So I’ve been cooking this up for a while, and decided now was as good a time as any to unleash it into the world. The idea here was to capture college life using artists every good college student should get to know, and I think it worked out pretty well. Granted, the college experience is different for all of us, and I hate trying to define it in one fell swoop, but this is what struck me as relevant, and hopefully at least some of it strikes a chord with you too.
Enjoy!
College! The Mixtape [MegaUpload]
(apologies, as always, about popups- let me know if you have trouble downloading)
Track Listing/Liner Notes:
1. White Stripes- We’re Going To Be Friends: We all get stressed at the beginning of a new school year. Take a moment to breathe deep and remember the good old days when the first day meant new crayons, backpacks, and not missing the bus.
2. Albert Alexander- Indie Girl: You’ll meet a guy like this within a week of starting school. He sits in the hallway with a guitar, singing original compositions that are often miles ahead of what you hear on the radio. Incidentally, he’s most likely writing the score to your college career—you’ll probably meet the young woman he’s singing about a week later…
3. Nellie McKay- David: …unfortunately, no matter how bold and independent she may seem, she’s no doubt already crushing on that guy down the hall. You know, the one that isn’t you.
4. Fountains of Wayne- Hey Julie: Unless you’re blessed enough to live off the largesse of your folks (or land a cushy research job), you’ll soon find yourself working one of the most exhausting and/or mind numbing jobs of your life. Here’s hoping that you find that special someone to make it bearable.
5. Belle and Sebastian- The Blues are Still Blue: Before long, that pile in the corner of the room will start to become unbearable, and you’ll have to venture into the dark cold basement for the timeless college ritual of feeding quarters into a machine and watching it spin around for an hour.
6. The New Pornographers- The Slow Descent into Alcoholism: From Welcome Week onward, the temptation to reduce your life to a foggy haze of parties and hangovers is ever present. Keep it in moderation: you may only be young once, but I’m sure that’s what Ted Kennedy thought at one point as well.
7. Elvis Costello- Mystery Dance: As for whatever post party activities may transpire… yeah. Keep it safe, keep it consensual, and keep it awkward, kids. It’s the collegiate way.
8. Electric Six- Danger! High Voltage! : Above all, college is where you learn to appreciate ironic humor, and thus gain a newfound love for 80s power ballads and lyrical gems like “Fire in the disco! Fire in the Taco Bell!”
9. Pixies- Debaser: The Pixies are one of those bands you can really only get into in college, for one simple reason—you have enough time on your hands to actually bother consulting Wikipedia on the meaning of lyrics like “I am un chien andalusia…”
10. Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Eventually, you’ll come to that realization that college requires work. Play this baby on loop while you scrounge through piles of bad notes and half-read course material to patch together a halfway coherent paper that just happens to count for a third of your grade.
11. Super Furry Animals- The Man Don’t Give a Fuck: An anthem for those days where you spend hours playing phone/email tag with the administration just to make one small yet critical change to your college career.
12. Jon Brion- Knock Yourself Out: College is great for existential crises, so long as they don’t render you confused to the point of hitting yourself with a big red ball all day.
13. Billy Bragg- Waiting for the Great Leap Forward: When all else falls short, you can always count on the discovery of social activism to give meaning to your college life. Pick up a sign, stick it to the man, and you’ll feel better in no time… at least until that next paper is due.
14. The Flaming Lips- Do You Realize???: Ultimately, college isn’t about the books or the booze, but about finding out what’s truly important to you. People will come and go over the next four years, but the ones that stick around from orientation to graduation day… those are the type of friends you’ve got for life, and the people who will really matter.
I could bore you guys with 9.11 potificating tonight, but I think this song is all that needs to be said.
