![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
carrieYou know the deal! I've been making annual mixes every year since 2003, inspired by my fellow MLP collector Spoosh. But what's a good mix tape if not shared, preferably with notes on why I liked it?
Yeah. I haven't done that part since 2012. >_>
Today I was feeling more inspired about music though, and I need to practice writing things without compulsively over-editing them, so here's all the songs I liked in 2017 and why. The playlist can be found on Spotify, and I'll edit in the link to YouTube once I've made it there.
[edit: hang on I gotta learn how DW does spotify cause my iframe got eaten. I need to afk but I'll fix it later.]
Mondo Cozmo - Shine
This song entered the WXRT morning radio rotation not soon after the 2016 election. It was a mellow prayer and reminded me to put down Twitter and start the morning with a deep breath.
For the Foxes - Easy Way (Acapella)
In case you didn't know, our family sings in the car a LOT. We're very drawn to music that has lots of harmony opportunities, and this song's so catchy and fun. Also: tfw you're writing up your 2017 mix and praising an acapella song for its alto lead and discover, once again, it's a band of 4 dudes. (See below: Portugal. The Man...)
It really was a good year to be a contralto though. If I were ever in a band I would hope I would sound like this.
Melt - Sour Candy
HOW MUCH DO I LOVE HER VOICE? If the jazz interlude gets too slow for you, just jump ahead to 4:06, holy COW. This was another one of those tracks that Spotify just pitched at me one day, and I gave it a big hug and a prime spot on my summer playlist.
Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still
When I first heard this song and started sharing it around I was billing it to my friends as "what if The Black Keys but: a woman as lead singer?" Then I actually looked at the people in the music video and realized I'd misgendered them, but whatever; I'd already identified my new karaoke song.
FOR THE KICKS, MAN. </mst3k>
Paul Simon - Wristband
Can you believe I first heard this song about probing your white/class privilege on Prairie Home Companion, of all shows? (I can, because Chris Thile and the revitalized Live from Here have been pretty great all around.) This bass line is delightfully turbulent under the sparkling percussion and I really like it.
Imagine Dragons - Believer
First things first, I'mma say these lyrics are fun, and Imagine Dragons are at their best when they're playing around with bass and low percussion. I can't listen to this song without nodding my head.
Green Day - Still Breathing
Okay Billie Joe I don't know what you mean by some of your lyrics here ("I'm like a mother barely keeping it together" ok what?) but good heavens: I love singing it, especially the pre-chorus into the chorus. This one got played a lot at the time of year where you start rolling down the car windows and sharing your music with the neighborhood.
Blu Cantrell - Hit 'Em up Style (Oops!)
This is totally the kind of R&B I loved in the mid-late 90s and that's a genre I miss. This song is a Mood, as the millennials say. The "OH!" in the chorus is basically my favorite part.
Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling!
Okay, shut up. You'd like it too if you had a smol nephew who dances like Snoopy to this song. My nieces and nephews love it because it's in the Trolls movie and it just makes everyone so happy when it plays at a family gathering.
(Not gonna write the title in allcaps though. Sorry not sorry.)
Andrew Bird - Pulaski at Night
I went to Toronto again this year, for work. Right on time, here comes this song on Discover Weekly.
I have a bad habit of not finding Andrew Bird songs I like until 4 years after they've been already out. (See also: "Imitosis" from 2014's mix.) This riff very easily gets stuck in my head, and the lyrics are...relatable, to say the least.
I didn't know until really recently that Andrew Bird grew up in the north suburbs, but quite possibly because he sings the word "Chicago" (and "petri dish" from "Imitosis") in a way that's pleasing to the ear, as opposed to the gross way we say it locally. ;)
I Fight Dragons - With You
I'm working on learning this on guitar, with Amie singing the lead because she sounds gorgeous singing it. #contraltolyfe
(I don't advocate, never advocate not taking one's pills. When I sing this song, I picture more of a "both, and" mindset. Yes, pay your bills, and also: look around you and share your authentic self with the world.)
The Paper Kites - Bloom
This is one of those songs you hear in a bathroom somewhere and have to google the lyrics later because it's frowned upon to say "okay google, what is this song" and hold up your smartphone to the speaker in a bathroom...
One Eskimo - Kandi
Another one that got a lot of play on the local morning radio rotation. We already know I'm a sucker for songs that layer on as they go, but also I absolutely love how it's simultaneously such a mellow and intense groove.
Carlos Eiene (insaneintherainmusic) - Adventure Awaits! (Alola Region Theme)
We went to Hawaii in 2017 for the first time ever. It was right after they released a Pokémon game that took place in a region based on Hawaii and Polynesia. For Amie's birthday we went to her favorite park in the video game and of course it was even more beautiful in real life.
This song is a jazz cover of the main theme song to the video game and it's just so dang happy, I have to smile when it's playing. Hawaii was indescribably gorgeous, and Pokémon Moon was also a fun game.
