Mixtape Exchange XV (Summer edition)

[Black Rose]

Review at last

 

Track 1 - Very good, I would probably look into getting the album, Icelandic by any chance?

Track 2 - Another very good track

Track 3 - A 3rd good song in the row

Track 4 - They shot you down and the russians moved in, very interesting singer-songwriter song

Track 5 -Nice instrumental, sounds like it comes from a movie soundtrack

Track 6 - Female vocalist, bit of a shock after track 5. Can't really hear the lyrics that well, good backing and track

Track 7 - Rather excellent track

Track 8 - A very good track as well, although that vocalist will grind after 10 minutes

Track 9 - Good track

Track 10 - Another very good track, makes me want to listen to more

Track 11 - TBH it passed me by

Track 12 - Good track

Track 13 - DoublePlusGood Track

Track 14 - She never laughed so loud, would proably send me to sleep after a while

Track 15 - Very good trac

 

So overall, some very good tracks, some artists to listen to further, and some which send me to sleep.

[The Final Track]

Review at last

 

Hey, this was my tape. Glad you enjoyed it :)

 

 

Track 1 - Very good, I would probably look into getting the album, Icelandic by any chance?

 

Nope, American. "I Should Live In Salt" by The National. You definitely should.

 

Track 2 - Another very good track

 

"Impossible Germany" off "Sky Blue Sky" by Wilco.

 

Track 3 - A 3rd good song in the row

 

Dark Dark Dark - "Tell Me", one of my favorites from last year.

 

Track 4 - They shot you down and the russians moved in, very interesting singer-songwriter song

 

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Jubilee Street". A powerful song.

 

Track 5 -Nice instrumental, sounds like it comes from a movie soundtrack

 

Some modern jazz. Esbjörn Svensson is one of my favorite pianists and a big inspiration. Not from a film, but from a phenonemal record.

 

Track 6 - Female vocalist, bit of a shock after track 5. Can't really hear the lyrics that well, good backing and track

 

More low-key. Americana band Widowspeak.

 

Track 7 - Rather excellent track

 

"I've Been Riding With The Ghost" by the late and great Jason Molina who died in March. This is his project Songs: Ohia.

 

Track 8 - A very good track as well, although that vocalist will grind after 10 minutes

 

Not everybody's cup of tea. Screaming Females - "Red Hand". Fantastic live band.

 

Track 9 - Good track

 

"Music! Dance! Drama!" by Norwegian nu-metal group Jaga Jazzist.

 

Track 10 - Another very good track, makes me want to listen to more

 

Jim James of My Morning Jacket. This is from his solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God".

 

Track 11 - TBH it passed me by

 

Oh well. "Amawalk" by Port St. Willow, another favorite from last year.

 

Track 12 - Good track

 

Norah Jones - "Out on the Road"

 

Track 13 - DoublePlusGood Track

 

"Don't Run" by Howling Bells, aussies. Saw them open for Elbow and fell for them.

 

Track 14 - She never laughed so loud, would proably send me to sleep after a while

 

More americana. Anaïs Mitchell - "Coming Down"

 

Track 15 - Very good trac

 

"Song for Zula". Song of the year.

 

 

 

So overall, some very good tracks, some artists to listen to further, and some which send me to sleep.

 

Well, glad you seemed to like most of it. Putting it together was a bit of a challenge, since it appears we listen to a lot of the same music. Here's the tracklist:

 

Tie and Tails

1. The National - "I Should Live In Salt" (Trouble Will Find Me, 2013)

2. Wilco - "Impossible Germany" (Sky Blue Sky, 2007)

3. Dark Dark Dark - "Tell Me" (Who Needs Who, 2012)

4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "Jubilee Street" (Push the Sky Away, 2013)

5. e.s.t - "Seven Days of Falling" (Seven Days of Falling, 2003)

6. Widowspeak - "Thick as Thieves" (Almanac, 2013)

7. Songs: Ohia - "I've Been Riding With the Ghost" (The Magnolia Electric Co., 2003)

8. Screaming Females - "Red Hand" (Ugly, 2012)

9. Jaga Jazzist - "Music! Dance! Drama!" (One-Armed Bandit, 2010)

10. Jim James - "Actress" (Regions of Light and Sound of God, 2013)

11. Port St. Willow - "Amawalk" (Holiday, 2012)

12. Norah Jones - "Out on the Road" (Little Broken Hearts, 2012)

13. Howling Bells - "Don't Run" (The Loudest Engine, 2011)

14. Anaïs Mitchell - "Coming Down" (Young Man In America, 2012)

15. Phosphorecent - "Song for Zula" (Muchacho, 2013)

[Black Rose]

Cool :)

[Wyrd]

First post updated.

7 tapes are still not reviewed/with feedback

 

When shall I post tracklisting if the mixtape maker hasn't done yet? I still miss the tracklisting of two of the tapes. Will the mixtape maker send it to me or post it here?

[Alien Radio]

First post updated.

7 tapes are still not reviewed/with feedback

 

When shall I post tracklisting if the mixtape maker hasn't done yet? I still miss the tracklisting of two of the tapes. Will the mixtape maker send it to me or post it here?

 

Umm, my tape was reviewed, you gotta fix that ;)

[kalex1138]

My mixtape still hasn't been reviewed! :bigcry:

[Wyrd]

Umm, my tape was reviewed, you gotta fix that ;)

Oi, then I missed some. Will fix it

 

Also ... when will my tape be reviewed :(

[The Final Track]

Review coming this weekend :)

[Tnspieler1012]

Not gonna lie, getting a little impatient.

[RazorEye]

Mixtape 15: Summer Hits

 

 

Rating:

 

Summer Hits, eh? Don’t let the title fool you. It ain’t that great. I’m not sure if the Coldplaying mixtape exchange has had that many negative reviews, but there’s one thing for sure. This one’s going to be negative! I’m gonna go Pitchfork.com on this mixtape’s butt! I sort of saw this coming, actually. Being a very anti-1980s person, when I looked at the artwork and title, I said to myself, “Oh no”. To be fairly honest, I was expecting some pretty terrible stuff like late-1980s synth-pop and disco, but thankfully to the mercy of the mixtape creator, I wasn’t subjected to that!

 

However, I was given something unusual: songs that really aren’t summer hits. Half of the mixtape is really down in the dumps and un-interesting. There’s some that are somewhat terrible, and one or two that are actually pretty cool tracks! But, overall, it’s another case of the good, the bad and the really ugly.

 

Track-by-Track:

 

The first track starts off with a synth like I’ve been transported to the 1980s. That’s nice! I partially don’t like this song, because it really throws itself off the balance all the way through. I’m going to go ahead and assume you’ve mixed three or four songs together on one track. Sigh. The song’s don’t even match one another! The first “song” sounds like something that came out of a session with A Flock of Seagulls and Duran Duran. It’s got a good vibe, but extremely boring after two minutes.

