Sunday 25 Mixtapes – INDIE ROCK CAFE

S-25 Mix: Fresh Tracks from The Fair Ohs, Wooden Shjips, Mumford & Sons, Pepper Rabbit, Youth Lagoon, Jim Ward, Nurses

Posted on 07/09/201101/11/2022 by Max Hammer

You probably know by now that we do things kind of different here. For example, we rarely ever post just one or two songs and call it a day. Instead, we regularly publish at least five to 10 songs per post, and often many more. Every month – and especially during the past year and a half – we receive hundreds of songs and albums, and discover others during our regular excursions on the web.

Next, we shave down the stacks of new tracks by keeping only the songs we like the most (doesn’t matter who they are from), and ‘letting go’ of the others. The final cut tracks then go into a playlist that we share and listen to again and again before deciding which playlist series they best fit.

As is always the case, the amount of new songs and albums pile up faster than there is time to really listen to, research and write about everyone of them. Therefore, we often opt for creating mixtapes and playlists that have a common theme, whether it’s Best New Releases, Recent Releases We Almost Missed, S-25 Mix, In Dee Mail, Bands to Watch, and many others.

One of our favorite newer mixtape series is Fresh Tracks, which is simply a mix of some of our favorite new songs that we’ve received in the past few weeks from upcoming albums. So, we decided this latest installment of Fresh Tracks would work perfectly with this week’s S-25 Mix

This latest Fresh Tracks is jam-packed with new singles by Wooden Shjips, The Fair Ohs, Dominant Legs, Jim Ward, Argyle Johansen, Pepper Rabbit, Nurses, Peter Wolf Crier, The Mekons, VHS or Beta, Oax, Little Deadman, Scott Miller, Cuckoo Chaos, The Cinema, Fruit Bats and Luke Temple – and many others.

Tell Us What You Think About This Stack of Fresh Tracks

We are really want to hear your feedback about the songs and/or bands in today’s mix, so please use the Comments section. Plus, your comment may be included in another post on the site and will be seen by literally thousands of people every day. We think there are some dope tracks in this mix, and perhaps more than a few that may be getting their first “big” exposure on the indie blogosphere today.

“Baldessari” – The Fair Ohs from Everything Is Dancing – July 26th

“Lazy Bones” – The Wooden Shjips from West – Aug. 23rd

“Hoop of Love” – Dominant Legs from Invitation – Sept. 27th

“Broken Songs” (with Tegan Quin) – Jim Ward from Quiet In The Valley, On The Shores The End Begins & The Electric Six – Aug. 2nd

“Only We Can Keep You From Harm” – Young Buffalo from Young Von Prettylips – July 18th

“Percocet Blues” – Argyle Johansen from Argyle Johansen and His Inner Demo(n)s – Sept. 6th

“July” – Youth Lagoon from The Year of Hiberation – Sept. 27th

“Alive” – Armand Margjeka from Margo Margo – Aug. 9th

“Escape All Responsibility” – The Chocolate Horse from Beasts – Aug. 16th

“Rosemary Stretch” – Pepper Rabbit from Red Velvet Snow Ball – Aug. 9th

“Before The Bridges” – Future Islands, single release – July 19th

“Fever Dreams” – Nurses from Dracula – Sept. 20th

“Die to Rest” – Prophets & Kings from Prophets & Kings- Aug. 9th

“Another Day” – Echo Lake from Another Day/Breathe Deep 7″ – July 18th

“Right Away” – Peter Wolf Crier from Garden of Arms – Sept. 6th

“Space in Your Face” – The Mekons from Ancient & Modern – Sept. 27th

“I Found a Reason” – VHS or Beta from Diamond & Death – Sept. 27th

“Love and Crashing” – Oax from This Distance – July 12th

“Post Helado Madness” – Little Deadman from Shooting Seagulls EP – July 19th

“Lo Siento, Spanishburg, WVa – A Story of The Real Americana (F.A.Y. version)” – Scott Miller from Lo Siento, Spanishburg, WVa – A Story of The Real Americana – July 12th

