Here is a sampler of some albums that caught my ear in the first four months of 2011.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the play button next to the track titles, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left. As always, I hope this sampler inspires you to learn more about the bands and support them by purchasing their music and attending their shows.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands”
From the compilation Seven Swans Reimagined
onjoyfulwings.bandcamp.com
When Sufjan Stevens released his epic Age of Adz/All Delighted People albums last year a lot of fans complained that they want to hear Seven Swans banjo strumming Sufjan again. Anyone who gave his new work a few listens was won over eventually and embraced his new sound and ideas (myself included). However, the geniuses over at On Joyful Wings made everyone happy again with the release of their for-charity compilation Seven Swans Reimagined. The collection features Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, The Gregory Brothers (sorry, no autotuning from them this time), Unwed Sailor, Half-Handed Cloud, David Crowder Band, and more. You can stream the album for free on bandcamp or drop a mere $10 to download it in super-dee-duper high quality. Best of all, the profits go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Iron and Wine – “Walking Far From Home”
From the album Kiss Each Other Clean
www.ironandwine.com
“Walking Far From Home” was the first single Sam Bean released from this album and it blew me away on the first listen. Like his song “The Trapeze Swinger,” he throws out conventional song structure for a never ending, ever beautiful song that is the purest example of poetry set to music. I defy you not get chills when the piano and ooo’s & aaah’s kick in after the line “I saw sinners making music and I dreamed of that sound, I dreamed of that sound” at the 30 second mark.

Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”
From the album Wounded Rhymes
www.lykkeli.com
This Swedish artist’s debut album in 2008 didn’t grab me like this sophomore effort has. I’m sure the comparisons to Bjork are rampant, if not only for their shared Scandinavian heritage. However, her ability to marry beautiful visuals with her music (both in videos and performances) is something she shares with her Icelandic contemporary. Be sure to head over to her YouTube channel and watch some of the stunning (and bizarre) music videos she has released this year.

Baths – “Pop Song”
From the album Pop Music/False B-Sides
www.bathsmusic.com
I not only got to interview Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS this year, but caught him in concert. On his tour he was selling digital downloads of this b-sides album. I’ll be honest and say it’s hit or miss – there are a couple tracks that I can’t stand. However, the good tracks are so great they completely overshadow the bad ones. Worth it.

Braids – “Plath Heart”
From the album Native Speaker
www.braidsmusic.com
I saw Braids open for BATHS in Atlanta and had no idea who they were. Wow. So far, my best new find of 2011. Seeing as how this is their debut album, I can’t wait to see what they have to deliver down the road.

The Head and the Heart – “Rivers and Roads”
From the re-release of their self-titled album
www.theheadandtheheart.com
Yes, I’m cheating here… sort of. THATH earned the #1 spot on my Top Ten Albums of 2010. In January they signed to indie super label Sub Pop and re-released their album in April. The album was completely remastered and featured the new track “Rivers and Roads” which was a fan favorite from their live shows. If you haven’t seen this early live performance of the song be prepared to have your mind blown.

Explosions in the Sky – “Human Qualities”
From the album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
www.explosionsinthesky.com
It’s been a solid 4+ years since these Texas instrumental post-rockers gave us a studio LP. Their return delivers the tried and true – their original sound that won them so many fans in the first place.

Adam Randall – “The Vanishing World”
From the album The Vanishing World, Part 1
www.adamrandallmusic.com
Adam Randall (of The Adam Project) released a digital mini-album this winter that really highlights his strengths. The stripped down production lets the poetry of his lyrics shine. I saw him perform with a full band at the SEVEN DAYS arts festival in Tampa, FL a couple months ago and he showcased some incredible new material; some quiet and intimate and a few loud and raucous. The “Part 1″ of this album’s title has me really pumped about the Part 2 and really hoping for a Part 3.

Julianna Barwick – “Flown”
From the album The Magic Place
www.juliannabarwick.com
By far, Julianna Barwick’s The Magic Place is one of the best things to come out this year. Her vocal arrangements cover you like waves as each beautiful layer of her looping voice washes over you. Whenever I need to relax and clear my mind, I play her music and peacefully slip into bliss. Like her previous work, her choral loops are front and center, but the sparse instrumentation she brought to the table with this album is what makes it. There’s no better example than the simple piano melody that fades in at the end of “Flown.”

Radiohead – “Morning, Mr. Magpie”
From the album The King of Limbs
www.thekingoflimbs.com
There is a satirical BBC video that sums up perfectly a lot of music lovers’ feelings about Radiohead over the last few years, but I’m not in their camp. The group has been my favorite band ever since I first heard OK Computer back in 1998 on my little Sony Discman that skipped if you look at it wrong. While their latest (mini) album is worlds apart from that pinnacle of rock music they put out 13 years ago, it still holds up for me. I’ve also seen a lot of criticism saying that The King of Limbs is just another Thom Yorke solo project and I disagree. As I listen to their latest offering I can hear Phil Selway’s signature uneven percussive rhythms, Colin Greenwood ever present on the bass, Ed O’Brien’s voice complementing Yorke’s as he croons out backup vocals, and of course Johnny Greenwood’s brilliant soundscape throughout. Yorke’s influence is of course very strong, but I’m not complaining. It’s as he said himself, “We’re like the U.N., and I’m the U.S.”

The Raveonettes – “Forget That You’re Young”
From the album Raven in the Grave
www.theraveonettes.com
I was a late joining The Raveonettes fan club and I almost cancelled my membership in 2009. It was their 2008 album Lust, Lust, Lust that won me over and their 2009 album that was lost on me. I didn’t want to get over excited about this 2011 release for fear of being disappointed again. I’m happy to say they returned to shoegazing noise pop of their earlier albums that I love so much. While probably not the best representative slice of the sound & feel of the album, “Forget That You’re Young” is definitely my favorite cut.

If you are a copyright owner of any of these tracks and wish to have them removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.14 – Early 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

** FIRST, A PLUG FOR THE BAND ** Catch Yo La Tengo this Friday, Jan 28th at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse

Some couples have a song that defines their relationship. Maybe it was the song playing on the radio when they first met. Maybe it was a song they sang along to in their car when dating. Maybe it was the one they danced to at their wedding reception. No matter the reason, they claim it as theirs, as “our song.”

My wife Heidi and I can’t pinpoint a single song but we do have a single band that is most definitely “our band”:

Yo La Tengo

It all began in the summer of 2000. We started dating and Yo La Tengo released And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out – an album all about falling in love. We both loved that record and spent many a late night in my car listening to it as we looked out over our college town (from this parking lot). For her birthday that year, I took her to our first concert together to see them play in Knoxville (and they still have a photo of that marquee on their web site). We would scour record stores together looking for obscure singles, EPs, and collaborations they released.

Today I can hardly listen to a single YLT song without having a vivid memory come to mind of some moment in the last 10 years of my wonderful relationship with Heidi. Sometimes it just makes me smile and other times my eyes begin to water.

If there is a common thread through YLT’s 14 studio albums, 12 EPs, 14 SPs, four compilation albums, and five film scores & soundtracks it is relationships – the good and the bad moments in them (but mostly the good). Ira and Georgia, the band’s founding members, have been married for over 20 years so they have a bit of experience when it comes to relationships and they approach the topic with a certain degree of maturity.

We know the YLT discography pretty well (and remember it’s a HUGE one), so we picked out some of our favorites and organized them into sets of three. Each set covers a different stage that every (healthy) relationship goes through. I’ve also included snippets of lyrics that we love from each of the songs. I hope it leads you to fall in love with Yo La Tengo too.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the play button next to the track titles, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left. As always, I hope this sampler inspires you to learn more about the band and support them by purchasing their music and attending their shows.

