Well the EA series of mixes is finally back. I know you were all holding your breath, eagerly anticipating this volume of tunes, and now you can simply indulge in great music. The wait is over. I present to you vol 9, titled Leftovers because I began compiling these thirteen songs at the beginning of December, or right after the American celebration of Thanksgiving.
If you want to download all the songs at once you can just follow the link below. Please note that this is not a direct link so you’ll either need to left click or choose to open the link in a new tab or window. From there you should be able to download the archive.
zip: EA Mix vol 9 - Leftovers
Below are each of the tracks available as single song downloads. Let us all hope this doesn’t serve to crash any servers [like these mixes have in the past]. These songs should be available for direct downloading. Just right click and save target/link as a file.
01 : The Postal Service - Be Still My Heart : Let’s be honest, I think almost everything Ben Gibbard touches is made out of pure gold. Especially when he teams up with Jimmy Tamborello, of Dntel fame, and makes quirky poptronica tunes with great lyrics and fun melodies. This track is no deviation from their now famous formula. Wait for the half way point in the song for the pure bliss that Gibbard brings to most of his work to become undeniably yours as well.
02 : Superdrag - Sucked Out : This song was huge back when I was attending university, but since then I fear it has largely disappeared. The chorus, which consists of the plea “who sucked out the feeling?” repeated multiple times, is the epitomy of teenage angst and the rage we all have against this post modern, stereotyped, white-washed world. Ok, so that might be giving Superdrag more credit than this song actually deserves, but I do feel like we all identify with this song in some way.
03 : They Might Be Giants - Am I Awake : Normally I don’t really get into music that They Might Be Giants makes. There’s something about their music that reminds of all things awkward in my life and it’s frustrating to listen to songs that to me are without rhyme or reason. Just as with many other fringe artists, though, there occasionally arises a song that grabs my attention and demands that I share it’s infectious joy with everyone I know. This is one of those moments.
04 : Fields - Charming the Flames : If there was one band in the world worthy of being compared to the brilliant sound of Arcade Fire then this would be the band. I’m sick of everyone labelling anything new, interesting, or original as “the next Arcade Fire” so I won’t go that far. What I will say is that they have a wonderful sound and their EP, 7 From the City, is amazing. If these kids put forth this same sort of creative effort on their full album they will be famous. Or at least famous amongst the blogger generation.
05 : Colour Revolt - Mattresses Underwater : I cannot recall where I first heard of this band, or if I’ve heard of any song other than this one, but in the end none of that information really matters. If I was forced to categorize this band I would say they easily fall into the same vein as Modest Mouse. But in a good way, not in a way that makes them seem like another knock-off album from Wolf Parade. Whatever happened to Wolf Parade anyway? Hopefully they went the way of The Vines and just stopped the atrocity.
06 : Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - Once More With Feeling : I apparently have somewhat of a soft spot for bands with long names. Or with comical names. Luckily for Get Cape Wear Cape Fly their name fits into both categories. Luckily for you their name isn’t some small gimmick designed to get people to listen to their music. They actually have talent, and just over halfway through the song they also have trumpets. And talent and trumpets are always a good combination.
07 : Beirut - Elephant Gun : I’ve heard people label Beirut as a new gypsy music, ethnic folk, new folk, eastern European revivalist, ad naseum. Let’s just put Beirut up on the shelf with other such talented acts like Page France, Asher Lev, or Sufjan Stevens. Combining a lot of instruments, most of them admittedly associated with folk and ethnic music, and a lot of voices into one track makes for an intricate sound that is as original as it is familiar. And the song continues to build one layer on top of another until you can’t help but smile.
08 : Foo Fighters - Times Like These (Acoustic) : Every once in awhile I sneak back a couple of years, you know, before blogging was where teenagers found their music, and I pick out an outstanding track from an outstanding band. For those of you who aren’t old enough to remember here’s a quick history lesson. The Foo Fighters are helmed by the very talented Dave Grohl, who used to play drums for a little band called Nirvana, and at certain points in his career he has wavered between the electronic and the acoustic side of rock. For this track he deliciously decided to record it both ways and this acoustic rendition is amazing.
09 : Jimmy Eat World - Drugs Or Me (styrofoam remix) : Just the other day I was talking to a good buddy of mine when I suddenly realized he was wearing a Jimmy Eat World shirt. I was quite amazed and I asked him the question “whatever happened to those guys?” I love their sound and the last I had heard of them was a couple of years ago with the album Futures. Which, by the way, I thought was very good. Apparently they released an EP almost two years ago, from which this track hails, and they’re working on recording a new full length which could allegedly be out soon.
10 : Paolo Nutini - Jenny Don’t Be Hasty : You can tell Mr. Nutini is a young rock star in the making. He has the swagger, the panache, and even the sound of a budding rock star. And the best part is that he doesn’t come across as just another band ripping off the sixties and the seventies. Granted, some of his tracks do get a little guitar solo happy, but he’s young, he’s supposed to be indulgent. Anyway, this track is great, simply great music.
11 : The Fratellis - Ole Black’n'Blue Eyes : Most of the music I’ve heard from The Fratellis is horrible. I can’t endorse them as a band, I can’t stand behind their album, I can’t even say that I really like their sound much at all. I do, however, like this one song. And that’s really the brilliance of a mix album. I don’t have to like a band, I just have to like one song. I will warn you as you listen to this track; you might really like this song, just as I did, but be warned that this song is almost nothing like the rest of their debut album.
12 : Thom Yorke - Videotape : Alright, I’ll admit that the album, Eraser, was like listening to Radiohead without any diversity or depth. But that doesn’t mean that Thom Yorke needs the rest of Radiohead to make great music, it just means that if he wants to do a solo album he should make music in a completely different style than what him and his mates usually turn out. This is one of those instances where Thom’s brilliance shines through. It’s just him, a piano, and his very distinct voice.
13 : The Long Winters - The Commander Thinks Aloud : This is easily one of the best concept songs I have ever heard. John Roderick wrote this song as a reaction to the Challenger space shuttle disaster and I cannot imagine a more heart wrenching piece of music ever being written about a tragedy. The imagery is gorgeous, the music is moving, and the last repeated line will leave your heart filled to the brim with the terrible injustice that happened that day. “The crew compartment is breaking up.”
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If I could hang out with one musician for a day I would have to admit it would be a toss up between Ben Folds, Ben Gibbard, or John Samson from The Weakerthans. They all have such interesting musical styles and they can flat out write lyrics. For me that’s essential to liking a bit of music. It must have great lyrics. Well that is unless you’re Sigur Ros or some other ambient/sings in a different language band.
