Wintertime Monotheistic Themed Holidays!

If you're like me then you hear the words "Christmas" and "music" together and you cringe thinking about all the Bubles and Grobans who are going to make a bunch of undeserved cash rehashing boring done-to-death songs with no originality. In recent years, however, I have discovered some pretty amazing indie and alternative renditions of Christmas songs and holiday themed songs that I wanted to spend this month sharing with all of you!

Track 1 - "All I Want for Christmas is You" by My Chemical Romance
Everyone remembers the rowdy rendition of this song featured in the climax of Love Actually(yeah, i love that movie... so what?) My Chemical Romance pull this song off quite nicely.

Track 2 - "Candy Cane Children" by The White Stripes
I'm sure I've said it before, but Jack White can do no wrong.

Track 3 - "December is for Cynics" by The Matches
The Matches can always be counted on for fun songs.

Track 4 - "Believe in Me" by fun.
This is one of the first tracks released by fun two years ago.

Track 5 - "Little Drummer Boy" by The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols completely made this classic their own.

Track 6 - "Christmas Party (featuring Nicole Sheahan)" by The Walkmen
The way this song is half narrated and half sung reminds me of those old Peanuts Christmas specials(which are fantastic).

Track 7 - "Xmas Cake" by Rilo Kiley
A somber introspective Christmas song from the always-wonderful Rilo Kiley.

Track 8 - "In This Home on Ice" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
CYHSY fought their way into my heart with their bubbly, melodic noise-pop sound.

Track 9 - "All That I Want" by The Weepies
The Weepies are comprised of a husband and wife which makes all the romantic overtones so much sweeter. This isn't unrequited love or lost love; these two have found each other.

Track 10 - "When I Get Home for Christmas" by Snow Patrol
This is a cheery song about a couple who are struggling through a recent infidelity during the holidays.

Track 11 - "It's Christmas So We'll Stop" by Frightened Rabbit
A song about the duplicitous nature of pretending to be good people once a year then falling right back into our old routines.

Track 12 - "Sister Winter" by Sufjan Stevens
Nobody has quite mastered holiday songs like Sufjan Stevens. Between 2001 and 2006 he made five Christmas EPs for friends and family and later released all the EPs as a box set. He has his own versions of classic carols as well as original music that fits the theme so I have included this original track as well as a cover as the finale of this mix.

Track 13 - "Christmas(Baby Please Come Home)" by Death Cab For Cutie
What can I say? Benjamin Gibbard is always charming.

Track 14 - "12.23.95" by Jimmy Eat World
This has actually been a Christmas staple of mine since high school from my favorite Jimmy Eat World album, "Clarity".

Track 15 - "The First Song" by Band of Horses
Really weird lyrics in this song... But I swear it's Christmas themed.

Track 16 - "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Pedro the Lion
Pedro the Lion is the moniker under which singer-songwriter David Bazan performs. His songs are often about his problems with religion and his ex-wife. You can hear the sardonic tone that this song is steeped in.

Track 17 - "Holly Jolly Christmas" by The Format
In stark contrast to the previous song this Format rendition of "Holly Jolly Christmas" is as sincere as they come.

Track 18 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Bright Eyes
Bright Eyes released a Christmas album and this is my favorite song from it.

Track 19 - "Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas" by Okkervil River
One of my first concerts(other than the all-ages punk shows I frequented in my youth) was an Azure Ray show at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. The Elected and Okkervil River opened that show and one was terrible and the other was amazing respectively.

Track 20 - "Come Thou Fount of Ever Blessing" by Sufjan Stevens
I am completely blown away by this track. It brings me to the brink of tears every time I hear it. Sufjan sings with such emotion and soul and the twang of his banjo is the perfect accompaniment.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! Eat, drink, give, love and be merry!

The Murder Mix

I have been trying to put more metal and rap into my mixes and this month we explore a common theme between the two genres. I am joined by my good friend, John Pingel this month who is a true metalhead and has made all of the metal selections for this mix. I know this month's entry might not be everyone's favorite but you can thank John and me the next time you have a really shit day and start blasting this mix in your car.

Track 1 - "Murmaider" by Dethklok
For those who don't know Dethklok is the fictional band from the Adult Swim show, "Metalocalypse" which is made up of real metal superstars like Gene Hoglan from Strapping Young Lad and Fear Factory.
"Basically almost every song by Dethklok is about murdering/dying. This could be the best one." -John


Track 2 - "Southern Takeover" by Chamillionaire
One of the rare Chamillionaire tracks that isn't about pickin' up ladies at the club.

Track 3 - "Kill You" by Eminem
A very telling Eminem song that I hold among his best work.

Track 4 - "Cannibal" by Static X
"An upbeat tune written by Wayne Static about finding out someone you know is a Cannibal. ENJOY!" -John


Track 5 - "Natural Born Killaz (feat. Ice Cube)" by Dr. Dre
Dre is pretty much the authority on rap songs about murder (and weed). This is a truly classic track that still creeps me out.


Track 6 - "Suspended by the Throat" by Job for a Cowboy
"Yeah, you won't be able to understand what he's saying. Trust me though, it's about murder." -John

Track 7 - "Get it on the Floor (feat. Swizz Beatz)" by DMX
There was a stretch of time in the early 00's where DMX was pretty much the uncontested king of hardcore rap.


Track 8 - "Bring the Pain" by Mindless Self Indulgence
I would've used the original version of this song by Method Man but I actually like MSI's take on it way more. They put a lot of deserved edge on these dark lyrics. Mindless Self Indulgence can be pretty hard to listen to sometimes but tracks like this remind me why I wade through their unlistenable stuff. Also MSI usually has really amazing fan-made music videos like the one below.


Track 9 - "China White II" by He Is Legend
"One of my favorite bands that more people should know about, but sadly don't. The second in a series of songs about a crazy gardener. Probably the best out of the three, and the darkest by far." -John

Track 10 - "Ante Up" by M.O.P.
Mash Out Posse definitely peaked on this song. Great beats, amazing lyrics. I really wanted to see more stuff like this from them.


Track 11 - "A Call for Blood" by Hatebreed
"A song about a child abuser getting what's coming to them. One of my favorite Hatebreed songs." -John

Track 12 - "Murder Was the Case" by Snoop Dogg
This song isn't even really about murder. It's about attempted murder after which Snoop sold his soul to the devil for success.


Track 13 - "0-0 (Where Evil Dwells)" by Fear Factory
"A song about Ricky Kasso, a boy who killed his friend in Long Island in 1984. This is a cover of the song originally done by Wiseblood." -John

Track 14 - "One Eight Seven (feat. Snoop Dogg)" by Dr. Dre
A great song about civil disobedience.

