Better Weather by Chris Hires on Mixcloud

Everyone keeps telling me that spring is just around the corner, but it’s April now and I’m starting to get impatient so I made this mix with the hopes of nudging things along. It’s a handfull of songs that I’ve been into recently, that I also think would sound great with the windows rolled down. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Haim – Falling [Polydor]
Jesse Ware – Imagine It Was Us [Cherry Tree]
Kris Menace – Lone Runner (Acos Coolkas Remix) [Compuphonic]
Roberto Rodriguez – Tell Me (Jacques Renault Instrumental) [Serenades]
Frank Agrario – Disko Frisko [Internasjonal]
Justin Timberlake – Let The Groove Get In (Sammy Bananas Bootleg) [The Internet]
33Hz – Stephanie All Night (Whatever/Whatever Remix) [Dither Down]
Duke Dumont – Need U (100%) (Skreamix) [Ministry of Sound]
Walker & Royce – I Surrender [Glasgow Underground]
Benoit & Sergio – $100 Bill [Hot Creations]
Inxec vs. Droog – Wide Open [Last Night On Earth]
Phoenix – Entertainment (Blood Orange Remix) [The Internet]

Worth the wait.  This will soundtrack my morning coffee for months to come.

Well, Sasha’s Last Night On Earth label certainly is on a roll, huh? After Sasha’s stellar remix of Hot Chip’s “Flutes’, they’ve gone and released this gem from Inxec and Droog.  ”Wide Open” is basically 8 minutes of hands-in-the-air major chord bliss.  After my last gig I had a request for “more songs with lyrics.” “Ooooooooh” and “Yeaaaaaah” count as lyrics, right?

Buy “Wide Open” on Beatport

Seven minutes of gorgeous, recently released on DJ Koze and Marcus Fink’s Pampa label.  It’s really no surprise that I’ve got this one on repeat – after all the raving I did over “Inspector Norse” last year, it was the subtle, emotive keys on Floating Points’ “Myrtle Avenue” that ultimately made that song my favorite of 2012.  ”Allowance” also has a simple-but-effective three chord progression that reminds me of another all-time fav – Lee Jones’ “Aria.”  In any event, all I want now is to be in a very dark room with a very big sound system and this record on repeat, hands in the air…

On repeat right now.  Things I know about Haim:

1. They’re sisters
2. They’re from LA
3. The stuttered vocals in the first part of the chorus just KILL me
4. Same thing with the hand claps
5. …and the background vox

There seems to be a good amount of buzz around them, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear more from them in the near future.

It’s been a minute, but I finally found the time to gather some tracks into a mix for y’all.  This one features one original production (“Heather”) alongside some recent favorites, with some of my favorite tracks from 2012 thrown in for good measure.  Stream it or download it via the player below, and check the track list after the jump.

Track List:

1. Floating Points – Myrtle Ave
2. Chris Hires – Heather
3. I:Cube – HNT
4. Bubba – Rhythm Control
5. Farfane – She Is Too Sexy
6. How To Dress Well – & It Was You
7. Cos-Ber-Zam – Ne Noya (Daphni Mix)
8. 2 Billion Beats – Mega City One (Ralph Myerz & The Kosmik Diamondz Dub Train Mix)
9. Sunshine Jones – We Are What We Are
10. Jobe – Got Me
11. Fur Coat – You & I (Amirali Mix)
12. Edu Imbernon & Sutja Gutierrez – Imberlove (Inxec Remix)
13. Jay Shepherd – Add Arp (Catz & Dogz Remix)
14. Hot Chip – Flutes (Sasha Remix)

There’s really not a whole lot to this one, but I’m a sucker for those moody synth pads, and the vocal harmonies that come in during the chorus(es) are giving me a goddamn toothache. Might have to start a party where I can just play melancholic, synthy R&B jams. You’d go to that right?

Wild Cub is a local group here in Nashville (oh yeah, I live in Nashville now btw), but the first time I heard them was on the fantastic Up & In Podcast from Baseball Prospectus (that’s another post I need to write).  Their sound is about as up my alley as it gets, rock/pop with a heavy 80s influence and plenty of electronic elements. One thing that I noted is that the song writing is above average here – for the most part, they’ve been able to avoid the trap of favoring style over substance that a lot of newer synthpop groups fall into.  Fans of Holy Ghost! and the like should be all over this one.  Check the Spotify player below, and buy it wherever you buy music if you feel so inclined.

Absolutely gorgeous.

I’ve been digging Duff Disco’s slow-house edit/remix things for a few years, ever since his 12″s started showing up in the bins at Turntable Lab.  Recently, he’s started giving away a bunch of his songs away on his Soundcloud, alongside a modest request for a paypal donation.  This is a track that really stood out to me – I love the way JT’s vocal sounds way more sinister pitched down like that.  Download it below, and then go grab up the rest of the quality tracks that he’s giving away (and kick the dude couple bucks while you’re at it!)