8/26/09: #1: Crying Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (6 weeks).

Nothing too new or exciting this seek. Arctic Monkeys on top for week #6. The rest of last week's top five just change places (2 & 3, 4 & 5 swap spots). Actually, this is only the third time this year where the top ten didn't seen any new songs in it. Add to that the fact that #11-13 remain as they were last week and there just isn't a lot of movement happening. Until you go down a bit further.

Arctic Monkeys' second Mixtape entry off Humbug is moving toward the top ten (surprise surprise). "Dance Little Liar" is up from last week's debut at 27 to this week's 16. Brand New get the biggest jump of the week honors with "At the Bottom" moving from 32-17.

Only three new songs on the 'Tape this week. Hey, every week can't be as crazy as the last month or so. New bands Flight (40), Wavves (30), and sort of new act Yim Yames (35) all make their entry this week.

Yim Yames is actually Jim James of My Morning Jacket. "My Sweet Lord" is indeed a cover of the classic George Harrison track and James or Yames or whatever you want to call him has recast the tune (along with five others on his Harrison love letter, Tribute To) as meditative and solemn, something Mr. Harrison would no doubt give his blessing to. The Tribute To ep was recorded in 2000 and brings back to light the early sound of MMJ; highly reverbed vocals and a warmly hushed vibe that has all but disappeared from the band's more recent work.

1. Crying Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (6 weeks @ #1) iTunes MySpace
2. Life In Marvelous Times / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
3. How I Got Over / The Roots iTunes MySpace
4. Deadbeat Summer / Neon Indian iTunes MySpace
5. Casa Bey / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
6. Walkabout / Atlas Sound iTunes MySpace
7. Stillness Is the Move / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
8. Summertime Clothes / Animal Collective iTunes MySpace
9. Got Nuffin' / Spoon iTunes MySpace
10. Never Forget You / The Noisettes iTunes MySpace
11. Two Weeks / Grizzly Bear iTunes MySpace
12. Easy / Deer Tick iTunes MySpace
13. Bull Black Nova / Wilco iTunes MySpace
14. My Unusual Friend / Fruit Bats iTunes MySpace
15. Seasun / Delorean iTunes MySpace
16. Dance Little Liar/ Arctic Monkeys iTunes MySpace
17. At the Bottom/ Brand New iTunes MySpace
18. Be My Girl / Smith Westerns iTunes MySpace
19. Sun Was High (So Was I) / Best Coast iTunes MySpace
20. Sour Milk, Salt Water / Port O'Brien iTunes MySpace
21. I Can't Get Away / Stardeath & White Dwarfs iTunes MySpace
22. It's Nice to Know You Work Alone / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
23. The End Is Near / The Fiery Furnaces iTunes MySpace
24. Upside Down / Banjo or Freakout iTunes MySpace
25. Gold Guns Girls / Metric iTunes MySpace
26. Overboard/ Gucci Mane iTunes MySpace
27. Chosen Armies / Children Collide iTunes MySpace
28. Uprising / Muse iTunes MySpace
29. Madagascar/ Lake iTunes MySpace
30. Cool Jumper / Wavves (NEW) iTunes MySpace
31. Fables/ Dodos iTunes MySpace
32. Bones/ A Mountain of One iTunes MySpace
33. Lost Words / Ganglians iTunes MySpace
34. My Sweet Lord / Yim Yames (NEW) iTunes MySpace
35. Silver Trembling Hands / The Flaming Lips iTunes MySpace
36. The Other Side / AM iTunes MySpace
37. Catch and Release / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
38. Break Bones / Internet Forever iTunes MySpace
39. Action/Reaction / Choir of Young Believers iTunes MySpace
40. Flowers / Flight (NEW) iTunes MySpace
    

8/19/09: #1: Crying Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (5 weeks).

Arctic Monkeys hold on to the top for the fifth week, making "Crying Lightning" tied with Deerhunter's "Nothing Ever Happened" for the second-longest stay at #1 this year. "Crying Lightning" will need another month at the top just to tie Silversun Pickups' "Panic Switch," which spent nine weeks at the top this past spring. This may not be too far-fetched though given the fact Arctic Monkeys has turned away a pair of Mos Def jams, stalled the Roots out at number two after a speedy ascension up the Mixtape, and fought off Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective for a month.