Track 15 - "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria
"I'm a huge Coheed fan, and this entire album is amazing. This song really is about murder if you look at the lyrics. A hurt lover out for the worst kind of revenge." -John


Track 16 - "How I Could Just Kill a Man" by Rage Against the Machine
I feel the same way about this cover that I do about "Bring the Pain". This song was written when Cypress Hill were just starting out so it lacks the flair and production of their later albums whereas Zack de la Rocha delivering the vocals over Tom Morello's guitar is exactly what this song needed.


Track 17 - "Stigmurder" by Chimaira
"Off of (in my opinion) Chimaira's best album, "The Impossibility of Reason". Just an insane song, about insane thoughts." -John

Track 18 - "Murder of a Teenage Life" by Mos Def
Mos Def's reaction to unnecessary violence in the ghetto.

I would like to thank John for his contribution to this mix and you should all go listen to his podcast at Reasons for Termination

Waiting...

How apt that I am roughly a week late with this month's mix. The theme we are exploring this time is waiting; whether time does it for no man you can bet that good things come to him should he consider the practice. Whether it is for your ship to come in, the other shoe to drop or simply the moment it is something we all will spend too much of our lives doing. They say that some accidents simply wait to happen and some fool even made a game out of it but I will simply wait to see what you think of this month's mix.

Track 1 - "We Are Young" by Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
This is the first release from Fun.'s upcoming sophomore album which is supposed to be released early next year. I don't know about you but based on this song - as well as the fact that I would follow Nate Ruess off a cliff - I cannot wait for the new album's release!


Track 2 - "Crawl" by Two Tongues
Two Tongues is a group comprising of Max Bemis of Say Anything and Chris Conley of Saves the Day (two of my favorite bands!). The two gave their first live performance while the two bands were touring together as a complete surprise to the crowd. I could not be happier with the result of their collaborations.

Track 3 - "Wait, Wait, Wait" by The Format
The first time I listened to "Interventions and Lullabies", the album that this track appears on, I was underwhelmed by this song. I don't remember what my mindset was but I think I wanted all of their songs to sound like "On Your Porch". Since then, however, it has become one of my most beloved Format songs.

Track 4 - "Mushaboom" by Feist
Leslie Feist was once a member of the canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene before finding success as a solo artist. This song is so bubbly and fun it's downright infectious.


Track 5 - "Apartment Story" by The National
The National have a unique style mainly due to the baritone of their lead singer Matt Berninger. Um... I like them a lot, don't know what else to say really.


Track 6 - "Today" by The Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan wrote this song after breaking off his long term relationship with Courtney Love (much to the chagrim of her "songwriting" career). He was working dead end jobs and living on couches and floors of friends. The song is supposedly his unrealized suicide note. Having said that I am in love with how personal he is with his fans. He leaves nothing of himself out of his music.


Track 7 - "Worth the Wait" by We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists are from Pomona College where my friend, Eric attended. He told me that they would play shows at the college constantly and I promptly informed him how deep my burning jealousy ran.

Track 8 - "Ottoman" by Vampire Weekend
Can someone tell me why not one but TWO Vampire Weekend songs contain the phrase "it feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel too"? Anyways I love this song which was I believe written for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (which you should watch anytime you want to remember what a crush feels like).


Track 9 - "Rome" by Phoenix
For a band that usually writes lyrics equivalent to a random stream of consciousness or simply nonsense this song is particularly tragic.


Track 10 - "We Used to Wait" by Arcade Fire
Win Butler's words ring true to me. There is a lot more charm in the lack of technology. I remember when I used to wonder what people spent their days doing before Facebook ruined all the mystique.

Track 11 - "The Waiting Game" by Broken Bells
I sincerely hope that James Mercer and Danger Mouse release another album together because their first was amazing.

Track 12 - "I'll Believe in Anything" by Wolf Parade
It's sad that Wolf Parade might never record another album. After their expo 86 tour they announced an indefinite hiatus. It's rare to see such an earnest and talented indie pop group.


Track 13 - "Pioneer to the Falls" by Interpol
This band bores my dear sister, Rachael. I'm sorry for this song's inclusion Sissles but I really appreciate their subtle brooding sound.

Track 14 - "Waiting for the 7:18" by Bloc Party
Actually I appear to have struck a section of bands that Rachael does not particularly care for. I swear I didn't do this on purpose! Bloc Party is at once soothingly mellow and childishly energetic. I have no idea how they achieve this juxtaposition but it is delightful.

Track 15 - "Can You Tell" by Ra Ra Riot
I started listening to Ra Ra Riot after falling for Discovery which is the collaboration of Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij and Wesley Miles who is the singer from Ra Ra Riot. This song was actually covered by the duo but I much prefer the Ra Ra Riot version. One thing I especially appreciate about Ra Ra Riot is their string section consisting of a cello and violin.


Track 16 - "The Funeral" by Band of Horses
At this point you know all about my love of Band of Horses. This song evokes very powerful emotions in my heart-guts.


Track 17 - "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes
This song is from the sophomore album from Seattle-based anti-folk greats, Fleet Foxes which came out earlier this year.

Track 18 - "Maps(acoustic)" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I think Karen O's impressive vocal range is demonstrated in this stripped-bare version of the song. More and more I am convinced that she is a musical genius and I am looking forward to her contributions to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"'s soundtrack.


Track 19 - "Leave" by The Swell Season
The Swell Season is comprised of Glen Hansard from The Frames and Czech pianist/songwriter Markéta Irglová. If you saw the movie "Once" then you would recognize these two as the leads.


I hope you all enjoy this collection of songs. I have many more fun mixes planned for the coming months!

Girls & Boys

This month's mix is about the idiosyncrasies that differentiate the two primary genders of our populous. Some of the observations made in these songs are oversimplifications, but they are all based in truth or at least extremely funny. I know today is not the first of the month and I apologize for that, but I was putting the final touches on this and generally spacing out.

Track 1 - "Hey Now Girl" by Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is Jason Schwartzman's first band in which he played drums until moving on to his current solo project, Coconut Records. The lead singer is also the bully from "Donnie Darko". They are poppy and fun and you probably know them as "that band that made the theme song for the O.C."(don't call it that). This song is about a particularly dangerous breed of female... the seventeen-year-old.


Track 2 - "Foreign Language" by Anberlin
The opening verse of this song really tells you all you need to know about it's message.

Track 3 - "This Ain't a Scene It's an Arms Race (Kanye West remix)" by Fall Out Boy
You've probably heard this song before but if you haven't heard the Kanye West remix then you are missing out (until now!) (i'm pretty sure my main purpose is not to play you songs you've never heard before anyway, this song just REALLY works on this mix.)

