BOTG Mailbox Music Week!

Once or twice a year, I've tried compiling some of the best of the hundreds of music submissions Bottom Of The Glass receives every few months. Every time, it seems, one of the songs gets busted by lawyers who apparently don't agree with the promoters who told me I could promote the songs in the first place.

But dammit, these bands need us. They need attention. So, for them, I'll risk it.

Besides, I'm on vacation at the beach this week anyway, so the feds'll never find me! Mwahaha!

Today, I present to you the BOTG Free Music Mailbox Mix, Summer 2010 version. On Thursday I'll highlight my favorite bands that offered EPs or entire albums. The best of the lot, if you will.

To get to the entire collection, click this link. Here's the playlist... in the order Box.net seems to just want it...

1. Bomb Shelter - Nakatomi Plaza
   decent proto-punk. great name.
2. Big Top - Proper Villains
   wicked good electro-dance-trip stuff. not my thing, usually, but this is fun.
3. This Motion - Roman Numerals
   i get a little psychedelic fursy, bauhausy vibe. it makes me want to wear black eyeliner. but, like, in a good way, sorta.
4. Hooked - Maylee Todd & Circle Research
   also not my standard fare, but this song's catchy and classic.
5. Close My Eyes - Rudely Interrupted
   if you can hear this and not drift back into the '80s, you're either too young or there's too much pain involved.
6. Let's Kiss - Living Days
   why leave the '80s? these dudes couldn't have stolen more directly from The Cure if they chopped off Robert Smith's head. but if you're gonna totally riff someone, riff the right bands!
7. The Stalker - Hunter Valentine
   one hell of a catchy guitar riff. great first four measures. catchy femme voice with 'tude. definitely one of the best mailbox gifts of the season.
8. Never Been Worse - Gasoline Heart
   a little j.mascis and a little drive-by truckers goes a long way.
9. Darling Dear - Little Fish
   strong and fun build-up on this one. gets more fun the longer you hang with it.
10. We'll Have a Real Good Time - Lights On
    this band almost made it to Thursday. decent album. decent nose for a hooky guitar lick.
11. Make Out - The Gypsy Nomads
    ok this is just fun. this is one of those where the forest is much more beautiful than the individual trees.
12. Dear Friend - Emmanuel and The Fear
    another of my faves from the summer freebies. got a little ben folds, but plenty of other fun influences in there.
13. 7 of Spades - The Coppertone
    somewhere, soundgarden should be proud that their crunch lives on in songs like these.
14. Go On - Basia Bulat
    um... i like it? is that enough?
15. Lovesick Teenagers - Bear in Heaven
    i kinda cheated on this one. this is from the Pitchfork Music Sampler that's free for eMusic members. this is my favorite song in the bunch.

Anyone who downloads this, I'd love to know what the favorite songs were. It's always nicer to compliment the starving artists than to knock 'em down. Kicking a starving artist is just mean.*

* -- To the artists who sent us music but who are not starving, I apologize for lumping you all in together. I hope it's OK if I don't really condone people kicking artists no matter how well-fed they may be.