T.G.I.MIXTAPE: VOLUME 21

Happy Third of July everyone! We hope you are all enjoying your day off and are preparing for a celebration of great proportions for Independence Day. May your tables be full and your fireworks bright. For the occasion we have yet another mixtape for you. This is the 21st in the series and let me tell you it is a doozy. We've got brand new songs from Mew, Noah and the Whale, Bibio and much more. Again you must listen to this one all the way through because the last song is really something special. Until next week! -Greg Lozoff

1. Mew - "Repeaterbeater"


To start off this week we have some brand new Mew. We got our first taste of their new album No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry They Washed Away. No More Stories, The World Is Grey. I'm Tired, Let's Wash Away (quite a mouthful) a few weeks ago when the band put up the song "Introducing Palace Players" on their myspace page. They have just released the album's second single, entitled "Repeaterbeater" and this one may be even better than the first. The album hits stores in the US on August 25th so watch out for it.

2. Benjamin E. Morsberger - "Don't Forget To Regret"


A name that is beginning to pop-up here and there around the internet and music blogs is that of Brooklynite Benjamin E. Morsberger. And the impressive thing is that he only has one EP of music available. Nevertheless, Morsberger puts all the energy he can muster into every instrument he plays, to create beautiful things like this song. Here's another one of those great young artists to keep an eye out for.

3. Roxy Rawson - "Riddle It"


Roxy Rawson kind of sounds like a British version of Regina Spektor. There is however, one notable difference between the two. Instead of keys, the instrument that Rawson feels most at home with is the violin. Other than this fundamental difference the two have much in common. Like Spektor, Rawson really knows how to belt it out, and it would be a close contest in deciding who has the quirkiest lyrics and song structure. "Riddle It" is the first song on her debut EP, entitled Changing Things. Highly reccomended.

4. Cryptacize - "Mythomania"


Here's a sunny track from Sufjan Stevens label mates Cryptacize. The track can be found on their latest release, entitled Mythomania, the follow-up to their excellent 2007 release, Dig That Treasure. Don't you just wish some of the other Asthmatic Kitty artists could be as productive as Cryptacize? (ahem Suf).

5. Bibio - "Jealous of Roses"


Folktronica artist Bibio has just released a brand new album of experimental genre mashing called Ambivalence Avenue. On this one Bibio incorporates funk and hip-hop beats along with the glitchy electronica and acoustic folk that he is famous for. He has really come a long way from the time he released his first album Fi to this, his most complete and listenable album to date.

6. Esser - "I Love You"


This is just a fun song by London, England's Esser. His sound is reminiscent of The Streets and Hot Chip and it won't be long before his popularity in the UK spreads across the pond to here in North America. His performance at this year's Lollapalooza should speed things along quite nicely.

7. Choir of Young Believers - "Hollow Talk"


Here's the haunting lead track from Danish band, The Choir of Young Believers'latest album, This Is For The White In Your Eyes. There is such a variety of good music coming out of Denmark these days, and we can only be thankful that is reaching North American ears.

8. The Phenomenal Handclap Band - "15 To 20"


This song by The Phenomenal Handclap Band just has to be destined for one of those commercials that are only great because of the song. We could only hope that it won't get as much airtime as that Apple/CSS ad did, because we'd hate to get sick of this dancy little number.
http://www.myspace.com/phenomenalhandclap

9. Noah and the Whale - "The First Days of Spring"


London, England's Noah and the Whale have a new album in the works. While the title of this song would suggest that the new material will be more of the same sunny summer pop tunes that we have grown to love, this is actually not the case. The song shows a much more serious side to the band, with a slower pace and no sing-a-long chorus. This isn't to say that it's a bad song. The song is actually quite beautiful, with some of the most interesting orchestration we have heard from them. There is just a more sombre feeling that may take some getting used to, but could be a welcome change.

10. Jeff Buckley - "We All Fall In Love Sometimes"


Jeff Buckley's story is a sad one. Yet another extremely talented person dying way too young. It is therefore not surprising that they would choose a song by Buckley in the ending of the apparently devastatingly sad new movie My Sister's Keeper. The song is actually an Elton John cover, and as he did with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", he definitely does the song justice.