Weekend Wind-Down No. 11: Liquidity
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
It’s always fun when we can wind it down in the same sphere of the musical universe as we wound it up. It’s is a dreamy meander compared to Friday’s frantic sprint – the term “liquid drum ‘n’ bass” is a loose one from where I’m standing. Yet if you give it a close listen you’ll hear all the same structural elements, albeit stripped down to various degrees. We’ve got some lifter-uppers – Fred V & Grafix’s “Downpour” stands out – and plenty of mellow-outters – the second half of the list should satiate anyone with that desire. Grab a pair of headphones and let the impossible gentleness of these ten tracks soothe your weekend-bruised soul.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 10: Ambience
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
This is another example of extreme wind-downs. I’ll be honest with you, not much happens during this hour of music, but it’s “nothing” in the best sense of the word. I’ve brought together a gorgeous collection of songs that create feelings, set moods, and paint atmospheres using very, very little. None of these songs use any definitive structures in the traditional sense, and few have any percussive structuring at all.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 9: Mixed Bag #1
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
It’s chill, it’s random, it’s pretty cool. Deal with it.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 8: Uplifting Post-Rock
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
Expect this to become a recurring theme in these weekly playlists. Scouring my rather mighty collection of post-rock, I came across so many gems I wanted to include that I simply can’t stop here. Each one of these songs features bright melodies and builds that are sure to plaster a stupid, contented smile across your face. These ten tracks are a true testament to the power of music; these days so many people rely on lyrics to provide storylines that can be identified with, but these songs have none of that.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 6: Acoustic Jams
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
I might have gone a little overboard with this one. “Wind-down” quickly turned into “super fucking depressing” in several cases – see: Bayside, Alkaline Trio, Jimmy Eat World – but that doesn’t change the fact that these are all really great songs. Many of them could rank among my favorite songs of all time; tracks like “Play Crack The Sky” and “Always Coming Back Home to You” have managed to resonate with me for over a decade now.
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