Sunday Morning, My "Three Feet or So"

This morning I brewed seven jars of tea - peach, black, and turmeric ginger. Then I sliced radishes to roast later on the grill. I’m concentrating on my “three feet or so,” as Carrie Newcomer sings it.

Carrie Newcomer, “Three Feet or So” lyrics.

Your Nightly Moon Report

Mike Barzacchini photos.

Tonight’s moon report: 73.4% waxing gibbous.

Check out my moon songs playlist on Spotify. What moon songs am I missing? What are your favorite moon songs?

Just Another Music Blog

Wait a minute? A music blog? Don’t I already post music content on this blog? Yes, but Mike’s Mixtapes is an attempt to be a little more organized and intentional about my music writing. As the Zen master said, “we’ll see.” In the meantime, what’s in heavy rotation in your ears?

What I Bought On Bandcamp Friday

• This Is A Photograph by Kevin Morby

• Watch Me Learn by Dallas Ugly

• OUTSIDER by Jackie Bristow

• Don't Go Throwing Roses In My Grave by Gregor Barnett

• Hey Me, Hey Mama by Sierra Ferrell

• Ain't The Way by Hannah Sturgill

• Lo-Fi Scrap Songs by Meredith Moon

Stardusts & Satellites

It would have been amazing to be at the @bellyuptavern this weekend, breaking my COVID concert fast at @stevepoltz 13th annual 50th birthday bash. But I’m grateful for the consolation. Steve’s new album Stardust & Satellites arrived in the mail today. Looking forward to putting this one into heavy rotation. Happy birthday, Steve.

What's in the Box

Fun weekend of estate sale adventures with Susan. Picked up this vintage 45 rpm record case. But even more excited for what’s inside. Stay tuned later this week for the big (at least to me) reveal.

Mixtape 22-7, Nothing But Covers

I love a cover song. Often I include one or two on my weekly playlist. This week’s mix is nothing but covers. Happy listening..

1. Local H - When Doves Cry (Acoustic) (Prince)

2. Kathleen Edwards - Love

3. Triangle Rain Club - Just Like Honey

4. Shovels & Rope - Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain feat. John Moreland

5. Jeremy Pinnell - Joey (Concrete Blonde)

6. Pedro The Lion - Walls (Tom Petty cover)

7. Someone/Anyone? The 50th Anniversary TRibute to Something/Anything? - Louise Goffin - I Saw The Light

8. Steve Forbert - Box of Rain

9. Eric Ambel - Beware Of Darkness (track #10 of the Shut In Singles Series)

10. Eric Ambel - Vampire Blues

11. Charles Bradley - Heart of Gold

New Song, "New Valentine"

I’m fortunate to work with so many talented people. One of them is Kevin Andrew Prchal. He and his wife Aly released a wonderful new song for Valentine’s Day. You can listen to “New Valentine on Bandcamp.

Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope your day, and every day, is filled with grace and love.

Mixtape 22-6

The artists from this week’s mixtape like last week’s mixtape can be found on Bandcamp. Check out the playlist.

1. Peggy Sue - I Wanna Be Your Girl

2. La Luz - In the Country

3. Tanque Rudy - Surf Party - Tanque Rudy

4. The Members - When You Were Mine

5. Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet

6. SofaBurn - Humboldt County Green

7. Zachary Cale - Bigger Picture

8. Audiotree - Dog

9. Speedy Ortiz - Curling

10. Jim Lauderdale - Where the Cars Go by Fast

11. Nobody's Peach - Back in July

Mixtape 22-5

Here’s Mixtape #5 for 2022. Let’s roll.

1. Big Thief - Not

2. Aoife O'Donovan - Open All Night

3. Hinds - Riding Solo

4. stef chura - Sweet Sweet Midnight

5. Lucy Dacus - Kissing Lessons

6. Someone/Anyone? The 50th Anniversary TRibute to Something/Anything? - Marshall Crenshaw - Couldn't I Just Tell You

7. The Detroit Cobras - Kenny Tudrick - Lightning Byrd

8. X - The New World

9. Scott The Hoople - Music Arcade

10. Bill Mallonee - SHE'S SO LIQUID

11. Hiss Golden Messenger - Tell Her I’m Just Dancing

Bandcamp Friday Purchases

What a fun Bandcamp Friday. I picked up these releases:

• City Winery | Chicago, IL | 10.20.21 by Bob Schneider

• Real You by Tre Burt

• Move On by William The Conqueror

• Electric Grass by Junegrass

• Goodbye L.A. by Jeremy Pinnell

• Live in Chicago 8-23-19 by The Hold Steady

• Blind Date Party by Bill Callahan & Bonnie "Prince" Billy

And I added many more titles to my wishlist. Looking forward to the next Bandcamp Friday on March 4.

Mixtape 22-4

This fourth mixtape of 2022 is made with Bandcamp and includes these 11 songs:

1. P-Town, Lilly Hiatt

2. Let’s Work Together, The National Reserve

3. Real You, Tre Burt

4. Move On, William the Conqueror

5. I’m on Fire, soccer mommy

6. Jazz on the Autobahn, The Felice Brothers

7. Hard on Everyone, Kathleen Edwards

8. You Really Don’t Know Me, Tim Easton

9. I Love You, Asie Payton

10. Sister Golden Hair (alpha), Bobby Bare, Jr.

11. Mild Terror, Jack Sharp

My New Favorite Band isn't on Spotify

Photo by Austin Neill on Unsplash

My new favorite band isn’t on Spotify. Or on Bandcamp, Amazon Music, or Apple Music. They don’t have a Facebook page or an online merch store. But you can find them on Instagram.

