The mastermind works of Mild High Club was first brought to life by the intellectual mind of Alex Brettin. Alexander Brettin grew up playing flute in the school band and majoring in jazz studies in Chicago. In 2012 his life took a turn after a visit to Los Angeles which led to his connection with the Stones Throw crew. Within a year, after passing the early demos of what would become Timeline onto Peanut Butter Wolf, Brettin established his self and moved out west. Today he is based in Los Angeles and has toured plenty with Mac Demarco's band and newly established pop-psych visionary Ariel Pink.
Mild High Club's music couldn't better be described other than a sunny Sunday afternoon in New York City. The music makes you feel tired but pleasantly pleased. It's the sort of drifty music you find yourself sitting on the pavement listening to as you chat your day through and take a drag of your ciggie. Are there casinos in atlanta.
Alexander Brettin is a sentimental and sensitive kind of guy and you can feel that through his music. He is said to be on a quest to materialize the songs in his head. Albums, Timeline (2015) and Skiptracing (2016), have been the only two releasers so far, but each differ in detail. Timeline seems to consist more of vagueness within the lyrics and focus more on the music itself. Skiptracing however took a step up in the theatrical and musical aspect of it, giving it more of a complexity. But both albums still remain equal in their nostalgic setting, synthesized beats.
Brettin describes his best moments of recording Timeline as 'Probably when I made the song 'Timeline.' It was like 2:30 in the morning and I got out of bed with this song in my head, and I went and recorded it all that night. That was really when I thought, I need to make an album out of this. It was a test to my will to see if I could whip something out like that.' Brettin talks of his thought of Timeline, 'Our generation is the last to know what it's like not to have the Internet, and Timeline is just thoughts that needed to get out.' He described the album as capturing his 'brief moments of clarity about [the Internet]' and the 'mysteriousness of not knowing truly who someone is.' He himself describes the albums, saying, 'The difference between Timeline and Skiptracing is detail,' Brettin said. 'I was stubborn with the process for Timeline; it took almost three years to let go of it.' Skiptracing holds a different story which is apparently that of a 'private investigator attempting to trace the steps of the sound and the spirit of American music.' Crafting Skiptracing, Mild High Club created an album that strikes a balance between the known and unknown aspects of art and creation. Brettin opened up in his second album and created new levels of individuality.
- In less than two weeks, the virtual edition of M for Montreal 2020 will kick off. Running from November 18 until November 20, M for Montreal has gone online due to the pandemic, but the principle.
- Alex Pappademas is a Los Angeles-based writer. A version of this story originally appeared in the May 2019 issue with the title 'Summer Comes Early, Thanks to Mac DeMarco.' Photographs by Aaron.
- Mild High Club's debut full-length, Timeline, was one of the imprint's first releases, full of soft '70s pop rock and swirling synths that courted comparisons to Mac DeMarco and T.
'That's the thing; I don't even know. I'm so confused by this world; I'm still trying to figure out what I'm even doing here. In terms of the timeline, what I would expect is to live as long as I can to get as much out of this world before I hop in to the next.'
Mild High Club is the brainchild collective of musicians led by Alex Brettin, a jazz-schooled multi-instrumentalist transplanted from the Midwest to Los Angeles. The band released their debut album, on September 18 via Circle Star Records, and have garnered critical acclaim for their live performances alongside artists such as Mac Demarco, King.
We want to wish all of you a Happy Christmas from all of us here, and share with you the greatest gift of all: music, damn good music.
As Christmas creeps around again, you might start to become filled with dread for the moment you set foot in shops filled with crying children, broken dreams, and Mariah Carey. Fear not, all you f**king grinches, for it is time you put on some Christmas music and fill that stocking-sized hole that this year has left in your heart.
Here is a list of Christmas songs that'll have you feeling like you sprinkled a bit of love powder on your nan's potato bake while no one was watching. From this year and beyond, it's got it all.
Calexico – Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Calexico have breathed new life into the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Christmas classic Happy Xmas (War Is Over) with a soulful new rendition. It's part of their album, Seasonal Shift, out now via Spunk! Records.
