The Official "Personal Soundtracks" Thread

[murlough23]

I thought it might be nice to dedicate a thread to sharing our "personal soundtracks" with one another. I often post track listings for the CDs I make for myself, and honestly, they don't mean jack to people who don't know a lot of the songs already. I didn't want to use the Pub for this, so I've put my latest "Soundtrack" mix on Sendspace for anyone who would like to sample any or all of it.

Here's the tracklisting, which I've posted before, but I'll do it again to save you the need to look it up:

DISC ONE (Download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ldlm7r)
1. "Forgiven", Relient K
2. "Something Beautiful", Newsboys
3. "Oh! Gravity", Switchfoot
4. "Anti-Anti", Snowden
5. "A Kiss to Send Us Off", Incubus
6. "Ain't Nothing Wrong with That", Robert Randolph & the Family Band
7. "My, Oh My", The Wreckers
8. "Work", Jars of Clay
9. "Sunrising", Future of Forestry
10. "Alexithymia", Anberlin
11. "Are You Out There?", Olivia the Band
12. "Run Like Hell", Rock Kills Kid
13. "Adrift", Barenaked Ladies
14. "Along the Wall", Leigh Nash
15. "Belief", John Mayer
16. "City Hall", Vienna Teng

DISC TWO (Download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/hyzcxa)
1. "Light Grenades", Incubus
2. "The Song of the Year", All Star United
3. "Make a Face Like You Mean It (Vampires)", House of Heroes
4. "Make Money Money", John Reuben
5. "Summer's Coming", Sean Watkins
6. "Tension & Thrill", Sleeping at Last
7. "In Wonder", Newsboys
8. "Twilight", Future of Forestry
9. "4:12", Switchfoot
10. "Looking for Angels", Skillet
11. "Tears of the Saints", Leeland
12. "Caelum Infinitum", Michelle Tumes
13. "Now Three", Vienna Teng
14. "Lay Your Head Down", Peter Bradley Adams
15. "Deathbed", Relient K feat. Jon Foreman
16. "No Fear in Love", Iona

[Brenden]

My latest soundtrack,

Disc 1

Jeffrey Foucault - Nothin'
John Reuben - Make Money Money
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Quiet As A Mouse
Over The Rhine - The World Can Wait
Nickel Creek - When In Rome
Iron & Wine - Upward Over The Mountain
Blake Miller - Your Own Tree
Ray Lamontagne - Empty
Kevin Max - Platform
U2 - Window In The Skies
Anberlin - A Whisper & A Clamour
Stavesacre - Sundown Motel
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
Pearl Jam - Love Reign O'er Me

Disc 2

Jeffrey Foucault - Dove And The Waterline
Switchfoot - Circles
Sixpence None The Richer - Love, Salvation, The Fear Of Death
Nickel Creek - This Side
Modest Mouse - The Cold Part
Over The Rhine - Failed Christian
One Republic - Stop & Stare
Denison Witmer - Looking For You
Dixie Chicks - Lubbock Or Leave It
Stavesacre - Minuteman
John Mayer - Gravity
U2 - Love Rescue Me
I Am The Eagle - Not Tonight
Sun Kil Moon - Space Travel Is Boring
Kevin Max - I Went Over The End Of The World

[cowdude]

DISC I - (http://www.sendspace.com/file/75yxca)
1. "Chips Ahoy", The Hold Steady
2. "Fighting In A Sack", The Shins
3. "Over And Over Again (Lost And Found)", Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
4. "The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", Sufjan Stevens
5. "Magazine", Pedro The Lion
6. "Skeleton Key", Margot & The Nuclear So & So's
7. "That Teenage Feeling", Neko Case
8. "Two-Headed Boy", Neutral Milk Hotel
9. "The Big Guns", Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins
10. "Wolf Like Me", TV On The Radio
11. "Did I Step On Your Trumpet", Danielson
12. "Honeybear", Yeah Yeah Yeahs
13. "Jackie, Dressed In Cobras", The New Pornographers
14. "Doubting Thomas", Nickel Creek
15. "Cosmia", Joanna Newsom

DISC II - (http://www.sendspace.com/file/9kywpa)
1. "Glass To The Arson", Anberlin
2. "I'm Safer On An Airplane", Copeland
3. "Face Boy", Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
4. "New Medicines", Dead Poetic
5. "Forever", Edison Glass
6. "Backstabber", Jonezetta
7. "The Chess Hotel", The Elms
8. "Tough As John Jacobs", Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster
9. "A Shadow On Me", Project 86
10. "Do You Think I'm Pretty?", He Is Legend
11. "Left With Alibis And Lying Eyes", Emery
12. "Stabbing Art To Death", Showbread
13. "Wolf Am I! (And Shadow)", mewithoutYou
14. "Good Sons", Starflyer 59
15. "I Don't Feel Very Receptive Today", Underoath

This is the first time I've ever done this, so hopefully the songs are in the right order.