Then it transitions into another “song” that starts off with a catchy drum beat then explodes into an awesome alt rock spectacle. Probably the best point on this mixtape! It sounds like something Birds of Tokyo or Mew would do. It probably is a Birds of Tokyo or Mew song, since I’m only a fan of both their latest works, so I wouldn’t know their earlier works. Sounds very much like Mid-2000s rock, so this is where I place my bet. It’s either a Birds of Tokyo or Mew song!

The third “song” throws me into early-2010s “rock”, with what sounds like yet another European-sounding singer on top of generalized, indistinguishable noise. It’s good for me that I keep the volume to a minimum. Didn’t Shoegazing die a decade ago? This type of music shouldn’t even be played anymore, yet nearly everything that comes out of northern Europe, which is where I assume this act is from, is just another artist attempting to bring Shoegazing back. I’ve got news for ya’ people: the great Sigur Rós had a Shoegazing debut. It was called Von, and it was terrible. What did they do? They tried to do something else, and made one of the greatest music discographies ever made. To those people I say: try something else. We don’t want the same Shoegazing rubbish over and over again. Please! Okay, next track:

 

Who brought in country to a Summer Hits album? The track starts off with a wild-west vibe, and then brings in the voice of a very calm and relaxed man. One of many contradictions to the Summer Hits title! Just like the first song on the first track, if that makes sense, it’s just another 3-4 minutes that goes on at the same level, without any climax or emptiness. Another bore-fest I presume. Next track, please!

 

Sounds like someone’s been experimenting too hard! Sounds like Birdy on Acid. But I don’t like Birdy that much anyway, so it makes the track even less of a standout than what it seems to me; yet another bore-fest. Moving on:

 

What. WHAT. What is this? What... I don’t even...

I can see where you got the Summer Hits title at least, because somebody forgot to remove the artwork off this track! Foute Zomer Hits the album is called; probably another one of those rip-off compilation albums wanna-be “record companies” put out from time to time. The song, is... I don’t know how to describe it. Definitely sounds like the stuff that they play on summer afternoons endlessly in the 1980s. It’s garbage. The United Nations has a international protocol of banned types of torture. Sticking bamboo sticks under a prisoner’s fingernails is one; Waterboarding and Lynching is another. Making them listen to this song has to be another one. It’s probably the song the Jamaicans blast endlessly on their quest to invade the United States, where they ultimately fail, because the U.S. Army has endless pairs of Noise-cancelling headphones, but hey, that’s just my opinion! Next. Track. Now.

 

Another mixed track; this time two instead of three!

The first “song” is Calming. Very calming, considering my rage from the last track! Sounds like a very cool traditional song from the Pacific or somewhere. It’s got a haunting, yet, attractive vibe against a backdrop of very radiant emptiness. This track has really good production! For the first time in this mixtape, I have a smile on my face! This track is absolute brilliance! Tell me who made this and what it’s called! It’s so cool! It’s the absolute best on this mixtape!

Second “song”; meh. After the first “song”, I was so pumped up, but now I’ve been let down again. Florence Welch impersonator? It’s definitely not Florence, because I know all of Florence and the Machine’s songs off Lungs and Ceremonials. It’s a song that confuses itself. Is it trying to be a passionate and uplifting song, or just another dance beat? Don’t know. Neither does the artist apparently. What’s next?

 

Somebody forgot to remove the artwork from this one as well, and it’s an artwork I could recognize straight away! But I don’t mind, I would’ve got this one anyway! Finally, a song I know! It’s “The Line” by Mood Rings off the ambitious VPI Harmony album that was released not too long ago, actually! “The Line” is a very calm and moody song that really makes you fly high. It’s got a great atmosphere, and it’s a good song to have on repeat if you’re bored. Their music is nothing short of interesting. They’ve definitely got the sound they need – slow and smooth, and nobody has come close to what Mood Rings had made in a very long time. It’s sort of a Parachutes debut: safe and not too out-there, which is a type of debut that works. It worked with Coldplay and with Muse (Showbiz), it could easily work with these guys, and I wish them well in the future! Next track!

 

Kanye West production much? It’s another bore-fest, with autotune! Yay.... I think? It’s not too exciting, much like half this mixtape so far. Gees, these songs are making me run out of things to say..... Next track....

 

This one’s got violins, and a billion other instruments, and even sounds like something Enya would do. Wouldn’t say it’s on the same level as Enya, though. It’s not another bore-fest, definitely not, but it just doesn’t really, go anywhere. It presents itself as a very mystical and fantasial song, but doesn’t meet up to expectations. It wants to be a hymn, but isn’t really. Next Track.

 

Well, that escalated quickly! This one has an actual drumbeat! Something I haven’t actually heard before for the last half-hour listening to this mixtape! It’s got a rocking vibe, and it doesn’t sound half bad! I don’t have anything much to say about this track other than it’s pretty cool, but not brilliant; although, I can’t help but complain about the abrupt cut at the end of the track. I would assume that the album this track was originally off was a gapless mix, and this song was meant to segue into the next track, but thanks to great production skills, it just cuts off, and the next track just plays. At least put a fade out on this track! Anyway, final track!

 

Yet another bore-fest! Perfect way to end this mixtape, don’t ya think! But, hey, at least it’s got a drumbeat, I guess; so much for Summer Hits, eh? The song has this annoying corrupt electronic noise in the background that I assume is the guitar, but why would you use a guitar like that? I honestly don’t know. I’m assuming whoever made this track is attempting Post-rock, but this isn’t Post-rock, silly! Mogwai and Sigur Ros are good examples of Post-rock. They actually do use the guitar for timbre and texture, unlike these guys who literally take the guitar for granted. The song lobs off on a dying synth, thus ends the mixtape.

 

Conclusion:

 

For an entire 50 minutes, I was subjected to the worst, the best and the downright dull and uninteresting. I have to give the mixtape creator some credit: This was a very unique experience, just not, a very good experience. It was like I was on a scary LSD trip. Sometimes there was some amazing moments, sometimes there was pretty scary stuff, and sometimes there was just pitch black. For an album that calls itself Summer Hits, i honestly don’t think any of these songs could be played on the radio, let alone be summer hits. I’m sorry, but I was expecting much more with that title. Instead, I got some really disappointing tunes. Even Mood Rings couldn’t resurrect this I’m afraid.

 

Unless you were parodying the 1980s, I would rate this a 10/10. But you weren’t actually, were you? Summer Hits isn’t an ultimate mix of the big radio gainers of the summer, but, to simply put it, just another mixtape.

 

Rating:

[Wyrd]

Hahahaha! Ehm yeah, I really love the 80's and it was not a joke but I made a risk there and this time failed miserable. Sorry about that. I will get back with a tracklist and feedback, but for now I just want to thank you for your honesty. It's not often I read it when people actually don't like what they hear or think the mixtape sucks and sometimes I feel I read it between the lines, but it's not said (maybe out of politeness).

