Fear not my meandering minions, ’tis the season…oh, fuck that noise. It’s December 1st, and 50 degrees here in the Northeastern United States. No need to remind you how this year flew on by or how insane the weather is (HAARP). We are here to celebrate winter or, shall I say, the winter soon cometh, with another musical concoction. So, open your refrigerator and throw away last year’s boxed nog and grandma’s disgustingly-molded-over fruit cake. We will malaise together this winter season with this refreshingly, seasonal-affective-disorder friendly mix. I leave you with how I feel about this year finally coming to an end—-Fuck Christmas, Hannukah, and the year 2012! I will see you all again with fresh tracks in the Spring. The tracklisting and download link is below as always doll.

Tracklisting:

1. Blood Orange – “Bad Girls”

2. Craft Spells– “Time Lapse”

3. Still Corners – “Into The Trees”

4. Cults – “Bad Things (Remix) (Feat. Freddie Gibbs)”

5. Gauntlet Hair – “Keep Time”

6. Pat Jordache– “Get It (I Know You’re Going To)”

7. Washed Out – “Amor Fati (Au Revoir Simone Remix)”

8. Jane Jane Pollock – “Stuck On A Highway Island”

9. Youth Lagoon – “Cannons”

10. Glass Vaults – “Golden”

11. Summer Fiction – “Christmas Eve For Two”

12. ASAP Rocky – “Palace”

13. The Drums – “Money”

14. Fantasy Island – “Avenue”

15. Dreams – “Inlove.”

16. Future Trends – “Dangers Of The Night”

17. Drake – “Crew Love (Feat. The Weekend) (Chopped & Screwed)”

18. Seventeen Evergreen – “Angels”

19. Viernes – “Lightyear”

20. Parenthetical Girls – “Sympathy For Spastics”

21. Blackout Beach – “Be Forewarnded, The Night Has Come”

22. Kisses – “Johnny and Mary”

Download Early Christmas Tree Fires Winter 2011 Mix

Labor Day has past and that means it’s soon time to break out the leather jackets and fashionable-wool-bandanas. Autumn is going to put out those summer bonfires. And with the changing leaves, comes a brand-spanking-new Fall Mixtape from yours truly. Definitely tunes to breathe in the crisp air and wallow in autumn meloncholia. You’ll find familiar artists within this mix, such as Shabazz Palaces and Love Inks, none-the-less, melodies to enjoy from September to November. Tracklisting and download link below as always.

Until the next mixtape. -Anna V.

Tracklisting:

1. Love Inks – “Leather Gloves”

2. Princeton – “Clamoring For Your Heart”

3. SLEEP ∞ OVER – “Romantic Streams”

4. Golden – “Desireé”

5. Machine Birds – “One Last Try”

6. The Field – “Then It’s White”

7. Naminé – “The Train”

8. Shabazz Palaces – “Emblazoned On Ice”

9. Youth Lagoon – “Montana”

10. Nicoletta – “Il Est Mort Le Soleil”

11. The Weeknd – “Rolling Stone”

12. Purity Ring – “Belispeak”

13. Houttaker – “Judy, Judy”

14. Dark Captain – “Bellcurve”

15. Atlas Sound – “Terra Incognita”

16. Dark Captain – “Submarines”

17. Blouse – “Videotapes”

Download Love Me Before Dusk Autumn 2011 Mix

Well hello kiddies, I am am back and with a fresh new mix to sip your frothy drinks to. This is my ode and soundtrack to the summer of 2011. It’s still early in the season and hope still springs eternal for fun times and fast love. Hopefully, this mix will drudge up memories of sleepless nights because of broken air conditioners. That unrequited mid-July crush from 8th grade, who kissed your enemy at the public pool. Melted choco-tacos dripping down your dirt-clad hands. 1 AM fights in the Friendly’s parking lot. Drunken sex at a beach birthday party with your best friend’s sibling…You get the gist. Tracklisting and Download link below.

 Coming Undone Under Fire:

1. Blood Diamonds – “Grins”

2. Casey Burge – “Three Flavors”

3. Billy Comfort – “Wonder of we (Feat. Steffaloo)”

4. Colateral Soundtrack – “1911”

5. Computer Magic – “Grand Junction”

6. Sleep Over – “Casual Diamond”

7. The Fresh & Onlys – “August in my mind”

8. Holiday Shores – “Threepeat Got Old”

9. The Hood Internet – “Kaputting It Up (Raekwon vs. Destroyer)”

10. Idiot Glee – “Don’t Go Out Tonight”

11. Hotel Mexico – “Dear Les Friends”

12. IT IS RAIN IN MY FACE - “When You Left”

13. Shabazz Palaces – “Swerve…The Reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)”

14. SBTRKT – “Wildfire”

15. Blouse – “Firestarter”

16. Love Inks – “Blackeye”

17. Seapony – “Blue Star”

18. The Weeknd – “House of Balloons (Glass Table Girls)”

Coming Undone Under Fire: Summer 2011 Mix Download

I’m back with some brand new flavor in your ear! It’s been along while, but I’ve been working as a contributor for another awesome blog, ROCKTHEDISCO. I’ve missed you elitist munchkins. Enough about moi, This post is all about an awesome band from Philadelphia called Summer Fiction, who make hauntingly beautiful-60′s-style-breeze pop. Back in December they released a self-titled, 11-track record full of songs which make you want shake/kiss your ex-lover, who’s long gone into the sunset. Their latest single “Throw Your Arms Around Me” fits the Summer Fiction motif, as lead-singer Bill Ricchini mends his own heart with painfully, heartfelt singing. Watch the perfectly fitting video for “Throw Your Arms Around Me” below and go to the band’s bandcamp page for a free download of the track, today only.

Very recently, when I had come across an AV Club posting about a possible collabo of Kanye West and Bon Iver (a.k.a. Justin Vernon); I pretty much had thought of it as an idle threat. Oh, how wrong I was.

Kanye uncaged this “Monster” on his blog over the weekend, as part of “G.O.O.D. Fridays”. This track features, aside from Bon Iver, a diabolically insane line-up with Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj.

Now, i’m reasonably sure, that an infinitesimal line has been crossed somewhere. The N.I.N.-like backing beat sounds all cavernously low-end. And I am still unsure if the programmed drums and minced vocal samples work in Monster’s favor or not. For a song that features Bon Iver “singing”, I was expecting to be more skinny loved than Kid Cudi’d. I mean, the track is listenable in theory, but Kanye’s and Jay-Z’s horrorcore verses creepily, sound more like threats than boasting in a horror-themed fashion. Let me not get started on Nicki Minaj’s warbling, long-winded rhyming.

According to Kanye, “Monster” is a track off his yet-to-be-titled new LP.

This song just leaves me wondering, what we’re in store for with that Raekwon and Justin Beiber track Kanye’s threatened us with.

Download Kanye West “Monster (Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj)”

Neneh Cherry “Buffalo Stance” from the album “Raw Like Sushi”.
1988, Virgin Records.

It’s a sad fact of being a friend of mine, but I rarely pay attention to what my friends do–ever. It’s not that I don’t care, the truth is that I have a ton of friends; most of which are involved in some facet of the arts. DJ’s, musicians, painters, designers…you get the picture. And although, I rarely pay attention to them, it’s usually because there isn’t ever a reason to do so, especially to rappers, until I met Klok.

Meet Klokwize—a MC with a flair and delivery all his own, and yes a friend of mine. Klokwize is very well known in our home state of Connecticut and for good reason. His rhymes feature his ability to merge both a sincere candidness and a compelling narrative, which most current rappers lack.

As an avid and real Hip Hop fan, I appreciate fresh perspectives, not just the ability to spit something witty or dance to. Klokwize does just that on his new single “Whatcha Doin” from his forthcoming eponymous EP, available on September 14th. The five-track EP features reworked instrumentations of songs previously featured on his last LP “Happy Camper”. Klok tells That Band Does Not Exist that “Many of the songs were originally standard hip hop beats featured on my last album “Happy Camper”. The response to them was so strong, we re-worked them and really expanded and fleshed out the sound.”

See for yourself what I mean below and watch the video for “Whatcha Doin” featuring Dave Ma. Check out Klokwize’s Facebook and catch his release show on Saturday, September 4th at Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford.

Download Klokwize “Happy Camper” LP

Los Angeles-girl-band, Dum Dum Girls are well known for veiled, crepuscular vocals. Their latest track to see the light of day is “Stiff Little Fingers” from the new 7″ of the same name. You could say that it’s more of the same from the “Jail La La” crafters, but the gratifyingly breezy undulations are undeniable .  You can get your copy from Italian label Hell, Yes! right here.

Download Dum Dum Girls “Stiff Little Fingers”

Love Remains Tracklist:

1. You Hold the Water
2. Ready for the World
3. My Body
4. Suicide Dream 2
5. You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Goin’
6. Can’t See My Own Face
7. Walking This Dumb
8. Date of Birth
9. Escape Before the Rain
10. Endless Rain
11. Lover’s Start
12. Mr. By & By
13. Decisions (feat. Yüksel Arslan)
14. Suicide Dream 1

Download How To Dress Well “Ready For The World”