[Harenil]

I frequently make playlists for my Ipod, sometimes I burn CDs of them.

Most recently, here's mine...

Disk 1

Untitled 4 - Sigur Ros
Analyse - Thom Yorke (Not sure why, I just like this song...)
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse (so catchy...)
What you are - Audioslave
Exit Music (For a film) - Radiohead
Snap your fingers, snap your neck - Demon hunter (it's a wonderful mindless song, that they didn't even write...)
The Gallery - Muse
No Education - Apocalyptica
Nemo - Nightwish (Certainly not their best, but it got me hooked on them and I still like it...)
Ruled by Secrecy - Muse
Teardrop - Massive Attack
Heat - Apocalyptica
Fight Test - The Flaming Lips
Thoughts of a Dieing Atheist - Muse
11am - incubus
Planet Telex - Radiohead
Sleep now in the fire - Rage Against the Machine
So Says I - The Shins

Disk 2
National Anthem - Radiohead
Terror - KMFDM
The Mariner's Revenge Song - The Decemberists
The Grudge - Tool
Idioteque - Radiohead
Triad - Tool
The Bends - Radiohead
Pyramid Song - Radiohead
Hau Ruck - KMFDM
My Iron Lung - Radiohead
Micro Cuts - Muse
Knives Out - Radiohead

Not that that's all I listen to. That's the latest incarnation of my playlist...

[murlough23]

Cowdude, I'm going to listen to your mix soon. Looks like there's some interesting (and perhaps brutal!) stuff on there, and then you have Nickel Creek and Joanna Newsom - very eclectic, and I'm curious to see how this all fits into a unified mix. (Not that it always does when I attempt such things.)

One suggestion - before creating a zip file for one of these mixes, it may be helpful to rename files so that they sort properly and can be easily queued up. Something like this:

1.01 - The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy!.m4a
1.02 - The Shins - Fighting in a Sack.m4a
1.03 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Over and Over Again (Lost and Found).m4a
... etc ...
2.01 - Anberlin - Glass to the Arson.m4a
2.02 - Copeland - I'm Safer on an Airplane.mp3
2.03 - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down.m4a
... etc ...

I just went through and renamed them on my computer, and will listen as soon as I get to the end of an old mix of mine that I'm currently listening to.

NP: "Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen", Anberlin

[cowdude]

Hope you like it! And thanks for the tip, I'll remember it for future mixes.

[murlough23]

Hope you like it!

I did. Some of the harder stuff might not be my style (plus The Hold Steady and Neutral Milk Hotel kind of get on my nerves), but I thought it was an excellent summation of your tastes at the present moment. You did a good job of making the mix flow well, with the mellow stuff for the most part closing out Disc 1, and then Disc 2 kind of got more intense as it went, which was interesting. The only artist that felt out of place was Copeland, but I'm sure you had your reasons (if it were me I'd have put them with the mellower stuff on Disc 1).

Out of what I wasn't familiar with, these are songs that I enjoyed by artists I might have to investigate further:

"Fighting In A Sack", The Shins
"Skeleton Key", Margot & The Nuclear So & So's
"That Teenage Feeling", Neko Case
"The Big Guns", Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins
"Jackie, Dressed In Cobras", The New Pornographers
"Face Boy", Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
"Forever", Edison Glass

Out of what I was already familiar with, these were excellent and well-placed picks:

"The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", Sufjan Stevens
"Did I Step On Your Trumpet", Danielson
"Doubting Thomas", Nickel Creek
"Cosmia", Joanna Newsom
"Glass To The Arson", Anberlin
"The Chess Hotel", The Elms
"Do You Think I'm Pretty?", He Is Legend

Overall, good job.

[cowdude]

Thanks for the compliments. Glad you enjoyed it.

Sidenote: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus song is actually Face Down, not Face Boy. That's the last time I manually type out a tracklist...

Edit: Oh, and the Neutral Milk Hotel song is best heard within the context of the album, which an amazing. 

[murlough23]

Sidenote: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus song is actually Face Down, not Face Boy. That's the last time I manually type out a tracklist...

I was wondering that, but you have it right in the mp3 file.

Edit: Oh, and the Neutral Milk Hotel song is best heard within the context of the album, which an amazing.

I'm sure that happens on some of my mixes where I've pulled an individual highlight out of an album that is best appreciated as a whole, and I'm playing the mix for someone else and they're probably thinking, "WTF is this madness?"

NP: "Follow Your Leader", John Reuben

[Brenden]

You really should look into Margot, Murlough. I uploaded a few of their songs on the Pub last year when I was raving about their debut album.

[murlough23]

You really should look into Margot, Murlough. I uploaded a few of their songs on the Pub last year when I was raving about their debut album.

