Download The Active Listener's Journey Into The Unknown Mix

It's time for another ( hopefully ) thrilling mix put together for your listening pleasure by the Active Listener.
This mix is a neo-psychedelia primer which makes no claims to being definitive but will hopefully be entertaining or educational to someone out there.
Copyright holders : this was put together to convince prospective fans to listen to and buy more of your artist's work. However, feel free to get in touch if you wish to have anything removed.

1. Epic - Car Sick (Available here on the Sails album Headful of Stars)
2. The High Dials - The Dead Hand (From The Album A New Devotion, Available Here)
3. Clinic - Memories ( From The Album Do It, Available Here)
4. Broadcast - Where Youth & Laughter Go (From The Album Future Crayon, Available Here)
5. The Gurus - Kamala Part 1 (From The Album The Gurus, Available Here)
6. Wolf People - Cotton Strands (From The Album Tidings, Available Here)
7. The Soundcarriers - Caught By The Sun From The Album Harmonium, Available Here)
8. The Green Pajamas - A Murder of Crows (From The Album The Complete Book Of Hours, Available Here)
9. The Pillbugs - Friend For a Day (Currently Unavailable)
10. Buffalo Killers - SS Nowhere  From The Album Buffalo Killers, Available Here)
11. Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound - The Slumbering Ones (From The Album When Sweet Sleep Returned, Available Here)
12. Dog Age - I Love You (Currently Unavailable)
13. Caribou - Melody Day (From The Album Andorra, Available Here)
14. Dungen -Panda (From The Album Ta Det Lugnt, Available Here)
15. Espers - Meridian (From The Album Espers III, Available Here)
16. Tame Impala - Bold Arrow Of Time (From The Album Innerspeaker, Available Here)
17. Citay - Nice Cuffs (From The Album Citay, Available Here)
18. Mini Mansions - Crime of the Season (From The Album Mini Mansions, Available Here)
19. The Olivia Tremor Control - Jumping Fences (From The Album Dusk at Cubist Castle, Available Here)
20. Malachai - Snowflake (From The Album Ugly Side Of Love, Available Here)
21. Pram - The Owl Service (From The Album The Museum of Imaginary Animals, Available Here)

Download Here : http://www.mediafire.com/?20h02fr4qvdtmc4

Download More of Deram's Psychedelic Scene

Deram's Psychedelic Scene ( reviewed here ) was one of the first Psychedelic collections I bought, and my first exposure to great bands like Tintern Abbey and the 23rd Turnoff. Needless to say I was hooked and wanted to hear more of these bands. Here's a collection I put together of a number of other Deram sides by these bands as an addendum to the official release. If you download and enjoy, thanks would be appreciated in the comments section. Cheers!







1. Tintern Abbey - Beeside
2. The Accent - Wind of Change
3. The Syn - Created By Clive
4. The Syn - Flowerman
5. The Poets - Wooden Spoon
6. The Attack - Lady Orange Peel
7. The Attack - Neville Thumbcatch
8. The Attack - Created by Clive
9. The Fairytale - Lovely People
10. The Fairytale - Listen To Mary Cry
11. Turquoise - 53 Summer St
12. Turquoise - Tales of Flossie Fillet
13. Turquoise - Saynia
14. Al Stewart - The Elf
15. The Virgin Sleep - Love
16. The Virgin Sleep - Halliford House
17. Felius Andromeda - Cheadle Heath's Delusions
18. Human Instinct - Renaissance Fair
19. Human Instinct - Death of The Seaside
20. The Ice - Anniversary ( of Love )
21. The 23rd Turnoff - Leave Me Here
22. The World of Oz- King Croesus
23. The Plague - Looking For The Sun
24. Warm Sounds - Nite Is A Comin' / Smeta Murgaty

Download

The Twisted Nerve Mix

Cottage of Electric Hell's excellent Children of the Drones compilation has inspired me to attempt to put together a similar compilation of my own.

Where his is expertly mixed into one seamless whole, mine is a simple compilation with no effort to blend the tracks together. I've attempted to sequence it as logically as the sometimes illogical track selection will allow. Hopefully it all fits together OK and you'll find something of interest. This is a much more niche compilation than I've put together before, so I'm not expecting a massive amount of downloads, but hopefully there are a few adventurous listeners out there that'll get a kick out of this.

