Howling Moon

Hey everybody.
I'll be offline for a few days visiting friends and enjoying the best weather of the year in the San Francisco Bay area. Plans are light, but Bay to Breakers is gonna be the centerpiece of the weekend. Other than that, it'll be sun, relaxation, laughs and good friends. Perhaps I'll squeeze a post in, but don't bet on it.

However, lest I disappoint, I'm glad to announce that I've completed the latest mix, another in the ongoing biannual series that dates back now more than a decade. This one may have been the hardest one yet to put together, in terms of narrowing down a lengthy list to the final selections. There's no doubt I listen to far more music than ever, and seek further and further to find things that are new and interesting and full of passion and excellence.

The title for this time around is "Howling Moon," a phrase that I just recently stumbled upon, built from some imagery in some poems I wrote years ago. I like the butting heads, as it is, of the wild and the pristine; at least that's how the words seem to echo in my head.

This one seems to have less rock and soul than the last couple mixes, leaning more toward folk music and live performances. There's still an amazing variety, but for an overall feel, this one comes across as a bit mellow. Ah, but what fantastic songs they are!

So, enjoy, and write if anything particularly strikes you. And I'll be back late next week.

HOWLING MOON:

SumKid - September
The Swim - Margaret With Comets
Capstan Shafts - 61 Sideburns
Golden Boots - Days Are Night
The Helio Sequence - Lately
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Gardenia
Dean & Britta - You Turn My Head Around (live)
Gillian Welch - Black Star (live)
The Mason Brothers - Into the Canyon
Tom Russell - Tonight We Ride
Sam Cooke - Another Saturday Night
Greyhound Soul - Rainer (live)
Greg Brown - Canned Goods (live)
Arlo Guthrie - Highway in the Wind (live)
Elliott Smith - Whatever (Folk Song in C)
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Hotel Room in Casablanca
Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun
Bob Dylan - Let Me Die In My Footsteps
John Prine & Bonnie Raitt - Angel From Montgomery
Townes Van Zandt - Tower Song (live)
Bill Monroe - I Saw The Light
Suicide Kings - Hooker's Lament

DOWNLOAD:
Howling Moon as a .zip file
(included is an .xml file, import that through iTunes and you'll have the playlist automatically in order. Sweet!)
Bonus: Iron & Wine - Resurrection Fern (live) -- which is the last song cut from the mix.

And go check out the last few mixes, from Burma Shake & Shimmy and on back, all the way to Momentary Fires.