[kalex1138]

Mixtape 15: Summer Hits[/size][/i]

 

 

Rating:

 

Summer Hits, eh? Don’t let the title fool you. It ain’t that great. I’m not sure if the Coldplaying mixtape exchange has had that many negative reviews, but there’s one thing for sure. This one’s going to be negative! I’m gonna go Pitchfork.com on this mixtape’s butt! I sort of saw this coming, actually. Being a very anti-1980s person, when I looked at the artwork and title, I said to myself, “Oh no”. To be fairly honest, I was expecting some pretty terrible stuff like late-1980s synth-pop and disco, but thankfully to the mercy of the mixtape creator, I wasn’t subjected to that!

 

However, I was given something unusual: songs that really aren’t summer hits. Half of the mixtape is really down in the dumps and un-interesting. There’s some that are somewhat terrible, and one or two that are actually pretty cool tracks! But, overall, it’s another case of the good, the bad and the really ugly.

 

Track-by-Track:

 

The first track starts off with a synth like I’ve been transported to the 1980s. That’s nice! I partially don’t like this song, because it really throws itself off the balance all the way through. I’m going to go ahead and assume you’ve mixed three or four songs together on one track. Sigh. The song’s don’t even match one another! The first “song” sounds like something that came out of a session with A Flock of Seagulls and Duran Duran. It’s got a good vibe, but extremely boring after two minutes.

Then it transitions into another “song” that starts off with a catchy drum beat then explodes into an awesome alt rock spectacle. Probably the best point on this mixtape! It sounds like something Birds of Tokyo or Mew would do. It probably is a Birds of Tokyo or Mew song, since I’m only a fan of both their latest works, so I wouldn’t know their earlier works. Sounds very much like Mid-2000s rock, so this is where I place my bet. It’s either a Birds of Tokyo or Mew song!

The third “song” throws me into early-2010s “rock”, with what sounds like yet another European-sounding singer on top of generalized, indistinguishable noise. It’s good for me that I keep the volume to a minimum. Didn’t Shoegazing die a decade ago? This type of music shouldn’t even be played anymore, yet nearly everything that comes out of northern Europe, which is where I assume this act is from, is just another artist attempting to bring Shoegazing back. I’ve got news for ya’ people: the great Sigur Rós had a Shoegazing debut. It was called Von, and it was terrible. What did they do? They tried to do something else, and made one of the greatest music discographies ever made. To those people I say: try something else. We don’t want the same Shoegazing rubbish over and over again. Please! Okay, next track:

 

Who brought in country to a Summer Hits album? The track starts off with a wild-west vibe, and then brings in the voice of a very calm and relaxed man. One of many contradictions to the Summer Hits title! Just like the first song on the first track, if that makes sense, it’s just another 3-4 minutes that goes on at the same level, without any climax or emptiness. Another bore-fest I presume. Next track, please!

 

Sounds like someone’s been experimenting too hard! Sounds like Birdy on Acid. But I don’t like Birdy that much anyway, so it makes the track even less of a standout than what it seems to me; yet another bore-fest. Moving on:

 

What. WHAT. What is this? What... I don’t even...

I can see where you got the Summer Hits title at least, because somebody forgot to remove the artwork off this track! Foute Zomer Hits the album is called; probably another one of those rip-off compilation albums wanna-be “record companies” put out from time to time. The song, is... I don’t know how to describe it. Definitely sounds like the stuff that they play on summer afternoons endlessly in the 1980s. It’s garbage. The United Nations has a international protocol of banned types of torture. Sticking bamboo sticks under a prisoner’s fingernails is one; Waterboarding and Lynching is another. Making them listen to this song has to be another one. It’s probably the song the Jamaicans blast endlessly on their quest to invade the United States, where they ultimately fail, because the U.S. Army has endless pairs of Noise-cancelling headphones, but hey, that’s just my opinion! Next. Track. Now.

 

Another mixed track; this time two instead of three!

The first “song” is Calming. Very calming, considering my rage from the last track! Sounds like a very cool traditional song from the Pacific or somewhere. It’s got a haunting, yet, attractive vibe against a backdrop of very radiant emptiness. This track has really good production! For the first time in this mixtape, I have a smile on my face! This track is absolute brilliance! Tell me who made this and what it’s called! It’s so cool! It’s the absolute best on this mixtape!

Second “song”; meh. After the first “song”, I was so pumped up, but now I’ve been let down again. Florence Welch impersonator? It’s definitely not Florence, because I know all of Florence and the Machine’s songs off Lungs and Ceremonials. It’s a song that confuses itself. Is it trying to be a passionate and uplifting song, or just another dance beat? Don’t know. Neither does the artist apparently. What’s next?

 

Somebody forgot to remove the artwork from this one as well, and it’s an artwork I could recognize straight away! But I don’t mind, I would’ve got this one anyway! Finally, a song I know! It’s “The Line” by Mood Rings off the ambitious VPI Harmony album that was released not too long ago, actually! “The Line” is a very calm and moody song that really makes you fly high. It’s got a great atmosphere, and it’s a good song to have on repeat if you’re bored. Their music is nothing short of interesting. They’ve definitely got the sound they need – slow and smooth, and nobody has come close to what Mood Rings had made in a very long time. It’s sort of a Parachutes debut: safe and not too out-there, which is a type of debut that works. It worked with Coldplay and with Muse (Showbiz), it could easily work with these guys, and I wish them well in the future! Next track!

 

Kanye West production much? It’s another bore-fest, with autotune! Yay.... I think? It’s not too exciting, much like half this mixtape so far. Gees, these songs are making me run out of things to say..... Next track....

 

This one’s got violins, and a billion other instruments, and even sounds like something Enya would do. Wouldn’t say it’s on the same level as Enya, though. It’s not another bore-fest, definitely not, but it just doesn’t really, go anywhere. It presents itself as a very mystical and fantasial song, but doesn’t meet up to expectations. It wants to be a hymn, but isn’t really. Next Track.

 

Well, that escalated quickly! This one has an actual drumbeat! Something I haven’t actually heard before for the last half-hour listening to this mixtape! It’s got a rocking vibe, and it doesn’t sound half bad! I don’t have anything much to say about this track other than it’s pretty cool, but not brilliant; although, I can’t help but complain about the abrupt cut at the end of the track. I would assume that the album this track was originally off was a gapless mix, and this song was meant to segue into the next track, but thanks to great production skills, it just cuts off, and the next track just plays. At least put a fade out on this track! Anyway, final track!

 

Yet another bore-fest! Perfect way to end this mixtape, don’t ya think! But, hey, at least it’s got a drumbeat, I guess; so much for Summer Hits, eh? The song has this annoying corrupt electronic noise in the background that I assume is the guitar, but why would you use a guitar like that? I honestly don’t know. I’m assuming whoever made this track is attempting Post-rock, but this isn’t Post-rock, silly! Mogwai and Sigur Ros are good examples of Post-rock. They actually do use the guitar for timbre and texture, unlike these guys who literally take the guitar for granted. The song lobs off on a dying synth, thus ends the mixtape.