“Tangie and Ray” – Fruit Bats from Tripper – Aug. 2nd

“Jesus Flag American Fish” – Cuckoo Chaos from Jesus Flag American Fish 7 – July 26th

“Groove (Scene 1)” – The Lions from Iconoclasts – Sept. 6th

“Ophelia” – Luke Temple from Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care – Aug. 30th

“Home/Untitled” (Live on KBCO) – Mumford & Sons

The Sunday 25 Mix, Vol. VII – ‘Red’ Songs from The Dodos, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave, Neko Case, The White Stripes

Posted on 03/05/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

A few months ago we launched a new weekly playlist series called The Sunday 25 Mix, aka, S-25. The idea behind the playlist mix is to choose 25 songs we love that are not necessarily “indie,” thereby giving us the chance to share music from any era and genre of music, including, but not limited to, classic rock, pop, new wave, psychedelic rock, punk, post punk, folk, jazz, blues, hiphop, and so on. Many of the S-25 mixes (dig the archives and find music jems) also included a spotlight band, and in the future, many others will. If you’re a regular listener/reader of IRC, you’ve probably already streamed some of the S-25 mixes, such as the special mix, or the Love Songs We Love, and Winter Songs mixes.

The first few S-25 mixes were randomized, and well-received. Yet, in subsequent weeks, we found that our regular visitors were showing even more interest for songs in a playlist mix that share a common characteristic or theme – whether implied or direct. Therefore, the weekly S-25 mixes from here on out will have specific subject matter that is reflected (often, not always) in the song title of every track in the playlist. A couple of good examples would be one of the most popular S-25 mixes so far this year, the Egyptian Revolution mix. For that mix, the songs were not directly related to each other, but when put together, tell a bigger story.

The other type of S-25 mix is much more targeted and granular when it comes to the theme or the subject matter, and it requires that whatever the subject matter is – from something completely mundane to something gripping – each song title in the mix must share the same highlighted word. This week’s S-25 theme is the color red. It’s always fun to put together playlist mixes, but the best part is sharing them with other hundreds of thousands of other people across the globe.

In the meantime, enjoy these 25 – plus some extras for good measure – songs that have ‘red’ in the song title, ranging from UB40 and The Decemberists to Jimi Hendrix and Nick Cave. The live version of “Red House” is a bootleg from the old Winterland Theatre in Palo Alto (today ijust another piece of evidence, even 40 years later, of why Hendrix is considered one of the – if not the – best electric guitarists ever. Let’s kick off this mix with one of our favorite songs from one of our favorite albums by one of our favorite bands of 2008, “Red and Purple” by The Dodos.

You may notice some other common themes in this playlist mix other than the fact that all of the song titles have the word ‘red’ in them; notice the number of songs about ‘red ankles’ and ‘red hands,’ plus ‘red rain’ and ‘red wine’.

Note: You can click on the artist/band name to see another post playlist and click on the album title to purchase the entire album directly from Amazon on a secured server. Often times, Amazon’s prices are lower than iTunes, and each time you make a purchase using our link, we get a small referral fee which doesn’t amount to much, but helps pay our server costs.

“Red and Purple” – The Dodos from Visiter (2008)

“Little Red Corvette” – Prince from Purple Rain [Explicit] (1987)

Originally, we were going to post a list of songs with any color in the song title. The problem is that there are so many great songs with a color in the title that we needed to get even more granular and simply pick a color. The choice of going with a specific color – in this case, red – is not meant to be symbolic at all for anything other than the fact that it is one of many naturally occurring colors; red is found deep in the oceans, in the veins that travel throughout of our bodies, across the great expanse of the universe, and in countless other forms, shades and designs, from rocks and flowers to feathers and fruits.

We scoured our music collections to gather up, filter out, and post 25 great songs containing the word ‘red’ in the song title. We realize the whole idea might be a little corny to the oh-so-serious among you, but come on, man, we’re just trying to make sharing great music just a little more playful and interesting. Afterall, it’s Sunday.