Online casino switzerland. The track personifies that familiar end of year feeling – of reflection, of ceremony, and of recognition – appreciating the changes the year brought, for better and for worse. Seasonal Shift is filled with covers, special guests, and goodwill, and it can be streamed as of today if you like what you've heard. Check it out here.
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Courtney Barnett – Boxing Day Blues (Revisited)
This brilliant Courtney Barnett number represents the shift that can be felt in relationships, just as drastically as the changing of the seasons. The feeling of being unwanted, 'like a Christmas tree on boxing day, thrown away. Why don't you feel for me anymore'.
What Courtney does so well is say so much with so little. Even with only three verses, she can equate the slow demise of romantic infatuation to that of a useless decoration.
The Big Moon – Carol of the Bells
The Big Moon really wanted to make sure the haunting side of Christmas wouldn't go ignored for the sake of the kind of consumer-driven love anthems we traditionally see in modern Christmas songs. The shrill harp and piano build into the choir of voices and nervous orchestral motion. If there was one Christmas song that sounded like a Billie Eilish hit, it would be The Big Moon's rendition of Carol Of The Bells.
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Phoebe Bridgers – If We Make It Through December
Pheobe Bridgers‘ take on the Merle Haggard's 'goofy country' Christmas track was one of the most welcome covers out there this year.
After releasing her incredible album Punisher, she found herself on a spree of covers from Simon And Garfunkle to McCarthy Trenching to The Goo Goo Dolls – and more. Let this dazzling and emotional slow dance wind down your family Christmas kick-ons, because we'll all make it through December, guys. Pheobe gives me certainty in that, at the very least.
Stella Donnelly – Season's Greetings
If you've ever had a cool aunty, and you've spent Christmas with that cool aunty – you'll blissfully relive that feeling with this Stella Donnelly Christmas track that oozes Australiana spirit. If you've ever brought your partner to Christmas when you really shouldn't have, maybe this will strike a chord. Mum and dad are fighting, your uncle Mark is drunk as hell, and your brother isn't taking his bonbon loss well. Into the woods free online. A track for every time of year.
LCD Soundsystem – Christmas Will Break Your Heart
The depressing LCD Soundsystem Christmas anthem that James Murphy sang himself every year for eight years finally saw the light of day when the band found themselves in the same city to record the damn thing before December was already over and inspiration had died. The song originally had 75 lines of lyrics but the band said they 'cut down to 8 to keep the suicide rate in check'.
Thank father Christmas they did, I don't think my heart would've been ready to have broken a further 67 times.
Weezer – The Christmas Song
Weezer is one of the few bands that can make any style of music work for their sound – and this song is no different. Another one that can be played at any time of year that fits right into their discography. If you've ever spent Christmas alone, this is the holiday pop-punk song for you.
Sufjan Stevens – Amazing Grace
Sufjan Stevens‘s version of Amazing Grace sounds like none that I've ever heard before – as if the song was rooted in folk and ragtime music rather than a gospel hymn. The harmonies mixed with the softly strummed banjo are enough to end any argument at Christmas dinner. Do yourself a favour and listen now, our time is short, friends.
Jacob Collier – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Jacob Collier had a whirlwind 2020, winning four Grammys and cementing himself as one of the most iconic figures in modern jazz music. Collier stretches the genre to fit his soulful mesh of sounds, making for some of the most entertaining live performances from a genre known so much for listening and reflection – now turned into one full of audience participation and as much vigorous movement physically as musically.
His version of The Christmas Song narrowly beat out Mac DeMarco and Kirin J Callinan's take for the spot on this list from the sheer creative spirit and willingness to blend tradition and contemporary. Honourable mention to Mac and Kirin though, check theirs out here.
Paul Kelly – How To Make Gravy
A song that needs absolutely no introduction. If you don't think this song is the best Christmas song ever, we just can't be friends.
Free pdf reader and editor for mac. How To Make Gravy is a generation-defining song and will go on to inspire countless musicians, regardless of how much you like gravy (a lot in my case). The heartfelt pen from a loved one in the big house, wondering that ever-present question, if you've ever lost a loved one, who will fill the void at the table?
L: pre-gravy R: post-gravy pic.twitter.com/xg6bkXBtD9
— Paul Kelly (@itsthegravyman) January 13, 2017
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