though.

20. streetz tonight  [aarabmuzik]
i'm a sucker for pulsing electronic dance music that sounds just as good at a house party as it does in your car. there's no shortage of that sort of stuff floating around, but hardly anybody does it quite as well as aarabmuzik does here. they've got the staccato beat throughout, keeping the energy up, while letting other parts of the song pull back and then come rushing forward at just the right times.

21. video games (remixed by balam acab) + kinda outta luck  [lana del rey]
i don't get all the hate that comes this lady's way. is she really the next nancy sinatra, ganster or otherwise? no, probably not. but she still makes nice music (even if she leaves a little to be desired in the lyrics department). 'video games' is a pretty nice almost-ballad with an immanently catchy hook. i'm not sure why 'kinda outta luck' hasn't got much attention. she picks up the tempo there and lays down a drum-along beat. it was the second song that initially prompted me to give her a listen.

22. into black  [blouse]
i put this song on a summer mix i'd made and somebody told me this was clearly a fall song. i said they were wrong. 'into black,' i said, was a song for summer after you've had just enough beer to keep you warm and happy and you find a trampoline to lie on while you watch the sun sink and others jump around. i love the synthy, soothing beat in this song and far-away vocals that seem to compliment it so well.

23. balance  [future islands]
there is so much happening in this song from the crazy, almost-horn-like sounds in the background, to the sort-of-surf-rock vibe and the rich, raw vocals. it all comes together so well, too.

24. wetsuit + family friend  [the vaccines]
both of these songs are about growing up, sometimes without knowing it, sometimes without wanting it. they became anthems of a summer that came and went way too quickly. perfect hommages to the surf-rock era.

25. how can u luv me? + ffunny ffriends  [unknown mortal orchestra]
unknown mortal orchestra is my favorite local-band discovery of the year. they have a truly interesting sound the ropes together twangy guitar plucks and far-away vocals. the songs catch you and hold you all the way through. there's something about them that makes me feel like they were discovered in a shoe box under somebody's bed and brought back in a time they weren't initially meant for.

26. we found love + drunk on love  [rihanna]
sometimes a song is just OK and then you see the music video and you're not sure why, but suddenly the song takes on a new life in your eyes ... or ears. that happened with 'we found love' for me. it's a euro dance number at its heart -- penned by a brit, in fact -- that departs from rihanna's usual sound. initially i thought it was a simple dance jam, but after i watched the video, it seemed to be saying so much more. 'drunk on love' is almost the opposite story. jamie xx loaned rihanna one of my favorite backing beats from the xx album. it plays nicely, keeping the song moving while really letting rihanna showcase her vocals. this one you know immediately is good stuff.

27. polish girl  [neon indian]
this song, for me, is a little reminiscent of passion pit and starfucker in terms of its electronic beeps and squeaks. that sound is something i've been missing so i was happy to find it resurrected here. the beats themselves actually steal the show from the vocals, though the vocals in their almost-monotone, breathy sound are, themselves, pretty enjoyable, too.

28. dirty paws  [of monsters and men]
this is a sweet, folksy song that tells a sweet, folksy -- if not entirely comprehensible -- story. it starts off slow and quiet but builds, and a quarter of the way you get a pay off by way of some group shouting and inviting beats. good stuff all around.

29. i follow rivers  [lykke li]
i didn't fall in love with lykke li's most recent album in quite the same way as i did 'youth novels.' still, she had some amazing hits this go around, too. 'i follow rivers' is hands down my favorite. i like the methodical beat -- and the fact that it's composed of so many sounds -- that breaks just about a third of the way through to give way to high-energy chorus only to find it's way back before too long. the song comes in waves and keeps you floating the whole way through.

30. never will be mine (remix)  [rye rye + robyn]
i love both of these artists separately. together, they're a surprising, but incredibly strong, duo. here, they each do what they do best. rye rye provides the rap while robyn steps in with her slower and deeper chorus. you wouldn't think the two would blend so well, and yet, somehow they do. plus, of course, the lyrics are universally relatable. the remix is an improvement, i think, on an already great collaboration, accentuating the song's strengths.

2011 soundtrack [songs 31 - 60]

i need to start this list with a confession: i cheated. a lot. not only did i lump songs by the same artist together so i could fit more artists in, but i let the list balloon from 50 to 60. i'm starting today with the bottom 30. i have a hard time with superlatives, so i wouldn't necessarily call these the best songs of the year - they're just the songs that made up my 2011 soundtrack. i'm also no good at rankings, so the order is more of a general approximation. if i had to sit down and order them again tomorrow, i'm sure the results would be different. you can download these songs here all in one go, or follow the individual links to youtube tracks.

