Mix disk.

I've just finished putting together a mix CD for a Massey exchange thing. It was a fun process, but a long one! Being obsessive, I of course had to go through lots and lots of music, much of which I hadn't had a chance to really listen to yet. I made a few loose rules for myself: I wanted the list to be a bit varied in terms of musical style, but in general broadly "indie"; I wanted to highlight bands that I've seen live, and local bands in particular, but I didn't want to be strict about this; I wouldn't include any bands that I put on a mix CD I made for an earlier exchange; and everything had to have been released in the last year or so.

Here's what I came up with:

This was hard . . . the disk includes some stuff you will probably have heard, and other stuff you may not have. These are all songs I like, from bands I like. Many of these groups/performers you can see play in Toronto, usually for not too much money. If you like what you hear, you don't have to wait too long to go see Amos the Transparent (based in Ottawa), Basia Bulat (Toronto/London), Bon Iver (Wisconsin), Born Ruffians (Toronto), Chromeo (Montreal/NY) The Diableros (Toronto), Justice (France), Laura Barrett (Toronto), Metric, Miracle Fortress (Montreal), The Primordials (Toronto), Vampire Weekend (Brooklyn), and Yeasayer (Brooklyn) play live in local venues; The National's coming in June with R.E.M. and Modest Mouse (!!). I've only put on new(ish) songs on this disk. Some are from albums that haven't been released yet.

1. Amos the Transparent - Title Track (Everything I've Forgotten to Forget, 2007)
2. The Apples in Stereo - Energy (New Magnetic Wonder, 2007)
3. Basia Bulat - Snakes and Ladders (Oh, My Darling, 2007)
4. Bon Iver - Skinny Love (For Emma, Forever Ago, 2007)
5. Born Ruffians - Hummingbird (Red, Yellow and Blue, 2008)
6. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (Fancy Footwork, 2007)
7. Cuff the Duke - Surging Revival (Sidelines of the City, 2007)
8. The Diableros - Nothing Down in Hogtown (Aren't Ready for the Country, 2007)
9. Holy Fuck - Royal Gregory (Holy Fuck LP, 2007)
10. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (+, 2007)
11. Kate Nash - Foundations (Made of Bricks, 2007)
12. Laura Barrett - Robot Ponies (Earth Sciences EP, 2008 re-release)
13. Metric - Hardwire (Grow Up and Blow Away, 2007)
14. Miracle Fortress - Have You Seen In Your Dreams? (Five Roses, 2007)
15. The National - Fake Empire (Boxer, 2007)
16. Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit (Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, 2007)
17. The Primordials - That's, If You Want Me To (Fourteen Prime Numbers, 2007)
18. Spoon - Don't You Evah (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, 2007)
19. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma (Vampire Weekend, 2008)
20. Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost (Welcome to the Night Sky, 2007)
21. Yeasayer - Sunrise (All Hour Cymbals, 2007)

And here's the disk I made a few months earlier. I think it's good, but the new one is I think reflective of my growing interest in discovering new music.

Indie Extraordinary! A selection of songs I’m listening to at home and at shows.

1. Homework - The Bicycles (The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly, 2006)
2. The Crash - The Craft Economy (All On C EP, 2007)
3. Hang Me, Oh Hang Me - The Deep Dark Woods (Hang Me, Oh Hang Me, 2007)
4. Narcissist In The Forest - Foxfire Forest (Foxfire Forest, 2007)
5. My Ghetto Noise - Ghetto Pony (Without A Name)
6. Thick Atmosphere - Ghetto Pony (Without A Name)
7. Footprints - The Gravity Wave (Martyr’s Brigade)
8. Cure for the Common Cold - Ladyfingers (My Prom, 2006)
9. The Sun The Stars - LLIONS (demo EP, 2007)
10. Righteous Heart - Nathan Lawr & The Minotaurs (A Sea Of Tiny Lights, 2007)
11. My Right Versus Yours - The New Pornographers (Challengers, 2007)
12. Walk In The Park - Oh No! Oh My! (Oh No! Oh My!)
13. Parables - Rebekah Higgs (Rebekah Higgs, 2006)
14. Edmonton - The Rural Alberta Advantage (The Rural Alberta Advantage EP)
15. Made Of Stone - Spiral Beach (Ball, 2007)
16. Odessa - Tin Bangs (Nice Backpack . . . You’re So Weird EP, 2007)
17. White Lies (Timekiller) - Tin Bangs (Ontario In Stereo EP, 2007)
18. The Age Of Pretending - The Mission District (Youth Games)
19. Dancer (Extended) - Woodhands (Dancer single, 2007)
20. I Can’t See Straight - Woodhands (Woodhands/Peter Project split single, 2007)
21. Little Fool - The XYZ Affair (A Few More Published Studies)