Fruits & Veggies mix!


I made this mix several months ago for Patricia, and I'm finally getting around to sharing here. We just signed up for a CSA here in Nashville and I'm very anxious for May to get here! Does this mean we are officially hippies and/or yuppies?
  1. Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill
  2. Dee-Dee Sharp - Mashed Potato Time
  3. Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree
  4. Harry Belafonte - Banana Boat (Day-O)
  5. Bobby Darin - Clementine
  6. Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar - Dill Pickle Rag
  7. Radio Commercials - Campbell’s Tomato Soup
  8. The Beach Boys - Vegetables
  9. Booker T. & The M.G.S - Green Onions
  10. Johnny Cash Orange Blossom Special
  11. Jay and the Techniques Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie
  12. Julia Lee - The Spinach Song (I Didn't Like It the First Time)
  13. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
  14. Neil Diamond - Cherry, Cherry
  15. Glenn Miller Orchestra - Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree
  16. Harry Nilsson - Put the Lime in the Coconut
  17. Andy/Eddie/Jim Henson - Captain Vegetable
  18. Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit
  19. Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra - Tangerine
  20. Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island

zip file

Mixtape: Lions, Tigers & Bears! Oh my!

Asobi Seksu Lions And Tigers
Bishop Allen Tiger, Tiger
Boy Least Likely To My Tiger My Heart
A Camp Bear On The Beach
The Features Lions
Fleet Foxes Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Iron And Wine Lion's Mane
The Killers Neon Tiger
Mumford & Sons Little Lion Man
My Sad Captains Hello Bears
Page France Mr. Violin And Dancing Bear
Paper Route Tiger Teeth
Pete And The Pirates Bears
Sarah Harmer Came On Lion
Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers The Bear
Washington How To Tame Lions
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Gold Lion


download!

Songs from Commercials, Vol. 15

More songs from commercials, whoo-hoo.


Eharmony Commercial featuring "If It's Love" by Squeeze.


Traveler's Insurance Commercial featuring "Summer's Gone" by Aberfeldy


AT&T Commercial featuring "From the Morning" by Nick Drake


Diet Coke Commercial featuring "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap


Saab Commercial featuring "The Time Is Now" by Asha Ali

Workout Mix - August 2010


MIA Featuring Jay Z XXXO
Justin Bieber Feat. Usher Somebody To Love
Scissor Sisters Fire With Fire
Tegan & Sara The Ocean
Scouting For Girls 1+1
Foals This Orient
Those Dancing Days Run Run
Muse Time Is Running Out
Black Eyed Peas Meet Me Halfway
Kelly Clarkson I Do Not Hook Up
Plastiscines Barcelona
Justice D.A.N.C.E
The Pipettes Call Me

Workout Mix - July 2010

There's a gym in my building, so I had no excuse but to join. Typically in the past, I've just listened to Paramore songs on repeat while running, but that was starting to get a little old. So I decided to make a 45 minute upbeat type mix good for the elliptical/treadmill. I might keep this up, and might not (same goes with the gym habit), but my goal is to make one for each month. ENJOY!





BoB Feat. Hayley Williams & Eminem Airplanes
Hot Chip Ready For The Floor
Sia The Fight
La Roux Bulletproof
Robyn Dancing On My Own (Radio Edit)
The Black Keys Tighten Up
Noisettes Don't Upset The Rhythm
Alphabeat Fascination
Rihanna Rude Boy
Gossip Pop Goes The World
Miike Snow Black & Blue
Empire Of The Sun Walking On A Dream


Rain, rain, go away...



rain, rain, go away...
a rain mix

Adele Right As Rain
Amos Lee It Started To Rain
Bishop Allen Rain
Bob Dylan Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Bruce Hornsby Mandolin Rain
The Carpenters Rainy Days And Mondays
Dar Williams Beauty Of The Rain
eastmountainsouth Rain Come Down
The Everly Brothers Crying In The Rain
James Taylor Fire And Rain
Jamie Cullum Singin' In The Rain
Joe Purdy I Love the Rain the Most
Mayer Hawthorne I Wish It Would Rain
Paramore When It Rains
Patty Griffin Rain
Irma Thomas It's Raining
Radney Foster Raining On Sunday
Ronnie Milsap Smoky Mountain Rain
Travis Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
Whiskeytown Sit & Listen To The Rain


Songs in Commercials, Fourteeth Installment

I went with an "old school" theme this time. And for reals, the next one will the classical.