Track 4 - "Friday Night" by Girl Talk
I've been trying to work a Girl Talk song into one of this mixes since the inception of this blog and I finally found one that was not only perfect for the theme (on so many levels) but I think it flows pretty well (let me know your thoughts on that outlandish claim). If you don't know who Girl Talk is he's a mash-up artist by the name of Gregg Gillis. From what I understand of his career he has been sampling popular music and making mash-ups since high school and throughout his college years and then found enough recognition to make it his full-time job. His last three albums have been one cohesive track with track breaks only to make the album easier to navigate. (also all three of these albums are SPECTACULAR: "Night Ripper", "Feed the Animals", and "All Day")

Track 5 - "Blame it on the Girls" by Mika
I know I shouldn't like Mika, but he's just so damn catchy.


Track 6 - "Bad Education" by Tilly and the Wall
This delightful indie group from Omaha features a tap dancer in lieu of a drummer which creates a really original sound.

Track 7 - "Girls and Boys" by Blur
This is one of the songs that made me want to create this mix. This is one of my favorite songs by one of the best bands of the 90's.


Track 8 - "Lola" by The Raincoats
This song was suggested by my good friend, Steven. I think this version by the Raincoats is much more charming than the original by the Kinks and I definitely wouldn't have thought of this one for the mix independently but it's so perfect.

Track 9 - "Technicolor Girls" by Death Cab For Cutie
This song is from my second favorite Death Cab release, Forbidden Love E.P. It's a charming song about the simplicities of childhood.

Track 10 - "Drunk Girls" by LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy is a musical and songwriting genius. His songs are so often deeply insightful and extremely danceable, an unlikely combination.


Track 11 - "All the Pretty Girls Go to the City" by Spoon
I've been to cities before... It's entirely accurate.

Track 12 - "Boys" by Ryan Adams
This demonstrates one of the reasons I love Ryan Adams: he is as romantic as I am.

Track 13 - "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" by Panic! at the Disco
I challenge you to find the bitterness in this song... Did you find it?


Track 14 - "Post Modern Girls" by The Strokes & Regina Spektor
This song was made when Julian Casablancas and Regina were dating and it's a shame they didn't end things amicably because this song is amazing.

Track 15 - "Boys Better" by The Dandy Warhols
I first heard this wonderful Dandy Warhols song in the movie "Good Will Hunting" (if you don't like this movie then you are dead inside)


Track 16 - "Girls Like You" by The Naked and Famous
I love the warning given in these lyrics: "Don't you know people write songs about girls like you." This song is ultimately about a girl who isn't fooling anyone.


Track 17 - "Walking the Dog II" by Fun.
This is an alternate version of one of the best tracks from Fun.'s debut album, "Aim and Ignite". You all know about my love of Nate Ruess so when I remembered that this song had an homage to Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" onto the mix it went.

Track 18 - "Dance Anthem of the 80's" by Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor is an accomplished songwriter and composer and this song is a great showcase of those talents. The breakdown in the latter half is what endears this song to me, especially the part where she soulfully exclaims:
"It's been a long time since before I've been touched/ Now I'm getting touched all the time/ And it's only a matter of whom/ And it's only a matter of why"


Track 19 - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Greg Laswell
It makes me laugh every time I think about this ultra moody rendition of Cyndi Lauper's bubbly pop song.

Track 20 - "How to Be Perfect Men" by Songs:Ohia
This song was suggested by my lovely sister, Rachael. I fell for this song almost immediately and have gone hunting for everything by Jason Molina, the mastermind behind this song.

Track 21 - "Boys Don't Cry" by Grant-Lee Phillips
Don't get me wrong, I love the Cure but I like this cover of the track because it's so bare. I feel like it wraps up the mix better.

What's In a Name?

I know this post is a few days late but I didn't want to post it until I had finished the artwork and August really snuck up on me... This month is dedicated to the ladies that inspire great music. Not all of these are flattering representations of the respective name but on more than one occasion I could have sworn the song was written about someone I know and I hope you have similar realizations. This month's theme and the idea for the artwork were both from the mind of my sister, Rachael.

Track 1 - "Every Man Has a Molly" by Say Anything
This song epitomizes the mix to me. These songwriters were bold enough to name names and probably paid the price in friendships... or rough sex...

Track 2 - "Holly Hox Forget Me Nots" by Saves the Day
As with many songs by Saves the Day this one is rife with metaphor.

Track 3 - "Sailor Song" by Regina Spektor
Regina telling it like it is. Or was... in World War II or whatever.

Track 4 - "Jackie Big Tits" by The Kooks
I doubt anyone will have a person that this song reminds them of, but it's a really good song.

Track 5 - "Golly Sandra" by Eisley
I remember my old housemate Megan first introducing me to Eisley. They are a very lovely band.

Track 6 - "Daria" by Cake
This is admittedly a really weird song but it is so damn catchy!

Track 7 - "Roxanne" by The Police
If you haven't heard my wordless rendition of Roxanne on Rock Band then you really haven't lived. Hopefully this song doesn't remind you of anyone...



Track 8 - "Laura" by Mates of State
This is from Mates of State's covers album, "Crushes". Their rendition of the Girls song makes me well up a little though it doesn't apply to anyone I've known with that name.

Track 9 - "Back Stabbin' Betty" by Cage the Elephant
A song about an abusive, ungrateful woman. I hate seeing verbally abusive wives.

Track 10 - "Sweet Marie" by The Anniversary
I only got to see The Anniversary once before their untimely break-up but it was an amazing show. I mean, of course I like them. They have that winning combination of guy singer and girl singer harmonizing.


Track 11 - "Margie" by Heathers
My sister Rachael introduced me to this duo from Ireland. This is their song about a friend who can't keep a secret. This song is also what we refer to as a Twofer.


Track 12 - "Adelaide" by Anberlin
A song about getting strung along by a girl who needs a comforting pair of arms and doesn't care who's attached to them.

Track 13 - "Eryn Smith" by The Matches
This band started as 'The Locals' and my friend, Robert told me about them. They are a local Bay Area band. I like their blend of hip-hop sensibilities and pop-punk ensemble.

Track 14 - "Xavia" by The Submarines
A clever and talented duo from Boston. You might remember this song from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. (GREAT movie!)

Track 15 - "Cath..." by Death Cab For Cutie
This song is tragic. It's about a woman who is unable to love.


Track 16 - "Leslie Ann Levine" by The Decemberists
This haunting song is the tale of a baby born prematurely into a ditch whose ghost haunts a 17th century town. The Decemberists are really good at writing creepy, intricate stories into their songs.

Track 17 - "Hannah Hold On" by The Get Up Kids
I think this song is about a relationship that ended before either party got to see what could have been.

Track 18 - "Astair" by Matt Costa
A song about not knowing why someone is leaving.


Track 19 - "For Emma" by Bon Iver
Justin Vernon is an amazing singer and songwriter. There actually aren't any Bon Iver songs I don't like.


Track 20 - "To Sheila" by The Smashing Pumpkins
This is one of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs from my favorite Smashing Pumpkins album. I love how stripped bare the song sounds yet Billy Corgan's poetry carries the piece.