Among our personal music playlists – which have been under development for years – are many different categories and themes; dozens upon dozens of intriguing playlists, spanning the gamut of themes, ranging from Songs About The Moon, Songs About New York City, and Songs For Moms, to genre-based playlists, like dream-pop, garage rock, Americana and post punk, to name a few. As we’ve done in the past, more of these mixes will be posted in the ensuing months, including the weekly S-25 Mix. Of the many playlist categories in our iTunes is one of our favorites themes: ‘Songs About Colors’ which contain literally hundreds of great songs with at least one color in the song title. Still sounds corny? That’s cool, we totally get it, but hopefully you’ll enjoy this mix even if you think it’s corny.

“Red Wine On White Pants” – Terry Ohms from What Do You Mean What Do I Mean? (2010)

“Red Right Hand” – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from Let Love In (1994) – special: only $5.99 on AMZ
Cover Version: “Red Right Hand” – Arctic Monkeys* from Cryin’ Lightning

“Deep Red Bells” – Neko Case from Blacklisted (2002)

“Red Rain” – Peter Gabriel from So (1986)

“Red Curbs” – Admiral Radley from I Heart California (2010)

“Red Dress” – TV on the Radio from Dear Science (2008)

“They’re Red Hot (Robert Johnson)” – Eric Clapton from Me & Mr. Johnson (2004)

wilcobeingthere — Wilco's classic double CD, 'Being There.' On sale at Amazon for $11.99; click the cover art to order

“Red-Eyed and Blue” – Wilco from Being There (1996)

“Red Ankles” – Matt Pond PA from Four Songs EP (2004)

“Reds” – Houses from All Night (2010)

“Red Berries” – Angus & Julia Stone from Hollywood (2008)

Don’t miss new songs, videos, news, contests and giveaways, plus other cool stuff and links that we often post only via our Twitter and Facebook accounts – it’s a way to stay in touch with what’s happening on a hourly and daily basis.

“Red House” (Live) – Jimi Hendrix from Live at Winterland (1971)

“Red Light Green Light” – The Fresh & Onlys from Play It Strange (2010)

“99 Luft Red Balloons” – Nina Hagen from Nina Hagen (1984)

“Red Right Ankle” – The Decemberists from Her Majesty, The Decemberists (2005)

“Red Rain” – The White Stripes from Get Behind Me Santa! (2005)

“Red Skies” – The Fixx from Shuttered Room (1982)

“Red Red Wine” – UB40 from 12 inch (1988)

“Red Red Wine” – The Russian Futurists from The Method of Modern Love (2010)

“Red” – Miles Davis from Aura (1985)

“Red Sky” – Please The Trees from Please The Trees (2009)

Lastly, we need your help. We want you guys to pick the songs for the next S-25 Mix using the Comments box below. The theme will be cars. Do you have one or more songs about cars that you really dig? Remember, for this mix series, your song suggestions are not restricted to the indie genre – whatever that means to you.

The Sunday 25 Mix, Vol. III: The Tallest Man on Earth, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, Caribou, Peter Gabriel, Elvis, Bright Eyes

Posted on 12/05/201007/22/2021 by Max Hammer

Kristian Matsson is The Tallest Man on Earth (actually, he's 5'11)

The profile artist for this third installment of The Sunday 25 Mix series made a huge splash in 2008 with his debut album, Shallow Graves. He is Kristian Matsson, a singer and songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden, better known to many people as The Tallest Man on Earth, Matsson’s self-adopted moniker.

His wonderfully crafted acoustic folk songs, poetic lyrics and high-pitch, nasaly voice have led him to be compared to the one-and-only Bob Dylan. Admittedly, there’s probably not a Dylan fan in the world who can honestly say that Matsson’s voice doesn’t sound like Dylan. For some people Matsson’s likeness to Dylan may be a barrier, but the vast majority of TTMOE admirers appreciate the musician, because he’s incredibly talented, and his music, because his songs are so damn good, not because he is so perfectly Dylanesque.