31. without you  [rainbow arabia]
32. new theory  [washed out - remixed by RAC]

33. work  [1,2,3]

34. kill for love  [chromatics]

35. fever dreams  [nurses]

36. wood  [rostam]

37. nodding off  [wavves + beach house]

38. new work  [jj]

39. creature  [guidance counselor]

40. marathon + long boat pass  [tennis]

41. helena beat + houdini  [foster the people]

42. jam for jerry + wait & see  [holy ghost!]

43. it's real  [real estate]

44. hardliners  [holcombe waller]

45. california sunrise  [dirty gold]

46. no nostalgia + navy parade  [agesandages]

47. bedroom eyes  [dum dum girls]

48. east harlem  [beirut]

49. rainbow + white nights  [oh land]

50. the words that maketh murder  [pj harvey]

51. sister wife  [alex winston - remixed by star slinger]

52. need you now  [cut copy]

53. os argonautas  [mina tindle]

54. in the dark  [dev]

55. one time  [the roots]

56. true romance  [citizens!]

57. climbing walls  [strange talk]

58. lost in my mind  [the head and the heart]

59. take off your shirt  [bibio]

60. mother mother  [the stand]

61. super bass  [nicki minaj]

note: at the last minute i realized i left of 'super bass' by nicki minaj. i was too lazy to reorder the list, so i tacked her on at no. 61. i guess that's cheat no. 3, then.

ten albums for 2011

i have a hard time committing to listening through entire albums. i'd rather make a mix of singles i love than have to sit through background noise while waiting for a hit. so take this list with a grain of salt. it is, by no means, comprehensive. these are just 10 albums, in alphabetical order, that gripped me from beginning to end:

alright you restless [agesandages]
more really is more for agesandages, a seven-member ensemble band. they hail from portland and definitely have that northwestern folk vibe going on. but they play with that familiar sound by layering voice upon voice, producing a really rich sound that hits you like a wave, over and over again. that quality is underscored by strong beats -- and occassionally some hand claps -- that'll get your feet stomping. the number of people in this band just adds to the sheer infectiousness of the music. check out: no nostalgia, so so freely, souvenir and navy parade. 

cape dory [tennis]
there's something more than a little bit annoying about an attractive couple who spends months sailing around the seas, only to return with an album full of sweet sounds describing their adventures. the fact that i can get past that back story speaks to the album's genuine sweetness. tennis has embraced that far-away sound, but i've seen them in person, minus the haziness, and the music is maybe even more dreamy without that added layer of nostalgia. i will say, the songs on this album tend to run together. still, even as one extended song, it's something i'd happily listen to on repeat. check out: long boat pass, marathon, south california, cape dory and take me somewhere. 

cults [cults]
the cult's 'go outside' became a huge rallying cry for me during early spring and into summer. it's simple indie pop, but i'm a sucker for stripped down, upbeat sounds. that song was just the first of some really great tracks to be found on this album. like cape dory, cults can start to blend together, but in way that doesn't get monotonous. still, the fun comes when you start to listen to individual tracks with some concentration. 'abducted' is one great example. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin trade back and forth on some sweet vocals while playing with lyrical repetition in a really satisfying way. also check out: never heal myself, you know what i mean, and rave on. 

feel it break [austra]
i've never felt quite the same way during a live show as i did when austra passed through town. i remember just standing in the middle of a crowd of folks, eyes closed, swaying and jumping to the music. it really felt like it had found its way into my bones. there's something about how katie stelmanis uses her voice in that quasi-operatic way, that really pulls me into her songs. she flits between simple notes and complex lyrics with amazing control. add to that the strong, euro-dance-club beats and you wind up with really catchy, if haunting, music. check out: the future, beat and pulse, lose it, spellwork and shoot the water. 

my head is an animal [of monsters and men]
hat tip to amanda for telling me i'd love this band and being so damn right. i don't know what it is about scandinavia, but it always turns out quality sounds (see: 'oh land' below). i don't know that 'my head is an animal' breaks any new ground. it's some pretty standard indie folk -- reminiscent, maybe, of mumford and sons. but even so, the album is consistently good and surprisingly varied. the band does some great, slow burn bits that ultimately erupt, but they also embrace some simpler constructs that let the two lead vocalists play around. check out: dirty paws, kind + lionheart, love, love, love, your bones, and little talks. 

