175. James Blake - ‘Overgrown’ + 10 Dollar Shake

James Blake - ‘Overgrown’ + 10 Dollar Shake

Ingredients: 1 ounce amaretto liqueur (Disaronno works), 1 ounce kirsch, 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur, 4/5 ounce fresh lemon juice, 1/5 ounce simple syrup, 1 dash egg white, 1 dash Angostura bitters, 1 cherry with stem for garnish.

Mixing Instructions:  Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker full of ice.  Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass, add garnish and serve. (adapted from Adrian Gomes, Aberdeen, Scotland)

Notes: With all the anticipation surrounding the sophomore album from British electronic artist James Blake, it’s easy to forget that less than three years ago (heck, probably two if you weren’t working for a music blog) none of us had any idea who he was.  One of my favorite music writers described seeing him during one of his first major U.S. performances,

When he took the stage at that church, he didn’t seem like some Internet Famous Celebrity: He seemed like a scared college kid in over his head. He hardly made eye contact with the audience at first, and was wearing a hoodie like it had a cloaking device. After the first song, he exhaled audibly into the mic; It was like he had just cleared some hurdle. He tried to talk into the mic, but he stammered. He recovered, and said thanks for coming. Then he played one of the most powerful sets I saw that whole festival.

But this follow-up is different - Blake has traveled a million miles in a couple years and seems to be making music that is less scared and fractured, and more intentional.  Only a few dozen spins will answer whether or not much of his magic was contained within his uncertainty, but it’s a tantalizing musical journey to undertake and one that is best done with a spooky good drink. 

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

174. Evenings - ‘Yore’ + Leap Year

Evenings - ‘Yore’ + Leap Year

**April selection for Vinyl Me, Please - the world’s best vinyl-of-the-month club**

Ingredients: 2 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier, 1/4 ounces fresh lemon juice.

Mixing Instructions: Combine ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel twist (optional…always optional). 

Notes: The debut LP from Harlem-based producer Nathan Broaddus is the type of music I listen to when I’m sick of music. That might seem an odd thing to say…it’s not sick of all music per se, but just the typical day-to-day fare that can begin running too closely together at times. The minimalist, ambient atmosphere created over the course of Yore serves as a welcome reset button, breaking music down to its elements and reminding the listener of how much emotion and energy can be contained within a single note or drum beat.  Don’t be fooled, this isn’t simple music - it has a depth of sound and feeling that is both beautiful and stirring.  The type of album to throw on the turntable (plug the headphones in for full effect) when you feel musically weary, mix a classic cocktail created by legendary London Savoy barman, Harry Craddock, and cleanse your musical palate.     

purchase vinyl: FoF Music

173. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - ‘We the Common’ + Dawn Chorus

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - ‘We the Common’ + Dawn Chorus

Ingredients: 1 ounce Southern Comfort, 3/4 ounce port, 1/2 ounce Punt e Mes red vermouth, 1/3 ounce fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grenadine syrup, 2 ounces cola.

Mixing Instructions:  Mix all ingredients, but cola into a cocktail shaker.  Shake and strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and top with cola.

Notes:  The opening track of Thao Nguyen & Co.’s latest album is listed as “(For Valerie Bolden)” a reference to the young woman that Nguyen met during her first visit to San Francisco County Jail with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners.  She did so while taking time away from music to live a regular life after years spent on the road touring with her band.  The result of her musical sabbatical is 'We the Common', a punchy folk-jam LP mixed with beats and banjo licks that would draw smiles from fans of Dilla and Sufjan both.  The type of music that begs to be played live, or at least at a party with friends and good drinks, Thao tapped John Congleton (Bill Callahan, St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky) for the production work and the result is sonic bliss.  Invite the neighbors over, mix up some cocktails that can match the fuzz of Thao’s guitar and lift your glass to an album that deepens your love a music just a little bit more. 

