How Fucking Romantic

I tried to make this mix err more on the "we-broke-up-and-I'm-pissed" side than the "we-broke-up-and-I'm-wearing-black-eyeliner-and-moping" type of break-up songs. It's not perfect. It's messy and ugly, just like a broken relationship. Hey-o!

Let's commence.

Download here

1. The Distillers -"Dismantle Me" Brode Dalle's throaty roar out-Courtney Loves even Courtney Love. Choice lyric: "And all I know dissolved/I could never reundo you"
2. Sleater-Kinney - "One More Hour".
The counterpoint harmonies between Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein just drive home the heartbreak. It makes it hit home even more when you know this was written about their breakup. Choice lyric: "Take off the dress, take off the face/I'll hold you close before I leave"
3. The Magnetic Fields - "Yeah! Oh Yeah!"
It would be impossible to make a breakup mix without this band. Choice lyric "I've enjoyed making you miserable for years". For the way Stephen Merrit delivers that line, in the most cosmopolitan way.
4. Rihanna - "Breakin' Dishes"
Choice lyric: "I'm killin' time, you know, bleachin' your clothes/I'm roasting marshmellows on the fire/And what I'm burning is your attire"
5. Ani Difranco - "Dilate" Choice lyric: "'Cuz you've left me with nothing/But I've worked with less"
6. Ben Folds - "Gone" Choice lyric: "I know that you went right to someone else/while I worked through all this shit here by myself". So simple, but it cuts right to the quick.
7. Alkaline Trio - "Stupid Kid" Choice lyric: "Remember when I said I loved you/Well forget it, I take it back". Bratty and perfect.
8. Nightmare of You - "Why Am I Always Right" Choice lyric: "Stick a fork in a socket, do what you'd like /Just make sure that I'm far out of your life"
9. Bjork - "5 Years" Choice lyric: "I dare you to take me on/I dare you to show me your palms/I'm so sick of cowards/Who say they want, but can't handle love"
10. The Mountain Goats - "No Children".
Maybe the finest breakup song in the bunch. Hell, I'd go as far to say the best breakup song EVER. No hyperbole. Choice lyric: Too many, but I'll go with "And I hope when you think of me years down the line /You can't find one good thing to say /And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out, You'd stay the hell out of my way"
11. Of Montreal - "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal"
At nearly 12 minutes, this is by far the longest song on this mix, but it is well worth it. The energy just builds and builds. Plus, spaceship noises! Choice lyric: "Let's tear the fucking house apart/Let's tear our fucking bodies apart/But let's just have some fun"
12. Fiona Apple- "Oh Well" Choice lyric: "What wasted unconditional love/On somebody who doesn't believe in the stuff"
13. Dance Hall Crashers - "Nothing Left To Say" Choice lyric: "So you can't be mad when you don't get your sweater back /'Cause it's the only part of you that I can hold"
14. Dresden Dolls - "Truce" Choice lyric: "And if we should meet through some misunderstanding/I'll be very sweet, very patient and forgiving/Now get off my side of the state"
15. Robyn - "Should Have Known" Choice lyric: "My family, they never did pretend/My mama felt she never liked you/And neither did my friends"
16. Feist - "Let It Die" Choice lyric: "And after all it won't take long to fall in love /Now I know what I don't want /I learned that with you"
17. Kate Nash - "Foundations" Adorable british accents make everything go down easier, don't they? Choice lyric: "Well, I'll leave you there 'till the mornin'/And I purposely wont turn the heating on/And dear God, I hope I'm not stuck with this one."
18. Shellac "Prayer To God".
And I've saved the best one for last. This isn't so much a breakup song as it is, dear God, keep Steve Albini AWAY from that girl and her boyfriend cause he IS gonna fucking kill them. White-hot anger, distilled into a four minute song. Choice lyric: "Make him cry like a woman, no particular woman/Let him hold out hope that someone or other might come". Ouch!

New Theme for February:

History has shown that there are two distinct themes of love songs.

Theme the first: The Honeymoon Phase. These songs are characterized by their devotion to romance, undying affection, wonder, and massive promises of love eternal.

Theme the second: The songs for when those promises are proven to be the worthless lies they are.

Guess which ones I want you to make a mixtape of.

Please give me ≤80 minutes of the rawest tunes you can scrape together for rebounds/breakups/white-hot-emotional-rage. Difficulty level: No Alanis or Ms. Gaynor.

Valentine's Day's a-comin'! Get your mix full of bile ready!

for these, we are truly thankful

I'm going to avoid using horrible puns ("Feast on these!") and just give you the tracklisting. I think they're all pretty great songs... enjoy.

1. The American Analog Set - Born on the Cusp
2. Say Anything - Shiksa (Girlfriend)
3. Reggie and the Full Effect - Thanx For Stayin'
4. The Stills - Baby Blues
5. Soft - You Make Me Wanna Die
6. Rilo Kiley - So Long
7. Lightspeed Champion - No Surprise (For Wendela)
8. Jimmy Eat World - Table For Glasses
9. We Are Scientists - Spoken For
10. Modest Mouse - Broke
11. Of Montreal - So Begins Our Alabee
12. Cut Copy - Lights and Music
13. Moving Units - Paper Hearts
14. The Promise Ring - Red and Blue Jeans
15. Wolf Parade - Modern World
16. Interpol - Obstacle I
17. Kent - Quiet Heart
18. Saves the Day - Rocks Tonic Juice Magic

November theme

Oh hey dudes,

Remember us?

