music for your ears: monday mix

It's been a lot of work, work, work around here this week. Semester is halfway over which equals lots of looming deadlines. Also, with two jobs in the hospitality industry, things always seem to peak a little around the holidays before its inevitable crash and temporary fade in January.


With all the running around, I've relied on music to keep me mellow. Here are just a few of the songs on this week's rotations. Enjoy.

1. Love is All - The Tallest Man On Earth
2. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
3. Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Bob Dylan
4. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra
5. Jungle - Emma Louise
6. Bittersweet Melodies - Feist
7. Round Here - Counting Crows
8. Existentialism On Prom Night - Straylight Run
9. Walk In The Park - Beach House
10. Gone - Vacationer

you can download the mix here: Gone

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

music for your ears: monday mix

I went through my iTunes library the other day and browsed the songs that are written around the topic of love, just because. It's not really surprising that in my very quick five minute search I accumulated fifty songs (and I know there's more there) - some pro-love, some not-so-much. And, when making this mix, I kinda-sorta created this compilation to resemble the course of some (but, not all) love affairs. Yep, I got that crazy with it. Enjoy.

1. Too Afraid to Love You - The Black Keys
2. Heart Skipped a Beat - The XX
3. Abducted - Cults
4. Heart to Tell - The Love Language
5. Beat of My Heart - Noisettes
6. How Deep Is Your Love? - The Rapture
7. Give Me Love - Lucky Soul
8. Say No to Love - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
9. Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin' - Mayer Hawthorne
10. Fools In Love - Inara George
11. It Ain't Me, Babe - Bob Dylan
12. Love and Leave - Scattered Trees

you can download the mix here: something like fluttering

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

photo source

music for your ears: monday mix

This week's playlist is a selection of my favorite songs from a very mellow, relaxed mix I've had on repeat all week. All of the tracks are sweet and slow and the perfect background music as I absorb myself in studying and paper-writing. They're also great tunes when listened to while cooking - trust me, I just made a lasgna and the overall experience was very cathartic. Enjoy.


1. Don't Think Twice It's Alright - Bob Dylan
2. Atlas Hands - Benjamin Francis Leftwich
3. Between The Bars - Elliot Smith
4. Blood Bank - Bon Iver
5. Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
6. Thinking About You - Big Scary
7. The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
8. Fair - