Mixtapes has always been a favorite around here at UTG, so it broke our hearts last year when the band announced that they’d be calling it quits. Today, the band has released These Are Us, an enormous collection of twenty-three songs from splits, b-sides, rarities, and non-album tracks that almost fill the Mixtapes-sized hole in our hearts.

There are quite a few songs here that don’t surpass the sixty-second mark and were clearly recorded as jokes – look no further than “Chicka Chicka Chicka Chicka Chicka” which features a pitch-corrected Ryan Rockwell singing about a dance, seemingly off the top of his head. Elsewhere, you’ll find some classic Mixtapes songs like the elusive Even On The Worst Nights b-side, “Coffee Party,” and Ryan’s despised “Hey Baby,” which is near impossible to get through without laughing. Even as a big Mixtapes fan, there are a few great songs here that I’ve never heard, like “I Was A Teenage Poltergeist” and a cover of The Hold Steady’s “Your Little Hoodrat Friend.” The compilation ends with an utterly ridiculous, fifteen-minute freestyle.

You can download These Are Us here via Paper and Plastick.

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John Bazley

John Bazley was raised in central New Jersey by the romantic aura of the Asbury Park beachfront, punk rock, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. He is still trying to figure all of this stuff out.

In addition to UTG, John has contributed to Alternative Press and Full Frequency Media. Follow him on Twitter for pictures of his dog.

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