Q#105 - December 2015 to January 2016

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q105

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/2c86yq12xhqx7oq/Q105.zip

Q’s Compilations

Volume #105 December 2015 – January 2016

Newsflash – survived 2015. I hope everyone had a nice time over the “holidays”, speaking of which I actually managed to have one and went back to the UK for three weeks (with a short jaunt to Amsterdam for a change of scenery). 2015 might have been fairly barren of joy but it was relatively fertile when it came to music I enjoyed, so I’ll get right to it and give you some of my favourites.

01) Young Guv - Crawling Back to You: Keen listeners may remember Kelly, I’m Not a Creep from Q#103, one of the most infectious songs of 2015. I almost used the Ripe 4 Luv, the title track of the record, but plumped for this anthemic power-pop gem. The record was released on Slumberland Records back in March and is the project of Fucked Up guitarist Ben Cook.

02) Slonk Donkerson - Watching Every Channel at Once: At this stage I’m not sure what else I can say about Slonk Donkerson that I haven’t said already. However, I’ll just copy/paste what I wrote for Free Williamsburg’s Top 25 albums of 2015 post: What’s in a name? Slonk Donkerson go against the grain where most guitar bands around New York in recent years have concentrated on punk/hardcore/garage rock, the now four-piece align to a more classic rock sound, with hints of Moving Pictures-era Rush sprinkled on top of their initial early-REM/Husker Du/Meat Puppets influence. The band’s keen sense of melody and thoughtful compositions really stand out in today’s climate. These songs would sound equally at home played to a crowd of 50 or 50,000 people. We’re clearly fans of the band, having featured them frequently throughout the year.

03) Tenement - I'm Your Super Glue: Another entry from Free Willy’s to 25 albums post: If “punk” means doing whatever you want, then Tenement are the punks of 2015. Releasing an epic 23-song, 74-minute double LP; the band deserves a medal for the sheer number of hooks on this album alone. It’s not all about fist-pumping anthems, however, the Wisconsin trio have crafted a flowing album that also includes piano ballads, a little folk interlude and the downright bizarre 9-minute instrumental “A Frightening Place For Normal People.” Ultimately, Predatory Headlights is an album to just hit play, sit back, and be taken on a ride. If there is a better example of a record showing off pop-songwriting with a fuck-you attitude I have yet to hear it this year. “And the things you never say to me are so sweet”

04) Screaming Females - Criminal Image: And another Free Willy entry! After 2014’s Live at the Hideout, the New Brunswick trio returned with their 6th studio album; their first in three years with Rose Mountain. Upon release, remarks were made about how this was a more “commercial” Screaming Females record, with Wishing Well leading the album’s promotion, and while that one track (and perhaps the second single, “Hopeless”) might possibly have some mainstream appeal, it doesn’t smack of a band trying to sound popular, they are just good songs. Regardless, the album itself is choc-full of the band’s signature riffs and guitar solos. As an aside, they remain the best live band you can see at the moment, in my opinion.

05) Swervedriver - Deep Wound: I Wasn’t Born to Lose You is the band’s first album since 1997, and the Oxford legends have not lost any magic at all. As I wrote for Q#101, not all reunions are just cash cows. Deep Wound was actually released as a single in 2012, but it fits on the album perfectly.

06) Royal Headache - Wouldn't You Know: Another copy/paste from FW - Melbourne’s Royal Headache have not hidden from the fact that following up 2012’s self-titled album was hard. The number of times the band have broken up, or claimed to have broken up, is numerous. Indeed, they have even said this will probably be their last (although they sounded much more positive in a recent interview in The Big Takeover), all that can be done is see every album or show as a gift. What elevates Royal Headache from just being another good garage-punk band is Shogun’s soulful vocal masterclass, which at times croons, and often punches with a hurt that can’t be faked. While the band are known for their high-energy songs and particularly their hurricane-like live shows, it’s the mournful, “Wouldn’t You Know” and downright infectious, anthemic “Carolina,” that captures the heart of the album. “So what would you know, what a little love can do?”

