Visions of the Unexcused
98 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsHomepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Episode 94 – Top 21 Albums of 2017
December 17, 2017 14:36 - 1 hour - 89.4 MB2017 was a challenging year. The bad guys won, and hate became law while our Manchurian President’s toddler tendencies numbed the World into being surprised by nothing and aghast at everything. Still there was music – and these 21 albums helped me get through too many long days. The mix was made live in the […]
Episode 93 – Music Detectives Listen To After Making Love
December 22, 2016 13:52 - 48 minutes - 88.6 MBI have an affinity for Detectives. I gravitate strongly towards the label of hopeless dreamer – and am enamored by both the Detectives search for truth as well as their beautiful flaws – they’re such a hyperbolic yet real manifestation of what it means to be a walking talking breathing human. These are songs I think those with Detective […]
Episode 92 – Top 21 Albums of 2016
November 21, 2016 02:47 - 1 hour - 106 MB2016 was a weird, surreal, and at times beautiful year. It side swiped us with the loss of Demigods who couldn’t escape Death’s undefeated grip. Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen – they’ll never share the same air as you again – and that’s a damn shame. And now, history will remember 2016 for the the election – whose […]
Episode 91 – NOCtoberfest 2016
October 26, 2016 16:16 - 3 hours - 288 MBDJing G2 Tech Group’s annual NOCtoberfest is always a good time – and last night was no exception. I played a funk to hip-hop to electro set that allotted for things to go off in an elegantly weird fashion. Also, T-Rex overtook the dance floor to the delight of my airhorn. Al Barry and The Cimerons Morning Sun Ranking Slackness […]
Episode 90 – Summer Sweat Sticks
August 09, 2016 16:02 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBThis is a little over an hour of a live vinyl set I spun at State Park Bar in Cambridge on 7.28.16, and it perfectly represents who I am as a DJ. In just over an hour I bounce across numerous genres in Mint Pillow style inspired by the lack of rain & summer heat. Don’t think there’s […]
Episode 89 – Election Year 2016 Mix (Gold Must Die)
July 21, 2016 17:47 - 47 minutes - 108 MBThis election season & violent Summer has seen the shadows of ugly shine a dark light on how slow progress is – and as the mirror reflects back with a face of de-evolution – we sit cow faced while hate steals the headlines & votes. I couldn’t ask for anyone better than Gold Must Die to do a guest podcast to […]
Episode 88 – Rest In Purple
April 29, 2016 19:53 - 3 hours - 272 MBThis all vinyl mix was spun live at State Park Bar in Cambridge, MA one week after the tragic loss of Prince. It’s a tribute to him and is a mix of deep funk, soul, a touch of rock, and of course the man himself. RIP Prince Rogers Nelson. 1958-2016 *Another fine mix to put in […]
Episode 87 – Dreamed
April 12, 2016 04:37 - 1 hour - 5 MBA survey on FaceBook asking the genre of my next podcast ended up a tie between DREAMY and HOUSE. I teamed those inspiration points together & careened towards the inside of my dreams – with the aim to make a podcast that was as familiar, surreal, gratifying, spooky, and strange as any dream I’ve ever had. 1. Episode 87 Intro […]
Episode 86 – Easy On Yourself
January 14, 2016 04:13 - 1 hour - 148 MBThe energy within me is circling in a swift & positive direction. I expect many good things in 2016, and episode 86 is an auditory springboard into that optimistic ether. I spun the mix live late last weekend in my West Medford Mojo. I traverse on many styles while providing thoughtful transitions that’ll sprain your tape deck as you hopefully […]
Episode 85 – Top 22 Albums of 2015
December 10, 2015 16:02 - 1 hour - 100 MB2015 will go down as the most challenging & rewarding year of my life. Intense is the adjective I’d use to describe a year in which*almost* too much happened. It started with the birth of my Son Dylan – the best thing that’ll ever happen to me. Becoming a Parent is easy, becoming one worth his salt takes some earnest work & humbles […]
