Reduction - #41

41 / October 2013 / John Kuhn

I call this mix "reduction" because of the way I put it together.  For the past six months I've been collecting songs and putting them onto a draft mix.  I'd listen, rearrange, add, delete...and the mix of 40 or so songs kept evolving.  A few songs have been here since the beginning, others were added along the way and stuck, many were added and deleted - sometimes right away, sometimes after repeated listenings.  I guess I figured the good stuff would stand the test of time and repeated listenings and rise to the top.  I slowly winnowed it down to 20 and, as I'm sure is the case for all the Burnmixers, a few songs bobbed and weaved in and out of the final edit during the last week or so.  Essentially the 80 or so songs that were in and out of the draft edit over the past 6 months were "reduced" down to the tunes on here as of October 1st.  I hope you like them.  

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  1. Avicii / Wake Me Up

    I heard this tune some months ago and latched onto it right away. It, of course, become a huge international hit over the summer and I was bit reluctant to include a mainstream "hit song". But it just kicks such serious ass, it remained lodged in as the #41 kickoff tune from the day I loaded it. Folk EDM. Whoulda thunk it? Turn it up....

    More Info from Last.FM

    Tim Bergling (born September 8, 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden, died April 20, 2018 in Muscat, Oman), better known by his stage name Avicii (stylized as ΛVICII and ◢ ◤), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and record producer. Avicii was ranked 3rd on DJ Magazine‍‍ '​‍s annual Top 100 DJs in 2012 and 2013 and has been nominated twice for a Grammy Award, once for his work on "Sunshine" with David Guetta in 2012 and once for his song "Levels" (which sampled the 1962 Etta James track "Something's Got a Hold on Me") in 2013. Read more on Last.fm more...

  2. Boz Scaggs / Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl

    A distinctive voice and style - and a career that has spanned decades. He played on Steve Miller's first two (and best) albums in the late sixties. Love this tune.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Boz Scaggs (born William Royce Scaggs on 8 June 1944 in Canton, Ohio) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1960s as a guitarist and sometimes lead singer with the Steve Miller Band and in the 1970s with several solo Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour. After learning guitar at the age of 12, Scaggs met Steve Miller at St. Read more on Last.fm more...

  3. Janelle Monae (feat. Prince) / Givin' Em What They Love

    Love the androgynous weirdness of this song. And, yes, that's Prince singing on the second verse. Sounds like his guitar playing too. Undercover love.....

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    Read more on Last.fm more...

  4. Jason Isbell / Different Days

    One of my favorite albums of 2013 is Isbell's latest, Southeastern. Great song-writing from a dude (formerly of the Drive-By Truckers) whose life has been through the wringer and back. The only artist with 2 cuts on this mix.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Jason Isbell is an alt-country singer /songwriter /guitarist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Best known for his years with the Drive-By Truckers where he played with his then wife, bassist Shonna Tucker. Isbell - who joined the Truckers in 2001 - left the band in early 2007 around the same time as his divorce from Tucker was finalized. In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Isbell is regarded as an exceptional guitar player. His style is mostly in the alt-country genre, but is also infused with rock and blues elements. Read more on Last.fm more...

  5. I Am Arrows / Nice Try

    Love the forward mix of their vocals in this staccato gem. A steady toe-tapper.

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    I Am Arrows is an indie rock band founded by former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows in June 2009. Eleven days after he left Razorlight, it was revealed that Burrows had signed to Universal Records – the same record label as his ex-band. Read more on Last.fm more...

  6. London Grammar / Hey Now

    Okay - I LOVE this song. I only found this group a few weeks ago, but the ethereal echo of the music, the clinky guitar work and the power of Hannah Reid's voice just knocks me out. If this mix were reduced to three songs, this one would still be on it. And if I was going to be in town, I'd drive into see them in Boston next week.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Singer Hannah Reid and guitarist Dan Rothman met in the dorms of Nottingham University where they began writing music together in 2009. They later added multi-instrumentalist Dot Major to complete the London Grammar line-up. Their popularity rose with the 2012 release of "Hey Now" which they uploaded to the internet and instantly found an online cult following. Their self-released 2013 debut EP "Metal & Dust" reached the Top 5 of the iTunes chart. Read more on Last.fm more...

