Mix Tape of the Day: April 11, 2015 - My Favorite Songs of All Time (100th Post)

Wow, we're already at my 100th mix!  Well, I knew I had to do something special, so I've decided to go with my personal top 13 favorite songs.  Now, in 99 days, I've featured a lot of my favorites, so I'm sure that a couple of those would belong on this list as well, but I purposely tried to avoid my absolute favorites so that I could feature them all together.  The following are my top 13 songs that I just know will remain my favorites all my life, in some way or another.

13. Thirteen - Big Star (1972) In high school, a friend told me that this song reminded him of me and ever since then, I've adopted it as my official theme.  I truly feel that my life as it is today is all because of the events that happened when I was 13-years-old.  This encapsulates me perfectly.

12. In the Hall of the Mountain King - Edvard Grieg (1867) I'm a big fan of classical, instrumental pieces that tell a story.  "Mountain King" rises above the rest because it also incorporates my other favorite aspect of music, the slow build to a rousing climax.  I love choreographing visual stories to music (like in Fantasia) and this one provides me with so much to work with.  Whenever it pops up in a movie or TV show, I'm happy.

11. I Miss You - Blink-182 (2003) I know this one gained some attention this year when comedian Nathan Fielder asked someone to create a 10 hour loop of Tom DeLonge's verse because, I admit, his voice is quite whiny.  But I enjoy the song for those magical chords.  And sure it's a depressing, bitter grievance of unrequited love filled with references to The Nightmare Before Christmas (a.k.a. the perfect song to play at Hot Topic), but sometimes you just have to have a song like that in your life.

10. Delicate - Damien Rice (2002) I like to listen to this on the beach while my CD player dies. (This song always reminds me of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which gave me great difficulty, as I love that song, but couldn't settle on the best version to include.  Then I realized that this song hits me a lot harder than that one.  A great song for when you just need to get those emotions out.)

9. Float On - Modest Mouse (2004) Let's raise the mood a bit.  Thanks to a Weird Al polka medley, I discovered this song.  I remember thinking that part of the medley was the coolest so I sought out this track and it instantly became one of my favorite songs.  It reminds me of younger days when a hopeful future is ahead of you and whenever I'm in a funk, it helps get me out.

8. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba (1997) But if any song is going to make me happy, it's this one.  Pure fun all around.  I don't care if you're sick of it, this is my ideal night out song.

7. I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Whitney Houston (1987) If any song's going to get me up and dance, it's this one.  Fortunately, it plays at nearly every dance occasion.  (I really wish that Grouplove would release a cover version of this song.  They always play a short version of it live after their similar-sounding "Tongue-Tied" and they have so much fun singing it.)

6. Somewhere Only We Know - Keane (2004) I'm going back to that heart-wrenching nostalgia now.  It's a perfect song.

5. Nightswimming - R.E.M. (1992) My favorite R.E.M. song from my favorite R.E.M. album.  Like with "Somewhere Only We Know," it reminds me of summertime nostalgia, except it's a false one.  This represents the memories I wish I had.  And, apparently, that's part of the meaning of the song if you read about it's origins.  And it's just a piano, strings, and Stipes voice.  For a small song, it sounds so big.  I always find that I respect a musician more if they not only cite R.E.M. as an influence, but cite this song as their favorite.

4. Origin of Love - Mika (2012) Mika is like a rich dessert.  I always have to sample a little bit of his music at a time because every song of his impresses me more than the last.  For the longest time "Happy Ending" was my favorite Mika song, but this one dethroned the champion (and interestingly, he often plays the two back to back live due to their similar sound).  But this one is just perfect.  It really captures the "love is a drug" theme in its sound and it builds to an amazing finale.  Love in it's purest form.

3. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens (2005) This was the official song of my college road trips to Chicago.  And whenever I visit my favorite city nowadays, you know I'll listen to this song.  Sufjan Stevens just crafted a masterpiece filled with joy and sorrow and everything in between.

2. Only Time - Enya (2000) I've shared some fun songs and some sad songs, but this is just a beautiful song.  It transports me to a dreamlike fantasy whenever I hear it.  So peaceful, so relaxing.

1. Zombie - The Cranberries (1994) As much as I love all the songs on this list, nothing will ever beat "Zombie."  The first time I heard it, I knew.  Dolores O'Riordan's voice just took a hold of me.  If you know me, you probably know that this is my favorite song, so I'm sorry for the lack of surprise.  I once had a roommate who would play this song whenever she wanted to summon me to come talk to her.  That's how much this song is a part of me.