Episode 84 – NOCtoberfest 2015
October 26, 2015 01:44 - 1 hour - 165 MBI’m lucky to have been asked to DJ the annual NOCtoberfest Party at G2 Tech Group since it’s inception – and this year I was tasked with putting together an electro / lounge set. The following is the live set I played during this years festivities – and is a perfect mix to listen to as […]
Episode 83 – Charley Patton’s Hand
October 08, 2015 02:33 - 52 minutes - 71.9 MBI recently finished reading Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records – and it was an engaging read. Written by Amanda Petrusich, it chronicles well known collectors of 78 records, and in particular collectors who specialize in Pre-War Blues. Petrusich did an excellent job in connecting the music, history, fanaticism, and […]
Episode 82 – I See Ossipee
September 11, 2015 15:42 - 2 hours - 228 MBWe clutch Summer as the sun sets – yet despite these efforts, it inevitably slips away. Last weekend I ended a vacation by spinning a set with Summer sitting as my muse. Overlooking gorgeous Ossipee Lake in New Hampshire I let the sun and water guide me – the live set, epic in length and diverse in tones, is […]
Episode 81 – The Beat Will Always Save Us
August 09, 2015 16:01 - 1 hour - 81 MBMint Pillow’s first all Hip Hop podcast since Episode 36. 1. Intro 2. Emma Stone – Birdman Speech (2014) 3. Shabazz Palaces – Gunbeat Falls (Of Light – 2009) 4. Four Tet – As Serious as Your Life [Jay Dee remix] (Remixes – 2006) 5. Talib Kweli – Country Cousins (Ear Drum – 2007) 6. Big K.R.I.T. – Dreamin’ (Return Of 4Eva – […]
Episode 80 – Sundazed
July 19, 2015 14:58 - 1 hour - 127 MBSometimes somedays come today – and when today is someday you’re left feeling Sundazed. Visions of the Unexcused’s run on Sundays has come to an end on WEMF Radio – and while there’ll be no show broadcasting today via WEMF – the show’s available via Episode 80, quite an accomplishment unto itself. I’m hoping that Visions will […]
Episode 79 – Win Love
July 08, 2015 02:12 - 1 hour - 165 MBRecorded in Mint Pillow’s home studio for WEMF Radio – the set starts off with exuberant hope – as this was recorded during the weekend his country, The United States of America, celebrated love – allowing all to marry whom they wanted. While the set’s a celebration – it shifts towards frustration, as Pillow ponders […]
Episode 78 – Covered
June 02, 2015 12:10 - 2 hours - 149 MBCover Songs are a lot like coffee. If made poorly and with bad product then it’s warm brown sludge that I want nothing to do with – however, when made properly with fresh ground goodness everything around me becomes sharpened and turned for the good. The satisfaction of a well made cup of coffee is similar to that […]
Episode 77 – Mom Rock
May 11, 2015 13:25 - 2 hours - 146 MBMother’s Day has been a bummer day for me since my Ma’ passed away in 2007. It’s nice to remember and honor her memory, but it’s tough on Mother’s Day, especially on Social Media, where digital walls are plastered with images of friends and their still around Moms. That’s all changed now with the birth of my […]
Episode 76 – Dad Rock
May 05, 2015 12:52 - 1 hour - 137 MBEpisode 76 looks at the music that bounced around the walls of Mint Pillow’s childhood home while growing up. Joined by the most special of guests, Poppa Hixon, Pillow and his Dad dive into Jazz, Big Band, Golden Era Rock, and Soul. With Pillow being a recent Dad himself there’s a symmetry to the Episode that can’t […]
Episode 75 – Space Lounge
April 27, 2015 13:08 - 1 hour - 80 MBThis is not the complete set from Episode 75, but enough of a taste to get lost in the cosmic boondocks. Mint Pillow has been awed by the miracle of life with the recent birth of his son Dylan, and was also sideswiped by a recent viewing of Interstellar, a movie he expected nothing of, and got […]
