And here you go, there’s your new mix, just in time to download to your iPhone to listen to on the way to your Fourth of July picnic.

I opened up my mailbox this morning and was all like, HEY! I got an unexpected promo of the new release from my Left Coast pals Port O’Brien. It’s called The Wind and The Swell and is out soon on American Dust Recordings. It’s been like 9 months since I first mentioned these guys, and in that time, they’ve recorded a new full-length, been named M Ward’s favorite band (and been tapped to play some big SF shows with him (oh, *and* Bright Eyes, too (who’s also now a major fan)), been booked for two separate UK Festival dates, gotten a 4-star Pitchfork track review, done a Daytrotter session, and spent weeks and weeks at sea off the coast of Alaska. Soon, they’ll be back, and they’ll be starting their US Tour, and you (if you know what’s good for you, that is) will be going out to see them. One more time, just in case you missed it, here’s their “hit:”

From the “What-The-Hell-There’s-No-Way-Anybody-Coulda-Seen-This-One-Coming” File comes the news that Kindercore is back. One time home to bands like Dressy Bessy, Of Montreal, The Essex Green and others, I’ve always considered them the definitive case study for small indie labels getting fucked over.

The only question now is: after 6 or 8 months of seeing what it’s like to fight through this (horrible) new, different music marketplace, are they gonna start wondering if maybe they shoulda stayed dead?