07) Courtney Barnett – Depreston: Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit is the quintessential indie (in the all-encompassing sense of the word) album of the year. The record is a literate success, taking you to places you haven’t been or experiences you haven’t had and yet feeling like you have, made even more personable with a masterful take on various universal themes; a line like “I don’t know quite who I am, oh but man I am trying. I make mistakes until I get it right” could sound all a bit too emo in lesser hands. The music itself is no slouch either, with driving rockers like “Pedestrian at Best” and “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party” mixed up with the slow folk-jangle of “Depreston” and the epic blues of “Small Poppies.” I was enthralled the power-trio live show at Bowery, and I’d make an argument that you only come away with a deeper appreciation for the record after seeing her perform.

08) Jim O'Rourke - Friends with Benefits: Rather embarrassingly I didn’t even know Jim O’Rourke had a solo career outside of his production/mixing duties, but all it took was hearing this song (which opens Simple Songs) to get hooked on the record. I’ve read that it’s not as strong as some of his other albums, and if that’s the case then bring it on. “It's been quite a long, long time, But not enough to find a line, To get me going once again. Just one word I could respect, But then what do I expect? You missed that boat a long time ago”

09) Sufjan Stevens - All of Me Wants All of You: One of the highlights of the year was the re-opening of Kings Theatre, possibly the most beautiful concert venue I have been to, and it’s a short walk from my apartment. I mention this because Sufjan was the first person I saw play there. Carrie and Lowell is certainly one of the darlings choice this year, but it’s an album that deserves the heady praise.

10) Earl Sweatshirt - DNA (feat. Nakel): It’s fair to say that an album called I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside is not going to get your pulses racing, but I often find the saddest, depressing albums have more beauty. Sparse arrangements are the key to this album, which is also lyrically pretty bleak.

11) Follakzoid – Earth: Another FW entry - Chile, and in particular, Santiago’s blossoming psyche scene has spawned numerous bands that are producing some of the best music of the last decade. Along with The Holydrug Couple, the other premier-league band is the krautrock-influenced Föllakzoid, they wowed me at Rough Trade earlier in the year, and the band’s third album (helpfully titled III) is my personal #1 release of 2015. If you just want to get into an involuntary groove, III will do that; most the songs are long and repetitive pieces that have a pulse. While previous material has had more of a straight-up krautrock 4/4 snare-driven rhythm, III concentrates on the bass drum and toms to create a deeper trance, the bass guitar is like a lullaby that plunges you in deeper, while the guitars and keyboards float in and out, delivering the odd jab. You don’t listen to Föllakzoid, you are a slave to them.

12) Viet Cong - Bunker Buster: Too much has been said about the band’s name, which is a pretty boring topic if you ask me (the band are set to change it at some point), as Salman Rushdie said “'Nobody has the right to not be offended”. The unfortunate side issue has taken away discussion about what is one of the strongest albums of the year, which also has one of the best songs I have heard in years, Death, which featured on Q#101. Bunker Buster is one for people to nerd out to a little bit with its 6/4 beat.

13) Deerhunter – Breaker: Fading Frontier seems like a bit more of a low-key album after 2013’s glam-tinged Monomania, but it does get under your skin just like any Deerhunter album can. Breaker is just a downright beautiful song. “I'm alive, I don't credit the source, I just drive, And then the fog rolls in And then they're blind. My enemies, They're just trying, Trying to kill me”

14) Mac McCaughan - Lost Again: Superchunk frontman Mac McCAughan released his first “solo” album (discounting his Portastatic albums…) and Non-Believers veers more towards the melodic side of early 80s post-punk rather than the darker, more angular sounds that the genre seems exclusively wedded to these days. “All these houses are split in two, I'm driving down your street, I'm kind of looking for you, But I'm kind of looking for me”

15) The Holydrug Couple – Concorde: Plagiarising myself again - Chile’s grip as psych-rock leaders strengthened this year with a slew of releases, mostly from Blow Your Mind records and their two flagship bands, The Holydrug Couple and Follakzoid, both put out stellar records. Moonlust is the duo’s third album, and their second via New York label, Sacred Bones. There is more focus on texture and keyboards than Pink-Floyd-esque guitars of earlier material, but it’s a move they take in their stride. If you want to relax and bliss out for 40-minutes I can’t recommend a better option than Moonlust.

16) Sheer Agony - I Have a Dream: These Canadians (they are from Montreal) might win an award for most inappropriate name, because Sheer Agony are anything but to hear. Sticking to a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach, their record is called Masterpiece. The band identify as Soft Boys Worship, and it’s as good a reference as any. I Have a Dream is one of the singles from the album (whatever that means these days), and while I would have used a different track but for time constraints, it’s a short jab of delightful jangle-pop.

