DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE APRIL 2009 MIX HERE
Whoa. The hydrant was on full blast this month. I don’t even want to tell you how much new music hit my iPod this month. Nearly 2/3 ended up in the trash bin, but it took a while to get through it all and make sure nothing slipped through the cracks. But that’s what happens when you’ve got a ton of good stuff dropping in one month.
- MF Doom – Born Like This: Yeah, I’m still pissed I paid to see one of the Doomposters lip-sync in San Francisco a couple summers ago. But dammit if the Super Villain doesn’t make some good music.
- Handsome Furs – Face Control: Made me realize that the things that bothered me from the last Wolf Parade album were largely Spencer Krug-related.
- Obits – I Blame You: A great album for driving or for drinking domestic beer in a can (but not at the same time).
- Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Poppier than the stuff I normally listen to, but definite crowd pleaser.
- The Soft Pack – The Muslims EP: Two months in a row that they’ve featured on a monthly mix. I think I like these guys.
- The Thermals – Now We Can See: A semi-poppy, semi-punk, semi-concept album. I swear, it’s way better than it sounds on paper.
- White Rabbits – It’s Frightening: It’s no Fort Nightly, but still damn good.
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!: I need to listen to this one more, but I think I’m liking it.
- Bobby Creekwater – The B.C. Era: Looking at the name and the crappy album cover, I figured Bobby Creekwater was a budget version of Bubba Sparxxx. I was wrong.
As always, let me know if there was something I missed.
1) Blame One (ft. Sean Price) – Disturbed
Blame One is servicable-enough, but you know I put this up for Sean Price: “Listen, flow’s phenomenal, off the chain / but really (b!tch n!&&a) take off your chain / I ain’t jokin’ around, totin’ the pound”
2) MF Doom – Gazzillion Ear
“In any event it’s fake like wrestlin’ / Get em like Jake The Snake on mescalines / Ahem, elixir for the dry throat / Tried to hit the high note, Villain since a itsy bitsy zygote”
3) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
Part of me says that this song is way over-the-top and cheesy. But another part of me says it’s pretty awesome.
4) Phoenix – 1901
Part of me says that this song is way over-the-top and cheesy. But another part of me says it’s pretty awesome.
5) Slim Thug (ft. Paul Wall) – Top Drop
A perfect song for those first hot days in April when you realize that winter is gone for good, and summer is just around the corner.
6) Young Dro – Dro Rock Diamonds
The Biggie sample…the Al Green organs. Yeah, this works for me.
7) Big Tuck (ft. Gucci Mane) – Not a Stain On Me
My April theme song. Big Tuck almost ruins this monster of a beat by sounding like a broken record. Luckily Gucci comes in to save the day.
8) Bobby Creekwater – Clouds
Yet another talented rapper stuck in the Aftermath no-release purgatory (see also: Bishop Lamont)
9) Slim Thug (ft. UGK) – Leaning
My favorite UGK song wasn’t even on the (mildly disappointing) UGK album.
10) Young Dro – Clean With It
If Dro keeps up this high standards for the beats he rhymes over, his next one could be a classic. Say what you want about some of these Southern rappers, Dro can rap his ass off when he chooses.
11) Drake (ft. Bun B & Lil’ Wayne) – Uptown
I mostly hated So Far Gone. But this one works for me.
12) James Brown – Goodbye My Love
I’m working on beefing up my JB. Overlooked fact: his ballads kill harder than his faster funkier stuff.
13) UGK – 7th Street (Interlude)
Thankfully, UGK avoided the obvious “dead homie” tracks on UGK 4 Life. Listening to Sweet Jones talk his sh!t over this mournful track was as close as they got.
14) White Rabbits – Percussion Gun
These guys are two-for-two when it comes to having kick-ass opening songs on their albums.
15) Obits – Light Sweet Crude
I guess I’m becoming a sucker for songs about oil (see also, “Black Gold” from February 2009)
16) The Soft Pack – Call It a Day (Acoustic)
I dig the acoustic over the electric version on their album. There’s something nice about a guy challenging “all you liars” and “all you killers” to call it a day when that guy is backed by some sunny-sounding acoustic guitars.
17) The Morning Benders – Nothin’ In This World Can Stop Me Worryin’ Bout That Girl
I’ll admit it. About 90% of why I love this Kinks song is because Rushmore is one of my all-time favorite movies.
18) The Forms – Red Gun
This song’s pretty understated, but for some reason really stuck with me this month.
19) The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song
This song is played incessantly on XMU. I don’t know if I like this song because it’s good, or because it was beaten into my head.
20) Handsome Furs – Radio Kaliningrad
I feel like Kaliningrad is probably too cold for them to be wearing what they’re wearing here.
21) The Thermals – How We Fade
Best-ever song about being a ghost?
