Category Archives: Mixtapes

Mixtape Monday: CD

Mixtapes May 14, 2012 1 Comment

A couple of months back H asked if he could download a few songs to my iTunes account. Never one to turn down new music, I agreed. But when he started to give me song names and artists he wanted me to download I became quite puzzled.  Who were some of these artists and what were these songs? “Oh, so this is what dance music is,” I thought to myself.

Then came H’s next question: could we burn the songs to a cd? I was instantly transported back to 1998. Of course I was happy to make a cd of his new playlist for him, so I told him he just needed to give it a title. He responded with something to the effect of “well, why not just CD?”

So it was settled, H got his cd, CD, and I was left skeptical about these new songs freshly downloaded onto my computer. Turns out, H knows what he’s talking about when it comes to music (I’ve since learned in a few short months he almost always knows what he’s talking about with everything).  As you can imagine, since then the number of dance songs we’ve downloaded have tripled. I find myself running, cleaning and everything else all while enjoying these new playlists. Let’s just keep that our little secret, though. H doesn’t need to know he’s always right.

CD

Feel So Close (Radio Edit) – Calvin Harris
Levels – Avicii
Beautiful People (fest. Benny Benassi) – Chris Brown
Finger Food – Benny Benassi
Champagne Showers (feat. Natalia Kills) – LMFAO
Take Over Control (Radio Edit) [feat.Eva Simons] – Afrojack
Right Above It – Lil Wayne & Drake
Ghosts N Stuff – deadmau5
Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
Dirty Talk – Wynter Gordon
My Feelings for You (Original Mix) – Avicii & Sebastien Drums
Shocking Silence (feat. Dino) – Benny Benassi
Love Is Gonna Save Us – Benny Benassi Presents The Biz
I Love My Sex (Pump-kin Remix) – Benny Benassi

To download the playlist in iTunes click here

Mixtape Monday: Spring, Sprang, Sprung.

Mixtapes April 16, 2012 Comments: 2

I finally feel like it’s spring. Alright, I know the temperatures never really met winter standards, but I’m not just talking about the climate. Spring to me is when the month of May is right around the corner. When I can watch the Masters with the windows open and a vodka tonic as my only company. The time when little girls start twirling in dresses and I can feel the magic of summer approaching.

I’d be lying if I said I’ve been less than inspired lately in every aspect of life. I’m in a sort of shock that can’t be explained, but in a good way. If you were to tell me when I started seriously writing I would be at this stage in life I would’ve laughed at you and insisted on another round of cocktails while wearing a shirt as a dress.

Somewhere between thinking life couldn’t possibly go on six months ago, I’m finally seeing signs of new life and learning how to embrace change more gracefully. And thank goodness I’m finally back to creating playlists and drinking wine. What have you been listening to these past few months, sheesh!?

Spring, Sprang, Sprung.

June Hymn – The Decemberists
House of Cards – Radiohead
Blue Jeans – Lana Del Rey
We Got a Tan – Dream Love
Valerie (’68 Version) – Amy Winehouse
Border Songs – Elton John
Hell of a Season – The Black Keys
I Never – Rilo Kiley
Little Black Sandals – Sia
Silver Springs (Live) – Fleetwood Mac
St. Peter’s Cathedral – Death Cab for Cutie
Dreamgirl – Dave Matthews Band
Friday I’m In Love – The Cure

Mixtape Monday: Queen of Hearts

Mixtapes February 13, 2012 Leave a comment

Ahhh Valentines day. The holiday people love to hate and hate to love. Secretly, I love it. The search for cards I know my friends and family would appreciate is a fun challenge. Creating little tokens of affection that will make people smile is nice, too. To me, Valentines Day isn’t just about two people in a relationship showing their love for each other, rather a day for all of us to give each other an extra special piece of love. So here’s my Valentine to you. Fourteen songs that make my heart smile without being too mushy. Now mushy is something I don’t do. Enjoy.

Queen of Hearts

You Are the Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne
You and Me – Penny & the Quarters
Rivers and Roads – The Head and the Heart
Radio – Lana Del Rey
Powerful Stuff – Sean Hayes
Paperweight – Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk
Just Can’t Get Enough – The Black Eyed Peas
In The Privacy Of Our Love – Hot Chip
I Love You But I Don’t Know What to Say – Ryan Adams
I Know Places – Lykke Li
Hard to Concentrate – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Everlasting Light – The Black Keys
Crash Into Me (Live from Soundstage) – Stevie Nicks
Birthday – Kings Of Leon

To download this playlist in iTunes, click here.
Image via.

Mixtape Monday: Happy Birfday, Willie

Mixtapes January 23, 2012 Leave a comment

You may recall a little dedicated post I did a few years ago about a man I love, my best friend, Willie. Well today Willie turns the big two-niner. This weekend we gathered to celebrate with him. I made him a mixtape because that’s what we do. We don’t have to say a word to each other, rather just play a song and let the music do the talking.

