Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
MIXTAPE SPECIAL
Today's Motherlode pays tribute to those magnanimous bloggers who, in addition to their constant ripping of tracks, scanning of album art and writing of nuggets, somehow find time to produce marvelous homemade mixes as well. Most prolific of all is the venerable Moos of Global Groove who's now dished out three dozen such collections. While Moos produces samplers as a way to highlight individual tracks from previously posted LPs, other hosts are merely taking pleasure, in the age-old analog mixtape tradition, at concocting high-, low-, and no-concept collections of tunes they're just dying for you to hear.
On display below is a collection of custom mixes I think you'll appreciate. If you do, please drop by the offering blogs and leave a kind word for all the extra effort.
Custom Mixes: Global Samplers, Volumes 33 | 34 | 35 | 36
(Blog: Global Groove)
[password = globalgroove]
Around the World in 36 Mixtapes
"With over 1100 posts, the Global Groove is becoming quite a reference book. Lots of styles from lots of countries are to be found here. To help you find your way through all those LPs...Global Samplers can be of help. They contain some personal favorites and highlights. Single tracks from selected LPs that were posted through time." (Description by Moos, from Sampler #33 )
[There are 36 amazing samplers available at Global Groove. Scroll through the archives and collecte them all!]
Custom Mix: Bride of the Holy*Ghost
(Blogs: Ghostcapital & Holy Warbles)
Blog Heaven
"Colloborative summer mixtape no. 2. The next round of ill goodness from the Ghostcapital and सølγ שаябlɛş camps. A groove-heavy 90 minutes of musical intensity. Keepin' things fresh for our peoples. As our selector styles seem to vibe so well, this could well become a quarterly effort. Do enjoy." (Description by Nicholab)
[One of several sublime collaborations between the proprietors of Ghostcapital and Holy Warbles.]
Custom Mix: Progressive Folk & Psych from Greece, 1968-1985
(Blog: FΗ)
Fuck Austerity, Let's Dance
"A peculiar retro-futuristic project in sound and image which references music of the past while retaining an identity of its own. FH re-contextualise traditional Greek folk sounds through excursions into the unknown akin to the German krautrock groups of the seventies." (Description of FH from the profile page for Fantastikoi Hxoi)
[There are two dozen mixes offered at FH. Scroll through them here.]
Custom Mix: Jungle Shadows
(Blog: Flash Strap)
The Shadow Knows
"On the one-year anniversary of the first Grzimek Safari mix (give or take some days), here's a new adventurous musical excursion for this savage new year, already so darkly under way. Deep grotto jazz, exotica soul, jungle pop, and anthems for amphibious cars. Perfect for the tape deck in your Safarimobile, or the upholstered mahogany stereo in your Explorer's Room." (Description by Flash Strap)
Custom Mix: Creeps in Service
(Blog: Creep Scanner)
Mission: Creep
"This has been sitting in cold storage for some time and seeing as how all of my links are now dead, I figure I might as well start fresh with this one. I do not claim to be some sort of mix master so rather than compiling all these choice for you sluts I opted to take a thematic approach. Theme #1: Creeps. Don't worry, there's no Radiohead here (way too obvious). Instead, I poached tracks about creeps, creepers, and people creeping. If I was a smarter man I'd make some nice cover art and doing it up proper but I'm a simpleton so instead you get some Victorian children. And children always seemed like little creeps anyways. Let me know if the mix goes down well. I already have ten or so made but if this one sucks I guess there wouldn't be much point of posting them." (Description by Jerry Orbach)
Custom Mix: Punk Islam
(Blog: Bodega Pop)
Hajj a Nice Day
"I haven't been so excited about music coming (mostly) out of the USA in a long, long time. The bands in this 14-song compilation share at least two things: they're punk and—whether practicing or lapsed, straight or queer, sober or stoned—Muslim. They're also writing some of the funniest, most outrageous and, without question, politically savviest lyrics in English (and Urdu and Punjabi) since The Clash. Musically, they're all over the map, drawing from '70s punk, '80s rap, ska, rock, bhangra, Bollywood, metal, noise, folk, disco, etc.—the sum total of which almost convinces me this might be the missing LP between London Calling and Sandinista! I put this compilation together after watching Omar Majeed's documentary, Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam, which I highly recommend. The moment the DVD ended, I started hunting around online for songs, the result of which, pared down to this blogger's personal favorites, you can now listen to yourself. Enjoy!" (Description by Gary)
Custom Mix: Joan Spins Again, Vol. 2
(Blog: Be Bop Wino)
[password = greaseyspoon]
Going to Sing Sing
"Joan K. brings us another selection of rare vocal group rhythm and blues in the second volume of her new series Joan Spins Again! Volume 2 is a fascinating mix of ballads, blues, and some of the wildest vocal group records I’ve ever heard. "Dynaflow," "Squeeze Me Baby," "Pretty Baby, Baby," "You Will Always Find Me True" and "Bop-Alena" in particular should all appeal to fans of rocking R&B. The Gazelles would give The Lamplighters a run for their money any day. It’s vocal group R&B just the way I like it with hoarse voiced tenor leads, down in the alley baritones, burbling bassmen and wailin’ backing from jump blues combos. More please, Joan!" (Description by Boogiewoody)
[Joan K. has been dropping rollicking R&B tracks at Be Bop Wino seemingly since before you were born. Dig her Volume 1 assemblage, too.]
Custom Mix: Far Away Places
(Blog: Musik-Kurier)
100% Authentic
Pity poor exotica, the musical territory eternally overrun by semi-adventurous thrill seekers "going native," and too-cool-for-school hipsters intent on digging the lameness. But once you stop trying to define exotica for what it isn't and just listen, you'll find many offerings in this realm lush, lovely and full of wonder.
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My personal favourite in the same vein:
Fairlights, Mallets and Bamboo- Fourth-world Japan, years 1980-1986
http://rootstrata.com/rootblog/?p=3706
Thanky!
Posted by: Daniel | March 18, 2012 at 03:34 PM
And another!
http://bedroompop.tumblr.com/post/15400385266/013-all-around-and-away-we-go-playlist
Soul, calypso, afrobeat, psych, palenque...
Posted by: Alexis | April 04, 2012 at 06:28 AM