“Love is…” …the name of this week’s mixtape, said R. Buckminster Fuller.

Happy late V-Day, lovers. As my special gift to you, I’m doubling up the typical offer. Each tape is stylistically unique. Volume one is housey and a little more danceable, while volume two works on your slow jamz, end-of-the-day, get-cozy-with-the-significant-’notha vibe.

1. Shock – Ana Tijoux | La Bala, Ana Tijoux’s new album dropped on Jan. 31. She’s been on my radar since “1977″ appeared on Breaking Bad (best tv show evar!)
2. Back 2 You – Jason Burns | When I first heard this track, I was afraid it was going to turn into a heavy-handed dubstep track. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it wasn’t ruined by the wub-wub, it kept its’ delicate yet sensual gravitas intact, AND it got some respectable beats. WIN.
3. Feels Like Love (Original Club Mix) – Lost ‘N’ Alive | This track is old, yes. Like 2003 old. Cram it, kiddo. You wouldn’t know good taste if it ran you over with a mack-truck. This cut still holds up after all this time. ALLLL this time! (What are you, like 15? Get off my lawn.)
4. Maniac – Moullinex Feat. Peaches | When Michael Sembello had this track appear on Flashdance (IN 1983. Yes I’m OLD. Shut it, zygote.), it was probably the biggest thing happening in his career at the time. Who knew? Incidentally, he’s probably one of the more accomplished producers you’ve never heard of. When was the last time you worked with Michael Jackson?
5. Count On It – Dunson | Kenton Dunson is one of my favorites that falls squarely in the “hip-pop” genre. The classic Sesame Street sample will own you. You’ll know it when you hear it. Unless you were born in the 90′s.
6. Good To You – Claptone | When I told my brother that this week’s mixtape had some “Good House.™” for a change, this track is what I meant. The stuff you youngsters call “EDM” makes me want to pull my hair out with a claw hammer. P.S. Skrillex can die in a fire.
7. I Will Change (Jordan Lee Remix) – Allure | The vocals (and remix, hey!) are courtesy of Jordan Lee, while the rest is Lorris Piasco, which is exactly as French Pop-Housey as his name sounds. I just dig French house, mmkay??
8. Rope (Deadmau5 Remix) – Foo Fighters | The day after the grammy’s, one of my co-workers –an older gent with a few kids and a lot of church choir guitar experience– remarked to me about how cool that “Dead Mau Five” guy’s DJing set-up and head piece were, and thought I might know something about who it was. I did. I think Dead Mau Five is the cat’s pajamas.

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?15ol7hbbm99bgod)

No hot girl for artwork this week. Mostly because it’s hard to meet my self-imposed deadline during my lunch hour, AND search for questionable female imagery on the internet AT THE SAME TIME, and not get busted.

1. Some Nights – Fun. | Yep, it’s that “Fun.” that I went on and on about earlier in the year. Respect, children; you have none. This is definitely an upbeat track, but it’s the one you end an incredible night with. After that, it’s come-down time with that expensive bottle of wine you’ve been saving.
2. No Ordinary Love – Ango | If Sade we’re born 20 years later, and also with male genitalia, this is what she’d sound like. Now don’t get me wrong. I mean no disrespect to Sade or Ango. This is just that kind of track. If you’re not making out by the end of it, you’re doing it wrong.
3. Into The Black (Bob Dylan Cover) – The Chromatics | This was released along with a really beautifully shot video. Should I post the link? I think SO!
4. Loner – Burial | Ohh Burial… What can I say that hasn’t already been said a bajillion times by friends, lovers, and people I don’t even know? I’m just glad you put out some new stuff. All is right with the world.
5. After You – Meg Myers | I will admit that I came for the cuteness (Meg Myers is a very attractive brunette), but stayed for the tunes.
6. My Better Self – Tennis | The thing about Tennis is that I’m either totally indifferent to them, or –as in the case with this track– I think they’ve done something to cause the part of me that I remember as a child, listening to 45s with my dad, come whipping right back from the depths of my memory, and I don’t know why that is. You’d think a band capable of something like that deserved more attention from me…
7. They Don’t Know (Produced by The xx) – The xx & Milo Mills | I’m not really familiar with Milo Mills, but I like what he’s done here. I don’t believe the original track by The xx needed anything else, but if you told me someone had, I would have hoped it turned out as well as this did.
8. Open – Rhye | All I’m going to say about this song is: 1) go find the video. 2) don’t watch it during office hours. Would it be irresponsible of me to link to it here? MAYBE. If you get fired over this, don’t come crying to me.

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?iu4kjy8y5884mx4)

The winters are starting later every year. Today it felt like one of the coldest days in recent memory. My hope is that this works out come Coachella time. If the summer weather is pushed back enough that April 20th weekend is a beautiful spring day, I’ll be one happy car-camper.