<< FALLING IN LOVE >>>>>>>>>>

<< CONFLICT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<< CONFLICT RESOLUTION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<< ENCOURAGEMENT >>>>>>>>>

<< COMMITMENT >>>>>>>>>>>>

If you are a copyright owner of any of these tracks and wish to have them removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.12 – Yo La Tengo on Relationships is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Normally I post a sampler of my Top Ten albums of the year on this site. However, this year, as a result of my collaboration with TheBlueIndian.com, I’ve posted my Top Ten mixtape over on their site.

You can jump over to their site and have read/listen to my picks for the best of the year.

Mixtape Vol.13 – Favorites of 2010 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I was in college from 1998-2001 and those were some wonderful years for music. When I browsed through my music collection one year really stood out – 2000. Pedro the Lion put out his incredible concept album. The Sea and Cake rolled out one of their best albums to date. On that same day, Radiohead turned the music world upside down with the release of Kid A. And Yo La Tengo gave us the songs my wife and I fell in love to. What a year!

Enjoy this collection of classics!

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Aphex Twin – “Flim”
From the 1997 album Come to Daddy
http://warp.net/records/aphex-twin
Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, is pretty much the godfather of electronic music. I really got into this genre in college and that was when he was at the top of his game. On the “Come to Daddy EP” he had some brain-bashing loud tracks, but also snuck in beautiful melodies like “Flim”.

Pedro the Lion – “Never Leave a Job Half Done”
From the 2000 album Winners Never Quit
http://www.davidbazan.com/
This album was a game changer for David Bazan’s Pedro the Lion. His music got heavier, darker, and the great song stories he was known for writing expanded into larger stories as concept albums.

This album loosely tells the tale of an adulterous politician who murders his wife. Dark stuff for sure, but Bazan ends the album with a beautiful, hopeful line about God’s grace:

count it a blessing that you’re such a failure
your second chance might
never have come

Damien Jurado – “Ohio”
From the 1999 album Rehearsals for Departure
http://damienjurado.com/
Jurado and Bazan go hand in hand. Both singer/songwriters who create beautiful stories, both hail from the Northwest, they played in a band together in high school, and even collaborated on Jurado’s 2000 album “Ghost of David” (guess who the David in the title is).

Rehearsals for Departure is probably his most beloved album, and “Ohio” is definitely the classic Jurado song. It tells the tale of an abducted child preparing to return to her mother after many years. The story is told from the perspective of some unknown friend, lover, or guardian who hates to see her leave but understands her need to be reunited with her mother. It’s incredibly moving.

Jim Guthrie – “Trust”
From the 2000 album A Thousand Songs
http://jimguthrie.org/
I found out about Canadian musician Jim Guthrie via the old music pirating FTP servers of the late 90s. Somebody with a server full of ripped music had an song of his that I downloaded. He was such an obscure indie artist, I had to mail order his other CDs directly from him.

Guthrie put out three more solo albums after A Thousand Songs and went on to join the bands Royal City, Islands, and Human Highway. However, we’ve never enjoyed his other projects as much as his solo work. In college, my wife and I would listen to him all the time and it felt like we were the only people on earth who knew the secret of this genius.

Stereolab – “Fuses”
From the 2000 album Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night
http://www.stereolab.co.uk/
While not considered Stereolab’s greatest album, this was the first CD of theirs that I owned. The album was produced by indie rock superstars Jim O’Rourke and John McEntire and took the group in more of a jazz fusion direction. I think it was the electric keyboards that won me over, but the bursts of horns didn’t hurt either.

Like their friends Yo La Tengo, this group is a music making machine. In 18 years they cranked out 11 LPs and countless EPs. They finally called it quits last year but I’ve got more than enough of their tunes to keep me entertained for another 18.

Boards of Canada – “ROYGBIV”
From the 1998 album Music has a Right to Children
http://www.boardsofcanada.com/
Elusive is an understatement when used to describe these two Scottish brothers. They haven’t performed a live show since 2001 (though they’ve released three full albums since 2002) and they never do interviews. Half the time they release music under other monikers making it hard to discover. Why I don’t know – because they are musical geniuses and everything they create is gold. If I was forced under threat of death to make a top three favorite bands list, these guys would be in it.

Music has a Right to Children is considered by many to be one of the greatest electronic albums ever made. While electronic music is normally thought of as being digital, these guys record onto analog tape reels and run them back and forth layering, looping and degrading them to achieve a very nostalgic sound. What they create is a bit like audible Super8 movies.

Radiohead – “Idioteque”
From the 2000 album Kid A
http://www.radiohead.com/
I heard Radiohead’s OK Computer during my senior year of high school. I was attending a conservative Christian boarding school in West Africa and secular music was not allowed. The CD was sent to me by a relative in the US (thanks Aunt Jane!) and I kept it hidden in my dorm room. I remember dubbing dozens of cassette copies of it and handing them out to my friends. I can’t think of any other album that had such an impact on my appreciation and love of music. But that was 1997 – this is a 1998 to 2001 mixtape.

In 2000, the band followed up the album that couldn’t be beat with something just as amazing. Kid A changed the entire landscape of popular music. I’m not exaggerating here. That album was the bridge from the 1990s’ grunge/alternative/post-rock scene and the 2000s electro pop sounds with beeps, bleeps, and samples. You can’t hardly hear a single song on today’s Billboard 100 that doesn’t do something Radiohead made mainstream with Kid A. It was a beautiful turning point.

The track “Idioteque” is a perfect example of the new direction popular culture took in the 2000s. The song is driven by an electronic beat and its entire melody is a four chord progression sampled from an experimental piece of electronic music composed in the 70s. That piece by Paul Lansky is in turn taken from Wagner opera “Tristan and Isolde” composed in the 1850s. Is that not the direction music has gone today? Or even the world? There is nothing new under the sun.

Fiona Apple – “Fast As You Can”
From the 1999 album When the Pawn
http://www.fiona-apple.com/
It seems that both musician Fiona Apple and film director P.T. Anderson’s brilliance peaked in the late 90s when they were dating each other. Their collaboration on several amazing music videos for this album are a perfect example of that (1, 2, 3, 4). I still love both of those artists (though I don’t think they love each other any more) but they haven’t matched the creative genius they achieved when they were acting as each other’s muses.

The Innocence Mission – “Where Does The Time Go?”
From the 1999 album Birds of my Neighborhood
http://www.theinnocencemission.com/
My wife introduced me to this group in college and they seem to have this incredibly timeless sound to them. She calls is “comfort music,” a description no doubt aided by lead singer Karen Peris’ beautiful, dreamy voice.

Bonus: Check out Sufjan Stevens’ cover of their song “Lakes of Canada”

Aimee Mann – “One”
From the 1999 album Magnolia Soundtrack
http://www.aimeemann.com/
Yet another work of genius inspired by P.T. Anderson. Aimee Mann performed most of the songs on the soundtrack for his wonderfully complex film Magnolia. I loved that whole album but haven’t been able to get into any of her follow-ups.

Moby – “Porcelain”
From the 1999 album Play
http://www.moby.com/
Moby’s “Play” album was huge success. To this day it stands as the best-selling electronic dance record of all time. No matter who you are, I can guarantee you’ve heard at least some of this album because it was the first ever album to have all of its tracks licensed for commercial use. It has shown up over and over in countless commercials and films. There’s a reason for that – the album was great from start to finish. Sure we’re sick of hearing those 30 second snippets played over and over in ads but you can’t deny that Play is a new classic.

The Sea and Cake – “Afternoon Speaker”
From the 2000 album Oui
http://www.theseaandcake.com/
My brother-in-law Kenny Jensen is The Sea and Cake’s greatest fan. He has introduced countless people to this jazzy rock band and they are all grateful. I know Kenny will read this and I’m sure I couldn’t do Sam Prekop and this talented crew justice with a short summary. I will say that one of the things that I love about The Sea and Cake is how simple their music sounds on the surface, but how complex the layers are beneath it. Unity in diversity would be one way to describe it.

Sunny Day Real Estate – “How It Feels To Be Something On”
From the 1998 album How It Feels To Be Something On
http://www.sunnydayrealestate.net/
When I hear Sunny Day I instantly think back to Y2K when I was cruising around Seattle in a van with old high school friends with How It Feels… blaring as we looked for ways to party the millennium away. The band broke up and then re-united twice since their first album in 1994 and rumor has it they are working together again on a new album. I’m not sure they could ever match their first three albums simply because of the nostalgia I have for those records now.

Steve Reich – “Music for 18 Musicians: Section I”
From the 2000 record re-issue of Music for 18 Musicians
http://www.stevereich.com/
While this piece was composed and premiered in 1976, it didn’t find its way to a CD release until 2000. My friend Jym Davis opened my ears to Reich with a 10-disc box set he acquired while working at Knoxville’s Disc Exchange. Steve Reich and his contemporary Philip Glass were favorites during my college years and always seemed to be on repeat (that last bit’s a joke that you’ll get once you hear some of their minimalism).

Yo La Tengo – “Our Way To Fall”
From the 2000 album And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
http://www.yolatengo.com/
I saved the best for last! My wife and I may be these indie rock veterans’ biggest fans. Since 1984 they’ve released fourteen studio albums, twelve EPs, fourteen SPs, four compilation albums, and five film scores & soundtracks.

When dating my wife in college this band was the one we loved together. And there’s no better soundtrack for a couple that is falling love and wants to spend the rest of their lives together than And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out.

Here are just some of the beautiful lyrics from “Our Way To Fall”

I remember a summer’s day
I remember walking up to you
I remember my face turned red
I remember staring at my feet
I remember before we met
I remember sitting next to you
I remember pretending I wasn’t looking
So try and try even if it lasts an hour
with all our might try and make it ours
cause we’re on our way, we’re on our way to fall in love

It helps that Ira and Georgia, two of the three band members, have been married for well over two decades and write honest songs about their love for each other – through the good and the bad. It also helps that each album is a great balance of slow sentimental tracks, upbeat pop tunes, and insanely loud improvised rock jam sessions. We’ve seen them in concert together three times and they are some of the best times we’ve had together. Not only are the musicians incredibly talented but their songs remind us that we are still on our way to fall in love.

Sneak peek: an upcoming mixtape will consist solely of Yo La Tengo songs – after all with a discography the size of theirs I could probably make 11 more mixtapes.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.11 – Oldie but a Goodie is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I honor of my upcoming trip, I’ve put together this mixtape of some of my favorite African musicians. Their styles are as diverse as the continent and its cultures. From Alpha & Lucky’s reggae grooves to Fela Kuti’s afrobeat jams, it’s all different and it’s all good.

Enjoy the tunes and if you hear something you like visit the artists’ web sites and support them by buying their albums.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

The Very Best – “Mfumu”
From the album Warm Heart of Africa, 2009
http://www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace
Esau Mwamwaya is from Malawi but teamed up with a London DJ/production duo to create The Very Best. They blend traditional music of Malawi with dance, hip-hop, and pop. You can download their debut mixtape for free.

Youssou N’Dour – “Pullo Ardo”
From the album Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take)
http://www.youssou.com/
Called Africa’s most popular musician by Rolling Stone, this Senegalese Grammy winner is a legend. He started singing in the griot tradition of his ancestors and made the style his own. Even if you don’t understand his Wolof lyrics, you’ll be singing along in no time.

Alpha Blondy – “Cocody Rock”
From the album Cocody Rock
http://www.myspace.com/alphablondy
This reggae star was the Ivory Coast’s most popular singer. I saw him once in a hotel lobby and he was surrounded by adoring women. “Cocody Rock” is one of his most famous songs and he actually traveled to Jamaica to record it with Bob Marley’s backing band The Wailers.

Tinariwen – “Assouf”
From the album Aman Iman (Water Is Life)
http://www.tinariwen.com/
Former rebels trained by Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi, these Tuareg warrior poets traded their weapons for instruments. The music collective has been playing together since 1979, but it wasn’t until 2000 that they began to get international recognition. You’ll be blown away by the guitars on this track.

Toumani Diabaté’s Symmetric Orchestra – “Ya Fama”
From the album Boulevard De L’Independance
http://www.myspace.com/toumanidiabate
Diabeté is an incredible Malian kora player. His Symmetric Orchestra is composed of other West African griots that play a variety of traditional instruments like the djembe, balafon and bolombatto.

Saka Acquaye – “Concomba”
From the album High Life
Acquaye was a popular Ghanaian musician best known for his contributions to the highlife genre – a free jazz style with calypsonian roots. This album is 2002 a reissue of an original record from the 1970s.

Amadou & Mariam – “Je Kiffe”
From the album Welcome to Mali
http://www.amadou-mariam.com/
I’ve had this amazing Malian couple on my mixtapes before so I won’t go on about how awesome they are again. This song has some great lyrics about choosing your friends well.

Rokia Traoré – “Yorodjan”
From the album Tchamantché
http://www.nonesuch.com/artists/rokia-traore
Yet another amazing Malian musician! Though Traoré’s style of simple guitar and vocals departs a bit from the country’s traditional music you can still hear its roots. Her voice is simply stunning.

Ayub Ogada – “Obiero”
From the album En Mana Kuoyo
http://www.myspace.com/ayubogada
It’s a shame this Kenyan musician has released only one full album. He had a couple tracks appear on some soundtracks since then and had an EP released on iTunes in 2007. After that he returned to Kenya and sort of disappeared. I can only hope he sends some more music our way in the near future.

K’Naan – “Wavin’ a Flag (Live at SXSW 2009)”
Original track from the album Troubadour
http://knaanmusic.ning.com/
Somali born K’Naan creates a great blend of hip-hop and reggae. This live version of “Wavin’ a Flag” is from a show sponsored by NPR’s All Songs Considered. I prefer it over the album version because it has an extra verse at the beginning about the violence he saw as a child in his war-torn homeland. Hear his entire SXSW 2009 set here.

Salif Keita – Sina
From the 1987 album Soro
http://www.myspace.com/salifkeitamusic
Salif Keita is royalty – a descendant of Sunjata Keita, who founded the Mali Empire in 1240. He has been dubbed the Golden Voice of Africa and his afro-pop sounds have been influencing music since the early 1970s.

Lucky Dube – “Prisoner”
From the 1989 album of the same name
http://www.luckydubemusic.com/
For 25 years Lucky was South Africa’s most prolific and popular reggae star. He cranked out over 22 albums before he was murdered in 2007. I was living in Ghana at the time and I distinctly remember how emotional a taxi driver was on that day. It was sadly ironic, that men living the lives of crime that Dube so often sang against would take his life.

Hermas Zopoula – “Jesus Hiesu Luri”
From the album Espoir (Hope)
http://asthmatickitty.com/hermas-zopoula/
A Christian from Burkina Faso, Zopoula is a singer-songwriter whose music varies from simple guitar & balafon to the catchy, slightly cheesy pop I heard all the time growing up in West Africa.

