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The Friday Playlist: Mix Tape

When my friend Julie got married she wrote all of her girls these amazing letters that were sappy and funny and great. And the best part about mine was what it said on the front of my envelope
“Queen of the Mixed Tape”.
And I loved the title.
Because making a good mixed tape is really an art.
One that I took super seriously in high school and college. Not only did I spend hours choosing the PERFECT combination of songs, but I also spent hours making the best collage cover that seventeen magazine could provide.

I could really elaborate on the fine art of mix tape making….but think I’d just start to sound a lot like the movie High Fidelity so instead I just think I’ll let you put that one on your queue. (because John Cusak says it better than me anyways).

A little over a week ago I got a mix cd in the mail from one of my favorite people ever. And I haven’t been able to take it out of the cd player. (And there hasn’t really been an actual cd in my cd player in ages) If I switch cars it comes with me. Even Kid Kraddick has gotten the boot in the morning.

Partly because the mix master is younger and hipper than me and is making it in New York City so she knows a thing or two about good music and is always ahead of the curve. And partly because it makes me think about her and the kinds of things she thinks about and wonders how she knew that a particular song would speak to me so perfectly.

And since it’s pretty much the only thing I have listened to in the last 10 or so days ( thank you Karly) most of the tunes will be coming from here. It also has me aching to get up in the attic and hunt down some of my old infamous mix tapes so things could go really south in the next few weeks….

1. Hymn #101 – Joe Pug. (great voice and lyrics…reminds me a little of Bill Mallone)
2. Sleep at Night – Molly Venter. ( I could listen to this song 20X in a row and not get tired of it)
3. Breaking Bad Habits – Amy Kuney. (love to sing along with this one.)
4. Fragile Sometimes – Stephanie Smith (see comment on #2)
5. Coffee Time (live) – Ellis. (this song makes me happy…and I am now the newest Ellis fan. She reminds me a little of Ani)
6. The Part Where you Let Go-Hem (greatness)
7. House on Fire – Mellissa Ferrick (crank this one up and scream, I mean sing, along. My son was a little concerned about alerting the fire department though!)
8. Today has Been OK- Emiliana Torrini (my friend Beth sent me this song..and first play through I wasn’t impressed. Second time through…I was smitten)
9. I Want You to Be My Love – Over the Rhine (there was an over the rhine song on the cd, not this one, but it did remind me how much I like them)
10. All These Pretty Lights – Andrew Belle (sounds very Frayish minus too much radio play)
11. All I Can Say – David Crowder (really old stuff….and because I am seeing him tonight !)
12. Nursery Rhyme of Innocence – Natalie Merchant ( because she FINALLY has a new album out)

Happy Listening…now I’m off to the attic for those old tapes. Yes tapes. And next I’ll have to hunt for something to play them in.



Comments

Diana Mancuso said…
Hi Michelle,

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Nice to meet a fellow teacher mom. Hope you're done grading papers so you can enjoy the rest of the UBParty. Cheers!

Toronto Teacher Mom
samskat said…
Somewhere, buried in my parents' house, I still have a mix tape that I somehow pilfered from you many years ago...."I Got a Man" by Positive K still reminds me of you as a result. So does Pharcyde's "Passing Me By." You really were good at that....coulda been your career... ;)
samskat said…
This comment has been removed by the author.

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