AT&T Commercial featuring "Pure Imagination" by Willy Wonka



Axe Commercial featuring "Sweet Touch of Love" by Allen Toussaint



Honda Commercial featuring "Pata Pata" by Miriam Makeba



Dell Commercial featuring "Lollipop Lollipop" by The Chordettes



Taco Bell featuring "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington

I heart covers, part two.






Ten cover songs I've been loving lately:

Megan Washington & Sean Foran - Everybody's Talkin' (Harry Nilsson cover)
The Avett Brothers - I Love (Tom T. Hall cover)
Nerina Pallot - Peg (Steely Dan cover)
Clare & The Reasons - That's All (Genesis cover)
The Spinto Band - I Think We're Alone Now (Tommy James & The Shondells/Tiffany Cover)
Kate Walsh - A Little Respect (Erasure cover)
Paulo Nutini - Wake Up (Arcade Fire cover)
Gemma Hayes - Cloudbusting (Kate Bush cover)
The Big Pink - Sweet Dreams (Beyonce cover)
Norah Jones - Jesus, Etc. (Wilco cover)

'09 Mix Tape!


Alexi Murdoch - All My Days

The movie "Away We Go" was such a disappointment to me (how did Maya Rudolph land Jim Halpert? She's cute, but her character was a total bitch!). The soundtrack was definitely the highlight of the movie for me. I bet Nick Drake is glad this guy could carry the torch for him.

The Avett Brothers - January Wedding

I could have picked any song from their album but this one was the first one I latched onto. Their Halloween show at the Ryman was probably the best show I saw all year.

Brooke Waggoner - Burdon of Our Courage

I absolutely ADORED Heal for the Honey and Fresh Pair of Eyes, and so I was sad when this one didn't immediately grab me. Maybe my expectations were too high. Still a good album, but can't compare to the other two in my opinion.

Catherine Feeny - He's Like You Only Better

I knew I would love this song, just from the title! Right now, Feeny's new album is just available on her website, but here's hoping it makes its way to iTunes and record stores soon.

Dave Rawlings Machine - Ruby

Gillian who? Old Crow who?

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

I resist anything that appears to be "hipster music" so I didn't hear this one until late in the year. Glad I gave it a chance!

Emmy The Great - MIA

She is just precious and this song is just precious.

Fanfarlo - Harold T. Wilkins or How To Wait For A Very Long Time

Love, love everything about this band!

fun. - All the Pretty Girls

I was such a fanatic about The Format that I had a hard time getting into this new sound at first. It didn't help that I saw the band open for Manchester Orchestra on what appeared to be their VERY FIRST SHOW EVER... Ok, so it wasn't, but they were clearly unprepared. Or maybe the sound guy just sucked. I don't know. But now you can't tear me away from this album. It produces SHEER HAPPINESS to all who choose to listen to it. And Nate Ruess could front a Neil Diamond cover band and I'd still love him.

Gossip - Heavy Cross

This is the first year I really listed to the Gossip. What took me so long?

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Only good song by an otherwise way-too-hipster band.

Indigo Girls - Love Of Our Lives
Ingrid Michaelson - Mayb
e

These two songs appeal to the repressed folkie in me.

J. Tillman - Year In The Kingdom

Lovely quiet album from Fleet Foxes guy.

Jack Peñate - Be The One

Um, he's really cute. And his songs are catchy.

Jay Z Featuring Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind

My favorite pop song of the year.

Julian Velard - Love Again For The First Time

We need a Billy Joel for 2010... He just might be it.

Just Jack - Embers
Karima Francis - Chasing The Morning Light


Why certain British acts never make it over here is beyond me. Just Jack is fun & catchy yet somehow avoids being cheesy. And Karima Francis' voice makes my heart break into a million peices.

Kelly Clarkson - I Do Not Hook Up

I love that K-Clark made a comeback this year! And I love that she is not a girl that "hooks up."

Kings Of Convenience - Boat Behind
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody


Two different "kings" here... Kings of Leon were kings of the airwaves of every single Top 40 and AAA station this year, to the point where I should be really sick of this song but somehow I'm not. And Kings of Convenience are kings of low key quiet Scandinavian pop. And I love them both.

