JayeL Audio

Influence is largely the theme of the majority of mixtape number two for this week. Teen Daze kicks things off with an Earth, Wind & Fire sampling dance party. Speaking of influence, does the piano fueled opening of Miike Snow’s “Devil’s Work” remind anyone else of Van Halen’s “Right Now”? I swear I just flashbacked to middle school. Charming female songstresses Alex Winston and Oh Land cover The Black Keys and The National, respectively. Even Mayer Hawthorne and Electric Guest offer up soul and Motown related gems. Elsewhere, The National demo a new track that sounds, well, like The National. We welcome back The Shins, which sound like the old Shins, but aren’t really the old Shins. Lastly, I have to say, I’m really enjoying the blues rock inspired sound of Cold War Kids new demos. I’m certainly intrigued by the addition of a new lead guitarist in Modest Mouse’s Dann Gallucci.

JayeL Audio 1-27-12: DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Teen Gaze – Let’s Groove
2. Electric Guest – This Head I Hold
3. Johnny Headband – Over There
4. The Shins – Simple Song
5. The Concept – Gimme Twice
6. Gospel Music – Apartment
7. Midi Matilda – Day Dreams
8. Ed Vallance – Crystlalline
9. Mayer Hawthorne – Stick Around
10. The National – Rylan (Live on Q)
11. Miike Snow – Devil’s Work
12. Meg Myers – Adelaide
13. The Big Pink – Hit the Ground (Superman)
14. The Oh Hellos – Hello My Old Heart
15. Alex Winston – Everlasting Light (The Black Keys cover)
16. Dana Falconberry – Petoskey Stone
17. Cold War Kids – Minimum Day
18. Kishi Bashi – Bright Whites
19. Diagrams – Tall Buildings
20. Water Town Bucket Boys – Meet Me Where The Crow Don’t Fly
21. Boxer Rebellion – Losing You
22. Oh Land – Bloodbuzz Ohio (The National cover)
Thanks to CoS, All Things Go, Mixtape Maestro, PMA, Largehearted Boy and the interwebs.

Busy time equals less time for the plethora of new music being released already in 2011. Seems like this is an annual occurrence because I also had a double disc mix last Feb as well. Disc One has a choice Passion Pit remix of a Cold War Kids track, more great indie pop from the likes of Foster the People, Freelance Whales and Alex Winston and a Beach Boys cover by rising Detroit band Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. The unlikely combo of Theophilus London and Sara Quin only continues the versatility and appeal of Mr. London. Most encouraging though is the work of Alex Ebert aka Edward Sharpe, whose solo track “A Million Years” makes me hopeful for the full album.

JayeL Audio 2-14-11 – Disc One: DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Cold War Kids – Mine Is Yours (Passion Pit Remix)
2. Foster the People – Houdini
3. Panda Bear – Last Night At The Jetty
4. Alex Winston – Sister Wife
5. Dry The River – New Ceremony
6. MNDR – Cut Me Off
7. Freelance Whales – Day Off
8. Best Coast – Sunny Adventure
9. Hoodie Allen – Dreams Up
10. Brown Recluse – Impression Of A City Morning
11. The Dodos – Black Night
12. Theophilus London – Why Even Try ft Sara Quin
13. Alex Ebert – A Million Years
14. The Decemberists – Rox In The Box
15. The District Attorneys – Going to Carolina
16. Strange Talk – Climbing Walls (.mp3)
17. ANR – Big Problem
18. Ducktails – Killin the Vibe ft Panda Bear
19. Foster the People – Helena Beat
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr – God Only Knows (Beach Boys cover)
21. Munchi – Murder Sound VIP ft M.I.A. (.mp3)

So Atlanta got some snow this week…. (photo via David K. Smith)
One last item from 2010 to go, a mixtape of the best tracks from November/December. This round features a few covers from some of my favorite artists in 2010: Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend and Ellie Goulding (“Georgia”, “Fight For This Love”, “Only Girl (In The World)”) and a Hood Internet mash-up that I’ve already mentioned and admitted I’m addicted to (“Just Wanna Dance Yrself Clean”). Cold War Kids, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Lykke Li and The Black Keys are pretty much mixtape regulars at this point. Elsewhere, Tanlines bring twinkling tropical pop (“O Seizing the Day O”), Tennis continue to build buzz with yacht pop (literally) and Daft Punk add a song I wish were 5 minutes longer. R.E.M. even made this edition, which I never thought I would say. Alex Clare has my favorite track of the month though with Diplo & Switch that is sort of brit pop/dancehall combo I can’t get out of my head.
FYI, if you are burning tracks to CD the old fashioned way, this mixtape is 1.4 hours.
JayeL Audio 1-11-11 DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Band of Horses – Georgia (Cee Lo Green cover)
2. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Our Hearts Are Wrong
3. Cut Copy – Take Me Over
4. Alex Clare – Up All Night ft Gilbere Forte
5. The Hood Internet – Just Wanna Dance Yrself Clean (Jay-Z vs LCD Soundsystem)
6. Tanlines – O Seizing The Day O ft Luke Jenner
7. Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers
8. Kid Sister – Kiss Kiss Kiss
9. Tennis – Take Me Somewhere
10. The Radio Dept – Never Follow Suit
11. Young Galaxy – Cover Your Tracks
12. The Decemberists – Down By The Water
13. The Ting Tings – Hands
14. The Babies – Run Me Over
15. Bag Raiders – Sunlight ft Dan Black
16. Vampire Weekend – Fight For This Love (Cheryl Cole Cover)
17. Ellie Goulding – Only Girl (In The World) (Rihanna Cover)
18. Iron & Wine – Walking Far From Home
19. Cold War Kids – Louder Than Ever
20. Daft Punk – Derezzed
21. Chromeo – Hot Mess ft La Roux
22. Kyle Andrews – Bombs Away
23. R.E.M. – It Happened Today
24. The Black Keys – Ohio