 

Conclusion:

 

For an entire 50 minutes, I was subjected to the worst, the best and the downright dull and uninteresting. I have to give the mixtape creator some credit: This was a very unique experience, just not, a very good experience. It was like I was on a scary LSD trip. Sometimes there was some amazing moments, sometimes there was pretty scary stuff, and sometimes there was just pitch black. For an album that calls itself Summer Hits, i honestly don’t think any of these songs could be played on the radio, let alone be summer hits. I’m sorry, but I was expecting much more with that title. Instead, I got some really disappointing tunes. Even Mood Rings couldn’t resurrect this I’m afraid.

 

Unless you were parodying the 1980s, I would rate this a 10/10. But you weren’t actually, were you? Summer Hits isn’t an ultimate mix of the big radio gainers of the summer, but, to simply put it, just another mixtape.

 

Rating:

 

Harsh! Now I want to hear it all the more! :P

[Tnspieler1012]

And that, kids, is how not to review a mixtape.

[para-para-parrotdies]

RazorEye, send me your mixtape and I'll give you my review.

[RazorEye]

RazorEye, send me your mixtape and I'll give you my review.

 

Admiral Ackbar is in the back of my mind telling me not to go through with this... :lol:

 

It's on allmixtapes here.

[Alien Radio]

I’m gonna go Pitchfork.com on this mixtape’s butt!

 

...that was more NME than Pitchfork...

[RazorEye]

And that, kids, is how not to review a mixtape.

 

Ok then, how do you critically review a mixtape?

 

[The Final Track]

You can be critical without being flat out obnoxious.

[Tnspieler1012]

Ok then, how do you critically review a mixtape?

 

 

Not being a condescending asshole would be a good start.

 

STEP 1: Don't take yourself too seriously, and have a sense of irony.

Summer Hits, eh? Don’t let the title fool you. It ain’t that great...Being a very anti-1980s person, when I looked at the artwork and title, I said to myself, “Oh no”. To be fairly honest, I was expecting some pretty terrible stuff like late-1980s synth-pop and disco...However, I was given something unusual: songs that really aren’t summer hits. Half of the mixtape is really down in the dumps and un-interesting...Who brought in country to a Summer Hits album?...The track starts off with a wild-west vibe, and then brings in the voice of a very calm and relaxed man. One of many contradictions to the Summer Hits title!...For an album that calls itself Summer Hits, i honestly don’t think any of these songs could be played on the radio, let alone be summer hits. I’m sorry, but I was expecting much more with that title.

1. Who cares about the fucking title?

2. The whole review you feel the need to comment on the tape somehow being flawed for not matching the title, as if the maker sat down for hours trying to think of two words that epitomized their SERIOUS MASTERPIECE. ‘Summer Hits’ (together with the similarly amusing artwork) is such a generic title that most would have taken it to be intentionally cheesy on some level. But even if it is serious, why can’t a country song be a summer hit? Why is it a bad thing that there are different genre’s/vibes on this tape? You’re disappointed that the songs couldn’t be played on the radio? From this side, it’s like you were hoping for a comp. of top 40 singles you could order off your television (just so the title would make sense to you).

 

 

STEP 2: Do not sarcastically criticize people for things that they were never obligated to do.

Sigh. The song’s don’t even match one another!...I would assume that the album this track was originally off was a gapless mix, and this song was meant to segue into the next track, but thanks to great production skills, it just cuts off, and the next track just plays. At least put a fade out on this track!

I understand that a couple tracks were possibly edited, arranged by your sender. But nobody (that is, 98% of people who have participated in this exchange historically) “produces” or is expected to “produce” their mixtape. As someone who hasn’t heard the tape, I’m free to imagine a worst case-scenario. I imagine that I’m listening to a track that ends abruptly, or transitions starkly. Theories: 1. Maybe they really wanted to include a track that they really happen to love, even if it was impossible to include without an awkward beginning/ending. 2. Maybe they attempted to include a fade-out, but just couldn’t figure it out. 3. They’re an incompetent mixtape maker who couldn’t even be bothered to add a fade-out.

 

 

STEP 3: If you’re going to be obnoxiously harsh, at least make sense.

 

and

 

STEP 4: Refrain from ‘factual’ dismissals.

What. WHAT. What is this? What... I don’t even...

I can see where you got the Summer Hits title at least, because somebody forgot to remove the artwork off this track! Foute Zomer Hits the album is called; probably another one of those rip-off compilation albums wanna-be “record companies” put out from time to time. The song, is... I don’t know how to describe it. Definitely sounds like the stuff that they play on summer afternoons endlessly in the 1980s. It’s garbage. The United Nations has a international protocol of banned types of torture. Sticking bamboo sticks under a prisoner’s fingernails is one; Waterboarding and Lynching is another. Making them listen to this song has to be another one. It’s probably the song the Jamaicans blast endlessly on their quest to invade the United States, where they ultimately fail, because the U.S. Army has endless pairs of Noise-cancelling headphones, but hey, that’s just my opinion! Next. Track. Now.

Ignoring the confusing and obnoxious descriptions of how god damn much you hate this song, your tone throughout this review seems to condescend from a pretty high horse. Even if the whole world agrees with you, only assholes say “This is garbage/This is shit” in response to a gift. Would it kill you to just say “Sorry, but I just can’t get into it/I’ve never liked this kind of music”?

 

 

STEP 5: Don't dismiss whole music genres for incomprehensible/ignorant reasons.

Didn’t Shoegazing die a decade ago?...This type of music shouldn’t even be played anymore, yet nearly everything that comes out of northern Europe, which is where I assume this act is from, is just another artist attempting to bring Shoegazing back. I’ve got news for ya’ people: the great Sigur Rós had a Shoegazing debut. It was called Von, and it was terrible. What did they do? They tried to do something else, and made one of the greatest music discographies ever made. To those people I say: try something else. We don’t want the same Shoegazing rubbish over and over again. Please! Okay, next track:

Fuck you. You’re saying that a genre that is held together by something as basic as gauzy guitar and subdued vocals shouldn’t exist? As if there’s something inherently evil about it? As if everyone stopped enjoying loud, atmospheric walls-of-sound in the 90s? Why would you make glib assumptions about a group's motivations? As if they couldn’t be playing shoegaze because they ENJOY IT.

Of course, I’m not entirely sure you actually are listening to shoegazing because your gut response is to cite “Von.” As if Wave, Slowdive, or MBV have even the slightest similarity to that album. Your unimpeachable logic being: Von sucked – Agaetis Byrjun was good - Shoegazing sucks. Your snobbery is palpable. Try something else? We (who is we?) don’t want the same rubbish? Stop dictating how people should express themselves.

 

 

STEP 6: Be open to and grateful for new experiences.

It’s a song that confuses itself. Is it trying to be a passionate and uplifting song, or just another dance beat? Don’t know. Neither does the artist apparently. What’s next?

Right, because it’s the artist’s fault that you can’t pigeonhole a piece of music.

Sounds like someone’s been experimenting too hard!

Mr. ‘We don’t want the same rubbish over and over again”. If you’re going to dismiss a track, have a better reason than, “it’s too experimental”.

I’m assuming whoever made this track is attempting Post-rock, but this isn’t Post-rock, silly! Mogwai and Sigur Ros are good examples of Post-rock.

