This week’s mixtape is brought to us by Sean Hoots of the Philadelphia-based group Hoots and Hellmouth. He offers us a beautiful collection of songs by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Antony and Nina Simone to help quiet the soul. He says “Life tends toward chaos…on the good days. Survival seems to be a matter of balancing things. Music has always been a great equalizer in my times of storms a’ brewin’, whether at home or abroad, so here’s a list of eleven songs that strike a balance within me. Songs that allow for a moment’s respite, for the heart to sigh and the spirit to take a deep breath. Perhaps you’ll find a similar repose. Drink, all who are thirsty…” Oh drink, we shall. Hoots and Hellmouth’s second record, The Holy Open, is out today, June 2, via MAD Dragon Records and they are in the midst of a nice big tour in support of it. Check out their upcoming tour dates and the mixtape after the jump.

Ten Tunes To Quiet the Soul:

1. Al Green- Lay It Down
Go on, then…lay it down. this is your time. sit back, sip some bourbon, take a deep breath. let the reverend get you in the mood.

2. Antony Hegarty and Bryce Dessner- I Was Young When I Left Home
Antony’s voice first gripped me a few years ago, and to this day it has yet to let go. tremulous, aching, full…there’s nothing quite like it in all the world. there are many songs in the antony & the johnsons repertoire that have ministered to my spirit, but this one hit me recently, and so it makes the cut here. extra points for being a bob dylan song. the tale of a son rambling far from home? yeah, i can relate to that. (see also: “another world”…holy crap)

3. Samuel Barber- Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
I know i’m late to the party on recognizing the brilliance in this piece by mr. west chester, pa himself, but like so much music in my life, i feel like i discovered it at exactly the right time. close your eyes and let it bandy you about with its swells and undulations.

4. Cinematic Orchestra- To Build A Home
This one makes me think of the family orchard in nc with its dillapidated old house and rows of apple trees, still hoisting their fruit on high each summer til the weight forces them to let go come fall. it’s a place i go to both physically and mentally when i need to rejuvenate. there is power in its presence for me, and this song conveys a sense of that.

5. Iron and Wine- Upward Over The Mountain
“So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten.” that line never fails to stop me cold in my tracks. ever since i found this song (or did it find me?), it’s been a constant companion and comfort. the bedroom fidelity and hushed singing words of encouragement strike a very personal chord.

6. JD Crowe and the New South- Rock Salt and Nails
Tony rice and co. are known to anyone with even a passing fancy for bluegrass as stellar instrumentalists, but here their voices combine to such buttery sweet effect, you almost lose touch with the musical underpinnings and float away on their harmonies. gorgeous and truly soul-soothing…even if it is a song about shooting a woman who done you wrong.

7. Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser- All Flowers In Time
This makes my soul twist up all funny-like. cocteau twins’ fraser manages to outshine the ever-resplendent buckley here, but who’s really keeping score? their voices twist and turn like the flowers of which they sing, tossing off brain-burning lines like, “my eyes are a baptism. oh, i am filth.” the melody lingers in the mind long after listening, calling me back to my quiet space. truly a blessing.

8. Joanna Newsom- Sadie
Songs about dogs always touch a tender spot in my heart, and sadie is a leader of that pack. joanna’s voice and harp combine to angelic effect while the lyrics offer so much grist for the thought mill. brilliant, as much of her stuff is. “en gallop,” “clam, crab, cockle, cowrie” and “swansea” could just as easily make this list (and often do).

9. Nickel Creek- Doubting Thomas
I love a good twist on religious/biblical themes and symbology. blame it on my roots. but this one does it prettier than most, so there’s some redemption to be had. the instrumental tones are precise and pretty without being cloying, so that by the time the harmonies hit, you’re long swept under the spell of the creek. makes for a great sing-along, too. go ahead. try it. “oh, me of little faith…”

10. Nina Simone- Wild Is the Wind
God, this song draws me out…stretching with the lazy vocal melody, massaging with the piano flourishes, breaking open with the lyrical weight. it’s a day at the spa for the soul. seriously, don’t attempt to operate any heavy machinery for at least an hour after listening to this.

11. Sigur Ros- Staralfur (from the live album “heim”…listen to the whole album, really)
These guys have such a way with aural landscapes. like lying in a riverbed, feeling the current as it rushes overhead one bowed string at a time, catching glimpses of sunlight voices refracted through the water, sparkling, dancing, hypnotizing. this stills me. i am prepared to re-enter the outside world.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Jun 3 2009 The Square Room knoxville, Tennessee
Jun 4 2009 Levitt Shell @ Overton Park Memphis, Tennessee
Jun 5 2009 Vernon Lanes Louisville, Kentucky
Jun 6 2009 Off Broadway Nightclub St. Louis, Missouri
Jun 7 2009 Wakarusa Festival Ozark, Arkansas
Jun 7 2009 George’s Majestic Lounge – Wakarusa afterparty! Fayetteville, Arkansas
Jun 9 2009 The Redstone Room Davenport, Iowa
Jun 10 2009 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jun 11 2009 Shank Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jun 13 2009 Intersection w/ Rev Horton Heat! Grand Rapids, Michigan
Jun 14 2009 Ribfest Chicago – North Stage Chicago, Illinois
Jun 18 2009 joe’s pub New York, New York
Jun 19 2009 Gullifty’s Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Jun 20 2009 Southern Shore Music Festival Millville, New Jersey
Jul 3 2009 Jewish Mother w/ The Hackensaw Boys! Virginia Beach
Jul 4 2009 Jewish Mother w/ The Hackensaw Boys! Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jul 9 2009 Club Passim Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jul 10 2009 Empire Dine & Dance w/ The Tough Cats and Annie & The Beekeepers! Portland, Maine
Jul 11 2009 StageOne Fairfield, Connecticut
Jul 16 2009 The Basement Nashville, Tennessee
Jul 17 2009 JJ’s Bohemia w/ Madeline and The Ginger Envelope Chattanooga, Tennessee
Jul 18 2009 The Beacon Pub Swannanoa, North Carolina
Jul 19 2009 Unplugged in the Park @ Park Tavern Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 21 2009 The Melting Point Athens, Georgia
Jul 22 2009 The Evening Muse Charlotte, North Carolina
Jul 23 2009 The Camel Richmond, Virginia
Aug 5 2009 Musikfest – Liederplatz Stage Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Aug 7 2009 Infinity Hall Norfolk, Connecticut
Aug 14 2009 Summerfest by The Georgian Bay Folk Society Owen Sound, Ontario
Sep 11 2009 The Ark Ann Arbor, Michigan