Mix #3: Rewind

Some older songs that I've been into recently for your listening enjoyment. Not all of them are non-embarrassing, since these are all songs from while I was in my last few years of middle school and first few years of High School and I've graduated already, but they're all a pretty good listen.

Enjoy

XO

FREAK

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Ten tracks.

Ten bands.

Ten videos.

Enjoy.

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Language Lessons (Five Words Or Less) - Hawthorne Heights

I got this album my Freshman year.
Wow I'm getting older now...
That's like the reality that the kid I babysat is now in middle school
WTF.
This song is fantastic though. It made it onto one of my first high school mixtapes. 

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We Used To Be Friends - The Dandy Warhols

This song was the theme song for popular yet sadly defunct teen neo-noir show Veronica Mars.
I sort of obsessed.
I'm STILL sort of obsessed.
The Dandy Warhols are also just... epic. 

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The Plastic Surgery Hall of Fame - Schoolyard Heroes

Epic Seattle band.
Epic song.
Sad that they stopped playing and recording... 

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Please Please Please - Shout Out Louds

I love the Shout Out Louds, and I love this song.
To those who don't often watch One Tree Hill, this is off of the Friends With Benefits album.

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Getaways Turned Holidays - Meg & Dia

This also made it onto one of my first high school mixes. 

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Revolution - The Veronicas

Love this song.

Got this CD when I was...

A sophomore, I believe.

This video also makes me happier than anything.

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Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

When my mum and I moved down from Seattle, she freaked.
So I told her it would be okay and put this song on.
And it was.
Now I'm getting three little birds tattooed on my ankle, for my mum.

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Simple - Katy Perry

From *before* she kissed a girl...
It was in Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants.

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She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5

Maroon 5 never quite died.
Never quite thrived, either.
But this song used to make me smile so much...
And yeah, I guess it still does.

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Such Great Heights - The Postal Service

This ended up being the basis for a painting I did my junior year.
I love The Postal Service.
I hope you do to.

Mix #2: Boys In Bands

Some of my favorite songs by dude-fronted outfits.

All of the videos are live because I sort of have this theory that live music has this weird sort of kinetic energy that makes it like a battery recharge for the human soul. Look up CD versions of songs if you want a better listen. Or at least look up the lyrics.

Let me know what you think.

XO

FREAK

***

Ten tracks.

Ten bands.

Ten videos.

Enjoy.

***

You Know Dats Right - American Diary

PS: so sorry this is so shit, there was only so much I could do. It was the only video of it I could find. Get the song, though, it's fucking amazing. The entire American Diary album is fucking fantastic, I bought their CD off of them when I went to Warped Tour over the summer and I love them to death. They're also some of the sweetest guys I've ever met.

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Good Weekend - Art Brut

This song is fantastic. 

And this version has the best intro ever. 

"It's a dancing, drinking, love song that you can dehydrate to..." 

It also has some epic participation in the middle.

This is a live video of the band performing at Pitchfork Festival in Chicago in 2006.

I wish I could have seen this because the band is fucking funny and amazing.

Plus, just listen to this song.

"I've seen her naked... TWICE!"

Enjoy.

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Hoods & Capers - Asteria

Acoustic at Bamboozle 2009. Couldn't find a good full band version.
Love this song, though. 

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I Know What I Am - Band Of Skulls

This song just sort of makes me smile. 

Since I'm favoring live videos, this is live on Jimmy Kimmel.

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Tighten Up - The Black Keys

The Black Keys are fantastic, and this song has such a lovely sound to it. 

Live on The Late Show with David Letterman 5/25/10.

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Jude Law And A Semester Abroad - Brand New

I fucking love this song.

The lyrics are fantastic. 

It also just sounds good. Like... it's good to listen to. 

You can thank me later. 

"I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips..."

"Tell all the English boys you meet about the American boy back in the states, the American boy you used to date, who would do anything you say..."

"And even if her plane crashes tonight she'll find some way to disappoint me by not burning in the wreckage or drowning at the bottom of the sea..."

"And if you ever said you missed me then don't say you never lied."

XO

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Short Skirt Long Jacket - Cake

Live on their Cake Finally Plays Europe All Request Webcast on 1/22/02.

Skip forward to around 2:24 if you want to go straight to the song,

But trust me...

The intro is entertaining enough to warrant the extra two and half minutes.

