Here it is!

- my annual mixtape to finish the old year and get you all excited for a new year full of new albums and artists to discover. It’s NOT a best of list, don’t be confused. It IS a highlight of artists and tracks you may have slept on. It IS some jams I just so happened to jam a lot in 2019. It IS thoughtfully tracked in an order I think pleasing to listen to, so don’t shuffle! It IS compiled with a nod towards social consciousness and the power of musicians to elevate our awareness and enrich our communities. And, it DOES take into consideration some specific criteria such as: must have been released in 2019, or was an artist I saw live in 2019, and preference is given to local artists (Denver/Denver metro/Colorado) and DIY artists.

Ok, so I made a couple of exceptions in this year’s list. Turns out 2019 was an especially challenging year in terms of family needs. I had many intentions of seeing live music, I even bought tickets to several shows, and at the last minute there was just no way to make it work to actually attend. This year, I’ve included artists that I intended to see but, alas, did not. (Looking at you, HIDE, Consider the Source, Nots, and more!)

If I were to summarize some features of this year’s mixtape it would be that it is largely at a mellow tempo [a coincidence I think, but maybe an indication of broader trends] and that it is multi-cultural. I don’t mean that in a trite way. The artists here, yes, span the globe, but their perspectives often reside in multiple cultures simultaneously. Sirintip‘s heritage is both Thai and Swedish while she currently lives and works in the US. Daymé Arocena carries her Cuban folkloric traditions with her to London where she folds them into jazz traditions that originated in the US. Dua Saleh, from Sudan, lived in a refugee camp as a child before being resettled in Minneapolis. Even musically, the soundscape can be impossible to pin down geographically. The Matt Skellenger Group, from Denver, mixes Arabic melodies with the Indian tabla for rhythm and a distinctly funky bass that sits comfortably on top of the mix. Martin Gilmore (Denver) collaborated with Eslam El Abaty (Cairo) to create some truly unique and fascinating instrumental tracks.

While many artists live in many sonic spaces at once, we also have greater access to musicians who share their cultural sounds from their respective spots on the world map. Mdou Moctar is from a small Tuareg village in Niger and his guitar playing went against the strict religious authorities of the region. You may hear his rebellion in every single electric lick.

May this mixtape take you on a journey worthy of a National Geographic documentary, all from the comfort of your car stereo, or your earbuds at the gym, or laying on your couch and letting all worries simply fly right out the window.

There are directions for how to use this mixtape responsibility. 1) Please go to Spotify and stream these tunes. Your stream will translate into $.001 for the artist and that’s better than nothing. Your stream will be tracked and will allow the artist to promote their monthly listens. 2) Please follow the Bandcamp links I have provided for any of the artists you like and support them by directly buying their work. Bandcamp pays artists a whopping 85% of what you pay! You have an opportunity to pay more for the product if you’d like to lend additional support. From Bandcamp you may purchase a digital copy of the music, or a physical copy which could include vinyl, CD, or cassette tape. Many artists also have merch for sale through the website. 3) Take further action to be a supporter of musicians. Go see live shows. Tell your friends to buy albums. Pay money to local artists, even if you’re feeling lukewarm about their music because they WILL get better with support. Ensure that small venues stay open and are not run by corporate magnates like AEG by supporting their shows and fighting local ordinances that seek to shut them down. Take political actions such as voting, contacting legislators, and discussing with neighbors the dangers of laws that limit our cultural connections. In the case of artists such as Omar Souleyman, the ban on visas to individuals from majority Muslim nations has prevented him from touring the US - a loss to us all.

Now that you know how to dine in with this mixtape, I do hope you’ll enjoy your meal! If you’re looking for additional courses here is the Happy 2019 Mixtape, my 40th Bday Mixtape, made this past summer, a rotating mix of songs my students are currently working on, and my Happy 2017 Mixtape (which I made on YouTube). (Sorry, my ‘18 Mixtape was done on Dropbox and is no longer shareable. I might get around to re-doing it on Spotify someday.)

Check out my Bandcamp library here and follow me to stay updated on stuff I’m supporting.

Keep singing//keep making your own music//be a responsible fan//be a responsible citizen.

XOXO,

Molly

Follow the link to listen to the tuneage while reading my liner notes below: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SstX4LfDVHFQH9fNuCAvz?si=Qg2iy1CvSCytBOZ9eS1qSQ

Happy 2020 Mixtape Liner Notes

1. “Kamane Tarhanin” Mdou Moctar from the album Ilana: the Creator (2019),

Mdou Moctar, from the Tuareg desert peoples, residing in Niger, taught himself to play guitar at a time when it was illegal to play secular music. His rebellion and resilience seeps through the distinctly Tuareg brand of psychedelic playing, yet he stamps his own voice upon each guitar lick. It rocks and it certainly rolls over and over again. I got to see him play with his band at Lost Lake this past fall. Once I found a good spot to stand, I stayed firmly planted until the last tremolo of distortion faded.

