Closing out the old, and bringing in the new

Greetings!

It’s the New Year soon! So this year I wanted to make a burnt CD - wrap up, if you will - of the past 12 months. My goal with this mix was to create an accessible, yet cohesive mix of songs from the past year (with an exception of a few) which would fit in any car stereo or coffee store — in short, one with a mellow/droned out sound, but good enough to keep the MASSES appealed. So that meant cutting out some favorites like Of Montreal, Why?, White Denim, and Animal Collective…but I think the mix is stronger for it.

1) I started this one off with Atmosphere's "Like the Rest of Us" for two reasons: 1) the introductory music box sample in the beginning really opens up the mix well and, 2) the song is about vices and the beginning of the New Year is essentially about resolutions.

2) “All My Friends” reiterates the idea that friends are of similar importance as any other human tie. Not higher or lower than the other, just side by side to it. Although the song runs nearly 8:00 minutes in length, LCD Soundsystem always finds a way to hook you with a catchy riff.

3) I included Frightened Rabbit's "It's Xmas So We'll Stop" on my Christmas mix and I contemplated not including it here due to the sad undertones. Then I realized that they were playing my emotions so well that I had to. In a fair world, this song would be on all mixes, but we all make mistakes - and I think that's part of what this songs about.

4) I had mentioned previously that I'd leave Of Montreal off the mix due to the makeup of the overall mix. However, this band makes pop music of the future! I'm hoping that "An Eluardian Instance" is the most accessible of the bunch. Obviously, it could be argued.

5) For quite some time, people would always suggest I listen to MGMT. I swear it was brought up more times than the number of ruffled skirts I saw worn in 2004. Eventually I listened… and I liked it. I had a hard time deciding which track to put on a settled on “Weekend Wars.”

6) Consider Buck 65's Girls with Boyfriends the comedic interlude to this mix. The song is lined with wacky quips through and through, yet I can still see my boss enjoying this song as much as I or anyone else predisposed to wacky music.

7) Ask any Arcade Fire fan if they've experienced an Arcade Fire moment and I can assure you 2 out of 3 have! This occurs when something of Arcade Fire nature presents itself during a randomly bordering between the lines of happenstance and freak accident, thus leading to a religious experience. Mine occurred at an unlikely place when thirty seconds of "My Body Is a Cage" was affixed to the TV under the Benjamin Button trailer. I'll tell you, time froze and my body nearly went rigor mortis at that point!

8) Well, it's a good thing The Blow's "True Affection” is next up after Arcade Fire to sort of, brighten up the mix a bit. Tell me this isn't the cutest f*cking thing in the world? The cutest things this year include Ninja Cat and Serious Baby. This song however, has easily implanted itself in the aforementioned list.

9) I contemplated including M.I.A.’s Paper Planes on this mix, but the song seriously pisses me off to the point of being spiteful. I’m not even a spiteful person in nature! Every so often a song’ll have such profound effect, it changes you though…so it goes. Therefore, to spite M.I.A., I decided to add Santogold’s “L.E.S. Artistes” because, in my imaginary world, they’ve been beefin’ since birth.

10) During a trip to the local record store, my friend grabbed the Vampire Weekend record. While in line, the people in front AND behind me did the same! “Oxford Comma” was the song I played while test driving cars this year because it stresses a very critical ideology; as a good friend would put it, “Don’t sweat the petty things, and don’t pet the sweaty things.”

11) In July, ANOTHER one of my dogs died. This time by wolf bite, to the neck. My mother and I weren’t there for it as we were in LAX preparing to fly out to Vietnam for my Grandmother’s funeral as she had passed away three days prior. Phosphorescent’s “Wolves” sympathized with the wolves and made me realize that my vendetta was truly against death. R.I.P. Lucky.

12) I was contemplating the placement of Beck's Volcano. Putting it after Phosphorescent is kind of like a one-two punch to the heartstrings. In fact, if you're sitting alone in a room while you listen to these two you might even get a bit choked up. [Skip, if necessary]

13) “Ring Them Bells” is originally a Bob Dylan piece. However, this version was covered by Sufjan Stevens for the I’m Not There Soundtrack. I like to pretend that Mr. Stevens wrote it even though it’s quite contrary to do so. Anyways, this song is on here for the sense of hope it instills…and HOPE is seriously what everyone seems to be carrying around lately...in one form or another.

14) Death Cab for Cutie's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" hits on one of the biggest Christmas song topics: being separated from your loved ones during the holidays and closes out the mix as it was intended to be closed. It is my belief that “Baby Please Come Home” should be on all grocery store Christmas playlists.

15) ...and just when you thought it was all over, The Walkmen is here to remind us that things will be alright!...on "In the New Year"

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone.
Happy HOLLERdays!