"i know i know i know" by Cloudbelly Is Out!

A year and a half in the making, I am unbelievably excited to share i know i know i know, the sophomore album by Indie-Folk/Chamber Pop band Cloudbelly, which I produced, played drums, and made some other wierd sounds on. It has been such an unbelievable joy playing with Cloudbelly and getting to help bring Corey’s incredible songs to life, and I could not be more excited for you to check them out. Give it a listen now, wherever you usually do your listening (but here are a few options)

Single No. 3 "Handfuls" From Cloudbelly, Out Now!

Thrilled to share “Handfuls,” the third single off the upcoming Cloudbelly record, i know, i know, i know. The track premiered on Under The Radar, and features some of my favorite moments on the whole record (especially the string arrangement by Reed Sutherland, performed by Cynthia Tolson). Give “Handfuls” a listen now, and swing back in on 2/23/24 to stream the full record!

Cloudbelly's Second Single "If You Want" Is Out Now!

Unbelievably excited to share “If You Want,” the second single off Cloudbelly’s upcoming LP i know i know i know (produced and featuring drums by your’s truly). Give it a listen now, and stay tuned for more Cloudbelly tunes coming soon!

"November" by Cloudbelly is Out Now // "i know, i know, i know" Drops 2/23/24

Thrilled the share “November,” the first single from MA-based indie-folk band Cloudbelly ahead of their full-length record i know i know i know, which drops in Feb, 2024. I produced and played drums on the record, and have since started working full time with the band, so stay tuned for lots more coming from this neck of the woods! And in the meantime, give “November” a virtual spin wherever you like to virtually spin your tracks (here are a few options).

“November” was:

-Written by Corey Laitman & Cloudbelly

-Produced by Nate Mondschein (aka Best Mann)

-Recorded by Andrew Oedel at Ghost Hit Recording, Nate Mondschein at Echo Base, and Reed Sutherland at The Barn

-Mixed by Andrew Oedel at Ghost Hit

-Mastered by Anni Casella

-Released by Strange Library Records

Echo Base Breaks // Dots (Vol. 1) Is Out Now!

Unreasonably excited to share my new drum pack, Echo Base Breaks // Dots (Vol. 1), which is available to buy now right here! The pack includes 81 unique beats, 50 fills, and 184 drum samples, and a whole bunch of bad title-puns, all in 5 distinct kit sounds. This was a wonderful chance for me to blur the lines between the producer and session drummer parts of my brain in the hopes of making something that could inspire some new ideas for other music makers out there. To that end, everything in this pack is royalty free, so do with it what you will! All I ask is that if you do end up using anything from the pack in something that you’re planning to release, toss a little shout-out or a credit my way! Word of mouth always goes a long way, and is always incredibly appreciated.

Without further ado, please enjoy Echo Base Breaks // Dots (Vol. 1)!

Top 11 Movies of 2022 (Plus A Few Honorable Mentions)

That time of year again! Was a very big fan of this movie year, with a couple big names still on the watchlist. But as it stands, here are my Top 11 Movies Of 2022 (Plus A Few Honorable Mentions):

11. Barbarian (dir. Zach Cregger)

10. Everything Everywhere All At Once (dir. The Daniels)

9. Fire of Love (dir. Sara Dosa)

8. Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)

7. Rothaniel (dir. Bo Burnham)

6. Tár (dir. Todd Field)

5. The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh)

4. RRR (dir. S.S. Rajamouli)

3. Decision To Leave (dir. Park Chan-wook)

2. Aftersun (dir. Charlotte Wells)

1. The Worst Person In The World (dir. Joachim Trier)

(Honorable Mentions): The Batman / Top Gun Maverick / Jackass Forever / Marcel The Shell With Shoes On / Glass Onion (A Knives Out Mystery) / Prey / After Yang / The Stranger / Cha Cha Real Smooth

(A Few Still On The Watchlist): The Woman King / Petite Maman / No Bears / Armageddon Time / Women Talking / Bones and All / Broker / Eo/ All The Beauty And The Bloodshed / Benediction / All Quiet On The Western Front

Plenty more movie ranting to come as we get into Oscar season, but if you’re morbidly curious to hear any more of my thoughts on the best and worst stuff from 2022, you can swing by my letterboxd or listen to BAOLIT

"All Costs" Is Out Now!

So unbelievably excited to share the lead (and title) single off the debut full-length album All Costs by the inimitable Wallace Field. The full album drops 3/27, so if you’re anything like me, that gives you approximately two-and-a-half months to listen to “All Costs” non-stop, which you can and should do at the link below:

Happy New Year From Best Mann!