1. The Head I Hold – Electric Guest | Produced by Danger Mouse. Don’t miss it.
2. Work (St. Etienne Remix) – The 2 Bears | No one but me liked their last single. But I’m not giving up.
3. Golden – Future Unlimited | Electro goodness.
4. Athens – Mansions on the Moon | I really can’t wait for these guys to release an album.
5. We Must Go On – Pretty Lights | This one came out of nowhere. Gets you nice and chilllll…
6. Terra Incognita – Atlas Sound | Different, but good. Reminds me of the 70′s, early 80′s acts like Firefall, America and Bread.
7. Makeover – Escort | More tasty electro.
8. Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along – De La Soul’s Plug 1 & Plug 2 | The end of this track makes me laugh everytime.
9. Rest of Our Days – Mansions on the Moon | So good, you’re getting a double dose. I really had high hopes for a Coachella appearance, but alas…

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?1lrfyhx5wlh5i8v)

The newest mixtape will be up very soon, I promise.

- 3M

Why the big delay?

About two weeks ago, I ended up with pretty severe neck pain that caused me to kind of hate all of life. I wasn’t getting any sleep, and trying to keep focus on anything was a challenge. Pretty much nothing was getting done. No new music was listened to and no playlists were made. Also during that week of pain, I started into a large, time-consuming work project which is still on-going, but is now not nearly the time commitment it was last week. Then finally, last Friday and throughout the weekend, I was out of town helping family move into a new state. So blah blah blah, lots of things going on, aaannd now here we are.

There’s lots I would like to say about these bills being put forth by our government (SOPA, PIPA, etc.), the shutdown of MegaUpload.com, and how all of that relates to what I do here, but it might have to wait until another post…

I tried to pull together enough new content to release two typical mixtapes worth of material, but instead I decided to focus on quality over quantity. Hence, dbl+good (instead of say, dbl+moar). There are a few “bootlegs” included this week, so when release time comes, I expect you all to go out and buy these tracks. Enjoy, friends!

1. Paddling Out – Miike Snow
2. Facebook Lift – heRobust
3. Waterfall – Daniel Rossen
4. Trip – Vacationer
5. All The Right Things – Son Lux
6. Wonders (VISITOR Remix) – The Sound of Arrows
7. His Pain (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – B.J. The Chicago Kid
8. American Wedding (Frank Ocean Cover) – Yasmin
9. January Love – Newtimers
10. Somewhere Else – Mesita
11. Atomic Peace – SBTRKT
12. The End (Extended) – Lemaitre

(Mediafire Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?z42p6q27x5cwxmm)

Aand we’re back. Welcome to 2012, everyone. Let’s just get right into this, shall we?

First of all, this week’s photo comes from Marta Bevacqua Photography. She’s does amazing work, so ‘like’ her on FB and show some support. I wish the weather was a little more like this. When I left LA a few days ago, it was a pleasant 80 degrees. Kinda too pleasant for a winter if you ask me. I want winters with snow and ice and coat weather. Not like this morning when I saw my neighbor take out his trash in shorts and a muscle shirt. Fuck you, El Niño.

Here come da playlist…

1. Keep On Loving Me (Edit) – Onra | Onra strikes again. This time, taking a classic cut from The Whispers and making it dancefloor ready. Hotness, like the weather.
2. Upular (Rynecologist Helium Rework) – Pogo | Older track, but it popped up on my radar again thanks to Reddit and thought you all should hear it too. Pogo uses samples from the Pixar movie “Up”, in case you’re wondering what that is…
3. The Shrine / An Argument – Fleet Foxes | I like the sort of duality present in their songs; it’s like multiple sonic personality disorder. A warning: lots of intentional dissonance near the end of this epic track.
4. Uncomfortably Numb – Graveyard | These guys should play Coachella. A band that I believe not many have heard, and more should. Speaking of Coachella, my tickets are paid for this year’s event. I’ll see you there.
5. Bess St. – White Denim | I like these guys. I don’t know what else to say about them because I honestly haven’t researched them much, but when I come across their work, I almost always dig it. It’s like the best rock of the 60′s and 70′s reincarnate.
6. Writer’s Block – Brother Ali | 2012 newness from Ali. I missed him perform at Coachella a few years back and I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since. One of the most honest mc’s to ever live.
7. Need You Now – Cut Copy | The electro-house stand-by that I just know you’re gonna like. Even if you’re just putting it on while cleaning up your house before the party on a Saturday night.
8. Blue Cassette – SBTRKT (Friendly Fires cover) | SBTRKT performed this live on BBC Radio 1′s Live Lounge. I think he did this like a few hours ago so you’re getting this as fresh as it gets.
9. Protocol ft. Samantha Kravitz – Gift of Gab | Any new Quannum Projects stuff will get on my mixtapes every single time, without fail. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s got Sam Kravitz on there too.
10. Honey Bunny – Girls | :3 aww. Girls do good guitar.
11. Blue (Eiffel 65 cover) – Yellow Ostrich | Don’t count this one out just yet. I know that title’s got you thinking of that song driven to awfulness when the radio stations played it over and over and over again, but Yellow Ostrich redeems it from pop-shit hell.