So many songs, so little time. I often download them and then forget to listen. What's their most recent album?

NP: "Side with the Seeds", Wilco

[Brenden]

So many songs, so little time. I often download them and then forget to listen. What's their most recent album?

NP: "Side with the Seeds", Wilco

The Dust Of Retreat, their only album so far.

[murlough23]

I recently made a compilation called "2006 in a Nutshell" for a friend, so I thought I'd post the download links here as well. Basically, it's one highlight track each from my favorite albums/artists that I was listening to in 2006. It's kind of my way of condensing the 6 mixes I make for myself over the course of a year and condensing it into one super-best-of list. Here's the track listing:

DISC ONE (Download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/zy7zkj)
1. "Chaos", Mute Math
2. "Image of the Invisible", Thrice
3. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", KT Tunstall
4. "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song", The Flaming Lips
5. "I Am the World", The Elms
6. "Untouchable", Luna Halo
7. "Say Hello", P.O.D.
8. "Staple It Together", Jack Johnson
9. "California Town", Fernando Ortega
10. "Mother", Cindy Morgan
11. "Hosea in C Minor", The Listening
12. "The Face of Love", Sanctus Real
13. "Do You Love Me?", The Violet Burning
14. "World Wide Suicide", Pearl Jam
15. "Dear Mr. Supercomputer", Sufjan Stevens
16. "I Miss You Here", downhere
17. "Waiting to Know You", The Fiery Furnaces
18. "Ancient Lullaby", Matisyahu
19. "House on the Lake", Rosanne Cash
20. "My Lagan Love", The Corrs

DISC TWO (Download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/5260qd)
1. "Midnight", Rock Kills Kid
2. "Friday Night", House of Heroes
3. "All My Tears", Jars of Clay
4. "Umbrellas", Sleeping at Last
5. "I Don't Feel So Well", Vienna Teng
6. "Ocean Size Love", Leigh Nash
7. "Sweet Sacrifice", Evanescence
8. "Between the Rent and Me", Snowden
9. "White and Nerdy", Weird Al Yankovic
10. "Rebirthing", Skillet
11. "All I Want", Future of Forestry
12. "Sky Maps", Iona
13. "Fair Weather", Michelle Tumes
14. "Letters in White Lines", Olivia the Band
15. "Anna-Molly", Incubus
16. "Dirty Second Hands", Switchfoot
17. "Easy", Barenaked Ladies
18. "Stop This Train", John Mayer
19. "Sound of Melodies", Leeland

[murlough23]

Back to the present: I made my March/April 2007 mix this weekend, and here it is for your listening enjoyment/amusement/whatever.

DISC ONE (Download link)
1. "Awakening", Switchfoot
2. "Sleeping Lessons", The Shins
3. "Dreams", Lost Ocean
4. "Roses", Meg & Dia
5. "Mercedes Baby", House of Heroes
6. "Dashboard", Modest Mouse
7. "The Unwinding Cable Car", Anberlin
8. "Here (In Your Arms)", Hellogoodbye
9. "Like Bullets", Snowden
10. "Your Love Is Better than Life", Newsboys
11. "Angels", Robert Randolph & the Family Band
12. "Way Back Home", The Wreckers
13. "Blue Caravan", Vienna Teng
14. "Love Affair", Copeland
15. "Speak to Me Gently", Future of Forestry
16. "Obsession", Starfield

DISC TWO (Download link)
1. "Dismantle. Repair.", Anberlin
2. "I Need You", Relient K
3. "We've Got Everything", Modest Mouse feat. James Mercer
4. "Boomin'", Toby Mac
5. "Imitosis", Andrew Bird
6. "Focus", John Reuben
7. "Cloud Nine", Evanescence
8. "Beautiful", Barenaked Ladies
9. "One More Girl", The Wreckers
10. "Even Angels Cry", Jars of Clay
11. "Paper Shoes", Incubus
12. "Not My Friend", Norah Jones
13. "Upside Down", Peter Bradley Adams
14. "Needle & Thread", Sleeping at Last
15. "Wind Off the Lake", Iona
16. "They Sail Away", Sean Watkins

[plvarona]

I recently burned a CD that would sort-of qualify as a "Personal Soundtrack."  I went on a retreat a few weeks ago, and shortly afterwards I burned a CD of songs reminding me of my experiences from the weekend.  For this CD, the songs are arranged in more of a conceptual order, so this may not have been the best musical flow possible, but it was passable for me.