Ali Farka Touré – “Erdi”
From the album Savane
http://www.myspace.com/alifarkatoureofficial
Mali-born Touré blended West African music with its American cousin – the blues. Internationally renowned for his skills on the guitar, Rolling Stone put him in their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. Savane was the last album he released before he died in 2007 and it considered to be one of his best.

Fela Kuti – “Shakara”
From the album Shakara
http://www.felaproject.net/
Nigerian afro-pop pioneer Fela Kuti is on the comeback. In 2008, an off-broadway musical was written about his life, this year his entire catalogue is being reissued, and next year a biopic directed by artist Steve McQueen will be released about him. Listen to this awesome funk track “Shakara” and you’ll be glad Kuti is popular again.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.10 – African Edition is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I should note a few worthy new releases that didn’t make this mixtape: The Knife‘s opera Tomorrow, In A Year, Eluvium‘s Similes, Clogs‘ The Creatures in the Garden…, The Album Leaf‘s A Chorus of Storytellers, Peter Gabriel‘s collection of cover songs: Scratch My Back, and Shearwater‘s The Golden Archipelago.

Enjoy the tunes and if you hear something you like visit the artists’ web sites and support them by buying their albums.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Jónsi – “Go Do”
From the album Go
http://jonsi.com/
Jonsi is the front man for the popular Icelandic band Sigur Ros. This is his first solo album and it sounds a bit like a more upbeat and optimistic variation on his usual band’s music. It is also the first time he has sung in English (he usually sings in his native tongue and sometimes in his own gibberish language “Hopelandic”). I also recommend you check out the article Christian magazine Relevant recently ran on “The Spiritual Side” of his music.

Aufgang – “Good Generation”
From their self-titled debut album
http://www.myspace.com/aufgangsonar
When I read the first line of Pitchfork’s review of Aufgang I knew I was going to love it. They said ‘If you’ve ever listened to Bach’s Goldberg Variations and thought, “Pretty cool; could use some hot beats,” then you’re going to love Aufgang.’ They were right. The album blends piano, live drums, and electronica incredibly well. Some tracks highlight the piano, others the beats. Overall it makes for a great, unique mix. Now if they’d only remix some of the classic Glenn Gould recordings!

Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”
From the album The Winter of Mixed Drinks
http://www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit
This Scottish indie band is back with their 3rd studio album. Somehow Scott Hutchinson manages to sing about sentimental love and heartbreak without getting sappy. He’s also one of those vocalists who can make his voice waiver and crack without detracting from the song. And man can he sing a catchy hook!

Four Tet – “Circling”
From the album Love Cry
http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden
The latest electronic tunes from Keiran Hebdan (aka Four Tet) have a heavy dance influence than his past work, but it’s his minimalist tendencies that keep me coming back. I’d easily place Four Tet in my Top 5 electronic musicians of all time (up there with greats like Aphex Twin and Boards of Canadad).

Broken Bells – “The Ghost Inside”
From their self-titled debut album
http://www.brokenbells.com/
Oddly enough, I’ve never listend to much of The Shins’ music or work produced by the legendary Danger Mouse. Broken Bells is a collaboration of The Shins’ lead vocalist James Mercer and Danger Mouse’s Brian Burton. They kept this project a secret for 5 years before finally putting out this incredible and eclectic album. Every track offers something different and unique from Mercer’s vocals and Burton’s soundscape.

Beach House – “Walk in the Park”
From the album Teen Dream
http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic
Beach House’s third dream-pop album is their best yet in my opinion. Singer Victoria Legrand’s voice is one of the best around and is what makes this indie band shine.

Damien Jurado – “Cloudy Shoes”
From the album Saint Bartlett
http://www.myspace.com/damienjurado
One of my favorite singer/songwriters, Jurado’s latest is a bit of a departure from his well-known (loved) folk singer style. This opening track from Saint Bartlett has a grand cinematic quality to it that just slays me.

Laura Gibson & Ethan Rose – “Boreas Borealis”
From the album Bridge Carols
http://www.myspace.com/bridgecarols
Laura Gibson is a soft-spoken folk singer with one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. She did no wrong by collaborating with Ethan Rose, an ambient electronica musician for this album. The way they created the album is like nothing I’ve heard of before: she would sing random vocalizations and snippets of verses a’capella and he would cut&paste them over top of his atmospheric tracks. Read more about the process at www.bridgecarols.com

Pantha Du Prince – “Lay in a Shimmer”
From the album Black Noise
http://www.panthaduprince.com/
Haven’t figured it out yet? I love minimal techno. This track really starts kicking around 1:49 where musician Hendrik Weber cranks up the bass line.

Vampire Weekend – “Cousins”
From the album Contra
http://www.vampireweekend.com/
Expectations were really high for Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album and in my opinion they delivered. Not only is “Cousins” one of the standout tracks from the album, but it has a great music video to accompany it. I can pretty much guarantee that this album will be on my Top Ten of 2010.

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ Second Floor
From their debut album Weathervanes
http://www.freelancewhales.com/
This band is new on the indie scene and didn’t skimp on their debut album which packs in a whoopin’ 13 songs (the trend of late seems to be new bands putting out 4-6 song EPs to start). You can’t help but love this band which seems to have all the right ingredients: unique instruments (like a harmonium and waterphone), band sing-along oooh’s and aaah’s, some synths, and oh yea, a xylophone (of course). They even started their career by playing impromptu shows in the subways of New York. I caught them live in Atlanta earlier this year and you can see my photos & video of them on my blog. Be sure to add these guys to your “bands to watch in 2010″ list.

Washed Out – “Untitled #2″
From the 2010 tour-only EP
http://www.myspace.com/thebabeinthewoods
The brains behind Washed Out is Ernest Greene of Perry, Georgia (yup, the little ole’ Perry just down the road from Macon!). So far he’s only released two EPs and one of those was on cassette tape. Folks lucky enough to see him live have a chance to buy a CD-R available only at his shows. His music reminds me a lot of M83 and Memory Tapes.

Jóhann Jóhannson – “End Theme”
From the album And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees
http://www.johannjohannsson.com/
Jóhannson is a brilliant contemporary composer up there with Max Richter. He has scored lots of films from his homeland of Iceland but also scores music for the stage and art installations. This latest work has some truly beautiful piano and choral segments in it and is one I like to put on as I drift off to sleep at night.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.9 – 1st Quarter 2010 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Dan Deacon – “Slow with Horns/Run for your Life”
From the album Bromst
http://www.myspace.com/dandeacon
Be sure to watch the mini-documentary Pitchfork made during the recording & mixing of this great album – it’ll make you love & appreciate it even more.

Dirty Projectors – “Useful Chamber”
From the album Bitte Orca
http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Skeletons”
From the album It’s Blitz
http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/

The Very Best – “Yalira”
From the album Warm Heart of Africa
hhttp://www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace

Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others”
From the album Veckatimest
http://www.grizzly-bear.net/

Phoenix – “Fences”
From the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
http://www.wearephoenix.com/

Amadou & Mariam – “Ce N’est Pas Bon”
From the album Welcome to Mali
http://www.amadou-mariam.com/

The Field – “The More That I Do”
From the album Yesterday and Today
http://www.wearephoenix.com/

Animal Collective – “Also Frightened”
From the album Merriweather Post Pavilion
http://www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband

Passion Pit – “The Reeling”
From the album Manners
http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
Be sure to check out their music video for this track.