17) Twerps – Stranger: There does seem to be an almost quintessential sound to Aussie (and Kiwi) indie-rock, and Twerps nail it. Range Anxiety seems to have been somewhat unfairly left off many end of year lists, which might be due to it being released so early in the year that people forget, or maybe they just don’t have great taste, who knows.

18) Mikal Cronin - Made My Mind Up: I think Mikal Cronin should be a bit of a superstar, with three fantastic albums in his discography, his live shows are also consistently impressive. Released on Merge, the helpfully titled III, continues to show off his songwriting hooks.

19) John Carpenter – Vortex: Yes, horror director John Carpenter released one of the most compelling records of 2015, via New York’s Sacred Bones label. Very much a cult icon for his soundtrack work as much as his direction, Lost Themes is strictly speaking his debut “album”.

20) Jessica Pratt - On Your Own Love Again: This is the title-track to Jessica’s second album, released on Drag City. If you want a folky/finger-picked record of 2015, most people will steer you towards Sufjan Stevens, but Jessica’s album is a real hidden gem. “I guess I'll try to keep on believing, You're just someone out there in chains, You're just here on your own love again”

And there you have it. My gig-going was down a little bit, I made it to 125 shows (down from 147 and 155 of the two previous years), but still a pretty respectable score! Anyway, here is hoping 2016 is a good year for everyone, it hasn’t started terribly well with the tragic loss of David Bowie!

Until next time

Peace and love - Q 

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q105

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/2c86yq12xhqx7oq/Q105.zip

Q#104 - October - November 2015

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q104

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/1a8v2m7djf4o74h/Q104.zip

Q’s Compilations

Volume #104 October - November 2015

Greetings! A busy few weeks to say the least; I became a US citizen; thanksgiving has just come and gone, and I’m looking forward to spending some time at home for the first time since last December (it has been far too long). Many things are driving me crazy but this is the last mix of the year, so I hope everyone ends it well, 2016 can only be better, here’s hoping. In the meantime, music helps, and here are some of the things I’ve been listening to lately.

01) Slonk Donkerson – Sonata: Anyone who follows my writing on Free Williamsburg (and previously My Social List – RIP), or even these mixes, will know of my love of Slonk Donkerson. The band just released their “first” (but really their third) album, The Lunar Martini Motorbike Club and Their Respective Destinies, and it is a refreshing, ambitious rock album, classic in many ways. In the last few years there has been a tendency for rock bands in New York to take a harder, warts-and-all approach, but the band’s keen ear for melody and composition sets them apart from many groups these days.

02) Cold Beat - Broken Lines: I was fortunate enough to catch San Francisco’s Cold Beat at Union Pool this summer, after the band released Into the Air. There isn’t much to say about this apart from loving that joyful jangle!

03) Girls Names – Recitence: Northern Ireland 4-piece Girls Names followed up 2013’s The New Life (which was probably the most overlooked album of that year, though not by me) this year with Arms Around a Vision, which is a little more new wave than the post-punk of the previous album, and it’s a move that the band handle with aplomb. I’m impatiently waiting for another New York show.

04) Lilys - The Hermit Crab: Of all the bands that recently played the CMJ Music Marathon, it was a rare show from Lilys that was my favourite set, celebrating a 21^st anniversary re-release of Eccsame the Photon Band. “You need to be alone, In sand that's warm, Naturally, your death at sea, Is obvious, and fascinating to me”

05) Ultimate Painting - The Chain: I saw Ultimate Painting exactly a year ago and it all screamed “too soon” as the band awkwardly fumbled through a pedestrian, seemingly under-rehearsed set. Fast forward 6 months and I caught the band again, supporting the rather excellent Twerps, and the band seemed almost unrecognisable, playing with a confident swagger that does justice to their recorded material. The comparison to The Velvet Underground is undeniable, but it’s not often a band can pull it off without coming across as mere pretenders. “It's alright to tell the truth, If it hurts then what's the use, In keeping on with this game, It's alright to break the chain”

06) Dick Diver - Waste the Alphabet: Aussie band Dick Diver returned this year with another excellent jangle-pop record, Melbourne, Florida, which continues the excellent work of 2013’s Calendar Days. Unfortunately I missed the band passing through New York as they were excellent when I saw them last year.

