Seems Like Old Times

The Love Is A Mix Tape group birthday challenge last year comprised of sending and receiving a picture from a mixer, and making a mix tape accordingly. The picture I got was pretty personal, so I can't share it, but it was of, presumably, father and child listening to music, sitting in their very 80s lounge room, on the floor with headphones on. I am sure many of us can picture it...

The big square speakers of the stereo system, the record player and tape player stacked up, the big black leather ear pieces, the daggy 80s retro clothing on both dad and child, and the dominant browns of such a room, back in the day.

So, this is the collection I put together for it, within the theme of this intimate experience of listening to music with a parent, and also some sentimental tracks to evoke that time.

Homage to my Dad and the ABC – Clare Bowditch and The Feeder Set;
Message to God – Little Birdy;
Seems Like Old Times – Sarah Blasko;
Sons & Daughters – The Decemberists;
Daughters – John Mayer;
Two Of Us – Aimee Mann & Michael Penn;
Casimir Pulaski Day – Sufjan Stevens;
My Old Man – Anika Moa;
Old Man – EJ Barnes & Liam Finn;
Flame Trees – The Sacred Heart School, Cabramatta;
Whatever Makes You Happy – Powderfinger;
When I First Met Your Ma – Paul Kelly;
Katie – Missy Higgins;
The House At Pooh Corner – Josh Pyke;
Weir – Killing Heidi;
A Million Little Pieces – The Good China;
Forever My Friend – Ray LaMontagne;
White Wine In The Sun – Tim Minchin

This is the message I got back from my receipient:

I adore my mixtape!!! It actually brought a wee tear to my eye. I never knew such amazing songs existed, and it's obvious you've put a lot of thought into it - it matches that picture perfectly!

That's pretty cool!

Sweet Valentine Mix

Looking to do a happier, more loved-up collection, these tracks formed my Valentine's Day mixtape this year. This is part of the Love Is A Mix Tape group, of mixers around the world, swapping theme-inspired mix tapes, as assigned!

Wasted – Angus and Julia Stone
U R The 1 – The Basics
World To Me – David Gray
Burn Your Name – Powderfinger
After Dark – Little Birdy
Anyone But You – Michael Cera & Ellen Page
You’ve Got The Love – Florence & The Machine
Can I Catch Fire? – Max Sharam
One Crowded Hour – Augie March
Into Eternity – Jens Lekman
Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak – Macy Gray
Heart It Races – Architecture In Helsinki
Some Kind Of Wonderful – Joss Stone
The Special Two – Missy Higgins
This Boys In Love - Sparkadia

This year, however, I was given an Aussie Mixer to send it to. Not only that, but someone in Brunswick. So perhaps not a collection of new music for it's recipient this time.

A Groovy Kind Of Love

My first received mixtape through the Love Is A Mix Tape group, was the Valentine's Day mix swap last year. And I totally love it!

Crazy For You - Groove Armada
Sexy Boy - Air
Jealous Of Your Cigarette - Hawksley Workman
She Fucking Hates Me - Puddle Of Mud
All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
Crazy In Love - The Magic Numbers
Green Eyes - Coldplay
Jolene - The White Stripes
Song to Delia Smith - Aidan Smith
Kissing My Love - Bill Withers
Happy Together - Mel Torme
My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
If You Wanna Be Happy - Jimmy Soul
I Don't Care - Patti Page
Carrie - Joni Mitchell
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Afternoon Delight - Ron Burgandy
Love Her Madly - The Doors
Sexyback - Corinne Bailey Rae
The Luckiest - Ben Folds
Time's a Wastin - June Carter

Some great covers there! And the mix plays beautifully.

Anyway, it's time to sign up for the next one for this year, so make a committment, have a play with a collection of songs, and send it on! And discover new music in an equally poured over mix in return!

Roadtrip Mix

As I am floating around the house, packing for a trip that will include a big roadtrip, I am reminded of the Roadtrip Mix I received in the mail this year. As part of the group, love is a mix tape, this swap delivered a set of tracks to drive to....

1. Hit 'n' Run - Horrorpops
2. Last Of The Steam Powered Trains - The Kinks
3. Road Runner - The Animals
4. Saturdays Nights - Tiger Tones
5. Still Ill - The Smiths
6. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
7. Wagon Wheel - Lou Reed
8. Silver Stallion - Cat Power
9. Run For Your Life - The Beatles
10. Midnight Swift - Buddy Holly
11. Cape Cod Kwasa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
12. Ohio - The Dandy Warholes
13. Haulin Hearse - The Ghastly Ones
14. Dead Road 7 - The Kills
15. Do The Hansa - The Cure
16. Transmission - Joy Division
17. Mesopotamia - Santogold & Diplo
18. Black Tongue - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Only 1 song I had in my collection already, and several bands I was keen to give a listen. Another awesome mix gift from a music lover somewhere in the world!

Escape and a Third of MSW Down

I am just about to hit the road to drive my last 2 essays for the year down to the submission box. These are the final assessments of my 2 subjects from this semester, after completing 2 last semester also, doing my MSW part time. Amazing, considering the pop-in-my-head idea this return to study was!

The tunes that have got me through this past month of essay hell have come from a mixtape I received in the mail, as part of a birthday swap through the group, Love Is A Mix Tape. For this swap, I submitted a picture, and was matched with someone who made the mix accordingly. The reply I received stated that my mixer had based her compliation on the idea of Escape, to be listened while working/studying, with no prompts, which is pretty awesome.

Here is the track list:
1. Breeze - Apollo Sunshine
2. Ernie - Fat Freddy's Drop
3. Island In The Sun - Weezer
4. Perfect Day - Lou Reed
5. Hong Kong - Gorillaz
6. Talihina Sky - Kings of Leon
7. King For A Day - Jamiroquai
8. Reminising - Little River Band
9. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
10. Golden Brown - The Strangers
11. I don't know what this track is! No lyrics, so it's not searchable, but works in with the playlist.
12. Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Love it. Some new tracks and artists to me, has worked it's magic.

Love Is A Mix Tape

I stumbled upon a Facebook group quite some time ago, through a friend's event, and have since been inspired to make, and introduced to, collections of music - in the form of the old fashioned mix tape. Of course, this is a burnt CD nowadays, but a similar effect.

The group, love is a mix tape has the tagline 'Make a mixtape, send a mixtape, get a mixtape', and the brains behind it proposes a theme for a mixtape swap, collects participants, urging "Doer Daniels" only. You are then provided with a recipient, and set to mix your collection of songs. You send to the address provided, most likely to another land, and then receive an equalled poured over collection to the same theme. Brilliant!

So this is the mix I put together for the V Day Swap, in February this year. Built around the Jeff Buckley number, a bit of unrequited/love lost mix.....

1. Drumming Song, Florence + The Machine
2. Faith, The Harpoons
3. Sundirtwater, The Waifs
4. If I Were You, Kasey Chambers
5. You Were Meant For Me, Jewel
6. Wise Men Say, Anika Moa
7. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, John Mayer
8. I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted To Be), Jeff Buckley
9. We Should Be Together Now, Powderfinger
10. Accidental Babies, Damien Rice
11. Learning To Let Go, Max Sharam
12. Can’t Let Go, Mia Dyson (Like A Version cover)
13. Ten Days, Missy Higgins
14. Don’t Miss You At All, Norah Jones
15. Is My Baby Yours? Sarah Blasko
16. Jolene, Dolly Parton
17. I’ll Kill Her, Soko
18. Best Work, The Whitlams
19. All Or Nothing, The Basics