My new favorite band is Banda Pipeliners or the Pipeliners Band, four guys from Brazil who play infectious surf music and 1980s cover songs with a tremendous amount of joy and energy.

I discovered Banda Pipeliners via an Instagram reel or story that popped up as a recommendation. I watched and I was hooked.

Like I do anytime I come across a new band, I went straight to Bandcamp to see if they had any music available. No luck. I searched the web and Facebook. Nothing. Finally, I sent a direct message to the band via Instagram. with this result:

I’ll take what I can get. I now follow of Banda Pipeliners on Instagram. I’ve been able to catch one of their live streams and I keep up on their posts and stories. I’m a sucker for surf music and a great guitar-driven cover song. Banda Pipeliners delivers both and they look like they’re having tremendous fun. That’s contagious.

While my new favorite band may not be on Spotify or Bandcamp yet, I’m hopeful for that merch site so I can get a Banda Pipeliner shirt to wear on these cold winter nights and properly represent Brazilan surf rock and roll in northern Illinois.

Mixtape 22-3

My third 2022 mixtape may rock just a little bit more than the previous two. A couple of tunes on here may even help melt the late-January snow. Here are the 11 songs of my week:

1. 95 Percent, Split Single

2. Amplifier, The dBs

3. The Rager, Kyle Kraft

4. Wintersong, Blake Mills

5. The Hardest Cut, Spoon

6. Wake Me Up, Foals

7. Sunday, Joy Oladokun

8. Step In, Cedric Burnside

9. More Pressure, Kae Tempest, Kevin Abstract

10. Ode to a Butterfly, Nickel Creek

11. Mine Forever, Lord Huron

Find more of my 2022 mixtape playlists on this blog or here.

Mixtape 22-1

I used to love making #mixtapes and later mix CDs. I’ve been known from time to time to still put together a mix CD for a friend. And I’m always making playlists on @spotify, @bandcamp, or just in my notebook. One of the things on my 2022 More List is more music. And one of the ways I’m going to try to get to more music into my life is by making a weekly playlist of 11 songs. Here’s my 22-1 mixtape with a link in the bio of you’re interested in checking it out. And check out the artists’ Instagram pages for more info on them and how to get their music and merchandise.

What songs would you put on your first playlist of 2022? #music #playlist

Mike’s Mixtape 22-1
1. Waste your time, @jacksonsellersmusic
2. Old time feeling, @s.g.goodman
3. RHODOENDREN, @hurrayfortheriffraff
4. Beautiful accidents, @kmickwee
5. Change things, @abbyehamilton
6. Anyhow, @kelseywaldon
7. Our love is done, @hannahjuanita_thehardliner
8. Puppy and a truck, @jennydianelewis
9. How low, @heartlessbastards
10. Wilder days, @morganwademusic
11. How I got to Memphis, @heathervalleymusic

Find more of my 2022 mixtape playlists on this blog or here.

2021 Hear My Year

Some of my favorite songs from 2021, with one 2020 release that snuck onto the list.

Listen to the songs on a Spotify playlist I put together or most of them on a Bandcamp playlist (unfortunately, I couldn’t find all the tracks on Bandcamp).

And here’s the full track list:

• The Ship Song, Nell Smith, The Flaming Lips

• Lost & Lonesome, Buffalo Nichols

• B-Side, Khruangbin, Leon Bridges

• 25 Years, Jonny Greenwood

• I Wanna Monkey, Guided by Voices

• I don’t Live Here Anymore (featuring Lucius), The War on Drugs, Lucius

• Country Child, Robert Finley

• Mississippi Phone Booth, John Hiatt, Jerry Douglas

• Deep Breath, Riley Downing

• Breathing, Amy Helm

• Mercy, Suzanne Santo

• Take Good Care, Megan Palmer

• Lanyards, The Hold Steady

• Down in the Country, Israel Nash

• Change Things, Abby Hamilton (the 2020 release)

• The Ghost of Cincinnati, Big Red Machine

• Lord of the Flies, Bob Schneider

• Idiot, Jenny Lewis, Serengeti

• Funk #49, Los Straightjackets

Experiencing "Sleep" by Max Richter

Today, I published a piece on Vocal about my favorite Zen playlist, the composition Sleep by Max Richter. And I shared how Susan and I first experienced this relaxing, meditative music at SXSW 2018.

How Did You Come Up With Your Band's Name?

In 2010, I worked as a freelancer for a now-defunct music website. One assignment was to interview bands heading to Austin for SXSW. The editors provided 10 questions for the interview, the first four they deemed as “critical” for the story. Those questions were:

1. Describe your sound in your own words.

2. How did your band form?

3. What/Who are your musical influences?

4. How did you come up with your band name?

Pretty good questions. I especially like number four. If you have a band, how did you come up with its name? And if you started a band, what would you name it? I think I’d call my band “Glad to See You.”

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash