I love making mix tapes... Do you remember what a tape is?

So I love music... all kinds of music. I also love sharing music with people. And yes, I was and still am one of those sappy dudes that made his girlfriend mix tapes(or cds) of songs that we're for the most part love songs that reminded me of her. Don't worry this blog isn't(just) about sappy love songs. It's more about my love of good music. My intend with this blog isn't to help you to download illegal music... more so, I want to wet your taste buds with quality mixes of music that I love and maybe then you'd love and then you go and buy the music.

I've been thinking about how I want this blog to work for a long time and I think I got it all figured out. Every mix will have a theme and I plan on talking about each band and promoting each band with either their myspace or wikipedia site or whatever is out there... so I'm shooting for this to be entertaining, educational and spread the joy of awesome music.

The first mix I'm posting is "songs that make me happy".
the first track is Valkyrie Missile by Angels and Airwaves this song is super epic. track two is all the pretty girls by Fun. track three is from one of the many really talented people named Ben... it's catch my disease by Ben Lee Track four is from one of my new favorites... (not that he's new to music)it's Frank Turner formerly of millions dead but he's solo stuff sounds nothing like them. the track is called Photosynthesis. Track five is by probably one of the best singers out there right now M.Ward - Rave On. Track six is by Ingrid Michaelson the way I am. Track seven is by Bon Iver for Emma. Track eight is brothers on a hotel bed by Death Cab For Cutie. Track nine is one of those songs that's simple but truth... it's called white man by The Michael Gungor band. Track ten

-My HEART SONGS-

I'm having a tough time trying to put solid words to this mix tape... It sounds silly and cheesy but these songs are my heart songs.

What makes a song a "heart song"? I don't know, but I think it's a personal thing. What songs do it for you? What songs mean a lot to you? What songs can you listen to over and over again not get sick of?

These are the songs that I've listened to over and over again and still love... I know all the words and they mean something to me. Some of these songs are new but speak to who I am right now. Some of these songs speak of my past. Some of these songs are just songs I love. Some of these songs are how I want to me. These are all songs with stories that I can relate to. Some of these songs speak to what I believe and what I'm passionate about.

The last song is the one that I feel is the most important one... Be Thou My Vision. I only pray that someday that song with be my TRUE heart song.

Be thou my wisdom, thou my true word,

I ever with thee and thou with me Lord;

Thou my great Father, I thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Here they are.

Weezer - Heart Songs
Against Me! - High Pressure Low
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Atmosphere - Sunshine
Frank Turner - Photosynthesis
Beirut - Elephant Gun
Ben Folds - Luckiest
Listener - It's time for some drastic measures they're not taking you seriously
Rise Against - Hero of war
Bob Dylan - Forever Young
Brother Ali - Forest Whitiker
Dave Rawlings Machine - Method Acting / Cortez the Killer
Duncan Sheik - That Says It All
Flobots - Handlebars
Frank Turner - The Road
Fun. - The Gambler
Jeff Tweedy - New Madrid
Leeland - Carried To The Table
Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
Regina Spektor - Laughing With
Sloan - I Can Feel It
The Wrecking - In Your Eyes
U2 - Magnificent
My Epic - Lower Still
The Almost - Hand Grenade
Ascend The Hill - Be Thou My Vision

DOWNLOAD!!!

Bonus Download - Guilty Pleasure Songs

Ok, I personally don't believe that someone should feel guilty for liking a song... you can't help what you like. Anyway, but i call this guilty pleasures because it's kind of a type of song.

I'm not going to give a run down of all the songs... I just want you to download it and be surprised by the syrupy guilty goodness... or be disgusted. Please comment on what you find.

Download!!!

Killer Dude... no, I mean it... that dude kills people

Ok, this mix is going to be a little dark... well, actually it's really dark. This mix tape is about killers... some historical and some made up... some serial... but all interesting. I wanted every song to be historical but since I hate death/grind metal I couldn't find enough songs that I liked to make a mix tape for you.


Delia's Gone - Johnny Cash - American Recordings. Not a true story... that I know of, but still a great song about killin'.

Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska. This song is about Charles Starkweather, he and his 14 year old girl friend Caril Ann Fugate tore across Nebraska and Wyoming killing 11 people. Stakweather got the chair admitting that he killed most of the people and claiming that Fugate killed several people. Fugate got life, claiming she didn't kill anyone... she's a model prisoner to this day but refusing to talk about the murders.

Revolution Blues - Neil Young - On The Beach. This song is about Charles Manson the american criminal who master minded and brain washed a number of people to kill 9 people.

Nine Bullets - Drive-By Truckers - Pizza Deliverence... fictional... I think and hope

John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - Sufjan Stevens - Illinois. This song is obvious about John Wayne Gacy, Jr. who was a serial killer who killed 33 young men, some were found in the river but most were buried underneath his house. He was know as the "killer clown" because of his popular block parties.

Black River Killer - Blitzen Trapper - Furr... possibly true or just a killer song... pun intended.

Shankill Butchers - The Decemberists - The Crane Wife. This song is about the gang called the Shankill Butchers in Northern Ireland who would abducted, tortured and murdered or 33 random Catholic Civilians During the 1970's.

Psycho Killer - Talking Heads - 77 fictional.

Son Of Sam - Elliott Smith - Son of Sam. This song is about David Berkowitz who from 1976 to 1977 killed 6 people and shooting and wounding 7 other people. David Berkowitz claimed that his neighbor's dog who was possessed by a demon commanded him to kill.

skulls -The Lemonheads - unknown... misfits song so it was influenced by true serial killers.

I Dont Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats - New Wave Hits Of The '80s. I don't really like this song but the story behind it is interesting. This song is about Brenda Ann Spencer who in 1979 shot up a San Diego school killng 2 and wounding 9. She was quoted after words "I just did it for the fun of it. I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day. I have to go now. I shot a pig (policeman) I think and I want to shoot more. I'm having too much fun (to surrender)."

Hung My Head - Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around... just a good murder ballad... maybe true though.

DOWNLOAD HERE!!!! and Enjoy!!

East Bound and Down... song of the road

Ok, here's the next music Blog. I'm not going to write a ton... I want the music to do the speaking. The idea of road trip music became more vague as I compiled this mix tape. At first I thought this was going to be easy... but every road trip is different and it really depends on the destination. So I started thinking of the songs I wanted to put on this mix and they are very chilled out... maybe not good music for late night driving. Anyway, when I hear these song I picture a car with the windows open, my best friends filling each seat, sun glasses on, cruising through the mountains, maybe the conversation has lulled and we're all thinking about what the people at home or the what future has in store for us... kinda leaning out the window enjoying the warm breeze... watching America fly by. I hope you enjoy this and get what I'm trying to express.

Pink Moon - Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Ghostly Reminders - Josh Moore - Demo 2008
New Slang - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Another Travelin' Song - Bright Eyes - I'm awake, It's morning
Driving The View - Son Volt - Wide Swing Tremolo
Shelter - Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
Swept Away (Sentimental Version) - The Avett Brothers - Mignonette

Restless - Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim

Something Good This Way Comes - Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things
Melissa - The Allman Brothers Band - A Decade Of Hits 1969-1979
These Roads Don't Move - Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar - One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur
Won't Be Coming Home - Golden Smog - Down By The Old Mainstream
Go On - Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static
Montana - Rocky Votolato - Suicide Medicine
The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us! - Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Sandman, The Brakeman And Me - Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk


DOWNLOAD IT NOW

I wear my sunglasses at night...