Here's the track listing:
1. "Anything" PFR
2. "Dead Man (Carry Me)" Jars of Clay
3. "Spirit Come" Foolish Things
4. "Welcome Home" Shaun Groves
5. "Something Changed" Sara Groves
6. "Beautiful Redemption" Joy Williams
7. "Take You Back" Jeremy Camp
8. "Rise and Shine" Andrew Peterson
9. "A New Day" Caedmon's Call
10. "Loving a Person" Sara Groves
11. "Please Come" Nichole Nordeman
12. "Live The Life" Michael W. Smith
13. "Get This Party Started" tobyMac
14. "Peace Has Broken Out" Shaun Groves
15. "No Ocean Deep Enough" Paul Alan
16. "Psalm 139" Rebecca St. James
17. "Take Heart, My Friend" Fernando Ortega
18. "Take to the World" Derek Webb f/ Dan Haseltine
19. "Everlasting God" Chris Tomlin

[murlough23]

I recently burned a CD that would sort-of qualify as a "Personal Soundtrack."  I went on a retreat a few weeks ago, and shortly afterwards I burned a CD of songs reminding me of my experiences from the weekend.  For this CD, the songs are arranged in more of a conceptual order, so this may not have been the best musical flow possible, but it was passable for me.

I did a mixtape based on concepts from a Genesis study that I did with a group during a week-long retreat in college once, and actually attempted to copy it and send it to everyone in the group. it was a bit of an expensive undertaking. I don't remember what all went on there, but I know the first two songs were Iona's "Heaven's Bright Sun" and Rebecca St. James' "God".

I also make mix CDs for my wife periodically, just to chronicle important places we went, concerts we attended, or just songs that fit lovey-dovey sentiments shared between us in general. I try to arrange them chronologically and give her an accompanying sheet with the list of reasons why I chose each song. Every now and then I'll break the chronology to avoid really awkward musical transitions - for example, we saw Cool Hand Luke perform after House of Heroes at a festival last fall, but it made more sense to not transition from "Mercedes Baby" into "Cinematic", so I did it the other way around.

You get cool points for putting Sara Groves and Shaun Groves back-to-back. I've done that twice on my mixes.

[plvarona]

I did a mixtape based on concepts from a Genesis study that I did with a group during a week-long retreat in college once, and actually attempted to copy it and send it to everyone in the group.

That actually sounds something similar I did with the CD tracklist I just posted.  I put all of the songs on an iMix except for RSJ's "Psalm 139" (which wasn't available on iTunes for some reason), and then sent an e-mail with a link to the iMix to everyone who was in my group for the retreat.  One of the ladies in my group later told me she was going to buy the whole thing, so I'm glad somebody liked it.   

I also make mix CDs for my wife periodically, just to chronicle important places we went, concerts we attended, or just songs that fit lovey-dovey sentiments shared between us in general. I try to arrange them chronologically and give her an accompanying sheet with the list of reasons why I chose each song. Every now and then I'll break the chronology to avoid really awkward musical transitions - for example, we saw Cool Hand Luke perform after House of Heroes at a festival last fall, but it made more sense to not transition from "Mercedes Baby" into "Cinematic", so I did it the other way around.

The funny thing is I'm starting to burn more of my mix CDs for myself like that - base it around an event in my life, or put a theme to the CD.  I actually find it easier, and more rewarding, to burn CDs that way.

You get cool points for putting Sara Groves and Shaun Groves back-to-back. I've done that twice on my mixes.

Gotta love it when things work out like that.   

[murlough23]

That actually sounds something similar I did with the CD tracklist I just posted.  I put all of the songs on an iMix except for RSJ's "Psalm 139" (which wasn't available on iTunes for some reason), and then sent an e-mail with a link to the iMix to everyone who was in my group for the retreat.  One of the ladies in my group later told me she was going to buy the whole thing, so I'm glad somebody liked it.   

"Psalm 139" was originally a hidden track after "Go and Sin No More" on God, so unless it was a track in its own right on her best-of, that might explain it.

The funny thing is I'm starting to burn more of my mix CDs for myself like that - base it around an event in my life, or put a theme to the CD.  I actually find it easier, and more rewarding, to burn CDs that way.

I can do chronological for someone else when the songs are based on events from that person's life (or both of ours), but for myself, I tend to just say "This batch of songs is for these particular months in my life" and group them either thematically (when I can find a clever way to do so) or in terms of musical flow that works best (usually starting with several rockers on the first disc and getting mellower as it goes, with a few spikes later in Disc 1 and early in Disc 2, though one problem I consistently have is that a lot of long and/or mellow songs tend to get shunted to the end of Disc 2, which can get tedious if I don't plan carefully).

[plvarona]

"Psalm 139" was originally a hidden track after "Go and Sin No More" on God, so unless it was a track in its own right on her best-of, that might explain it.

It was a track in its own right on her best-of, but only one song was made available from that CD ("I Thank You.")

