Slowcoustic

This mix grew out of a collection of vacation songs.  I wanted to put some tunes together for relaxing on the pier or around the fire.  Once I started finding songs I decided to make all of them vocal acoustic tunes and the rest just fell into place.  The whole mix is nice and slow and quiet.  And of course acoustic.

There are a few great covers here, like the Sarah Jarosz & Phosphorescent covers.  I was pleased to be able to finally use "Slumber My Darling" by Alison Krauss & Yo Yo Ma.  It's on my list of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.  

I used some all-time favorite artists in here - Avetts, Sufjan, Andrew Bird, Iron & Wine, Paul Simon.  Mostly this is a mix of older songs with some new-ish cuts.  There's not much else to say other than I really like this mix, and I can see listening to it for years to come.

Enjoy.

[ s t r e a m ]   [ d o w n l o a d ]   [ i t u n e s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00    J. Tillman - Under The Sun
• 04:20    The Avett Bros. - The Ballad of Love and Hate
• 09:34    Andrew Bird - Night Sky
• 13:28    Sarah Jarosz - Simple Twist of Fate(Dylan cover)
• 18:15    Iron & Wine - Tree by the River
• 21:39    Bob Dylan - Buckets of Rain
• 24:55    Calexico - When Bellows Crack
• 28:30    Alison Krauss & Yo Yo Ma - Slumber My Darling
• 33:10    Boy & Bear - Fall at Your Feet(Crowded House cover)
• 35:00    The Lumineers - This Must Be The Place(T Heads cover)
• 38:17    Paul Simon - Hearts & Bones
• 43:53    Bon Iver - For Emma
• 47:15    Reigning Sound - Once More
• 49:50    The Low Anthem - (Don't) Tremble
• 54:00    Phosphorescent - Ya Hey(Vampire Wknd cover)
• 59:40    Clem Snide - Find Love
• 01:02:14    Paul Simon - American Tune
• 01:05:55    Walter Martin - Sing to Me
• 01:08:53    Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You
• 01:11:33    Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail
• 01:14:10    J. Tillman - A Year in the Kingdom
• 01:16:43    Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia
• 01:21:38    Damien Rice - The Rat Within The Grain
• 01:24:24    Andrew Bird - Sovay
• 01:29:00   Calexico - Better and Better
• 01:31:17    The Avett Bros. - Famous Flower of Manhattan
• 01:35:09    end

Slowcoustic by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud

16 Life Changing Albums

I just posted this same long note to Facebook and thought it might interest a few folks here.  I friend that I've known since my college radio days, posted 16 albums that were influential in forming his musical identity and nominated me to do the same.  These aren't necessarily my favorite albums of all time(though some are).  Some introduced me to new sounds or artists.These recordings form a timeline of my musical evolution. 

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (1972)
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
Genesis - Wind & Wuthering (1976)
David Bowie - Low (1977)
Brian Eno - Before & After Science (1977)
Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer (1977)
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (1978)
Brian Eno - Music for Airports (1978)
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour (1978)
Peter Gabriel - 3 (1980)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
Bryne & Eno - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)
David Sylvian - Gone To Earth (1986)
Steve Roach - Dreamtime Return (1988)
Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (2007)



I was a high school freshman with mediocre music taste(Beatles, Elton John, Foghat), when my brother changed my life, musically.  In 1974 for my 14th birthday, he gave me 4 albums - David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Led Zepplin I, Rod Stewart - Every Picture tells a Story and Jethro Tull - Aqualung.  Bowie & Tull were very important in setting me on a path of musical discovery.

I remember listening to Pink Floyd on headphones, playing it on my parents giant RCA console stereo.  It blew me away & started a love affair with prog rock.  Speaking of prog, my entre to Genesis was "Wind & Wuthering" which is why it's on the list rather than "The Lamb."  I won the album from a local radio station & had no idea what the music was like. 20 or 30 albums later I guess I liked that first taste.

I didn't like Bowie's "Low" album when I first heard it.  But it grew on me & it was my introduction to Brian Eno.  I bought Eno's "Before & After Science" just because of his association with Bowie and that lead to a lifelong obsession with all things Eno.

I picked up the Tangerine Dream album because it was used in a William Friedkin film & I liked the Tubular Bell's cut he used in The Exorcist.  "Sorcerer" was probably my first all electronic album and played a big part in my love for synths.

Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians is probably one of the best albums ever recorded.  I was completely amazed when I heard it for the first time.  Totally different from anything I'd heard before.

Eno's "Music for Airports" is crucial to my musical development because of the role ambient has played in my musical life ever since this ground breaking album.

I put the Police album on the list not because it is an all time fav of mine.  It's there because of the way it changed my thinking.  At the time it was released I was heavy into prog rock & I knew very little of punk or new wave.  Then along comes this tight, catchy three piece and I started to realize that music could be more than 5 minute guitar solos.

PG - 3 was a sonic adventure due to Gabriel's use the Fairlight CMI sampling synth.  It is another album that just blew me away.

"Remain in Light," and "Bush of Ghosts" are important because of the different sonic worlds they exposed me to.  

David Sylvian - Gone to Earth is on the list cuz it's awesome.  Steve Roach - Dreamtime continued my love of ambient music & expanded it even further.

The only recent recording on the list is The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism.  Banjo!  Who knew I could love the banjo?!  It's also on the list because it represents a shift in my taste toward more "normal" music, essentially indie music, in recent years.  I still listen to the old stuff and I make ambient mixes, but much of my time is spent tracking down new stuff from artists like Andrew Bird, Alt-J, Deep Sea Diver, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, The Antlers, Strand of Oaks, Phantogram, etc.

If anybody cares to share their list, please do so.

halftribe September Ambient Mix

Back in July I featured a guest mix from halftribe.  It was an excellent mix & a nice break for me.  Well, Ryan Bissett(halftribe) has kindly offered another mix and I jumped at the chance to post it.

This mix is absolutely pure ambient bliss.  A beautiful collection perfect for any time of year or any time of day.  I've been listening to it at work and have used it as sleep material as well.  Give it a listen/download, I'm sure any ambient lover will enjoy this mix.

Also swing by Ryan's halftribe pages:

Halftribe Bandcamp

Halftribe Soundcloud

Halftribe Mixcloud


[ s t r e a m ]   [ d o w n l o a d ]   [ i t u n e s ]


 T R A C K L I S T :

• 00'00 Steiner - Happiness And The Longing For Repetition (Unfinished)
• 05'30 SandStars - Finally Night (Original mix)
• 12'07 Stabilo - Viridity
• 19'00 Brandon Hurtado - Merci Et Bonne Nuit
• 21'50 Massergy - Baptisia
• 27'48 Halftribe - Holy Ground
• 33'25 Rdei - Untitled
• 36'16 SandStars - Cold Voice (Original mix)
• 41'21 Masaya Ozaki - Alkaline Days
• 45'17 Halftribe - The Secret Garden
• 51'10 Gareth Dickson - Harmonics

 

Halftribe September Ambient Mix by Low Light Mixes on Mixcloud