The Monday Mixtape - A Musical Recap of My November

Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays...
Do to life, work and the holiday, November came and went without a single post. While it's a bummer the site wasn't updated in the interim, I was still listening to all kind of tunes. Even though I didn't write about them, here are ten songs I couldn't get enough of last month...

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Gorillaz - Doncamatic (feat. Daley)
Holiday Shores - Spells
Grimes - Oblivion
Ty Segall - Standing at the Station
ASAP Rocky - Bass
Coasting - Portland
Wale - Slight Work (feat. Big Sean)
Galapagos - Feel Things Inside
Turf War - Bones
Major Lazer - Original Don

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MP3s: Survive the Heat, Listen to The Drums

Though I've been in Detroit for the past week, I've utterly failed in escaping that New York heat--it feels like 100° out and my brain is fried. That being said, listening to The Drums poolside makes for a pretty efficient cool-down, so I've been spinning these Brooklyn dudes all day.

The indie-pop act released a new single a few days ago and "Money" finds them reveling in their The Strokes-by-way-of-Morrissey schtick, which makes it just as solid as anything else on their debut LP from last year. Now go do a cannonball.

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The Drums - Money
&
The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
The Drums - I Need Fun in My Life

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First Rate People - "Someone Else Can Make a Work of Art"

Here's the latest single from Toronto's First Rate People. I've been blogging these guys since the beginning and while "Someone Else Can Make a Work of Art" isn't as strong as "Funny Games," the track's perfect for putting on a mixtape for a lady you like.

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First Rate People - Someone Else Can Make a Work of Art
First Rate People - Funny Games

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MP3: Holiday Shores' "Spells" Sounds Like Summer

The debut LP from Florida's Holiday Shores doesn't drop 'til September, but the record's first single, "Spells," is all kinds of summer-night goodness. Reminds me of Neon Indian-meets-The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Put this one on next time you take your baby to the boardwalk.

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Holiday Shores - Spells

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MP3: A New First Rate People Song In, Like, Forever

It's been a little under a year since I last blogged about First Rate People, the ambiguous indie-pop outfit out of Toronto.

From what I glean from their Bandcamp, the band's now short a few members and abandoned their New Wave sound for Burial-inspired samplings. No worries though, they're still as infectious as ever--I've listened to "Funny Games" over two dozen times now...

It's officially summer jam season, right? Because this definitely makes the playlist.

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First Rate People - Funny Games

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Yeasayer's Record Store Day Tracks Aren't Half Bad

Yeasayer was one of many bands to release "new" music on Record Store Day, dropping two unreleased cuts from their Odd Blood recording sessions.

Despite lackluster critical praise, I was a fan of that LP's retro-avant pop (anyone who has been around me when "Ambling Alp" plays can attest to this), so it's nice to hear the band return to that well, albeit briefly, one more time.

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Yeasayer - Swallowing the Decibels
Yeasayer - Phoenix Wind

And for good measure, why not...

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

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Why Aren't You Listening to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Already?

Back when I threw together my Top EPs of 2010, there was no question Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s Horse Power would make the list--baroque electro-pop out of Detroit? Count me in.

The duo's got a full-length due out in June, so until then we're left only with the four-track EP, miscellaneous remixes--like their re-work of Junip's folky "In Every Direction"--and their latest single, "Morning Thought." Keep up the good work, bros.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Vocal Chords

Junip - In Every Direction (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Remix)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Morning Thought

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Purity Ring Drops the B-Side to Their Upcoming 7"

Back in February, I posted Purity Ring's "Ungirthed." The track, which sounded like Burial at the mall, came out of left field--the unknown band dropped it on their unknown Tumblr. Well, "Ungirthed" will finally see a vinyl release next week and it officially has a b-side: "Lofticries."

Good to hear more Purity Ring, good to hear more dubstep/pop genre clashing.

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Purity Ring - Lofticries

Purity Ring - Ungirthed

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RAC Remix Surfer Blood, Put on Yr Sunglasses Bros

This new RAC remix of Surfer Blood's "Take It Easy" is the just what the doctor ordered, the indie-pop remix doctor that is! LOLZ.

But in all seriousness, the remix is pretty solid. And its release coincides nicely with all the sunshine New York's getting hit with today. I'm not sure if it holds up compared to the Blue Album vibes of the original, but it adds enough beats, bells, and whistles to make it on a playlist or two.

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Surfer Blood - Take It Easy (RAC Maury Mix)

Surfer Blood - Take It Easy

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You Must Download Purity Ring's "Ungirthed"

When I threw the excellent new Purity Ring jam into yesterday's Valentine's Day mix, I realized I never blogged the track on it's own.

