The last time I posted about the Summer Mix Series I caught a little flak for being a champion of independent music but curating a site that gives music away for free. While it's tough to make an argument against that mentality I will offer these two mixes up as examples of why the site works as a champion for music, and not a champion for piracy:

• Chansons Pour La Vie: I. Prelude to Henry - Aaron put together an absolutely stunning blended mix of songs in tribute to his forthcoming son. Harry Belafonte, Pantha du Prince, Aphex Twin, Talk Talk, Nico Muhly and Don Henley have never existed in the same aural space together so perfectly.
• Repeat! Repeat! - a non-blended themed mix of songs that use a repetitive word or phrase in their title and choral hook. The strong theme presence here makes this less about the piracy of songs and more about the education of an effective hook, charming songwriting and appealing songs.

There are a load of great mixes popping up on the site and the heavier the theme, the more educational and insightful the compilation will be (hence my stress that the themes be more visible this year). Go educate yourself on MIDI Music, Scottish Indie Rock and Hip-Hop Origins while you're there.