Episode 74 – Guest House
April 23, 2015 12:03 - 2 hours - 150 MBYou never know what you’ll get with an episode of Visions of the Unexcused – and for Episode 74 Mint Pillow was lucky to be joined by Tom Kielty in the WEMF Radio Studio. Kielty’s a veteran of the Boston rock scene and has written for the Globe, Herald, Boston Magazine, among numerous other local and national […]
Episode 73 – Sudden Sun
April 16, 2015 11:54 - 1 hour - 113 MBEpisode 73, Sudden Sun, is a near two hour improvised set of electo, house, pysch, and weird done live in the DJ Cave at WEMF Radio by Mint Pillow. Inspired by the hope a crisp spring day can inspire, Pillow approached the show as he would a late night night DJ gig, with minimal talking, […]
Episode 72 – Psychedelic Flowers
April 10, 2015 12:24 - 1 hour - 131 MBSnow has turned into rain. Winter’s morphing into Spring. April Showers will turn into Psychedelic Flowers. This is Episode 72, recorded live in the DJ Cave from atop Mount Cambridge in the WEMF Radio Studios. 1. Them – It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – 1970) 2. The Pandamonium – […]
Episode 71 – Many Rivers
April 04, 2015 11:59 - 2 hours - 150 MBEpisode 71 is meant to celebrate life. As a newly minted Father, Pillow finds himself heavily sleep deprived, raspy voiced, and most of all happy as hell to be a Dad. As a result a funktified set is played in honor of his less than week old baby boy Dylan – AKA: Junior Mint Pillow / Soul Baby […]
Episode 70 – Baby, Baby, Baby
March 16, 2015 12:56 - 2 hours - 117 MBMy Wife and I are expecting the birth of our first child any day now, and as Tom Petty once sang – “the waiting is the hardest part”. The nursery’s been built out and prepped, shower and diaper parties have been had, and with our due date being this Thursday (!!!!) – all that’s left is for […]
Episode 69 – Grooving Out On Life
March 09, 2015 23:51 - 2 hours - 108 MBRecorded live from the top of Mt. Cambridge in the DJ Cave at WEMF Radio, Mint Pillow plays psychedelic skewed jamz from across the globe – as he waits with high anticipation the impending birth of his son – while day light savings and the changing weather make him thankful for good friends, family, and […]
Episode 68 – Death Of A Post-Jangler
February 27, 2015 13:20 - 2 hours - 124 MBMy set from WEMF Radio on 2.22.15 was a post jangle inspired mix of both old and new tracks. It’s an excellent idea to slowly dream the ice and snow away with this on in the background. 1. The Flamin’ Groovies – Whisky Woman – (Teenage Head – 1971) 2. Bauhaus – Kick In The Eye (Mask – 1981) 3. Devo – Freedom Of […]
Episode 67 – Psychedelic Blizzard
February 23, 2015 18:08 - 2 hours - 112 MBEpisode 67 was recorded live on 2/15/15 as Cambridge and Boston were being blitzed by yet another blizzard. Unable to get to the studio at WEMF Radio due to white out conditions outside – I bunkered down in the ice tomb I call my apartment and got weird with a psychedelic gonzo mix. 1. The Masters Apprentices […]
Episode 66 – Lens Flare
January 23, 2015 02:54 - 1 hour - 93.6 MBEpisode 66 is the practice set I did in my apartment the day before my 1/18 show on WEMF Radio. Due to technical difficulties at the beginning the broadcasted set was a little jumbled from the jump, I found my feet, but not with the original mix I wanted to present. As a result, I’m posting this […]
Episode 65 – Like A Shining Diamond – 01/11/15
January 16, 2015 05:27 - 1 hour - 97.4 MBVisions of the Unexcused 2nd show on WEMF Radio finds Mint Pillow gaining confidence with live radio while becoming more apt to consciously experiment. The set starts with three favorite Boston bands – then weaves through decades, as each cousin related track blends styles & watermarks. The set climaxes during an elctro-jazz-fuzed moment where Pillow mixes in his favorite poem, “The Genius Of The […]
Episode 64 – WEMF Visions – 01/04/15