I can do chronological for someone else when the songs are based on events from that person's life (or both of ours), but for myself, I tend to just say "This batch of songs is for these particular months in my life" and group them either thematically (when I can find a clever way to do so) or in terms of musical flow that works best (usually starting with several rockers on the first disc and getting mellower as it goes, with a few spikes later in Disc 1 and early in Disc 2, though one problem I consistently have is that a lot of long and/or mellow songs tend to get shunted to the end of Disc 2, which can get tedious if I don't plan carefully).

I have similar feelings as well.  I typically have an easier time arranging songs thematically or in terms of musical flow.  Chronological tends not too work too well for me either.  It worked pretty well for the CD I burned for this past retreat, but that probably has more to do with how the retreat was organized than anything else.

[murlough23]

OK, something is screwy with the Email notifications - I keep getting notices of new posts in this thread, but there are none. What gives?

[starhawk]

I made both of these for a friend who is out of the country for the year.  They are songs selected from albums I have been enjoying over the summer, but there are some older tracks mixed in as well.  I like albums/mixes I can listen to in one sitting, so I capped each at ten songs (each mix is about 45 minutes in length).

Summer Night Alternative mix
1. Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem / Sound of Silver
2. My Moon My Man - Feist / The Reminder
3. The Deaf, They Will Hear - The Brothers Martin / s-t
4. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse / Back to Black
5. Black Wave / Bad Vibrations - Arcade Fire / Neon Bible
6. Red Will Dye These Snows of Silver - Joy Electric / The Otherly Opus
7. Overkill - The Benjamin Gate / Contact
8. Candlelighted - Serena-Maneesh / s-t
9. Maybe Not - Cat Power / You Are Free
10. Cosmia - Joanna Newsom / Ys

I noticed Cowdude used cosmia as a closer too... good taste. 

Summer Daytrip Rock mix
1. I Swallowed A Dragonfly - Heartless Bastards / All This Time
2. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues - The White Stripes / Icky Thump
3. Trouble Is - Jars of Clay/Who We Are Instead
4. He War - Cat Power / You Are Free
5. Jumpers - Sleater-Kinney / The Woods
6. Fancy Claps - Wolf Parade / Apologies to the Queen Mary
7. Blues From Down Here - TV On The Radio / Return to Cookie Mountain
8. Destiny - Starflyer 59 / I Am the Portuguese Blues
9. My Body Is A Cage - Arcade Fire / Neon Bible
10. So Many Miles - Viva Voce / Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

The second mix isn't sent yet, but I had been messing with it for weeks, and the white stripes song let me finish it.  It was originally just a 'rock' mix, but that felt too dull compared to the first mix...so, slowly I tried to incorporate other styles, and the 'blues' theme sort of emerged, which felt more interesting.

[murlough23]

I noticed Cowdude used cosmia as a closer too... good taste. 

I wouldn't use it as a closer, simply because it's already the closer on its album, and I don't like to end with an album's last track. But it is a really good song, which would make a good closer for anyone who doesn't follow funny rules like I do.

NP: "Take Me Higher", Jars of Clay

[starhawk]

Cosmia actually wasn't my first choice, but "Emily" wasn't available on iTunes, and I liked "Cosmia" more than "Monkey and Bear" and "Sawdust and Diamonds".  Normally I avoid placing a track in the same spot it is on its album too, but I felt it fit the mix very well and allowed an exception. 

[murlough23]

Cosmia actually wasn't my first choice, but "Emily" wasn't available on iTunes, and I liked "Cosmia" more than "Monkey and Bear" and "Sawdust and Diamonds".  Normally I avoid placing a track in the same spot it is on its album too, but I felt it fit the mix very well and allowed an exception. 

"Emily" and "Cosmia" are my favorite tracks on that album, but they're both a bit too meandering, and the vocals are a bit too off-putting, for me to consider either song "mix-worthy". (There's a tough elimination process for my mixes - just whittling it down to 32 songs every few months is more difficult than you'd imagine.) I think I'd like Joanna Newsom some more, and even learn to live with the vocals, if her tempos meandered a little less during each songs. Some sections of "Cosmia" are absolutely lovely, but I can't get over the noodling in between the brilliant parts.

NP: "Simple X", Andrew Bird

[Brenden]

Current soundtrack,

Burlap To Cashmere - Skin Is Burning
Kevin Max - Sanctuary
Listener - I Have Nothing but Attention When I Scream
Blake Miller - Your Own Tree
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Quiet As A Mouse
Andrew Osenga - Swing Wide The Glimmering Gates
Jason Mraz - Who Needs Shelter
Jeffrey Foucault - Miles From The Lightning
Iron & Wine - Upwards Over The Mountain
Sun Kil Moon - Neverending Math Equation
John Reuben - Focus
Andrew Bird - Lull
Chris Thile - Ready For Anything
The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Outpour Blues
John Mayer - Gravity
Pedro The Lion - Bands With Managers
The Normals - Someone To Believe
Fountains Of Wayne - Someone To Love
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Paper Kitten Nightmare
U2 - Window In The Skies

I hated to end it with the last track off of U2's last hits album, but if I put it elsewhere in the soundtrack, it made little thematic sense, so, there it went.

