Yamantaka Eye - Cassette Acid Garage Punk Mix

Who is Yamantaka Eye? Only one of the most accomplised and talented musicians of our generation, in any genre. Boredoms talisman, solo artist extraordinaire. Check this out.

One of the main reasons why I adore eYe so much, his knowledge and talent spans across so many genres, it's kind of mind boggling, and the coolest thing about him is he tries to interplay the best parts of a certain genre with another. Here is a good example of that, he uses his electronic music/jockeying skills to put together a selection of really obscure garage rock tracks from the 60's that most of you have likely never heard of before (I certainly hadn't). It's not as much a compilation as it is a mixtape, it feels like one long, glorious 60 minute garage rock track where everything flows into each other seamlessly. It's brilliant, give it a shot.

cassette acid garage punk mix

The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Mysterious, Toronto-based R&B project The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) dropped his debut mixtape, House of Balloons, earlier this week.

Late nights. Sleazy hookups. Drugs. Libido. Sound familiar? Well also featuring post punk samples and smoky, heady beats. I hope this is the shape of R&B to come. 


Free download from his website

Broadcast - HaHa Sound + Trish Keenan's Mind Bending Motorway Mix

On the 15th, I was greeted with some horrific news - Trish Keenan of Broadcast passed away at the age of 42 from pneumonia. I'd seen her live in 2009, it was an amazing, intimate show; and Broadcast's brand of outer space pop was as thrilling as ever. It almost seems like we'd taken Broadcast's music for granted, being an outsider band with a penchant for breaking genre boundaries and experimenting with sound. I can't believe we won't hear anything from them again. Here's their best album; HaHa Sound. 

HAHA Sound isn't funny. The rolling monster drums - combined with the BRRRREEEEPing primitive electronics and Trish Keenan's deadpan delivery - are reminiscent of 1920s horror movies. "Colour me in", "Man is not a bird", "Valerie", "Ominous Cloud" and "Lunch Hour Pops" are sweet, abused child-like songs (with monster drums, ok), while "Pendulum" and "Hawk" try to be a hypnogogic My Bloody Valentine on Mars. Recommended, and strangely accessible. Buy it.


Colour me in

Before her tragic, untimely passing, Ms. Keenan sent a friend an intriguing mixtape filled with wonderful music whose level of obscurity and beauty accurately reflects the wondrous vision which one could always find in Broadcast. This list is an attempt to find the pieces to the puzzle.


1) Emerald Web – “Flight of the Raven”
2) Harumi – “What a Day For Me”
3) Truck -- "Earth Song"
4) Mandy More – “If Not By Fire”
5) Tages – “You’re Too Incomprehensible”
6) Twice as Much – “The Spinning Wheel”
7) Tangerine Peel – “Trapped”
8) Twice as Much – “Playing with Fire”
9) Catharsis – “Masq”
10) Victor Jara – “El Aparecido”
11) Natty Bumpo – “Theme from the Valley of Dolls”
12) Koji Ueno – “Professor Parsec”
13) Fuat Saka – “Atladm Girdim Baa”
14) Unknown
15) The Vampires of Dartmoore – “Tanz der Vampire”
16) Rock Revival – “Venus 2038″
17) Mark Charron – “The Girls and the Boys”


Trish's Mind Bending Motorway Mix


Rest in Peace Trish. You will be sorely missed.