Algorithmically generated earworms for the silicone-studded late-capitalist nightmare.

00:00. Pimmon – “Perry Como” from top40fodder (fals.ch, 1999)

01:10. In Posterface – “Born On” from Its Terminal (Winning Sperm Party, 2016)

06:39. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – “ABC Auto Industry” from Dazzle Ships (Virgin, 1983)

08:37. sneeze awfull – “quantum” from sneeze awfull (self-released, 2019)

14:42. Jenn Kirby – “We Never Have Time” from Ravel (pan y rosas, 2022)

18:22. CustomRealEstateSolutions – “Bankrupt” from Options (AntiOedipus, 2022)

20:49. The John Doe Experience – “Fu​ß​note Part I” from Electric Cheap: Essentials 2014–19 (self-released, 2019)

23:59. Dolphins of Venice – “Dark Ivor” from Mutuals (Mahorka, 2022)

28:05. Fet.Nat – “Tapis d’Orient” from Le Mal (Boiled, 2018)

31:31. Dan Deacon – “Bronst” [excerpt] from Spiderman of the Rings deluxe edition (Carpark, 2017)

35:22. Atom™ – “Weißes Rauschen (Erster Teil)” from Liedgut (Raster-Noton, 2009)

The specific essence these tracks share is difficult to define, but I hope that gathered together they’ll do that for me. Let’s pound our heels into the floorboards until we leave our mark, clap the day’s work’s dirt off our hands and scrub the rust from our joints; dance until the eave-dust rains down on whatever’s below us. Folk music from and for hard-beating hearts.

The Ebony Hillbillies by Zina Saunders

00:00. Amps for Christ – “Branches” from The People at Large (5 Rue Christine, 2004)

02:11. Exuma – “Damn Fool” from Exuma II (Mercury, 1970)

05:53. Scatter – “Alternations of Pasture and Urban Conurban” from Surprising Sing Stupendous Love (Cenotaph Audio, 2004)

10:24. Holy Modal Rounders – “Bound to Lose” from The Holy Modal Rounders (Prestige, 1964)

14:39. Megafaun – “Gather, Form & Fly” from Gather, Form & Fly (Hometapes, 2009)

18:56. The Woes – “The Secret” from Heaven Knows (self-released, 2009)

22:57. Drakkar Sauna – “How to Approach an Accident Victim” from Rover (Marriage, 2004)

26:20. Big Blood – “…Is All We Have” from Dark Country Magic (Don’t Trust the Ruin, 2010)

31:19. Peter Stampfel – “Oomalooma Messy Dessy” from Dook of the Beatniks (PFAM, 2009)

34:53. The Ebony Hillbillies – “Cream” [Prince cover] from 5 Miles from Town (EH Music, 2017)

Melbourne band HTRK’s output has undergone significant stylistic changes in the fifteen years since the 2007 major-label release of their debut Nostalgia with its self-descriptive opener “Hate Rock Trio” (much of which occurred in the wake of moving forward without bassist and drum programmer Sean Stewart, who died in 2010). By the band’s own description more than a decade on, the music they’re making now is “not as sad anymore because we’re not as sad.” But the minimal, nocturnal, smothering rock music of their first few records still stands as a great achievement in the long-running tradition. This mix collects material by other artists who dive to the depths of convention to create (conjure? summon?) apocalyptic heaviness. More doom and gloom than so-called “doom” itself. Rock ’n roll left out in the cold. It doesn’t want to be here. It’s angry that it has to be here. It hates you. Until it doesn’t.

