This mix is about Lord of the Flies, everyone’s favorite novel from Freshmen English.
Why it’s pretentious: Aside from the meaning and title? I know it’s hard to believe, but there was once a time when Snow Patrol was too cool for school. I made this right before I dumped them for becoming too commercial. “Chasing Cars? Pfft. I prefer the lo-fi drugged-out sounds of Velocity Girl.”
Tracklisting and downloads after the jump.
This mix is about me.
Why It’s Pretentious: In middle school, I had a very long playlist called “Theme Songs” that features songs that were CLEARLY WRITTEN ABOUT ME YOU GUYS. Since it’s from middle school, it a) doesn’t follow the theme of this blog and b) is even more angsty and bad than usual. (Please note how it starts with a song that is slightly sad and then jumps straight to a song about how I’m so much more awesome than you.) Obviously “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” makes an appearance, but strangely, there’s no Jenny Owen Youngs or Taking Back Sunday, which I find to be an incredibly inaccurate representation of middle school me.
Side Note: Moovers and Shakers has their Kickstarter up! If you read this blog and you’re like, wow, her taste is music is spectacular and I’d really love to help her dreams come true and maybe get one of her mixtapes mailed to me, THIS IS FOR YOU.
Tracklisting and downloads after the jump.
This mix is about Abbey sometimes James always Pokey.
Why It’s Pretentious: My best friend moved away in freshmen year of high school. When she left, we had a very awkward hug goodbye and then I went to my room and cried for hours and made this tape. It starts off as a very cool and collected group of songs that vaguely fit a theme (“the day you move, I’m probably going to explode”) and then dissolves into every song I liked that also made me cry. I meant to give her a copy, but never did. But her birthday was yesterday and I finally sent off a tape and I hope that she likes it and knows how much she means to me.
Tracklisting and downloads after the jump.
This mix is about New York, sans Elton John, plus various shades of punk.
Why It’s Pretentious: I am obviously very good at mixtapes, so I frequently get mix requests. I’m talking, beautifully unraveling scroll of parchment that details requests in small, shining black quill pen ink. You catch my drift? Well, last week, one of my favorite people in the entire world, Morgan Swank, asked me to make one about New York. Here is the request verbitim:
Anything and everything New York. I’m not a fan of cliche NY songs unless they’re remixed. Unless of course it’s Elton John’s “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters” because I cry every time I hear it.
This mix does not include Elton John because I was not in the mood to cry. I was in the mood to ROCK. So I have for you a lot of songs with “New York” in the title and/or by New York bands. It’s fairly heavy on CBGB’s-era punk and the 2000s post-punk/garage rock revival, with a little side of dance-punk. (At a quick glance, the most recent song may be a 30-second in-your-face jam by Heavy Cream.) In true high school fashion, the mix ends with a remix coming out of left field— but I dare you not to like it. Nay, double dog dare you.
Download: Right-click, save as.
Tracklisting after the jump.