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

172. Phosphorescent - ‘Muchacho’ + Leather Hammock

Phosphorescent - ‘Muchacho’ + Leather Hammock

Ingredients: 1 ounce mezcal reposado, 3/4 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, 1/3 ounce maraschino liqueur (like Luxardo), 3/4 ounce fresh orange juice, orange peel for garnish.

Mixing Instructions: Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker.  Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Add orange peel for garnish and serve. (via Gaz Regan)

Notes:  This isn’t Matthew Houck’s first rodeo and the progression of his music in both sound and style testifies to this truth.  His music has always been great, but Muchacho feels like it could be a breakout record for the Alabama native.  Framed by a clear opening and closing track, Muchacho is meant to be heard as a whole.  Don’t get me wrong, I could keep the stunning ‘Song for Zula’ and rhapsodic ‘Quotidian Beasts’ on repeat for all of eternity… but they serve as vivid highlights in an album that paints an entire creative canvas.  Phosphorescent has a knack for beautiful lyrics, showing weakness, rage, vulnerability, and triumph in his storytelling… but on Muchacho we get a taste of how powerful those same feelings and emotions can be conveyed when paired with Houck’s best production work yet — a fullness of sound that envelopes you as you listen.  Written largely while on a solo trip to Mexico, pair the album with an appropriate mezcal cocktail and celebrate the work of someone who truly cares about their craft.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

171. Torres - ‘Torres’ + George and Ginger

Torres - ‘Torres’ + George and Ginger

Ingredients: 2 ounces George Dickel Tennessee whiskey, 2 ounces ginger ale.

Mixing Instructions:  Pour whiskey over ice into a highball glass.  Add ginger ale and serve.

Notes:  22-yr old Nashville musician, Mackenzie Scott, was a writer first, then a singer.  This distinction is important…and when you listen to her self-released debut album you understand why.  Her voice is quite remarkable, swaying back and forth between sugary sweet and rusty-bladed growling, but it is skillfully shot into the listener’s consciousness with a quiver full of lyrics ripe beyond her years.  “So I’ll be sure to turn my back / On everything you said you’d do / I’m gonna come to terms / before I have to.”  Tackling subjects like isolation, heartbreak and subjugation, she does so in a way that is poetic, image-rich and full of guts and heat.   Much like Brandi Carlile, the powerful combination of voice & lyrics requires little else along the lines of support, but Torres deftly skirts the singer-songwriter label by layering in just the right amount of creative instrumentation.  One to keep an eye on in coming years, give Torres a spin and keep things simple with a Tennessee whiskey & ginger. 

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Big Cartel

170. Devendra Banhart - ‘Mala' + Masala Chai Punch

Devendra Banhart - ‘Mala' + Masala Chai Punch

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces Chai-infused Rum, 2 ounces milk, 1/2 ounce rich demerara syrup, fresh grated nutmeg.

Mixing Instructions:  Chai-infused Rum—Measure 4 tablespoons of loose Masala Chai tea into a 750-ml bottle of rum.  Let steep for 2 hours, agitating periodically.  Strain and rebottle.  THEN—mix ingredients into cocktail shaker 3/4 full of ice, shake & strain, and garnish with nutmeg (via Gaz Regan).

Notes: Devendra Banhart can be a tad-bit unpredictable at times.  He’s clearly a genius-caliber musician and artist, but you never know when you’re going to get the unbelievably beautiful Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Devendra Banhart or that Megapuss-style Devendra Banhart (although, there were a couple songs off that Megapuss album that were pretty good).  Fortunately, with the occasional misstep from such a great artist, the perfect opportunity for surprise is presented to the casual fan when an album like Mala shows up seemingly out of nowhere.

Mala still has numerous hints of Banhart’s playful demeanor and sense of humor… but the overall feel of the album is much more laid back and more in-line of succession to Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (which I couldn’t possible love more).  If you’ve never known where to jump in with Banhart, or you tried before at a previously inopportune time… do not hesitate to start over again with Mala and see how it suits your fancy. 

purchase vinyl:  Amazon ||   Insound

169. Rhye - ‘Woman’ + Champagne Dream

Rhye - ‘Woman’ + Champagne Dream

Ingredients: 1 ounce Pama (pomegranate liqueur), 1 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce fresh orange juice, 3 ounces champagne or sparkling wine, orange zest for garnish.