[murlough23]

OK, my latest mix is finished and uploaded, for your listening pleasure.

This mix hasn't been made yet, but here's the tenative track listing for my May-June 2006 mix. When I actually burn it (probably in early July after my trip), I'll add download links for anyone interested.


DISC ONE (Download link)
1. "Take Me Higher", Jars of Clay
2. "Just Glide", Lost Ocean
3. "Feelings", Olivia the Band
4. "All of Your Love", Hellogoodbye
5. "Monster", Meg & Dia
6. "Godspeed", Anberlin
7. "American Dream", Switchfoot
8. "What I've Done", Linkin Park
9. "The Balancing Act", Cool Hand Luke
10. "Whispers in the Dark", Skillet
11. "Sacred Place", Future of Forestry
12. "Eat, Sleep, Repeat", Copeland
13. "Give Until There's Nothing Left", Relient K
14. "Wanderlust", Björk
15. "Impossible Germany", Wilco
16. "Dokkoise House (With Face Covered)", Anathallo


DISC TWO (Download link)
1. "Lights", Lost Ocean
2. "Pendulous Threads", Incubus
3. "Factory of Magnificent Souls", Iona
4. "Heartbreaker", Matt Wertz
5. "Leave the Pieces", The Wreckers
6. "Cardigan Weather", Meg & Dia
7. "One and Only", Barenaked Ladies
8. "Lacrymosa", Evanescence
9. "The Hard Way", Fort Minor feat. Kenna
10. "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out", Copeland
11. "Little Motel", Modest Mouse
12. "Transcontinental, 1:30 A.M.", Vienna Teng
13. "The Sun Doesn't Like You", Norah Jones
14. "Let It Rain", Michelle Tumes
15. "Yawny at the Apocalypse", Andrew Bird
16. "Inevitable", Anberlin feat. Aaron Marsh

[murlough23]

Here's the tentative track listing for a mix I'm working on for my wife... I do an "Audio Scrapbook" for her every now and then to document things we've done together (especially concerts), as well as general mushy sentiments from good love songs I've found along the way. The timespan is from November 2006 through June 2007 (the previous one ended in October 2006). Songs that are concert highlights are noted in italics (though I'm using the album versions, not live versions).

AUDIO SCRAPBOOK #5
1. "Sound of Melodies", Leeland
2. "Carolina", Matt Wertz (Pepperdine, November '06)
3. "Good Monsters", Jars of Clay (Pepperdine, November '06)
4. "Never Give Up", Ron Sexsmith
5. "Inevitable", Anberlin
6. "The Best Thing", Relient K
7. "Something Beautiful", Newsboys
8. "Angels", Robert Randolph & the Family Band
9. "Twilight", Future of Forestry (APU, February '07)
10. "Eat, Sleep, Repeat", Copeland (The Avalon, March '07)
11. "Awakening", Switchfoot (The Avalon, March '07)
12. "Rebirthing", Skillet (Temecula Promenade Mall, May '07)
13. "Just Glide", Lost Ocean
14. "Something Greater", Olivia the Band (Huntington Beach, June '07)
15. "Oh, It Is Love", Hellogoodbye
16. "I Wanna Marry You All Over Again", Derek Webb
17. "No Fear in Love", Iona
18. "Dimming of the Day", The Corrs
19. "Caelum Infinitum", Michelle Tumes
20. "Summer Song", Wavorly

The Anberlin song is there because we got our cat in December and she decided to name it Anberlin, though she noted that Anberlin didn't have very many romantic songs. "Inevitable" would be one of the few, but that one wasn't out at the time, so I'm sort of cheating there.

"Dimming of the Day" and "Caelum Infinitum" were musical highlights that just happened to fit the scenery well during our Alaska trip.

Everything else is just lovey-dovey nonsense. 

[murlough23]

The latest mix I've made for my personal enjoyment, covering July-August 2007:

DISC ONE
1. "Invasion", Eisley
2. "Brink of Disaster", Mae
3. "A Lover's Charm", Deas Vail
4. "Adelaide", Anberlin
5. "Disarray", Lifehouse
6. "Fire It Up", Modest Mouse
7. "Whatever You Want", Vienna Teng
8. "Indiana", Meg & Dia
9. "Boy with a Coin", Iron & Wine
10. "Where's My Head", Copeland
11. "Simple X", Andrew Bird
12. "Shame on You (To Keep My Love From Me)", Andrea Corr
13. "Fun and Games", Barenaked Ladies
14. "Kenji", Fort Minor
15. "Hanasakajijii (Four & One)", Anathallo
16. "Sea Legs", The Shins
 