Track 21 - "Nora" by The Long Winters
I had to choose between this song and "Mimi" (because we all know how good I am about not choosing two songs by the same band for the same mix) but since "Mimi" has complete silly-nonsense lyrics and Nora is my little sister's name I went with this song.

Track 22 - "For Annabelle" by Band of Horses
Band of Horses have, in the last year or so, climbed from "these guys are pretty darn good" to "top 5 favorite bands!"

Sex Mix

This month’s theme came to me when I realized that three artists that I listen to have written the same song about copulating in a cold car with varying degrees of eloquence and descriptiveness: Death Cab For Cutie’s “We Looked Like Giants”, Jimmy Eat World’s “Night Drive” and Deftones’s “Passenger” (Only one of these songs ended up making the cuts on this mix because the other two were just inferior versions of the former). I then thought it would be interesting to gather all the songs I enjoy that are basically about that one physical act and compare how each artist approaches the subject and how cute, sexy or creepy the result is. I’ve also devised a fun game to play with this mix: Always keep it playing in your car and don’t explain it to the people who ride with you until they are super creeped out by the obvious motif.

I’m going to have to postpone the announcement of the giveaway winner.

Track 1 – “I Just Had Sex” by The Lonely Island featuring Akon
The Lonely Island are a very funny group of people (especially Jorma). Steven and I were talking about this song the other day (mainly because neither one of us could get it out of our heads) and we both agreed that the tone of this song is really adorable. It’s not aggressive or objectifying just very sweet.


Track 2 – “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent featuring Olivia
I have a hard time not laughing whenever I hear this song. It’s just so uncomfortably graphic. Those are some serious metaphors.


Track 3 – “Alive With the Glory of Love” by Say Anything
This song starts out sounding like your typical love song until it mentions “boot-stomped meadows” when you realize that it is a holocaust love song. It endeared it to me much more once I realized that. The song is a tribute to the lead singer’s grandparents who were survivors.


Track 4 – “Ignition (remix)” by R. Kelly
Though it is harder to enjoy R. Kelly’s smooth R&B since his little urinary mishap I still love this song.


Track 5 – “Sex On Fire” by Kings of Leon
Lately Beyoncé has been closing her concerts with a cover of this song. It is a whole hell of a lot sexier to hear her sing this than KoL(sorry guys) but try as I might I could not find a copy of her version to share with you(it’s on youtube if you want to watch it, but the links are always changing because someone litigious is taking down all the videos from her concerts.)


Track 6 – “Smack That” by Akon featuring Eminem
It’s weird to remember that Akon used to write songs and feature other hip-hop and r&b artists instead of just being featured on everyone else’s songs. Either way though he rules.


Track 7 – “Clothes Off!” by Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes are quick tongued and great at working samples into their tracks and this spoof of “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off to Have a Good Time” demonstrates both.


Track 8 – “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
I couldn’t resist putting this song on. The mix would simply not be complete without the sexiest song ever written.


Track 9 –“Very Busy People” by The Limousines
I have mentioned this song before but luckily never used it for a previous mix. Listening to this song kinda skeeves me out because I feel like they really meta’d our entire generation (especially me with the bit about staying up late making mix tapes.)


Track 10 – “My Love is Like… Wo” by Mya
This song was suggested by my friend Wesley. He played me the video and I agreed that it needed to be on this album. I love how confident Mya is in this song. Nothing is sexier than empowered women (I’m going to get slapped for that comment.)


Track 11 – “Fuck You” by Garfunkel and Oates
Garfunkel and Oates are a comedy duo consisting of Kate Micucci (who you might know from Bored to Death, Raising Hope or Scrubs) and Riki Lindholme (who I always remember as the car model with the eating disorder in Pushing Daisies). They write very honest and hilarious songs about relationships and friends.


Track 12 – “Caress Me Down” by Sublime
Almost every Sublime song has some suggestive content but none more so than this one. This is another track that I have a really hard time not laughing during.

Track 13 – “Rude Boy” by Rihanna
I have always admired the aggressive tone of this song. Rihanna is very comfortable being direct with her sexuality (as evidenced by her later singles such as “S&M”.)


Track 14 – “Portions for Foxes” by Rilo Kiley
When Jenny Lewis whispers “There’s a pretty young thing in front of you/ and she’s real pretty and she’s real into you/ and then she’s sleeping inside of you” and then proceeds to breathe heavily into the microphone I find it quite difficult to maintain composure…


Track 15 – “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones
When my mom used to listen to this song around me she would make a point of telling me that it was not an appropriate song for children. It’s ironic because if she hadn’t said anything I don’t think I would have gleaned what the lyrics were implying until I was old enough for it to be okay.

Track 16 – “Tired of Sex” by Weezer
There will always be a very special place in my heart for every song from “Pinkerton”, Weezer’s sophomore album.

Track 17 – “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men
Yet another song that I could not rightly leave off this compilation.


Track 18 – “Business Time” by Flight of the Conchords
Jermaine’s delivery makes this song unbelievably funny.


Track 19 – “We Looked Like Giants” by Death Cab For Cutie
Ben Gibbard is such a masterful wordsmith that I couldn’t put the Deftones or Jimmy Eat World versions of this song on the mix. Death Cab’s version is just so much more elegant. Ben makes a song about hooking up in a car sound like the greatest love story ever told. His handling of certain details is also just a lot classier than Jimmy Eat World and Deftones. To compare:
“And together there in a shroud of frost the mountain air began to pass through every pane of weathered glass and I held you closer than anyone would ever guess.” – Death Cab For Cutie
“Come alive on the driver’s side, so close I taste your breath. Your lips go dry, but there's a sweet inside. Wine must go right to your head.” – Jimmy Eat World
“Roll the windows down this cool night air is curious. Let the whole world look in, who cares who sees anything. I’m your passenger.” – Deftones

Track 20 – “Me vs. Madonna vs. Elvis” by Brand New
This song has always had a really sinister tone to me. The lyrics intrigue me the way “Tiny Vessels” by Death Cab For Cutie does. It makes me sad to think about the author of the song actually feeling this way but the song exists because the songwriter understands that their behavior is reprehensible.

Playing Games

This month’s mix is about the games we all play in relationships… and the ones we play with dice, cards and pewter or wood pieces.



This month is the anniversary of this blog and to commemorate that fact I have a couple surprises. I have decided to make the whole affair a little more professional by drawing art for each mix starting this month. The mixes you receive from me will have labels and liner notes. Also I would love to hear from some of you wonderful people so if you leave me a comment telling me your favorite song by your favorite artist then you will be eligible to be randomly selected as the lucky person who will receive a copy of every mix I have made thus far with hand-drawn illustrations for each album. I know that question is a little loaded and our favorites change all the time, but give it a shot.

