Various Swell Sounds is a collaborative playlist series from Shana Hartzel of Swell Tone, Jon Chin of Cereal and Sounds, and myself. Instead of constantly exchanging tracks amongst each other, we have decided to work together to bring them to more ears. Every month, we will match a selection of our old and brand new favourites to a specific theme, as decided on a revolving basis month by month.

2018 Warped: the final Various Swell Sounds offering of the year, and perhaps of all time. Here, all constraints go out of the window, and instead we present a collection of songs from all styles, sounds and eras that have been with us this year.

If you enjoy 2018 Warped, be sure to check out the other instalments of Various Swell Sounds. You can find those we hosted here, and the others on Swell Tone and Cereal + Sounds.

The post Various Swell Sounds #11: 2018 Warped appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Tracklist:

1. Deserter – Siskiyou
2. Pill – Ought
3. There’s a GIrl In the Corner – The Twilight Sad
4. Kill What You Love – Scotdrakula
5. PS You Still Do This To Me – Kissing Fractures
6. Walls – Two White Cranes
7. Lifetime Warranty – Cyberbully Mom Club
8. The Great Big World – R.L. Kelly
9. Misery Loves Company – Gorgeous Bully
10. Blah Blah Blah – Girlpool
11. My Song – Spencer Radcliffe
12. Summer Lawns – Mike Pace & The Child Actors
13. Crossroads – Sally Fowler
14. Sweet Isolation – Nathan Reich
15. Home At Last – John Statz
16. Our Town – Chalk
17. Mole – The Mountain Goats
18. Easy It Goes – Eric & Magill
19. Slow Thickening – German Error Message
20. Cabin Lights – Lung Cycles
21. The Day is Past and Gone (Variations) – Sarah Louise
22. Holding – Grouper

November 2014 Mix from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post November 2014 Roundup – A Mixtape appeared first on Various Small Flames.

However, beneath this energy is an edge of menace, some sense of distrust or paranoia that refuses to leave even in the most catchy, upbeat songs. It’s as if they are having a good time but always expect someone to tell them to stop, and their lyrics and delivery have that adolescent ‘fuck you’ sort of posturing, a pre-emptive show of contempt to anybody watching. You get the impression that ScotDrakula can feel the good times being pulled away by various forces, be it the police (as on ‘Pig Eyes’ or pressures to “grow up” and earn money/get a job (‘Booth at the Mall’) and are willing to protect what they have from these outsiders. 

The album could be read as a manifesto, an advert for likeminded individuals and a defiant two-fingers to those who don’t like it. With this in mind, the titular refrain on ‘Kill What You Love’ sounds like a cult leader seeing through an initiation process, a demand that you throw away your preconceptions and have some god-damn fun!

You can buy the album from the ScotDrakula Bandcamp page.

The post ScotDrakula – SCOTDRAKULA appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Listen to the title track below and buy BURNER over at Bandcamp for hardly any money at all. Why not add a badge for a dollar more?

BURNER by ScotDrakula

The post WTD’s Advent Calendar – 13 – ScotDrakula appeared first on Various Small Flames.