Since it’s now officially summer, we figured we’d give our fellow music lovers more than just weekly mixtapes. This weekend, don’t miss our Northside Festival showcase in Williamsburg with performances from Oberhofer, Twin Shadow, Grandchildren, and Drink Up Buttercup. To get you psyched for the show, we’ve compiled a mixtape featuring all four acts plus six other Northside bands you need to check out while you’re there. Right Click + Save As after the jump.
1. Family Trees – “Dream Talkin” Somewhere between the Beach Boys and the Drums are a Brooklyn trio by the name of Family Trees. This single is the kind of sunshine blues that makes your legs weak as soon as the bittersweet chorus kicks in.
2. The Wave Pictures – “Just Like A Drummer” David Tattersall’s dry wit and caustic vibrato bring to mind a more polished Mountain Goats set atop raw acoustics and a soft-spoken bass line that will win this track a spot on your summer playlists.
3. Oberhofer – “o0Oo0Oo” You may have no idea pronounce this song’s title, but it all makes sense once you hear the track’s monumental chorus. Brad Oberhofer’s upcoming single tones down the giddy “coincidence pop” factor and, instead, opts for a more meditative approach.
4. Memory Tapes – “Bicycle (Tanlines Remix)” This is that blissfully sunburnt remix we were talking about three weeks ago when Davey Hawke took over the reins on a Tanlines track. It plays around with sounds that reverberate like kettle drums in tropical storms.
5. Twin Shadow – “I Can’t Wait” As a man of many faces, George Lewis Jr. can both chill like Memory Tapes’ Hawke and rock like Win Butler in the same four minutes. It’s rather impressive, which comes as no surprise considering his debut, Forget, is set for fall release on the hawk-eyed Chris Taylor’s own Terrible Records.
6. Tortoiseshell – “This Girl (Canyons Dub)” Canyons stuffs Tortoiseshell’s straightforward Aussie indie pop into an echo chamber to take full control of the soaring vocals and Afro-bass line. Canyons are releasing the five piece’s debut single on their own imprint, Hole in the Sky.
7. Grandchildren – “Cold Warrior” “Cold Warrior” is a busy song, that’s for sure. Our favorite moment comes after the Dodos-esque orchestration and Avey Tare-style vocals, in a solid closing minute of riffy exuberance that’s nothing short of mind-bending.
8. Drink Up Buttercup – “Doggy Head” This Philly quartet has a breezy effortlessness to their strummy pop. At first “Doggy Head” reminded us of their neighbors, Dr. Dog, but upon a second (and third) listen, the band’s escalating harmonies and lysergic flourishes are undoubtedly more akin to the Beatles.
9. DOM – “Rude As Jude” We’ve been into this trio since they were “Living in America” and remixing Tokyo Police Club, so we are no strangers to their hypeworthy sound. DOM could very well be the lovechild of Passion Pit and MGMT.
10. BRAHMS – “Brought It Out” BRAHMS’ Cale Parks is a household name in Brooklyn, having gotten his feet wet with Aloha and White Williams, while still lending a hand to such acts as Joan of Arc and Passion Pit. This song in particular showcases both his New Order-style vocal chops and electronic handiwork.
Download the mix all at once here.
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