Burnmixers - We now have four years - 48 months - of Burnmixes under our belts - and this mix earmarks the beginning of Year 5. Given that I was born in 1949 (barely), that felt like a fitting title for this mix. It was a joy to put together. I love the process of developing a mix over time - searching, listening, culling, rejecting, adding, refining, changing the order, finalizing the mix - it's great fun and, hopefullly you'll like the selections here on 49. I love the tunes on here - hope you do too.
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SOHN / Artifice
If I could only have one song on this mix it would be this one. I love this song - the double vocal, the vibe, the hiccup snare every eighth bar, the swirling keyboard, the funky club rhythm - the whole thing. This tune has stood up for months and been the lead off tune since the first time I heard it.
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SOHN (born Christopher Taylor) is an English musician, songwriter and producer based in Vienna, Austria. Born in South London and taught to play guitar and piano, Taylor relocated to Vienna in 2010. After dissolving his previous project Trouble Over Tokyo in 2012, Taylor began releasing new music (Oscillate and Warnings) via Soundcloud under the pseudonym SOHN. Aesop announced he would release an EP, and released tracks The Wheel and Red Lines which earned critical acclaim for their vocal melodies and precise production. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Ray LaMontagne / Airwaves
This song slipped right into slot 2 the first time I heard it. Love that wet swampy organ punch every so often (absolute perfection), the breathy vocal, the haunting vibe - and that killer D7 chord. This is a haunting track, produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.
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Ray LaMontagne (born Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne on June 18, 1973, in Nashua, New Hampshire) is an American folk singer-songwriter currently living in western Massachusetts. In 2010 he began recording as Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs. For his debut album, LaMontagne won four awards, including three Boston Music Awards (Best Male Singer/Songwriter, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year) and an XM Nation Music Award for Acoustic Rock Artist of the Year. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Steve Mason / Oh My Lord
I am not familiar with this artist, but the syncopated piano parts are just infectious.
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There are several artists by the name of Steve Mason: 1) a Scottish musician ex-The Beta Band, and also with recordings as King Biscuit Time and Black Affair 2) a British techno DJ & producer 3) the guitarist of the UK band Gene 4) the US keyboardist for the 9th Creation 1) Steve Mason (born 1975) is a Scottish musician, most famous as the lead singer and one of the founding members of The Beta Band. Mason also released solo material as King Biscuit Time Read more on Last.fm more...
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Kina Grannis / The Fire
Lovely voice - and a thumping beat to keep it flowing all the way along.
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Kina Kasuya Grannis (born August 4, 1985, of Japanese, English, Irish, French, and German descent) is a Japanese-American guitarist and singer-songwriter from Orange County, CA. She started performing in 2001 after getting over her shyness. Kina independently released her first full-length album, Stairwells, on February 23, 2010. Her music is both sweet and melancholy, but always filled with hope. Kina started playing shows at the age of four in front of her stuffed animals. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Bear Hands / Giants
This starts so innocently - then kicks ass with intricate rhythms and looping vocals. I love the first and third guitar riffs.
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Bear Hands are a textbook example of contrasting personalities uniting to craft something more than the sum of their parts. Vocalist/guitarist Dylan Rau, the Brooklyn-based quartet’s self-confessed musical Luddite (“I can’t read music, but that’s ok because I’m more of an ideas man,”) peppers his supersonic chatter with an infectious collection of witticisms. By contrast his songwriting partner, guitarist Ted Feldman, grew up playing the cello and carefully selects his answers, admitting to being “a bit of a control freak.” Read more on Last.fm more...
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Milky Chance / Stolen Dance
This tune builds up so nicely - tasty guitar riff that churns into a tight rhythmic structure that floats over the absence of bass - then drops.
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Milky Chance is a German alternative pop folk rock duo with reggae and electronic music influences made up of Clemens Rehbein as vocalist and musician and Philipp Dausch as DJ. Both originating from Kassel, they are signed to Kassel-based label Lichtdicht Records. The duo finished their high school education at Jacob-Grimm Schule. Clemens played in a jazz quartet known as Flown Tones where he played bass guitar. Philipp was a DJ. Their first single 'Stolen Dance' was released in 2012 Read more on Last.fm more...
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Phish / Waiting All Night
I've never been a big Phish fan, but this tune is infectious. The hook kept creeping into my head a day or two later. Great vocal and melody - and though the tune might ramble a little longer than it should, it sticks with you.
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Phish is a rock band which formed in 1983 in Burlington, Vermont, United States. For most of their career, the group's lineup has consisted of Trey Anastasio (guitar, vocals), Page McConnell (keyboards, vocals), Mike Gordon (bass, vocals) and Jon Fishman (drums, vocals, vacuum cleaner). The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a rigorous touring schedule that draws a famously dedicated fan base. Their music blends elements of a wide variety of genres Read more on Last.fm more...
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Isbells / Maybe
Noah had an Isbells tune from this album on his last mix. Love the loping quality of this song.
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Isbells is a Belgian band from Leuven formed in 2009 led by Gaëtan Vandewoude. “Your prayers will be heard, the moment you start believing”, Gaëtan Vandewoude from Leuven can be heard singing prophetically on the self-titled debut album of Isbells. And guess what? That’s exactly what happened to him. In his native Belgium he had been trying his luck in various bands for fifteen odd years. He was a drummer with bluesrock combo Ellroy and a guitarist with emocore outfit Soon. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Cruiser / Kidnap Me
This song feels like a finger-snapping throwback to a bygone era - maybe the 70s? Snappy guitar and retro rhythm.
