To all you hopeless romantics out there, this mix is dedicated to a new brother of mine Tom DeCoursey. I believe in your victory. ALL OF YOU.
1. Slow Runner – Love and Doubt
2. Phosphorescent – Tell Me Baby Have You had Enough
3. Whiskeytown – Under Your Breath
4. Number One Fan – It’s Happening
5. This Will Destroy You – I Believe In Your Victory
6. Beach House – Take Care
7. Ani Difranco – You Had Time
8. Umphrey’s McGee – The Weight Around
9. Tom Waits – House Where Nobody Lives
10. Radiohead – All I Need
11. Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticsm
The past few months the music community, the country and even my circle of friends has been inudated with the subject of death. It is often the center of art, ranging from morbid and morose to glittering tributes to visions of the after-life. It is the inevitable for which we all wait. People’s view on the subject often ties into their belief structure, which garners another whole world of emotions and subjects. In short, death is heavy, and this mixtape is a smattering of songs on the matter.
I went for a few that everyone knows, a few everyone should know and some under the radar sketches of the next life. This mixtape is dedicated to Adam Yauch and Maurice Sendak, two gentleman who made my youth and so many others that much more magical.
1. Videotape-Radiohead
2. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean-Blind Lemon Jefferson
3. Do You Realize?-Flaming Lips
4. Happy Phantom-Tori Amos
5. 0 Death-Ralph Stanley
6. What Sarah Said-Death Cab For Cutie
7. Funeral For A Friend-Elton John
8. Blowin In The Wind-Bob Dylan
9. When The Roses Bloom Again-Wilco
10. I Shall Be Released-The Band
11. Black Muddy River-Grateful Dead
This mixtape is dedicated to the spirit of the rising sun. Sunrise is part of the party culture, but it must be accompanied by the most cerebral and gentle sounds to make the transition from creep to sleep that much softer. Any true party kid must make his peace with the sun.
Welcome to Winter, fellow readers. I put together a simple mix of slow jams for that cold Winter night with your loved one, or for pouring a glass of wine and weeping over your Christmas bills. It takes a lot of warmth to get through the season and this mix is teeming with heat. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season. I want to thank everyone out there for making Hidden Track a part of their everyday reading and sticking with us through periods of growth. We have a new look, new vibe, but that same cast of blog pimps, who do things like find the hottest Johnny Gill song to put on a mix.
HT columnist Wade “Wyllys” Wilby performed at Rock N Roll Resort over Thanksgiving Weekend and has filed this report about what he saw…
Walking into the lobby of the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa on any weekend of the year, you would find a dated but somewhat elegant lobby, spacious in stature, with a welcoming staff smiling and ready to accommodate. On the weekend of Rock N Roll Resort, you would not only find these lovely attributes, but a full blown lot scene replete with vending of all types and dogs, dogs and more dogs, giving the event an immediate vibe all of its own, separating it from any event where I’ve performed at or attended.
The event, like all festivals, had multiple venues each with their own unique atmosphere sealed within the hotel walls, meaning you never had to go outside of the event to see the bands you wanted to check out. This works two ways, which was really the theme of the event. The convenience factor of not having to go outside is amazing, especially being held in November, where the weather could be terrible. However, not having to leave the hotel means also not having to leave your big comfy hotel room either, which rendered attendance at some of the festival’s biggest acts to astonishingly low numbers. Zach Deputy, arguably one of the biggest draws of the festival, had a mere smattering of fans in the main room on Saturday night. His performance was amazing, I just wish more people were there to see it.
Our pal Wade “Wyllys” Wilby is still without power at his New England home thanks to a brutal Nor’easter that tore through the area last weekend. It was his turn to provide a Friday Mix Tape, but as you can imagine that’s pretty tough without electricity. So we’re re-running a mix he made from April 8 in which he highlighted some of the acts who influenced LCD Soundsystem. Here’s hoping Wade gets power back soon!
Walking out into the New York streets after LCD Soundsystem destroyed their home turf for one last time, I couldn’t help but think about James Murphy’s next bold move. It’s not like I had the desire for it to happen anytime soon. The man deserves some time off from the band and brand he built so effortlessly over the past six years.
