Ever since 2001, I’ve engaged in the annual ritual of assembling a two-CD mix of the last year’s best new music. (Kids, let me translate: two 80-minute playlists, both of which fit exactly on the kind of “compact disc” your parents used to listen to.)
This year’s is rather late, but it’s finally done. Here it is:
side one
- aloe blacc – i need a dollar
- jenny and johnny – big wave
- band of horses – compliments
- josh ritter – change of time
- girl talk – this is the remix
- big boi – shutterbugg
- gigi – alone at the pier (f rose melberg)
- best coast – the end
- miniature tigers – rock n’ roll mountain troll
- ariel pink’s haunted graffiti – round and round
- rogue wave – permalight
- the bad plus – super america
- mumford & sons – little lion man
- the moondoggies – lead me on
- the avett brothers – spanish pipedream
- the ruby suns – cranberry
- yeasayer – madder red
- dr. dog – i only wear blue
- delta spirit – bushwick blues
- the ouija birds – the traveller
- fang island – sideswiper
side two
- trampled by turtles – wait so long
- arcade fire – sprawl ii (mountains beyond mountains)
- black mountain – the hair song
- the secret sisters – why baby why
- ceelo green – fuck you
- sarah jaffe – before you go
- sarah harmer – silverado (f neko case)
- jesca hoop – four dreams
- band of horses – blue beard
- the national – bloodbuzz ohio
- mountain man – animal tracks
- mark ronson – bang bang bang (f q-tip & mndr)
- free energy – bang pop
- freelance whales – we could be friends
- dan reeder – maybe
- mimicking birds – pixels
- blitzen trapper – the tree (f alela diane)
- janelle monae – dance or die (f saul williams)
- bad books – you wouldn’t have to ask
- rural alberta advantage – don’t haunt this place
- ratatat – neckbrace
- phosphorescent – hej, me i’m light
More on the mix here.