The Paper Kites - Holes
agh what a gorgeous buildup and harmony, 1:23 I am melted
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
I don't even know where this song came from, just that it was on all the time when I was visiting other people's houses, and I really wanted to hear it every time it was playing, and one day Spotify played it for me too. #blessed
Beck - No Distraction
Dear Qué (Carrie of 1995): that guy with the crabby "Loser" song on the radio will one day release your favorite Sting/Police song since...that Sting song you're listening to right about now probably
Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, etc - Despacito (Remix)
Yeah I know everybody liked Despacito in 2017. So did I, so it goes on the mix.
I thought really hard about putting the remix version on here because Justin Bieber's verse in English is so bland and out of place with the rest of the song, but then I realized it's actually the codeswitching in the middle of this version that makes bits of my gringa brain light up, so here it is. Please do look for the original though and give that a listen sometime!
Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill (acoustic)
Okay it's trendy to hate on him right now, but goodness, it is just a pop single with a lot of fun energy. That's why I put the acoustic version on here, because it makes me think of college friends playing guitar outside the dorm. Ordinary people, enjoying music together, that's some prime memory fodder right there, and since this song is all about memories, I think I've written a circle now?
Ezra Vine - Celeste
Speaking of really fun pop singles! There's a lot to sing here. This song is always over before I'm done with it.
Ninja Sex Party - In Your Eyes
(Oh hey it's little Qué again!) When I was in high school I was convinced that this song was the most romantic, intimate song that was ever or would ever be written.
So here's a comedy band from YouTube (same folks who covered "The Last Unicorn" on my 2015 mix) doing a beautiful cover of it, even including the verse that Peter Gabriel only ever sang in concert, that stopped my poor teenage heart when I first heard it. These are good memories.
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound
&
Radical Face - Secrets (Cellar Door)
This is the kind of stuff I listen to when I'm working. Early on I ruled both these songs off the mix because I couldn't explain why I liked them, but later in the day I'd have one of their melodies stuck in my head, and realized they had to go back in. Anyway, they're both extremely "I'm trying to get work done while it's being 2017 out there".
Emma Stone - Audition (The Fools Who Dream)
As a rule, I don't ever put songs from musicals on annual mixes (because their recordings don't ever match what I have) so if I'm going to make an exception, it's going at the end of the mix. La La Land was not my favorite movie, but this scene sure made me happy-cry. A brilliant anthem on being an artist, and it's so singable.
Again, great year to be a contralto.
And that's where we leave it! If you listen, let me know what you think.
Yeah. I haven't done that part since 2012. >_>
Today I was feeling more inspired about music though, and I need to practice writing things without compulsively over-editing them, so here's all the songs I liked in 2017 and why. The playlist can be found on Spotify, and I'll edit in the link to YouTube once I've made it there.
[edit: hang on I gotta learn how DW does spotify cause my iframe got eaten. I need to afk but I'll fix it later.]
Mondo Cozmo - Shine
This song entered the WXRT morning radio rotation not soon after the 2016 election. It was a mellow prayer and reminded me to put down Twitter and start the morning with a deep breath.
For the Foxes - Easy Way (Acapella)
In case you didn't know, our family sings in the car a LOT. We're very drawn to music that has lots of harmony opportunities, and this song's so catchy and fun. Also: tfw you're writing up your 2017 mix and praising an acapella song for its alto lead and discover, once again, it's a band of 4 dudes. (See below: Portugal. The Man...)
It really was a good year to be a contralto though. If I were ever in a band I would hope I would sound like this.
Melt - Sour Candy
HOW MUCH DO I LOVE HER VOICE? If the jazz interlude gets too slow for you, just jump ahead to 4:06, holy COW. This was another one of those tracks that Spotify just pitched at me one day, and I gave it a big hug and a prime spot on my summer playlist.
Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still
When I first heard this song and started sharing it around I was billing it to my friends as "what if The Black Keys but: a woman as lead singer?" Then I actually looked at the people in the music video and realized I'd misgendered them, but whatever; I'd already identified my new karaoke song.
FOR THE KICKS, MAN. </mst3k>
Paul Simon - Wristband
Can you believe I first heard this song about probing your white/class privilege on Prairie Home Companion, of all shows? (I can, because Chris Thile and the revitalized Live from Here have been pretty great all around.) This bass line is delightfully turbulent under the sparkling percussion and I really like it.
Imagine Dragons - Believer
First things first, I'mma say these lyrics are fun, and Imagine Dragons are at their best when they're playing around with bass and low percussion. I can't listen to this song without nodding my head.
Green Day - Still Breathing
Okay Billie Joe I don't know what you mean by some of your lyrics here ("I'm like a mother barely keeping it together" ok what?) but good heavens: I love singing it, especially the pre-chorus into the chorus. This one got played a lot at the time of year where you start rolling down the car windows and sharing your music with the neighborhood.