I…I...can’t. If you don’t realize what’s wrong with this, there’s no point telling you.

 

 

STEP 7: Have better explanations than “It’s boring”. Qualify what that means, and understand that not all music is made to be “exciting”.

It’s not another bore-fest, definitely not, but it just doesn’t really, go anywhere... It’s another bore-fest, with autotune! Another bore-fest I presume...

What I love about the last comment is it implies you couldn’t even be bothered to finish the song.

Anyway, I don’t mean to suggest that your tape was better or worse than your review of it, I don’t know. But it’s not a contest, and it’s no excuse to be obnoxious or to show off how much more YOU know about music.

[RazorEye]

Gees, at least Wyrd understood what I was doing!

 

This review was my opinion, and the way that I saw the mix tape, with a dash of black humor added so that it wouldn't be that much of a negative review. Sort of something that my mix tape partner could read, but not take it THAT seriously, and have a good laugh!

 

YOUR "advice" of not taking it too seriously and having a sense of irony has backfired. Immensely.

 

I'm just trying to lighten up and have a little fun, and yet people like you people keep bashing me time and time again! Why am I even still on this forum? You could've at least replied to me in a decent manner without going all Malcom Tucker on me saying "Fuck You" and whatnot.

 

I swear to god almighty half the people on Coldplaying.com need to sit down and have a lesson on how to understand humor. Surely all of you had a good childhood, haven't you? What's all the need for taking things so seriously and bashing others for having a good ol' joke?

 

Of course my review wasn't that serious! Do I honestly look like a person who would actually fucking denounce an entire group because they liked a genre? No. Nobody within a 1000km radius of where I'm standing would actually do it. Musical movements exists because people like that sort of sound, and Breaking News? I actually recognise that.

 

Have a sense of humor before you bash someone who's haven't had that great of a life for the past few years.

 

Before I sign off, I'd like people to know that in order to keep myself from unleashing my rage on everything like I have done so many times before on this forum, you guys won't be seeing me for a while... Again. It's the best for me to just walk away at times like these if you know what I mean.

 

So, tally ho! Fuckers! :P

[kalex1138]

Gees, at least Wyrd understood what I was doing!

 

This review was my opinion, and the way that I saw the mix tape, with a dash of black humor added so that it wouldn't be that much of a negative review. Sort of something that my mix tape partner could read, but not take it THAT seriously, and have a good laugh!

 

YOUR "advice" of not taking it too seriously and having a sense of irony has backfired. Immensely.

 

I'm just trying to lighten up and have a little fun, and yet people like you people keep bashing me time and time again! Why am I even still on this forum? You could've at least replied to me in a decent manner without going all Malcom Tucker on me saying "Fuck You" and whatnot.

 

I swear to god almighty half the people on Coldplaying.com need to sit down and have a lesson on how to understand humor. Surely all of you had a good childhood, haven't you? What's all the need for taking things so seriously and bashing others for having a good ol' joke?

 

Of course my review wasn't that serious! Do I honestly look like a person who would actually fucking denounce an entire group because they liked a genre? No. Nobody within a 1000km radius of where I'm standing would actually do it. Musical movements exists because people like that sort of sound, and Breaking News? I actually recognise that.

 

Have a sense of humor before you bash someone who's haven't had that great of a life for the past few years.

 

Before I sign off, I'd like people to know that in order to keep myself from unleashing my rage on everything like I have done so many times before on this forum, you guys won't be seeing me for a while... Again. It's the best for me to just walk away at times like these if you know what I mean.

 

So, tally ho! Fuckers! :P

 

Here's my one bit of advice: It's quite hard to get irony/sarcasm to come across as anything other than assholery when typing it out on the internet. Just food for thought...

[The Final Track]

Ok, so here it is! First of all thanks to my partner for the mixtape, it’s a broad spectrum of genres and styles and I appreciate the effort. I really enjoyed it. So here goes.

 

 

 

Track 1: Haha, I love that you used this as an intro. Nice touch.

 

Track 2: The mixtape starts right off with a soundscape of bending synths with a voice speaking over it (I don’t speak French, sadly.) This then gives way to a thumping, wordless chorus, with synthesizer over synthesizer. It’s a massive track and a nice first song. I could picture it being someone like M83.

 

Track 3: A more down paced song, with a lot of harmonies. It starts off with piano, acoustic guitar, and violin but progresses to guitar and trumpet towards the end. The lead singer has a fragile tenor voice and sings in falsetto. I know this; I used it on a mixtape a couple of years ago. It’s “Bible Belt” by Dry the River. I listened to “Shallow Bed” a couple of times, but it didn’t really stick with me. It’s not my kind of folk, and I don’t listen to them, but I do like them.

 

Track 4: A track that jumps around a lot. A distorted guitar riff leads into tapping

drumsticks and acoustic guitar, then back, then to a kind of fanfare. The singer sings slightly off key, and it is a rugged song in many aspects. Very interesting, and I look forward to seeing who it is. I can’t picture myself listening to it though.

 

Track 5: A bit of a change from track 4. I can’t tell if it’s violins or bagpipes in the intro. Otherwise there’s acoustic guitar or banjo being picked, accordion and flute, so a lot of traditional folk instruments. The singer has a deep voice and sometimes uses spoken word. The song repeats a lot throughout, and the focus is the lyrics, about separated lovers. It’s pleasant.

 

Track 6: A post-punk drumbeat with 80’s synths start the song off. Then a guitar picks up and the singer starts. The chorus is poppy and with falsetto which I like. Cool song, but not sure how I feel about all the synths.

 

Track 7: Begins with an electric piano arpeggio. The singer joins in, together with a bass line. Then there’s a drum beat and a drum machine. This song also builds itself up throughout, but never goes full out, which I think is better. I also like sound of the synths during the instrumental part.

 

Track 8: A repeated guitar riff leads in to a fantastic guitar solo and the full band joins. You’ve got to love this man’s voice, not to mention this song. My Morning Jacket – “One Big Holiday”, one of my favorite songs and bands.

 

Track 9: This one’s pretty interesting. Autotuned voices serve as the intro here, then synths start appearing and forming a backdrop as well as more layers. The chord progression is changed up a couple of times and twists are added. With the autotuned vocals in front throughout, this sounds like a remix of Bon Iver. The sound of the synths, the piano and the bass blend beautifully together.

 

Track 10: A strumming guitar and a man singing about how he joined a wolf pack when he was 17. Ultimately it’s about finding somewhere you belong, I guess. The double vocals add a lot, and again the vocals are centered, but I’m not a big fan.

 

Track 11: Kind of an interlude, and instrumental bit only lasting a minute.

 

Track 12: A distorted guitar figure is the backdrop for the first verse, then drums, bass

and more guitars are added, and the intensity stays high for a lot of the song.

 

Track 13: I recognize this voice; Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. Possibly from “Our Endless Numbered Days”. The vocals are placed below or beside the acoustic guitars in the mix, making them play together beautifully. Great song, definitely want to listen more to him now.

Edit: It was “Southern Anthem” off “The Creek Drank the Cradle”.

