Quiet Indie Songs #2 - Spring 2021

At the end of 2020 I posted a mix called "Quiet Indie Songs" and it did a lot better than I expected. A few folks thought it should be a recurring series and I agreed. So here you have installment #2 - "Quiet Indie Songs #2 - Spring 2021."  

I'm sneaking this in under the wire as it's barely spring anymore. Most of the songs are from 2021, with 4 of them from 2020. There are some old favorites in there, like Damien Jurado & Phoebe Bridgers. And also a lot of new to me artists like Arooj Aftab, Becca Mancari & Mt Went.

I'm always open for suggestions for new indie artists to use for this series so let me know in the comments if you have some ideas.

Cheers!

[ 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    Vagabon & Courtney Barnett - Reason to Believe (2021)
• 02:25    Damien Jurado - Helena (2021)
• 05:05    Helado Negro - Sound & Vision(Bowie cover) (2021)
• 08:16    Damielle Durack - There Goes My Heart (No Place 2021)
• 12:46    Bryce Dessner - Another World(String Arrangement  (Impermanence/Disintegration 2021)
• 16:31    Arooj Aftab - Saans Lo (Vulture Prince 2021)
• 20:22    Jack Symes - Overwhelming (Tompkins Park 2021)
• 25:08    Phoebe Bridgers - Halloween (Punisher 2020)
• 29:20    Piers Faccini - Together Forever Everywhere (Shapes of the Fall 2021)
• 33:27    Mt Went - Light in the Dark (Lit Way Down 2021)
• 38:20    Dawes - St. Augustine At Night (Good Luck With Whatever 2020)
• 43:23    Laura Marling - For You (Song For Our Daughter 2020)
• 47:14    Alexia Avina - Inner Garden (Unearth 2020)
• 50:31    Gia Margaret - Solid Heart (2021)
• 54:08    Waxahatchee - Streets of Philadelphia(Springsteen cover) (2021)
• 58:03    Skullcrusher - Song for Nick Drake (Sorm in Summer 2021)
• 60:47    Becca Mancari - Annie (Juniata 2021)
• 65:23    end

Lighting Out for the Territories

This mix came about because I wanted to find a vehicle for some of the great music coming out of Lost Tribe Sound and their Fearful Void series. The bundle of releases includes 15 albums to be released between June 2020 and June 2021. You can find more info here...

https://losttribesound.bandcamp.com/album/fearful-void-series

Like the website says Lost Tribe Sound "specializes in organic and exploratory music that transcends genre, technique, or trend." The music in this new series is both grounded and otherworldly. I wanted to take that mostly acoustic, organic sound and spread it throughout this mix. There are a lot of wind instruments in this set. I find myself more and more drawn to sound and texture of sax, alto clarinet, oboe, trombone, etc. and this mix presented a great way to include some of that music.

The title doesn't really mean anything, I just like the sound of it. It's the title of a Laurie Anderson track on a live album from the 80s. I have it on a list of mix titles I keep in a google doc that I use for ideas and inspiration.

Cheers!

[ 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    Vieo Abiungo - A Cold Calculus (At Once, There Was No Horizon 2020)

06:27    Iñigo Ugarteburu - Tomodachi (For The Unknown 2013)

11:35    Esmerine - Sweet Surrender Be True (If Only A Sweet Surrender To The Nights To Come Be True 2003)

16:16    Seabuckthorn - Clears (Through A Vulnerable Occur 2020)

19:19    William Ryan Fritch - What's Left Unfilched (The Letdown 2020)

21:12    Mette Henriette - in circles (Mette Henriette 2015)

24:30    Clariloops - Part 1 (Mindful Movement 2020)

30:30    Claire Deak & Tony Dupé - the rain (the old capital 2020)

33:55    Michel Banabila & Joshua Samson - Unfinished Business (To Yemen With Love 2020)

38:15    Microwolf - Mara Instrumental (My Cauliflower Ears Instrumentals 2020)

43:53    Laurence Pike - Prophecy (Prophecy 2020)

47:49    Claire Deak & Tony Dupé - from a rooftop (the old capital 2020)

52:18    Spheruleus - Hollow Bloom (Home Diaries 006 2020)

54:54    Wodwo - Karenia (Chematica 2020)

56:11    Brambles - Pink & Golden Billows (Charcoal 2012)

58:30    William Ryan Fritch - Devi's Last Deal (Album: TBA)

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

psalms & lullabies

A friend of mine made an excellent Spotify playlist called "Atmospheric Songs for Travelers" which had some great music from John Martyn, Nick Drake, Wilco & more.(I saved it as my own playlist which is why name is on it if you click the link.)