So, anyone who heard and dug "Ungirthed" can now grab it below. If you haven't experienced the pop-by-way-of-dubstep stylings, it's a must hear.

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Purity Ring - Ungirthed

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California Dreamin' With Celestial Shore's California Eden

"Recorded mostly on a couch in West Hollywood and sometimes in a carpeted room in South Los Angeles," so says Celestial Shore's Bandcamp page.

The SoCal band's debut EP, California Eden, shows off those beachy roots in a marraige of post-punk and Beach Boys that would make Mike Love blush.

Check out highlight "Pals" down below + grab the whole harmonic EP by clicking here.

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Celestial Shore - Pals

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Tennis Release New Song (Well, Not Really)

Back in September, Citizen Insane darlings Tennis played a Daytrotter session. I blogged the four tracks, including newcomer "Take Me Somewhere." Like every other pop gem in the band's small bag of tricks, it's charming and great and infectious and yeah, good.

Well, the band has thier first official LP due out in January (that's the Lisa Hartman referencing album art above) and "Take Me Somewhere" has become the record's first single. Snatch up it and the rest of the band's catalogue down there.

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Take Me Somewhere - Tennis

Previous (Awesome) MP3s...

Marathon - Tennis
Baltimore - Tennis
South Carolina - Tennis
Cape Dorey - Tennis
Sea Farer - Tennis

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Smiths Westerns Drop "Weekend," Still Love T. Rex

Despite a few negative things I've heard about the guys personally and their... mediocre live performance at this year's Pitchfork festival, I'm firmly in the "Smith Westerns are great" camp. This is well documented.

The Chicago trio has a new record coming out in January and "Weekend" is the first glam-jam we're hearing off the new LP. Sadly, the guys have upped their production quality, so that lo-fi charm of their debut is dissipated, but the T. Rex guitar hooks and pop charms are still there so, very nice.

Grab "Weekend" and a few solid, older tracks right now...

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Weekend - Smith Westerns

Gimme Some Time - Smith Westerns

Girl in Love - Smith Westerns

Be My Girl - Smith Westerns

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Girls Wanna Follow-Up Debut Album With New EP

After releasing Album, their cleverly titled, totally radical, must-hear, debut album last year, San Fran's Girls are dropping Broken Dreams Club, a new EP out this November.

"Heartbreaker" is the first we're hearing off the upcoming six-song effort. It's the kind of easy-going indie-pop that Girls do right. Grab it and some other tracks down below.

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Heartbreaker - Girls

Lust for Life - Girls

Laura - Girls

Life in San Francisco - Girls

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Cults Play Daytrotter Session, Still Sound Pretty Cool

For those with fingers far removed from the pulse, Cults are a hip Brooklyn duo who released a 7" a couple months back and have since set the blogosphere on fire with their vintage-pop gems.

Just like Tennis, the couple recently traveled to Daytrotter to record live takes of their tiny catalogue -- they played three of their four songs. And yes, the "new" tracks are worth a download; The tunes sound more fleshed out and full than their recorded counterparts.

You can grab the three tracks off their debut single (and "Oh My God" from the Adult Swim Single Project) down below.

Wanna hear the tunes played live? Grab the Daytrotter session by clicking here.

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Oh My God - Cults

Go Outside - Cults

Most Wanted - Cults

The Curse - Cults

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Tennis Play New Jams in Recent Daytrotter Session

Anyone who browsed this blog over the summer probably remembers Tennis, the husband and wife beach-pop duo out of Denver. I got to see the band live a couple weeks back and I've been clamouring for some new tunes ever since -- their two 7" singles just aren't enough.

Thankfully, the band heard my prayers and played two news tracks (and two "oldies") during their trip to Daytrotter's studios. If you're already a Tennis fan, you'll dig the new stuff. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, jump on the nautical bandwagon already.

All four Daytrotter tracks down below, click here for the classics...

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Cape Dory - Tennis

Pigeon - Tennis

South Carolina - Tennis

Take Me Somewhere - Tennis

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Radio Dept. Release New Single, Get Political on Us

I really dig the Radio Dept.'s latest effort, Clinging to a Scheme. The Swedes and their Pet Sounds-by-way-of-The Smiths sound produces some of the best indie-pop these hip ears have heard all year, without getting too sugary or twee.

With their new LP just five months old, the trio has dropped a fresh, unrelated single, "The New Improved Hypocrisy." Bonus: it's political. The track is a critique of the Swedish government, who are holding elections this Sunday.

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The New Improved Hypocrisy - The Radio Dept.

Heaven's on Fire - The Radio Dept.

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