07) Simon Doom - Punk Problems: I saw Simon Doom supporting Slonk Donkerson at their recent record release show and was instantly impressed with their melodic tunes. The group don’t have much in the way of recorded songs so far, but you can get this song and a couple of others for a pay-what-you-want price on their bandcamp page: https://simondoom.bandcamp.com/releases “Don’t tell your punk problems to me”

08) Cool Ghouls - The Mile: One of my top recommendations for this year’s CMJ, I will simply re-use what I wrote about them! “If you want west coast, 60s-infused garage-psyche then look no further than San Francisco’s Cool Ghouls. The band’s last album, A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye, was released on Empty Cellar Records, but also check out a brand new tune that is set to be released on Dizzy Bird records later in the month. The group manage to hit all the sunny, poppy notes, without sounding sickly and they know how to turn up the psych dials at just the right moments too.”

09) Ought - Beautiful Blue Sky: Having seen Matt Kivel’s set cut rather criminally short at Elvis Guesthouse at the start of October, I had just enough time to scoot over to Mercury Lounge to see Ought. The influence of The Fall is hard to shake, but considering I’ve never been a fan of Mark E Smith’s rotating band, they obviously manage it! Formed in Montreal, they have just released Sun Coming Down on Constellation Records. “I'm no longer afraid to die, Cause that is all that I have left, Yes! Yes! And I'm no longer afraid to dance tonight, Cause that is all that I have left, Yes! Yes!”

10) Jeffrey Lewis and Los Bolts – Thunderstorm: Jeffrey Lewis is one of those artists you should see live at least once a year, and he has just released a new album called Manhattan. I managed to catch the record release show at Le Poisson Rouge around Halloween and he is always more than entertaining. One song, which I haven’t heard before and isn’t on the record, was about England and how the food is probably his most favourite thing about the country; as if I wasn’t already homesick for curry and real ale…

11) JJUUJJUU - Ancients Future: Sometimes I like to take a blind punt on records when there is a sale, it helps if you know the label is reliable, as is the case with Beyond Beyond is Beyond records, but there is still that nerve-wracking moment of uncertainty until needle hits vinyl. What I can tell you now is that Phil Pirrone creates the kind of slow, swirly, psychedelic soundscapes that would grace any record in the genre.

12) Sannhet – Revisionist: There are numerous labels to which you can attribute this band; post-rock, shoegaze, noise, metal, but all of those seem a little unfair. The best way to experience the band is in a live setting, however, and thankfully I’ve managed to do that twice this year. This is the title track from their album that was released in March.

13) Unwound – December: I think my most-listened to band of 2015 is probably Unwound, having devoured Numero’s re-issue series on the trio, which has now come to a conclusion with the recently released Empire, which covers the band’s last two albums; Challenge for a Civilized Society and Leaves Turn Inside You. “December night, I'm told I had my obligations. December night, I tried and tried and tried, but…”

14) The Scientists - High Noon: Another Numero re-issue… this time in the shape of Australian band The Scientists’ 1981 self-titled debut album. Filled with plenty of pop-hooks, they would probably have been huge if they were from New York.

15) Dinosaur Jr - The Leper: Dinosaur Jr’s debut album has just reached its 30^th anniversary, and the band are celebrating with 7 sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom, in which they will play the album in full; I managed to get a ticket for one of them.

16) Slothrust – Crockpot: Boston trio Slothrust recently supported Nada Surf at Webster Hall, and while it took them a few songs to get going, it wasn’t too hard to be won over by their slacker-indie demeanour. “I like cats, do you like cats? Of course you do you sassy motherfucker”

17) Velcro Lewis Group - No Dream: As with the JJUUJJUU, I took a blind punt on another Beyond Beyond Is Beyond album, and couldn’t help but love the foot-stomping, soul-tinged rock and roll of this Chicago band. Facebook profiles often come up with some wanky or jokey description but this band definitely get the words right: Funk rock occultists, The Velcro Lewis Group, bring the harmonies of Motown, the groove of Stax, the drugs of Hawkwind, and the drive of Bohannon to their own LSD-laced barbecue of sound.