Pretenders to Arctic Monkeys throne this week include the aforementioned Roots and Mos Def tracks which are all stuck in a holding pattern (#2-4), Neon Indian's bippy bleepy day dreamy "Deadbeat Summer" (moving from 10-5) and Atlas Sound's collabo w/ Panda Bear from Animal Collective, "Walkabout" (last week's 11, this week's 8). After that, nary a threat to our Sheffield boys lies waiting. At least not for the immediate future.

Smith Westerns have this week's biggest mover - one of the best of the recent glut of fuzzed-out homages to 60s pop - with "Be My Girl" (34-23). Hell, the Monkeys biggest competition might be themselves. A second track from Humbug, the band's third full-length release - out next Tuesday, is this week's highest new entry at 27. "Dance Little Liar" is currently a stand-out on an album that truly does get better with each listen. More on Humbug here.

Other new entries this week come from rapper Gucci Mane (30), the perennially overlooked Brand New (32), Lake (35), AM (39), and Choir of Young Believers (40). There are a lot of songs on the bubble, just waiting to crack next week's Mixtape. It looks like there will be room for three with Handsome Furs (36), Miike Snow (37), and Dirty Projectors (38) all taking dives this week. Perhaps we'll see Michael Franti and Spearhead's latest, "Say Hey (I love you)" crack the 40. The Big Pink's "Dominos" and Flight's "Flowers" have both been waiting patiently the last few weeks as well. We will know next humpday. Until then, soak up the rays and enjoy the summer days. They'll be gone before you know it.

1. Crying Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (5 weeks @ #1) iTunes MySpace
2. How I Got Over / The Roots iTunes MySpace
3. Life In Marvelous Times / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
4. Casa Bey / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
5. Deadbeat Summer / Neon Indian iTunes MySpace
6. Stillness Is the Move / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
7. Summertime Clothes / Animal Collective iTunes MySpace
8. Walkabout / Atlas Sound iTunes MySpace
9. Got Nuffin' / Spoon iTunes MySpace
10. Never Forget You / The Noisettes iTunes MySpace
11. Two Weeks / Grizzly Bear iTunes MySpace
12. Easy / Deer Tick iTunes MySpace
13. Bull Black Nova / Wilco iTunes MySpace.
14. The End Is Near / The Fiery Furnaces iTunes MySpace
15. My Unusual Friend / Fruit Bats iTunes MySpace
16. It's Nice to Know You Work Alone / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
17. Seasun / Delorean iTunes MySpace
18. Upside Down / Banjo or Freakout iTunes MySpace
19. I Can't Get Away / Stardeath & White Dwarfs iTunes MySpace
20. Lost Words / Ganglians iTunes MySpace
21. Sun Was High (So Was I) / Best Coast iTunes MySpace
22. Sour Milk, Salt Water / Port O'Brien iTunes MySpace
23. Be My Girl / Smith Westerns iTunes MySpace
24. Chosen Armies / Children Collide iTunes MySpace
25. Catch and Release / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
26. Gold Girls Guns / Metric iTunes MySpace
27. Dance Little Liar/ Arctic Monkeys (NEW) iTunes MySpace
28. Silver Trembling Hands / The Flaming Lips iTunes MySpace
29. Uprising / Muse iTunes MySpace
30. Overboard/ Gucci Mane (NEW) iTunes MySpace
31. Fables/ Dodos iTunes MySpace
32. At the Bottom/ Brand New (NEW) iTunes MySpace
33. Break Bones / Internet Forever iTunes MySpace
34. Bones/ A Mountain of One iTunes MySpace
35. Madagascar/ Lake (NEW) iTunes MySpace
36. Radio Kaliningrad / Handsome Furs iTunes MySpace
37. Song For No One / Miike Snow iTunes MySpace
38. Temecula Sunrise / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
39. The Other Side / AM (NEW) iTunes MySpace
40. Action/Reaction / Choir of Young Believers (NEW) iTunes MySpace

The Mixtape 8/12/09: Monkeys Make It Four.

Not much to say this week. Arctic Monkeys remain at the top for the fourth week. Mos Def has two songs in the top five. Both the Mos Def and Arctic Monkeys albums are outstanding; Mos Def's 16-song trip spanning a variety of producers and styles and the Arctic Monkeys' focused 10-song declaration that the influences of Josh Homme and Alex Turner's solo-project of last year - The Last Shadow Puppets - can make for some pretty dark and dense tales.