Mixing Instructions: Shake Pama, Cointreau and orange juice in a shaker half-filled with ice.  Slowly stir in champagne then strain into a flute and garnish with orange zest. (via Dale DeGroff)

Notes: Sex is one of the most poorly covered subjects in modern music. This isn’t to say the territory hasn’t been explored, but “to the windoooowwwws…” and its ilk are the sexual equivalent of a Hungry Man dinner — yes, it is edible-ish and contains calories, but to call it food….that’s just depressing.  Thankfully, Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal, L.A. transplants by way of Copenhagen, have brought an artistic and thoughtfully intimate stroke to a canvas mostly poked at by juvenile finger painters.  Bare as the skin on the cover, the sound has been compared to both Sade and The xx.  This is mood music that successfully resists fading to the background, it’s just too gripping and honest.  Best saved for a quiet evening with the one you love, pop a bottle, mix a delicate cocktail and toast an album that shows how to celebrate intimacy without resorting to cheap vulgarity.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

168. Bahamas - ‘Barchords’ + King Bee

Bahamas - ‘Barchords’ + King Bee

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces tea-infused Comb vodka, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, barspoon of Benedictine, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, splash of Prosecco and lemon wheel for garnish.

Mixing Instructions: Steep tea in Comb vodka for 20min.  Shake all ingredients together (minus Prosecco) in a cocktail shaker and strain into a rocks glass.  Top with a splash of Prosecco and garnish with lemon wheel. (via Fort Defiance)

Notes: Discovering a new artist is a sweet experience for any music lover.  The fuel for continued exploration, it’s an instant high that temporarily alleviates an addict’s craving.  Stumbling upon the sly, but beautiful music of Canadian Afie Jurvanen was like a junky finally grasping a syringe after wildly groping for it in the dark.  A former guitarist for Feist, Jurvanen brings a maturity to his craft that makes simple melodies and arrangements feel overwhelmingly emotional and full.  The sophomore album begins with the head-shakingly good “Lost In the Light” and rambles down the road without much veering.  If Jack Johnson gave up surfing to become a logger by day, bartender by night, then drove cross-country to steal away the girls from Dirty Projectors after a nasty brawl with David Longstreth…it might come close to what Bahamas sounds like.  Mix a slightly presumptuous cocktail, queue up ‘Barchords’ and let Jurvanen do what he was obviously born to do. 

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

167. Youth Lagoon - ‘Wondrous Bughouse’ + The Maple Leaf

Youth Lagoon - ‘Wondrous Bughouse’ + The Maple Leaf

Ingredients: 2 ounces Bourbon, 1/2 ounce Maple Syrup, 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice

Mixing Instructions: Combine in cocktail shaker with ice, shake & strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes:  When we paired Youth Lagoon’s debut LP The Year of Hibernation last year, we didn’t have much to say about Trevor Powers’ approach to singing, his songwriting, or his music. A young guy from middle america, we might have been more caught by surprise by the sounds and undertones of the album itself than the artist.  Whatever it was, we recognized we loved the music and needed to feature it.  

Now here we are again, in awe of what the still-rather-young artist has created and packaged for us.  An album of art to be sure—THIS is how albums are supposed to be made.  A clear beginning, a flowing series of songs, and a dreamy ending that just makes you want to start it all over from the top.  Sure, there are standout songs… but this album was meant to be heard from start to finish.  A practice that we advocate passionately.  You might notice this Youth Lagoon album has an even more polished sound, even better themes and songwriting, and is even easier to lose yourself in.  Or maybe you’ll just love it with no context for the development of Youth Lagoon as a staple of great music in todays scene.  Either way, try this album out for size… but do it right.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

166. Leagues - ‘You Belong Here’ + Harvest Moon

Leagues - ‘You Belong Here’ + Harvest Moon

**March selection for Vinyl Me, Please - the world’s best vinyl-of-the-month club**

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey, 1 ounce Lillet Blanc, 1/2 ounce apple brandy, 1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, orange peel for garnish.