oh land [oh land]
as i put this list together, i'd go through the albums' discographies and try to tease out four or five songs to feature. with this album i had a list of eight. that's not to say that this is the best album of the year, only that nanna Øland is really consistent. there's hardly a song on this album that i don't love listening to. she takes the record in several different directions: slow, synthy ballads and high-tempo, bass-heavy club hits. it would be a stretch to call her rapper, but she doesn't mind taking on a few lines of complicated dialogue in between her hooks. son of a gun and white nights were clear hits for her, but you should also check out: wolf + i, we turn it up, rainbow and human. (she also covered 'bloodbuzz ohio' beautifully.) 

parallax [atlas sound]
this is probably the most varied album to make the list. bradford cox really stretches himself here, hitting notes both high and low, up tempo and down. it's probably that variety, which most of my other picks are lacking to a certain degree, that makes this album stand out for me. i love his timeless voice, and the way he plays on each and every word, holding some, clipping others. i also love the dreamy, ambient sounds that he weaves throughout his tracks. they never overpower his vocals, instead just adding to the general feeling of nostalgia, which, if the album cover is any indication, was his goal. check out: light works, my angel is broken, amplifiers, mona lisa and the shakes. 

what did you expect [the vaccines]
i don't know if there's a single collection of songs that sound more like summer to me than this one. it didn't do very well with critics, who felt the vaccines hadn't hit on anything new with this sound. but even if that's true (and it probably is), they've turned out a perfect summertime tribute to the surf-rock era while incorporating decidedly more modern lyrics (post break-up sex, anyone?). the band also seizes on the theme of growing up, which i'd be lying if i said hadn't been on my own mind this summer. take their last track, family friend: 'you wanna get young but you're just getting older/ and you had a fun summer but it's suddenly colder.' also check out: wetsuit, all in white, if you wanna, and norgaard. 

w h o k i l l [tune-yards]
i picked up 'w h o k i l l' on a whim at a record shop in seattle after having only heard 'bizness.' i'm glad i made the leap. merill garbus has an incredibly powerful voice and she uses it to really amazing effect. for a while i was little uncomfortable with all the press the album was getting for being so unique, when, in fact, she'd pretty much cribbed her signature whoops and beeps from Central African tribes. it's hard to hold that against, her, though, when she basically makes note of it in 'gansta' (what's a boy to do if he'll never be a rasta?/ singin' from his heart, but he'll never be a rasta). she feels it, so she uses it. it helps, too, that smart lyrics abound. also check out: my country and powa. 

the year of hibernation [youth lagoon]
short and sweet, apparently because singer trevor powers had done some creative recording and re-recording of the vocals in a friend's garage and didn't want to add any songs that hadn't been subjected to that method. it lends a dream pop/ reverb sound to the album that might bother some, but i think it suits the wistful lyrics. more than anything, though, this album ranks as on of my favorites because i can remember listening to 'afternoon' while driving through the sunny, hazy streets of north portland the morning after an especially awful night and feeling like everything would be OK. check out: 17, cannons, daydreams and montana.

come on, sunlight - a fall 2011 ep

fall's nearly over, which means it's about time i posted my seasonal ep. it's a little bit longer than ususal, and there are a few songs on here that'll probably overlap some with my year-end list (which'll be up here in the next few weeks), but i tried to keep them to a minimum. anyhow, hope these beats get your feet moving. (you can download the whole mix by clicking here, or you can grab it bit by bit by right clicking on the song titles.)

vanessa - grimes


nuclear season - charli xcx


212 - azealia banks


beat and the pulse - austra


mellow doubt - diamond rings covers teenage fanclub


sunlight - the one am radio


what becomes of the broken hearted - jimmy ruffin


nervous lonely night - jessica lea mayfield


love, love, love - of monsters and men

don't stop imagining

for a while now, i've been seriously into the song '17' by youth lagoon. there's something so genuinely earnest about it, it takes all the right musical turns in all the right places, and i can't get the hook out of my head: 'when i was 17, my mother said to me, don't stop imagining, the day that you do is the day that you die.'

