WAXTAPE Vol. 1

Theme: Musical roadtrip

With WAXTAPE's first volume we decided to let you take a journey across the good 'ol USA. WAX doesn't just focus on one side of music, so WAXTAPEs don't either. You can hear anything from the garage punk of New England's Cheater Slicks to obscure Salt Lake City rap. We hope to mix some of the familiar with lots of the unfamiliar, and help you expand your taste in the process.

Cheater Slicks - "Refried Dreams"

Our journey starts in Boston, Massachusetts with this noisy high energy powerhouse. It came out in 1999 but it could fit into the 60s psych movement, or the 00s noise rock scene.

The Velvet Underground - "Run Run Run"

Taking a drive over to the city that never sleeps brings us one of the more garage-oriented tracks on this Velvet Underground debut. While this album is quintessential this song is surprisingly overlooked.

Flock of Dimes - "Long After Midnight"

Going down the east coast we find ourselves in Baltimore, Maryland with this slice of indie pop pie that just comforts you like a warm blanket. While Flock of Dimes may not be a household name, it's impossible not to see her appeal.

Muddy Waters - "My Home Is In The Delta"

This song title gives you a hint to our next stop, in the Mississippi Delta. In this iconic blues song Muddy shows his Delta roots before his creation of the Chicago Blues sound.

Common - "The 6th Sense"

Muddy moved to Chicago and started the scene, but Common inhabits a different era of the city. Common's conscious hip hop style with DJ Premier's soul sampling is a must-hear for any music fan.

Grant Green - "We've Only Just Begun"

The St. Louis native Grant Green keeps the jazzy aura going with his iconic jazz-funk. Green can be considered the greatest jazz guitarist of all time, and this song is a wonderful introduction.

Micah Edwards - "All for You" (feat. Theo Juarez)

Known as the face of "Texas Soul" Micah Edwards give us a breezy and warm track to open the sun-roof to. Edwards shows that no, Texas isn't all country after all.

For Against - "Fate"

Perhaps one of the most overlooked pieces of post-punk history comes out of Lincoln, Nebraska. You'll get an awfully eerie feeling listening to this moody cult classic.

The Reddmen - "Cyanide Kick"

The Reddmen out of Rapid City ensure we don't forget who was here first. This native duo gives the most perfectly unpolished garage performances you'll find in the Black Hills of North Dakota.

John Denver - "Sunshine On My Shoulders"

While John Denver may be know for his West Virginia love he's actually from New Mexico. This song is a wonderful reminder of his wonderfully calming songwriting (as if you forgot).

Lois - "Sugar Rush"

While Lois Maffeo maybe have been a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest scene, she was born in Phoenix. This song is a great showcase of her dreamy indie pop style that is very hard to match.

Dine Krew - "20dineteen"

The one song in the tape certain to make your friends say "what is this?". Dine Krew are a rap group from Salt Lake City who have a surprisingly fleshed out style despite their lack of peers.

Love - "Always See Your Face"

We've made it to the pacific and we're going back to the 60s and Arthur Lee's Love. Perhaps the most "West Coast psychedelic" outfit to grace our lives and this is one of their catchiest songs.

The Gits - "Cut My Skin it Makes Me Human"

It's impossible to talk about the Pacific Northwest in the 90s with The Gits and Mia Zapata. This song is one of their most raw and personal, and it matches the sound exactly.

These Trails - "Rapt Attention"

Our final song brings us outside of the continental US and finds us in Hawaii. These Trails brings us to a psych-folk utopia that ends our journey with a calming and satisfying resolution