What You Should Have Heard #88

My Mix CDs

I’ve got a lot of music but limited space to hold it in, especially in my car. So I’ve gone the old tried-and-true way of making mix CDs to have access to as many bands as possible while driving. I’m going slightly old-school since I’m a bit backwards and have no iPod.

So I finally got a Smart Phone a couple of months ago. I've now got a Spotify account with more than 10,000 songs in various playlists, so I guess I'm done with CDs. I'm going to see this through to the end, though. Well, through Yellowcard, at least. I got a bunch of miscellaneous CDs that contain a bunch of bands with a song or two by each.

Most of the songs will be more upbeat, with probably only the occasional ballad or slower song included. I like to sing in the car, and the more upbeat songs are more fun to sing.

I’ll be going in alpha-numeric order with these, so if you want to argue with me about what Weezer songs should be included, you’re going to be waiting for a while.

My only limitations are that I use 80 min. discs, and I’m only going to use one disc per band/artist. I will make exceptions for only my most favorite bands with huge playlists (Foo Fighters and Self, off the top of my head), but I’d really like to boil everything down to just one disc.

Here’s the list guide:

Track # - Song Name - Album Name [Artist if album is by a different artist]

                                                               

Vanessa Carlton Mix CD

1. Ordinary Day – Be Not Nobody
2. A Thousand Miles – Be Not Nobody
3. Paint It Black – Be Not Nobody
4. White Houses – Harmonium
5. Private Radio – Harmonium
6. Streets Have No Name – Harmonium
7. C’est La Vie – Harmonium
8. Nolita Fairytale – Heroes and Thieves
9. Hands On Me – Heroes and Thieves
10. Spring Street – Heroes and Thieves
11. My Best – Heroes and Thieves
12. Come Undone – Heroes and Thieves
13. The One – Heroes and Thieves
14. Heroes and Thieves – Heroes and Thieves
15. This Time – Heroes and Thieves
16. Fools Like Me – Heroes and Thieves
17. Home – Heroes and Thieves
18. More Than This – Heroes and Thieves

A few notes on Vanessa Carlton:

• I feel no shame in admitting that I’ve got a huge crush on this girl, and it all started after listening to “White Houses.” I have always been a sucker for a pretty girl who can sing, but pretty girls who can sing, play the piano AND bewitch you with dance? Game over, man. Game over. In the video, she’s dancing to her song, and the whole thing, the lyrics, her, her voice, her dancing…everything combines to form this wonderful work of art. Yeah, I’ve been smitten.
• “White Houses” captivated me, and the entirety of Heroes and Thieves made me a fan for life. You might have noticed that every song from that album is on this list. I’m currently working up a list of my “perfect albums,” ones that I love through and through, where there is no desire to skip any songs, and this is one of them. Bits and pieces of “The One” really connected with me over the past few years, what with the dissolution of my marriage and the inevitable mulling over the past and thinking about all the “what ifs” and “could have beens.”
• I loved the symbolism in the beginning of the video for “Nolita Fairytale.” Watch “A Thousand Miles” then watch “Nolita Fairytale.” Besides that, the video is a great jumping on point for the whole album. It doesn’t seem like a slick music video. It’s like clips from home movies that she just happens to be singing in. Her smiles and obvious happiness seem real, despite the unicorns and fairies.
• I realize that I don’t have any tracks from Rabbits on the Run included here. That’s not because I don’t like any of them, it’s just that I made this mix before the CD was released, and I still haven’t bought it yet. I don’t know why. I’ve listened to it on Spotify and I’ve enjoyed it. I plan on remedying that this evening, though, because the album is available for $5 on Amazon through the end of the month. Clicking on the link in the previous sentence should take you right to the album. I’d buy it now, but I’m at work (shhhh) and we’re blocked from downloading stuff from Amazon. Sucks, but I can wait until I get home. I’d download it on my phone using the Amazon MP3 app, but the $5 deal is only good on the website.
• I’ve been listening to the CD on Spotify as I’ve been writing, this, and I’ll have to admit that I don’t think many of the songs would have made it into this mix. The music is fine, I guess, but it doesn’t have the energy or emotion that I grabbed onto with Heroes and Thieves. There are also too many times when her voice shifts and it sounds like I’m listening to Zooey Deschanel in She & Him. It’s not bad, but it’s not what I came to like. The whole thing is just a little too indie folk for me.
• But still, the girl is beautiful, her voice is captivating (when it doesn’t sound like Zooey Deschanel), and her dancing is mesmerizing.

Vanessa Carlton’s Official Site

Vanessa Carlton’s Facebook page

Vanessa Carlton’s Myspace page

Vanessa Carlton’s Twitter feed

Vanessa Carlton’s Soundcloud page

Vanessa Carlton’s iLike page

Vanessa Carlton’s Wikipedia entry

Vanessa Carlton’s AllMusic entry

Vanessa Carlton’s YouTube page

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!