Ryan from Mirror Universe Tapes Best of 2009:
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When Tom asked me to do this I had already compiled a Best Cassette Tapes of 09 over at my blogging home thefmly.com and I hadn’t really planned on doing much else. I had to reconsider because this is such an honor I just couldn’t say no! I’m not sucking up to anyone with this list. This is stuff I listened to NON-STOP, I’m actually probably listening to some of it right now. So don’t hate, alleviate.
1. Julian Lynch – Orange You Glad (website/ album info)
-Seriously, my favorite album of the year. It makes me melt and feel all gooey and strange but in a totally rad and good way. Jamming this heavy through some head phones while throwing back something dark roasted will make your brain do things you weren’t aware that it was capable of.
2. Alex Bleeker & the Freaks – S/T (website/ album info)
-I feel like I went through hell and highwater to get this album. I don’t own a record player (I have an original 1979 Refurbished Walkman though, so I feel that that makes up for not having a record player), and tracking down mp3s of this album proved to be more difficult than finding an original Bobb Trimble record. My suffering and turmoil came to an end though, and man oh man could this album be any better. If you’ve heard it you know what I’m talking about, if you don’t then you are missing out. Its all kinds of modern day Crazy Horse, Neil Young, Grateful Dead happening. I listened to it at least 50 times within the first day of having it in my possesion.
3. Surfer Blood – Astrocoast (website/ album info)
-No explanation needed, correct?
4. Emeralds – Emeralds (band info / album info)
-I’m a fan of drone music just as much as I’m a fan of pop music. I can listen to this and feel at peace like to the point where I am certain that this could be played over loud speakers throughout the world and everyone will forget their worries and troubles and just meditate and live and have no urge to kill, rape, or destroy anymore. Thank you Emeralds, you are the answer to World Peace.
5. Naomi Punk – Naomi Punk (website/ album info)
-This album is a mystery to me. You just have to hear it for yourself.
6. M. Pyres & The Skygaze Family Band – Apart the Echo (website/ album info)
7. Nirvana – Bleach Reissues (band info / album info)
-Sure, this album is 20 years old, and sure I’ve heard it 500 times in the last 2 years, but JEEZY YEEZY have you heard the remasters?! It sounds amazing and it just solidifies the fact that no matter how long this album has been around it continues to be a hard hitting masterpiece.
8. Thee Oh Sees – Dog Poison (website/ album info)
-These guys (and gal) can do no wrong. They have touched on everything from garage to folk to country and now onto psych pop? Damn, they are the masters of their domain and they do it with heart. This is much better than “Help” and I’m sure there are people who are thinking, “HELP WAS AWESOME,” but you know what, sometimes you just need to branch out or get out.
9. Wet Hair – Glass Fountain (website/ album info)
10. Double Dagger – More (website/ album info)
-Who cares about Post-Punk anymore? I do, thats for sure but not until I had listened to this. I didn’t care, “Post-Punk? Who cares Fugazi broke up. I need more Glo-Fi and Chillwave in my life.” BOY WAS I WRONG. This is a hard hitting, raw, nerve grating album. 6 years to late, but still an intense experience,
11. Ducktails - Landscapes (website/ album info)
-Ridgewood got it goin’ on, amirite?
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and….Mirror Universe sent over a couple mp3s from two of their upcoming releases!
Dead Gaze is a band that Ben (the other half of Mirror Universe) told me about a couple months ago, and I have been following their myspace ever since. It is the musical project of Ransome Cole Furlow, and he is based in Mississippi. This is one part of the country that I’m not so familiar with what is going on musically, but if Dead Gaze is any indication it’s sunny pop that has been sunk into a swamp of psychedelic haze. Dead Gaze is preparing a kind of best of tape for Mirror Universe titled End of Days, Why Not You? that should be out sometime early this year.
[mp3] Dead Gaze- “Back and Forth”
Active Child hails from Los Angeles, and is the musical outlet of Pat Grossi. Active Child make haunting electronica full of synths, and drum machines…but the most unique part about Grossi is his voice which brings to mind R&B. While I really enjoy the music that Grossi is producing I truly feel that his voice is what carries it, and not exactly what I would expect to come out of his mouth…it’s a welcomed and pleasant surprise. Active Child seem to fit in well with the line up that Mirror Universe has already gathered, and I’m expecting to hear a lot more from him. ”Wilderness” is a track from Sun Rooms that will be out on Mirror Universe soon, actually their next release TODAY!
[mp3] Active Child- “Wilderness”
buy Sun Rooms here.
In addition to Active Child and Dead Gaze be on the look out for upcoming releases on Mirror Universe by The Meanest Boys, Kid Trails, Truman Peyote, Sun Mantra, Sacred Harp, Pink Priest, Tapeworms Eat Bookworms…and in the future Deep Space Drum Circles (a fundraiser for OUTERSPACE) as well as many many more. Lots of exciting stuff…I hope they start a subscription service (hint hint).
If you are in a touring band:
Ryan and Ben of Mirror Universe Tapes are both part of OUTERSPACE. OUTERSPACE is an all ages show space and community center in Charleston, SC. Get in touch, and bring your music to Charleston!
I would like to thank Ryan for contributing a best of list (and writing an introduction so I didn’t have to!), as well to Ben and Ryan (collectively) for contributing these awesome new tracks from their upcoming releases to the Great Pumpkin
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