"Mixed Company 2"

February 2010
Themed Round: Two
for: Ballroom Pink
Last round at the FTOTZ!

1. You! Me! Dancing! - Los Campesinos!
2. September's Not So Far Away - The Field Mice
3. Hallucinations - The Raveonettes
4. Crystalised - The XX
5. I Love A Man In Uniform (Yeah Yeah Yeahs remix) - Gang of Four
6. Deadbeat Club - The B-52s
7. Heaven Can Wait - Charlotte Gainsbourg
8. Bonnie & Clyde - Luna
9. I'm A Lady - Santogold
10. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
11. 1000 Words - Arthur & Yu
12. Gotta Have You - The Weepies
13. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
14. Jackson (With June Carter) - Johnny Cash
15. How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down - Silver Jews
16. Handle With Care - Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins
17. Portland Oregon - Loretta Lynn
18. I'm From Further North Than You - The Wedding Present
19. Bati Mon Nid - Françoise Hardy
20. This Little Light - Neko Case

Comments on the mix: This is a sequel to "Mixed Company," which was also sent to my mixee. Both mixes feature songs with both male and female vocals.

"2009 Lives"

December 2009
for: Diane Court

1. Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - Beck
3. Treat Me Like Your Mother - The Dead Weather
4. Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen - PJ Harvey & John Parish
5. Sabali - Amadou & Mariam
6. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
7. Lisztomania - Phoenix
8. My Girls - Animal Collective
9. Periodically Triple Or Double - Yo La Tengo
10. You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II) - Sunset Rubdown
11. French Navy - Camera Obscura
12. Two - The Antlers
13. Slush - Jarvis Cocker
14. Beware Your Only Friend - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
15. Magpie To The Morning - Neko Case
16. Snookered - Dan Deacon
17. Everyday - Vetiver

Comments on the mix: My annual year in review.

"Back to School"

September 2009
for: brautigiggle

1. School Days - Chuck Berry
2. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
3. Peacebone - Animal Collective
4. Help! - The Beatles
5. Natural's Not In It - Gang Of Four
6. Roadrunner - The Modern Lovers
7. Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello
8. Rock And Roll - The Velvet Underground
9. Poor Old Soul (part 2) - Orange Juice
10. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
11. Fake Tales Of San Francisco - Arctic Monkeys
12. I Cut Like A Buffalo - The Dead Weather
13. He's Got the Power - The Exciters
14. URAQT - M.I.A.
15. Long Island - That Dog
16. Over and Over Again (Lost and Found) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
17. The Power Is On - The Go! Team
18. 1901 - Phoenix
19. B.O.B. - Outkast
20. Hey - The Pixies
21. I’m On Fire - Electrelane
22. American Music - Violent Femmes
23. Undeclared - The Dodos

Comments on the mix: I'm feeling OLD, so I wanted to do a mix inspired by the spirit and energy of youth.

"Highway"

July 2009
Themed Round: Road Trip
for: Adieu

1. Ninety Miles An Hour (Down A Dead End Street) - Hank Snow
2. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - Beck
3. Treat Me Like Your Mother - The Dead Weather
4. Motor Away - Guided By Voices
5. Johnny Cash - Sons & Daughters
6. I Lost It - Lucinda Williams
7. Moon Palace - Luna
8. Jackson (With June Carter) - Johnny Cash
9. Someone's Daughter - Beth Orton
10. Woof Woof - Dan Deacon
11. Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke
12. Car Song - Elastica
13. Love Like A Sunset Part I - Phoenix
14. Honey In The Sun - Camera Obscura
15. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
16. My Girls - Animal Collective
17. On The Other Side - Vetiver
18. Vengeance Is Sleeping - Neko Case
19. Honk If You're Lonely - Silver Jews
20. Movin' Right Along - The Muppet Movie Soundtrack

Comments on the mix: Very loosely themed mix, but probably what I'd put together for a road trip at this moment. (I already did a road trip mix here.)

"Beach Ball"

June 2009
for: ord

1. Lisztomania - Phoenix
2. I'm A Lady - Santogold
3. Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective
4. Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Black Postcards - Luna
6. Each Year - Ra Ra Riot
7. Friction - Television
8. People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
9. Sabali - Amadou & Mariam
10. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon
11. Rome (Wasn't Built In A Day) - Sam Cooke
12. French Navy - Camera Obscura
13. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
14. Ooh Carla, Ooh Otis - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
15. Nothing Ever Happened - Deerhunter
16. Rock And Roll - The Velvet Underground
17. Snookered - Dan Deacon
18. Everyday - Vetiver

Comments on the mix: Just my annual summer entry.

"In the Wee Hours"

April 2009
Themed Round: Mixee-dictated
for: kickedinthehead

1. Lived In Bars - Cat Power
2. New Round - Beck
3. You Want The Candy - The Raveonettes
4. Hysteric - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. 1000 Words - Arthur & Yu
6. Magpie To The Morning - Neko Case
7. Winter - The Dodos
8. I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You - Silver Jews
9. Now That I Know - Devendra Banhart
10. This Deed - Electrelane
11. Go Now - Bessie Banks
12. Avril 14th - Aphex Twin
13. Let It Die - Feist
14. Stay Golden - Au Revoir Simone
15. Good Morning, Heartache - Billie Holiday
16. It's A Fire - Portishead
17. After Hours - The Velvet Underground
18. Martha - Tom Waits
19. Bar Italia - Pulp
20. The Orchids - Califone
21. Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste - Galaxie 500
22. I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) - The White Stripes

Comments on the mix: For this mix, I was inspired by my mixee's favorite time of day: "the wee hours of the morning." It turns out it's kind of hard to create an entire mix of songs that sound like the end of something. I think about half of these tracks could have filled the final slot.