During the past two years, The Tallest Man on Earth has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe with Bon Iver and John Vanderslice, and recently as a headline artist, which is just another indication of Matsson’s fairly rapid ascent to fame. In between tours, Matsson had time to record another album’s worth of songs, which ended up on his recent 2010 release, The Wild Hunt. Once again, the critics, bloggers and fans have given his work a big thumbs up.

As with the first couple of Sunday 25 Mixes (S-25), you’ll also find songs we love from all kinds of genres, dating all the way back to mid-1950s. You’ll probably also want to see S-25 Vol. One and S-25 Vol. Two. Coming Up S-25 mixtapes featuring The Strokes and another one that will highlight the top 25 songs from the popular mixtape series – Best Indie and Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, containing over 200 indie and alternative songs.

“King of Spain” – The Tallest Man on Earth from The Wild Hunt (2010)

“For Ash” – Marnie Stern from Marnie Stern (2010)

“Hurricane” – Neil Young from Decade (2005)

Film director David Lynch, Danger Mouse & Mark Linkous (R.I.P.)

“Little Girl” – Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse with Julian Casablancas from Dark Night of the Soul (Exclusive Amazon edition – only $5.99)

“Helicopter” – Deerhunter from Halcyon Digest (2010)

“Solsbury Hill” – Peter Gabriel from Peter Gabriel: Car 1:Remastered (2010; originally 1977)

“Pistol Dreams” – The Tallest Man on Earth from Shallow Grave (2008)

“Is She Really Going Out With Him”? – Joe Jackson from Steppin’ Out (1990)

“Leave House” – Caribou from Swim (2010)

“Funeral Song” – Minks from Funeral Song 7″ single (2010)

“The Thoughts of Mary Jane” – Nick Drake from Five Leaves Left (1969)

“Suspicous Minds” – Elvis Presley from Suspicious Minds (1970)

“Monsieur Maire de Niafunke” – Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate from In The Heart of the Moon (1998)

” The Gardner” – The Tallest Man on Earth from Shallow Grave (2008)

“It’s Alright” – Opus Orange from Opus Orange EP (2010)

“Little Fat Baby” – Sparklehorse from It’s a Wonderful Life (2001)

“Mother of God” – Close Lobsters from Foxheads Stalk This Land (1987)

“No You Girls” – Franz Ferdinand from Tonight (2009)

“Heaven’s On Fire” – The Radio Dept. from Clinging To A Scheme (2010)

“Hand In Glove” – The Smiths from Louder Than Bombs (1987)

“Treat Me Like Your Mother” – The Dead Weather from Horehound (2009)

“So Long, Mom, I’m Off to Drop the Bomb” – Brad P from s/t debut (2009)

“No One Would Riot for Less” – Bright Eyes from Lifted or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002)

“The Man Who Sold The World” – David Bowie from The Man Who Sold The World (1970)

“Troubles Will Be Gone” – The Tallest Man On Earth from The Wild Hunt (2010)

More S-25 Mixtapes*

The Sunday 25 Mix, Vol. I – Wiretree, Cheap Trick, Billy Idol, Wilco, David Bowie, The Kinks, Neutral Milk Hotel, Brian Eno, Talking Heads

The Sunday-25 Mix, Vol. II: Oberhofer, Belle & Sebastian, The Beatles, Dexy Midnight Runners, Yeasayer, New Order, Aerosmith

Some of you might have seen our thread about the difference between a mixtape and a playlist. Not surprisingly, no two theories were the same. To us, a mixtape is a collection of favorite or recommended music that someone produces, usually to share with others, and meant to be listened to uninterrupted from the first song to the last; for example, “Summer 2010 Mixtape”. Playlists, on the other hand, have a particular theme, organization or subject matter that applies to all of the songs in that playlist; for example, “Songs About Summer Playlist”.

Please tell us your explanation of the difference between a mixtape and a playlist.