a couple weekends back, casey and i decided we wanted to do some sort of choreographed video. all we knew for sure was that we would shoot it in and around a cabin we'd rented for thanksgiving. so, we started by picking '17' as our soundtrack and a really simple little narrative just sort of unfolded.

here's what we came up with:

sun drunk - a summer ep

to celebrate the last day of summer, i thought i'd do something i haven't done for a while: post a seasonal mix. this isn't so much a full-on mix, as it is just a few songs that will probably always sound like summer 2011 to me. you can download the whole (mini) mix here. or you can grab them one by one by right clicking on the song names below. or you can just stream them. so many choices! enjoy.

a real good time - basement babies


ritual union - little dragon


thumbs off - the clean


pursuit of happiness - kid cudi + mgmt + ratatat


balance - future islands


all summer - kid cudi + best coast + rostam

there is no hope for any sleep

a photo taken from the bluffs of doe bay. if this picture were a song, it might be this one:

bedroom eyes -- dum dum girls

you keep my secrets hope to die

because i clearly have a problem; i bought a new polaroid camera. it uses the peel apart film, of which, also due to my problem, i've now built a small stockpile. here a few shots from its first day out on the town:

clockwise: casey, flan, casey and flan together, ryan. (flan was shot with sepia film, the others with black and white.)

young blood by the naked and the famous:

a mix for a winter spent in a friend-filled, snowless portland

the lovely tape-playing radio that is no more. sigh.

1. no nostalgia - agesandages


2. helena beat - foster the people


3. rain on - woods


4. iraqi music - souad abdullah


5. arcadia - dirty mittens


6. if i had a little love - the majestic arrows


7. i follow rivers - lykke li


8. california sunrise - dirty gold


9. living in america - dom


10. last night - the strokes


11. off our backs - m.e.n.


12. lights & music - cut copy


13. all the weird kids know - built by snow


right click and 'save as' the song titles for a copy of the corresponding mp3. also, for more winter-themed music, check out the latest collaborative mix from 'would you jump rope?'

better run, better run

i woke up sick today. awful. but, in terms of silver linings, i found this scene outside my bedroom window. so there's that. there's also this song:


pumped up kicks by foster the people

bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love

shot on tz artistic with my sx-70

do you remember, when you were younger, how each year your teacher would dedicate an hour or two to having the class decorate brown paper bags with hearts and arrows and more hearts and more arrows? you'd do it in anticipation of feb. 14, the day when you would then tape the bags to the front of your desks and walk around the classroom slipping store-bought valentines into each others' bags?

well, i do. i also remember, at some point, i became really self-conscious about what it was that those valentines said. i can't say which grade i was in at the time. just that it had to have been elementary school. in any case, just like the year before and probably the couple years before that, i had gone to the store with my mom to pick out the perfect valentines. i thought i'd found them when i came across a box of x-men valentines. the back of the box looked promising: wolverine, gambit, cyclopse, storm, magneto. all the usual suspects. and they looked cool.

but when i got home and started addressing them, i ran into a problem. there weren't enough of the sort of valentines that a boy would give to another boy. you know, the sort that didn't imply love. the sort that were perfectly neutral. there was one in particular i remember. it had on it a picture of magneto and the words on the card said something like "i'm attracted to you." it was a play, of course, on magneto's magnetic superpowers. but to me, way back then, the idea of giving that to another boy seemed awful.

there were others like that, i'm sure, but that's the one that stuck out to me the most. so, i did what i figured any elementary schooler would do, and got out the whiteout. i started erasing the phrases that the card company had pre-printed on my valentines and began writing in new ones.

the next day, after all the valentines had been passed out, i started going through the stack. i opened up one from a kid named robbie (i don't know why i can remember his name). apparently, he, too, had settled on those x-men cards. but he didn't seem to have my same hang up. he'd given me the same magneto card that i'd stressed about the night before. only minus the whiteout.

it's weird the things you worry about when you're young and a bad valentine can seem like the end of the world.

anyhow, given that we don't make paperbags anymore, i'll post your valentine here, a song by edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros:



(for those who may have noticed, i'm using a new mp3 player on this blog, but i'm still uploading the files into my dropbox. that is to say, they're still available for free download. just right click on the band's name. otherwise, use the built-in player for a one-off listen.)