Everyone freaks out about turning thirty. Me, I get my freak out on at the thought of turning twenty-nine. This is it. The last year of the twenties. Thirty seems like a walk in the park, a fresh start and new beginning. Twenty nine, on the other hand, is pressure. The final year to send out a decade of personal growth, triumphs and tragedies. And let’s be honest, there’s a big elephant in the room of the twenty-ninth birthday party: are you at a place in life you imagined you would be? If not, you only have a year to make it happen.

As you can probably sense, this has led to a great deal of anxiety for me, thinking about twenty-nine. Instead of lamenting and stressing about what I need to check off the list of life before thirty I’m giving myself a new outlook. Though I probably won’t be exactly right where I’d like to be by the time I’m thirty, at least I know with Willie at my side and music playing I’ll be a happy girl nonetheless.

[Happy Birfday, Boo]

Happy Birfday, Willie

1. Come Pick Me Up – Ryan Adams
2. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters – Elton John
3. Stay In the Clouds – Zee Avi
4. Claustrophobia – Choir of Young Believers
5. Song Cry – Jay-Z
6. All This and Heaven Too – Florence + The Machine
7. Taper Jean Girl – Kings of Leon
8. I’m Alive (w/Dave Matthews) – Kenny Chesney
9. Oooh Love – Blaze Foley
10. Rhiannon (Live) – Fleetwood Mac
11. Vienna – Billy Joel
12. Forever Young – Rod Stewart
13. You and Me – Penny & the Quarters
14. Does He Love You? – Rilo Kiley
15. Cigarettes and Coffee – Otis Redding
16. Stay Young, Go Dancing – Death Cab for Cutie
17. Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) – Gotye
18. Cold Hearted – Zac Brown Band

To download the mixtape in iTunes click here.

Mixtape Monday: Christmas Albums Galore

Mixtapes December 12, 2011 Comments: 2

When it comes to Christmas music I find it’s not so much certain songs that are great, rather the people who sing the songs that make them special. Let’s be honest, it’s pretty much all the same songs performed different ways. While I certainly have all the classics in rotation, there are six holiday albums I just can’t imagine the season without (and would love to collect on vinyl).

    

    

From the top left:
This Warm December a Brushfire Holiday, vol. 2
Music from the OC: Mix 3 – Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah
The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Jimmy Buffett Christmas Island
A Very She & Him Christmas

What are you favorite holiday songs?

Mixtape Monday: Video Games

Mixtapes November 14, 2011 Leave a comment

I’ve been working on a few mixtapes the last couple of weeks, drawing inspiration from daily joys and sorrows from the past month or so. To me, it’s funny how a song can intensify emotions and take them to a place you never knew existed. The phrase “strike a chord” refers to when you identify something to a familiar emotion or experience. But think of “strike a chord” in the literal sense. When I hear certain chords of music I’m instantly transported to a previous emotion or experience.

Over the past few weeks there are few songs I find can fit the moods I’ve been in and emotions I’ve been trying to sort through. And then, magically, I came across the video for Video Games by Lana Del Rey and it was like it was just waiting for me to discover it. I finally felt musically and visually connected to exactly how I’ve been feeling.

image via

The random images of Southern California in the video take me to a nostalgic place tucked away with my some of my favorite memories growing up, which is also a sort of feeling that can only be replicated when I wake up on a crisp morning in Seal Beach. The Chateau Marmont sign flashes and I’m instantly transformed back in time to my first trip to Fred Segal and fond memories of brunch at the legendary hotel in my early twenties. It is as though memories throughout my life are visually paired with the deep-rooted song that makes my heart a little stronger each time I hear it.

To download Video Games on iTunes click Here.

Mixtape Monday: Falling Back

Mixtapes November 7, 2011 Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again when you wake up at 8:30am refreshed because your body thinks its 9:30am. The notion is we have to fall back to spring forward. What better time to slow things down and enjoy the day-to-day pleasure then during the typically busy holiday season? And who says we have to wait for New Years to make new resolutions?

After a whirlwind few weeks I have the next two days off to reflect, write and decide which behaviors of mine I resolve to change or improve. On my list so far is to clean my room, pay the post office a much overdue visit, complete all the errands I’ve been putting off and make time to run the next five of seven days. And finally see the latest two Ryan Gosling movies. With trying to slow the pace of life down, the music I have in rotation has to slow right along, too.

[Painting by Joshua Jensen-Nagle]

Falling Back

If I Ever Feel Better – Phoenix
Satellite Heart – Anya Marina
Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
All This and Heaven Too – Florence + The Machine
Golden – My Morning Jacket
Lonely Lonely – Feist
Dirty Rain – Ryan Adams
Tangerine – Led Zeppelin
Hurts Like Heaven – Coldplay
Feel It In My Bones – Tiesto
Pursuit of Happiness – Kid Cudi
Only the Good Die Young – Billy Joel

To download this playlist on iTunes click Here

Lonely Boy

Mixtapes November 2, 2011 Leave a comment

Don’t get too excited, this post is not about meeting a boy, breaking up with a boy or any of that nonsense. Now that that’s out-of-the-way, get super stoked because this week The Black Keys new album, El Camino, is finally up for pre-order on iTunes which can only mean one thing: the first single from the album, ‘Lonely Boy’, can be downloaded now.