Mixing Instructions: Stir with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange peel twist. 

Notes: Age matters in music.  Young twenty-somethings often strive for an overly-original sound that can back them into a corner of irrelevance in a hurry - yet also contains huge potential for magic.  Later in life most musicians abandon novelty for simplicity, riffing on classic song structures and melodies and suddenly thinking a greatest hits album is an ok thing to do.  

Made up of early-thirties Nashville musicians with loads of experience, Leagues walk the high-wire separating the two musical territories with ease, delivering a highly pleasurable alt-rock album that will find appreciation among fans of Kopecky Family Band and The Black Keys.  Start to finish there are few songs that won’t induce a head-bob or foot tap, it’s just deliciously catchy work.  An album for the next neighborhood party, pair it with an equally satisfying rye cocktail and pay homage to the perfect mix of experience and joy.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon  

165. Night Beds - ‘Country Sleep’ + Bourbon Bramble

Night Beds - ‘Country Sleep’ + Bourbon Bramble

Ingredients: 1 ounce bourbon, 1 ounce St. Germain, 1/2 ounce creme de cassis, one squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Mixing Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake vigorously for 45 seconds and strain into a rocks glass. 

Notes: It takes some balls to start off your debut album with an opening track sang entirely a capella — unless, of course, you’re the 23-yr old Night Beds frontman, Winston Yellis, in which case it’s the exact right thing to do.  In fact, with a voice so pure (think Ray LaMontagne & Ryan Adams) one might be tempted to wonder if other instruments are necessary at all.  Nashville by way of Colorado Springs, the alt-country songster seems to have found his stride since moving to the land of the Smoky Mountains, recording the arresting “Even If We Try” in the former home of Johnny Cash.  Twinged with youthful energy, this is an artist who will be interesting to watch in the coming years as he matures - for now, however, place his record on the platter and sip a bourbon cocktail as pitch-perfect as Yellen and just as potent.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

164. Ivan & Alyosha - ‘All The Times We Had’ + Remember the Maine

Ivan & Alyosha - ‘All The Times We Had’ + Remember the Maine

Ingredients: 2 ounces rye whiskey (such as Woodinville), 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/4 ounce Cherry Heering, 2 dashes of absinthe (enough to coat glass), 1 lemon peel twist for garnish.

Mixing Instructions:  Rinse a chilled coupe glass with 2 dashes of absinthe.  In a mixing glass with ice stir whiskey, vermouth and Cherry Heering for a minute or two.  Strain contents into coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel twist.

Notes: It seems there’s something in the Seattle water that causes otherwise ordinary young men to produce other-worldly vocal harmonies. First the Fleet Foxes and now Seattle indie band, Ivan & Alyosha, who’s debut album plants them firmly among this year’s top new groups.  Stylistically they tread on the paths familiar to fans of L.A.-based Milo Greene, as well, as Dualtone label mate, The Lumineers.  What sets them apart, however, is a timelessness to many of their songs - simple, but beautiful melodies that serve as fitting vessels for lyrics that tackle many of life’s big questions…and do so with a refreshing ounce of humility and even joy.  Invite some friends over, make a classic, multi-faceted cocktail, drop the needle on the record and let the night overflow into the morning.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

163. Beach Fossils - ‘Clash the Truth’ + Smoking Jacket

Beach Fossils - ‘Clash the Truth’ + Smoking Jacket

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounce blended Scotch, 3/4 ounce Cynar, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce orange bitters.