falling back on a better place

these represent the latest of my polaroid snap shots. i'm taking a break from the impossible project color shade push! film, which has been driving me insane. it's just so fickle. anyhow, i loaded the sx-70 up with some of my remaining tz artistic film (by far my favorite polaroid film material). i'm not sure i was as judicious as i should have been with the pictures i took. oh well. the last two were definitely not what i hoped they would be. that said, i had some fun trying to distort the bottom-left image. i might dedicate a pack pretty soon here to polaroid distortions. i need some better tools first, though. anyhow, i'll leave you with a dixie cups song that i can't get out of my head. enjoy:

take two

i've been trying to get the new color shade film by the impossible project to work for me for a while now. it's pretty finicky -- completely sensitive to light and temperature. i think i'm finally getting there, though. these are the two best images so far.

also, i feel obligated to point out that this post is kind of a big deal. it's no. 100 on my little blog. exciting, i know. anyhow, i felt like i should do something extra special. sadly, i couldn't think of anything. so, for lack of a great idea, i'm just going to give you all a free song that has been keeping me company for the past few days: if i had a little love (rehearsal) by the majestic arrows. enjoy!

2010 soundtrack (part three of three)

so, here we have it, the last of my top songs of 2010. as i began writing and forming this list, other artists kept coming to mind and i regretted not including them -- best coast and rihanna and janelle monae and damien juardo -- but then i couldn't really find any songs that i had already included that shouldn't get a mention. so, i guess, all that is to say that this list is hardly comprehensive or immutable, but it is a fairly good representation of my year in music. as a reminder, you can right-click on and then download any of the highlighted songs. or you can just plain old click on them and they'll stream for you.

sprawl ii - arcade fire
i can't say that i have an absolute favorite song of 2010, but 'sprawl ii' is my absolute favorite song of the moment. régine chassagne has a beautiful voice, and as casey said, 'i wish, i wish (she) sang more often.' i like arcade fire, but this song, at least to my ears, is just a step above their other work on this album. the lyrics are full of meaning -- and based loosely on a haitian proverb -- even if they're not the most uplifting: 'they heard me singing and they told me to stop/ quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock/ sometimes i wonder if the world's so small/ can we ever get away from the sprawl?' and, of course, there's an epic and lovely beat that underlies the whole piece. amazing through and through.

go outside - the cults
more than a couple of the songs on this top-30 list came from a collaborative mix we put together over at 'would you jump rope.' jasper nominated 'go outside' for the mix, and i'm glad she did. the cults, who i'd never heard prior to this song, have a wonderfully earnest, poppy sound that lends itself to sing alongs. i love sing-along songs. 'go outside,' like a few other songs on this list, has nice dreamy vocals over a fast beat. i love the triangle and hand-clap sounds that show up from time to time. also, the song's lyrics are perfect for motivating yourself during a portland winter when it would be so much easier to stay inside and do nothing useful. 'i think it's good to go out/ cause if you don't you'll never make a memory that will stay/ i think that you should wake up.'

boxer - lovers
lovers is my favorite new band of the year, hands down. i saw them play live not long after getting back to portland. the whole band seemed to really love being on stage, playing together, getting the crowd excited. i love earnest musicians. anyhow, their newest album 'dark light' is listenable the whole way through; there's not a single song on it that i wouldn't be happy to listen to. that said, there are three songs that i just can't get enough of: 'figure 8,' 'barnacle' and, of course, 'boxer.' if i were going with lyrics alone, i might choose barnacle, which has simple but very astute lyrics. ultimately, though, 'boxer' wins. the synth beat in the beginning rolls into a catchy, forceful song. i should add that the lyrics here are similarly simple yet insightful: 'what a drag not to know how you are. what a drag not to know how you feel.'

clap your hands - sia
in the interest of full disclosure, 'clap you hands' came to my attention only very recently -- as in the last three weeks -- via another year-end list. that said, it totally deserves a place in my top 10. i think it's my favorite dance number this year. that might be due, in part, to the fact that some of my other favorite dance songs from this year ('dancing on my own' and 'teenage dream') were so overexposed its difficult for them to summon up in me the same excitement that this song does and that they probably did in their early days. i really appreciate sia's deep (in some places), staccato vocals. they mesh really well with the underlying beat, which does a good job of keeping you tapping your foot the entire way through. the video, too, is worth a look; it's one of my favorites in recent memory.