Listening to that collection made me want put together my own mix of vocal music.  I don't do vocal mixes very often but I thought it'd be nice to do one now, while all that music is swimming around in my head.

The songs are very laid back.  Most are acoustic.  Some new music(Antlers, Bon Iver, Horse Thieves) and some old stuff(John Martyn, Loudon Wainwright, Cat Stevens).

Somehow the mix ended up with 3 covers in it -  Iron & Wine - Love Vigilantes(New Order Cover),   Josh Rouse - Straight to Hell(Clash cover) and Radiohead - Wish You Were Here(Pink Floyd cover).  All brilliant covers.

I have some leftover vocal tunes that might make it into a new mix fairly soon.  Then it'll be back to good 'ol low light ambient.  For now, enjoy this vocal detour.

[ 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    Bon Iver - Flume(daytrotter session)
• 03:25    The Horse Thieves - (I was) Crazy (About You)
• 07:55    J. Tillman - Earthly Bodies
• 12:00    Josh Rouse - Straight to Hell(Clash cover)
• 16:35    Cat Stevens - The Wind
• 18:07    Damien Juardo - Beacon Hill
• 21:05    Johm Martyn - Let the Good Things Come
• 23:55    Radiohead - Wish You Were Here(Pink Floyd cover)
• 30:50    The XX - Stars
• 34:55    The Antlers - Corsicana
• 38:15    Bon Iver - Wash.
• 42:45    David Sylvian - September
• 43:55    Loudon Wainwright III - Lullaby
• 46:45    Iron & Wine - Love Vigilantes(New Order Cover)
• 49:50    Alexi Murdoch - All My Days
• 54:35    Red House Painters - Song for a Blue Guitar
• 1:00:20    end

Psalms & lullabies by Lowlight on Mixcloud

Sydney's Summer Mix

This month's mix is a departure from the usual ambient soundscapes. The new download comes to us from my 15 year old daughter, Sydney. She made this mix for our family vacation at a small cottage in northern Wisconsin.

She didn't just pick the tunes, she did the mix herself using Acoustica MP3 mixer. I think she did an excellent job. I know she kept obsessing about whether segues were just right.

The music is fairly acoustic in nature. Some artists, like The Fray, are fairly typical for a 15 yr old. But some, like Kings of Convenience & The Decemberists, are a bit more unexpected. I'm just glad her music taste doesn't run to 50 cent, High School Musical or Toby Keith.

I hope you enjoy it.

Download Syd's Summer Mix by clicking here. (you'll be re-directed to Podbean.com for download)

T R A C K L I S T :

00:00 - 02:18 Ben Gibbard - Carolina

02:18 - 07:22 Colin James Hay - I don't think I'll ever get over you

07:22 - 11:15 Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly

11:15 - 14:57 The Shins - New Slang

14:53 - 18:00 Kings of Convenience - Toxic Girl

18:00 - 22:41 The Decemberists - 16 Military Wives

22:41 - 26:28 Plain White Tee's - Hey There Delilah

26:27 - 29:19 Feist - 1-2-3-1-2-3-4

29:19 - 32:02 Rocky Votolato - Portland is Leaving

31:55 - 34:46 Death Cab for Cutie - Death of an Interior Decorator

34:39 - 37:12 Fountains of Wayne - Hey Julie

37:12 - 39:25 The Beatles - Blackbird

39:25 - 40:22 Fountains of Wayne - Yours and Mine

40:19 - 44:12 The Fray - Over My Head

44:08 - 47:27 Corine Baley Ray - Trouble Sleeping

47:26 - 50:35 The Shins - Kissing the Lipless

50:33 - 56:34 Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

56:28 - 00:37 Death Cab for Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan

00:33 - 04:57 The Fray - How to Save a Life