Since 2004, I have been making an indie pop comp for my birthday. The compilations feature relatively recent music, unlike my other indie compilations (collected here), which draw on music from any year. Also, while my other indie compilations generally each try to focus on a particular sound or feeling, these indie birthday compilations are more stylistically diverse (until recently mostly indie pop, broadly defined). The compilations so far include Ides of April, Glide, Bees Knees, Carousel, Treehouse, Walking Through Walls, Roam the Breezy Pastures, Now That I’m Older, Alien Ways, Memory Machine, Sound Eclipse, Come to Our House, Little Blue House, Thoughtland; Not Today Satan & Magic Circle (2017 music); Temple Garden, Another Air, & Waiting for Oz (2018); Alight, Between Breaths, Sun, & Yellowjacket (2019); and Histories de fous (2020).
Please find below cover images and brief descriptions of the four most recent birthday compilations, with the most recent at the top. Not all of them are on the site yet. If you click on the compilation title it will take you to a page with links to stream the compilations, as well as song lists for the compilations. Send me a message (or complete the form on this page) for more information about any of my music compilations.
age) for more information about any of my music compilations.
Histoires de fous (2020 favorites)
April 2021. During 2020, I made five Spotify playlists (totaling 512 minutes) organized by genre idiosyncratically. THIS compilation is 80 minutes of favorites distilled from those playlists (which you can explore on my Spotify profile vodem) .
The cover art is a still taken on my phone from Satoshi Kon’s spectacular anime Paprika (from 2006).
Compilations of 2019 Music
April 2020. For the first time, this year I made FOUR compilations of 2019 music in a bunch of genres: Alight (mostly avant-garde jazz and ambient music), Between Breaths (mostly hip hop and international sounds), Sun (mostly electronic pop and soul), and Yellowjacket (mostly indie rock and DIY pop). Links to all four compilations can be found on my Mixcloud page and here on this site. The cover art on each is an excerpt from an early 1900s German postcard, one of my collection of German anthropomorphic root vegetable postcards.
Temple Garden
April 2019. This is the third of three 2019 compilations. This is a mix of mostly avant-garde ambient and jazz with an engaging mellow and atmospheric feel. Songs are from 2018, except one from 2017 and one from 2019. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Another Air
April 2019. This is the second of three 2019 compilations. This is a varied collection of independent pop, psychedelic rock, synth-pop, hip hop, and folk. Songs are from 2018, except two from 2017 and two from 2019. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Waiting for Oz
April 2019. This is the first of three 2019 compilations. This one is pretty much indie rock and DIY pop. All songs from 2018. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Not Today Satan
April 2018. This is the first of two 2018 compilations. This one is more like my previous birthday compilations (mostly indie pop, indie electronica, etc.). All songs but one from 2017. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Magic Circle
April 2018. This is the second of the two 2018 compilations. This one is less pop-oriented (with avant-garde jazz, modern classical, etc.). All songs from 2017. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Thoughtland
April 2017. All songs (but one) are from 2015-2017. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Little Blue House
April 2016. All songs (but one) are from 2014-2016. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Come to Our House
April 2015. All songs are from 2013-2015. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Sound Eclipse
April 2014. All songs are from 2012-2013. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a few videos.
Memory Machine
April 2013. All songs are from 2011-2013, mostly 2012-2013. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a few videos.
Alien Ways
April 2012. All songs are from 2010-2012, mostly 2011-2012. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a few videos.
Now That I’m Older
April 2011. This comp was in honor of my 40th birthday. All songs are from 2009-2010. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a few videos.
Roam the Breezy Pastures
April 2010. All songs are from 2008-2010, mostly 2009-2010. Click here to stream the comp, for the song list, and for a couple videos.
Glide
April 2005?. The second in my series of birthday compilations, which I believe I started doing in 2004. Early 2000s indie pop, but less rigorously focused on very recent music. Click here to stream the comp and for the song list.
Wonderings 