If you didn’t manage to make down to Austin this week, we have just the thing to fill the gap in your concert-marathon-free life. That’s right: a mixtape! But not just any mixtape. This week we’ve got some hotly anticipated songs from Lil B and Mac Miller, plus some delicious hints of albums to come from TV on the Radio and Junior Boys. Prepare yourself for the next Texas invasion, right click + “Save As” to download individual tracks, and, as always, scroll to the bottom of the post to snag the whole mixtape at once. Bon appetit!
The Kills are returning to the airwaves with style on April 4th with their fourth album, Blood Pressures . “DNA” is the second single from the upcoming LP, and it’s a nailbiter — rumbling, thundering, and slowly building before cutting off just short of where you expect the fireworks to come in.
2. “Base for Your Face” by Lil B [feat. Jean Grae and Phonte]
This week, the Based God swooped down from his rapper’s realm on high to bestow upon us mortals his latest mix, Illusions of Grandeur. You can snap it up here in full, but in case you need convincing, take a peek at the bouncy “Base For Your Face,” in which Lil B teams up with none other than the 9th Wonder. Check out that Public Enemy sample, too.
If you’re a fan of slick-as-oil synth-pop, then we’re betting you know about Junior Boys. The Canadian group broke out their Moogs and Tesla coils to produce “ep,” a taste from their upcoming album It’s All True. Keep your eyes peeled for it in June.
4. “Caffeinated Consciousness” by TV on the Radio
From the band’s forthcoming Nine Types of Light , “Caffeinated Consciousness” is a return to form for the group: hopping, sparkling, and without sparing the percussion.
Since we last included a track by Austra on a mixtape, Katie Stelmanis’ side project has gained some serious steam. Their new offering, “Lose It,” has all the lovely swooping vocals and cathedral-goth grooves that we loved in “The Beat and the Pulse,” but ratcheted up a notch. Look for Austra’s debut album on the shelves on May 17th.
In anticipation of their appearance at SXSW this week, MSTRKRFT sneakily released an unannounced single this week. “Beards Again” is jubilantly silly, but also flat-out jubilant — guitar riffs mingling with house beats. This ex-DFA 1979 guy has done all right, we think.
7. “Ice Cream” by Battles [ft. Matias Aguayo]
Battles has been hiatus for a while, so it does our ears and hearts glad to hear this teaser from their upcoming album Gloss Drop. “Ice Cream” is everything you want from a song with such a cheerful title: sticky, joyful, sweet, and just a tad quirky.
8. “Heart in Your Heartbreak” by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Brooklyn indie-pop group The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are releasing their second full-length, Belong , this month, and they’re using just about as much technology as they can muster to make sure you hear it. Not only are they streaming the whole album for free on their website right now, they’re also releasing the LP as a button. Yes, like the kind you wear on your jacket. Apparently you can plug a pair of earphones into it and listen to the album on the go. The future is now, people, and it sounds jangly.
9. “White People” by Hank Wood and the Hammerheads
If, perchance, you’ve heard a little too much fuzz and chipper acoustic guitar riffs and far too little clash and roar, Hank Wood and the Hammerheads are just what the audiologist ordered. The track is one off the cassette-only New York Rules, a wailing homage to the hard guitar rock that made the city great. Listen to it loud.
10. “Donald Trump” by Mac Miller
Lil B might have gotten all the mixtape credit this week, but Pittsburgh-based Mac Miller also came out blazing with his Best Day Ever mixtape, featuring contributions from Chuck Inglish and Wiz Khalifa, amongst others. If you need an introduction, “Donald Trump” will do nicely: it’s the kind of swagger anthem that you need right before you step out the door.
All, all, I want it all. Download the whole mix here.