 It should be noted that the tracks contained herein are intended to invoke the glory of the featured artists, and not to provoke the wrath of the copyright gods. However, should any copyright holders object to their material being on this non profit mix, they need only contact me and I'll gladly remove it.

                                                    DOWNLOAD IT HERE 

Cottage of Electric Hell's Children of the Drones

I'd like to draw your attention to an excellent compilation put together by Cottage of Electric Hell
( visit their excellent blog here ). Blog coven leader Fearlono writes in a very entertaining manner and has impeccable taste.


Children of the Drones is a very well mixed selection of various bits and pieces of hauntology, folk, seventies TV and movie themes, with the odd ( very odd ) public service announcement thrown in for good measure. Donald Pleasence's efforts to keep children away from water are a particular highlight.



Seamlessly mixed, it's a total joy from beginning to end.

In Fearlono's words : ' Here's a compilation I made about three years ago. It consists of spooky, warped & wigged-out music; and is heavily treated with samples from freaky kids TV shows and off-kilter movies. Took me ages to make it, and a lot of weed. '

Download it here.

There are lots of other great mixes and custom soundtracks available at the site too so make sure you visit. Some links were hosted on megaupload, but hopefully they'll be re:upped soon. The more of us that ask for them the more likely we are to see them perhaps.  The Horror of Abbot's Grange sounds particularly interesting...

New Year Mix Tape

Hoping everyone had a Happy New Year. Here's a downloadable mix for you all to help celebrate.

Copyright holders : These songs are intended as samples for discovery purposes - if you object to their presence here please get in touch and the offending material will be removed.


1. My Patch    4:05    Jim Noir   
2. The Owl Service    4:13    Pram   
3. Ffunny Ffriends    4:17    Unknown Mortal Orchestra   
4. Fire Fights    2:27    So So Modern   
5. We're Not Robots    4:32    Scott 4   
6. Sundown Syndrome    5:50    Tame Impala   
7. Caught by the Sun    3:37    The Soundcarriers   
8. Destroyer Of The Void    6:17    Blitzen Trapper   
9. Can We Come In?    6:22    Jakob   
10. Doledrum [Live @ the BBC]    2:59    The La's   
11. Strangers    3:22    Golden Smog   
12. Tried So Hard    2:21    Yo La Tengo   
13. The Nightbird    4:22    Tyler Ramsey  
14. The Donor    9:12    Judee Sill   

DOWNLOAD HERE

 For previous downloads visit:

http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/11/chill-out-mix-that-its-ok-to-like.html
http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/11/pepperisms-vol-2-custom-mix-tape.html
http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/11/mix-tape-3-best-of-2011.html
http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/11/psychedelic-mix-tape-1.html
http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/11/mix-tape-1.html

If you find something you like, please support the artists by clicking through to Amazon.co.uk and buying their albums. Click on the Jim Noir link below to be redirected there.

A Chill Out Mix That's OK To Like - Download

The chill out mix has acquired a bit of a bad rap over the last ten years or so. Which is a pity because the idea is sound - the idea of a CD or playlist you can come home to after a hard day at work and unwind in the bathtub to is the ultimate idea of therapy to me. Unfortunately the people who put these mixes together generally are at the polar opposite end of the musical taste spectrum to me - I'm not saying that some people won't find Morcheeba relaxing, just that they wind me up something chronic.
So I got sick of waiting for someone to make the ideal chill out mix for me, and got stuck in and made one myself.
And here it is :

1. Heaven & Earth - Feel The Spirit available on the compilation Feel The Spirit

2. Blitzen Trapper - Heaven & Earth from the album Destroyer of the Void

3. Francoise Hardy - Mer from the album La Question

4. Fairport Convention - Fotheringay from the album What We Did On Our Holidays

5. John Cale - Andalucia from the album Paris 1919


6. Red House Painters - Cruiser from the album Old Ramon

7. Neil Young - Philadelphia from the Philadelphia Soundtrack

8. Candidate - Falling Leaves from the album Under The Skylon

9. Air - Afternoon Sister from the Virgin Suicides Soundtrack

10. Broadcast and Focus Group - What I Saw from the album Investigates Witch Cults of the Radio Age

11. Mogwai - Dial : Revenge from the album Rock Action


12. Doves - Willow's Song available on the deluxe edition of The Places Between - The Best of Doves

13. Wilco - Venus Stop The Train is an outtake from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and is not commercially available