Track 1 – “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi
I decided to do Barney Stinson proud by starting the mix with this fun track. For a long time I resented Bon Jovi because for the brief period that I watched MTV I had to watch the video for “It’s My Life” approximately eight times a day. This song and “Living on a Prayer” make up for that atrocious one though.


Track 2 – “Jilted Lovers” by The Naked and Famous
This is one of the songs that prompted me to make this mix. The Naked and Famous have a very original style blending thrashing guitars with subtle, sweet vocals.

Track 3 – “Quit Playing Games(With My Heart)” by Backstreet Boys
When we were originally brainstorming for this month’s song selection Rachael immediately demanded that this song be included. I gotta say, BSB really nailed this theme.


Track 4 – “Skip the Charades” by Cold War Kids
This song really encompasses what I wanted to say with this collection of songs. It also happens to be one of my favorite songs by Cold War Kids.


Track 5 – “Sunshine” by Mos Def
Something about the sampling on this song and the clever, sharp lyrics really makes me love it.

Track 6 – “Try Honesty” by Billy Talent
This was the first song I ever heard from Billy Talent and it completely won me over. Once again I would like to thank my good friend, Robert for introducing me to this band. Their youthful energy and fantastic guitars are one of a kind.
Video

Track 7 – “Games for Days” by Julian Plenti
Julian Plenti is the solo project of Interpol’s Paul Banks. You might have already been able to hear that in his music. I feel like Paul Banks deserves to be on that list with Jack White, Ben Gibbard and Nate Ruess of artists that can do no wrong.


Track 8 – “Helena Beat” by Foster the People
Foster the People released their very first single, “Pumped Up Kicks” last year and ever since I have been patiently waiting for a full length album from this staggering band. So far they only have an EP but it is pure gold.


Track 9 –“Rococo” by Arcade Fire
This song is one of my favorites from Arcade Fire’s Grammy Winning* album, “The Suburbs”.
*Usually I don’t care about the Grammy’s at all because they are so frequently wrong, but it was so great to see Arcade Fire get the recognition they deserve.


Track 10 – “To Kingdom Come” by Passion Pit
I am tingling with anticipation for Passion Pit’s sophomore effort. They are one of those bands where the biggest problem is they don’t have enough music for me to love.


Track 11 – “My Slumbering Heart” by Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley was formed by two child stars: Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett (you might remember Blake as “Joey the Rat” in Boy Meets World. I know I do). They really paved the foundation of today’s great indie rock.

Track 12 – “Bad Priestess” by The Mountain Goats
Rachael texted me in the middle of the night when she realized how perfect this song would be on this mix. I very much agree with her and am growing quite fond of this cute little track.

Track 13 – “Feel It in My Bones” by Tiesto featuring Tegan and Sara
Tiesto is a great DJ that I had the good fortune of seeing at Coachella the one year I went. Also it never hurts to have Tegan and Sara sing the vocals on your song.


Track 14 – “Every Breath You Take” by The Police
My friend Wesley and I were having a discussion the other day about how lucky the other two members of The Police were to have Sting in their band. Sting is the coolest.


Track 15 – “Rise” by Saves the Day
I grew up on Saves the Day in this pretty spectacular way. They have always been exactly what I needed them to be. When I was a freshman in high school and needed them to be a pop-punk band they obliged and as my taste in music matured (shhhh. It did!) so did they. There are so many memories tied to Saves the Day songs in my mind.

Track 16 – “If I Ever Feel Better” by Phoenix
Listening to older Phoenix songs is a jarring experience for me now because the lyrics aren’t silly nonsense. I forgot that their songs used to make sense.


Track 17 – “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers
Brandon Flowers has almost completely undone the work he did making The Killers’ first album, “Hot Fuss” one of the most perfect debut albums from a band. Every subsequent release from them has been increasingly disappointing.


Track 18 – “I’ll Try Anything Once” by The Strokes
This alternate version of “You Only Live Once” exceeds the original in my opinion. I love the somber tone of it and the subtle lyrical changes.

Track 19 – “Blame Game” by Kanye West featuring John Legend
This song hits a lot of my musical weaknesses. Cello and Piano laid over Aphex Twin’s electronic beats and Kanye’s usual clever wit.

I hope that you all have enjoyed this past year of mixes as much as I have enjoyed making them. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon!

May's Mix: The Drugs

For this month's mix I scoured my favorite music to find all the drug references I could (drugs certainly influence a lot of popular music). There were classics left off this mix in the interest of introducing new stuff to you wonderful people. In conclusion, don't do drugs (hi Mom!)

Track 1 - "Dog Problems" by The Format
This song has the winning combo of clever tempo changes and Nate Ruess's voice.


Track 2 - "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance
Almost all of MCR's songs are about drugs so I just picked one I liked a lot.
Video

Track 3 - "Saint Veronika" by Billy Talent
My friend, Robert first introduced me to this amazing band in senior year of high school and I find myself binging on their albums periodically. They did something really cool for their newest album by making the second disc of the deluxe version contain the entire album without guitar tracks so you can play along (if you are so inclined).


Track 4 - "Your Love is My Drug" by Ke$ha
I couldn't resist...


Track 5 - "Love is a Drug" by New Politics
I think it's funny that this song has the same metaphor as Ke$ha's but it isn't portrayed as a good thing like it is in her song.

Track 6 - "That Time" by Regina Spektor
One of Regina's cutest songs in my opinion.


Track 7 - "Say It 'Aint So" by Weezer
Remember when Weezer wrote awesome songs? I try to think of new Weezer as a different band because they obviously forgot how to be good.


Track 8 - "Thug is a Drug" by Mos Def
I was excited to find a Mos Def song that applied to this mix.

Track 9 - "Blister in the Sun" by Violent Femmes
My awesome sister Rachael pointed out that this song should be on here.


Track 10 - "Drug Ballad" by Eminem
A very fitting classic Eminem song for everybody.

Track 11 - "Marijuana" by Kid CuDi
I had my pick of a lot of Kid CuDi songs but I decided to go with the most obvious one for laughs.

Track 12 - "At the Bottom" by Brand New
Rachael and I have different opinions of when this band peaked (for me it was on "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me" and for her it was "Deja Entendu") but it was definitely before the album that this song is from, though I do like this song.


Track 13 - "White Light/White Heat" by The Velvet Underground
My friend Steven insisted that this song be on here. We had the choice of original or Bowie cover but stuck with the original.

Track 14 - "Heroine" by Blonde Redhead
I would say I have to be in a certain mood to listen to Blonde Redhead, but every time I hear one of their songs I am instantly in the mood for more.

Track 15 - "The Way We Get By" by Spoon
I absolutely adore this song and it's just a lucky coincidence that it fits perfectly on this mix.

Track 16 - "Waiting for the Next Drug" by the 88
Here's a funny little tidbit. The lead singer of this band wrote and performed the theme song for Community(GREAT show).

