Every year since I started writing reviews, I have heard at least one fellow critic say words to the effect of "this has been a slow year for [insert genre] or music in general." Well, from where I'm sitting, music looks like it's doing pretty damn good for itself. Independent music is rife with exuberant brilliance waiting to be discovered and appreciated, regardless of its surrounding hype or lack thereof. If you think music's offerings have been feeble lately, you need to branch out and listen to more of it. Take a chance on something you may know little or nothing about. Granted, it's an often underwhelming process, but every so often, you will find one album that will unquestionably make it all worth the effort. These mixes are the result of my journey through sound, and I hope they inspire you to tread different paths of your own. This is the most exciting and dynamic time we could ever hope to be alive.
01. Longwalkshortdock - "Born At Night" (Casual Tea)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Self-Released - Longwalkshortdock
02. The Lava Children - "Particles" (The Lava Children EP)
- Start time: 6:33; Links: Graveface - The Lava Children
03. Battlehooch - "Take The L Train" (Piecechow)
- Start time: 10:17; Links: Terrorbird - Battlehooch
04. The Gaslamp Killer - "Anything Worse" (My Troubled Mind)
- Start time: 13:39; Links: Alpha Pup - The Gaslamp Killer
05. Damian Lazarus - "Come And Play" (Smoke The Monster Out)
- Start time: 17:53; Links: Get Physical - Damian Lazarus
06. DJ Food - "Tricky Little Ears (The Cheech Wizard Pays Respect To All Living Creatures Who Inhabit Dark Places)" (One Man's Weird Is Another Man's World EP)
- Start time: 21:43; Links: Ninja Tune - DJ Food
07. Ochre - "Napolese" (Like Dust Of The Balance)
- Start time: 28:50; Links: Benbecula - Ochre
08. Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra - "Radioactive People" (Takes Off!)
- Start time: 34:17; Links: Alien Transistor - Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra
09. Speech Debelle - "Bad Boy" (Speech Therapy)
- Start time: 41:20; Links: Big Dada - Speech Debelle
10. Throw Me The Statue - "The Outer Folds" (Creaturesque)
- Start time: 45:36; Links: Secretly Canadian - Throw Me The Statue