2. “Oyá” Daymé Arocena from the album Sonocardiagram (2019)

Arocena, Cuban emigrant to England, formed a band and put her sonocardiagram into reality. Her jazz-folkloric fusions allow room for celebration. It invokes images of music wafting down a street, from an unknown source, in through my window, light a ray of light upon my daily workings.

3. “Zora” Jamila Woods from the album LEGACY! LEGACY! (2019)

You may recognize Jamila Woods from her collaboration with Chance the Rapper on his hit “Sunday Candy”. Last year she released her second full length to critical acclaim. Each track is an homage to a cultural hero/icon; most of them are African American - arguably the most under sun heroes of our society. Here, each hero gets a moment to speak once more to us and if the songs aren’t enough of an education Woods has compiled resources for us to get down even deeper with the knowledge most necessary for this age. Check out these articles to get to know Zora Neale Hurston, and many more, much better: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/gy4yej/jamila-woods-legacy-album-reading-list https://pitchfork.com/features/song-by-song/jamila-woods-legacy-legacy-interview/

4. ”Morning Comes” Sasami from the album SASAMI (2019)

Sasami Ashworth brings a very, very LA sound, but it’s refreshing isn’t it? This album is a put-it-on-and-go-on kind of experience. Stream at your leisure.

5. “Gamm” Cave from the album Psychic Psummer (2019)

Eight years ago, in November, I went to go see Cave play at an underground venue that was running an illegal bar in the back. That venue, like many such venues in Denver, are just casualties of the rapid economic displace-velopment of the past decade. I went to the show with a friend I’d been hanging out with for months, nearly everyday, mostly eating tacos and talking about music. For reasons that can’t quite be pinned down, we kissed that night for the first time while the band was playing. That person became my husband and the father of our son, now 6 years old. You can’t really force material things to stick around, like seedy basement venues, clandestine kisses in the beneath the dark noise of a DIY show, or the longevity of a band, but you can rely upon love and art to endure. So, I was pleased to see that Cave, from Chicago, are still at it as my relationship still plugs along.

6. “Siete” Nicola Cruz from the album Siku (2019)

I first gave this album a listen because the art work was so beautiful, a tableau of colorful objects against a black background. I’m not much for electronic music, but this album kept getting rotation throughout 2019. I found it ideal for getting shit done. Perhaps it’s the tasteful layering of monotonous, flat, electronic loops along with a wide range of acoustic instruments from both Cruz’ native Ecuador, and further regions of the globe that maintains interest. Do I hear a sitar? With an Andean pan flute? Gimme more of that tableau!

7. “Unfulfilled and Alienated” Consider the Source from the album You Are Literally a Metaphor (2019)

Dustin and I were supposed to go see Consider the Source for a date night, but we weren’t able to make it. Still, I can almost imagine the experience of being there. For those who are sad to have lost Neil Pearl of Rush, CTS might make a fair substitute for a killer live show. They tour often so catch them if you can.

8. “13 Past 11” Matt Skellenger Group from the album Vitality (2019)

Denver based musician, and one my co-workers at Swallow Hill, Matt Skellenger released his 5th full length solo album last year. He is one of hardest working musicians in town, dedicated to his craft and unflagging in his musical voice. This album is a cohesive synthesis of disparate musical elements. Influences from broad sources flow well together. I happen to know he likes Tool, so I hear that in there. Jazz, that’s heavy too. His bandmate, Andy, lends the tabla on many of the tracks, including this one and it always feels like it belongs exactly in the moment it appears. Wanna support local music? Start here.

9. “Lahan al-Mansour” Yazz Ahmed from the album Polyhymnia (2019)

Another album of homages to women; perhaps I should have situated this tune next to the Jamila Woods track. Regardless, what you should know is that Ahmed has been steadily releasing interesting, vibrant jazz the past few years. She is one reason I wish I could go to London just to check out the scene. It’s exploding with unique voices with many stories to tell. This particular story began it’s formation in 2015, but Ahmed only released the album in 2019. The entire thing is well worth a listen.