"I want a girl with a mind like a diamond... I want a girl who knows what's best... I want a girl with shoes that cut and eyes that burn like cigarettes. I want a girl with the right allocations who's fast and thorough and sharp as a tack... She's playing with her jewelry, she's putting up her hair, she's touring the facilities and picking up slack... I want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket." 

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Photobooth - Death Cab for Cutie

It's not quite sad, but it's not quite sweet. It's good to listen to, though, but most Death Cab songs are. 

This has been my favorite Death Cab song for a long time. 

Live from Sydney, Australia in 2009.

"Anything but the blatant proof was your lips touching mine in the photobooth..."

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Monsters Under the Bed - Eugene McGuinness

At Rough Trade 2009 via MySpace. 

I love this song, though the live version starts with an intro that I wish was in the live version.

Mario death noise + scary half singing. 

Yes.

"I spent five hours on the net last night... avoiding the monsters under my bed with square eyes... now I dare not stick my feet off the end incase they bite, sing the monster song... la-da-dup-ba-da-bow-ah... la-da-dup-ba-da-bow-ah... la-da-dup-ba-da-bow-ah... la-da-dup-ba-da-bow-ah..."

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Man Ray - The Futureheads

At the Royal Albert Hall with Muse to support Teenage Cancer Trust in 08.

"It gives me man ray, it's what we like. It gives me weston, touch each other in black and white." 

"Touch yourself, touch yourself, touch each other in black and white..."

This song is repetitive, but not difficult to listen to. The lyrics, though simple, are kind of spectacular. 

Enjoy.

Mix #1: Songs For Mornings (Or Whenever)

So I've never really been a morning person, but for a while now I've had to be a big kid and actually haul my sorry butt out of bed before the crack of noon. It's horrible, I assure you. But everyone has those days where they just don't want to get up and moving. The hangover days, the still drunk days, the stoned days, the cotton headed days, the sick days, the PMS days, the breakup days...

Whatever the reason, sometimes you need something not very morning-y to get you out of bed. At least I do, not that I'm normal or anything. But this is a set I put together my first day of College.

Enjoy.

XO

Freak

***

Ten tracks.

Ten bands.

Ten videos.

Enjoy.

***

Nefi + Girly - Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu rock. Their name means Playful Sex and what the hell else do you need in the morning? On a more serious, music based note, beware using this as a first thing in the morning song. This will wake you up with mental guitars before easing you back down to planet earth with airy vocals and sweetly nearly nonsense lyrics, not to mention the solid but gentle beat. 

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Ready For The Floor - Lissy Trullie

The intro for this song has a beat with a sort of... light and rounded edge, the kind that gently buffets the post-party fuzz where your brain is meant to be. It's also really insanely catchy. Always a good candidate for first song of the morning. 

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Bird Song - Florence + the Machine

While this is gentle at first (depends on the version, granted, since the first I heard had brain exploding drums as an intro, but I found you a nicer one with just a guitar for the video) it is a wake you up from the inside out sort of song. Not to mention to simple, amazing fact that Florence Welsh has one of the most amazing voices this side of Janis Joplin. 

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Coma Cat - Tensnake

Tensnake is an interesting band. This song fell into my lap, mainly because of the awesome video. It has a sort of happy, lazy, floaty vibe to it that gives you a bit of spark.

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Gold Guns Girls - Metric

Yet another opener that could easily wreck your mind, but it settles into a song that will have you moving faster and probably singing along by the end. Plus, the ever popular line:

"All the gold, and the guns, in the world couldn't get you off..."

Use with caution.

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What New York Used To Be - The Kills

The Kills are an insanely talented London-based duo who give you a swaying beat and tongue-twister lyrics to keep you on your feet and your face out of your cereal bowl or eggy toast.

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Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Most people have heard Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet, and most people will agree that it's a get up and move song, in that lethargic let lose sort of way. What better way to tell convention to fuck off than to just let go and goof off in the morning?

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Cities In Dust - Junkie XL feat. Lauren Rocket

A modern take on a song that has seen to vocal chords of many bands over the years, stemming from the talent that will always be Siouxsie and the Banshees. Trust me, by this point, there's no hope of you still being out.

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Fixin' To Thrill - Dragonette

A crazy video, a fabulous song. But really, watch the video.

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Alice Practice - Crystal Castles

CAUTION: Probably not the ideal first song, though if you don't mind adrenaline rushes then it might not make a bad alarm clock. 

Alice Practice is my favorite song by Crystal Castles, I love the girls energy. 

Enjoy