Track 17 - "The Medication is Wearing Off" by Eels
This song really takes me back.

Track 18 - "Palmcorder Yajna" by The Mountain Goats
This song was another suggestion by Rachael. She says that to see John Darnielle perform this in concert is quite a spectacle. The way he sings it live conveys just how important each word is to him.


Track 19 - "St. Ide's Heaven" by Elliott Smith
This is one of my absolute favorite Elliott Smith songs.

April's Mix: Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

This month I have finally delivered the frequently requested, long promised hip-hop mix. Now any hip-hop purists that are reading this (since I don’t know any I doubt there are any who have stumbled upon my page, but if you’re out there, let’s go get drinks sometime) should know that I enjoy FUN rap and hip-hop almost as much as I enjoy GOOD hip-hop, so that will be adequately represented on this month’s installation. I hope you all enjoy ghetto-blasting this mix out of your hoopties.

Track 1 – “This Means You” by Reflection Eternal featuring Mos Def
Reflection Eternal is a duo composed of Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. Kweli and Mos Def are definitely the reason I started listening to hip-hop. Discovering them in high school really changed my perceptions about the genre. They both have amazing solo careers but I like their collaborations most.

Track 2 – “All of the Lights” by Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid CuDi
Kanye is a great songwriter and when he’s not auto-tuning his voice I tend to like everything he does. He really straddles that line between fun and genuinely good. In this track he followed that magical formula for making a fantastic track: feature Rihanna in it.


Track 3 – “Low” by Flo-Rida featuring T-Pain
I remember driving cross country with my friend Steven and we could not get this song out of our collective heads but we couldn’t for the life of us remember the title. When we used a lifeline, and called his girlfriend to find out, we felt like idiots when she told us the name of the song…


Track 4 – “Lapdance” by N.E.R.D. featuring Lee Harvey and Vita
Pharrell and Chad Hugo are an unstoppable duo. Pharrell’s solo stuff is good but when working with Hugo on either N.E.R.D. or on their production team The Neptunes he really manufactures his best work.


Track 5 – “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid CuDi featuring MGMT and Ratatat
The real lesson here is when Ratatat is working the beats and MGMT handles the chorus you actually can’t go wrong. What a dream team! Kid CuDi is one of my favorite hip-hop artists and, though this happens to be my favorite song of his, he really needs no help from MGMT or Ratatat to be awesome.


Track 6 – “It Wasn’t Us” by Ludacris and I-20
Ludacris is about as gangsta as I get with my taste. This track was produced by The Neptunes and you can really tell by the beats.

Track 7 – “What’s Golden” by Jurassic 5
Doesn’t this song take you way back to 2003? It does for me, but Jurassic 5 are no less amazing today than they were then. I really wish more hip-hop artists were trying to break the mold like these guys. Good beats, good rhymes, and no ego.


Track 8 – “The Rooster” by OutKast
Andre 3000 and Big Boi are such a fantastic team. Their songs are frequently as funny as they are catchy. Also anyone who hasn’t seen their movie, Idlewild should.

Track 9 – “Drivin’ Me Wild” by Common featuring Lily Allen
You can always count on Common to write empowering lyrics for women. One of the things I really like about him is how positive his lyrics are.


Track 10 – “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and Goon Rock
Ever since my friend Tim introduced this song to me a few weeks ago it has been completely lodged in my cerebellum. It prompted me to check out LMFAO’s other work and it’s all as good as this song. Also if anyone buys me an “Every Day I’m Shuffling” shirt we will be friends forever.


Track 11 – “Whatever You Like” by T.I.
T.I. is another artist that writes really positive songs about important issues(obviously this song isn’t one of those… It’s just fun). I don’t know how many of you heard about him saving a man from suicide, but that happened. He heard about a guy threatening to jump off a building and thought, “Hey that’s within driving distance of me!” and just went on over and talked the guy off the ledge. The man is a fucking prince!(when he isn’t buying illegal firearms…)
Video

Track 12 – “Ms. Fat Booty” by Mos Def
I like how the story recalled here is almost exactly the same as the one in “Low” only much more eloquent. It was really tough to choose just one Mos Def song(the two Black Star songs totally don’t count…).



Track 13 – “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.
Why does a song that is this damn catchy have to have a completely un-singable chorus!? Regardless it is so much fun. I remember having this going on repeat for weeks after the Pineapple Express trailer featured it.


Track 14 – “Definition” by Black Star
Black Star is the moniker of Mos Def and Talib Kweli’s main collaboration. As far as I’m concerned they are unbeatable. They flow so well together and really broke a lot of ground with their song structure and beats.


Track 15 – “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem featuring Rihanna
Both having experience from each side of the situation, it is a powerful thing to hear Eminem and Rihanna collaborate on a song about domestic violence.


Track 16 – “Coffee” by Aesop Rock featuring John Darnielle
Aesop Rock is an extremely talented songwriter and producer and this song features John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats. This song(and Aesop Rock in general) was introduced to me by my sister, Rachael who is a huge Mountain Goats fan.


Track 17 – “Hurt Feelings” by Flight of the Conchords
I would be remiss if I didn’t include some Flight of the Conchords on this mix. If you haven’t watched Flight of the Conchords or heard their music you should correct that right away.


Track 18 – “What’s My Name” by Rihanna featuring Drake
As you may have noticed by now I really like Rihanna. She always writes catchy empowering songs and I love her voice. Despite Drake’s math struggles on this track it is a great song.


Track 19 – “Thieves in the Night” by Black Star
I wanted to close the album with the most ethereal, dreamlike, chamber-pop sounding hip-hop song in my repertoire. I know I used Black Star earlier but using them twice is for emphasis. They are the best.

As always hit me up for a copy.
Peace!

March - The Lifespan of a Relationship

I got to thinking the other day about the songs that mean the most to me. A good majority of them are songs about relationships and I noticed that artists write primarily about two phases of a relationship: the infatuation of a new romance and the struggles of a dying love. I then challenged myself to arrange a group of songs so that they documented the entire span of a fake relationship. There was a lot of temptation to put jokes in the form of songs into this mix (think "No 'I' in Threesome" by Interpol) but I abstained. If you would like to hear all the songs that almost made it, I have collected them into an album of B-Sides that I will happily make a copy of. The following songs have all at one time or another been very true to me and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Track 1 - "If Only She'd Leave Town" by The Pale Pacific
I thought it would be fun to start this mix off with a song about a guy precogitating an entire relationship from very little contact with a girl. The last line is really classic as well: "I don't know where we went wrong but I'm sure you can see this could all be smoothed out if only she'd leave town."

Track 2 - "Flaskaboozendancingshoes" by The Limousines
This song is a little more sinister, but along the same vein. The singer is suggesting that since so many things could go wrong that the two of them should just have an anonymous one-night-stand (he phrases it in the most eloquent way possible, but that is what I derive from the song). I would so much rather get to know someone than write them off because I was worried about what I might learn...