(Mediafire Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?hbvk6whzcmm63cz)

I LIED!!!

THIS… is the last mixtape of 2011.

1. Feather – Nujabes
2. When I’m Small (RAC Mix) -  Phantogram
3. Why (Carly Simon Cover) – Alpines and Maya Jane Coles
4. Crave You (feat. Giselle) – Flight Facilities
5. Big Black Car – Gregory Alan Isakov
6. Santa Fe – Beirut
7. Weekend – Class Actress
8. Mind, Drips (Bibio Remix) – Neon Indian
9. Night By Night (Skream Remix) – Chromeo
10. Gathering Stories – Jonsi

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?rk68rpqsc3jqa2m)

I give you the last mixtape of the year: My Top 30 from 2011, part 3: #1 through #10. Next weekend is Christmas, and the weekend after that is the New Years Eve weekend. I hope that while you’re either spending time with friends and family, or traveling to see them, you’ve got some great music to listen to. Maybe I even helped out with that soundtrack.

I’ll be starting up again in the new year, 2012, with mixtapes every Friday. Spread the word.

1. Midnight City (Trentemøller Remix) – M83
2. Swim Good (Portishead Remix) – Frank Ocean
3. Scale It Back (feat. Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon) – DJ Shadow
4. Top of the World (feat. Passion Pit) – Kenton Dunson
5. Cocoon (Nocturnal Sunshine Remix) – Alpines
6. Hanging On – Active Child
7. How Can You Luv Me – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
8. novacane – Frank Ocean
9. Some Children – Holy Ghost!
10. The A Team (Koan Sound Remix) – Ed Sheeran

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?ul94qekpi0u70xl)

For a track to appear on the 2011 Top 30, it had to be released in this year. This includes covers and remixes. Sometimes the cover or remix of a track is significantly enjoyable enough that it merits mention. Of course, I still hold the original in the highest regard.

However, on the rarest of occasions, the cover can become the Definitive version of the original. Take for instance, Jeff Buckley’s cover of Hallelujah. Most people don’t even know that it’s a cover of a song originally written and recorded by Leonard Cohen. Even fewer people know that Jeff Buckley’s version is based on yet another version performed by John Cale (of the Velvet Underground) in 1991 for a Leonard Cohen tribute album. Still, the version most everyone knows and loves is the version by Jeff Buckley.

My point about all of this is that, if you really appreciate the music you listen to, recognize that sometimes, you must give due credit and respect to those that created it first.

(Mediafire download: http://www.mediafire.com/?r29uqba9du119u4)

This week, the Fox Network’s show Glee –that show most people seem to either love or hate– closed the episode with the song “We Are Young (Feat. Janelle Monaé)” by the group, fun. fun. released this track on September 20th, of this year, and I included it three days later in the mixtape “Luxe Opposition” on the 23rd of that same month. I knew this track was going to be big, but I didn’t know how or when.

Cut to this past week’s episode when the cast of Glee performed it to close out the show. It’s now massively popular. How popular? If you have iTunes, and you open it up to the iTunes store, you’ll see it featured as #1 on the singles chart. Number One. Browse to the Glee’s version of the song, and the popularity scale is filled to its maximum. Wow, great.

Now do this: search for “fun.” in iTunes. You’ll see their list of tracks. At the top of that list, with only two of the small popularity scale bars full, is “We Are Young.” Browse to the song’s iTunes listing, and you’ll find one of the latest customer reviews…

“I’m with glee (2 of 5 stars) – Ahhh I like the glee version better…”

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Please, go download the original. Give it a good rating and review, if you enjoyed this track. I don’t blame Glee for this. In fact, I don’t think their version did anything to hurt the original. But when the original artists of this song can’t even get a little love from the show’s fans, it makes me die inside a little.

(iTunes Store Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-are-young-feat.-janelle/id463207143)

p.s. – I get no kick-back from iTunes or anyone else for that matter by linking to this track. As I state at in the footer of this site, support the artists.

We’re nearing year’s end, and – like all other publications, television networks, radio shows and of course, blogs – we here at MixTape Studios are taking stock in 2011 and posting our picks for the best the last 300-some odd days has to offer.

So. Here now, and for the rest of the year, I begin MixTape Studios’ Top 30 Tracks of 2011 – as selected by mixtape curator, DJ and MTS’ “Guy-In-Charge”, 3M – starting with tracks #30-21. Download’s away!

(Mediafire Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?8fga03c50ytwteg)