10. “Daddy” Lafawndah from the album Ancestor Boy (2019)

I’m not sure how I discovered Lafawndah, I think she was a featured artist on Bandcamp early in 2019. I listened to a few tracks of her album and promptly bought a copy for myself. It’s so strange it’s refreshing. She calls her music maximalism which conjures up images of production software with inputs streaming down the left hand column. I think this quote is even more accurate to her sound: “pop music that is neither imperial nor local, but a freedom of movement.”

11. “Haunted Water” SPELLING from the album Mazy Fly (2019)

Opening with a synth sound reminiscent of either the 80’s, or Stranger Things, depending on your take. But, the synths quickly layer in that maximalist feel discussed above. It layers darkly reminiscent of either 80’s goth, or 2010’s goth, depending on your take. I especially appreciate the way Chrystia Cabal’s voice bounces between breathy head voice and a warbled, throaty chest voice with nothing in between. She’s playing with extremes here. She released this album on Sacred Bones, one of my favorite record labels. You wouldn’t be wrong to go ahead and buy everything they put out.

12. “Shut It Up” Sirintip from the album Tribus (2018)

Sirintip was raised in both Thailand and Sweden around jazz music. She was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Competition. That’s why it makes some sense why she played Dazzle earlier this year. (A show I meant to go to, but plans fell through ). She is a highly skilled singer who has expanded her arsenal to include, well, a folding table full of buttons and cords. Her Instagram page features some fun videos where she explains her digital set up and some live demonstrations. If you’ve wondered why the hell musicians are so obsessed with doobly-doos (machines with light up buttons that make sounds!) then she will convince you to consider folding tables to have an equal place at the symphony. She opened up for Snarky Puppy on a world tour last year, so keep an eye on her for more breakthrough work.

13. “Sugar Mama” Dua Saleh from the album Nūr (2019)

I had a very hard time choosing just one track off Dua Saleh’s EP. Each one is fascinating. They are a non-binary artist from the Twin Cities and this track was made on their phone. I love their unabashed, prominent use of the GarageBand metronome sound. As though they were like, “Yeah, that’s sick, I’ll just keep it in.” A wonderfully bold move. To really get a feel for their style check out this live performance: https://youtu.be/deFlKihv7WM

14. “Lux Lumina” Lorelle Meets the Obsolete from the album De Facto (2019)

I first encountered Lorelle Meets the Obsolete in 2012 when I was running my record store. Their album at that time was much darker, but I found myself revisiting it over and over again. They couple that makes up the band know how to set a mood. They are one of the more notable examples of Northern Mexico’s psychedelic scene.

15. “Safe Passage” The Bad Plus from the album Never Stop II (2019)

The Bad Plus formed two decades ago amongst young friends. Today they are an established jazz-not-jazz ensemble giving music fans nuanced ways of perceiving collaborative composition. Dustin and I have seen them a few times, including this past spring at Dazzle. It’s nice to have a chair to sit in, a beverage near your dominant hand, and absolutely zero distractions while you watch them play. I have enjoyed getting to know their new-ish pianist Orrin Evans. The band still sounds like The Bad Plus, but with a, you know, new collaborative voice in the mix. This track is off of a release from early 2019 but they released another full length late in the year that is worth checking out too. https://thebadplus.bandcamp.com/

16. “Down With the Clique” Solange from the album When I Get Home (2019)

I do love that tinny digital drum production. This sound is used in the vein of minimalism. If I were you, I’d go back to Lafawndah and compare it with maximalism. We’re all looking at ourselves with a microscope and a helicopter view and a macro-dialectic and critical backwards planning. Lean in, step back, repeat. Musically, Solange seeks to explore the meta-data. This album is a wonderful experience. Have you seen her choreography and filmography? (https://hammer.ucla.edu/solange) It’s part of the whole picture of her as an artist. Worth noting - she’s the sister of Beyoncé but she’s her own prolific artist.

17. “To The Citadel” Kingsley Ibeneche from the album Realms (2019)

Solange has access to a large platform but she is not the only artist shaping a movement of black minimalism and multi-disciplinary sonicscapes. Kingsley Ibeneche, Nigerian-American, is a professional dancer who is here exploring both spiritual and secular spaces within himself. He refers to the “realms” of his inner space - a “psychogeography” through song. This album comes with a chapbook of images and poetry that correspond to the songs.

15. “Going to the Beach with Haley” Black Belt Eagle Scout from the album At the Party With My Brown Friends (2019)

I discovered Black Belt Eagle Scout because they played a show with Sasami and I saw it in Instagram. Birds of a feather are worth investigating. I chose this song, in part, because it features a tinny sounding drum track beneath the real drum track. I like that kind of production and I feel as though it speaks to the current trends in music.