[Image via]

Let’s get through a few other items of business, shall we? For starters, I’m not the #1 Black Keys fan nor do I profess to be. I haven’t listened to them since the beginning of time, but I do appreciate love their last two albums. Let’s be honest, they are from Ohio, obviously I wasn’t interested at first. That being said, the Black Keys are the best thing to come out of Ohio since…well they are the only good thing I can think of that has come out of Ohio.

Secondly, you have to go download this song right now. Since starting this post I’ve listened to it three times. That’s like three times in nine minutes. Crazy. I’m telling you, don’t even bother previewing the song and thinking you can walk away, no sir. This song is like crack (or what I would imagine crack would be like), you will literally have withdrawals from it being stuck in your head and you’ll probably start scratching yourself.

Finally, I don’t know about you, but the mere phrase “Lonely Boy” reminds of Dan Humphrey of Gossip Girl – aka Penn Badgley – aka one of the few exceptions to my “hot guys don’t have brown eyes” rule. I don’t see the need to continue on, I find in this case a pictures worth a thousand words:

Great, now I’m going to spend all day dreaming mindlessly of Dan Humphrey/Penn Badgley, replaying ‘Lonely Boy’ in my head over and over and most likely scratching my arms.

For more information on Black Keys, El Camino or Lonely Boy click Here.

Mixtape Monday: Las Vegas Lucky Seven Seven

Mixtapes, Travel October 10, 2011 Leave a comment

Trust me when I say I was born for Las Vegas. Forget the fact I love to wear sequins in the day, gold lame is my favorite color and Elvis is my dream man, Bright Light city is the only place I can think of (besides brunch) that drinking champagne before noon isn’t frowned upon, spectacular shopping is at my finger tips and I can set my own sleeping schedule, even if it means siestas by the pool.

[Elvis and Me]

This weekend my best friend Casie and I head to Sin City with the rest of IndyCar nation for the season closer and world championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I’m so excited I could burst into a million pieces of gold confetti. While I’m still trying to sort out which dresses to pack, I have my mixtape all ready for the plane ride.

Las Vegas Lucky Seven Seven

It’s Now or Never – El Vez
Viva las Vegas – Elvis Presley
C’est Si Bon – Eartha Kitt
Las Vegas – Various Artists
Thirteen Men – Ann-Margaret
Heaven or Las Vegas – Cocteau Twins
In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins
Las Vegas – Tea Leaf Green
Luck Be a Lady – Frank Sinatra
Iko Iko – The Belle Stars
Waking Up In Vegas – Katy Perry
Strangers In The Night – Wayne Newton
Three Best Friends – Zach Galifianakis
Leaving Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow

To download the playlist in iTunes click Here
IndyCar image via

Mixtape Monday: SpringTwentyTwelve

Mixtapes, Style September 19, 2011 Leave a comment

I know, I know, summer is barely past us and the excitement of sweaters and scarves is in the crisp autumn air. How could I possibly be thinking about next spring? New York Fashion Week, that’s how. I could (ahem –do) spend hours upon hours streaming shows, studying images and reading about all things Fashion Week.

My favorite thing, besides the beautiful clothes obviously, is the music that accompanies the shows. The music sets the mood for the collection and brings the clothes to life. In my opinion, there isn’t nearly enough emphasis on the music of fashion week, but I always manage to create a mixtape with the little information out there. Vanity Fair does a great job at keeping a rolling playlist during fashion week and non other than our favorite gals from WhoWhatWear always tweet great songs as they attend shows.

We might have to endure the freezing cold to get to next spring, but at least we have good beats to listen to in the meantime.

Spring/Summer TwentyTwelve
Sinister Kid – The Black Keys (Billy Reid)
Moth’s Wings – Passion Pit (Chris Benz)
I Can Change – LCD Soundsystem (Altuzarra)
She’s A Rainbow – The Rolling Stones (Timo Weiland)
Coquet Coquette – of Montreal (Milly)
Hand Me Down Your Love – Hot Chip (Michael Angel)
Je t’aime – Staff Benda Bilili (Lorick)
C’mere – Interpol (Jason Wu)
Will You Return – The Avett Brothers (Billy Reid)
I Need to Know – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Billy Reid)
Sister – Vetiver (Billy Reid)
Stairway To Heaved – Led Zeppelin (Oscar de la Renta)
Everyday Is Like Sunday – Morrissey (Rodarte)
Fade Into You – Mazzy Star (Rodarte)

To download this playlist from iTunes click here
image via

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