Memory Tapes – “Bicycle”
From the album Seek Magic
http://www.myspace.com/memorytapes

Laura Gibson – “Glory”
From the album Beasts of Season
http://www.myspace.com/lauragibson

A few other favorites from the year:

• Mew – No More Stories…
• The Low Anthem – Oh, My God Charlie Darwin
• Beirut/Realpeople – The March of the Zapotec/Holland
• Various Artists – Dark was the Night
• Fever Ray
• A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Ashes Grammar
• Iron & Wine – Around the Well
• Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
• El Perro del Mar – Love is not Pop
• Taken by Trees – East of Eden
• Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
• The xx
• Atlas Sound – Logos
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
• J. Tillman – Year in the Kingdom
• Alela Diane – To Be Still
• Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.8 – Favorites of 2009 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

The first half of this mixtape is nice and mellow. Things start to pick up speed when The Raveonettes start jamming on track 9.

You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Sparkplug Minuet (Mark Mothersbaugh)
From The Royal Tenenbaums Soundtrack
www.markmothersbaugh.com
This track from the grand finale in the film is one of my favorite pieces of music. It is so simple and the way it builds and builds just gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Then again, that long shot in the movie during which this track plays gives me goosebumps too.

O Little Town of Bethlehem (The Innocence Mission)
from the free 2008 compilation Sounds Familyre Christmas Vol. 2
www.theinnocencemission.com
One of Heidi’s favorite bands, The Innocence Mission’s lead singer Karen Peris has one of the most beautiful and unique voices. Though this arrangement of the classic song is nothing special, her vocals make it so.

Little Drummer Boy (Mark Kozelek)
from his 2006 live album “Little Drummer Boy”
www.markkozelek.com
Kozelek fronts the Americana band “Sun Kil Moon” which my Top 20 albums of 2008 list. This song has always been my favorite Christmas song and I love his rendition of it without drums.

Star, Star (The Swell Season)
from their 2009 Daytrotter Session.
www.theswellseason.com
This duo was behind the much-beloved 2008 film “Once”. I haven’t seen the movie or heard much of their music, but this quiet song won me over last week when I heard it for the first time.

Joy, Joy!!! (Bifrost Arts)
from their 2009 compilation Salvation is Created
www.greatcomfortrecords.com
One of the best Christmas albums released in years! Support this fledgling record label (brain child of Daniel Smith of Danielson) and buy the album.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Laura Gibson)
from the 2008 compilation Peace on Earth: A Charity Holiday Album
www.myspace.com/lauragibson
Another incredible female vocalist – Laura Gibson takes a classic Christmas song and breathes new life into it. The layering of her voice in this version reminds me of old Christmas carols sung in the 1930s.

If You Were Born Today (Low)
from their 1999 Christmas album
www.chairkickers.com
This Mormon couple’s Christmas album is a mix of classic and original songs. This song could be a bit depressing as it sings to baby Jesus that “If you were born today, we’d kill ya by age eight.” It is good reminder that God’s plan and timing for the birth of Christ were perfect and that His message of joy, peace, forgiveness, meekness, and humility are more important than ever.

Sister Winter (Sufjan Stevens)
from the 2006 box set Songs for Christmas
www.asthmatickitty.com/sufjan-stevens
One of my favorite Sufjan originals from his best-thing-ever 5-CD Christmas album.

Christmas, Baby Please Come Home (The Raveonettes)
from their 2008 EP Wishing You a Rave Christmas
www.theraveonettes.com/
Have a noise pop filled Christmas!

Little Drummer Boy (Lindstrøm)
www.myspace.com/feedelity
This is a 5-minute edit of the 40-minute track. Fun stuff!

Home for Christmas (Half-Handed Cloud)
from his 2009 album Cut Me Down & Count My Rings
www.halfhandedcloud.com
This song originally appeared on last year’s Sounds Familyre Christmas Vol. 2 but was re-released this year on HHC’s 46 track collection of b-sides & unreleased songs.

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve (remix of Ella Fitzgerald)
from 2008 compilation Verve Remixed: Christmas
www.ververemixed.com
Verve Records have put out five great compilations of classics from their catalog that have been remixed by popular DJs & producers. This track is a highlight off their Christmas release.

Christmas Reindeer (The Knife)
released as a single in 2008
www.theknife.net
Leave it to Swedish avant-garde siblings The Knife to create the weirdest Christmas song you’ve ever heard (and enjoyed).

Angels We Have Heard On High (Sufjan Stevens)
from the yet-to-be released Songs for Christmas Vol. 8
This song leaked online last year along with the rest of “Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage”. The album has a lot more electronic sounds in it (much to my delight) and reminds me a bit of his earlier “Enjoy Your Rabbit” tunes.

Winter (Fennesz)
from Adult Swim’s free compilation Warm & Scratchy
Not necessarily a Christmas song, but it is a nice moody piece to end this mixtape with.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.7 – Have a Haunie Christmas is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.
This mixtape is dedicated to one of my favorites Swedes – Elisabeth Faile.

Erlend Oye – “Sheltered Life (remix) and Fine Night”
From his 2004 mix DJ Kicks
http://www.erlendoye.com/
Erlend Øye is best known for being half of the Norwegian folk duo Kings of Convenience. He’s also an incredible electronic musician that has released two solo electro-dance albums and fronts electro-pop band Whitest Boy Alive.

I Was a King – “It’s All You”
from their self-titled debut album
http://www.iwasaking.com/
These Norwegian rockers entered my radar thanks to the fella playing the piano on this track – he is none other than Sufjan Stevens. Their album has the feel of a young band trying to establish its style. I’m expecting good things from them down the road.

I’m From Barcelona – “Chicken Pox”
from their 2006 album “Let Me Introduce My Friends”
http://www.imfrombarcelona.com/
Silly. Childish. Nonsensical. Folks might use those words to describe the songs of the 22+ member band known as “I’m From Barcelona” (they’re not, they’re from Norway). However, as you listen to their songs they grow on you and connect in a personal way. For me they bring back childhood memories – especially the track I chose for this mixtape. “You can’t have it once you’ve had it…”

Air France – “Hold On To Me, Baby”
from the SP of the same title.
http://www.myspace.com/theairfrance
You’re going to notice a trend in these Swedish artists – they like to use band names to imply non-Scandinavian locations. Air France has nothing to do with the French airline but they do make dreamy music ideal for listening to while staring out of airplane windows. Their electronic music sounds like it should be part of a soundtrack

The Raveonettes – “Hallucinations”
from their 2008 album Lust Lust Lust
http://www.theraveonettes.com/
This Danish shoe-gazing duo has been a favorite of mine ever since my uncle introduced me to them a few years back. The last album Lust Lust Lust is by far my favorite, but there’s already a new one scheduled for release this October.

Mew – “Apocalypso”
from the 2005 album And the Glass Handed Kites
http://www.mewsite.com/
Danish rockers Mew have jokingly referred to themselves as “pretentious art rock” and as “the world’s only indie stadium band.” They definitely have a big sound and they are a great roll-the-windows-down-and-sing-along-even-though-you-don’t-know-the-words band. (or if you know the words and don’t understand what the heck they are talking about)

The Knife – “Heartbeats”
from their 2003 album Deep Cuts
http://www.theknife.net/
This Swedish brother-sister duo are a bit odd – they rarely make public appearances and when they do, they wear masks. They create dark electro pop unlike anything else you’ve heard before.