This months' mix theme will be "Thanksgiving," as thought up by Vivian, who explains it thusly:

"Each song is your favorite song for each artist. Why you are thankful that that artist exists, bc they have this song"

That should be a pretty nice softball to get everyone back into the mix-making spirit after being out of practice.

Go to it. :)

Let's Go!

Hey hey fellow Mixies! (We call ourselves that, right?) I was inspired to actually get on and make a "World Tour" mix this time due to the fact that I basically spend 3-6 months of any calendar year outside of the good ol' US of A. So pardon my tardiness, & let's get to it shall we? (Warning, due to said theme, I took the liberty of making this mix as ethno-tastic as possible.)

Catch it while you can! (RAR)

1.Son of a Lion OST- Leaving the Workshop

2.Guided By Voices- As We Go Up, We Go Down

3.Coconut Records- West Coast: Dedicated to my bb grl Viv. :(

4.Cat Steves- Wild World

5.Asha Bhosle-Dum Maro Dum: The Subcontinent's go-to tune for getting high to, or so I would imagine. Not like I know from experience, or anything.

6.The Ramones- California Sun

7.The Kominas- Chaku!

8.Wall of Voodoo- Mexican Radio

9.The Modern Lovers-Modern World: Put down the cigarette, & drop outta BU.

10.Marie Laforet-Mon Ami Mon Amour: Buy a beret and try to convey a sexy, disaffected je ne sais quoi

11.Beirut-Postcards from Italy

12.Lata Mangeshkar-Aa Jaane Jaa: Just close your eyes and imagine this song screeching on an ancient record player as you sit in a seedy cafe in some developing world hole-in-the-wall waiting for a big "deal" to go down. You know the one. Avoid the first briefcase, it's a decoy filled with scorpions.

13.Patti Smith- Redondo Beach

14.Fun Boy Three- Our Lips Are Sealed (Urdu Version): A very recent discovery of mine, found while trolling for records on ebay.

15.They Might Be Giants-Istanbul

16.Kraftwerk-Das Model

17. M.I.A.-World Town: I know, I know- M.I.A. is supposed to be so over, but if I ever lead a revolution, my battle cry will totally be this song's titular refrain.

18.The Buzzcocks-Late for the Train: You've got the right briefcase, you fool- what are you waiting for? Run!

19.Broken Social Scene-Passport Radio

20. Carla Bruni-Quelqu'un m'a dit

21.Son of a Lion OST-Niaz Runs Away (Buchmann Remix):

22.The Clash- Rock the Casbah

23. The Cure-Killing an Arab: What does this song thing it is? Operation Iraqi Freedom? Zing! (This joke © 2004.)

24.Sex Pistols-Holiday in the Sun

25.The Velvet Underground-European Son

26.Phoenix-Long Distance Call:

27. Tears for Fears- Everybody Wants to Rule the World: Because let's face it, the central goal of travel is laying the groundwork for world domination, right? What, you guys don't consider the planet a giant Risk board?

28.Khalid- Didi (live): You and the briefcase, successfully cruising away on a Sheik's luxury party yacht as angry henchmen shake their fists impotently at you from the shore.

29. King Khan & The Shrines- Que Lindo Sueño: Au revoir mon petit!

I'll Take Us Home: A mix about New York

It's an obvious choice--doing a mix about New York--but oh well, I make my own rules. In honor of my packing two suitcases and moving 3,000 miles to ~the City~ here is a mix with songs inspired by my new home.
P.S. If I can take some time out from relocating and familiarizing myself with an entirely new city to do this, I think you guys can bust out some mixes too. Just sayin'. :)

Download here.
1. Wu-Tang Clan: C.R.E.A.M.
2. Santogold: L.E.S. Artists
3. Matt and Kim: I'll Take Us Home
4. Simon & Garfunkel: 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
5. The Mountain Goats: Lovecraft in Brooklyn
6. The Clash: The Right Profile
7. Jeffrey Lewis: The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song
8. The Velvet Underground: I'm Waiting for the Man
9. Bob Dylan: Visions of Johanna
10. The Magnetic Fields: I'm the Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
11. Belle and Sebastian: Piazza, New York Catcher
12. Nico: Chelsea Girls
13. Kings of Convenience: Little Kids
14. Conor Oberst with Gillian Welch: Lua
15. Cat Power: New York
16. Thom Yorke: And it Rained all Night
17. LCD Soundsystem: New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down (duh).

August theme: World Tour!

The theme for the month of August shall be: World Tour


Interpret how thou wilt. Bands from different countries, songs about countries, songs about world travel, songs that remind you of places you've been, etc etc etc. You get the idea.