 

Track 14: An RnB or Soul song, maybe Mavis Staples. An electric guitar strumming leads into organ drums and bass. The lyrics are about how the singer has changed, and is now a different person. I like the rhythms and the bass playing, and the tightness of the musicians. Cool song.

 

Track 15: Another short song. The guitar picking and the melody sound exactly like the Simon & Garfunkel version of “Scarborough Fair”. There’s also something that sounds like a video game gun shot in the middle of it. Could be a poorly ripped track? The one verse sounds very out of context.

 

Track 16: The sound quality of the track is pretty low, so it’s hard to listen to with all the guitars. The actual song changes up between fast paced guitars and a slower paced singing part. But it’s hard to make an opinion.

 

Track 17: Another short interlude. Electric guitar strumming with effects contributes to the wide soundscape which also has a bass drum deeper in the mix. It ends very abruptly.

 

Track 18: I know this one as well, but it sounds different, so maybe an older recording. I’m pretty sure it’s Grace Potter singing, though. It’s a lot rougher and grittier than the album version, and a lot more rocked out. She has an amazing voice, and this is definitely my favorite song by her.

 

Track 19: A distant synthesizer leads way for an acoustic guitar strumming. There are touches of electric guitar and different synths and xylophone. It’s a calm, singer/songwriter kind of song. “One Step Closer to Knowing”

 

Track 20: Intense guitar strumming, then a breath of brass playing against each other. A fairly up beat song, centered on the strumming. The vocalist is British I think. It’s not fantastic, but I don’t think it’s bad.

 

Track 21: Knew this sounded familiar but couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Sounds cool as a string quartet, but then again so does nearly everything :p

 

Track 22: I think I recognize the guitar part, but I’m probably mistaking it for something else. It’s a bit poppy and serves the song well. Sounds a bit like Mew in a way. “The ground begins to talk” doesn’t really make any sense to me, though. Not sure what I think about it as a whole.

 

Track 23: The last track. An acoustic guitar that starts out sounding a bit like ‘Til Kingdom Come. In the chorus falsetto is used and some keyboards come in. It’s a nice ending.

 

All in all this is a mix with a lot of variation and a lot of good choices. If there’s anything to criticize it’s that some of the flow of the tape loses a bit if the songs that follow each other are too different instrumentally or dynamically. I usually try to keep an even flow and place the “related” songs near each other. That’s just my opinion, though. Good job! Even though I didn’t enjoy all the tracks I enjoyed listening to the songs you picked and look forward to seeing the tracklist.

 

[Tnspieler1012]

Gees, at least Wyrd understood what I was doing!

 

This review was my opinion, and the way that I saw the mix tape

I wasn't questioning that. Anything less would be disrespectful to the tape maker.

 

with a dash of black humor added so that it wouldn't be that much of a negative review. Sort of something that my mix tape partner could read, but not take it THAT seriously, and have a good laugh!

I got this as well. Silly exaggerations and the bit about Jamaican footsoldiers blah blah.

 

YOUR "advice" of not taking it too seriously and having a sense of irony has backfired. Immensely.

I believe I said take yourself too seriously, because the parts I most objected to were where you would appear to be your most honest. Consistently you presented an authoritative, didactic tone. "This is garbage, and let me tell you why, because ignorant statement". No stranger is going to look at your shoegazing paragraph and assume that you're joking. And the fact that it was always 'this is bad' instead of the expected modesty 'sorry, not my cup of tea' added to that persona. There was a lot of lecturing for a review that apparently 'wasn't serious lol'.

 

I'm just trying to lighten up and have a little fun, and yet people like you people keep bashing me time and time again!

boo hoo.

Why am I even still on this forum?

You're asking me?

You could've at least replied to me in a decent manner without going all Malcom Tucker on me saying "Fuck You" and whatnot.

Feel free to cover them up if they hurt your feelings. I stand by the rest, which was quite decent and civil.

I swear to god almighty half the people on Coldplaying.com need to sit down and have a lesson on how to understand humor. Surely all of you had a good childhood, haven't you? What's all the need for taking things so seriously and bashing others for having a good ol' joke?

So what/where exactly was the joke? You said that the review was your own opinion, and the way you saw the tape. The only way to exempt yourself from the parts I criticized would be to say your opinions are other than what you said.

Of course my review wasn't that serious! Do I honestly look like a person who would actually fucking denounce an entire group because they liked a genre?

What am I supposed to be looking at, exactly? I suppose I don't understand why you would express believable opinions that aren't your own to dismiss something that someone else (who I'm guessing you're not on a first name basis with) took the time to create for you. Nor do I see how assuming a condescending and didactic tone makes the review easier to swallow. If it was a joke, I guess it was really poorly executed and I'll let it go. But I only buy that to a point.

No. Nobody within a 1000km radius of where I'm standing would actually do it.

You really think that? What a beautiful world you must live in.

 

Have a sense of humor before you bash someone who's haven't had that great of a life for the past few years.

Chill.

Before I sign off, I'd like people to know that in order to keep myself from unleashing my rage on everything like I have done so many times before on this forum, you guys won't be seeing me for a while... Again. It's the best for me to just walk away at times like these if you know what I mean.

 

So, tally ho! Fuckers! :P

 

Come, come. You didn't care I existed until the other day. No reason you should care now. I like you more after your reply, and the more we talk the more we will continue to understand/empathize. The aggressive tone of my post was to catalyze a response and resolve the disagreement/misunderstanding. Running away will make things much worse.

I'm not a monster, am I?

 

[kalex1138]

Ok, so here it is! First of all thanks to my partner for the mixtape, it’s a broad spectrum of genres and styles and I appreciate the effort. I really enjoyed it. So here goes.

 

 

 

Track 1: Haha, I love that you used this as an intro. Nice touch.

 

Track 2: The mixtape starts right off with a soundscape of bending synths with a voice speaking over it (I don’t speak French, sadly.) This then gives way to a thumping, wordless chorus, with synthesizer over synthesizer. It’s a massive track and a nice first song. I could picture it being someone like M83.

 

Track 3: A more down paced song, with a lot of harmonies. It starts off with piano, acoustic guitar, and violin but progresses to guitar and trumpet towards the end. The lead singer has a fragile tenor voice and sings in falsetto. I know this; I used it on a mixtape a couple of years ago. It’s “Bible Belt” by Dry the River. I listened to “Shallow Bed” a couple of times, but it didn’t really stick with me. It’s not my kind of folk, and I don’t listen to them, but I do like them.

 

Track 4: A track that jumps around a lot. A distorted guitar riff leads into tapping

drumsticks and acoustic guitar, then back, then to a kind of fanfare. The singer sings slightly off key, and it is a rugged song in many aspects. Very interesting, and I look forward to seeing who it is. I can’t picture myself listening to it though.

 

Track 5: A bit of a change from track 4. I can’t tell if it’s violins or bagpipes in the intro. Otherwise there’s acoustic guitar or banjo being picked, accordion and flute, so a lot of traditional folk instruments. The singer has a deep voice and sometimes uses spoken word. The song repeats a lot throughout, and the focus is the lyrics, about separated lovers. It’s pleasant.