El Perro Del Mar – “A Better Love”
from the 2009 release Love Is Not Pop
http://www.elperrodelmar.com/
You Spanish speakers have already figured it out – El Perro Del Mar translates as “The Dog from the Sea.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t explain a thing about her – in fact, I know very little about her background. I do know she has an incredible voice and we’ve used some of her tracks to lull Trey to sleep when he was a baby.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio – “Ballad for the Unborn”
from their 2003 album Seven Days of Falling
http://www.est-music.com/
This Swedish jazz piano trio won me over when I heard them 6 years ago on NPR’s All Songs Considered. Their music had an instantly calming effect. Unfortunately, last year Svensson died in a tragic diving accident and the band is no more.

José González – “Down The Line”
from the 2009 album In Our Nature
http://www.jose-gonzalez.com/
You wouldn’t guess José González is Swedish singer-songwriter from his name. However, his parents were from Argentina and immigrated to Sweden in the 1970s during political turmoil back home. González made a name for himself when he covered The Knife’s song Heartbeats on his debut album and it was used in a wildly popular Sony Bravia commercial.

Fever Ray – “I’m Not Done”
from her 2009 self-titled debut
http://www.www.feverray.com/
Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson is one half of the Swedish group The Knife featured earlier on this mix tape. Her solo debut album under the alias Fever Ray has obvious ties to her family project. Her music is very dark but manages not to be depressing. Like Björk, Karin’s art also goes well beyond her music and extends into her wonderful music videos that accompany her tracks. You can check them out at http://vimeo.com/feverray

The Field – “The More That I Do”
from their 2009 album Yesterday and Today
http://www.myspace.com/thefieldsthlm
The techno scene has always been much more popular in Europe than here in the US. A relatively small number of electronic artists cross over the Atlantic to make it “big” in the US. Swedish musician Axel Willner (aka The Field) received critical acclaim for his 2007 debut album From Here We Go Sublime and made several “Best of 2007″ lists with it. This year he released a new album that is just as good/better than the first one. I was lucky enough to catch The Field on tour earlier this year and see Willner knob twiddling live!

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.6: Scandinavianvasion is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Crystal Castles – “Untrust Us”
From their debut album
http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
My brother-in-law Kenny Jensen introduced me to this Canadian duo’s incredibly intense and chaotic music that is full of samples and distorted vocals. This track is the opener off the album and is definitely my favorite.

El Ten Eleven – “Jumping Frenchmen of Maine”
from their 3rd album These Promises are Being Videotaped
http://www.elteneleven.com/
I have the site Pandora to thank for discovering these rock instrumentalists. I had built a station for Yo La Tengo and they showed up in the queue. Another track off the album has been featured in the trailer for Gary Hustwit’s new documentary Objectified.

Passion Pit – “Little Secrets”
from their 2009 album “Manners”
http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
This album by Passion Pit has been one of the most anticipated of the year (by me especially) and it really delivered! Their upbeat tunes with catchy chorus lines and poppy synths just make me really, really happy.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”
from their 2009 album It’s Blitz
http://www.yeahyeahyeahs.com/
I had never been much of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan (other than loving their video that Spike Jonze directed). This new album, however, is being played a lot on my iPod. You also have to check out their new video for this track which involves a dancing werewolf and lots and lots of confetti blood.

Amadou & Mariam – “Batoma”
from their ridiculously good 2009 album Welcome to Mali
http://www.amadou-mariam.com/
This Malian duo really got popular after their last album “Dimanche a Bamako.” They’ve been making music together for years and used to record in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire where I lived. This latest album is a great variety of music styles and even features a guest spot by up-and-coming Somalian hip-hop artist K’naan.

Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
from their 2009 album Veckatimest
http://grizzly-bear.net/
I’m really loving this new trend of pop & rock bands that actually focus on have great vocals and harmonies. This song uses harmonies to establish a bit of a creepy vibe. Watch the accompanying music video to really see that effect played out.

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner – “Big Red Machine”
from the 2009 compilation Dark was the Night
http://www.boniver.org/
http://www.americanmary.com/
http://www.darkwasthenight.com/
Aaron Dessner from the band “The National” produced and curated Dark was the Night one of the best compilations I’ve heard in a long, long time. He managed to create a tracklist that is basically a who’s who in indie music. This is one of my favorite songs from the 2-disc set and is performed by Dessner and Justin Vernon of “Bon Iver.”

Múm – “Dancing Behind My Eyelids”
from their 2007 album Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
http://www.myspace.com/mumtheband
Icelandic musical group Múm seemed disappear for a couple years after a disappointing 2004 album and having several of its band members quit. They came back together in late 2007 and released Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy which was a great comeback album. The collective is know for their soft vocals and their use of all sorts of trinkets and tools as instruments.

Explosions in the Sky – “Your Hand In Mine”
from the Friday Night Lights soundtrack
http://www.explosionsinthesky.com/
The soundtrack to a football movie is one of the last things I thought I’d be listening to but when Explosions in the Sky are the instrumentalists, I’m there. This Texas band is know for their long, cinematic instrumental tracks and for this film soundtrack project they took the core melodies from several of their 8-12 minute songs and condensed them into 3-4 minute tracks. This song is one of my favorites from the album and I plan to use it soon in a video project.

Beirut (Realpeople) – “No Dice”
from the double-disc album March of the Zapotec/Holland
http://www.beirutband.com
Realpeople is an electronic side project of Zach Condon’s. These electronic and ambient tracks were an odd pairing on his 2009 release that featured a disc full of songs backed by a 19-piece Mexican marching band.

Phoenix – “Love Like A Sunset”
from the 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix
Phoenix’s 2007 album was one of the best pop albums of that year – now they’re doing it again with a release that I can’t stop listening to. There isn’t a bad track on the album. This one is the longest one and is mostly instrumental. I highly recommend you check out their MySpace page to hear some of their other great tunes.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.5 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Stars – “What I’m Trying To Say”
Part 2 remixed by The Dears on the album Can You Trust your Friends?
http://www.myspace.com/stars
http://www.thedears.org/
Stars aren’t a band I find myself listening to all that often, but when I’m in the mood for upbeat pop they are just the ticket. In 2007 they released the album “Do You Trust Your Friends?” on which each track was a remix of an original from their 2005 album “Set Yourself on Fire”. Two stand out tracks from that remix album made it to this mixtape.

Radiohead – “Skttrbrain”
Remixed by Four Tet
http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/
http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden
Four Tet has been a favorite electronic artist of mine for a while. He does lots of remixes and it seems that everything he touches turns to gold. Pairing him up with a track off Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief” album was nothing short of brilliant. Only he could pull off making Thom Yorke’s Scatterbrain even better.

Boom Bip – “Walk Around Mirror Lake”
Remixed by Boards of Canada
http://www.myspace.com/boombip
http://www.myspace.com/abeautifulplace
Boards of Canada (BoC) have been around for a while and are the best of the best in their genre. I know nothing of the artist Boom Bip and haven’t heard the original song but BoC’s remix is gorgeous. Heidi and I listened to it on repeat in 2004 as we drove through the Rockies – it was the perfect soundtrack. I later used it with a short video I made about that trip.

Bloc Party – “The Pioneers”
Remixed by M83 on the album Silent Alarm Remixed
http://www.myspace.com/blocparty
http://www.myspace.com/m83
Like Stars, Bloc Party put out a remix album of their own “Silent Alarm.” The remix album is as good (or even better) than the original! One of my favorites is M83′s reworking of “The Pioneers” in which they take the original rocking track and seem to elevate it to 20,000 feet and let it float around in the sky.