So this is my 80's cover song mix... it's the best 80's cover songs I could find. When I look at the mix I realize that most of these covers are done by punk and ska bands... which has always and continue to have a soft spot in my heart. I did repeat "Lovesong" by the Cure because the bands that did the song did 'em totally different and I had two covers done by stretch arm strong... because they are so cool.

the mix goes as so...
take on me - Reel Big fish Originally done by A-Ha
true - Duvall Originally done by Spandau Ballet
Send Me An Angel - Thrice Originally done by Real Life
The boys of Summer - The Ataris Originally done by Don Henley
There She Goes - Sixpence None the Richer Originally done by The La's
Lovesong - Anberlin Originally done by The Cure
Punk Rock Girl - Streetlight Manifesto Originally done by The Dead Milkmen
Call Me - Franz Ferdinand Originally done by Blondie
I melt with you - Stretch Arm Strong Originally done by Modern English
Come On Eileen - Save Ferris Originally done by Dexys Midnight Runners
99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger Originally done by Nena
Luka - The Lemonheads Originally done by Suzanne Vega
Just Like heaven - Dinosaur Jr. Originally done by The Cure
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm Originally done by Michael Jackson
Every Breath You Take - Copeland Originally done by the Police
Dancing With Myself - Blink 182 Originally done by Billy Idol
Lovesong - 311 Originally done by The Cure
Express Yourself - Stretch Arm Strong Originally done by N.W.A.

So here it is... DOWNLOAD IT!!!

I Only Smoke On The Dance Floor...

So I love music... all kinds of music. I also love sharing music with people. And yes, I was and still am one of those sappy dudes that made his girlfriend mix tapes(or cds) of songs that we're for the most part love songs that reminded me of her. Don't worry this blog isn't(just) about sappy love songs. It's more about my love of good music. My intend with this blog isn't to help you to download illegal music... more so, I want to wet your taste buds with quality mixes of music that I love and maybe then you'd love and then you go and buy the music.

I've been thinking about how I want this blog to work for a long time and I think I got it all figured out. Every mix will have a theme and I plan on talking about each band and promoting each band with either their myspace or wikipedia site or whatever is out there... so I'm shooting for this to be entertaining, educational and spread the joy of awesome music.

So this leads me to my first mix "tape" is called "I only smoke on the dance floor"... there really isn't any "dance" music on this mix... but it's more like the dance scene on the Breakfast club... you know this scene. Again none of the music is really labeled dance music... but when I hear it, it first gets me bobbing my head, then my fingers start drumming the beat, then my feet start to move and then I'm pumping my fists... then I start looking for a dance floor. If I was held in detention on a Saturday with a group of misfits... this would be the sound track.

starting things off is by one of the many very talented dudes named Ben... Ben Lee, track one is catch my disease from his album awake is the new sleep. Track to is from one of my new obsessions and that's the band Fun. and my favorite song on the album Aim and Ignite and it's All the pretty girls. Track three is Photosynthesis from Frank Turner's album Love, Ire & Song... as I get older this song has become the soundtrack to my life. Track four is Rave On by M. Ward from the album Hold time... in my opinion M. Ward is probably one of the best singers out there right now. Track five is by Morrissey and it's all you need is me and it's on his latest album Years Of Refusal and it's really good... Yes, I'm man enough to admit that I like Morrissey. Track six is Souls on ten by the Almost and it's a killer road trip(You might hear this song in the future) song. It's on their newest album Monster Monster. Track seven is from my new favorite band The Avett Brothers and it's on their newest album I and love and you... Everyone should listen to more Avett Brothers. Track eight is Jersey Shore by The Promise Ring and it was on their album Very Emergency... and it's very good. Track nine is Friend of P. by the Rentals off their first release Return Of The Rentals ... if you don't on know who the Rentals are you should... matt Sharp formerly of Weezer started this band and it's super cool moog-driven nerd rock. Track ten is A praise Chorus by Jimmy Eats World off of Bleed American and is probably one of my top 50 rock albums of all time... and Jimmy Eats World is way underrated. Track eleven by one of the most influential bands of the 90's Weezer... this is off of the Pinkerton album and it's the good life. Track twelve is Say I Won't (Recognize) by The Gaslight Anthem and it's on their album Senor and the Queen. Track thirteen from one of the bands that has changed my life... the Smoking Popes and it's on the Album Born to quit... the song I need you around is a classic in my eyes.

So here it is... DOWNLOAD NOW
Enjoy! I hope is makes you feel(even a little) like I do when I listen to these songs.