Mixtape Monday: November 7, 2016

Welcome back to Mixtape Monday! It's FINALLY a little cooler outside, we all got an extra hour of sleep Saturday night, and you've got a brand new playlist to sink your teeth into. This week's theme is a little of everything: poetry, improvised violin, brand new rap and hip hop, and even some tracks to chill to. (We're also sensing a totally unintentional pseudo-goth aesthetic, which is fine by us.)

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe - read by Jeffrey Barnes, music by Paul Slavens
It's not every day you get to hear Poe read by someone whose voice you actually like (let's face it, it's rare this poem is read well.) Barnes' voice is a perfect fit for the poem, as are Slavens' creepy piano and chime work. If you didn't get your Halloween fix, you'll have to give this a shot.

I Pray ft. Trey Detroit - J Whoa
"I Pray" is heartfelt, well-produced, and perfect for brushing off the Monday blues. You don't have to go to church to commiserate with this track. As J Whoa says, "I ain't fixing to let the world stop me from celebrating"--that's an attitude we can certainly aspire to this week.

Tombs - Flohawk
"Tombs" is a track made for first-cup-of-coffee listening. Light, melodic, and full of dreamy, jangly cymbals, this song reminds us a tiny bit of Caribou (except better, since Flohawk is based in Denton.) Flohawk, aka Sean McLellan, recently opened for DIE ANTWOORD at House of Blues, and we can't wait to see what he gets up to next.

Blood Orgy (prod. by Apa†hy) - J3's Journal
J3 has been busy cranking out experimental hip hop and rap, and we couldn't be happier. As the title suggests, "Blood Orgy" is a little esoteric and hella dirty (in a really good way.) The vaguely witch-house beat and J3's "cannibalistic and awful and creepy" rhymes make this one great for overcast weather, especially if you're feeling that "new age sadboy gawth culture" (as J3 tagged this track). 

Violin Freestyle - John Petrey
In a town saturated with so much rock, jazz, and hip hop, it's easy to forget that classical music is a thing too. We could listen to John Petrey's improvised violin playing all day--Petrey manages to pack a ton of shape, color, and movement into little more than three and a half minutes of bowing. This track will keep you warm on a chilly morning.

Old Friends - Elijah Heaps ft. Nikolai Rya & Chromat!k
Did you know Cash & Respect and Based Vision just released a new mixtape? It's called Nightmares In The Den, and it's one hit after another; actually, it's a total storm of DFW rap heavy-hitters. "Old Friends" and our other two picks are just a few badass tracks from this mixtape--check out the whole thing here.