DISC TWO
1. "Deliver Me", Robert Randolph & the Family Band
2. "Little of Your Time", Maroon5
3. "Innocence", Björk
4. "I Get It", Chevelle
5. "Circles", Switchfoot feat. Sean & Sara Watkins
6. "The Little Things Give You Away", Linkin Park
7. "Victim Card", Snowden
8. "Oh My God", Jars of Clay
9. "Everything Is", Lost Ocean
10. "Shoreline", Deas Vail
11. "The Best Thing", Relient K
12. "Oh, It Is Love", Hellogoodbye
13. "Naturally", Matt Wertz
14. "Either Way", Wilco
15. "I Wanna Marry You All Over Again", Derek Webb
16. "A Summer's Song", Wavorly

[murlough23]

Tentative tracklisting for my September-October mix:

DISC ONE
1. "The Championship", The Polyphonic Spree
2. "Rewind", Deas Vail
3. "Can You Feel It?", David Crowder Band
4. "Madmen", Wavorly
5. "Rocket", Mae
6. "Down to Earth", Barenaked Ladies
7. "Hold On", KT Tunstall
8. "15 Step", Radiohead
9. "Many Funerals", Eisley
10. "The Way You Dance", Blindside
11. "Don't Wait for Tom", Over the Rhine
12. "A Love that's Stronger than Our Fear", Derek Webb
13. "Lovesong of the Buzzard", Iron & Wine
14. "Gennesaret (Going Out Over 30,000 Fathoms of Water)", Anathallo
15. "Pagan Poetry", Bjork
16. "A Guide to Marine Life", Falling Up

DISC TWO
1. "Part One", Wavorly
2. "The Fool", Luna Halo
3. "The Joke", Lifehouse
4. "Come Right Out and Say It", Relient K
5. "I'm a Sucker for a Kind Word", Copeland
6. "Hoodwink", Anathallo
7. "Expectations", Caedmon's Call
8. "Nothing Lasts Forever", Maroon5
9. "Tell Mary", Meg & Dia
10. "Two Sisters", Fiction Plane
11. "House by the Sea", Iron & Wine
12. "(*Fin)", Anberlin
13. "Light to Follow", The Polyphonic Spree
14. "The Trumpet Child", Over the Rhine
15. "On and On and On", Wilco
16. "Combinations", Eisley

[plvarona]

It's about that time of year to start burning my series of year-end compilations.  Considering also that I've been very slack about my compilation CDs lately, might as well try to end the year with a bang.

I've started with my usual staple, my personal "WOW" CDs.  It's basically the same format as WOW (2 CDs - 15 "regular" tracks + 2 "bonus" tracks) without the label politics and mediocre radio drivel.  I also keep the one song per artist and one song per CD rule, and for me "bonus" artists don't necessarily have to be new artists, but they do have to be artists making their first appearance on my personal "WOW" CD.  Radio and/or video singles do get preference over non-singles, but I can use a non-single if I think an artist really deserves a spot on the CD, but didn't really any radio or video singles this year of sufficient quality (or didn't release any at all for that matter.)

Without any further ado, here's my compilation.

Phil's Personal WOW CD - 2007

Disc 1 - Triple A/Hot AC:
1. "Sneakin' Into Heaven" Chris Rice
2. "Liar's Dream" Alli Rogers
3. "Ruin of the Beast" Steven Delopoulos
4. "When The Saints" Sara Groves
5. "Share In The Blame" Caedmon's Call
6. "Entertaining Thoughts" Over The Rhine
7. "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" Robert Randolph & The Family Band
8. "Washed By The Water" NEEDTOBREATHE
9. "So, In This Hour..." The Rocket Summer
10. "Invasion" Eisley
11. "Name" Derek Webb
12. "Ocean Size Love" Leigh Nash
13. "In My Arms" Plumb
14. "Something Beautiful" newsboys
15. "Light Gives Heat (Live)" Jars of Clay
16. (Bonus Track) "Song of Hope (Heaven Comes Down)" Robbie Seay Band
17. (Bonus Track) "Everlasting God" Lincoln Brewster

Disc 2 - Rock/Alternative:
1. "Sometimes I Can't Make It Alone" Mae
2. "Popularity" Jonezetta
3. "Godspeed" Anberlin
4. "Forgiven" Relient K
5. "Let Go" Edison Glass
6. "Awakening" Switchfoot
7. "Trying Too Hard" John Reuben
8. "The Balancing Act" Cool Hand Luke
9. "Your Guardian Angel" The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
10. "Madmen" Wavorly
11. "Typical" Mute Math
12. "Rewind" Deas Vail
13. "Isaiah" The Listening
14. "Kings and Queens" Luna Halo
15. "Open Wide" Future of Forestry
16. (Bonus Track) "Perform" Monarch
17. (Bonus Track) "Just Glide" Lost Ocean

Time to decide which year-end compilation to burn next...

