Butchers
A mixtape for the finest cuts.
Sixteen Years of City Living
I just hit 16 years of living in New York City this past month. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, but I know I’m here for the next 2-3 years at the very least. Things are looking good here lately. Hope the city keeps surprising me with new reasons to love it.
Summer has been full of incredible bouts of nostalgia and reunions. Warren, my indie improv team, had our first show with the full crew in maybe 8 years? Pair that with everyone who used to live here engrossed in that scene back in town, and it’s enough to make a guy feel very lucky.
Got an adventurous one for you this month, folks! Hope you dig! What are y’all listening to lately?
Til next time, friendos!
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Butchers
Created for the finest cuts.
*****
Sometimes you’ll discover a song so different, so exhilarating, so weird that you just don’t know what to do with it. You’ll obsess over it for a week or more, file it into the darkest corners of a playlist, and dust it off months later just to see if it retains some of its magic. I’ve compiled 17 of them.
I have a playlist (with over 24 hours of music on it at this point) that serves as an idea pile, and almost all of these came straight from there. None of them seemed to easily slot into any other thematic mixtape, but I like them grouped together here—an island of misfit songs, if you will. If you’re into the experimental or the ambient or the avant garde, there is a lot to love here.
In my mind, all of this would soundtrack a fashion show for a modern, eccentric designer whose models are walking the catwalk in strange outfits and deeply serious faces. Sometimes it’s fun to dip your toes into that world.
I didn’t know most of these artists before hearing these songs, and I don’t know much of the rest of their work at all. They largely remain a mystery to me, and I don’t know if I’ll dive deeper or just keep the mystique alive for another listen.
*****
Love you all. Hope you enjoy!
Join Me: Buy Music this Bandcamp Friday on August 7th
I have truly run out of shelf space in my apartment for more records, but this is still the most direct way you can support artists and some archival record labels, so I’m going to pick up a few things. Here’s the type of things I always debate getting and this month’s version:
New Release That’s an Easy Spin - Emeralds by Parlor Greens
Archival Reissue of Niche Genre You Won’t Get Anywhere Else - The Golden Voice of Phnom Penh, 1962-1974 by So Savoeun
An Old Favorite I Listen to Often But Do Not Yet Own - Lucky For You by Bully
The Expensive Box Set - Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick 1958-1971
Been on the Wishlist for YEARS When Will You Pull The Trigger? - Loving You George by George Otsuka Quintet
Which should I get? What are you going to scoop?
RIYL: Supporting artists, music
Check out George Otsuka Quintet’s “Loving You.”
Some Other Things I Love
(that you might love too!)
Instant Breakfast - Good buddy and mixtape collaborator Kevin Bauer curates an excellent Substack that’s a joy to read each week. The whole premise/promise is that it’s short and sweet. Just a couple of excellent recommendations thrown your way. Even if they don’t inspire further investigation, it’s cool knowing this stuff is out there. Must subscribe.
Memphis Jookin - This YouTube channel found its way into my algorithm, and I’m grateful. These dudes can move. I adore the palpable camaraderie on camera, too. People out here having fun dancing. Love the camera motion isolation effect.
7 photos + a poem - Another Substack rec! This one is exactly what it says it is: 7 photos + a poem. A balm for your inbox. A small joy to break up the monotony. Get in there, folks.
Dark - Kristin talked me into watching one of her favorite shows with her as she rewatches. It rocks. The language is German and the tone is… well… dark, which tends to scratch the itch for mid-late summer spooky season longing. If you miss they heydays of Lost and trying to connect the dots week to week, this could be a good show for you. Yeah, we’ve got time travel and murder here, folks.
