First

Hopefully I will come upon my '05 mix tape at some point, but until then, I submit for your consideration, my 2010 mixtape.

01. Smashing Pumpkins – Frail and Bedazzled
02. The Vandels – Don’t Stop Me Now
03. Atmosphere – Happy Mess
04. Dolly Parton – Joshua
05. Martha Reeve and the Vandellas – Love Is Like A Heat Wave
06. Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic
07. Cab Calloway – Jumpin’ Jive
08. Rilo Kiley – Wires and Waves
09. Blink 182 – Adam’s Song
10. Dropkick Murphys – Surrender
11. Nightmare Before Christmas – What’s This
12. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Walk Like A Man
13. Feist – Gatekeeper (One Room One Hour Mix)
14. Sleeping Beauty Soundtrack – Once Upon A Dream
15. The Clash – Train In Vain
16. Elliott Smith – Harvest Moon
17. A Tribe Called Quest – I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
18. Party Ben – Drop It Like It’s A Whole Lotta Love
19. The All-American Rejects – Gives You Hell
20. The Incredible String Band – The Hedgehog’s Song
21. Hieroglyphics – It’s About Time
22. Vince Guaraldi – Skating
23. The Seatbelts – Green Bird
24. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
25. Against Me! – Beginning in an Ending


01. Smashing Pumpkins – Frail and Bedazzled

I have been on a huge Smashing Pumpkins kick lately and really wanted to put one of their songs on the mix. I was between this song, Zero, and Starla. But since Starla is 11 min long, I had to eliminate it. I decided against Zero because I do not listen to it very often. Frail and Bedazzled ended up winning because it is on my running mix, so I hear it at least 5-6 time a week. Great song to really push you over a hill.



02. The Vandels – Don’t Stop Me Now

The classic Queen tune ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, with a punk rock twist. Whenever I am in the car and this version by the Vandels comes on, I just want to drop a gear and engage in some…spirited driving.



03. Atmosphere – Happy Mess

Hats off to Ellen for introducing me to Atmosphere back in early ’04. This song makes me realize that ‘I’m not perfect, but I’m this, that, and this’. It seems like a modern day dark comedy-esque love story where no one is perfect, but we get along anyway. Also it’s comic book imagery really shines through and ignites my nerd senses.



04. Dolly Parton – Joshua

A solid early Dolly Parton tune. It’s all the things I like about bluegrass: quality story telling, great chorus, and an overall catchy tune. It harkens back to simpler times where one could walk down a railroad to meet a loner, who happened to be a pretty cool dude that appreciated nature, and not some crazy cereal killer.



05. Martha Reeve and the Vandellas – Love Is Like A Heat Wave

This song is my nod to Motown. When the chorus rolls around you just want to yell out ‘HEATWAVE!!’. One of those songs that if you are in a good mood, it will make you feel that much better.



06. Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic

Great driving song. Whenever I am in the car and this song comes on, I can’t help but sing along. This song does not even get close to showcasing Jimi’s guitar skills, but it has kazoos. And any song that can make kazoos not sound terrible is ok in my book.



07. Cab Calloway – Jumpin’ Jive

If you have seen ‘Blues Brothers’, you have seen Cab Calloway. He is the older black dude who has the crowd sing ‘Haaadyy hadddy hadddda ha’. Anyway, he was a famous bandleader in the 30’s, and this is one of my favorite songs of his. A real toe taper.



08. Rilo Kiley – Wires and Waves

I came upon Rilo Kiley by accident one night while cruising IMDB. I was looking up ‘Boy Meets World’, and saw the guy who played ‘Joey the rat’ was in a band called ‘Rilo Kiley’. I…legally….obtained a few albums, and gave them a listen, and really liked what I heard. ‘Wires and Waves’ is a song that really hit me because it seems like all my friends are going different places in life, and sometimes we loose touch, even though we are really only separated by wires (phone/internet/ect.) and waves (ocean).



