Visible Voice Spring 2011 Mixtape

The ground is starting to thaw and the air is getting back that moist smell of mud and life.  Spring is (almost) here.  We made it.  Now here are some tunes to help you shake off the lingering effects of hibernation...

My music listening habits tend to follow seasonal trends and, true to form, in Spring my musical palette expands to embrace the vibrancy of the season.  Lush pop sounds and grand statements are what I gravitate towards, and you'll see that reflected in the Spring Mixtape.  Following the arc of spring, Side A is alternately anthemic and introspective and Side B is a blast of pure summery fun. 

Comprised of almost all brand new or unreleased songs, there should be something new here for everyone.  Enjoy the tunes, let me know what you think in the comments and please share with friends! 

Side A
Southeast Engine - New Growth (from Canary, out 3/29 - preorder)
Apache Relay - Home Is Not Places (from American Nomad, out 4/12 - preorder)
The Leadership - Keep The Change (from Frontiers - buy)
The David Mayfield Parade - Blue Skies Again (from The David Mayfield Parade - buy)
Thousands - MTSES III (from The Sound Of Everything, out 3/21 - preview)
Daniel Lefkowitz - Death Is A Warm Bath (from Wilder Shores Of Love, self-released)

Side B
Cults - Go Outside (from Cults 7" - listen)
The Veils - The Stars Came Out Once The Light Went Out (from The Troubles of The Brain - listen)
Mean Creek - Sunlight (from Hemophiliac - buy)
Thick Shakes - Go Back To New York (from Why Buy the Cow 7" - free download)
We Can't Enjoy Ourselves - Put Your Blue Dress On (from One Belongs Here More Than You - free download)
Yuck - Get Away (from Yuck - buy)

New music: Mean Creek - "Sunlight"

More great music from a Boston band -- I can barely keep up.  Mean Creek has released an excellent four-song EP titled Hemophiliac.  Fans of the band's guitar-driven sound will love this stuff - and it becomes even easier to love given the backstory.  Apparently the band had planned to go into the studio to record a full-length record before finding out they had no funding.  Undaunted, they recorded all the songs they could afford to fund themselves -- the result is Hemophiliac.  They might be offering it for free, but I'll gladly pay for tunes this good.

Check out super-catchy "Sunlight", then head over to their bandcamp page to get the rest.  You'll also want to check out the band's EP release show at Brighton Music Hall on 1/29.

Mean Creek - Sunlight

Preview: Boston Music Awards 2010

It's been a big year in Boston music.  The rise explosion of Passion Pit continued as they conquered huge crowds around the world, and Dom burst onto the scene as the next Pitchfork-endorsed buzz band to emerge from the Boston area.  On the Americana side, 2010 saw David Wax Museum triumph at Newport Folk Festival, Kingsley Flood emerge as a country-punk tour de force and Josh Ritter release another masterpiece of an album.  The legendary Harper's Ferry closed its doors for good (kinda) and the Paradise closed temporarily, only to reopen with a new, larger floorplan.  Royale took over the old Roxy space and added another world class venue to the Boston scene, booking a consistently great lineup of artists.  And that's just the beginning. [Ed's note:  oh yeah, and visible voice launched]

The 23rd annual Boston Music Awards will celebrate all of this and more on December 5 at the Liberty Hotel.  With a killer lineup of musical acts that includes Jenny Dee And The Deelinquents, Kingsley Flood, Dom and The Remains(!).  And of course, it wouldn't be an awards show without the awards.  Nominees across 30 categories include Peter Wolf, Amanda Palmer, Josh Ritter, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Dropkick Murphys, John McCauley (of Deer Tick), The Low Anthem, David Wax Museum, Mean Creek, Bodega Girls and lots more.  Get in on the act and vote for your favorite artists here.

Standard tickets are available for $20 - a great deal for a night full of great music.  VIP tickets, which include access to an exclusive cocktail hour with artists and industry insiders, are $99.  Get tickets here.  Check Visible Voice for full post-event coverage.

Check out free tracks by some of our favorite BMA-nominated artists below:

Viva Viva - Valentine
Dom - Living In America
Josh Ritter - Change Of Time
David Wax Museum - Born With A Broken Heart (Live at the Paradise)
Kingsley Flood - Roll Of The Dice
Mean Creek - The Comedian