No Turkey Day
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and while I know some of you are anticipating chowing on some succulent breast meat, I look forward to fulfilling 2 of my own annual traditions: 1) Making a Thanksgiving-themed mix for traveling 2) Donating to Farm Sanctuary to save the life of a turkey that would have otherwise been killed (not always humanely) and eaten. Last year we welcomed Mello, a laid-back male that enjoys yams and squash, into our family. This year, my girlfriend and I have adopted Kima. She will enjoy life in upstate New York with the other turkeys that I’m sure will be giving their fair share of thanks this holiday. Even if you don’t feel compelled to give up meat or to adopt a turkey, I hope that you all remember to count your blessings and give thanks for all that we take for granted in life.
For those traveling or cooking, here are a few songs to throw on to your own mix.
If you’re interested in adopting a turkey of your own, click the badge below and add some fowl to your family.
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Thanksgiving Theme
River City Extension – Friends and Family
Feist – It’s Cool to Love Your Family
The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up – Thanksgiving Grey
Denison Witmer – Chesapeake Watershed
Wood Goold – An Old Land
John Bradley – Give Me Nothing
Antony and the Johnsons – Thank You for Your Love
Patrick Watson – Giver (Live)
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start – I’ll Thank You Later
Shannon Wright – Asleep (Smiths Cover)
Friday Favorites: In Throws with Toe
Toe has been dominating my week and rightfully so. With a presence that spans the seas from Japan to the US and everywhere in between, this 4-piece has been reigning over indie math-rock for nearly a decade. Thoughtful thrashing meets passionate and precise percussion, culminating into jubilant jams of the instrumental influence. A mere three years into their existence, they released a split with Pele. Last year, they combined capacities with Collections of Colonies of Bees for another split. With a history that includes 2 DVDs, over half a dozen solo releases, a couple of compilations, and endless touring, including one outing alongside the Album Leaf 
, Toe has solidified a substantial standing as titans of touring, emperors of entertaining, and masters of the math of musicianship.
Honing the technicality of bands like Don Caballero and Tera Melos and the melodic accessibility of acts like Ghosts and Vodka and American Football, Toe provides us with inventive initiatives of fluidity and flexibility in a genre that is so often bound to stiff and rigid rules of repetition.
Go against the grain, combat conformity, invite independence, embrace exceptionalism.
The Quiet Power of Bill Ridenour
Atlantic City, NJ may be better known for the sounds of slots and sex, but in the case of music, there’s a new sound lurking in the dunes. Bill Ridenour drags the desperate and distressed devil from the forests of New Jersey and disperses his deeds into a den of sullen songwriting on his audacious album, One, which can be streamed for free and purchased at a very reasonable price.
Dark drone folk flaunts fiery instrumental exchanges; fuzzy, free-form acoustics submit to husky, haunting guitar leads and determined and distorted drawl. Immutable imagery (“Darling, I’ll save you with this rusty knife; blood on the pillows, there’s blood on the sheets”) integrates icy tales reminiscent of tales and taboos of times of yore. The album proceeds at a grinding pace, and “Undefined” completes the album, compelling with brusque banjo, dynamic drumming, and a range of riffs that soars into psychedelic space.
Bill Ridenour is touring the northeast this week. Check out the dates and mosey on down for an evening of eerie entertainment.
Archaic Argot
My bro Biff is a busy boy. He sets shows, dominates the drums, boasts a bitchin’ beard, and creates killer compilations. Obsolete Vernacular marks his latest effort and institutes and instrumental theme from a range of rockers, including many that have been featured by Salty Tongue/Peppered Mouth in the past (i.e., Fugue, Chalk Talk, John Bradley, Black Churches, and Quiltary). Like a true gentleman, he is hosting this as a free download, so there is no reason you don’t have this frequenting your Friday playlist.
And for those of you wearing skinny jeans, tortoise shell glasses, awkwardly placed tattoos, or band t-shirts, get hip and join the Facebook event.
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