La Roux - Bulletproof

Listened to the BBC a lot last year... It's starting to show I think.

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

After hearing this song on about a million different award shows, I gave in.

Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)

Laura gave us the most perfect Christmas single last year, and I can hardly wait for her new album in 2010! She is really as good as everyone says.

Leona Lewis - Happy
Lily Allen - Who'd Have Known


Um, BBC Radio One is the culprit again.

The Low Anthem - Ticket Taker

I don't usually pay much attention to lyrics but this one really grabbed me.
I am a ticket taker, many tickets have I torn
And I will be your ark, we will float above the storm


Matt & Kim - Daylight

Avoidable thanks to the Bacardi commercial.

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

It seems every year there is another neo-soul guy singer. It pretty much always works on me.

Metric - Sick Muse

I don't have much to say about Metric. I just know that I always like their albums.

Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds

My favorite new band of the year and probably my favorite album of the year -- Definitely my most listened to album of the year. SO FRICKIN' GOOD. Do yourself a favor and listen to them if you have not yet.

Noah and the Whale - Love of an Orchestra

Their album was an utter disappointment, but this song was the one ray of light on an otherwise TOTAL SAD-SACK of a CD.

Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

I somehow missed their first album but made up for it quickly by falling head over heels on first listen to the new one.

Nouvelle Vague - Road to Nowhere

Best "cover" band ever.

Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick

I will turn 30 in May and I realize that makes me at least ten years too old to like Paramore. But I don't care. They have put out three catchy-as-hell albums (except for that one screamo song at the end of the first album), and I am admitting it to the world: I LOVE ME SOME PARAMORE HAYLEY WILLIAMS. I realize there are other band members but she is definitely the Gwen Stefani to their No Doubt, meaning you couldn't name another member if your life depended on it. As much as Hayley tries to deny it...

Passion Pit - Moth's Wings

I've heard this band sucks live, but their album is the best-dance-music-for-people-who-don't-like-dance-music that I've ever heard.

Pete Yorn - Don't Wanna Cry

Thank you, Pete Yorn, for making a good album this year.

Regina Spektor - Blue Lips

Far isn't as good as Begin to Hope, but that one was hard to beat.

Rosanne Cash - Long Black Veil (Feat. Jeff Tweedy)

An awesome album from start to finish. Thanks to Johnny Cash for helping make "The List".

Sam Means - Yeah Yeah

I can't forget the "other guy" in The Format. It might be hopeless but I am still rooting for them to get back together.

Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers - Rising Sun

I heart female singer/songwriters, especially when they can be described as "Björk's heartland cousin".

Sliimy - Wake Up

I heart gay French pop.

Slow Club - Dance 'Til The Morning Light

I heart twee Britpop.

Sondre Lerche - I Cannot Let You Go

I heart really cute boys from Norway that make jazzy pop.

The Swell Season - In These Arms

Fifty songs is a lot. And while I definitely would not rather watch the Superbowl, I'm starting to tire of writing this list... Can you tell? Anyway. Swell Season is another act that I can thank for always making my heart break.

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me

Yeah, she sucks as a singer. And she is annoying as hell on award shows, whether she's singing out of key or accepting each award like she didn't even know she was nominated. But if I was 13 years old, I know for sure I would be one of those girls screaming at a Taylor Swift concert, wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt and singing every single word to every Taylor Swift song, because what she has is the ability to connect with pretty much every 13 year old girl in the world (I bet even little goth 13 year olds listen to her secretly). So, I have to respect her for that, and I also like to sing along to her songs REALLY loudly when they come on the radio.

Tegan & Sara - Hell

They can do no wrong in my book, even though the intro to one of their songs is a blatant rip off of that MGMT song, which was probably ripped off someone else anyway.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Cool Yourself
Zee Avi - Bitter Heart


Two more fabulous female singer/songwriters. That's about all I can say, since I used all of my remaining energy defending Taylor Swift.

xoxo y'all. Here's to 2010.

Holiday mix for 2009




I absolutely LOVE Christmas music. Each year, I vow I won't start listening to it until Thanksgiving and each year I fail.... usually by June. There were a few really great new songs out this year, so I thought I'd make a mix (it doesn't take much, honestly).