[murlough23]

Dude, your second disc kicks ass! Not that none of the stuff on the first disc does, but then I'm not sure why some of that doesn't qualify as "rock/alternative", but then again, if it means you can fit more of it, that's fine by me!

[dgp11776]

Yeah, that second disc is fantastic.  I know all but two of the songs, and love all 15 of them.

[plvarona]

Thank you for your compliments, especially on the second disc.  I was very satisfied with how this year's compilation turned out.  For awhile I didn't think I would have as strong of a compilation as I've had in previous years, but some strong releases at the end of the year, and a few unexpected discoveries helped there.

...Not that none of the stuff on the first disc does, but then I'm not sure why some of that doesn't qualify as "rock/alternative", but then again, if it means you can fit more of it, that's fine by me!

I think you hit on it there.  I picked the 34 songs to make it to the compilation before I categorized them.  Admittedly, every year about 1/4 songs could really go either way, so it's just matter of putting them where I think they fit better.  After all, my number one priority is including good music, and if I have to stretch the genre categorization a little bit, so be it. 

[Aaron]

good choice with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.  Very underrated band.

[murlough23]

I think you hit on it there.  I picked the 34 songs to make it to the compilation before I categorized them.  Admittedly, every year about 1/4 songs could really go either way, so it's just matter of putting them where I think they fit better.  After all, my number one priority is including good music, and if I have to stretch the genre categorization a little bit, so be it.

Sometimes I think WoW does this the other way around. "Well, the rock fans are less likely to think this is a snoozefest, and it has an actual beat and/or electric guitar, so... sure, it's rock/alternative!"

[murlough23]

Here's one I just made for November/December 2007. Note the "fire" theme of some of the songs on the first disc, and the "water/snow" theme of some of the songs on the second disc. That was partially inspired by Thrice, and partially inspired by the California firestorms and the fact that I actually enjoyed the Christmas season this year.

DISC ONE
1. "Sunrise", Olivia the Band
2. "The Arsonist", Thrice
3. "Dangerous", Fono
4. "World on Fire", Luna Halo
5. "How Far We've Come", Matchbox Twenty
6. "First Time", Lifehouse
7. "Anyone", Fiction Plane
8. "Crazy 8s", Mae
9. "Watch Us Explode (Justify)", The Polyphonic Spree
10. "Light as Air", Deas Vail
11. "Crayons Can Melt on Us for All I Care", Relient K
12. "I Don't Want to Waste Your Time", Over the Rhine
13. "Pardon My Dust", Chris Rice
14. "Hold the Light", Caedmon's Call
15. "Shelter (Cherry Blossom Edition)", Corrinne May
16. "Peace Is Here", Jars of Clay

DISC TWO
1. "Funnyman", KT Tunstall
2. "Name", Derek Webb
3. "By Number", Anathallo
4. "Wallfly", Steven Delopoulos
5. "Everything Glorious", David Crowder Band
6. "Drago of the Dragons", Falling Up
7. "Still Life", Lost Ocean
8. "Digital Sea", Thrice
9. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", Radiohead
10. "Carousel", Iron & Wine
11. "The Last Time He Saw Dorie", Copeland
12. "Marsh King's Daughter", Eisley
13. "Hibernation Day", Jars of Clay feat. Christine Dente
14. "Sleigh Ride", Relient K
15. "Frosti/Aurora", Bjork
16. "Hljomalind", Sigur Ros

[Brenden]

My year-end best of mix,

Iron & Wine - Wolves (Song Of The Shepherd's Dog)
The White Stripes - 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues
Anberlin - Godspeed
Mae - Sometimes I Can't Make It Alone
Neon Horse - Cukoo!
Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
Andrew Bird - Heretics
Jars Of Clay - Winter Skin
Low - Murderer
Caedmon's Call - Hold The Light
Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
Joni Mitchell - Hana
Radiohead - 15 Step
John Reuben - Cool The Underdog
Steven Delopoulos - Open Your Eyes
The New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours
Loudon Wainwright III - X Or Y
Josh Ritter - To The Dogs Or Whoever
Blindside - Black Rose
Derek Webb - This Too Shall Be Made Right
Jon Foreman - Lord, Save Me From Myself

[murlough23]

Jars Of Clay - Winter Skin

Hmm, that's a really weird one to pick out of that entire album.

[Brenden]

It's one of my favorite songs from that album, so it's not so weird for me.

[murlough23]

It's one of my favorite songs from that album, so it's not so weird for me.

I don't dislike it; it's just that there's so little to it that I consider it more of an interlude rather than a song to be singled out on its own. But it's your mix and I assumed it had some personal meaning to you, so this isn't a criticism. (I put a 10-second Relient K "song" on my most recent mix, after all.)