#37 No More Masterpieces.

For nearly 15 years now I have been a struggling musician, mostly of the indie rock persuasion. I am completely self taught and more than a little tone-deaf. I am not technically proficient or melodically inclined. I label myself as struggling because as an artist I still believe in the idea of perfection. I have expected myself for far too long now to be able to write and play as close to perfect rock masterpieces as I could. It's a heavy weight I put onto my shoulders and pretty much ensures a nearly constant level of dissatisfaction with my work.

Then recently I heard the artist Gregory Crewdson speak about his work. He said something along the lines of...

"Every artistic endeavor begins with the idea of perfection but inevitably ends in disappointment. But it is this idea that ultimately leads to the creation of the next work."

This struck me very profoundly in that it really summarized the struggle I have always encountered when creating any work of art, be it music or otherwise. I strive for perfection, but at the same time it's okay that I never actually achieve it. Because then what. What is a genius creator of a masterpiece to do next? I find that idea more frightening than any alternative.

So this mix is dedicated to the idea of never achieving any kind of perfection. The songs contained have a restless rawness to them. These are songs that are searching. Reaching.

I hope you enjoy.

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Download the Mix as a 123 MB Zip File
Now using sendspace to deliver these massive files. Email me if the file expires.

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The tracklist is as follows: (No links this month. Just google 'em.)

01 Finale, Twi the Humble Feather / 02 Nothing But Change Part II, Harlem Snakes / 03 Fun that We Have, Julian Plenti / 04 Folk Song Oblivion, The Phantom Band / 05 Bertie Hey, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire / 06 Bull Black Nova, Wilco / 07 Everyone is Guilty Akron/Family / 08 Never Stops, Deerhunter / 09 Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh, Say Hi / 10 Teen Muscle / Teen Hustle, The Rock*A*Teens / 11 The Feeling, Peter Bjorn and John / 12 The Howling, The Phantom Band / 13 And the Hazy Sea, Cymbals Eat Guitars / 14 Three Decades, The Horrors / 15 Soft Skull (In My Room), Crocodiles / 16 Ships With Holes Will Sink, We Were Promised Jetpacks / 17 Stator/Asymptote, Arks / 18 My Time Outside The Womb, Titus Andronicus / 19 Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga), The Decemberists / 20 Anti-Orgasm, Sonic Youth /