FINALLY...The "What's Your Muse?" 2010 Mixtape

Last year, we introduced a new feature called "What's Your Muse?" where we ask a band or artist to select a song that means a lot, or the most, to them. Then, we ask them to record a short video of themselves explaining why they chose the song. You can view all the submissions here.

It goes without saying, but this post is quite overdue. As we continue our search for our first submission of 2011, please enjoy this mixtape. I wish we could provide a download of this mix, but that would be illegal and not something we can afford to do here. If you do happen to have these songs, then enjoy them in this order! Otherwise, I hope the two formats provided below will be acceptable. Hit play and let it run while you do your homework, take a run with your laptop, prepare the big presentation for that really important four o'clock meeting, play with K'Nex, or enjoy it in any other possible scenario in which you'd like to listen to music. The tracklist is structured chronologically according to when we received/posted the submissions. Enjoy!

WHAT'S YOUR MUSE? Yellow Ostrich

It's time for another edition of "What's Your Muse?"

The concept is simple: We ask a band/artist to choose a song that means a lot/the most to them. Then, they record and send us a video of themselves describing why they chose the song. Think of it like a collaborative video mixtape project.

In this edition, we hear from Alex Schaaf (aka the man behind Yellow Ostrich).

Photo by Sarah Mulligan

Yellow Ostrich is the brainchild of one Alex Schaaf, a Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist currently based in New York. Being adept on a number of instruments provides Schaaf the ability to envision music in great detail. It sounds as though, as a songwriter, he sees things on a wider scale; he demonstrates concern for how each note, chord, and rhythm will affect not only the overall song but also each measure and passing second. On top of all this, Schaaf is undoubtedly well-versed in all different styles of music and has strong pop sensibilities.

This year saw the release of a new Yellow Ostrich LP entitled The Mistress, which also happens to be one of the year's best albums. What really makes it stand out is Schaaf's use of his voice; it becomes the defining instrument of the album with its expressive range and depth. Through well-arranged harmonies and engaging melodies, The Mistress proves Schaaf has something special with Yellow Ostrich.

After the jump, watch Schaaf's "What's Your Muse?" submission in which he speaks about a song by one of the greatest songwriters of our time. The song he chose possesses much of the rich, dynamic instrumentation found in Yellow Ostrich. There are clear parallels between both musicians' creative, thoughtful arrangements. But as Schaaf jokes, it's hard to choose just one song that means the most.

LISTEN: Yellow Ostrich - "Hate Me Soon"

Honestly, today I wasn't going to update the site with any new posts, not a single one. There are some posts I'm currently working on, but I had nothing prepared for today. I was going through my inbox and looking at some favorited sites around the web in hopes of finding something to post about, but nothing I was listening to was really hitting me. I went through a bunch of stuff, and even though I liked some of it, I just couldn't find that one thing to inspire me. I'm talking about the kind of thing that you listen to and words just start flowing out of your head, down through your arms, into your hands, and out onto the computer keyboard. Then, I remembered Yellow Ostrich.

Yellow Ostrich is the brainchild of Alex Schaaf. The first time I heard The Mistress, his debut album as Yellow Ostrich, I, naturally, was curious as to how old he was (I tend to wonder such things about bands and musicians). As a musician, I felt slightly defeated and insanely humbled when I discovered he was about the same age as me. Schaaf runs a fine balance between simplicity and intricacy, creating music that is both pleasant and catchy as well as highly textured and active. He's one of those songwriters that is attentive to space, rhythm, and the interactivity between all instruments, displaying an impressive understanding of the power of arrangement. With Yellow Ostrich, Schaaf is especially adept with vocal harmonization, using layered harmonies as hooks, especially on songs like "Hold On" and "Libraries." Check out album standout "Hate Me Soon" below.