A lot of my friends are out of town, all over Europe, Asia, etc. (Myra's current whereabouts is still unknown. Though, her cryptic e-mail from this morning hints New York.)
This past week, before Georgia left for Rome, I made her a summer mix. Being out of university for the summer has permeated a great deal of sulking, listlessness and overall blasé. And of course, having to face questions about your future at awkward family parties and long-winded lectures by the parental units about what-you're-going-to-do-with-your-life are becoming all the more frequent. It also turns out that I wasn't alone in such an unpleasant position. Hence, I decided to put together a pick-me-up/feel-good mix of sorts.
Browsing through my iTunes, I realized that almost everything I listen to has something to do with loss, grief, bitterness, heartbreak, suicide, unhealthy relationships, deceased lovers, falling out of love, unrequited love... you get the idea. This made the concept of the mix an almost impossible feat.
Luckily, I was able to find ten songs that sounded merry but without the beguiling lyrics that pertain to any of the aforementioned negative sentiments.
Here's the track list:
"2 Atoms in a Molecule" - Noah & the Whale
"Folding Chair" - Regina Spektor
"Little Red Hook" - The Expos
"Everyday" - Vetiver
"How to Hang a Warhol" - Little Joy
"Heavens to Purgatory" - Most Serene Republic
"Human Hands" - Sondre Lerche
"Circles n Blocks" - Hooded Fang
"Paris Be Mine" - The Bicycles
"Big Run" - Luke Lalonde
Okay, what I said wasn't exactly true - that bit about not having beguiling words. "Little Red Hook" has something to do with - and explicitly mentions - "never want[ing] to see [someone's] face", but the singer/narrator/voice of the song does "dream of coming home", which connotes something positive, right? And I know the title "Heavens to Purgatory" doesn't exactly suggest images of a blissful getaway (unless you omit the second-half of the title), but the chorus of repeated "gadzooks" is incredibly catchy! The final song also doesn't quite fit the mould of merriment, but the last spot in a mix - besides the first - is one of the most crucial in mix-organizing. It marks the culminating impression you want to leave with your mix-recipient. And "Big Run" is so full of... everything. It's basically mental catharsis. (See what I mean here.) The song encompasses what I imagine how the mind works, with all its meandering thoughts from which spring more elaborate musings and notions that are all somehow linked together.
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