Category: Mixtape

Here are some songs I’ve been playing at parties lately, with lately being something of a loose term. This is more an amalgamation of music I’ve been working into sets over the past year or so, and as it was about time to share a new mixtape, I’ve assembled them into an order that works for a playlist.

• Madness – Muse
• We Are Young [feat. Janelle Monae] – Fun.
• Somebody That I Used to Know [feat. Kimbra] – Gotye
• Get Some – Lykke Li
• Tessellate – Alt-J
• Teach Me How to Dougie – Cali Swag District
• Diplomat’s Son – Vampire Weekend
• I Want the World to Stop – Belle & Sebastian
• Buried Alive – Veronica Falls
• Dead Man’s Shoes – The Virginmarys
• Take It – Holy Balm
• Finding Reasons – New Build
• Ceremony [feat. Ida No] – Chromatics
• Days – The Drums
• Minnesota, WI – Bon Iver
• Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron and Wine
• Back In the Crowd – Tom Waits
• I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons
• Lots – Dan Deacon

My friend Hope made me a Mix CD, so I made her one back. I hope you like it!

• Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
• Primal Scream – Velocity Girl
• The Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey
• Magnetic Fields – The Book of Love
• The Velvet Underground – Rock & Roll
• My Bloody Valentine – Cigarette In Your Bed
• Sonic Youth – Teen Age Riot
• The Smiths – Ask [Single Version]
• David Bowie – Heroes
• New Order – Temptation
• Joy Division – Digital
• LaVern Baker – Soul on Fire
• The Aislers Set – Hey Lover
• The Left Banke – Walk Away Renee
• Bryan Ferry – Carrickfergus
• Gary Jules – Mad World [with Michael Andrews]
• Tom Waits – Dead and Lovely
• Richard Hawley – Valentine
• The Big Pink – Love in Vain
• The Cure – All Cats Are Grey

Here’s a playlist I created while sitting in Brown’s Coffee Shop in Lisbon. During my stay there, Brown’s became my de facto office space, and I spent many hours there organizing my music collection. While doing so, I cobbled together a playlist to listen to while walking the city.

• MGMT – Time to Pretend
• LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
• Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
• Neutral Milk Hotel – Song Against Sex
• The Octopus Project – Half a Nice Day
• Washed Out – New Theory
• The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
• Rubies – Diamonds on Fire
• Lykke Li – Little Bit
• Thao and the Get Down Stay Down – Bag of Hammers
• Diego’s Umbrella – Swayze
• Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
• Kings of Leon – Sex On Fire
• Modest Mouse – Float On
• Beachwood Sparks – By Your Side
• King Midas in Reverse – See Who You Are
• The Henry Clay People – Slow Burn
• Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – We No Speak Americano [Original Mix]
• Travie McCoy – Billionaire [feat. Bruno Mars]
• Eliza Doolittle – Skinny Genes

Sometimes, I sit down to make a mix and it flows effortlessly from me. I barely know what I’m doing, and suddenly it’s done. Others seem to challenge me every step of the way, as if something is fighting its way out of my soul. This is one of those kind. I swapped and reordered the songs for a month before this tape felt finished. I said out loud, “It finally works!” and realized not only was the mix finished, but it had a name.

• Allo Allo (Hello I Love You) – Les Sans Culottes
• Call Me In French – Gravy Train!!!!
• Whistle for the Choir – The Fratellis
• Nashville Parthenon – Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
• Perfect Dear – The Softies
• After Hours – The Velvet Underground
• The Stars of Track and Field – Belle & Sebastian
• Falling From Grace – The Gentle Waves
• Keep It Clean – Camera Obscura
• My Little Corner of the World – Yo La Tengo
• Marble House – The Knife
• Sci-Fi Wasabi – Cibo Matto
• Politik – Coldplay
• Radio America – The Libertines
• The Boom Boom Bap – Scritti Politti
• Heartbeats – José González
• Ocean of Noise – Arcade Fire
• Eyes – Rogue Wave
• Refugees – The Tears
• From Safety To Where…? – Joy Division
• Eating Noddemix – Young Marble Giants
• State of the Nation – Fad Gadget
• Girlfriend in a Coma – The Smiths
• Black Cab – Jens Lekman

It was a beautiful day outside, which isn’t always the case in December, so I made this mixtape to listen to in the park.

• We’re Going to Be Friends – The White Stripes
• Baby’s Coming Back To Me – Jarvis Cocker
• Piazza, New York Catcher – Belle & Sebastian
• Jesus, Etc. – Wilco
• Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) – Arcade Fire
• Mission Bells – The Aislers Set
• Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
• Bigmouth Strikes Again – The Smiths
• Heartbeat – Wham!
• Last Night – The Strokes
• Inaudible Melodies – Jack Johnson
• The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side – Magnetic Fields
• Kelly Watch the Stars – Air
• Give Me Your Love (Love Song) – Lambchop
• Kwangchow [Doctors of Love Remix] – King Biscuit Time
• Clocks – Coldplay
• You Belong to My Heart – Old 97’s
• Armageddon – Against Me!
• Hold On – Tom Waits
• From Auschwitz to Ipswich – Jarvis Cocker