14. Nick Drake - Which Will from the album Pink Moon

15. Nick Cave & The Dirty Three - Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum from the B-Sides & Rarities Box Set

16. David Crosby - Orleans from the album If I Could Only Remember My Name

17. Neko Case - Magpie To The Morning from the album Middle Cyclone

18. Arab Strap - Is Your Love In Vain. This track is unavailable commercially


19. Pride - Proud Sorrow from the David Axelrod compilation Warner / Reprise Recordings

20. Keren Ann - Song of Alice from the album Nolita




It goes without saying of course, that should you discover anything you like here, you'll support the artists by buying their material. Thanks and enjoy.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bweu17benf7nglz

Download Pepperisms Vol. 2 Custom Mix

I always wondered why the folks that put out the Pepperisms compilation never released a follow up volume, so I set myself the task of putting one together. I've cast the net a bit wider than the original collection which featured material mostly from the 60s and all showing the influence of the Sgt Peppers album in particular. I've tried to sequence this to sound like a chronological alternate Beatles collection - so we start out with the early merseybeat sound, work our way through Revolver and Sgt Pepper style psychedelia into  heavier and more diverse White Album / Let It Be sounds.

1. Los Shakers - Break It All . Great Hard Days Night style rocker from Uruguay's favourite 60s beat group.
2. The 23rd Turnoff - Flowers are Flowering . Excellent Lennonish Revolver sounds from this 60s Liverpool outfit.
3. Gene Clark - Elevator Operator . Ticket To Ride meets  Paperback Writer on this track from the ex Byrd's first classic solo album.
4. Colours - Helping You Out . Pure McCartney harmony pop from this 60s U.S band.
5. The Spongetones - Eloquent Spokesman . Early Beatles sound plus backwards guitars. What's not to like?
6. Cotton Mather - Spin My Wheels . More backwards guitars here and a very Lennonish vocal from this great 90's indie band, highly indebted to the Beatles.
7. The Fraternal Order of the All - Tomorrow Drop Dead . excellent Tomorrow Never Knows tribute / pastiche.
8. Cheap Trick - Taxman Mr Thief . The Trick's Taxman sequel is heavier than most Beatles material until the vocal harmonies kick in.
9. The Auteurs - Unsolved Child Murder . An Eleanor Rigby for the 90's.
10. Dog Age - I Love You . Beatle loving swedes with a track that could have come from magical Mystery Tour.
11. Lazy Smoke - How Did You Die . Sgt Pepper sounding down to it's mock live intro and outro. And great too.
12. The Aerovons - Children . Recorded at Abbey Road while the Beatles were recording next door this is affectionately derivative.
13. Chris Bell - Better Save Yourself . Abbey Road / Let It Be era cathartic Lennon.
14. The Move - My Marge . McCartney-esque music hall for lovers of Maxwells Silver Hammer and When I'm 64. I know you're out there.
15. Green Pajamas - Scarlet Song . Kitchen sink beatleism - a bit of everything.
16. Lawrence Arabia - Look Like A Fool . Lovely Lennonesque piano number with an incredibly tasteful guitar solo that George would be proud of.
17. Emitt Rhodes - Mother Earth . Rhodes had the late 60's McCartney sound down better than McCartney did in the early 70's.
18. We All Together - Follow Me If You Can . Peruvian Beatles disciples.
19. Samuel F. Scott & The Bunnies on Ponies - Llewellyn . If Yellow Submarine was as psychedelic musically as it is lyrically it might sound a little like this.
20. Unkle Bob - She's Leaving Home . She's Leaving Home done I Want You ( She's So Heavy ) style? Yes please.

As always, if you hear anything you like please support the artists by buying their albums.

If there's a positive response I'll look at putting a third volume together so let me know if you've enjoyed this!

http://www.mediafire.com/?wabdsw2s4hq9xso

Mix Tape #3 Best of 2011 - Download

Here's a mix of my favourite songs from 2011.  As always, if you find anything you like please support the artists by buying their albums.