  7. John Mayer / Paper Dolls

    So this guy has a rep for being a jerk, but, man, can he play the guitar. His voice, songwriting, tasty guitar work, is superb - at least in my book. He is one talented dude.

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    There are two artists with the name John Mayer; American pop singer-songwriter John Clayton Mayer (b. 1977), and Anglo-Indian Composer John Jiddhu Mayer (1930 - 2004) and leader of John Mayer's Indo Jazz Fusions 1) John Clayton Mayer was born October 16, 1977, in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA, and started playing guitar at 13 after being inspired by a Stevie Ray Vaughan tape his neighbor gave him. In 1998 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he refined his skills and gained a following. Read more on Last.fm more...

  8. Young Man / In a Sense

    Great syncopation! The star of the show here is the drum track. It makes the song.

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    Young Man is Colin Caulfield from Chicago. Regarding his music, "It’s enough to make you stop and say, “What is that?” It being the gorgeous melodies and lean, spellbound guitar lines of Colin Caulfield, an English/French lit major who’s about to change what it means to be a shape-shifting singer-songwriter in the YouTube age. Just ask Bradford Cox. He knows. Why, just a year ago, the Deerhunter frontman stumbled upon Caulfield’s organ-grinding Read more on Last.fm more...

  9. Wild Cub / Thunder Clatter

    Those calypso drums at the beginning just draw me in every time. Doesn't sound like they should be from Nashville, but they are.

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    American indie group Wild Cub came together in early 2012 when songwriter/composer Keegan DeWitt joined forces with multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock and began creating their infectious brand of electropop. DeWitt had become disillusioned with life in New York, and after being offered a promotion at his day job, he chose to quit. He moved to Nashville and focused his energy on forming Wild Cub alongside writing film and documentary scores. Once he met Bullock Read more on Last.fm more...

  10. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down / Holy Roller

    Love the shooka shooka rhythm of this tune. Unique.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Thao and The Get Down Stay Down is a San Francisco, California-based (formerly Falls Church, Virginia) alternative folk rock music group. It consists of Thao Nguyen (vocals, guitar), and Adam Thompson (vocals, bass guitar, keyboards). Frank Stewart (lead guitar, production) and Willis Thompson (drums) are former members of the band. In January of 2008, the group released their debut album We Brave Bee Stings and All. In 2010, they released their second album Know Better Learn Faster. and In 2013, they released their third album We The Common Read more on Last.fm more...

  11. Monte Montgomery / Took Too Long

    Props to my buddy Rhys in Georgia for turning me onto this guy. We were hitting up some "Live at Daryl's House" gigs when I visited recently and this guy came on. Never heard of him. In doing a little burrowing when I got home I came upon this song. Great progression for a blues tune, good vocals and some very impressive guitar work at the end.

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    Monte Montgomery has taken the acoustic guitar beyond anyone's expectations. With his amazing fretwork, unique combination finger and pick style playing through trailblazing "chordal" thoroughfares often baffling even the most accomplished players. While Monte remains a huge enigma in the guitar universe, his legendary reputation has spread like wildfire since he appeared on Austin City Limits. In 2004 Monte was named on Guitar Player Magazine's list Read more on Last.fm more...

  12. Wake Owl / Wild Country

    I will forever associate this song with our family's South Carolina beach trip this August. Mary LOVES this song - and her dancing, hands weaving in the air, are still engrained in my brain. Makes me smile.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Wake Owl is an indie pop band based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon. The band's core members are singer and songwriter Colyn Cameron and multi-instrumentalist Aiden Brant-Briscall. Cameron was originally born and raised in southern California. After graduation he trained in organic agriculture at Emerson College in England. Upon returning to Vancouver, he spent some time playing in various bands. The band's first release was the EP "Wild Country" in 2012. Read more on Last.fm more...

  13. Deep Sea Diver / Ships

    I think this song has a great vibe - angular and tuneful. The lead singer, Jennifer Dawson, has sung with Beck and the Shins. Great shifting sound.

    More Info from Last.FM

    There are several artists who perform under this name: *Deep Sea Diver is an American indie rock band from Seattle, WA consisting of Jessica Dobson, her drummer husband Peter Mansen, and the talented John Raines. After recording two solo albums while signed to Atlantic Records (both of which would go unreleased), Dobson beefed up her resume by playing bass for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and guitar for the legendary Beck. In 2008, Jessica and her faithful Read more on Last.fm more...