Have a favorite track from the latest mix? Let me know in the comments.
UPDATE: Apparently, all this 2010 talk made me name the mixtape 1-11-10 in iTunes. If you are overly organized like me, you’ll probably want to just rename it within iTunes.

After a few listens, this disc is a little more beat heavy than yesterday’s edition. Wallpaper. is kind of a younger man’s Chromeo (“I’ve Got Soul”), while Alan Wilkis makes Chester French’s “C’Mon” more dance-worthy. Yeasayer and The Ruby Suns also keep things upbeat with synth-filled fun. I’ve been enamored with Surfer Blood‘s brand of, well, surf rock (“Swim”). On the slower side, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros do their best attempt at a love song in the anthemic “Carries On” and Cold War Kids get their angst out on “Audience of One”. For some reason, I never caught on to El Perro del Mar’s “Change of Heart” until I witnessed this video with Lykke Li. Oh, and try to ignore the hypnotic beat on Kyle Lucas’ latest remix, “Queen of Apologies”.

JayeL Audio 2-10-10 – Disc Two
1. Chester French – C’Mon (Alan Wilkis remix)
2. Kyle Lucas – Queen Of Apologies
3. The Delta Mirror – He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You
4. Surfer Blood – Swim (to reach the end)
5. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Carries On
6. The Ruby Suns – Cranberry
7. Yeasayer – O.N.E.
8. Quadron – Slippin’
9. Free Energy – Hope Child
10. Lettercamp – I Know
11. Solid Gold – Matter Of Time (Tanlines remix)
12. Local Natives – Sun Hands
13. Wallpaper. – I Got Soul (I’m So Wasted)
14. Sia – You’ve Changed
15. Broken Bells – Mongrel Heart
16. First Rate People – Girl’s Night
17. Monarchy – The Phoenix Alive
18. The Swimmers – A Hundred Hearts
19. Cold War Kids – Audience Of One
20. Sharon Jones & The Daptones – I Learned The Hard Way
21. El Perro Del Mar – Change of Heart

What do you think? Thoughts? Anyone I’ve forgot?

The initial lineup was released for Rothbury Festival ’09, which takes place on the west side of my home state, Michigan.  Last year was the inaugural year and has some hailing it as “the new Bonnaroo”.  The fact that Rothbury 2.0 is happening is great news considering all the economic problems in MI and the auction of the Double JJ Ranch.

What: Rothbury Festival 2009

When: July 2nd – 5th

Where: Rothbury, MI (about 3 hrs from Detroit/Chicago)

Headliners: The Dead, Bob Dylan and His Band, String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson & His Family, The Black Crowes

Artist Highlights: Damian “Jr Gong” Marley & Nas, G. Love & the Special Sauce, STS9, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Chromeo, Girl Talk, MSTRKRFT, Matisyahu, Guster, Martin Sexton, Flogging Molly, The Hold Steady, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, KiD CuDi, Sam Roberts Band, The Hard Lessons

Tickets: Weekend passes are $250, includes camping. On sale March 20th.

My Take: Impressive.  Last year’s line-up had a lot of pop-friendly acts (Snoop Dogg, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, 311) amid hippie favorites (Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh & Friends, Trey Anastasio) and few indie magnets (The Black Keys, Brother Ali, Modest Mouse, Sam Beam, Of Montreal).  I was admittedly a little harsh on the choices, but understood the strategy for a first-time fest.

2009 got rid of the fat (Mayer, Caillat), upgraded with a decent amount of legendary nostalgic/psychedelic bands (The Dead, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Black Crowes) and grabbed a ton indie acts.  Obviously, any fest that can package both Girl Talk and Chromeo is going to get my praises.  I’ve heard STS9, BSS, Martin Sexton and The Hold Steady all do great things live.  Flogging Molly is a riot, KiD CuDi finally gets some festival shine and Sam Roberts Band was has been in heavy rotation thanks to a rec from a friend.  Probably most interesting is the Damian “Gong” Marley/Nas pairing.  Both are more than excellent performers and have done a couple songs together, but sharing a stage?  Why not?

I will actually be back in Michigan during that week, but unfortunately won’t be able to attend.  If Rothbury offered day passes, I would highly consider checking out a day.  Maybe next year.

Cold War Kids – Passing the Hat

Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ (LA Riots Remix)

Martin Sexton – Angeline

The Hold Steady – One For The Cutters

KiD CuDi – The Sky Might Fall

Guster – Amsterdam