Mix Tape of the Day: March 21, 2015 - Music from the O.C.: California, Here We Come

This is one of the first mixes I've wanted to do ever since starting this project, and I'm happy to finally have this opportunity.  Tomorrow, I'm heading to Orange County and that means it's time to share some of the brilliant, wonderful music of one of my favorite series of all time The O.C.  (I loved it mostly for the music. It was my first foray into the daunting world of indie music.)

1. California - Phantom Planet (2002) Gotta start with the series theme song of course.  Ever since that first episode premiered, this song has been forever linked with the west coast in my mind.  Fun fact! I watched the first episode of The O.C. when it premiered because I remember all the ads making it look like a terrible ridiculous show, so I wanted to see the train wreck.  Instead, I became a fan for life, due to the great writing, humor, pathos, and of course, the music.

2. Saturday Morning - Eels (2003) As I write this, it is Saturday morning.  And I've got a long day ahead of me.

3. Honey and the Moon - Joseph Arthur (2002) I received the first two O.C. mixes for my 17th birthday and I just fell in love with them.  Had they been vinyl records, they'd be worn to dust by now.  There weren't just fun songs.  There were songs that spoke to my heart.

4. A Lack of Color - Death Cab for Cutie (2003) One of the best characters on the show was the "geeky" Seth Cohen.  And he was our prototypical mid-2000s version of a geek.  But he wasn't an offensive stereotype.  He was self-aware and multi-dimensional.  He made the "Seth Cohen Starter Pack" to allow newcomers to get to know him better, so I had to include an element of that kit here in the form of this song.

5. We Used to Be Friends - The Dandy Warhols (2003) Maybe you know this as the Veronica Mars theme song (which was also a wonderful show), but I was first introduced to it through The O.C., so it will always be a part of my memories with that show.

6. Specialist - Interpol (2002) This one I can't quite put my finger on.  I don't really understand it, but I can't stop listening to it.

7. Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap (2005) Thanks to the hilarious "Dear Sister" sketch from SNL that spoofed the Season 2 finale of The O.C., this song has become somewhat of a joke.  But if you can remove yourself from that absurdity, you're left with a haunting song.

8. Something Pretty - Patrick Park (2003) I'm not one for lyrics in my songs.  It's often the music that gets me.  But this lovely folksy song just paints a great picture with it's imagery.  "I'm the 'OPEN' sign that's always busted." What a great metaphor.

9. Walnut Tree - Keane (2004) When I listened to my mixes, this would always be the song I'd look forward to the most.  Keane just has that effect on me.  I once listened to this song on a particularly long train ride as I was leaving a dear friend behind, never quite knowing when I'd see her again.  So now I've got that memory linked with this one.

10. Eastern Glow - The Album Leaf (2004) This is my go to sunrise song especially if you manage to see it after staying up all night.  But I haven't yet had the opportunity to synch the two up just right.  Hopefully there will be a sunrise in my future where I remember to play this song.

11. Dice - Finley Quaye (2003) Favorite moment of the series?  Well that has to be when Ryan races against the clock to tell Marissa he loves her at midnight on New Year's Eve.  Writing that out seems like such a cheeseball story element, but in context, with this song in the background, it is perfect television.

12. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (1994) Thanks to...Shrek, I was already a fan of this song.  But when Marissa played this song for Ryan in the second episode of the series, saying it reminded her of him, I knew that this was a special show.

13. Forever Young - Youth Group (2006) Here it is.  My second favorite song of all time.  A cover of Alphaville's "Forever Young" that was commissioned for the show.  Just as "Hallelujah" was the first song Marissa played for Ryan, this one was the last.  That "whatever song comes up next on the radio will be our song" scene is one of my favorites in the show's history.  My high school life ran right alongside that of Ryan, Marissa, Seth, and Summer.  I graduated when they graduated.  And this song came out just in time for the senior prom.  It was my end of the year anthem, and remains to this day my favorite song (save for one other).

Mix Tape of the Day: January 1, 2015 - New Year, New Beginnings

I like music, but I feel as if I know nothing about it.  I know what I like, but my iPod tracklist is suffering with barely any songs on it.  So, my New Year's resolution is to fill each day with music.  A 13-song mix tape for each day.  Sometimes there will be a theme (band, album, year, topic) but overall, each playlist should be filled with songs I enjoy (i.e. I won't skip them when I hit "shuffle").   Some will be old favorites and some will be new discoveries.  Input and suggestions for daily themes are welcome, as 365 is a lot of days to cover.  (And maybe one of these days I'll figure out the whole Spotify thing to make this more user-friendly.)