Another year, another run of absolutely fantastic projects that I feel lucky to have worked on. Just an absurd, near embarrassing amount of gratitude to the artists and writers and producers and engineers and musicians who have been kind enough to pull me in on their projects, and to everyone who’s taken the time to check them out. Already a bunch of exciting 2023 things in the works that I’m itching to share about, so stay tuned for that, and if you haven’t yet, check out the playlist below for a few highlights from a highlight-ful year! 

New Release: "Cold Coffee" (Effee x 2Many Cooks)

Absolute ecstatic to share the latest single from the 2Many Cooks team, written with the absolutely incredible Effee! We’ve been sitting on this track for a minute, and are so excited to finally have it out in the world, so give it a listen or 900:

End Of Year Wrap-Up/2021 Releases

In the midst of a decidedly clusterfucky year, got the chance in 2021 to work on a number of incredible projects with incredible people. Swing by the playlist below if you want to check out some highlights!

New Single: "Doesn't Bother Me" Now Streaming Wherever You Stream

Very excited to share the newest single from the 2Many Cooks production team, “Doesn’t Bother Me.” Written by Spence and Matt, produced by the 2Many Cooks crew, mixed by yours truly, and mastered by Brian Lucey of Magic Garden Mastering. Swing by the link or the players below and give it a listen!

New Single: "Chasing Trouble" (feat. Henry Hall)

Could not be more excited to share the newest 2Many Cooks single: Chasing Trouble (featuring the one and only and absolutely astonishing Henry Hall on vocals)! This was the second track that Matt and Spencer and I worked on together in our proto 2Many Cooks incarnation, and the first we did entirely remotely. Could not be more thrilled about how it all came together (especially once Henry added his ungodly beautiful pipes to the track), and are even more stoked to share it with you now! You can check it out in all the usual places, a couple of which are here:

"Can't Let Go" - Streamable Wherever You Stream

2Many Cooks team is back with our second single, “Can’t Let Go.” The track (written by myself and Spencer Hattendorf and produced by 2Many Cooks) has roots all the way back in 2017, when we track an earlier version of it along with bass boss Reed Sutherland and guitarist extraordinaire Killian Karlsson @ Ghost Hit Recording (with Andrew Oedel running the board). The newest iteration of the tune (which was mixed by Spencer and mastered by Brian Lucey @ Magic Garden Mastering) is available now for your streaming pleasure via Spotify or wherever else to like to do your music listening.

"Can't Be Around You Anymore" -- Now Streaming

Incredibly excited to share the debut track from the 2Many Cooks production team, “Can’t Be Around You Anymore” (now streaming any and everywhere you do the streaming thing)! Written by myself and Spencer Hattendorf, produced by 2Many Cooks (Best Mann, Spencer H, and Matt Bernstein), mixed by yours truly @ Echo Base Production, and mastered by the always excellent Brian Lucey @ Magic Garden Mastering. Give it a spin, and if you like it, send it along to a friend or two!

"While You Wait," Out Now!

Incredibly excited to share “While You Wait,” the new Best Mann cover of the older Grizzly Bear single. This has been a personal fav for years, and putting together a new version of it was an absolute blast. In the spirit of social distancing, this was a fully in-house effort, all performed, tracked, produced, mixed, and mastered by your’s truly @ Echo Base Production. You can check it out on your favorite streaming service now!

Nate's End-of-the-Decade Lists

Which he’s finally getting around to posting 2 months into 2020

Top 11 Albums of the 2010s

11. A Seat At The Table - Solange

10. Aromanticism - Moses Sumney

9. CTRL - SZA

8. We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service - A Tribe Called Quest

7. E*Mo*Tion - Carly Rae Jepsen

6. Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

5. Repave - Volcano Choir

4. Black Messiah - D’angelo

3. 22, A Million - Bon Iver

2. good kid, m.A.A.d city - Kendrick Lamar

1. Carrie & Lowell - Sufjan Stevens

HM: To Pimp a Butterfly, Anti, 4, Bon Iver Bon Iver, DAMN, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Big Red Machine, Darkness and Light, Golden Hour, Hadestown, Acid Rap, Summertime ‘06, untitled unmasterd, Young Man In America, The 1975, Black Panther Soundtrack, Days Are Gone, 1989, Malibu, CARE FOR ME, Stranger In The Alps, Historian, Multi-Love, Sound & Color, El Mal Querer, Tell Me You Love Me