09. Blink 182 – Adam’s Song

“The tour was over, we survived. I couldn’t wait, till I got home, to pass the time in my room alone.” Those lyrics really made sense to me. Have you ever gotten home from something (a trip, long day at work, some loud party) and just wanted to sit alone in your room, listening to some music, and looking at the ceiling? Nothing is better then doing that while listening to this song.



10. Dropkick Murphys – Surrender

This is my ultimate ‘I am exhausted but want to push the pace on the last mile of my run’ song. I could be dead tired and soaked in sweat, but if this song comes on, my head goes up, my breathing slows, and I am ready to conquer that last stretch of land.



11. Nightmare Before Christmas – What’s This

Definitely did not put this on my mix to be ironic. It’s a song about how sometimes you tire of your daily routine and really need a change. Then you find something so awesome and different that you can’t help but immerse yourself in it.



12. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Walk Like A Man

Seriously, try to not sing along to this song. It’s unpossible.



13. Feist – Gatekeeper (One Room One Hour Mix)

I really liked this version of the song because it put a classy, lounge-ish spin on a classic Feist song. A good tune to play whilst making sweet love to your old lady.



14. Sleeping Beauty Soundtrack – Once Upon A Dream

What?... I like Disney movies. Also, so gay, but my mom used to sing this song to us (myself, my brother, and my sister) when we were babies.



15. The Clash – Train In Vain

One of my favorite songs to come out of England in the ‘80s. Such a catchy tune. One of those songs that I can be in any mood, and I will be down for listening to it.



16. Elliott Smith – Harvest Moon

I like Elliott Smith, cover songs, and Harvest Moon by Neil Young. This song combined all of those things. This and the Neil Young version are two of my favorite songs to listen to in the fall. My favorite fall activity is listening to this jam while sitting out on the porch, watching the changing leaves, while in front of a fire, drinking the fall seasonal ‘Harvest Moon’ that Blue Moon puts out.



17. A Tribe Called Quest – I Left My Wallet In El Segundo

It’s like ‘On The Road’ by Kerouac, except not boring, and with a most triumphant beat.



18. Party Ben – Drop It Like It’s A Whole Lotta Love

I really love mix up tunes when they are done right. The Grey Album by DJ Danger Mouse, anything by The Kleptones, and anything else that is just flat out clever. I can respect how much effort and mathematical precision goes into making them. Anyway, this one combines Snoop and Led Zeppelin. I heard it just though ‘Nice!’. And it is nice.


19. The All-American Rejects – Gives You Hell

Ever had one of those days where you just want to give everyone the finger and go do your own thing? When I have those days, this is my jam.



20. The Incredible String Band – The Hedgehog’s Song

Incredible String Band always puts me in a weird mood. I was introduced to them by a friend from highschool who passed away way too soon. I also just really like the lyrics in this song, especially the chorus: “Well you know all the words, and you’ve sung all the notes, but you’ve never quite learned the songs you’ve sung”.



21. Hieroglyphics – It’s About Time

Del tha funkee homosapien. I just really like his sound and how he injects humor into his songs. I was between this or something from ‘deltron 3030’, but I really just love the depth of sound he has in this one.



22. Vince Guaraldi – Skating

Another fall/winter song that never gets old. I love the simplicity of this whole album.



23. The Seatbelts – Green Bird

Welp, time to nerd out. This song is from the anime series ‘Cowboy Bebop’ (which also happens to have a killer soundtrack). The song comes from a scene where Spike’s life is flashing before his eyes as he falls out of a window. It’s an amazing piece of cinematography:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-jcE8kqK9k



24. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass

My favorite Beatle is, hands down, George Harrison. Just a solid tune by a great songwriter. It’s the song I turn on when I just need to sit back and relax after a stressful day. No matter how bad things get, they will pass, and I’ll be on my way, to face another day.



25. Against Me! – Beginning in an Ending

The last song on my mix. See what I did there with the title and it being the last song…good times. I really like the lyrics “Takin’ all I know about nihilism and try and build it into a life”. A song about love lost, but with a plethora of bitterness, yelling, and a touch of reminiscence thrown in there for good measure.