  14. Pat Hull / Full Parade

    This is a shorty - banking in at just over two minutes. Lapping vocals and a twirling repetitive guitar groove make this infectious tune ring.

    More Info from Last.FM

    http://pathull.bandcamp.com Pat Hull is a singer-songwriter from Connecticut currently based out of Chico, CA. His music intertwines melodic vocals and finger picked guitar to create a dreamy landscape with its unpredictable hooks and interesting turns. Pat's 2011 release 'Light' was recorded and produced in Bennington, VT with engineer, JJ Beck and vocalist, Michael Chinworth. The new collaborative effort brought a vocally and lyrically charged center to Pat’s songwriting. Read more on Last.fm more...

  15. The Honeydogs / Broke It, Buy It

    Love how the trumpets kick in after the line "the devil doesn't always come - with horns". Has a bit of 60s/70s vibe with a very interesting chord progression.

    More Info from Last.FM

    The last thing The Honeydogs' lead singer songwriter, Adam Levy, wants his band to be is a Sunshine Committee. You know, the cloying co-workers who attempt to bring a little Trojan Horse happiness to the dysfunctional corporation on the eve of mass layoffs with flowers, pizza, ribbons, lace, and cupcakes? No, the Honeydogs have chosen a tough path, singing about serious subject matter always avoiding the maudlin and producing some music of great emotional intensity, complexity and beauty. Read more on Last.fm more...

  16. Glacier Face / Fahrenheit

    I found this song really growing on me - the more I listened. Then I found myself humming it at random times - always the sign of a good tune. Clever rhythm track - very unique layered tune.

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  17. Gregory Alan Isakov / St. Valentine

    How could such a sweet sounding song have the only "explicit" warning on this mix?

    More Info from Last.FM

    Gregory Alan Isakov (born in 1979 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a South Africa-born American singer-songwriter. He released his first album, Rust Colored Stones, in 2003. Isakov has been described by Boulder Weekly, "Strong, subtle, a lyrical genius" and has been compared to his influences; Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Joe Phelps, Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch. Isakov's humble presence and his overwhelming voice and guitar style has been treasured by an ever-growing and captivated fan base. Read more on Last.fm more...

  18. Holy Ghost / Okay

    Yup - this is a bit of a youthful pumpy electronic anthem - but I love the chorus. Okay?

    More Info from Last.FM

    There are more bands called HOLY GHOST. 1. A German DJ combo of Gary Griffith and Leon Thomson who also alias under Holy Ghost Inc. 2. Dark Hardcore from Cleveland Ohio. Featuring Human Furnace (Ringworm)on vocals. 3. A rock band who released their fisrt album "Welcome to Ignore Us" in 2005 at Clearly Records... but if the tags were good you should find them under their real band name "The Holy Ghost"... 4. A rock and roll trio from Atlanta, Georgia who just completed their debut album "A. Read more on Last.fm more...

  19. N'Grandjean / Shift to Reverse

    This song has been on the mix for a long time. I love the vibe - kind of a crooner tune - doo doo doo.

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  20. Lord Huron / Ends of the Earth

    Noah turned me onto them and included one of their songs on an earlier mix. But this song is the best on the album, in my opinion. I had to include it - love it - great vibe.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Lord Huron is an American indie band founded by Ben Schneider, a Michigan-born visual arts major. Origins In the spring of 2010 Schneider traveled from Los Angeles to Northern Michigan. At Lake Huron, he developed songs for the first Lord Huron EP. He named the recording, Into the Sun. Upon his return to L.A., Schneider set to work putting a band together. The first to join him was his percussion-playing childhood friend Mark. Each of the band members of band hail from Michigan. Read more on Last.fm more...

  21. Jason Isbell / Cover Me Up

    Just a great song. Period. Couldn't fit it on the physical CD, however.

    More Info from Last.FM

    Jason Isbell is an alt-country singer /songwriter /guitarist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Best known for his years with the Drive-By Truckers where he played with his then wife, bassist Shonna Tucker. Isbell - who joined the Truckers in 2001 - left the band in early 2007 around the same time as his divorce from Tucker was finalized. In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Isbell is regarded as an exceptional guitar player. His style is mostly in the alt-country genre, but is also infused with rock and blues elements. Read more on Last.fm more...

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