Top 11 Songs of the 2010s

11. “Quarrel” - Moses Sumney

10. “Run Away With Me” - Carly Rae Jepsen

9. “Motion Sickness” - Phoebe Bridgers

8. “Love It If We Made It” - The 1975

7. “Work” - Rihanna feat. Drake

6. “Latch” - Disclosure feat. Sam Smith

5. “715 - CR∑∑KS” - Bon Iver

4. “Love on Top” - Beyonce

3. "Dancing On My Own” (Body Talk Pt. 1 Version) - Robyn

2. Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst - Kendrick Lamar

1. The Charade - D’angelo

HM: Perth, PROM/KING, Borderline With My Atoms, Pusher Love Girl, The World Is Crowded, Tailor, Thinkin’ Bout You, Swim Until You Can’t See Land, Cranes In The Sky, Pillar of Truth, Style, Them Changes, Dis Generation, BREAKFAST CAN WAIT, Fever, It’s Not Living If It’s Not With You, Every Single Night, The Shrine/An Argument, Runaway

Top 11 Movies of the 2010s

11. Little Women

10. Inception

9. Minding the Gap

8. Parasite

7. The Master

6. The Social Network

5. Arrival

4. Her

3. Moonlight

2. Inside Llewyn Davis

1. Into the Spiderverse

HM: The Irishman, Logan, Edge of Tomorrow, Francis Ha, Coco, Moneyball, Burning, Roma, The Florida Project, Lady Bird, Creed, Infinity War, Toy Story 3, The Last Jedi, Captain America: Civil War, Skyfall, Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol, MI6: Fallout, Knives Out, Boyhood, The Lobster

Top 11 TV Shows of the 2010s (only counting seasons aired during the decade)

11. Veep

10. Big Mouth

9. Dark

8. Succession

7. Watchmen

6. Sherlock

5. Atlanta

4. Breaking Bad

3. Mad Men

2. Fleabag

1. The Leftovers

HM: Game of Thrones, The Americans, The Night Of, Archer, Key & Peele, Mindhunter, The Good Place, 30 Rock, Barry, Stranger Things, Parks and Rec, New Girl, Bojack Horseman, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Killing Eve, Insecure, Glow, Homecoming, Shameless, Queer Eye

A Few Non-Musical Lists from 2019, Because In Case You Haven't Noticed, Nate Likes Lists

11 Favorite Movies From 2019

full disclosure, this list has already changed pretty dramatically since the end of 2019, for all you list-sticklers out there.

11. Us

10. Ford Vs. Firrarri

9. Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood

8. The Last Black Man In San Francisco

7. Avengers: Endgame

6. Knives Out

5. Uncut Gems

4. Marriage Story

3. The Irishman

2. Little Women

1. Parasite

11 Favorite Seasons of TV From 2019

11. The Mandalorian

10. The Witcher

9. Undone

8. Mindhunter

7. Russian Doll

6. Euphoria

5. Big Mouth

4. Barry

3. Succession

2. Watchmen

1. Fleabag

15 Songs From 2019 That Nate Listened To A Lot & A Few That He Didn't But Really Loved Anyways

(In No Particular Order)

“You Had Your Soul With You” - The National

“Down Bad” - Dreamville feat. JID, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, Young Nudy

“Falling” - Harry Styles

“Breathe” - Backstreet Boys

“Nunya” - Kehlani

“Never Really Over “ - Katy Perry

“Cheating on You” - Charlie Puth

“Twenty-One” - Khalid

“Jelmore” - Bon Iver

“Basic” - Sigrid

“Jerome” - Lizzo

“Cheap Queen” - King Princess

“fuck, i'm lonely” - Lauv, Anne-Marie

“Fallingwater” - Maggie Rogers

“Harmony Hall” - Vampire Weekend

15 Albums From 2019 That Nate Really Liked, In An Order He Really Doesn't

15. DNA - Backstreet Boys

14. when we all fall asleep where do we go - Billie Eilish

13. While We Wait - Kehlani

12. Fine Line - Harry Styles

11. basking in the glow - Oso Oso

10. Ode to Joy - Wilco

09. Father of the Bride - Vampire Weekend

08. Free Spirit - Khalid

07. CASE STUDY 01 - Daniel Caesar

06. Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

05. Saves The World - MUNA

04. Sucker Punch - Sigrid

03. Heard It In A Past Life - Maggie Rogers

02. i,i - Bon Iver

01. Jaime - Brittany Howard

Some Other Albums From 2019 That Nate Also Really Liked:

-Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy!

-IGOR - Tyler, The Creator

-ANIMA - Thom Yorke

-How I’m Feeling - Lauv

-Hit The Back - King Princess

-Ventura - Anderson .Paak

-Norman Fucking Rockwell - Lana Del Rey

-Better Oblivion Community Board - Better Oblivion Community Board

-I Am Easy To Find - The National

-Assume Form - James Blake

-Crushing - Julia Jacklin

-Blood Harmony - Finneas

...AND THE SKY - Out Now!

Check it out.

We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.