Track 3 - "Desperate Guys" by The Faint
The most important part of the beginning of a relationship is playing it cool. Nobody wants an uneven relationship.


Track 4 - "We Could Be Friends" by Freelance Whales
As you get to know her you will find little similarities that endear her to you.

Track 5 - "The First Five Times" by Stars
This lovely song is about the first five times a couple of friends enjoy the benefits of said friendship only to realize they have feelings for each other.


Track 6 - "Mass Pike" by The Get Up Kids
Pretty self explanatory song.


Track 7 - "Snails" by The Format
Not a lot of guys see the subject of this song as a problem but I have had to intervene on several occasions to prevent a relationship from moving too fast. What can I say, I'm a romantic. I also really like this song because Nate Ruess clearly isn't saying that he wants to break up with this girl. He likes her, he just wants to take it slower.


Track 8 - "Even Fairy Tale Characters Would Be Jealous" by PlayRadioPlay!
PlayRadioPlay! is the moniker by which Daniel Hunter, a high school kid from Texas, released his self produced electronic experimentation.

Track 9 - "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes
When my friend Cody got married it was a very unconventional wedding consisting of only his closest friends and family. During the ceremony his brother Ben performed this song on an acoustic guitar. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever witnessed.


Track 10 - "Kiss With a Fist" by Florence and the Machine
I do not condone domestic abuse so it's a good thing this song is meant to be taken metaphorically. Some relationships tear down both parties with the destructive nature of each of them.


Track 11 - "Sway" by The Kooks
The Kooks are absolutely breathtaking. I am constantly amazed by how good their body of work is. Anyways, this song is about seeing a love slipping away from you and realizing how much you need it.


Track 12 - "Lost Cause" by Beck
Sea Change is Beck's opus. He wrote the songs while he was going through the worst breakup of his life and it created an astonishing album. This is my favorite track from the album. For a long time I thought he was chanting "Baby I'm a lost cause," but later realized that he is saying "Baby you're a lost cause," which gives a whole different tone to the song and makes me like it more.


Track 13 - "Odds" by Mute Math
Eventually one or both of the people involved in the amour come to the understanding outlined in this song: that they will be better off apart.

Track 14 - "Nineteen" by Tegan and Sara
Just because you can defend your decision with sound logic doesn't mean it isn't hard. Especially if you haven't been through the process before (though experience doesn't ease the pain much).


Track 15 - "All the Pretty Girls" by fun.
Everyone's felt this at one time or another. Nobody can replace your heartache no matter how beautiful the girl is. "What's a boy to do when all the pretty girls can't measure to you?" (also I really love this song because it reminds me of Electric Light Orchestra)


Track 16 - "Welcome Home" by Coheed and Cambria
At some point during the parting of ways it is normal to feel a sense of betrayal and sometimes even anger towards your ex-paramour. Probably not to the extremes that Coheed and Cambria does, but this song is amazing and quite cathartic.


Track 17 - "Airplanes" by Local Natives
The loneliness gets to you and eventually you plead for your ex to come back.


Track 18 - "A Lack of Color" by Death Cab For Cutie
Even if your pleads are as poetically worded as Ben Gibbard she sometimes won't come back. "All the girls in every girly magazine can't make me feel any less alone"


Track 19 - "Landed" by Ben Folds
This is the point at which you see how much better things are without her. Especially if, as this song demonstrates, she was a raging bitch.


Track 20 - "What a Catch, Donnie" by Fall Out Boy
This whole process can really damage your ego but you have to pick yourself up and carry on.


Track 21 - "Next Girl" by The Black Keys
Next time you won't make the same mistakes. You will choose someone very different from the last one. You've come away from all of this with some scars but a lot of wisdom as well.

February's Mix - Black History Month

About a month and a half ago I received a text message at some ungodly hour(I believe it was at something like eight in the morning) from my good friend, Steven Lewis. He wanted to collaborate on a mix for February and his idea was to make a Hip-Hop/R&B/Soul mix. When I relayed this idea to my sister, Rachael, she pointed out that February was Black History month and suggested sarcastically that we simply make a mix where every song has the word “black” in the title. That brings us to now.

Track 1 – “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones
"Jeff put it best when he told me that The Rolling Stones must have made a deal with the devil to write the greatest rock song ever, and this is what popped out, horns, pitchfork and all." -Steven


Track 2 – “Back in Black” by AC/DC
I didn’t used to be crazy about AC/DC. They had some songs that I got into when I heard them, but overall I didn’t go out of my way to listen to them. Then while I was working at EA I ended up testing AC/DC Rockband and fell in love with them. Just go listen to the first two minutes of “Thunderstruck” and TRY not to love it.


Track 3 – “Black Math” by The White Stripes
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jack White can do no wrong. He’s got 3 bands at this point and they are all amazing.


Track 4 – “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin
"Back when I thought good music needed to be exceedingly technical, I listened to this one non-stop. I also wore only black every day and wanted to BE in Tool. I suppose that some songs are undeniably genius in spite of a general lack of taste. This is where I'd like to point out that 'Blackbird' is NOT ON THIS MIX." -Steven

Track 5 – “Black Tongue” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Karen O has never delivered her song-words better than she belted out one 'yeah! yeah! yeah!' for this particular track. (Omigod that's like the name of the band!) Just sayin'." -Steven


Track 6 – “Black Mud” by The Black Keys
The Black Keys definitely made the best album of 2010 and if the Grammy’s don’t reflect that then I… won’t really be surprised. I’ve never really liked the Grammy’s.

Track 7 – “Black Tambourine” by Beck
"I still think Guero is a poop album, but that is in spite of this song. Would have been great if it waited for Modern Guilt, which needed an extra track. Perfect song for driving. Not so perfect for sitting still." -Steven


Track 8 – “Black” by Pete Yorn
Pete Yorn can be pretty hit or miss, but his first album, “Music for the Morning After” is amazing. My old housemate, Doug used to play it nonstop and before I knew it the whole thing was stuck in my head.

Track 9 – “Black Like Me” by Spoon
"I cannot explain the title of this track, or how Britt Daniel is so good at conveying incredible cool through tales of sexual desperation, but I'm sure glad I got to shove this one onto a mix that people actually listen to (he says as if he DISCOVERED the band Spoon)." -Steven


Track 10 – “They Also Mourn Those Who Do Not Wear Black (For the Homeless in Muskegon)” by Sufjan Stevens
In traditional Sufjan fashion this song has a really superfluous title, but luckily it fit our criteria and is a good song.

Track 11 – “Black and Gold” by yOya
This was a glaring omission from December’s covers mix, but I had to choose a reasonable amount of yOya to put on that mix and I liked those other two covers better. Anyway, this version of Sam Sparro’s song is wonderful.