arcadia - dirty mittens
i cannot wait until the new dirty mittens album drops. until then, i have 'arcadia,' an early release from the album. i guess, technically, this song belongs to 2011, but this is my blog, so i'm bending the rules. chelsea morrisey's voice is exquisite. you know i mean i like a voice when i use that word, which i reserve only for the best because it just sounds so damn pretentious. anyhow, i absolutely love her voice, the slight shake in it, the way it's light but still substantial. yes, please. also, i love the way dirty mittens is able to find places in its pieces for saxophones and strings and guitars and drums. it all comes together to make really beautiful sounds. arcadia is a great showcase for everything that makes dirty mitten my favorite local band.

julius - starfucker
if dirty mittens is my favorite local band, then starfucker comes in at a very close second (or maybe third, given lovers) place. there was a time in my life, not long after i moved to portland, that i was listening to nothing but starfucker and passion pit. starfucker's electronic, synthy sound and echoey vocals are just, well, great. i can't think of a better, more descriptive word. sorry about that. i like their sound so much that on my way out of portland in 2009, i left a day early to catch their show in phoenix. i jumped up and down to their music with a room full of 18-year-olds. i felt like a chaperone, but their performance was so good that i didn't much mind. starfucker is slated to release a full album this march. if 'julius' is any indication of what they have in store for us, then i'm sure they'll be back on this list come next january.

howlin' for you - black keys
i remember, a couple years back, asking my friend holly (who is much better at digging up new music than i) to give me the name of a new band i ought to listen to. black keys was her response. i listened to five seconds worth of their music and decided it wasn't what i was looking for. idiot. somehow came across my radar again. this second time i was hooked. like most of the albums that a lot of these songs are from, i can listen to brothers the whole way through. i chose 'howlin' for you' because it does a good job of capturing the black keys' soul sound and upbeat, foot-stomping rhythms. really, the drum just catches you straight away, pulls you into this song, and never lets you go. i also can't get enough of the twangy guitar sound that runs through this song. (runners up: 'tighten up' and 'ten cent pistol')

rill rill - sleigh bells
this is another album that was graciously interneted to me while i was away. a big part of the reason i love sleigh bells is that their sound is very unique, very much their own. they play a lot with loud, angry electric riffs and loud, angry vocals. their music has a very intense energy that makes this album a pleasure to listen to. 'rill rill' is a bit more subdued than some of their other pieces, 'tell 'em' for instance, but it still fits nicely with their overall sound. i enjoy the deep drumming in the background and the layered percussion in general. the lead singer's sweet, feminine voice offers a really nice contrast. there's a place in this song (around 2:30) where the background drops out out and the lyrics are left virtually alone. the vocals sound good alone as they do in the context of the rest of the song. all around goodness.

we fell off the roof - seabear
i fell in love with this band under some pretty unexpected circumstances: while lost and cold in the middle of the sudanese desert and in need of some calming, contemplative music. seabear was exactly what that night needed, and it's what it got. again, this is an album that i can listen straight through, so it's difficult to pick a favorite. 'lion face boy,' 'in winters eyes' and 'i'll build you a fire' are all lovely. the reason i went with 'we feel off the roof' has a lot to do with the way the lead singer plays with the word 'off' holding it there, letting it stretch to really nice effect. i also love how it occasionally builds to this fast, exciting instrumental solo only to die back down leaving room for vocals once again. it's a slow one, to be sure, but sometimes something slow is just what you need.

i think i like u 2 - jamaica
the fact that i can get past the title of this song and include it in my top 10 should speak to how much i like this band and its sound. my friend jeff sent me their album, 'no problem,' calling them a phoenix knock-off. not in a bad way - they're also french and have a very similar sound. but if they're a phoenix knock off, and they probably are, they're a pretty great one. the guitar riff that runs through this song is pretty catchy and so is the refrain - 'i think like you, too/ i think i like you, too.' basically it all comes together in a way that makes me want to get up and dance a bit. ok, a lot. you should check out the music video, too, which indicates that band has a certain level of self-deprecative humor, which only serves to make me like them more.