So, hey, 2015!  Here is your first mix tape: New Year, New Beginnings

1. Intro - The xx (2009) This isn't just the introduction to today's mix.  It's the introduction to the whole project.  So I needed a track that represented the start of something grand.  Judging by the popular activity of taking "Intro" and extending it into a looped mix that lasts long beyond its two-minute runtime, it is clear to me that this is a piece of music no one wants to end.  As a New Year song, it lets me know that the days ahead may not all be joyful, but they may not all be dreadful, either.  They will all be meaningful.  That I guarantee.

2. Happy New Year - ABBA (1980) Leave it to ABBA to capture everything great and devastating in this holiday.  The lyrics promote optimism for grand changes and peace on Earth, but there is a pessimistic undercurrent that implies humanity can never really change, no matter how many resolutions we make.  The melody has grown on me over time.  I first dismissed it as the generic ABBA sound, but it can easily become a beautiful mournful piece if one just plays it instrumentally.

3. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds (1965) But even if humanity struggles to change, life goes on.  And, as this scripture-inspired song tells us, everything occurs when it needs to.  There is always a time for everything.  There were a few "call to action" political songs I was considering for this spot on the list, but the timeless lyrics of this piece kept it forever relatable in my mind.  You can apply it to any change you want to see in the new year.

4. New Year's Day - U2 (1983) Of course, I couldn't skip the most famous song that shares this day's name.  While "New Year's Day" isn't my favorite U2 song, there is no question that this pops into my head every January 1st.  It's a protest song mixed with a love song that once again leaves us a little scared about the upcoming year.  The lyrics aren't particularly hopeful, but they are strong and empowering, preparing us for the challenges of the new year.

5. This Year - The Mountain Goats (2005) If you've resigned yourself to the fact that nothing is going to be different this year, at least you can change one thing.  Your attitude.  Terrible things will happen daily.  Some of them will happen to you.  So, grit your teeth, and survive.  "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me," isn't the best mantra to have your whole life, but goodness knows you're going to need to repeat this philosophy to yourself at some point this year.

6. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes (2005) Let's move onto happier outlooks on the future.  Sometimes we need to remember that a new year brings so many possibilities.  We sometimes forget that so much happens and we're biased toward the past, assuming we'll see nothing we haven't seen before.  The future doesn't hold a candle to our best memories, right?  Well, you never know when the first day of your life is really going to occur.  In this case, it's a romantic notion, about meeting someone new.  It's a song I feel is necessary to take with you each day.

7. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World (2001) I know the theme of today is new beginnings, but that doesn't mean we should forget that life is just one big middle.  So New Year's Eve was a bust.  So what?  It's just the middle.  Maybe New Year's Day was just as disappointing.  It's just the middle.  Everything, everything will be all right, all right.  (This also happened to be my middle school personal theme song, obviously.)

8. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield (2004) And in keeping with this idea of life as a series of beginnings and middles, we have "Unwritten." As a person who views his life as a literary work, this song speaks to me and grounds me in reality, reminding me that while I may see patterns leading from one point to another, nothing is set in stone.  You are the author of your story...

9. It's My Life - Bon Jovi (2000) ...so take it and run with it!  Like Frankenstein, you'll do it your way!

10. Everybody's Changing - Keane (2003) But even with all of this embracing of the unknowable future, sometimes you can't help but notice that other people's lives tend to move a little faster than yours.  We talked about the New Year bringing changes, and often it will be more evident in the world around you.  It's time to make a resolution.  One you can stick with.  And there is only one point to every resolution...

11. I Wanna Get Better - The Bleachers (2014) Isn't that really what we all hope to get out of New Year's resolutions?  Screaming at the world for the problems about ourselves that we need to fix?

12. Let Go - Frou Frou (2002) This is my personal resolution.  Maybe you can identify with it.  I need to let go.  Of unhealthy relationships, of total control, of the past.  It's the only way to move forward.

13. Let's Get It Started - The Black Eyed Peas (2004) It's the end of New Year's Day, so it's time for our annual helping of Black Eyed Peas.  I couldn't think of a more fitting way to kick off the new year.  All right, 2015, I'm ready for you!