 

Track 6: A post-punk drumbeat with 80’s synths start the song off. Then a guitar picks up and the singer starts. The chorus is poppy and with falsetto which I like. Cool song, but not sure how I feel about all the synths.

 

Track 7: Begins with an electric piano arpeggio. The singer joins in, together with a bass line. Then there’s a drum beat and a drum machine. This song also builds itself up throughout, but never goes full out, which I think is better. I also like sound of the synths during the instrumental part.

 

Track 8: A repeated guitar riff leads in to a fantastic guitar solo and the full band joins. You’ve got to love this man’s voice, not to mention this song. My Morning Jacket – “One Big Holiday”, one of my favorite songs and bands.

 

Track 9: This one’s pretty interesting. Autotuned voices serve as the intro here, then synths start appearing and forming a backdrop as well as more layers. The chord progression is changed up a couple of times and twists are added. With the autotuned vocals in front throughout, this sounds like a remix of Bon Iver. The sound of the synths, the piano and the bass blend beautifully together.

 

Track 10: A strumming guitar and a man singing about how he joined a wolf pack when he was 17. Ultimately it’s about finding somewhere you belong, I guess. The double vocals add a lot, and again the vocals are centered, but I’m not a big fan.

 

Track 11: Kind of an interlude, and instrumental bit only lasting a minute.

 

Track 12: A distorted guitar figure is the backdrop for the first verse, then drums, bass

and more guitars are added, and the intensity stays high for a lot of the song.

 

Track 13: I recognize this voice; Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. Possibly from “Our Endless Numbered Days”. The vocals are placed below or beside the acoustic guitars in the mix, making them play together beautifully. Great song, definitely want to listen more to him now.

Edit: It was “Southern Anthem” off “The Creek Drank the Cradle”.

 

Track 14: An RnB or Soul song, maybe Mavis Staples. An electric guitar strumming leads into organ drums and bass. The lyrics are about how the singer has changed, and is now a different person. I like the rhythms and the bass playing, and the tightness of the musicians. Cool song.

 

Track 15: Another short song. The guitar picking and the melody sound exactly like the Simon & Garfunkel version of “Scarborough Fair”. There’s also something that sounds like a video game gun shot in the middle of it. Could be a poorly ripped track? The one verse sounds very out of context.

 

Track 16: The sound quality of the track is pretty low, so it’s hard to listen to with all the guitars. The actual song changes up between fast paced guitars and a slower paced singing part. But it’s hard to make an opinion.

 

Track 17: Another short interlude. Electric guitar strumming with effects contributes to the wide soundscape which also has a bass drum deeper in the mix. It ends very abruptly.

 

Track 18: I know this one as well, but it sounds different, so maybe an older recording. I’m pretty sure it’s Grace Potter singing, though. It’s a lot rougher and grittier than the album version, and a lot more rocked out. She has an amazing voice, and this is definitely my favorite song by her.

 

Track 19: A distant synthesizer leads way for an acoustic guitar strumming. There are touches of electric guitar and different synths and xylophone. It’s a calm, singer/songwriter kind of song. “One Step Closer to Knowing”

 

Track 20: Intense guitar strumming, then a breath of brass playing against each other. A fairly up beat song, centered on the strumming. The vocalist is British I think. It’s not fantastic, but I don’t think it’s bad.

 

Track 21: Knew this sounded familiar but couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Sounds cool as a string quartet, but then again so does nearly everything :p

 

Track 22: I think I recognize the guitar part, but I’m probably mistaking it for something else. It’s a bit poppy and serves the song well. Sounds a bit like Mew in a way. “The ground begins to talk” doesn’t really make any sense to me, though. Not sure what I think about it as a whole.

 

Track 23: The last track. An acoustic guitar that starts out sounding a bit like ‘Til Kingdom Come. In the chorus falsetto is used and some keyboards come in. It’s a nice ending.

 

All in all this is a mix with a lot of variation and a lot of good choices. If there’s anything to criticize it’s that some of the flow of the tape loses a bit if the songs that follow each other are too different instrumentally or dynamically. I usually try to keep an even flow and place the “related” songs near each other. That’s just my opinion, though. Good job! Even though I didn’t enjoy all the tracks I enjoyed listening to the songs you picked and look forward to seeing the tracklist.

 

**********

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! This was the first time I made a mixtape for anyone outside my immediate family, so I was pretty nervous about it! And after seeing that I'd be making the mixtape for you, (I'll be honest), I was actually pretty intimidated! :P So yeah, I'm so happy you liked it.

 

I can see why you thought the pacing was odd. I named the mixtape 'Cascades and Tremors' because I originally set out to create a dichotomy of sound, i.e. I wanted to layer the mixtape so that one song would be loud and bombastic (Tremors), followed by softer, more sentimental pieces and interludes in between (Cascades). I think a large portion of that idea was lost with the finished product, but you can still see parts of it here and there...

 

Alright, so track by track:

 

1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare (London Symphony Orchestra): I thought you might like that :P. It's a tradition in my household for me to make mixtapes for my whole family, and with each one I open up with that intro. It heralds back to my extreme (obsessive) adoration of the Star Wars franchise, but now it's become somewhat of a signature of mine when it comes to mixtapes.

 

2. Echoes of Mine (M83): This was one of my favorite tracks from M83's latest album, and I always envisioned opening a mixtape with this. It's epic in it's sound and proportions. The elderly women speaking during the dream is telling a story of her youth wherein she had a Rumpelstiltskin-esque experience where she fell asleep in a forest and woke up several years later.

 

3. Bible Belt (Dry the River): Ah! After looking through the Spotify link you gave of your profile I saw a lot of folk music on there and was hoping you might have not heard of them before, but alas. And yeah, they are an acquired taste of sorts.

 

4. What's Yr Favorite Dinosaur (The Main Drag): These guys are a fairly unknown band from Boston Mass. I liked the upbeat, pop/rock quality to their sound, but again I can totally understand why someone might not like them.

 

5. A Night in Summer Long Ago (Mark Knopfler): I adore this track, especially since it's from Mark Knopfler, one of my favorite artists of all time. The story tells of a 'Knight' in summer long ago who falls in love with a noblewoman who he meets during a feast during the Medieval Era.

 

6. Centred On You (Atlas Genius): I too didn't like the synths in this song at first. But like most Atlas Genius songs (the guys who made 'Trojans'), it grew on me. And yeah, it definitely has a distinct 80's sound.

 

7. Miracle (The Temper Trap): This was one of those songs that I knew right off the bat had to represent the 'Cascades' part of the mixtape. Nice, quiet and it doesn't take itself too seriously...

 

8. One Big Holiday (My Morning Jacket): I love these guys too! This has got be one of the best guitar solos in modern music imho. I saw that you already liked this band, but I already had it on the mixtape before you were assigned to me and I thought, 'Well, if anything else, he'll like ONE song on here' :laugh3:

 

9. Fire & Regeneration (Wendy & Lisa):This song is actually from the NBC show 'Heroes'. I remember loving this song for it's deep impact it had in it's resonance and couldn't help putting it on her as one of the 'Cascades'.

