january, bitches!

so i sent out your cds last week - you should be receiving them today or tomorrow.  i also sent playlists with them because that's how i roll.  so this post is really just to ruin the surprise for those who have not yet received the cd and to justify my mix which is not nearly as cool as justifying my love (the latter apparently involves wearing a lot of leather and being madonna)...but i digress.

onto the mix.  since it's a new year, i decided to look at my life over the past year (2007) and make a mix all about that since 2007 was a pretty big year for me.  i've had the idea of an "evolution of a year" mix for a while so when contacted for january, i was thrilled.

also, this mix marks the first time i've attempted to make a semi-happy mix.  i specialize in depressing, broken-hearted or angsty songs so this is a big step to make a mix that ends happy.  however, because this is me and because 2007 started out with a break up and the usual doom and gloom i have come to revel in, there is some typical redlaw whiny-ness in the mix - thank heavens, right?   er....whatever....

1. rilo kiley - breakin' up

so maybe it's just me, but when i do break up, i tend to have a brief moment of elation at the idea of being free.  hence, this song leads the mix because it captures oh-so-perfectly how good it feels to be free from a bad thing.

2. neko case - star witness

but right after that moment, i tend to view a break up as a funeral because i do not subscribe to the "let's be friends" school.  after someone effs with my heart like that, they're dead to me.  so here's a great song about death that got some heavy play in the rotation in early 2007 as i was licking my wounds post-breakup from Assface McDouchealot III, as i affectionately refer to him. 

3. sarah mclachlan - dear god

there are 2 things that make a great mix to me - one of them is sarah mclachlan - we'll discuss the other thing later.  you know, maybe it's just me but when i go through rough times, i tend to either blame god or just doubt he exists (and i know that's lame to do but whatever - i do it, i feel bad about it later, but i know i'm not alone in doing it).  this song does both and the emotion in sarah's voice - it breaks my heart to hear it - i love this song and have waited a long time to use it in a mix. 

4. soggy bottom boys - man of constant sorrow

well, this is about as fun and twangy as a sad song can get - for those that love "o brother, where art thou," you're welcome!  and i know it's not really george clooney singing but whatever - a girl can dream....

5. ryan adams - to be young

one of my favorite raunchy movies opens with this song and again, this is a happy-sounding sad song - may favorite!  i like when something is not what it appears to be...

6. belle & sebastian - white collar boy

i'm taking a class on white collar crime right now so i had to throw this song in....especially since one of the best cases i worked on this summer was a white collar case.  this is perhaps the best example of a happy song about really depressing things.  and it makes me want to jump around and dance.

7. dropkick murphys - shipping up to boston

is there a better combo than celtic music and punk?  it's like the new pb&j.  i really dig this band and this song actually brings back really strong memories of this summer to me...watching baseball games and missing Mr. Red Sox - nothing like good bittersweet memories...

8. jeff buckley - hallelujah

wow.  this song can bring me to tears if my hormones are aligned right with the moon and all that crap.  the first time i heard it, i got big goosebumps.  it's haunting and i know everyone already has it but whatever, humor me.

9. the lemonheads - into your arms

an oldie but a goodie.  this song marks the point in the mix where things start really looking up - the first mix that Mr. Red Sox gave me had this song on it...can't go wrong with the lemonheads...

10. zero 7 - pageant of the bizarre

i feel like any guy i end up with is going to have to pay heed to these lyrics - "it's never gonna be normal, you and me"  i love the french feel of this song - the accordions make me feel like i'm in paris again.

11.  john butler trio - betterman

this is a longer song by my standards but i really like it - love the build up in it - another song i filched from that first mix Mr. Sox made me....

12. dave matthews - waste

this is a cover of a phish song - back in high school and into college, i was a huge phish, DMB fan and in making this mix, i went for a little nostalgia - i think good mixes bring old and new together...

13. thomas dolby - she blinded me with science

speaking of old and new - here's my second requirement for a good mix - classic 80s hits.  i LOVE this song - it cracks me up.  there are people i see in the hallways here and all i have to do is shout out "Science!" to get a laugh.

14. the eels - fresh feeling

when relationships are new, they're so fun.  it's as time goes on that you have to make things fun again...to those looking to recapture the new feeling, may i suggest making your husband or boyfriend go away for a summer?  this song was playing on my ipod when i met up with Mr. Sox in london and it will forever capture that feeling of how great it was to see him again after a few months without him.  

15. when in rome - the promise

remember that last scene in napoleon dynamite?  enough said.....

16. ween - stay forever

this is our song, Mr. Sox and me.  i couldn't think of a better way to end a mix on a happy note.  sorry if you're gagging over that.  if it makes you feel better, my life is otherwise miserable and repressed....

so there you go.  hope you like it.  if not, well, at least there were treats to go with it, right?