Comments on the cover: Photo by Brassai. Also, I got a new printer. Yay!

"A Little Help From My Mix Club Friends"

January 2009
Themed Round: The Mix Club
for: Masticator

1. Surf Wax America - Weezer
- (from sraina, February 2005)
2. Surf Song - James Yorkston and The Athletes
- (from jimcat, October 2005)
3. Can I Steal A Little Love? - Frank Sinatra
- (from rekkidbraka, June 2008)
4. We're So Cool - The Au Pairs
- (from derhay, December 2006)
5. Get By - Talib Kweli
- (from Diddydeezie, April 2005)
6. Comfy In Nautica - Panda Bear
- (from Mike Eternity, April 2007)
7. Eighties - Killing Joke
- (from Surly Booty, February 2008)
8. Apartment Story - The National
- (from BlueJayWay, April 2008)
9. Expressway To Your Heart - Amen Corner
- (from brautigiggle, July 2007)
10. Girls Like Me - Bonnie Hayes with The Wild Combo
- (from Diane Court, May 2006)
11. Bam Bam - Sister Nancy
- (from Spinning Will, June 2007)
12. It's Getting Better - Mama Cass
- (from Masticator, July 2008)
13. He's So Fine - The Chiffons
- (from glammonkey, November 2005)
14. James K. Polk - They Might Be Giants
- (from decca, December 2008)
15. Mockingbird - Etta James & Taj Mahal
- (from CagedRage, November 2006)
16. Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
- (from nudgewinkgirl, March 2007)
17. I Hear The Bells - Mike Dougty
- (from Jedzz, September 2008)
18. Our Hell - Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
- (from Adieu, January 2008)
19. Valley Winter Song - Fountains Of Wayne
- (from Ballroom Pink, November 2007)
20. Sampson - Regina Spektor
- (from P.D. Noosh, November 2007)
21. Don't Drop Out - Dolly Parton
- (from Sgt Howie, December 2005)
22. Everyday - The Raveonettes
- (from Lost Highway, March 2006)

Comments on the mix: Finally! A retrospective of some of the great music I received through the Club. The first track is from my very first round participating. Made for former Mix Club czar Masticator.

"Crazy 2008"

January 2009
for: Masticator

1. You! Me! Dancing! - Los Campesinos!
2. DLZ - TV On The Radio
3. Each Year - Ra Ra Riot
4. Kids - MGMT
5. Psychotic Girl - The Black Keys
6. Dead Sound - The Raveonettes
7. Lights Out - Santogold
8. Fools - The Dodos
9. Ready For The Floor - Hot Chip
10. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
11. So Everyone - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
12. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
13. Split Lips - Sons & Daughters
14. California Girls - The Magnetic Fields
15. Cheap and Cheerful - The Kills
16. Salute Your Solution - The Raconteurs
17. Strange Victory, Strange Defeat - Silver Jews
18. Children's Crusade - Oxford Collapse
19. Along The Way - DeVotchKa
20. More News From Nowhere - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Comments on the mix: Annual year-in-review mix. See 2005, 2006 and 2007. (Printer still dead.)

"Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over"

December 2008
for: Pam

1. Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over - Jack White
2. Answer Me - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
3. Split Lips - Sons & Daughters
4. Random Rules - Silver Jews
5. I’m On Fire - Electrelane
6. Could We - Cat Power
7. Some Kinda Love - The Velvet Underground
8. Shiny Cattle - Magic Car
9. Come To View (Song For Neil Young) - Arthur & Yu
10. Go Now - Bessie Banks
11. Dead Sound - The Raveonettes
12. Red Hot - Billy Emerson
13. Wonderful Witches - Thurston Moore
14. Rebound - Charlie Rich
15. Painter In Your Pocket - Destroyer
16. DLZ - TV On The Radio
17. My Kind Of Man - Dolly Parton
18. You Don't Know Baby - Wanda Jackson
19. Ragged Wood - Fleet Foxes
20. Heartbeats - José González
21. Sunshine - Peter Salett
22. St. James Infirmary Blues - The White Stripes
23. Ol' 55 - Tom Waits
24. Just Say So - Bettye LaVette

Comments on the mix: Not a lot to say about this one, since it's themeless. Ever since I heard the title track, I thought it would be amusing to do a mix with this title — that had nothing to do with Christmas. It was tough to make a mix for Pam, who has a lot of music knowledge and great taste. I tried to offer a range of stuff. (The sad cover is due to great printer tragedy of 2008.)

"The Long Haul"

September 2008
Themed Round: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
for: derhay

1. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - Bob Dylan
2. How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down - Silver Jews
3. Winter - The Dodos
4. Challengers - The New Pornographers
5. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon
6. Handle With Care - Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins
7. Sweet Dandelion - Peter Salett
8. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Fleet Foxes
9. The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle & Sebastian
10. So Everyone - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
11. California (All The Way) - Luna
12. Citrus - The Hold Steady
13. Free - Cat Power
14. Dragonflys - Devendra Banhart
15. Explain It To Me - Liz Phair
16. Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car - Iron & Wine
17. Crosses - José González
18. Best Bit - Beth Orton
19. The Orchids - Califone
20. For Emma - Bon Iver
21. I Lost Something In The Hills - Sibylle Baier
22. Our Way To Fall - Yo La Tengo

Comments on the mix: The theme this month was to make up a soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist. This is a movie about four friends who, in their youth, pledged to take an epic trip together in the distant future. When the time comes, they are all in very different places in their lives, but agree to reunite. So this is a soundtrack for four friends on the road, with an undercurrent of melancholy. I wrote about the mix a little more extensively at Mix Tape Collective.