HTRK live at Atonal Festival 2019 (Photo: Christoph Voy)

00:00. Ukiah Drags – “Intro” from In the Reaper’s Quarters (Wharf Cat, 2014)

02:19. The Dreebs – “I” / “Reese” from Forest of a Crew (Ramp Local, 2018)

06:24. HTRK – “Look at Her” from Nostalgia (Fire, 2007)

10:54. Raime – “Your Cast Will Tire” from Quarter Turns Over a Living Line (Blackest Ever Black, 2016)

16:01. Snowman – “She Is Turning Into You” from The Horse, the Rat and the Swan (Dot Dash, 2008)

21:34. IT IT – “The Garage Pt 2” from Living Doll (self-released, 2018)

24:17. YC-CY – “Stalker” from Every Time I Close My Eyes (X-Mist, 2021)

27:24. Moin – “Elsie” from split with Pete Swanson (Confessions, 2012)

31:14. Dive and Dissolve – “Assimilation” from Abomination (Dero Arcade, 2018)

34:55. HEALTH – “Perfect Skin” from HEALTH (Lovepump United, 2007)

Perhaps a spiritual sequel of sorts to the Inimitable Indie Introductories mix. I know most of you probably don’t come here for this sort of music, but for better or worse this is the stuff that’s getting me through the dark, frigid doldrums. Naïve lyrics, earworm anthem-choruses, brickwalled overproduction (almost all of these tracks have noticeable artifacting—part of the charm, if you ask me), and just, well, righteous. No idea if anyone other than me will get anything out of it, but when have I ever cared about that?

The Sheila Divine, the self-described “Buffalo Bills of music”

00:00. The Sheila Divine – “Kardashian Plastic” from The Things That Once Were (Zippah, 2012)

02:09. Wintersleep – “Jaws of Life” from Untitled (Dine Alone, 2005)

05:12. Foreignfox – “Exit Frame” from The Long Jump (self-released, 2021)

09:14. Vigo Thieves – “Forever” from Heartbeats (Hijacked, 2016)

13:31. Laivue – “Saattoväkeä” from Laivue (Ektro, 2010)

18:52. Then Thickens – “My Amsterdam” from Colic (Hatch, 2015)

24:48. Restorations – “The Red Door” from LP5000 (Tiny Engines, 2018)

28:23. Outsider – “Míol Mór Mara” from Karma of Youth (OK! Good, 2020)

32:08. Kodaline – “Ready” from Coming Up for Air (B-Unique, 2015)

36:00. Kings of Leon – “Waste a Moment” from Walls (RCA, 2016)

39:02. Casa Murilo – “Head for the Door” from The Rise and Fall (Sony, 2012)

42:51. Sleeperstar – “Everything Must Find Its Place” from Just Another Ghost (Duckpin, 2010)

Looking back at the mixes I’ve posted recently, I’ve been on a weird streak—which to be fair is probably what a lot of you come here for—so I was feeling like making something more generally palatable today. These are my favorite openers by my favorite indie bands, new and old(ish), big and small; you will probably recognize some of them, but hopefully not all. Keep on shouting.

Some of the transitions are kinda rough; my computer has been acting up and it died before I could smooth them over, and it wiped most of my work. Hope it’s not too jarring.

Shearwater performing “Animal Life” live on KEXP

00:00. Spice – “First Feeling” from Spice (Dais, 2020)

02:34. Tall Ships – “T=0” from Everything Touching (Big Scary Monsters, 2012)

06:13. Wray – “Blood Moon” from Wray (Communicating Vessels, 2014)

08:48. We Are Augustines – “Chapel Song” from Rise Ye Sunken Ships (Votiv, 2011)

12:03. Spaceman Spiff – “Vorwärts ist keine Richtung” from Endless Nichts (Grand Hotel Van Cleef, 2014)

15:40. Pela – “Latitudes” from All in Time (Brassland, 2005)

19:56. Shearwater – “Animal Life” from Animal Joy (Sub Pop, 2012)

23:31. Mexican Elvis – “He Spent Three Years Trying to Enter the Eurovision Song Contest” from John frum Alaska (Kyr, 2010)

27:02. Viet Cong – “Throw It Away” from untitled cassette (Jagjaguwar, 2013)

30:13. Protokoll – “Moving Forward” from Paradoxon (Illicit Recordings, 2006)

35:04. Frightened Rabbit – “Death Dream” from Painting of a Panic Attack (Atlantic, 2016)

39:07. Beaten Awake – “Browns Town” from Let’s Get Simplified (Fat Possum, 2007)

A collection of my favorite propulsive, driving motorik(ish) grooves. There’s more of a unifying vibe than that, but you’ll see what I mean. For the most part, the intensity ramps up as it progresses. Use it for a cleaning day or maybe a nice drive.

