Some say the hardest part of writing music is finding inspiration, but sometimes the inspiration itself can be pretty painful—something Milagres lead singer/songwriter Kyle Wilson probably knows all too well. Much of the material for the Brooklyn quintet’s debut LP, Glowing Mouth (Kill Rock Stars), was written while Wilson was recovering from a back injury after a rock-climbing accident. In this case, however, the ends justify the means, because the resulting warm, ambient sound is already garnering some well-deserved buzz. Milagres is currently on tour in support of the album, and Wilson also made MAGNET this awesome mix tape.
“Here To Stay” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/HereToStay.mp3
Pink Floyd “Obscured By Clouds”
This is the opening cut from the album that proceeds Dark Side Of The Moon. It’s a slow-burning song that not only prefaces the rest of their career, but it also sounds like nothing else they did. The synthesizer work reminds me a lot of what John Carpenter would do with his soundtracks a few years later. Video
Fleetwood Mac “Black Magic Woman”
Many of my friends would be surprised by the inclusion of a Fleetwood Mac song, but fear not. This is Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac; no landslides or women made of gold dust (just black magic). It is also a song that most people know from the second Santana record. Maybe not as surprising, this version is far superior. The opening tremolo guitar chord is too cool. Video
Here We Go Magic “Only Pieces”
A song that puts me into a meditative state while walking down the hot concrete on a 95-degree day, waiting for a breeze to come by. Peace be with you. Video
Tame Impala “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?”
Innerspeaker is a record that is guaranteed to be played in the van during tour. Fuzzed-out psych/pop with a lead singer that reminds us of George Harrison. We love it. Video
tUnE-yArDs “Powa”
Tune Yards might be the best live act out there right now. Such command over the audience and incredible talent to boot. “Powa” has a bit of a laid-back classic-rock vibe, yet it doesn’t feel cheesy at all. Not many artists can successfully pull that off. Video
St. Vincent “Surgeon”
I can’t explain how excited we are to hear the new St. Vincent record. I had to listen to this song a couple of times before I realized just how amazing it is. The kind of song that pushes you to try and make a better record. Video
Matthew Dear “Little People (Black City)”
As a huge David Bowie fan, I’m immediately drawn to Matthew Dear. I heard this in a restaurant and had to use the Shazam application on my phone to find out who made this epic jam. Video
Hooray For Earth “Bring Us Closer Together”
True Loves is a great record from top to bottom, but this song is unique in that it somehow encapsulates the pop of the 1980s perfectly. Not sure if it’s more Whitney Houston or Phil Collins, but it always brings a smile to my face. Very rarely can one use that description to positive effect. Video
Sparks “My Other Voice”
I’m sure that if I was alive in the ’70s, a collaboration between Sparks and Giorgio Moroder would not have been my ideal matching. But the No. 1 In Heaven album proves otherwise. Disco meets funny male falsetto. This has to be my favorite song from said record, complete with vocoder and dreamy string synth. Video
Spoon “Paper Tiger”
Amazing lyrics. Amazing production style. Amazing song. Enough said. Video
The Zombies “Imagine The Swan”
A post-Odessey And Oracle single. It’s hard to understand how more people didn’t appreciate the Zombies and these great songs at the time. A shame to say the least. I mean, it even features a harpsichord. A harpsichord! Video
