One of the down sides of a year without a computer is that I went a year without making any mix CDs. I don’t know why that’s such a satisfying experience. But when I listen to a mix I’ve just completed and realize that the songs really do work together, I feel like I’ve accomplished something, even though the reality is I’ve just spent several hours messing around on my computer.
I was invited to a party this week, and all the guests were asked to bring mix CDs to exchange. So Monday night I sat down with my little red laptop and got to work. Three hours later I had two playlists I loved and the beginnings of a couple more. I ended up taking two CDs to the party—an upbeat mix filled with some of my favorite female singer/songwriters, and a dark and twisty mix by my favorite men. (Don’t read into that too much! I love my dark and twisty men.) A couple of these tracks may now give The Beatles competition for their spots in my Top 25 Most Played. These are the soundtracks to my week, and a pretty strong indicator of who I’ve been listening to over the past few years.
Chick Songs
1. Broken – Tift Merritt – Another Country (2008 )
2. Little Plastic Life – Sam Phillips – Don’t Do Anything (2008 )
3. Almost – Sarah Harmer – All of Our Names (2004)
4. All I Want – Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)
5. No Bad News – Patty Griffin – Children Running Through (2007)
6. Jack and Jill – Kim Richey – Chinese Boxes (2007)
7. Sticks and Stones – The Pierces – Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge (2007)
8. A Good Start – Maria Taylor – Lynn Teeter Flower (2007)
9. Sentimental Heart – She & Him – Volume One (2008 )
10. 500 Miles – Sandra McCracken – Best Laid Plans (2004)
11. Manhole – Ani DiFranco – Knuckle Down (2005)
12. Last to Know – Maddy Wyatt – Backdive (2007)
13. simple as it should be – Tristan Prettyman – twentythree (2005)
14. The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson – Boys and Girls (2007)
My Favorite Men
1. 15 Step – Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
2. Holler, Wild Rose! – Holler, Wild Rose! – Our Little Hymnal (2007)
3. Cry Baby Cry – The Beatles – The Beatles (The White Album) (1968 )
4. The Heart Beats in Its Cage – Chris Thile – How to Grow a Woman from the Ground (2006)
5. American Girls – Counting Crows – Live from World Café (iTunes Exclusive) (2003)
6. Please, Before I Go – Derek Webb – Mockingbird (2005)
7. Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman that Rains) – Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker (2000)
8. Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
9. Neon – John Mayer – Inside Wants Out (2002)
10. Creep – Damien Rice (no recording info)
11. Go to Hell – David Ford – Songs for the Road (2007)
12. Kathleen – Josh Ritter – Hello Starling (2003)
13. It’ll Happen – Punch Brothers – Punch (2008 )
14. Till the Sun Turns Black – Ray Lamontagne – Till the Sun Turns Black (2006)
15. Your Rocky Spine – Great Lake Swimmers – Ongiara (2007)
16. Come Back Down – Joe Purdy – Only Four Seasons (2006)