Beck – “Broken Drum”
Remixed by Boards of Canada for the deluxe edition of the album Guero
http://www.beck.com/
http://www.myspace.com/abeautifulplace
On BoC’s remix of this Beck track from Guero, they do as M83 did with “Pioneers” and they slow the song down with no drums or electric guitar. It ends up having a trance-like, slow-motion feel that lowers your heart rate and has you rolling your head around.

Stars – “Sleep Tonight”
Remixed by Junior Boys on the album Do You Trust Your Friends?
http://www.myspace.com/stars
http://www.juniorboys.net/
Back to Stars’ remix album, this time with the amazing Junior Boys duo working their magic on a track with video game sounding bips and bops.

Ra Ra Riot – “Ghost Under Rock”
Remixed by Passion Pit
http://www.rarariot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
This song was my first introduction to both Passion Pit and Ra Ra Riot. I immediately looked up the original song and found it to be very similar to the remix. Now Ra Ra Riot’s 2008 album “Rhumb Line” is in a steady rotation on my iPod. Passion Pit has a full-length album entitled “Manners” coming out in a few months which should be really great.

Beth Orton – “Daybreaker”
Remixed by Four Tet
http://www.bethorton.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden
Beth Orton has been around for a while and makes great music but it tends to all blend together for me. This Four Tet remix of the title track from her 2002 album “Daybreaker” adds some great new layers of textures.

Nathan Fake – “You Are Here”
Remixed by Four Tet
http://www.nathanfake.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden
In 2006, 23 year-old Nathan Fake, a newcomer to the electronic music scene, put out his first full-length album “Drowning in a Sea of Love.” On that release was “You Are Here” – a fantastic electronic song. However, it is a little rough around the edges and the static noise he uses in the song can be tough for some folks to swallow. Enter electronica veteran Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), who took the track and produced a polished and more accessible remix that I could listen to over and over and over again. Fake has a new album coming out this year and I’m anxious to hear how he has grown musically over the past 3 years.

The Big Pink – “Velvet”
Remixed by Gang Gang Dance
http://www.musicfromthebigpink.com/
http://www.ganggangdance.com
When I saw Gang Gang Dance in concert earlier this year I realized that I like their instrumental/electronic tracks best. This remix is of song by a band I’d never even heard of, but I can tell the original must be just as great as the remix. In typical GGD style, the song is very eclectic jumping from clean vocals to clicks and noise to echoes and drags. Those guys (and gal) are all over the place and it keeps things exciting.

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks”
Remixed by Fred Falke
http://www.musicfromthebigpink.com/
http://www.ganggangdance.com
Grizzly Bear’s upcoming release “Veckimatest” is one of the year’s most anticipated. The album’s single “Two Weeks” has already been released with a couple remixes by French producer Fred Falke. I’ve put the “extended remix” in this collection because it turned me into a soft puddle of goo the first time I heard it. Falke made the right move to keep the focus of the song on the incredible vocals.

“Zombies Walk!!” (Sufjan Stevens vs. Kanye West mashup)
Mixed by Two-Faced John McCartney
http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/
http://asthmatickitty.com/sufjan-stevens
http://www.myspace.com/TwoFacedJohnMcCartney
This last track isn’t a “remix” as much as it is a “mashup”. Mashups take two tracks with similar beats and keys and combine them into one seamless song. This mashup takes hip-hop artist Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” and blends it with indie superhero Sufjan Stevens’ “They are Night Zombies!!” song. I would have never thought those two could live in such perfect harmony!

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

re-Mixtape Vol. 4 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Thieves Like Us – “Your Heart Feels”
From their debut album “Play Music”
http://www.thieves-like-us.com/
This dance-pop album was created by an American and two Swedes last year and is finally getting a US release. Not every track on the album is a winner, but this one gets stuck in my head and causes some serious toe tapping if I’m able to keep the booty shaking under control.

Phoenix – “Rome”
From the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
http://www.wearephoenix.com/
I loved Phoenix’s debut album that came out two years ago and their follow-up is just as good. This French band (that sings in English) creates some great pop-rock that always seems to make me happy. Their recent performance on SNL is definitely worth checking out.

Animal Collective – “Bluish”
From the album Merriweather Post Pavilion
http://www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband
These guys have been making weird music for years and have slowly gotten more and more accessible. The latest album has so many layers and layers of sound and texture that I hear something new and amazing each time I listen to it. You’ll hear lots of folks reference Brian Wilson and Beach Boys when they discuss this album and they’ve got good reason for it.

Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead”
From the album Chunk of Change
http://www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
This group is like MGMT meets The Postal Service: catchy, electro-synth pop. The lead singer’s vocals annoy me a bit on several of the tracks, but the music is so darn good that I’m able to overlook it. This debut album is actually a short EP of just 6 tracks. In May, they have a full LP being released.

Bat for Lashes – “Siren Song”
From the album Two Suns
http://www.batforlashes.com/
Natasha Khan had stayed off my radar until I saw her great music video last year for “What’s a Girl to Do?” from her debut album. This sophomore effort blew me away and I had a hard time deciding which track to include on this mixtape. I chose “Siren Song” because the way it builds and builds and builds gives me goosebumps every time. Important note: don’t let the TERRIBLE album cover turn you off from her music.

Grizzly Bear – “Southern Point”
From the album Veckatimest
http://www.grizzly-bear.net/
These soft rockers are awesome. ’nuff said. Actually, no, wait – be sure to check out their first album “Yellow House” too!

Bon Iver – “Babys”
From the album Blood Bank EP
http://www.boniver.org/
This 4 track EP was just what Bon Iver fans needed to hold us over through the winter. The title track was inspired by a Northern Exposure episode (already the best thing ever). I chose this track for the mix because of its amazing piano track and haunting quality. Watch out – folks will give you weird looks as you sing along to your iPod in your falsetto voice.

Yo La Tengo – “Gentle Hour”
From the various artists album Dark Was the Night
http://www.yolatengo.com/
http://www.darkwasthenight.com/
I’ll go ahead and predict that this compilation album will probably be in my top 5 of 2009. It was produced by members of The National as a fund-raiser for Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Yo La Tengo’s contribution to it is one of the best on the 2-disc album.
But let’s talk about Yo La Tengo. For every over-the-top, ridiculously loud and/or silly Yo La Tengo song, they create one that is so simple and sweet that you want to cry. This is an amazing little love song – dim the lights, hold your lover’s hand, and listen to this track together.

Son Lux – “Throw”
http://www.sonlux.blogspot.com/
I learned of Son Lux from my favorite music podcast – NPR’s All Songs Considered. They featured him as a “best unknown artist” of 2008 and then I started seeing him pop up all over. He recently did some great remixes of My Brightest Diamond tracks for record label Asthmatic Kitty. This track was a new, unreleased on he posted on his blog. His 2008 album “At War With Walls and Mazes” is impressive enough on its own and then you find out that he singled handedly played and/or sampled every single instrument on the album – wow.

Dan Deacon – “Snookered”
From the album Bromst
http://www.myspace.com/dandeacon
Dan’s last album was insane. Great, but insane. I’ve heard him refer to his own music as “rhythmic noise” and it is just too hard to listen to sometimes. This new album is more polished and finds a perfect balance between the “rhythmic noise” and the beautiful melodies. I picked this track out because of the range it demonstrates in music. Be sure to watch the mini-documentary Pitchfork made during the recording & mixing of this great album – it’ll make you love & appreciate it even more.

Fever Ray – “When I Grow Up”
From the self-titled album Fever Ray
http://www.myspace.com/feverray
One of 2006′s stand out albums was The Knife’s dark electronic album “Silent Shout”. The Swedish duo are siblings and haven’t put out anything since then. Now Karin Dreijer Andersson has released a solo album under the moniker “Fever Ray”. The album definitely lives up to hype and this track is the one that really stands out to me. Watch its accompanying music video for a little extra creep factor.