Fun - Believe in Me
Brooke Waggoner - Christmas Moon
William Fitzsimmons - Covered in Snow
Slow Club - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Rosie Thomas - Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year
A Fine Frenzy - Red Ribbon Foxes
Pete Yorn - Do They Know It's Christmas
Catherine Feeny - Christmas Song
Sondre Lerche - Christmas Time Is Here
Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)

(Download as a ZIP here)

And some other fun Christmas links for you:

That's all I've got... Now I shall start compiling my 'best of 2009' lists!

Hope you have a lovely Christmas.

Songs in Commercials, Thirteenth Installment

Chrysler took out the line about heroin from the Dawn Landes song... I wonder why!

Phoenix - 1901 (used in Cadillac commercial)
Annie Little - Fly Me Away (used in the Amazon Kindle commercial)
Dawn Landes - Straight Lines (used in Chrysler Town & Country commercial)
Basia Bulat - Before I Knew (used in Subaru Outback commercial)
Langhorne Slim - Worries (used in Travelers Insurance commercial)

My next batch will be classical themed... Submit your suggestions! My inspiration is the amazing new American Express commercial that uses Bach's Cello Suite.

Happy birthday to the best dog ever.




I never was a dog person. It took my husband five years to convince me we needed one, and even then I wasn't fully sold on the commitment. But now, on the second birthday of our dog Carnaby, I sit here making a MIX for MY DOG. Yeah. I have become the obsessive dog person. My friends talk about their kids, and I just share stories about my dog. He's my baby. Anyway, here are some songs (well, the first one isn't really a song...) about dogs. I would like to think these are the best songs you'll find about your four-legged friend. Enjoy!

Cousin Eddie - "Mississippi Leg Hound" (from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation)
Bobby Bare, Jr. - Your Adorable Beast
The Beatles - Martha My Dear
The Format - Dog Problems
Nellie McKay - The Dog Song
Swan Dive - Half Breed Stan
Cat Stevens - I Love My Dog
Patty Griffin - Heavenly Day
John Hiatt - My Dog & Me
Blue Mother Tupelo - Gustard Bellue

17 Songs about 17!




The Boy Least Likely To - I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to your Star
I was young and I was stupid; I had just turned seventeen

Field Music - 17
When I was seventeen, I could stumble

The Eames Era - All of Seventeen
All of seventeen, we were falling apart at the seams

Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
I went forth with an age old desire to please on the edge of seventeen

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
When I was only seventeen, I could hear the angels whispering

Ladytron - Seventeen
They only want you when you're seventeen; when you're 21, you're no fun

Tara Maclean - At Seventeen (Janis Ian cover)
I learned the truth at seventeen, that love was meant for beauty queens

Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me

The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There
Well, she was just seventeen, you know what I mean

The Wreckers - Strawberry Wine (Deana Carter cover)
Strawberry wine, seventeen.. the hot July moon saw everything

Sexton Blake - Young Turks (Rod Stewart cover)
Patti packed her bags, left a note for her momma, she was just seventeen

Ingrid Michaelson - The Hat
We were seventeen again together (And it's alright)

The Sound of Music soundtrack - Sixteen Going on Seventeen
I am sixteen going seventeen, I know that I'm naive

Kings of Leon - 17
Oh, she's only seventeen... wine and whine and wound up over everything

The Felice Brothers - Wonderful Life
You say you were only seventeen when you fell in love with that dirty Reverend Green

Gillian Welch - No One Knows My Name
And my mother was just a girl of seventeen; It's a wonder that I'm in this world at all

The Mountain Goats - This Year
I played video games in a drunken haze; I was seventeen years young

I heart covers.


Ten cover songs I've been loving lately:

Noah & the Whale - You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover)
Zee Avi - First of the Gang to Die (Morrissey cover)
Ellie Goulding - The Wolves (Bon Iver cover)
William Fitzsimmons - King of Wishful Thinking (Go West cover)
Dawn Landes - I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty Cover)
Daniel Merriweather - You Don't Know What Love Is (White Stripes cover)
Nouvelle Vague - Our Lips are Sealed (The Go-Go's cover)
Amy Millan - I Will Follow You into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie cover)
Crooked Still - Orphan Girl (Gillian Welch cover)
Yim Yames - My Sweet Lord (George Harrison cover)

The Ultimate Bike Mix



I recently purchased a vintage Schwinn road bike which of course leads to my collecting of any and all bike songs. Let me know which ones I am missing!