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CRUISR began in 2012 as the solo project of Andy States and quickly morphed into what it is today; an indie-pop band whose summery, feel-good hooks are infectious and stadium ready. States wrote and recorded the band’s first EP in his Philadelphia bedroom, fixated on the idea of what it means to craft a pop song. “I have an obsession with writing pop music and the idea that songs can transcend people.,” States says. “I saw that producer Jeremy Park started writing blog articles about how he recorded Youth Lagoon Read more on Last.fm more...
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Vance Joy / Riptide
Such a plaintive vocal! How do you weave Michelle Pfeiffer into a lyric like this? Great lyric bent.
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Vance Joy (born James Keogh in Melbourne) is an Australian singer-songwriter. His debut album God Loves You When You're Dancing was released in March 2013. The single "Riptide" became a success on Australian commercial radio and was certified Platinum by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA). Feeding on a diet of The Pogues, Paul Kelly, and whatever else was playing, Joy cut his teeth performing at open mic nights in Melbourne. His style is folk music with pop influences. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Klingande / Jubel
This starts with such a weird syncopation. Once the sax kicks in, all bets are off. Gathers steam - then ebbs and flows. Great tune - and so obscure.
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Formed in December 2012, Klingande consists of childhood friends Cédric and Edgar, two 22-year-olds from Croix in northern France who formed the duo after being united by their love of electronic artists such as Klangkarussell, Bakermat and Nico Pusch. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Coldplay / Midnight
They may be an over-popular band, but this tune really delivers. Lovely stepped rhythm that keeps you floating until it drops into a steady plunk. Altered vocals work here. Very nice ethereal quality here.
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Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London in 1996. The band's singer/pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion, met at University College London and came together from 1996 to 1998. During these two years, the band changed names from Pectoralz to Starfish and, finally, to Coldplay. Creative director and former manager Phil Harvey is often referred to as the fifth member by the band. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Ghost Beach / Miracle
That jangly guitar at the beginning always makes me sit up and take notice. Intricate studio rhythms and synthesized sound keep it punctuated.
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Ghost Beach: New York tropical-grit pop. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Romeo Santos / Odio
I never tire of hearing this drop into that Hispanic/Flamenco thing a few bars in. So crisp and concise. They may be singing in Spanish, but I don't care. Drake's ramble seems arbitrary, but appropriate. Who knows what they're saying?
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Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. Drake gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation in the early 2000s. Intent on pursuing a career in music, he left the series in 2007 after releasing his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement. He released two further independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Broken Bells / Holding On for Life
As a Shins fan, I never get tired of James Mercer's voice or delivery. And I can't help but thinking about the BeeGees every time I hear that falsetto kick in. I'm back in Brooklyn with John Travolta.
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Broken Bells is an American indie rock duo which formed in 2009 in Los Angeles. The band consists of James Mercer (vocals, guitar) and Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton (multiple instruments, production). Mercer is a member of the indie rock band The Shins and Burton is a member of Gnarls Barkley and Dangerdoom, as well as being a respected producer for such artists as Beck, Gorillaz, The Rapture and The Black Keys. The debut self-titled album by Broken Bells was released on Columbia Records on March 9, 2010. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Painted Palms / Too High
When that spinning top stops swirling at the beginning, this tune kick into high gear. It makes your head spin with the swirling vocals. Intricate, melodic and dangerous to listen to for extended periods.
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Whether living four states away or four blocks away, Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme have always used the Internet -- at first out of necessity, later out of preference -- to collaborate on their songwriting. Although the cousins grew up together in Lafayette, Louisiana, Donohue eventually moved to San Francisco, while Prudhomme stayed near New Orleans. The newfound distance between them forced the pair to start sending song ideas back and forth via e-mail Read more on Last.fm more...
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Robin Thicke / Get Her Back
I love the sexy swing of his vocal and the punchy guitar riff. Great singing on this tune playing off the syncopated guitar riff.
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Robin Charles Thicke (born March 10, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Grammy-winning American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, producer, and actor signed to Pharrell Williams' Star Trak label. Also known for being the son of performer Alan Thicke, he released his debut album, called 'A Beautiful World', in 2003. He has gone on to release 2006's 'The Evolution of Robin Thicke', 2008's 'Something Else', 2009's 'Sex Therapy', 2011's 'Love After War', 2013's 'Blurred Lines', and 2014's 'Paula'. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Clubfeet / Heartreak
I don't feel like I should like this song, but I can't help it - so kicky and clean. And she sounds like a weirdo - in a good way.
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Bon Chela Melbourne, Australia ‘Chela, Chela, a little bit yella, she aint no fella’ Ladies and gentleman there is a new oriental disco heathen goddess on the block. She may be the first come to think of it. Chela is the latest and greatest one man woman to emerge from the bleak, black backstreets of Armadale, Wadonga Australia. Following a short but successful career in 10 pin bowling, Chela had become accustomed to the ‘post strike shuffle’ – 2 feet moving as one Read more on Last.fm more...
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Beck / Morning
Love his vibe - so mellow and slow. Felt like a good way to close out. Bring on #50, Noah.
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Beck Hansen (born Bek David Campbell, July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Beck's music is known for its pop-junk culture collage of musical styles, ironic lyrics, samples, drum machines, live instrumentation and heady sound effects. Beck was born in Los Angeles, California, to David Campbell (a musician and son of a Presbyterian minister) and Bibbe Hansen (a former dancer for The Velvet Underground, founding member of the satirical band Black Fag, and visual artist). Read more on Last.fm more...