Mixing Instructions: Stir with ice in a mixing glass.  Strain into a lowball glass with ice. (via Kindred Cocktails)

Notes: I often associate certain albums or genres with specific times, places or seasons.  Beach House and Joni Mitchell make good Saturday morning music (perfect with chocolate chip pancakes).  Blitzen Trapper was born for the Fall (and a cider cocktail).  And the sophomore album from Brooklyn indie rock band, Beach Fossils, finds itself most at home on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon in February.  This isn’t a diss nor is it a lazy association with my first listen (a sunny weekend morning).  However, the contemplative, mid-fi dream jangle that ebbs and flows, often beautifully, over the course of 14 tracks requires an equally ruminative listening environment to fully appreciate.  Full of late-twenty-something angst and malaise, this is an album that begs for a dark, brooding cocktail and a quiet afternoon hour.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

162. Atoms For Peace - ‘Amok’ + Prado

Atoms For Peace - ‘Amok’ + Prado

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 3/4 ounce lime juice, 1/2 whole egg white,  1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur

Mixing Instructions:  Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry and lime wheel.

Notes:  For most listeners, the story and background of AMOK precede the music it contains so much that you might feel like you’re just supposed to accept that it’s the best thing happening in the music world.  The artists involved (Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Flea from RHCP, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco, Joey Waronker) all have successful music careers and have come together to both tour Thom Yorke’s solo album, The Eraser, a few years back and present us with AMOK just a few years later, today.  With as much hype as an album like this brings with it, the first listen can be daunting.  Do I like this?  Is it everything they said it would be?  If I’m not immediately in love with it, is there something wrong with my taste?  These are all valid questions to consider.

Fortunately, AMOK is an all-out success in its execution.  The sound is unique.  Not just unique like Thom Yorke’s The Eraser was to the typical Radiohead sound in 2006, but unique to the new group.  Let’s not be mistaken, Atoms for Peace is Thom Yorke’s motivation.  But aside from that point, the individual pieces of this puzzle come together incredibly well, creating a new and original sound that will now define Atoms for Peace for the foreseeable future. Take the time to overlook the hype…

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

161. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - ‘II’ + Death in the Afternoon

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - ‘II’ + Death in the Afternoon

Ingredients: 1 ounce absinthe, 5 ounces chilled champagne.

Mixing Instructions: Pour absinthe into champagne flute and top with champagne. (via Drinkboy)

Notes: The cover of the original Neil Young Harvest LP had a soft, suede-like texture that provided a rich metaphor for the warm, fuzzy tonal qualities that came to define much of 70’s rock.  This musical texture, most predominant in psychedelic rock, forms the bones upon which rests Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s musical flesh.  Immersive, lo-fi rock with beats that often border on trip-hop - the American/New Zealand rock band follows up their highly praised self-titled debut with the engrossing and immensely enjoyable album, II.  Mix an absinthe-laced cocktail, find a comfortable place to sit and remind yourself that there are still people who give a damn about their music.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

160. Jim James - ‘Regions of Light and Sound of God’ + Stargazer

Jim James - ‘Regions of Light and Sound of God’ + Stargazer

Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey, 1 1/2 ounces Lillet Blanc, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, lemon twist for garnish.

Mixing Instructions: Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist and serve.

Notes: There’s something gripping about the idea of Jim James sitting alone in his bedroom with nothing, but a heightened spiritual awareness and some old recording equipment.  For most that idea alone is more than sufficient justification for giving the My Morning Jacket frontman’s debut solo album a spin.  But, for the skeptic I submit this - Regions of Light… offers one of the most gifted voices of the past decade delicately and wholeheartedly pressing into life’s biggest questions.  

Inspired by Lynd Ward’s God’s Man, which he read while recuperating from a 2008 fall, James pulls from both the themes of the book, as well as the positive, soulful vibes of 70’s R&B (Gaye, Withers, even Miles Davis) to provide nine songs of love, happiness, humility and spiritual wrestling.  An album that goes gently, but persistently about its creative mission, it deserves a quiet evening to savor and a drink to highlight its beauty without getting in its way.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

159. Tegan and Sara - ‘Heartthrob’ + Daiquiri

Tegan and Sara - ‘Heartthrob’ + Daiquiri

Ingredients: 2 ounces light rum, 1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar, 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice.