 

10. Furr (Blitzen Trapper): This was one of the only indie songs my brother ever introduced me to. After seeing how much folk music you enjoyed on Spotify I thought this might be a good fit. You win some and lose some I suppose...

 

11. Interlude (Interpol): Ironically enough, this song is simply called Interlude. It's a b-side from Interpol's sophomore album 'Antics' and I thought it served as a nice segue into the next song which is also by Interpol.

 

12. All Fired Up: I didn't want to take the chance with one of their more popular songs like 'Obstacle 1' or 'Evil' so I went with a not-so-well-known offering of theirs from their 3rd album.

 

13. Southern Anthem (The Creek Drank the Cradle): My favorite song from my favorite album of one of my favorite artists. I thought that this song just has an incredible beauty to it. It's simplistic, yet it evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia. Glad you liked it!

 

14. I Ain't The Same (Alabama Shakes): I discovered these guys fairly recently and thought they had a great southern rock/soul authenticity.

 

15. Elizabeth My Dear (The Stone Roses): Okay, so I have a confession; the mixtape was getting pretty lengthy, but I still wanted to have an interlude between the two fast-paced songs that eventually book-ended this one. And I didn't really have a lot of songs short enough that I thought would fit the overall sound of the mixtape so I settled for this one. Oh, and I've heard this about a dozen times and I NEVER noticed that odd little sound in the middle of the song. Good ear!

 

16. KC Accidental (Broken Social Scene): This is from BSS' second album which had a seriously lo-fi aspect to it. I originally hated it for sounding so cacophonous, but eventually grew to like it. So I guess the lesson learned from this mixtape is that if it took me a while to enjoy a song, others probably won't like it instantly either...

 

17. Lions (Walk the Moon): I liked the soundscape this song created too. After listening to the mixtape over again I realize this would have sounded a lot better following the M83 song at the start. Hindsight's 20/20 right?

 

18. Paris (Ooh La La) [Amanda Brown]: Not really a big fan of music competitions but, Amanda Brown's cover of this song by Grace Potter on 'The Voice' last year blew my socks off. Thought it served well as one of the 'Tremors' songs.

 

19. One Step Closer (U2): This is one of the only 'singer/songwriter' U2 songs I can think of off the top of my head. Love these guys, and I thought the buildup created by both the lyrics and the general sound of the song fit well as the mixtape begins to wind down from here.

 

20. The Underdog (Spoon): I was surprised to see that you hadn't heard this song actually. I'm not sure whether or not they're British. I'm gonna have to look that up now.

 

21. Lovers in Japan (Vitamin String Quartet): So I had a conundrum of sorts when I started picking songs for the mixtape. At first I thought, 'I don't want to put a Coldplay song on here since you've obviously heard their stuff'. Then I thought that I still wanted to pay homage to the fact that we all came together through our love of Coldplay, so I decided to add this instrumental cover of one of my favorite songs of theirs.

 

22. The River (Imagine Dragons): My favorite song by the moderately new band 'Imagine Dragons'. I thought it was similar to Coldplay in some respects and couldn't help but put it on here.

 

23. Be the Song (Foy Vance): The moment I heard this song I knew it would be perfect as a mixtape closer. The quiet sound to it and the way in which it addresses the listener and the music as a whole really made it my first choice for the ending.

 

 

Tracklist:

 

1. 20th Century Fox Fanfare (London Symphony Orchestra)

2. Echoes of Mine (M83)

3. Bible Belt (Dry the River)

4. What's Yr Favorite Dinosaur (The Main Drag)

5. A Night in Summer Long Ago (Mark Knopfler)

6. Centred On You (Atlas Genius)

7. Miracle (The Temper Trap)

8. One Big Holiday (My Morning Jacket)

9. Fire & Regeneration (Wendy & Lisa)

10. Furr (Blitzen Trapper)

11. Interlude (Interpol)

12. All Fired Up (Interpol)

13. Southern Anthem (Iron & Wine)

14. I Ain't The Same (Alabama Shakes)

15. Elizabeth My Dear (The Stone Roses)

16. KC Accidental (Broken Social Scene)

17. Lions (Walk the Moon)

18. Paris (Ooh La La) [Amanda Brown]

19. One Step Closer (U2)

20. The Underdog (Spoon)

21. Lovers in Japan (Vitamin String Quartet)

22. The River (Imagine Dragons)

23. Be The Song (Foy Vance)

 

So all in all, thanks for the positive review! I'm so glad you liked it! *sighs* My first mixtape... :)

[86Timewarp]

Sorry for being late :wreck:

 

My mixtape was entitles "Sounds That People Make." Already I knew that most of the songs in this collection wouldn't be mainstream-well known songs, but rather, songs that have a special/unique feel. The following are my first impressions of the 21 tracks. Songs in bold represent my favorites.

 

1. Foreign ballard, vintage feel (crackling), peaceful.

2. Interesting opening (guitar delays) - proceeds into techno.

3. A sustained note, sounds hallow, very relaxing; ambient noise.

4. Sounds like people banging on homemade pot-drums, "Take time," very intriguing, story being told.

5. "Uh uh oh?" is being repeated, builds into a mesh of guitar, percussion, and vocals.

6. Another foreign ballard, reminds me of a classic 1960s film.

7. This track gives me a 90s vibe for some reason. The singer is singing so quietly it's really hard to make-out what he is saying.

8. This track was very trippy to listen to. Two men are conversing and...a lot of random things are happening in the background.

9. String orchestra; interesting, there's a man proclaiming his issues and men are yelling at him.

10. Interesting piano loop. Keeps me occupied as I try to envision how the loop was made.

11. Is this Florence + The Machine? Soothing guitar plucking.

12. A lot of cymbals playing in between a piano riff a guitar chord; very fast paced.

13. Guitar plucking with drums. I enjoy this song very much.

14. As, good ol' synthesizers. "Michael" is being repeated. Sounds like something GLaDos would sing if Chell was a guy.

15. Very hard to keep time with this piece, very interesting rhythm.

16. Never heard of this band before. Very soothing and calming harmonics.

17. Starts with a simple drumming pattern that builds into a large band. I would like to know the band :wacko:

18. Mellow-rockish...Feels like one of those insert movie songs that follows the after-math of an epic house party.

19. Simple synth progression, but great vocals; very unique.

20. Very simple synth progression with faded vocal lines. Sounds like this song is from a movie.

21. A very soothing foreign piece of music. Gives me a French and Italian vibe. Great closer.

 

Overall verdict: This mixtape does live up to it's title of being a collection of "Sounds that People [do] make." Every song is unique and while some songs overlap due to the instruments and techniques used, each song has a unique sound. While most of these songs I will not be returning to because they're somewhat out of my comfort zone, that doesn't mean they will be deleted from my infinitely expanding music library. It was a pleasure listening to this mixtape on my train ride home from work.