DOWNLOAD: The 'Happy Birthday' Mixtape, Celebrating 5 Years of Mixtape Muse

2011, surprisingly enough, marks the 5th anniversary of Mixtape Muse. For something that started as a place to post the playlists for my little 'ol college radio program, this site has grown into something I could have never imagined. To celebrate, I've created a mixtape featuring artists that have been favorites over the past five years/are friends or are simply new artists I've just recently discovered. When I began selecting tracks, I soon heard a sonic theme that sort of matched the cover art (above) -- which I, oddly enough, happened to pick out before I had even started curating the mix.

As a thank you to all you readers and supporters of Mixtape Muse, please accept this mixtape as a token of my gratitude. Download it (for free) and enjoy!

Top Ten Albums 2011 (Simon)

When I finally found the time to start writing again, I realized how close we were to the end of the year. The end of the year at MM (and at pretty much all other music blogs) means choosing our Top Ten lists, and while 2011 had some great records to offer, the theme for this post is going to be, "Challenging". If nothing else, many of the records on this list (I'll note the exceptions) were at first markedly imposing -they were tough to get through the first spin. They're innovative, creative, and in a lot of ways unique, but none of them have the same easy groove of some of last year's picks (see Ray LaMontagne, Tallest Man on Earth, and others). So, without further ado, my top ten albums of 2011.

DOWNLOAD: Tremors II - Ghost Bats EP

Naming your band after a sci-fi/horror movie franchise about mutant earthworms suggests you aren't taking anything too seriously. And, really, that's why some bands are so much fun (Gwar, anyone?). When a band's mission becomes "Be loud, rock out, have fun," the enthusiasm and good cheer bleed through the music, allowing the listener to share in the celebration. For a band like Tremors II, which features ex-Frontier Myth members, being successful in music all depends on how much fun you're having. On the Baltimore quartet's latest release, the 3-song Ghost Bats, they sound particularly aggressive and heavy, as if a bodybuilder was jumping around on a pogo stick. Ok, so my off-kilter metaphor might be a little abstract -- or, knowing my history, just an incorrect metaphor. In a more literal, and accurate, sense, Ghost Bats sounds a bit like Hot Snakes wrestling with The Jesus Lizard -- the latter's influence is most evident here. It's visceral punk rock with touches of noise rock's inescapable, crushing volume.