Dirty Projectors – Gun Has No Trigger

“As a self-confessed Dirty Projectors fanboy, I’ve always admired their musicianship, instrumentation and ability to surprise, and all these things shine through on this track, but there was something new at play too. I would call it structure but that seems somehow unfair (and entirely subjective to the context of a back catalogue that is at times so cerebral that it verges on impenetrable). There’s a directness and simplicity to this track – perhaps not in technical terms, but certainly in terms of ideas – that feels like a picture coming in to focus. Where in the past, Dirty Projectors songs have sometimes felt like an argument between a room full of incredibly clever music students, Gun Has No Trigger (and the album as a whole) feels like it finds freedom in a structure that, whilst formulaic, forces the more surprising and expressive ideas to play together rather than fight each other to be heard.” Dave

Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built

“A difficult decision but this is the song that I have continually returned to over the past year. It’s positive, carefree, from an album called ‘Celebration Rock’, and I happened to see them play it on the Thursday before a certain night in Munich. It was a sign!” Jon

Evening Hymns – Asleep in the Pews

“Spectral Dusk, my undoubted favourite album of the year, isn’t the sort of record that has a standout track or a couple of killer singles – it works best as a cohesive whole. I ended up going for Asleep In The Pews which nicely sums up the overarching themes of family and loss and the confusing and strange process that follows losing someone you love. It’s a song about trying to be okay that should resonate with most. It certainly does with me.” Liam

Lone – Crystal Caverns 1991

“Immaculately produced, incredibly detailed and yet still brimming with furious energy, this is what dance music should aspire to. I’m a little too young to appreciate the nostalgic element of the recent 90s rave revivalism, but I’ve always found a guilty pleasure in the staccato vocal hits and synth stabs, and this track has plenty.” Matt

TNGHT – Higher Ground

“HudMo’s always been a bit of a character and his collaboration with Lunice as TNGHT helped to reaffirm my belief in music as just pure, unadulterated fun. Higher Ground’s the highlight on our EP of the year. Led by a tuba, with a bit of everything else chucked in for good measure, it’s flat out fucking monstrous.” Will

The post Wake the Deaf’s Top Tracks of 2012 appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Hope this works out.

Part II // Night – Tracklisting:-

26. Gospel – The National
27. Asa – Bry Webb
28. Ponytail – Talons’
29. Late July – Small Houses
30. Seeds of Night – The Cave Singers
31. Swamp Dragon – Spirit Tramp
32. Voyage – Kodak To Graph
33. Brooklyn Sunset – AFTA-1
34. Late Nitez – MedicineHat
35. Lost In Tokyo (Jacques Greene Remix) – Koreless
36. Sun (Midland Re-Edit) – Caribou
37. Higher Ground – TNGHT
38. Nostromo – Fortune Howl
39. Salt of Love – Groundislava
40. Cotton Flower – Future Islands
41. Fineshrine – Purity Ring
42. A Real Hero – College (Feat. Electric Youth)
43. Seventeen – Youth Lagoon
44. Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl – Broken Social Scene
45. Catharsis – The Wandering Lake
46. North – Arrange
47. Singing Sailors – Sad Souls
48. O’ River – The Horse Thieves
49. Long Desert Train – Jason Molina
50. Lurk Underneath – Trouble Books

2012 Summer Mix – Night from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

Again, please support the artists on this mix. Our intention is to share our favourite music with others so hopefully you like what you hear and buy some records.

We tried to do something a bit different with this mix and we’d love your opinion on the idea/track listing. Does it work at all or fall flat on it’s face? Do you have any good themes for a future mixtape? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or the clunky Tumblr message system. We would love to hear from you.

The post WTD’s Summer Mix: Part II – Night appeared first on Various Small Flames.