Blu Cantrell - Hit 'Em up Style (Oops!)
This is totally the kind of R&B I loved in the mid-late 90s and that's a genre I miss. This song is a Mood, as the millennials say. The "OH!" in the chorus is basically my favorite part.
Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling!
Okay, shut up. You'd like it too if you had a smol nephew who dances like Snoopy to this song. My nieces and nephews love it because it's in the Trolls movie and it just makes everyone so happy when it plays at a family gathering.
(Not gonna write the title in allcaps though. Sorry not sorry.)
Andrew Bird - Pulaski at Night
I went to Toronto again this year, for work. Right on time, here comes this song on Discover Weekly.
I have a bad habit of not finding Andrew Bird songs I like until 4 years after they've been already out. (See also: "Imitosis" from 2014's mix.) This riff very easily gets stuck in my head, and the lyrics are...relatable, to say the least.
I didn't know until really recently that Andrew Bird grew up in the north suburbs, but quite possibly because he sings the word "Chicago" (and "petri dish" from "Imitosis") in a way that's pleasing to the ear, as opposed to the gross way we say it locally. ;)
I Fight Dragons - With You
I'm working on learning this on guitar, with Amie singing the lead because she sounds gorgeous singing it. #contraltolyfe
(I don't advocate, never advocate not taking one's pills. When I sing this song, I picture more of a "both, and" mindset. Yes, pay your bills, and also: look around you and share your authentic self with the world.)
The Paper Kites - Bloom
This is one of those songs you hear in a bathroom somewhere and have to google the lyrics later because it's frowned upon to say "okay google, what is this song" and hold up your smartphone to the speaker in a bathroom...
One Eskimo - Kandi
Another one that got a lot of play on the local morning radio rotation. We already know I'm a sucker for songs that layer on as they go, but also I absolutely love how it's simultaneously such a mellow and intense groove.
Carlos Eiene (insaneintherainmusic) - Adventure Awaits! (Alola Region Theme)
We went to Hawaii in 2017 for the first time ever. It was right after they released a Pokémon game that took place in a region based on Hawaii and Polynesia. For Amie's birthday we went to her favorite park in the video game and of course it was even more beautiful in real life.
This song is a jazz cover of the main theme song to the video game and it's just so dang happy, I have to smile when it's playing. Hawaii was indescribably gorgeous, and Pokémon Moon was also a fun game.
The Paper Kites - Holes
agh what a gorgeous buildup and harmony, 1:23 I am melted
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
I don't even know where this song came from, just that it was on all the time when I was visiting other people's houses, and I really wanted to hear it every time it was playing, and one day Spotify played it for me too. #blessed
Beck - No Distraction
Dear Qué (Carrie of 1995): that guy with the crabby "Loser" song on the radio will one day release your favorite Sting/Police song since...that Sting song you're listening to right about now probably
Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, etc - Despacito (Remix)
Yeah I know everybody liked Despacito in 2017. So did I, so it goes on the mix.
I thought really hard about putting the remix version on here because Justin Bieber's verse in English is so bland and out of place with the rest of the song, but then I realized it's actually the codeswitching in the middle of this version that makes bits of my gringa brain light up, so here it is. Please do look for the original though and give that a listen sometime!
Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill (acoustic)
Okay it's trendy to hate on him right now, but goodness, it is just a pop single with a lot of fun energy. That's why I put the acoustic version on here, because it makes me think of college friends playing guitar outside the dorm. Ordinary people, enjoying music together, that's some prime memory fodder right there, and since this song is all about memories, I think I've written a circle now?
Ezra Vine - Celeste
Speaking of really fun pop singles! There's a lot to sing here. This song is always over before I'm done with it.
Ninja Sex Party - In Your Eyes
(Oh hey it's little Qué again!) When I was in high school I was convinced that this song was the most romantic, intimate song that was ever or would ever be written.
So here's a comedy band from YouTube (same folks who covered "The Last Unicorn" on my 2015 mix) doing a beautiful cover of it, even including the verse that Peter Gabriel only ever sang in concert, that stopped my poor teenage heart when I first heard it. These are good memories.
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound
&
Radical Face - Secrets (Cellar Door)
This is the kind of stuff I listen to when I'm working. Early on I ruled both these songs off the mix because I couldn't explain why I liked them, but later in the day I'd have one of their melodies stuck in my head, and realized they had to go back in. Anyway, they're both extremely "I'm trying to get work done while it's being 2017 out there".
Emma Stone - Audition (The Fools Who Dream)
As a rule, I don't ever put songs from musicals on annual mixes (because their recordings don't ever match what I have) so if I'm going to make an exception, it's going at the end of the mix. La La Land was not my favorite movie, but this scene sure made me happy-cry. A brilliant anthem on being an artist, and it's so singable.
Again, great year to be a contralto.
And that's where we leave it! If you listen, let me know what you think.
