Monday Mixer

Everybody needs a chill playlist. A group of songs that you can just sit back, relax and maybe even fall asleep to. Well it’s your lucky day. Enjoy this mixtape.

1. Cicadas and Gulls – Feist:

Feist shows up on a lot of my mixers; it never ceases to amaze me how I can find a Feist song to fit any mood or situation. This song is just nice. It sounds and feels good. Not too long ago I saw Feist live, and she pulled someone up from the audience to slow dance with one of her back up singers. I’d love to dance to this song at my wedding.

 

2. The Past and the Pending – The Shins:

For the last song on Oh, Inverted World, The Shins decide to give their relentless pop-rock sound a break to end on this more somber and calm sound. While this is one of their more chill albums, this song still showcases a different kind of calm then you are used to from The Shins. This song leaves you at the end of the album feeling emotionally full and fulfilled, or maybe I just like it because I have a soft spot for French Horn solos.

 

3. Hey Mama – Kanye West:

This might not quite belong in this mixtape, but it is one of the sweetest songs in all of hip-hop. Kanye might be crazy, but his music is just so good. It transcends genres. And hey, we can probably all spend a little more time appreciating our mamas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtpKqMpqGU0

 

4. Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes:

This song rocketed onto my most played playlist on iTunes this summer, because I probably fell asleep listening to this album almost everyday this summer. There is just something about the Fleet Foxes that puts your whole soul at rest, while at the same time sounding upbeat, exciting and full. They have a new folk sound that I don’t think can be compared with anything else.

 

5. January Wedding – The Avett Brothers:

I’ve seen the Avett Brothers two times in the past year, and I can try to describe the shows in words, but nothing would do it justice. This group is just too good. They know how to rock, and they know how to make thousands of people croon. This song is a great love song, that is very simply stated and feels just as true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4dtodbhNys

 

6. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Bob Dylan:

This song feels almost exactly the same as “January Wedding” to me, except it’s about a breakup instead of a wedding. I’ve always been a big Dylan fan, but I never paid too much attention to this song until I heard it at the end of an episode of Mad Men. For anyone that’s ever been through a breakup, this song sums up the feelings incredibly well, everything it says feels so right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtkVGClqrT4

 

7. The Crane Wife 3 – The Decemberists:

Here’s another song that I didn’t really start to embrace until I saw it at the end of a TV episode, Scrubs to be exact. It’s one of those songs that I listen to when I’m bummed out. Sometimes listening to a sad song in a sad mood makes you feel a lot better, and this is one of those songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZ3lSurNCI

 

8. The Fire Song – Company of Thieves:

Genevieve Schatz’s voice is too beautiful. Her voice mixed with the strings in this song creates absolute heaven. I don’t have much to say about this song because this song speaks for itself. Listen to it, it’s good for your heart.

 

9. Black Like Me – Spoon:

Spoon is great. They know when to use a whole horn section, and when you just need a piano and guitar. This song is a great song to just sit back and listen to. Spoon doesn’t take much effort to actively listen to; they are just good. I once asked a friend about a driving playlist and he said: “You just need more Spoon, every playlist needs more Spoon.” Truth.

 

10. Next Year – Foo Fighters

When I was younger, I used to watch a TV show, Ed, with my dad every week, and this was its title song. The first rock concert I ever went to was going to see the Foo Fighters with my Dad. Maybe it’s pure sentimentality, but whenever I listen to the Foo Fighters, I just kind of feel good, especially their live acoustic album Skin and Bones. Although jamming to songs like “Best of You” in the car is great too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eUoRr7hx_s

 

 

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