Track 12 – “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
This song really set a great tone for MCR’s third album of the same name. It has a lot of homage to Bruce Springsteen and other storytelling classic rockers.


Track 13 – “Black Cadillacs” by Modest Mouse
"I have to be honest. I didn't know this track by name until after I typed "black" in the search bar for iTunes. But, I love the poop out of Modest Mouse, and after this song was stuck in my head for three days in a row, I insisted it go on here." -Steven

Track 14 – “Black-Eyed” by Placebo
Placebo is tied with Death Cab For Cutie in the “bands I have seen the most in concert” race (at 3… I don’t go to enough concerts). They are always pushing the boundaries of what people are comfortable with in their pop music which is one reason I love them.


Track 15 – “Black Swan” by Thom Yorke
When I saw A Scanner Darkly in theater I was blown away by Thom Yorke’s new solo stuff (along with how awesome that movie was). Obviously I expected his solo music to be good, since Radiohead is one of the best rock acts that ever was, but I really like the direction he took his music.


Track 16 – “Blacking Out the Friction” by Death Cab For Cutie
This is one of the first Death Cab songs I was exposed to by my wonderful sister, Rachael. I was driving in a limousine with her, my friend Robert, and my date, Katy to prom when this came on the mix Rachael had prepared. At the time I remember thinking I didn’t know music could be this good.


Track 17 – “Pot Kettle Black” by Wilco
This song is from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot which is by far my favorite Wilco album. You know how some songs or albums are tied in your memory to places or people? This album transports me to San Luis Obispo.

Track 18 – “Black Wave” by The Shins
It’s a really good thing that James Mercer is making awesome music with Broken Bells, because I was starting to get Shins withdrawal.

Track 19 – “Black Star” by Radiohead
"I dated a girl who claimed this track, off of the sophomoric album, The Bends (get it?), as her favorite song. In any case, her taste in MUSIC was good. Glad Thom Yorke has solo stuff so we could use him twice on this mix." -Steven

January's Mix

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Oh, sorry, I’ll bring it down a bit. I know your head must be throbbing, but you know what’s good for a hangover!? January’s mix! This mix is one you'll want to listen to curled up in front of your fireplace sipping hot cocoa.

Track 1 – “The New Year” by Death Cab For Cutie
I decided to start this mix off thematically, but also I really love this song. This kicks off Ben Gibbard’s big “bad relationship” album and it definitely sums up the way some new year’s eves have felt to me (not this year. this year’s eve was great.)


Track 2 – “Fluorescent Adolescent” by Arctic Monkeys
I’ve been waiting for a mix to put this song on, which is, in my opinion, the greatest Arctic Monkeys songs and an instant classic. The first time I heard this song I felt like I grew up listening to it.


Track 3 – “Blue Beard” by Band of Horses
This is quite an infectious song. I put it on a mix for my sister recently(yes, i still make personal mixes. we never said anything about exclusivity!) and she has been putting it on repeat for a few weeks now.


Track 4 – “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is a charming English folk band that has won me over in recent months. This song in particular reminds me of new year’s resolutions and therefore got this spot on the mix, though it is also just an amazing song.


Track 5 – “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens
For a period of about three years I didn’t go to sleep without listening to Michigan. Sufjan Stevens has a very special place in my heart. This song is obviously not from Michigan but I feel like it mixes better than any song on that album. This may sound like blasphemy but some albums should really never be broken up and deserve to be listened to in their entirety.

Track 6 – “Four Winds” by Bright Eyes
This is a relatively recent track from Bright Eyes but it ranks among my favorites. Bright Eyes would have definitely been on an earlier mix, but as I’ve shared with you before I am rebuilding my music library from practically nothing(stupid computers) and neglected to acquire my bright eyes collection until just last week.


Track 7 – “He War” by Cat Power
My first girlfriend made me one mix during our brief relationship and this song was one of the tracks on it. It immediately wound its way into my head.


Track 8 – “The Commander Thinks Aloud” by The Long Winters
John Roderick is the brainchild behind The Long Winters and his lyrics are frequently brilliant loosely connected streams of consciousness. He once described his writing process as (and i’m paraphrasing because i can’t find the interview i read this in) looking back upon the most meaningful, disappointing, and wonderful times in his life and shrugging.


Track 9 – “Get Higher” by Paper Tongues
Another new band that has quickly won me over, Paper Tongues mix hip-hop elements into their poppy rock to great success.


Track 10 – “The Wrestle” by Frightened Rabbit
I wanted to share another great song from this band that my sister, Rachael introduced me to. This song has really intense lyrics that get easily overlooked because of its beautiful musicality.


Track 11 – “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies
Black Francis is such a talented songwriter that I will forget just how much I love Pixies and then listen to a song of theirs and hear it in a way I’ve never heard it before and it will mean so much more to me than it did before.

Track 12 – “You Wouldn’t Like Me” by Tegan and Sara
Rachael describes it as cheating when siblings (especially twins) harmonize in songs. Tegan and Sara are chronic cheaters and I couldn’t be more happy about it. Despite my recent disappointing Tegan and Sara experience (too long of a story to explain here, but ask me about it sometime and i will tell you) I adore these twin songwriters.


Track 13 – “Christmas TV” by Slow Club
This song was on a really good episode of Chuck (great show) and I had to track it down and listen to it over and over. The duo who made it are apparently English.


Track 14 – “West Coast” by Coconut Records
Jason Schwartzman’s solo project after the break up of his band, “Phantom Planet”. I played this song for my sister when she was moving to Rochester, NY for grad school and it was understandably upsetting. I really like Jason Schwartzman in everything he does.


Track 15 – “Samson” by Regina Spektor
Despite being notoriously bad at relationships Regina sure can write a pretty song about a simple and cute love.


Track 16 – “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice
Like most people I fell in love with Damien’s music when he was featured on Closer’s soundtrack. A few weeks back I was borrowing my dad’s car which has XM radio (which is usually mediocre at best) and was flipping channels when I came upon a live performance by Damien Rice. He was telling stories about all of his favorite songs and playing them by himself in the studio. I just sat there in the car listening long after I had reached my destination.


Track 17 – “Winter” by Joshua Radin
Despite not being crazy about his new album, I really appreciate Joshua Radin’s older stuff. He is a very skilled guitar player and singer.


Track 18 – “Jezebel” by Iron & Wine
When I had my big bushy beard (RIP) I got compared several times to Sam Beam of Iron & Wine (which was pretty flattering. he’s a handsome man). These comparisons would always cause me to break out the Iron & Wine collecting dust in my iTunes library and listen to it nonstop.


Track 19 – “Look Up” by Stars
Another fragment of Broken Social Scene, Stars are a Canadian pop band. They often feature trumpets and strings and you all know I’m a sucker for that. This song sounds really hopeful to me and I thought it was an elegant way to end January’s mix.