18) Okkervil River - No Key, No Plan: Black Sheep Boy has just had a 10-year anniversary re-issue, and it is definitely an album worthy of celebration. I remember I was given a burnt-cd copy (remember when people used to do that?) and before the second song had finished I’d ordered the album myself. It’s one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years and I was thrilled to see the band play the whole thing (plus the appendix) recently at Bowery Ballroom. “You float up high and it isn't a sin. And there isn't a hell where we'll be sent. There's only now, and there isn't then. So just breathe it in.”

19) Silversun - Too Much Too Little Too Late: Indecision gets too much sometimes and you just have to give in to the ipod shuffle, but at least that throws up songs that you haven’t heard in a while that might hit you in a different way than when you last heard them. I love Silversun for the high-octane power-pop, possibly the most sugar-doused sound ever put on record… this cover of Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams’ duet was a minor hit for the band in 1998. Well, 2016 will be a new year. Cheers.

I didn’t really even have time to think about this mix too much, but after a couple of plays I’m really happy with the ebb and flow of it. There might not be that much variation but I think it is well paced and is a mix of new songs and other relevant milestones. The next mix will be the usual round-up of my favourite releases of the year. Once again I hope everyone has as good a winter as possible, spend time with loved ones, and try to give a little kindness to someone you think might be struggling. See you on the other side.

Until next time

Peace and love - Q 

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q104

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/download/1a8v2m7djf4o74h/Q104.zip

Q#94 - February - March 2014

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q94

Download mix from: https://www.mediafire.com/?2nncdnpdcbbbfr2

Q’s Compilations

Volume #94 February – March 2014

It’s the middle of March and it’s still freezing, this winter is getting everyone down. Anyway, let’s move on, it’ll be spring soon or maybe we’ll just skip straight to summer… February was still cool, I went home to the UK for a couple of weeks to see Del Amitri’s first shows in over a decade, also hit Barcelona for a few days for a change of scenery. This is the first “proper” compilation of the year and features the usual mix of things that probably should have been on the previous mix, new stuff and old stuff that I’d wanted to use for a while. Hope everyone likes what they hear!

01) La Sera - Losing to the Dark: Vivian Girls recently played their last ever shows (my review), but bassist Katy Goodman rolls on with her third La Sera album, Hour of the Dawn, which will be out on the 13^th of May. This is the first track from the album and certainly bodes well! “How about you write another song, About how fun you are to drink with at the bar”

02) Tweens - Be Mean (demo): Tweens’ debut album is out on the 8^th of April and promises to be a cracker! I saw the band last year and loved their set so promptly ordered their demos CD-R, also really looking forward to their set at Death By Audio on the 3^rd of April. This demo is a bit more ragged than the final result but there is a lot of charm. “Loving you is such a bore, there must be something wrong with me”

03) Slonk Donkerson - The Edifice: I’d seen the name around a bit last year but finally got to see Slonk Donkerson in January and loved what I heard. A classic power trio with shades of Husker Du and even a bit of Moving Pictures/Signals-era Rush in some of their songs. This track is from their second album, imaginatively titled II.

04) Arlis - I Can't Take It: I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to buy Numero’s It’s Pop compilation (especially after loving their later released Buttons mix of a similar theme), but a gift card for Bullmose record shop around Christmas time sorted that out. When there are so many good tracks on another comp it’s hard to pick one or two for my own mix but this one wormed itself into my brain and here we are. “I’ve seen your picture somewhere and it’s bugging me to no end”

05) Imaginary Boys – Gift: Quite often I’ll browse the calendar on My Social List and check out a bunch of bands I haven’t heard of before, one of those bands was Imaginary Boys who had just released their debut EP, Limerence, which I ordered pretty swiftly.

06) Minor Alps - I Don't Know What To Do With My Hands: Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) and Julianna Hatfield should need little introduction and they combined for what must be one of the most natural sounding side-projects of all time in Minor Alps. The album sounds exactly as you would expect, expertly crafted indie-pop tunes. “The couch is an island, a desert oasis, the room is a spaceship, and you're an undiscovered planet”

07) Girls Names - Hypnotic Regression: I saw Belfast’s Girls Names’ first ever US show at the Cameo Gallery in March last year and really enjoyed their set, so it was rude not to buy their album, The New Life, when Slumberland Records had a major sale a couple of months ago. Upon further listens, it may just be the most under-appreciated record of 2013.

08) Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band - The Blast Room: A new band from TV On the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe. I picked up their self-titled EP recently from Other Music and to be fair if someone told you it was TVotR they’d probably believe you. That’s hardly a bad thing though, since they are probably the best band since the turn of the millennium.

09) Mr Dream - Work Faster: There’s a bit of a Talking Heads vibe here in places but otherwise Mr Dream offer a slightly twisted post-punk romp here. I first heard Mr Dream on a compilation from GODMODE records (they issued Yvette’s stunning album, see next track…). They’re in the process of putting together a record so I’m really looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

10) Yvette - Tempered Glass: I liked Yvette’s 2013 album, Process, last year, but then I saw them live and in particular, bought the album on vinyl, it blew my mind (recorded at Silent Barn, Brooklyn). What a revelation! If you can get it, stump up the cash. It’s hard to describe their music; dark, intense, lots of effects and layers… just listen!

11) Warpaint - Love is to Die: The band took their time releasing their second album (self-titled) with almost four years passing since The Fool. It’s definitely a continuation of what they had previously put together, dreamy vocals and a tight rhythm section, they could put out 10 records like this and I’d be quite happy. The first listen to the album was a little disappointing, but the melodies started seeping in after a couple of goes.

12) Bennio Qwerty - Smooth Operator: I recently profiled Bennio Qwerty in a recent Artist to Watch post, and am really looking forward to seeing them live supporting Tweens in April. This one is definitely for fans of Dischord Records. The band have two EPs to their name so far, and this track is from Picture Of.

13) Mogwai - Heard About You Last Night: Mogwai do what they do, and they always do it excellently! Latest album, Rave Tapes, has a few quirks with the addition of synth bass and some more keyboards than normal.

14) Weekend - The One You Want: I didn’t really want to use Weekend again so soon but I bought their Red EP recently and it’s great and I felt like this track fit the vibe of the compilation at this stage. You can’t really fight such things!

15) Cheatahs - Cut the Grass: Their self-titled debut album came out in February and delivers on the promise of the two EPs. It’s unashamedly Swervedriver-esque, which is cool by me. I recently saw them at Baby’s All Right and they have even more oomph in on stage.

16) Kitchens of Distinction - I Wish It Would Snow: Certainly one surprise comeback (albeit only in the studio, no live dates planned) was Kitchens of Distinction, one of the most underrated bands of the last few decades. Folly was released last year and I made sure to pick up a copy when I was back in the UK last month, the record is a bit more subdued than their past endeavours and at times misses that beautiful guitar sound that made them so great, but it’s a lovely little album, and as I said, unexpected! I hope they continue.

17) The Summits – Sleepwalking: Time for a brief soul and funk interlude (courtesy of Numero), something that has been a bit lacking on the mixes recently. This one is from the Eccentric Soul: A RBG Production, on which 4 tracks by The Summits appear. Great bass, vocal harmonies, they should have been huge.

18) Flyte Tyme - It's the Things That You Do: One of the best compilations released in a long time is Numero’s 2-CD Purple Snow, which is an incredible collection of soul/sunk from Minneapolis. As well as an infectious bass and keyboard line, you’re treated to a ripping guitar solo. Enjoy. If you don’t, I’m not sure blood pumps around your heart.

19) Walter Lewis & The Blue Stars - I Have Love At Home: Here’s another track from Purple Snow, a chilled out jam which manages to blend smoother soul with grit and heartache.

20) Sun Kil Moon - Ben's My Friend: New album, Benji, has been rightly gobbling up a lot of media praise, which is a little odd for longtime fans because it isn’t exactly different from what Mark Kozelek has been doing up to this point. The songs on Benji are strong, though. The album itself is a bit of a massacre, I’ve never heard so many people dying in the lyrics to songs before, must be a record! No deaths on this song though, which brings the album, and compilation, to a close. I’m not sure anyone else can sing about buying $350 lampshades and eating crabcakes and make it sound so compelling, however. “She said I seemed distracted and asked what was going on with me, I said I can't explain it it's a middle age thing, She said okay and ate her eggs Benedict, And I looked at the walls cluttered with sports bar shit”

And there you have it. Please let me know if you enjoyed anything on the mix!!!

Until next time

Peace and love - Q 

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q94

Download mix from: https://www.mediafire.com/?2nncdnpdcbbbfr2