One could even argue that DFA, even dance music as a whole would be nothing without the aging anti-hero. He has left an undeniable mark on civilization’s final generation. So how does one man acquire the style, chops, and perserverance to conquer the hippies and the hipsters? How do you get the popular vote while simultaneously making the counter culture swoon?
The answer lies in the influences. One glance at James Murphy and Pat Mahoney’s FabricLive mix and you can see the skeleton for LCD Soundsystem, and perhaps, the future of dance music. Other producers and DJs have done the slower, groovier compilations before (Another Late Night and Back To Mine) but they had never been so contemporarily poignant.
The era of the major label is vanquished. In the wake of its destruction stirs a new renaissance for music. Bands now have to be twice as crafty and imaginative in not only their marketing but the creation of their sound to stand out amongst the tens of thousands of bands vying for public attention. Commercial success is no longer measured in units sold, but how many playlists your album or single is boasted on, and how many hits your new You Tube video has accumulated.
With this renaissance comes the vast multiplication of sub genres, almost to a comedic level. Bands will label themselves in creative mutations of genres past, present, and in many cases, invented on the spot in order to get themselves noticed or somehow classified.
So imagine my laughter as I stumbled upon Work Drugs on You Tube. Recommended to me by a friend of mine from Philly, I felt an immediate connection to them and their quest for smooth music. Describing themselves on MySpace as “sedative wave” and “smooth-fi,” the music seemed to draw from all the places I revered in pop music. Their debut effort Summer Blood was a collection of laid back ditties with enough of a back beat to keep your head moving. At the tail end of the record are 3 pieces recorded from an island getaway. Immediately the band was showing multiple facets to their sound while not getting too complex or arty.
Yesterday, we published a list of Wade’s Top Ten Indie Rock LPs as a follow-up to his original list of classic autumn albums. Within Wyllys’s list, he mentioned on track from each album that would fit perfectly on a fall-themed mix. With that in mind, we compiled each of the ten songs mentioned for this week’s Friday Mix Tape.
Tracklist:
1. Best Night – The War On Drugs
2. Less Than You Think – Wilco
3. Feeling Yourself Disintegrate – Flaming Lips
4. For Me This Is Heaven – Jimmy Eats World
5. Avalanche – Ryan Adams
6. Freezing Process – Quicksand
7. That Says It All – Duncan Sheik
8. My Life Is At Home – The Promise Ring
9. Our Way To Fall – Yo La Tengo
10. Gold Soundz – Pavement
Author’s Note: I am using the term “indie rock” as a means to categorize these lists. The artists represented in this list can fall under many genres.
Greetings Autumn enthusiasts. Wade here again for another list of albums that I seem to play most in the fall. This time around I decided to go in a more indie rock direction. In the last list I created, I went for more popular albums, as bloggers often tend to whip out their hipster cocks when talking about music. They’ll find the most esoteric bands they know, contrive a long winded and condescending dissertation on said bands, and really do very little to educate or entice the reader to learn more about these basement dwelling reverb junkies. Though my music collection is teeming with those kinds of bands, I still went towards the more popular side of indie rock-ish music in an effort to stimulate more communication in the comments section. No one benefits from a list of artists no one has heard of.
I have fall albums in every genre of music, so if you’re looking at this list and wondering “where the hell is Aphex Twin-Selected Ambient Works?” , know that I am compiling the electronic fall albums for next year. Please sound off in the comments section with your top ten fall indie rock albums and thanks for tuning in.
I got this record during the summer, and while it certainly impressed me from the get go, it didn’t really hit me till I was driving during sunset in Burlington, Vermont this September. There is a deep Dylan vibe happening with singer Adam Granduciel in a drone that compliments the ambient nature of the band. The compositions on Slave Ambient are founded by a track produced by Granduciel that runs under the entire record. This seething ethereal wash permeates each track and leads the band to stretch out songs like Best Night and Your Love is Calling. Somewhere between Caribou’s Swim and The Slip’s Eisenhower, Slave Ambient blurs the line between pop music and tripping balls.