After the last few weeks of big moves and plentiful debuts, this week's Mixtape finds a calmer terrain. Aside from The Roots' jump from 8-2 with "How I Got Over," there isn't too much in the way of bold statements. Delorean (19), Fruit Bats (16), Noisettes (12) and Atlas Sound (11) all make steady moves toward the top ten while Internet Forever (31) makes the biggest jump of the week, moving up nine.

Three new tracks enter the 'Tape - Smith Westerns (34), Dodos (35), and A Mountain of One (40). This week might be the last for both of Green Days 21st Century Breakdown representatives as well as Nurses and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. There isn't a shortage of new music right now so it's fair to say next week should see at least four new songs enter. Come back next Wednesday to see who debuts and if The Roots can use their momentum to knock "Cryin' Lightning" out of the top.

See you next humpday.

1. Cryin' Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (4 weeks @ #1) iTunes MySpace
2. How I Got Over / The Roots iTunes MySpace
3. Life In Marvelous Times / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
4. Casa Bey / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
5. Stillness Is the Move / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
6. Summertime Clothes / Animal Collective iTunes MySpace
7. Easy / Deer Tick iTunes MySpace
8. Two Weeks / Grizzly Bear iTunes MySpace
9. Got Nuffin' / Spoon iTunes MySpace
10. Deadbeat Summer / Neon Indian iTunes MySpace
11. Walkabout / Atlas Sound iTunes MySpace
12. Never Forget You / The Noisettes iTunes MySpace
13. Bull Black Nova / Wilco iTunes MySpace.
14. The End Is Near / The Fiery Furnaces iTunes MySpace
15. It's Nice to Know You Work Alone / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
16. My Unusual Friend / Fruit Bats iTunes MySpace
17. Upside Down / Banjo or Freakout iTunes MySpace
18. Lost Words / Ganglians iTunes MySpace
19. Seasun / Delorean iTunes MySpace
20. I Can't Get Away / Stardeath & White Dwarfs iTunes MySpace
21. Catch and Release / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
22. Radio Kaliningrad / Handsome Furs iTunes MySpace
23. Song For No One / Miike Snow iTunes MySpace
24. Chosen Armies / Children Collide iTunes MySpace
25. Temecula Sunrise / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
26. Sun Was High (So Was I) / Best Coast iTunes MySpace
27. You'll Disappear / The Phenomenal Handclap Band iTunes MySpace
28. Silver Trembling Hands / The Flaming Lips iTunes MySpace
29. Sour Milk, Salt Water / Port O'Brien iTunes MySpace
30. Gold Girls Guns / Metric iTunes MySpace
31. Break Bones / Internet Forever iTunes MySpace
32. Games For Days / Julian Plenti iTunes MySpace
33. Uprising / Muse iTunes MySpace
34. Be My Girl / Smith Westerns (NEW) iTunes MySpace
35. Fables/ Dodos (NEW) iTunes MySpace
36. 21st Century Breakdown/ Green Day iTunes MySpace
37. Caterpillar Playground / Nurses iTunes MySpace
38. Murder City / Green Day iTunes MySpace
39. Skeletons / Yeah Yeah Yeahs iTunes MySpace
40. Bones/ A Mountain of One (NEW) iTunes MySpace

The Mixtape 8/5/09: Four For Flying

Major movement. That's the theme for this version of The Mixtape. After seven new songs made their way on board last week's 'Tape, it was pretty much implied that some of the tunes would be climbing upward this week. What wasn't implied was how many (four) would make such huge leaps this week, let alone, who would make the biggest. Funny what can happen when songs marinate in your head for a week.

The Roots' "How I Got Over" was a given to make a decent move. After all, it's The Roots. ?uestlove, Black Thought, and the rest of the Roots crew bust into the top ten in their second week on, landing at #9 after debuting at #27 last week. Not too shabby, but not the biggest move this week either.

At first listen, The Noisettes seemed like another act hitching on the Mark Ronson/ Amy Winehouse aesthete that has spawned a movement the last couple years. "Never Forget You" is not just another soulful song with a Sixties throwback approach though. Shingai Shoniwa's vocals have the soul all right, but they also have a personality about them. Enough personality to help the song split the distance from it's #34 debut last week by jumping up to #17.

Bradford Cox employs Jack White's work ethic. Cox leads Deerhunter - last year's Microcastle and "Nothing Ever Happened" were both in the top 5 of The Mixtape's Best Albums and Singles of 2008 respectively - and also cranks out Atlas Sound albums and EPs like the dude is hooked up to a Red Bull drip. Based on Atlas Sound's 2008 album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel, there might have been a bit of morphine coming through the IV line as well. Atlas Sound's next album, Logos, is set for release on Oct. 20, 2009. First single, "Walkabout," which features vocals from Animal Collective's Noah Lennox, goes light on the morphine and heavy on the Sunny D. The song is as accessible as anything Atlas Sound has released and Lennox's (aka Panda Bear) influence is all over the track's layered vocals and free floating vibe. Last week's quiet debut at #35 is this week's loud leap to #15. See you in the top ten soon boys.

Finally, the biggest jump of the week. From a band that isn't even on iTunes yet. Yet. Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer" goes batshit crazy, jumping 27 spots from #39 to #12. The song feels old and new; poppy and indie at the same time. Synths rule the terrain, but it's Alan Palomo's vocals and melodies that sell the song. Best listened to while sitting on a beat-up couch on the front porch, staring at the sun and sippin' on the syzzurp of summer. Drink it in people. It goes down real smooth. Even on the 20th listen.

As for next week's potential big movers, the bottom five of this week's Mixtape is where the new entries live this week. Debuts from Port O'Brien (36), Metric (37), and Muse (39) represent the Mixtape vets. There is also a new entry from first-time 'Tapers, Internet Forever (40). And some guy named Julian Plenti (38) who is better known as Interpol lead-singer, Paul Banks. So that secret's out. See y'all next humpday.

1. Cryin' Lightning / Arctic Monkeys (3 weeks @ #1) iTunes MySpace
2. Life In Marvelous Times / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
3. Summertime Clothes / Animal Collective iTunes MySpace
4. Easy / Deer Tick iTunes MySpace
5. Stillness Is the Move / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
6. Casa Bey / Mos Def iTunes MySpace
7. Two Weeks / Grizzly Bear iTunes MySpace
8. How I Got Over / The Roots iTunes MySpace
9. Bull Black Nova / Wilco iTunes MySpace
10. Got Nuffin' / Spoon iTunes MySpace
11. It's Nice to Know You Work Alone / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
12. Deadbeat Summer / Neon Indian iTunes MySpace
13. Catch and Release / Silversun Pickups iTunes MySpace
14. The End Is Near / The Fiery Furnaces iTunes MySpace
15. Walkabout / Atlas Sound iTunes MySpace
16. Temecula Sunrise / Dirty Projectors iTunes MySpace
17. Never Forget You / The Noisettes iTunes MySpace
18. Upside Down / Banjo or Freakout iTunes MySpace
19. Lost Words / Ganglians iTunes MySpace
20. Song For No One / Miike Snow iTunes MySpace
21. You'll Disappear / The Phenomenal Handclap Band iTunes MySpace
22. My Unusual Friend / Fruit Bats iTunes MySpace
23. I Can't Get Away / Stardeath & White Dwarfs iTunes MySpace
24. 21st Century Breakdown/ Green Day iTunes MySpace
25. Radio Kaliningrad / Handsome Furs iTunes MySpace
26. Caterpillar Playground / Nurses iTunes MySpace
27. Seasun / Delorean iTunes MySpace
28. Murder City / Green Day iTunes MySpace
29. Chosen Armies / Children Collide iTunes MySpace
30. Skeletons / Yeah Yeah Yeahs iTunes MySpace
31. Feel Like Taking You Home / Brendan Benson iTunes MySpace
32. You Never Know/ Wilco iTunes MySpace
33. Sun Was High (So Was I) / Best Coast iTunes MySpace
34. Silver Trembling Hands / The Flaming Lips iTunes MySpace
35. L.A. Guitar Dream / Spanish Prisoners iTunes MySpace
36. Sour Milk, Salt Water / Port O'Brien (NEW) iTunes MySpace
37. Gold Girls Guns / Metric (NEW) iTunes MySpace
38. Games For Days / Julian Plenti (NEW) iTunes MySpace
39. Uprising / Muse (NEW) iTunes MySpace
40. Break Bones / Internet Forever (NEW) iTunes MySpace