Happy Sinus Pain Awareness Month: Here’s a New Wintry Mix

I don’t know about where you are, but we are having a very mild winter. Not so mild that I should have been eating at outdoor burger joint Shake Shack last night, but I was and is where I snapped the picture that is now this week’s cover art. There’s lots of good new music on here, including the returns of a few favorite bands. Dig in:

DOWNLOAD WINTRY MIX 2.03.2012

Tracklist:

1. Burning Hearts – Into the Wilderness
2. Wild Nothing – Nowhere
3. Piney Gir – Outa Sight
4. The Heart Strings – Don’t Let the World Gang Up on You
5. Air – Sonic Armada
6. Field Music – Who’ll Pay the Bills?
7. Old Monk – Warm Moustache
8. Moonmen on the Moon, Man – Oh Look, a Sweat Balloon Artist
9. La Sera – Please Be My Third Eye
10. Hooded Fang – ESP
11. Warm Digits – The World in Small Doses
12. Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
13. Lilacs & Champagne – King of Kings
14. Summer Twins – I Could Never Break Your Heart
15. Allo Darlin’ – Capricornia
16. The Magnetic Fields – Andrew in Drag
17. Candy Claws – Do You Ever Feel That Way?
18. The Wedding Present – You’re Dead

No shuffling! Liner notes after the jump.

1. Burning Hearts – Into the Wilderness
This week’s mix kicks off with Finland’s Burning Hearts whose lovely second album, Extinctions, is out February 21. Warm synths, rolling basslines, cooing vocals, burning hearts.

2. Wild Nothing – Nowhere
Well you can’t say they sound like the Cure. America, maybe. (Or George Harrison.)

3. Piney Gir – Outa Sight
New single from ultracute American expat Angela Penhaligon. Dig the castanetes.

4. The Heart Strings – Don’t Let the World Gang Up on You
If you’re feeling down, The Heart Strings are here to help. The band’s second album, Flap Your Crazy Wings, was released this week.

5. Air – Sonic Armada
The French duo are making a return trip to the moon on their new LP which is an imagined soundtrack to Georges Méliès silent classic Le Voyage Dans la Lune. I haven’t tried syncing it up yet but I might do it one night while at the video store. There’s some major Can percussion on this one.

6. Field Music – Who’ll Pay the Bills?
New album from the brothers Brewis is called Plumb and it’s more regal prog pop the likes of which we’ve come to expect. This is a Peter Brewis song, which means a little more melody.

7. Old Monk – Warm Moustache
Newish Brooklyn trio sound a bit like Pavement, and have that same arch wordsmith thing going on. But Old Monk are spunkier and less prone to jamming, but they’ve definitely got some King Crimson records in their collection. This shit is tight.

8. Moonmen on the Moon, Man – Oh Look, a Sweat Balloon Artist
I think their name is brilliantly stupid. It makes me laugh every time. Musically, we’re talking late ’80s college radio indie label action.

9. La Sera – Please Be My Third Eye
I really don’t understand why Vivian Girls are still together when their solo/side projects are better. It also makes you wonder why VG aren’t making songs this catchy.

10. Hooded Fang – ESP
This record came out last year but is getting reissued and wide distribution. If you like The Caesars style of go-go garage, check these Canadians out!

11. Warm Digits – The World in Small Doses
I bought this album on vinyl based solo on the awesome cover art and a description of the music from noted DJ and Screamadelica producer Andrew Weatherall: “machine funk kraut-a-delia.” That’s all it took.

12. Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
It’s true: I love puns. Here you get two… Terge Olson’s nom de DJ is a Scandinavian play on ’90s era producer/DJ Todd Terry, the man who turned Everything But the Girl into a disco band. And then there’s the song title, which is a Scandinavian play on a British television show old people like. The song is good too, all bubbly synths.

13. Lilacs & Champagne – King of Kings
This is new on Mexican Summer and has become my most played album this week. The kind of album where it might all be samples or it might all be played live? Bewitching. Good reading music. (Yes, I read.)

14. Summer Twins – I Could Never Break Your Heart
Chelsea and Justine Brown make winsome folk pop that is 100% irony free. And quite delightful. Give this one to that special girl or boy in your life.

15. Allo Darlin’ – Capricornia
Allo Darlin’ main gal Elizabeth Morris already copped to this one being a Kirstie MacColl homage and you can hear her version of “A New England” all over this.

16. Magnetic Fields – Andrew in Drag
Best thing Stephin Merritt has done since 69 Love Songs?

17. Candy Claws – Do You Ever Feel That Way?
New track from this Colorado band who like to filter Beach Boys pop through a dubbed-over cassette.

18. The Wedding Present – You’re Dead
The Wedding Present are about to start touring their 1991 masterpiece Seamonsters while at the same time releasing a new album. Seemed kinda dumb to me but then I heard the album, Valentina, and you can hear Seamonsters‘ sonics all over it. Gedge is still writing some clunky lyrics, but musically this actually kinda kicks ass. This is the Weddoes best single in ages. (Disclaimer: I don’t count Take Fountain as a Wedding Present album.)