Dinah Shore - Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built For Two)
Hauschka - Blue Bicycle
Charlene Soraia - Bike
Psapp - Tricycle
Memory Tapes - Bicycle
Queen - Bicycle Race
Robinella - Brand New Key
Shonen Knife - Cycling is Fun
Dukes of the Stratosphere (XTC) - Bike Ride to the Moon
Madness - Riding on my Bike
Fats Domino - Rockin' Bicycle
Darren Hanlon - The Kickstand Song
This is the Kit - With Her Wheels Again
Caroline - Bicycle
Firefox AK - Everytime I Ride My Bike
Amy Correia - The Bike
Oh No, Oh My! - The Bike, Sir
The Plasticines - (Zazie Fait De La) Bicyclette
Katie Melua - Nine Million Bicycles
The Bicycles - BBBicycles
Rosie Thomas - Bicycle Tricycle

Songs in Commercials, Twelfth edition

The eleventh installment was eaten by the internets. Sorry.

Donovan - Colours (used in Lenscrafters commercial)
Aberfeldy - Summer's Gone (used in the new Radio Shack, er, "The Shack," commercial)
Hockey - Too Fake (used in JC Penney commercial)
Matt Costa - Mr. Pitiful (used in Apple iPhone commercial)
Matt & Kim - Daylight (used in Bacardi commercial)

A Mad Men Mix



In honor of the season premiere tonight, I've made a little mix! Enjoy!

Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Blossom Dearie - I Won't Dance
Fats Domino - I Want to Walk You Home
Brenda Lee - I Want to be Wanted
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Benny Goodman - It's Only a Paper Moon
Eartha Kitt - C'Est Si Bon (It's So Good)
Johnny Mathis - Wonderful, Wonderful
Sarah Vaughan - Broken Hearted Melody
Bobby Vinton - Mr. Lonely

Top Ten Springsteen Covers.


After seeing Bruce Springsteen at Bonnaroo, I felt compelled to make a mix of "boss" covers (sorry, had to). When will someone cover "Brilliant Disguise"?

Josh Ritter - The River (live)
The Avett Brothers - Glory Days (live)
Jose Gonzalez & Junip - Ghost of Tom Joad
The Format - For You
Catherine Feeny - I'm On Fire
Camera Obscura - Tougher Than the Rest (live)
The Band - Atlantic City
Patty Griffin - Stolen Car
Hem - Valentine's Day
Tegan & Sara - Dancing in the Dark

If you are itching for more Bruce covers, visit Hangin' On E Street.

Songs in Commercials, Petra Haden edition

This one deserves its own post. After searching for a few weeks, it looks like we finally have a full-length version of the Petra Haden's cover of "Let Your Love Flow" from the Prius commercials (original by the Bellamy Brothers, who haven't had this much hoopla since they looked like this). And better yet, Toyota is offering it as a free download on their myspace site. The commercial itself is worth posting. From a press release issued by Toyota's ad agency:

They employ a cinematic technique to depict the harmony between man, nature and machine. A utopian landscape is made entirely out of people - the sun, clouds and even blades of grass are depicted by people moving in unison.

How cool is that? I should be feeling like such a sucker for the marketing man right now but this commercial is so good that I don't feel bad for liking it.



Petra Haden - Let Your Love Flow

Bonus! Here's the original, too.

The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow

A mix of 10 cover songs for the start of summer.


The Avett Brothers - Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Laura Marling - The Wrote and the Writ (Johnny Flynn cover)
Dragonette - Sharp Dressed Man (ZZ Top cover)
Jay Jay Pistolet - Paper Planes (M.I.A. cover)
Sara Watkins - Pony (Tom Waits cover)
Metric - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Bob Dylan cover)
Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles - Being With You (Smokey Robinson cover)
Lay Low - The Reason Why My Heart's In Misery (Lefty Frizzell cover)
Ben Sollee - Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple cover)
Noah & The Whale - Devil Town (Daniel Johnston cover)