January 14, 2015 22:33 - 1 hour - 102 MB2015’s presenting a lot of exciting opportunities for Visions of the Unexcused – and none are more promising than joining the WEMF Radio Team. My weekly radio show, which is broadcasted live via WEMF early Sunday nights – will also be posted as a podcast episode on Visions in case you couldn’t catch live. This is […]
Episode 63 – Top 21 Albums of 2014
December 11, 2014 01:48 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBThese are my 21 favorite albums of 2014. When I look back on a year that saw me truly start a Family of my own these song’s will echo in the hallways of my memory. Consider it a groovy growth notch written in No. 2 pencil on the back of a progression door. Happy New […]
Episode 62 – The Song Sounds the Same
June 23, 2014 03:56 - 42 minutes - 58 MB“The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief. He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.” – Othello (Act I, Scene III) All music is derivative. Science has shown for centuries that in order to move forward you must advance what those before you have accomplished. You stand on the shoulders of giants, make footprints on […]
Episode 61 – Grace Bay Groove
May 12, 2014 13:01 - 1 hour - 87.2 MBLast week I was on the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. The Caribbean Nation’s beauty has few peers, and while getting lost with rum, sand, and sun I put together a podcast worthy of the gorgeous island. It’s a Summertime Mix that screams to be played loudly at any sun splashed gathering you’re at over the coming months. Please, make […]
Episode 60 – The White House Sessions: Volume 1
January 24, 2014 04:05 - 1 hour - 141 MBCreating podcasts for Visions of the Unexcused has been a solitary art. I’ve always enjoyed the process, but recently I wanted to do something different, organic, and more importantly – with friends. Inspired by the sonic champions at Doodcast I decided to create a podcast live and with my fellow comrades. For this task I ventured […]
Episode 59 – Top 21 Albums of 2013
December 07, 2013 06:20 - 1 hour - 98 MB2013’s a strong branch on a stormy day – steadfastly bracing as the howl creates turbulent soundtrack. These 21 albums were my favorite from a year with shifting winds. 21. Dog Bite – Velvet Changes (Song: Prettiest Pills) 20. Ra-Grim – Alchemy EP (Song: Twilight) 19. Across Tundras – Electric Relics (Song: Seasick Serenade) 18. GRMLN – Empire (Song: Teenage Rhythm) 17. Chance The […]
Episode 58 – Par (Tyler Made)
August 27, 2013 12:51 - 34 minutes - 80.3 MBTyler Made’s back with another killer episode for Visions of the Unexcused – this time playing some of his recent Hip Hop favorites. If you’re in Singapore you can see Tyler DJ on the regular. If you’re on the internet you can listen to this excellent mix, along with some others, any time you want. All […]
Episode 57 – Vinyl Daze
August 22, 2013 12:38 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBEarlier this year I decided to digitize my 45 records. It was a labor of love I embraced as well as preparation for DJ-ing my collection out. On many a night I’d hover over my record player with album art in hand, a drink near by, and a best friend even closer as we vanished […]
Episode 56 – Zachelor Weekend
May 22, 2013 17:34 - 55 minutes - 64 MBIn late April I organized a Bachelor Party for one of my best friends, Zac. We’ve worked together, jammed together, jammed together some more, and have been consistent partners in mischief and art. In celebration of his upcoming wedding we rented a house with friends in New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee – and lived free […]
Episode 55 – Nothing Ever Stays The Same
May 16, 2013 13:32 - 43 minutes - 60 MBEpisode 55, Nothing Ever Stays The Same, was put together in the Spring of 2013 with loads of nervous energy. Flying is my biggest fear, and in mere hours I’ll be on a transatlantic flight en route to Italy. I’m hoping the drugs knock me out, but if not, this Mix will have to suffice. […]
Episode 54 – The Bums Lost