Mixing Instructions: Pour lime juice in shaker, followed by the sugar, then rum.  Fill halfway with ice and shake well.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

Notes: Music critics are a fickle bunch.  Concerned with maintaining the illusion of complete objectivity they often crush artists who refuse to “evolve” from their original sound and then quickly dismiss their efforts when they finally do, accusing them of trying to be something they are not.  With Tegan and Sara’s seventh album, the duo has managed to successfully maneuver through this gauntlet, shedding their lo-fi indie roots and crafting a perfectly addictive pop album that few can brush aside.  Complete with 80’s synth and dance-in-the-living-room drum beats, they successfully draw from a specific time and place in music, but manage to make it their own.  An album that will be an instant hit in almost any setting, throw a party, invite the neighbors and enjoy a sweet and delicious cocktail while toasting to a new direction for Tegan and Sara.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon   ||   Insound

158. The Flaming Lips - ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' + Rasmopolitan

The Flaming Lips - ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' + Rasmopolitan

Ingredients:  1.5 Ounces Vox Raspberry Vodka, 0.5 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce Cranberry Juice, squeeze of fresh lime juice

Mixing Instructions:  Mix ingredients into a shaker half-filled with ice, strain into Martini glass. Garnish with raspberries or lime peel.

Notes:  The Flaming Lips, and specifically Wayne Coyne, can be a rather divisive conversation topic.  On the one hand, they’re from Oklahoma (of which their loyalty to earns them little more than a rolling of the eyes) and lead singer Coyne can be rather outspoken and abrasive.  The other side of the Coyne (*sigh*… sorry) is that they have a track record of excellent albums and brilliant production that matches well with their live performance grandiosity.  Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is a release that still today sounds like it’s a fresh and forward thinking style of music.  A must-listen, take some time and let Yoshimi play…and of course, mix yourself a delicious pink cocktail to make the experience complete.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon  ||   Insound

157. DJ Shadow - ‘Endtroducing…..’ + Good Stuff, Kid

DJ Shadow - ‘Endtroducing…..’ + Good Stuff, Kid

Ingredients: 3/4 ounce Irish whiskey, 3/4 ounce Green Chartreuse, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth. 

Mixing Instructions: Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice for 30 seconds, serve in an ice-filled lowball glass.

Notes: "From listening to records, I just knew what to do. I mainly taught myself. And, you know… I did pretty well. Except there were a few mistakes. But I, uh… I had just recently cleared up. You know, I mean… I’d like to just continue to be able to… express myself… as best as I can with this instrument. I feel like I have a lot of work to do… still. I’m a student… of the drums. And I’m also a teacher of the drums, too. heh heh…"

The above quote, spoken by jazz drummer George Marsh during an interview is heard during the opening minutes of DJ Shadow’s seminal debut album.  One can imagine that Josh Davis, then just 24, found a kindred spirit in Marsh, taking the words of the late musician on as his own and using them as the central thesis of his sample-only masterpiece. Filled with obscure musical treats, the real answer to what makes up Endtroducing….. might be found in the name of an equally elegant cocktail — “Good Stuff, Kid”.

purchase vinyl:   Amazon  

156. Ducktails - ‘The Flower Lane’ + Seabreeze Cocktail

Ducktails - ‘The Flower Lane’ + Seabreeze Cocktail

Ingredients:  1.5 ounces vodka, 4 ounces cranberry juice, 1 ounce grapefruit juice

Mixing Instructions:  Pour vodka over ice into highball glass, add mixers and stir lightly.  Garnish with lime wedge.

Listening Instructions:  Matt Mondanile’s group Ducktails may never fully escape the shadow of his other project, Real Estate, despite the growing argument that the shadow is starting to cast itself from the opposite direction. Truth is, Ducktails keep releasing consistently high-caliber indie rock music that is progressing beautifully with each new release.  if you’re keeping track, this makes 3 consistent releases to only two full length releases from Real Estate.  Those comparisons are unnecessary as both projects are independently great… but as Real Estate fans continue to wait for their next LP… maybe it’s time they realize great things are happening in other places.  

purchase vinyl:  Amazon // Insound