6:04 PM Mixtape #6 Curated by Jonathan Andrew (The Toll Collectors)

Note from the curator:

Music moves me in a way nothing else ever has. I feel fortunate that I connected with the thing I love most at a very young age. One of my earliest memories (real or imagined, as sometimes happens when we think about childhood): waiting for the three Ringo tom tom hits that cue each chorus of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” so I could resume manic toddler dancing in the sunshine. Music had me from the start.

There is so much great music in the world that we’ll never be able to listen to it all. And I know it’s impossible to keep up with every hyped new artist and obscure classic band that is having a resurgence. But what happens when we stop seeking out songs that are new to us, whether released last month or last century? I hope I never find out. 

Here are a few selections I’ve fallen in love with over the last decade or so from artists who are far less well known than they should be based on their talent and craftsmanship.

the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle and the tri-state area’s own Kevin Devine are master storytellers. Boy-girl duets from the likes of JOHNNYSWIM and Vampire Weekend featuring Danielle Haim are guaranteed to get your heart a-fluttering. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Boston’s Ripe Ripe and Austin’s The Band of Heathens perform several times and they always deliver. And while I caught the mighty Chris Mills at Jersey City’s Fox & Crow with his new band The Fond Farewell just this past September, I’ve had to enjoy London’s Teleman from afar via compact disc and streaming audio to date.

I hope you find something that moves or comforts you in this mix. If so, please click “like” and pass on the word about these great musicians. We need them, now more than ever.

–Jonathan Andrew, 4/7/2020