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MIX TAPE

Eli August And The Abandoned Buildings Makes MAGNET A Mix Tape

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Singer/songwriter Eli August is known for his darker brand of Americana. When backed by the Abandoned Buildings, August is a force to be reckoned with. The music they play is both catchy and driving, as well as an introspection of life and memories. Now August and his band have been so kind as to make MAGNET a mix tape. Check it out below.

Dolly Parton “Jolene”
August: This track is one of my favorites, because it handles the familiar subject of “the cheating man” in a very different way, and from a different angle. Dolly is reaching out to the mistress and begging her not to steal her man away. There is no anger, only pleading and desperation. She packs a lot of story and a catchy chorus all in less than three minutes. Video

Bend Sinister “Time Breaks Down”
Robare Pruyn: I’m a sucker for old-school electric-piano tones, a little bit of Brian May-ish guitar and surf-rock vocal harmonies. This track is frenetic and high energy and combines a lot of disparate elements to create a tune that takes you places you don’t expect. I love that in a song. Video

Beatles “Something”
Molly Hebert-Wilson: I’ve always loved George Harrison’s transitions throughout his songs, particularly in this one, where he opens up the last chord of the verse to give a more emotionally demanding chorus. Video

Led Zeppelin “Gallows Pole”
Alex Bell: Zeppelin’s version of this one makes mandolin and banjo sound so much cooler than they actually are. Video

The Goat Rodeo Sessions “Here And Heaven”
Matt DeBlass: This is one of my current favorites. The quality of musicianship is, of course, amazing, but the sound is unlike anything else out there, and the song’s hushed intensity sucks me right in every time I hear it. Video

Renaissance “I Think Of You”
Melissa Perry: I can’t remember who first showed me Renaissance, but I know it was not my father, as he was surprised when he caught me listening to them in my teens. They opened my eyes as to what a band could sound like. This song is more stripped down than a lot of their other tunes as well as shorter, but I always loved the genuine and intimate quality of it. Video

John Miller & Ruthie Dornfeld “Dolor y Gusto”
Noam Berg: A lovely tune, effortless playing by two masters who have absolutely nothing to prove. You can hear how much fun they’re having in their performance. Audio

Radiohead “Hearing Damage”
Rebekah Griffin Greene: This is my favorite song ever. The words spoke to me about unconditional grace at a time a few years ago when I really needed it. Video

Ryuichi Sakamoto “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence”
Michael Wolf: Through all my studying of classical music, this contemporary composer remains my absolute favorite, and this is my favorite piece of his. Very much in tune with minimalism, it manages to take a simple melody and, rather than developing it through alterations or closely related keys, restates it in slightly different settings. Video

Gift To The Greedy “Grease”
Brennan Kuhns: This band was one of the most exciting live bands I’ve ever seen; I went to countless shows of theirs in the ’90s and on. This is about as random a three minutes of music can be, but still connects to itself. Audio

Buddy Holly “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore”
John Wheldon: This is a great example of musical evolution. Buddy Holly started in country before going into rock ‘n’ roll, but this song (the last he recorded before his death) shows he was beginning to experiment with different instrumentation. It’s so good, and it showcases how tragic his death was. We will never get to know where he would have gone next. Video