19. “been thinkin” Hikes from the album Mahal Kita (2019)

I discovered Hikes because they went on tour with BBES and I saw it on Instagram. (A theme on this mixtape). The singer’s melismas are to melt for. The song builds well and peaks with gorgeous, proggy guitar lines.

20. “Conceptual” Wet Fruit from the album Wet Fruit (2019)

Indie rock tracks naturally lead to punk tracks. This is some strange punk but I would put Wet Fruit in that section of my imaginary record store. I hear the long history of NW punk in this band - riot grrl, K Records, wet moss on the sidewalks.

21. “Roses That Cry” Empath from the album Active Listening: Night on Earth (2019)

These vocals are heavily distorted; I was initially tricked into thinking the car speakers were going. Nope, it’s intentional. Here we have some more strange sounding punk (outta Philly) combining the digital with the real instrumentation. Maybe we’re all just imagining what we’re hearing anyways. Or, you can just enjoy all the grit Empath has to bear upon your sub-woofers.

22. “Grief” HIDE from the album Hell is Here (2019)

I was supposed to see HIDE play at the Hi-Dive this year. I even had a ticket! The day before they were to play a blizzard hit the entire state and the band couldn’t make it over the mountains so the show was canceled. By the time they had rescheduled I had to work late. I hear they put on an insane live show - the kind that will change you as a person. I guess I’ll have to wait till they come back. I will say this, though, it is a bold, courageous move to title a song “grief”. You compete with all the other songs in the world that attempt to tackle the feeling of grief. By not qualifying the concept with a specific occurrence of grief you imply that you are ready to take on all that is grief in this lived human experience. Well, 2019 brought a great deal of grief for me personally. There was much loss and the anguish associated with it. So, I do invite this heavy, difficult to comprehend band into my living room and yes, they have my permission to bemoan Grief on my behalf.

23. “Surveillance Veil” Nots from the album 3 (2019)

I bet this was a great punk show. Alas, I was not there to see it. The Nots made my 2016 mixtape and here they are keeping on, keeping on. I hope they have more in 2020.

24. “Hard Place” H.E.R. from the album I Used to Know Her (2019)

This is the biggest artist on my mixtape this year (aside from Solange who has more fame but also more fringe art) She is a fantastically talented multi-instrumentalist who brings a great deal of heart to her work. Check out this live performance where she try’s on several different instruments within the course of one song: https://youtu.be/TPuOpd82kdM

25. “Abou Zilif” Omar Souleyman from the album Shlon (2019)

Omar Souleyman is a Syrian wedding singer. From what I’ve heard Syrian weddings are traditionally very festive and the hiring of a band is common. Or, it used to be before the civil war. Souleyman was forced to flee when the war began. Since the early 2010’s, while living in Europe he has music has been share his experiences, his talent, and his culture with others. And he has needed to because his original source of income has been stripped from him though the ongoing proxy war perpetuated ,in part, by Russia. Which is why it is deeply ironic that he cannot tour the US at this time because of Trump’s travel ban. (https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/02/06/513255643/even-with-travel-ban-blocked-artists-are-still-left-hanging ). The bare minimum you can do is to vote Trump out of office in 2020. #sorrynotsorry that I have to get political here because #musicispolitical. DIg it?

26. “Bahariya” Martin Gilmore & Eslam El Abaty from the album East West (2018)

I am lucky to be a co-worker of Martin Gilmore, a wonderfully talented musician. I didn’t know he had released this album last year so I’m obligated to share it this year in spite of my “strict” criteria for inclusion on the mixtape. Perhaps, in light of the racist immigration policies of Trump, it felt extra important to put this track on the list. What kind of society does exclusion build? It prevents the collaboration between cultural art forms. This album exemplifies what we gain from artistic conversation. Martin’s guitar feels so familiar to me culturally. It sounds like the halls of Swallow Hill, where we work together. Eslam’ s our playing is new to me. But, folk music is folk music and acoustic instruments have a role to play in every gathering place around the world. This album is a treasure. It inserts tracks of the street sounds of Cairo in between original compositions that could have only occurred through musical communion.

27. “Better Me” Kaitlyn Williams from the album Better Me single (2019)

This single is only available on Spotify, but there is a live performance you can grab on Bandcamp here: https://headroomsessions.bandcamp.com/album/kaitlyn-williams-head-room-sessions-27 If you live in Denver you’ll definitely have an opportunity to see Kaitlyn perform. Her IG game is on point! Follow her @kkaitlynwilliamss. I chose this song because it’s kind of the perfect way to end a mixtape and a year. I hope that we all find renewal through the process of moving into a new year and a new decade - a chance to grow.