2010 soundtrack (part two of three)

ambling alp/ o.n.e. – yeasayer
i almost forgot to include this band in my wrap-up, which is ridiculous considering just how much i listened to this album over the past year. funnier still, when i finally remembered that yeasayer deserved a place on the list, i couldn’t decide which song was my favorite. i listened to ambling alp more than is healthy, but still have not overdone it. the lyrics, at the time i found the song, just really resonated. similarly, i can listen to o.n.e. on repeat. so, i'm taking the easy way out and picking them both.

cpr – typhoon
this was a late addition to the 2010 soundtrack. typhoon is an amazing local band that i wish i had discovered earlier, but, as they say again and again, better late than never. i like this song in particular for the calm, even vocals and beat that runs through it, it’s almost meditative, but still lively in a certain way. and then there’s the really great reversal at 3:30, where they strip everything except for this ‘oh ah oh ah’ chorus and then start building back the song all over again. (runner up: ‘starting over’)

bullfighter jacket – miniature tigers
this song starts strong and never lets up. i always find myself obnoxiously singing along to those first ‘yah yah yah yah yah.’ the lead singer’s voice is nice and i like the dreamy echo that the producers added to it. there’s a nice contrast between his somber sounding voice and the excitement of the rhythms that make up the song’s foundation. it was a close call between this song and ‘japanese woman.’ really, though, the entire album is a nice listen. it was my carving-pumpkins soundtrack this october.

10 mile stereo – beach house
right or wrong, i find beach house to be a smarter version of best coast. that's not to say i don’t like best coast; i exhausted their album nearly as much as i did beach house’s. but i also made the mistake of reading their lyrics. anyhow, both of these bands do that great dream-pop sound that seems to be coming back with a vengeance. i'm not complaining in the least – i really like the dream-pop sound. i had a hard time choosing a best for beach house, i also really enjoyed ‘zebra’ and ‘used to be.’ ultimately, ’10 mile stereo' was the winner, mostly for it’s forward-looking lyrics, lyrics that i found comforting while i was gone: 'they say we will go far, but they don’t know how far we’ll go.'

dancing on my own – robyn
i remember casey sending me this song before i got back to portland. i just kept hoping that it would last long enough as a hit so that i could greet it on a portland dance floor. seems silly now, considering i don’t think i've been to a dance party yet where this made an appearance. this song is an addictive one – i find myself humming the chorus all the times – and so is its singer. i can’t really separate the tune from her crazy dancing in the video. of course, this song deserves some crazy dancing. in case you’re over the original, here’s a nice, slowed-down remix.

vesuvius – sufjan stevens
i first heard this new album through npr’s first listen. i was at work and just needed some background noise. i remember liking bits and pieces of it, particularly ‘too much,’ but i didn’t go back and listen to the album in earnest until a month or so a good, on the prodding of a friend. i still love ‘too much.’ it's catchy and fast-paced. but, vesuvius beats it easily for best song of the album. i love the melancholic, slow-moving rhythyms blended with the tambourine and electric sounds. and then, the speed-up about two-thirds of the way in, really surprises you – or it did me – in a very nice way. i also have to encourage you all to listen to ‘impossible soul,’ the 26-minute song in this album. it takes a while, but around 15 minutes (i think) your investment totally pays off.

crash years – new pornographers
i hadn’t given the new pornographers much of a listen until my friend jeff included them in mix that he sent out this summer. that first song, ‘moves,’ is still one of my favorites of this album, but ‘crash years’ is the song that has stuck with me. i like the sound of the layered vocals in this album. you don’t hear that too much, at least not in the music i've been occupying my time with. i'm also a sucker for the little whistly bit at the three-minute mark.

home – edward sharpe
i am such a sucker for this band – and for this song in particular. there's something really beautiful about the dueling vocals and the accent in their speech. whenever i hear this song, i just imagine two people, really in love, smiling at one another. i love where they slow the song down and talk to one another. so cute. then they pick up again with some epic sounds. plus how can you not love lyrics like this: ‘well, holy moly, me-oh-my, you’re the apple of my eye’? answer: you can’t. i should probably confess that i first heard this is sudan when i was feeling more than a little homesick myself. (runner up: ’40 day dream’)

dance yrself clean – lcd soundsystem
from the very first couple beats, this song gets me tapping my foot. it starts off very slowly and calmly but builds up to a really gripping techno extravaganza. maybe i’m alone here, but i defy anybody to listen to this and not start moving – even if with just a slight head bob. it's the perfect song to listen to when you just need to move, to empty your head and, well, without being too cute, ‘dance yrself clean.’

down by the water – drums
embarrassing as this may be, i first heard this song on gossip girl, which, i will happily tell anybody, has an amazing soundtrack. anyhow, i couldn’t get the chorus out of my head for the rest of the day. the drums had been on my radar since sudan, where i saw their music video for ‘let’s go surfing’ on mtv arabia. i like their sound, and this song is definitely the best of it.