When Small Black’s Josh Kolenik submitted his mix tape to be featured on magnetmagazine.com this week, he included this explanation: “As young kids, fall was the real start of the new year, when the fantasies of summer turn into the realities of school life. I’m not sure I ever totally shook this pattern. Real beginnings seem to manifest in the fall and mark it as a time for introspection and consideration of what has yet to come. As the temperature creeps downward, I find myself inside more and closely tied to my vinyl collection, which is mostly older stuff I’d find at thrift stores. Folk/rock music and the things that branch out from them. Here are some things that have been going in and out of my ears recently.” He’s a man after our own hearts. The Brooklyn quartet is currently on a tour of Europe supporting its new full-length, New Chain, which just came out on Jagjaguwar.
“Photo Journalist” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/Photojournalist.mp3
Gene Clark “The Virgin”
I got turned on to Gene Clark’s solo records a few years back and can’t stop listening to them. He was the mysterious Byrd, and his songs were warm and comforting and let you into his world.. A lot of the production tricks predate stuff Fleetwood Mac would do later in the ’70s. Video
John Maus “Do Your Best”
I saw the preview for this film Lying, and I had to get this song immediately. One of those instances where it works so well with the imagery, it felt like it should have always been there. Video
Bill Callahan “Jim Cain”
We were in Austin, and I was thinking about how good hometown man Bill Callahan has been for so many years. This song is just a heartbreaker. One of my favorite American lyricists. Video
The Band “Acadian Driftwood”
The string loop that figures mightily into this song feels infinite and seems timeless, like so much of the Band’s material. The Band should’ve written a song about every war ever! Video
Art Garfunkel “Old Man”
Can’t beat the sweet-singin’ Art Garfunkel doing one of the saddest Randy Newman songs. Video
Smashing Pumpkins “We Only Come Out At Night”
The first song I ever learned on guitar was “Today.” Siamese Dream was a full of hits, but they really hit their stride on Mellon Colie, and this tune fits in really nicely with a lot of these ’70s jams. Video
Ken Horsehair “Sorry Kristin Roach”
My friend Peter Field records under the name Ken Horsehair. He lives in a little house in Portland, Ore., with a humongous fence and some chickens. His songs sound like a weird Randy Newman who bought a Casio instead of a piano. You should email him and ask for his songs, since he keeps taking them down from MySpace.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Wasted Time”
This is an unreleased track that leaked after Dirty died, full of thoughts of redemption that never came. It samples Billy Joel’s “The Stranger.” One of the weirdest people to ever have legit pop hits. A true legend. Video
Tim Hardin “How Can We Hang On To A Dream?”
I first got introduced to Tim Hardin through the Okervill River cover of “Black Sheep Boy.” He got this dark side lurking that makes his singing just so soulful! Another sad jam about the fleeting nature of desires. It shares something with the ODB song, too, melodically. Video
Anthony Phillips “God If I Saw Her Now”
This song is like a very gentle massage on your temples. Comfort songs! Video
David Crosby “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)”
I found this record last year in upstate New York. Crosby only had a few solo albums, and this one is really beautiful and jammy. The back-cover photo of his face is also berserk if you can track down the record. Video
Judy Collins “Both Sides Now”
The number-one champion of Leonard Cohen. I saw Judy Collins speak a few years ago, and she was so positive and upbeat that it made me like her music about twice as much as I already did. Video