00:00. Broken Social Scene – “Pacific Theme” from We Forgot It in People (Arts & Crafts, 2002)

04:52. Caudal – “Well, I Suppose” from Fight Cry Fight (Katuktu Collective, 2018)

09:01. Salaryman – “The Companion” from Karoshi (City Slang, 1999)

12:54. Blue Man Group – “3 to 1” from Three (Rhino, 2016)

16:51. Public Service Broadcasting – “Spitfire” from Inform-Educate-Entertain (Test Card, 2013)

20:40. Maserati – “Synchronicity IV” [excerpt] from Inventions for the New Season (Temporary Residence, 2007)

24:35. Pell Mell – “Vegetable Kingdom” from Interstate (DGC, 1995)

30:34. Holy Fuck – “Silva & Grimes” from Latin (Young Turks, 2010)

35:42. Oneida – “The Adversary” from Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar, 2006)

The name and concept of this mix comes from a Bandcamp review of Pulgas’s self-titled LP by Ryan Sarno. This is the grittiest of soul music and its related genres, wafting up through dusty vents from dingy old basements, oozing out of cluttered bedroom studios, reverberating through your body until your bones shake.

00:00. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “American Guilt” from Sex & Food (Jagjaguwar, 2018)

04:21. AcidSlop – “Lament for the Sky” from Freedom to Talk (Mandarin Dreams, 2019)

08:14. Flanafi – “Gonna Spend the Rest of My Days in Here” from Flanafi (Boiled, 2020)

12:58. Clever Austin – “Blue Tongue (feat. Jon Bap)” from Pareidolia (Touching Bass, 2019)

16:07. Harco Pront – “Mercedes” from Jibberish (Music for Speakers, 2003)

16:59. Nick Hakim – “Crumpy” from Will This Make Me Good (ATO, 2020)

20:05. D’Angelo and The Vanguard – “Ain’t That Easy” from Black Messiah (RCA, 2014)

24:54. jitwam – “Alone” from ज़ितम सिहँ  (Cosmic Compositions, 2017)

27:38. Mo Kolours – “Curly Girly” from Mo Kolours (OHM, 2014)

28:51. Gonjasufi – “Change” from A Sufi and a Killer (Warp, 2010)

30:54. Pulgas – “Golden ShawT” from Pulgas (Boiled, 2017)

34:51. JD & The Evil’s Dynamite Band – “Heavy, Heavy…Heavy” from Explodes Across the Nation (Soul Fire, 2001)

38:57. Wool & The Pants – 10th untitled track from Wool & The Pants (self-released, 2017)

41:06. Raw Humps – “The Awakening” from Sugar Slave Babies (Mandarin Dreams, 2019)

Ever since the American cultural juggernaut that is country music first began to emerge, musicians have been flocking to the fringes of the typically simple, straightforward genre in attempts to discover innovative ways to subvert tradition while retaining its heart and soul. This mix documents my best attempt to chronicle these artists through the years, but even through extensive research this sort of thing is very difficult to find (thus, it’s a bit shorter than usual, but it’s also about the average length of a classic country LP so we’ll roll with it). Needless to say, this post is also a request for more examples!

00:00. Mohawk & The Rednecks – “Enchanted Forest” from God Less America compilation (Crypt, 1995)

02:16. The Holy Modal Rounders – “Soldier’s Joy” from Indian War Whoop (ESP, 1967)

04:43. Astroturf Noise – “Morning Zephyr Waltz” from Astroturf Noise (577, 2020)

08:45. Charlie Tweddle – second untitled track from Fantastic Greatest Hits (Companion reissue, 2004)

11:01. Eugene Chadbourne – “Devilish Mary” from The History of the Chadbournes: Honky-Tonk Im Nachtlokal (Leo, 2004)

14:28. Buck Young – “Hang Em Hiiiiiiii!!!” from Proud Trash Sound (No Rent, 2017)

18:36. Henry Flynt & Nova’Billy – “Sky Turned Red” from Henry Flynt & Nova’Billy (Locust, 2007)

21:57. Davenport – “Thou Shall Be Waking” from Free Country (Last Visible Dog, 2005)

28:00. Caroliner Rainbow Susans and Bruisins – “The Ballad of Hamdrags” from The Cooking Stove Beast (Nuf Sed, 1992)

The unfathomably fruitful post-punk era (circa 1977-1985) is a universal favorite period among music fans, and though we all have our different preferences, there’s one band upon whose importance and excellence everyone can agree: The Raincoats. At once accessibly simple and endlessly complex, The Raincoats drew from a wide range of inspirations to create a singular and iconic style. Even after just three amazing albums (and one slightly less lauded post-reunion LP), their legacy is enormous. Whether it’s their quirky charm, artful amateurishness, hypnotic percussion rhythms, ambiguous atmospheres, or anything in between, this is a collection of tracks by contemporary (post-2000) artists in whom I see a significant presence of The Raincoats’ influence. The eclecticism of this mix is a testament to how unusual and special the band to whom it pays tribute truly is.

00:00. Explode Into Colors – “Eyes Hands Mouth” from Quilts (Kill Rock Stars, 2011)

03:33. T.I.T.S. – “Rachel Rachel” from The Girls (self-released, 2011)

05:30. Palberta – “In My Fame – Jug!” from Roach Goin’ Down (Wharf Cat, 2018)

08:04. Old Time Relijun – “Mystery Language” from Witchcraft Rebellion (K, 2001)

11:49. Micachu & The Shapes – “Waste” from Never (Rough Trade, 2012)

13:37. The New Sound of Numbers – “You’ll Soon Be Singing” from Liberty Seeds (Cloud Recordings, 2006)

17:39. Grass Widow – “Rattled Call” from Grass Widow (Make a Mess, 2009)

19:54. Nüshu – “La vie est une fleur” from Sexe Étranger (self-released, 2019)

24:23. Still House Plants – “Long Pass” from Long Play (bison, 2018)

26:56. Children’s Hospital – “Words of the Prophet” from Alone Together (Sacred Bones, 2009)

30:00. Lithics – “Labor” from Borrowed Floors (Water Wing, 2016)

32:10. Fire Roast – “Folly or Fate” from Fire Roast (Single Girl Married Girl, 2020)

There’s not just an essential, but also an audible difference between an orchestrated, technical maelstrom and total improvisation. The former may sound chaotic or random but cannot match the complete, blissful freedom of the latter. The songs in this mix, however, lie somewhere on a spectrum between those two endpoints, tending towards spontaneous gesture without disregarding or eliminating the fragments of structure that still linger in the music. Some of them gradually fall back into a conventional meter, others remain formless and ease through fluid dynamic changes, and still others play rhythmic patterns so loosely that they often don’t appear to be rhythmic at all.

00:00. Dilute – end of “Apple” from Grape Blueprints Pour Spinach Olive Grape (54º40′ or Fight!, 2002)

02:14. Storm & Stress – “And Third and Youngest, Unnamed” from Under Thunder and Fluorescent Lights (Touch and Go, 2000)

07:22. Gorge Trio – “Roof Halves and Dewdrop Gems” from Open Mouth, O Wisp (Skin Graft, 2004)

10:41. Coptic Light – “Mix the Races” from Coptic Light (No Quarter, 2005)

18:27. Who’s Your Favorite Son, God? – “Tapestry Mouth” from Out of Body Diva (KDVS Recordings, 2006)

20:40. Sister Iodine – “Western Lei” from Helle (Textile, 2004)

23:57. Fading Tapes – “O-bon” from Radio Okinawa (Katuktu Collective, 2018)

29:09. Jackie-O Motherfucker – “Dark Falcon” from Ballads of the Revolution (Fire, 2009)

33:46. zOoOoOm – “Ablution” from Eight My Heart (Condor, 2004)