April 20, 2013 13:51 - 37 minutes - 43.4 MBAbide. The Big Lebowski is my favorite movie, and in honor of this Episode #54 is dedicated to Walter, Donny, and The Dude. There’s a lot of lessens that can be gleamed from The Big Lebowski – so take ‘er easy, pour yourself a Caucasian, and abide. Links, Man: Lebowskifest Dudeism *Special thanks to Zac […]
Episode 53 – Tears in the Rain
March 05, 2013 13:49 - 42 minutes - 48.6 MBThe slow but steady transition from Winter to Spring in New England is an interesting time. One day I’ll find myself despondent and dour, then within 24 hours I’ll be filled with reverie and hope. Such is the duality of the Region and this Mix. 1. Intro 2. Blade Runner – Tears in the Rain (Blade Runner […]
Episode 52 – sɪŋəpɔr
February 11, 2013 13:38 - 46 minutes - 107 MB*I’m humbled to have another guest DJ take over Visions of the Unexcused for Episode #52. Alyson has compiled a killer mix composed completely of artists from her home in Singapore. More on the podcast in her own words, below. This mix is an ode to the burgeoning melting pot of shakers and movers in […]
Episode 51 – Mechanical Found Dreams
February 04, 2013 13:44 - 34 minutes - 39.8 MBTo commemorate the first fifty episodes I’ve created a master mix containing songs played in podcasts over the past six years. It was a trip to dive down memory lane like this, and it was a fun challenge. There’s 51 tracks for the 51st Episode, which is a mosaic of where the Unexcused have been, […]
Episode 50 – The Best of 2012
December 10, 2012 18:51 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MBPerseverance. Reaching episode #50 means a lot. I rekindled Visions of the Unexcused five years ago as a form of therapy. Repeatedly immersing myself into these podcasts served as a needed distraction. The magic of music has been with me in both high and low times, and my pursuit of new sounds has always been […]
Episode Election Day – Pyramid Ghost
November 06, 2012 13:46 - 21.9 MBI’m blessed to have another close friend submit their Visions to the Unexcused. Zac Trainor, aka Pyramid Ghost, brings an intensely layered and relevant mix, on this First Tuesday of November, 2012. The mix is a mosaic filled socio political banger, heavily influenced by campaign shenanigans, attitudes, & rhetoric – all done with a knowledgable wink, and […]
Episode 49 – John Peel For God
October 03, 2012 00:18 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBJohn Peel is the greatest DJ to ever breath. He placed the watermark of excellence at an unattainable level, which makes striving for its apex a never ending adventure. Reaching for it may be laughable, but for Peel’s sake, I long to be a Member of his elusive fraternity of taste. John was the ultimate champion of […]
Episode 48 – Beckon
September 24, 2012 12:08 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MB*I had the fortune of having my good friend Tyler Made contribute a mix for Episode 48. Read below for his thoughts on the Episode, and you can find more of Tyler’s great work here. I love this retrospective take on Beck’s career, as not only are these Tyler’s favorite Beck songs, but it’s one from each individual […]
Episode 47 – Money Guns
August 27, 2012 01:51 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBMint Pillow greets the Late Summer with a Heartfelt Mix. 1. Tim Crouse & George McGovern – 220 Million Used Car Salesmen (Gonzo – 2008) 2. NIGO – Ape Sounds Opening (APE SOUNDS – 1999) 3. Holy Other – Know Where (With U – 2010) 4. Fort Romeau – Theo (Kingdoms – 2012) 5. Flight Facilities – Crave […]
Episode 46 – Blobs On Tour, Vol. 1: World Wide Funk
August 14, 2012 01:33 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MBIn the very first installment of Blobs On Tour, your humble guest host – Goop – takes the gang to South America for a crash course in exotic ways. Listen in wonderment as Goop effortlessly mashes stylings from around the world and takes a truly foreign land along for the ride. No Latin soul will […]