Next Thursday, we’ll publish the indie rock edition of Wade “Wyllys” Wilby’s favorite fall albums list. This week, we wanted to share his original list of classic autumn LPs that was first published on August 24, 2008…
The fall beckons the romantic in all of us. Most any music fan you talk to will have a list of albums that remind them of the fall. There is an emotional attachment to the scenery around you, the climate change, and the music you were listening to that time of year. I’m not going to wax poetic about the autumn, as we all know the myriad of emotions the fall conjures. Rather, I would love to have your list of fall albums speak for those emotions. Sound off in the comments if you are feeling inspired and if your team is hunting for the Wild Card spot as well, god bless ‘em.
10. John Mayer – Heavier Things
On his second major label outing, Mayer sounds composed, more mature, and well produced. With Jack Joseph Puig at the helm and Matt Chamberlain and Steve Jordan sharing time behind the kit, you can hardly go wrong. This sonic milkshake pours from loop to horn line without spoiling the stomach and is just sweet enough to please the ladies, while maintaining an aura of professional gloss the guys can get behind. Kudos, John. Unfortunately, his next best accomplishment would be Jennifer Aniston. Fall Mix Disc Track: Something’s Missing
READ ON for the rest of Wade’s list of favorite albums for the fall…
I have been very lucky to share my journey on the road with so many amazing musicians and technicians. From very small bars in high school with my dear friends Rane with whom I co wrote many songs, all the way up to arenas with superstars like Beck and My Chemical Romance, I have had many amazing nights full of learning and yearning. This Friday Mix Tape is dedicated to those bands who helped shape the person I am today. They all had to deal with my loud voice, stinky feet, and propensity to rage, and for this I am eternally grateful.
No one can every really know the pure love in my heart for each and every one of these shows and what they will always mean to me. Just know that I cherish every experience, the good and the bad, with a part of my soul that propels me forward each passing day. This mix tape is for you guys, the road warriors, the dreamers of the dream. All the best.
Aaaaaand we’re back here at Wyllys and the World Party. I’ve been touring the country meeting some amazing DJ’s, producers, and bands. The scene seems to be teeming with talent these days and this edition’s band is one of the most skilled duo’s on the road.
In 2006, as the world at large was bidding their love affair with drum and bass adieu, Clay Parnell and Johnny Rabb were just getting started on a breakbeat project that would span across all genres of electronic music. BioDiesel, named after their trusty first tour vehicle, was born out of an idea a promoter had for the Zen Festival. Brian McEnany knew that Clay was a master of D+B bass playing and that Johnny Rabb literally wrote the book on that style of drumming. Initially the idea was to have Johnny Rabb as the only constant member and have a rotating cast of special guests each night. However, once Clay and Johnny played together the chemistry was undeniable so the rotating musician idea was altered to have Clay and Johnny as the constant center and special guests each night.
The first guest was Borhan Lee on keyboards. Then, at the next gig the keyboard player had to leave early and they had to do the encore as a duo. Everyone agreed the encore was the most bangin’ part of the night so that gave them confidence to play as a duo moving forward.
Today, BioDiesel is considered to be true sonic pioneers of the live EDM (Electronic Dance Music) scene and have moved into all genres of dance. I recently went on tour with them throughout California and had some very memorable set change jams with them and got to see the pair rip the roof of venues from Arcata to San Francisco. I caught up with Clay after the tour to pick his brain about the origins and future of BioDiesel.
Wyllys: Can you shed a little light on the technical aspect of what you guys are doing, or how you figured out the live formula for BioDiesel?
Clay Parnell: We started writing loops in ’06 / ’07. This is right before Ableton when everyone was using an MPC for sampling. Johnny started using Ableton through his SPDs and then we realized we could trigger anything using the SPDs. We could have a sample of any length or file type we wanted which is a huge part of our live show. So we flew to Nashville before our first tour and through lots of trial and error and pulling our hair out we eventually got the sample triggering where we needed it to be.