1. Malachai - How You Write from the album Return To The Ugly Side. Discovered by Portishead's Geoff Barrow, this is a great piece of John Barry sampling Trip Hop.

2. Feist - Graveyard from the album Metals.

3. Tame Impala - Bold Arrow of Time from the album Innerspeaker. Excellent psychedelic stoner rock from this Australian band, championed by Paul Weller.



4. Wolf People - Time. A Pink Floyd cover from the Return to the Dark Side of the Moon CD given away free with Mojo magazine.

5. Mini Mansions - Crime of the Season from the album Mini Mansions. Very Beatlesque Queens of the Stone Age side project.

6. The Soundtrack of our Lives - Broken Imaginary Time from the compilation Golden Greats No. 1. Sweden's best retro rock outfit.

7. Brett Anderson - Thin Men Dancing from the album Black Rainbows. Excellent return to full band rock from Suede frontman.

8. Paul Weller No Tears To Cry from the album Wake Up The Nation. A timeless northern soul ballad from the modfather.

9.  Jonathan Wilson - Desert Raven from the album gentle Spirit. The ghost of Jerry Garcia haunts this great Canyon rock track.

10. Maggie Bjorklund - Finale from the album Coming Home. Beautiful windswept Americana assisted by Calexico.


11. The Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail from the album Helplessness Blues. Robyn Pecknold at his most Paul Simonish on this intimate classic.


12. Blitzen Trapper - Might Find It Cheap from the album American Goldwing. Blitzen Trapper embrace their inner southern rocker.


13. The Jayhawks - Black Eyed Susan from the album Mockingbird Time Hearing Marc Olson and Gary Louris harmonize together is one of the most unique sounds in music today.


14. Bon Iver - Holocene from the album Bon Iver.

15. Bachelorette - Blanket from the album Bachelorette. Classic indie electro pop.

16. Wilco - Art of Almost from the album The Whole Love. The experimental Wilco is back in action with this unexpected Krautrock influenced opener from their new album.
                                                                                                        

http://www.mediafire.com/?80rwap7u5lwbduf

Mix Tape #2 Dark Psychedelia - Download

A more esoteric mix tape for you - some of my favourite dark psychedelic tunes.

If you find anything you like please support the artists by buying their albums.

1. The Byrds - I See You from the album Fifth Dimension. Newly introduced to John Coltrane, things got pretty weird for the Byrds circa Fifth Dimension.

2. My Solid Ground - Dirty Yellow Mist from the album My Solid Ground. A sprawling, creepy Careful with that Axe Eugene soundalike.

3. H.P Lovecraft - The White Ship from H.P Lovecraft 1. Like the Doors with Marty Balin on vocals.


4. Les Baxter - Necronomicon from the Dunwich Horror Soundtrack. An unlikely, creepy rendition from a man better known as a purveyor of classy lounge and exotica.

5. John Wonderling - Man of Straw available on the Compilation My Mind Goes High. Lone single release from Wonderling is a great lost psychedelic classic.


6. Love - A House is not a Motel from the album Forever Changes. A classic from the best psychedelic album of all time.

7. Black Mountain - Wucan from the album In The Future. Hawkwind meets Pink Floyd on this groover from modern retro rock giants Black Mountain.

8. The Pretty Things - I See You from the album S.F Sorrow. A claustrophobic gem.

9. Dark - Maypole from the album Around the Edges. Great wah break from this private press psych rock album.

10. Espers - Children of Stone from the album Espers II. Espers are the new Pentangle, and this is their masterpiece.

11. Wooden Shjips - We Ask You To Ride from the album Wooden Shjips. The spirit of San Francisco is still alive and well.

12. Lazy Smoke - How Did You Die from the album Corridors of Faces. Great Beatles soundalike which would fit in nicely on Sgt. Peppers.

13. David Axelrod - The Smile from the David Axelrod compilation The Edge. Axelrod's orchestral psych wasn't well regarded at the time but has been highly influential on the likes of DJ Shadow.

14. Magic - I'll Just Play from the album Enclosed. Excellent jam to end things here - a long lost cousin to Down By The River & Cowgirl In The Sand

http://www.mediafire.com/?hswueqf1k2ka82t