Beirut (Realpeople) – “My Wife, Lost In The Wild”
From the album March of the Zapotec/Holland
http://www.beirutband.com/
This 23-year-old musician already has 3 critically acclaimed albums under his belt. This latest release is a two-part record with the first half being influenced by his recent trip to Mexico and features a 19-piece band backing him. The second half (my favorite) is credited to “Realpeople”, another one of his pseudonyms, and features mostly electronic music.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol. 3 – 2009 1st Quarter Report is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

This mixtape has been arranged in order to flow better from one track to the next. You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Feedback would be appreciated in the comments section at the bottom of the page

Vampire Weekend – “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”
From their debut self-titled album
http://www.vampireweekend.com/
These dudes were so over-hyped they came and went out of style before they even released their album. Nonetheless, as much as you want to hate them they have some great catchy pop songs that have you tapping your feet, bobbing your head, and singing along.

02 – Sigur Ros – “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur”
From the album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
Just when they were about to get stale, these Icelandic weirdos pepped up their music with some poppy upbeat tunes that make you want to strip your clothes off and go running through the fields.

Dodos – “Fools”
From the album Visiter
http://dodosmusic.net/
A band that came out of nowhere and found itself on playing on my iPod over, and over, and over again.

Cut Copy – “Out There On The Ice”
From the album Ghost Colours
http://www.cutcopy.net/
This band has a very 80s sounding style that still manages to sound fresh. An added bonus is that they remind me of an early 90s Christian band I loved in junior high called “Code of Ethics”.

Frightened Rabbit – “Good Arms VS Bad Arms”
From the album The Midnight Organ Fright
http://www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit
This Scottish musician has an amazing talent for combining clever lyrics with catchy tunes. I never thought I’d be singing along to love song with the chorus line “You’re the sh*t and I’m knee deep in it.” at the top of my lungs. He also released a phenomenal live album called “Liver! Lung! FR!” with exact same track listing.

Adam Randall – “Casualties in a War With God”
From the album Bodies and Souls Were Meant to be Together
http://www.adamrandallmusic.com/
Adam is a personal friend whom I’ve done video work with for several years. In the past he recorded as the Adam Project, but this latest solo project really takes both his poetic lyrics and beautiful melodies to new levels. The decision to add violin and cello to his amazing vocals was the best thing since they started making that white bread that is actually whole wheat. Brilliant.

Sun Kil Moon – “Moorestown”
From the album April
http://www.myspace.com/sunkilmoon
The perfect hum-along-because-it-sounds-so-good-and-I-don’t-know-the-lyrics album.

Beach House – “Turtle Island”
From the album Devotion
http://www.beachhousemusic.net/
Simple, beautiful.

The Welcome Wagon – “Up On A Mountain”
From the album Welcome to the Welcome Wagon
http://www.asthmatickitty.com/musicians.php?artistID=22
Christian indie superhero Sufjan Stevens produced this album for his friend and pastor Vito Aiuto and his wife. The duo sings gospel folk songs rich in Truth and melodic harmonies. Add in some trademark Sufjan horns and choirs and you’ve got yourself the next best thing to a new Sufjan 50-states project album.

Adem – “To Cure A Weakling Child-Boy Girl Song (Aphex Twin cover)”
From the album Takes
http://www.myspace.com/ademofficial
This album is all covers of other artists like Yo La Tengo, Bjork, and Aphex Twin. On these new arrangements Adem sings and plays all the instruments by himself.

Flying Lotus – “Comet Course”
From the album Los Angeles
http://www.flying-lotus.com/
This album grew on me when I went on a photo journalism trip for 3 weeks and forgot my iPod. This was the only album I had on my laptop and the repeat listens made me appreciate the intricacies of his complex electronic hip-hop.

Lindstrøm – “Grand Ideas”
From the album Where You Go I Go Too
http://www.myspace.com/feedelity
The perfect album to take a jog to. Techno/dance music that isn’t obnoxious and annoying.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol. 2 – Other Notables of 2008 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

My goal is to share the work of artists I really enjoy and give them a little more exposure in my circle of friends. A lot of my music falls in the “indie” category and doesn’t get any play on mainstream radio. Chances are you haven’t heard of them at all.

So here is Mixtape Vol 1. I’ve taken one track from each of my top 10 album picks from 2008. You can listen to the individual tracks below, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Feedback would be appreciated in the comments section at the bottom of the page

M83 – “We Own The Sky”
From the album Saturdays = Youth
http://www.ilovem83.com/
This band put out two phenomenal albums this year and they complement each other perfectly. Saturdays = Youth is epic and raucous whereas Digital Shades is a collection of soft ambient electronica.

Fleet Foxes – “He Doesn’t Know Why”
From the album Fleet Foxes
http://www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes
What pushed these guys ahead of my #3 pick was the fact that they put out 2 albums like M83. I’ve heard Fleet Foxes referred to as “renaissance rock” – one minute they are harmonizing a capella, the next they are jamming away.

Bon Iver – “The Wolves (Act I And II)”
From the album For Emma, Forever Ago
http://www.boniver.org/
A quiet, intimate album by a heartbroken poet. This album played on our iPods more than any other this year.

The Raveonettes – “Blush”
From the album Lust Lust Lust
http://www.theraveonettes.com/
This duo has been rocking for a while now and their new album took a different turn. Not quite as hard and loud as their previous work. This album got a lot of listens by me this year.

Air France – “June Evenings”
From the album No Way Down
http://www.myspace.com/theairfrance
Had this 23-minute EP been longer it would have creeped up higher on my list. Reminiscent of a bit of Boards of Canada.

Max Richter – “A Song For Far Away”
From the album 24 Postcards in Full Colour
http://www.maxrichter.com/
This modern composer created 24 short pieces with the idea that they be used as ringtones. Honestly, if I had these as my ringtones I’d never answer the phone because I’d just want to keep listening to the music.

She & Him – “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here!”
From the album Volume One
http://www.sheandhim.com/
Who would have thought that indie icon M.Ward would team up with actress Zooey Deschanel (All the Real Girls, The Happening) to create an amazing pop album reminiscent of music from the 50s. This was a William & Heidi favorite to play during dinner throughout the year.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “You Remind Me of Something”
From the album Lie Down in the Light
http://www.myspace.com/princebonniebilly
Usually when artists produce album after album after album in rapid succession, the quality of the work suffers due to the quantity. Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, manages to keep the quality just as high as the quantity. He puts out about an album a year and the past 4 have made it in my top 10 each year. Definitely check out his entire discography.

Steve Reid Ensemble – “Don’t Look Back”
From the album Daxaar
http://www.steve-reid.com/
You won’t find this little known record on many Top 10 lists, but it blew me away the first time I heard it. Steve Reid is an American jazz drummer who has played with the likes of Miles Davis, James Brown, and Sun Ra. On this album, he teams up with one of my favorite electronic artists Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and 5 or 6 Senegalese musicians. They recorded these 5 jazz tracks live in Dakar, Senegal.

The Sea and Cake – “Weekend”
From the album Car Alarm
http://www.theseaandcake.com/
With over 10 albums since 1994, these Chicago rockers have been a favorite of mine since my brother-in-law introduced me to them in 1999. This latest album became a favorite as it reminded me why their music is so great and why they need to keep producing records for us all.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol. 1 – 2008′s Top 10 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development