I remember the first few gigs – things not working out and having to rely on a lot of improv, but a couple dates into tour we got it together and wrote our first chunk of full tunes like Mellow Tone and Hippo Break. We were traveling in an …
After ending an amazing tour of the East Coast, I ended up in Brooklyn to find the world had frozen over. New York was starting to resemble Hoth. Dallas looked like the Winter Olympics. Lake Shore Drive looked like a scene out of a disaster movie. My travel plans were pushed back, forcing me to explore parts of the city I had never been to before with my trusty iPod in tow. I had recently put a bunch of music on there I hadn’t listened to for a while. Some of the tunes I had never heard at all.
This new bank of music jived perfectly with the ice wind I was breathing on my walk through Astoria. That’s when I started to put together Songs For a Frozen World. The songs are slow, sparse and probably have to do with some broad. Hopefully you can find time to pour some whiskey out on the tracks and stare out your window praying for spring or the phone to ring.
Track Listing:
M Ward – Post-War [via Post-War] Whiskeytown – Empty Baseball Park [via Faithless Street] Band of Horses – Factory [via Infinite Arms] Colin Hay – I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You [via Garden State OST] Local Natives – Who Knows Who Cares [via Gorilla Manor] Tears For Fears – Gas Giants [via Elemental] Pat Metheny – Last Train Home [via Still Life Talking]
Winter’s comin’ and I’ve got a debut…and what a night it was. Months in the making, Wyllys and the New York Hustler Ensemble made their first appearance ever at Sullivan Hall on December 30th as part of the Phish After Party series thrown by CEG. The gig blew all of our expectations out of the water and we can’t wait to do it again. We already have three more gigs in the books but that’s for another article.
[Photo by Laura Wainer]
I figured my column here on HT would be a great place to give the public insight as to how the project came together, our method of writing/rehearsing, and what we plan to do in the future. If you, the reader, thinks this reeks of shameless self promotion, you’re right. But who better to interview me than myself. ENJOY.
About two years ago I began collecting Nu Disco and Re Edit records when I lived in Chicago. My DJ partner Lax Class had turned me onto the genre and I slowly became obsessed with it. The style seemed to be what Dubstep is to Drum and Bass; a slower, funkier and more psychedelic version of its predecessor. I loved the tunes but couldn’t figure out how people were suppose to dance to it. It was a drastic tempo change from House but still had the 4-on-the-floor groove. The more I listened, I started to identify the main components of each record. Indigenous instruments and soulful vocals were on almost all of the tunes. I figured if I really wanted to play this style out in the clubs I would need to magnify these human attributes, and what better magnifiying glass than actual humans.
READ ON for more on The Hustlas’ debut performance…
DJ and HT staff member Wade “Wyllys” Wilby penned an open letter to the promoters, production team, artists and fans of Jam Cruise.
I sit now at this computer reveling in the joy that was Jam Cruise. It takes a village to throw this kind of experience, and to all those involved from the top (Cloud 9) to the bottom (MSC Poesia Crew) my hat is off to you. Though words of any kind can never do this adventure justice, I must try to make this keyboard sing its praises, for the adventure, while based in music, is more indicative of a deeply emotional human experience we are all loosing day by day as technology pushes us further away from each other.
[Sunrise on Jam Cruise 9 by JRapp]
In the beginning of social networking, I was enthralled by the idea of reconnecting with people whom I had lost touch with for one reason or another, I was also horrified for the very same reason. As the medium began to grow from MySpace to Facebook it spread like wildfire from PC to PC, phone to phone, and into every home. Networking had never been easier and the pros seemed to well outweigh the cons. The information superhighway was now a road back to people you had considered lost forever.
Now it seems we are all so dependant on these networks almost to the point of addiction. For some, it’s a healthy distraction at work, a convienient time waster that can get you through the day with a few laughs and some new songs to add to your playlists. At first glance, it seems like a harmless internet fad that even your parents are starting to take part in. This Jam Cruise, I suddently realized exactly what kind of damage these social networks were actually doing to human interaction and communication.
All kinds of folks take part in Jam Cruise, which is what makes it so magical. Fans of all ages, people of all different professions and backgrounds and cultures get together to collectively let their hair down in a way that is impossible from the shore. There is a complete disconnect from your phone and computer and when you let those technological chains loose from your heart, you really get to see the true beauty of the people and world around you. READ ON for more of Wade’s open letter about Jam Cruise…
