Erik's Best of 2012 Mixes I-IV (+)

Here we are again. This year's year-end mixes total 6 in all. Four of the mixes are official, one for each seasonal mood, and two are bonus mixes: one features odds and ends and the other is the rap addendum. All mixes can be downloaded here.


Official Mixes

Mix I (Spring): Conversations With Your Car Alarm

Conversations With Your Car Alarm from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Opossom - Getaway Tonight
02. The Maccabes - Pelican
03. Django Django - Default
04. Liars - Brats
05. Purity Ring - Fineshrine
06. Killer Mike - Go!
07. Death Grips - Hacker
08. El-P - Oh Hail No
09. Dirty Projectors - About to Die
10. King Krule - Rock Bottom
11. TEEN - Better
12. The Casket Girls - You Never Know

Mix II (Summer): Dead To The Scene

Dead To The Scene from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Campfires - They'll Seem Like Castles
02. Nude Beach - Cathedral Echoes
03. Royal Headache - Surprise
04. Whirr - Toss
05. Grass Widow - Disappearing Industries
06. Ty Segall & White Fence - Scissor People
07. Foxygen - Make It Known
08. Protomartyr - Bubba Helms
09. The Men - Ex-Dreams
10. Holograms - Fever

Mix III (Fall): Mistaking Clouds For Mountains

Mistaking Clouds For Mountains from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Andrew Bird - Danse Carribe
02. Sonny & The Sunsets - I See The Void
03. Beachwood Sparks - Earl Jean
04. Ryan Stively - We Forget Everything
05. The Tallest Man On Earth - Leading Me Now
06. Craig Finn - Balcony
07. Julie Doiron - Our Love
08. Calexico - Fortune Teller
09. Parquet Courts - N Dakota
10. Mac DeMarco - Freaking Out The Neighborhood
11. Chris Cohen - Rollercoaster Rider
12. Grizzly Bear - A Simple Answer

Mix IV (Winter): Dusky Diamonds Shining

Dusky Diamonds Shining from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Damien Jurado - Working Titles
02. Beach House - On The Sea
03. Divine Fits - Shivers
04. Cat Power - Manhattan
05. The Babies - Alligator
06. Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
07. White Fence - A Hermes Blues
08. Hospitality - All Day Today
09. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
10. Woods - It Ain't Easy
11. Lambchop - Never My Love
12. Perfume Genius - Take Me Home

Bonus Mixes

Mix V (Outliers, Odds & Ends): Everybody Should Be Touching The Sky

Everybody Should Be Touching The Sky from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Father John Misty - Only Son Of The Ladies Man
02. Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots A UFO
03. King Tuff - Anthem
04. Japandroids - Continuous Thunder
05. Spiritualized - Hey Jane
06. Melody's Echo Chamber - Some Time Alone, Alone
07. Frank Ocean - Thinkin' Bout You
08. White Rabbits - I Had It Coming
09. Mind Spiders - On The Radio
10. Shearwater - Immaculate
11. Nada Surf - Looking Through
12. The Walkmen - Song For Leigh
13. Jens Lekman - The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love

Mix VI (2012 Rap Addendum): That's A Cool Accomplishment

That's A Cool Accomplishment from ErikFHelin on 8tracks Radio.

Track List
01. Big K.R.I.T. - 4EvaNaDay (Theme)
02. Action Bronson & Alchemist - Randy The Musical
03. Theophilus London & A$AP Rocky - Big Spender
04. Chief Keef - I Don't Like (feat. Lil Reese)
05. Death Grips - I've Seen Footage
06. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
07. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid
08. Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty
09. El-P - The Full Retard
10. Captain Murphy - The Ritual
11. Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)

Make the Wind Blow

Ahoy. Just posted a new mix on 8tracks.

Tracklist

1. Sleigh Bells - Kids - they didn't have music like this when I was growing up. Good thing too, because if I heard this song on a sunny Tuesday morning in May on my way to school, I would not be attending classes that day.

2. Broken Social Scene - Texico Bitches - while I miss David Newfield's production on their new album, this song's got great bounce and pep - and a sentimental similarity to The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth, which practically defined my spring of 2005.

3. Ganglians - My House - this is the first Ganglians song I've heard - not sure how they've eluded me for so long. Another great Woodsist band - I should have seen it coming. This record doesn't come out until fall, but I'm ready for it now.

4. Lissvik - 23 - heard this on a GvsB radio show mix - not much to it, but it works well as an end to Side A.

5. Beach Fossils - Youth - this one reminds me of the summer of '09 - remember way back then? Curious to see if the beach/summer/fun/surfing thing will carry over to '10. I don't think I will complain if it does... 

6. Dum Dum Girls - Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout - this song didn't really grab me until the second chorus - you'll know it when you hear it. I keep forgetting to pick this record up because I confuse them with Vivian Girls...blah.

7. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill - pure sugar. I like it.

8. Jamie Long - Aquarium - I dislike the first 15 seconds of this song, but the rest is great and reminds me of early Radio Dept.

Download all (yes, all!) 8 tracks here. 

Bonus thought: after three solid listens, The New Pornographers' Together isn't really doing much for me, especially Bejar's songs. Kind of a let down, and I wonder if they'll ever reach the heights of Mass Romantic and Electric Version again. I am betting against them. What do you think?

Take It Shorter, Now

Ahoy. Just posted a new mix on 8tracks.

Tracklist

1. Papas Fritas - We've Got All Night - this song was shuffled to me during my drive to the office on Friday morning, and it put me in a great mood. This is one of the most underrated bands of the 90's.

2. Twin Sister - All Around and Away We Go - ...and this song came on immediately after We've Got All Night - sometimes these mixes just make themselves...

3. Smoking Popes - Before I'm Gone - this song popped in my head on Friday morning as well. This is the definition of power pop.

4. Harlem - Faces - I am going to see these guys (and Jaill) play at Mad Planet tomorrow night. Their newest album, Hippies, has been on heavy rotation this spring.

5. T. Rex - Ride a White Swan - and my T. Rex obsession continues. I can't believe how much Devendra Banhart "borrowed" from Marc Bolan's vocal delivery...

6. The Bangles - September Gurls - Big Star's (original) version of this song was on the playlist last night, and my friend Colleen asked me if it was a Bangles song, which I laughed at. Less than a minute later, we were listening to the Bangles' version (thanks Rhapsody!), and you know what? - it's pretty darned great!

7. Dum Dum Girls - Pay For Me - I found this song yesterday - such an awesome drum part.

8. Tripping Daisy - One Through Four - this is from their self-titled swan song that they released after Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (which is in my top ten albums of all time). I haven't been able to get into the whole album yet, but I think this is the month.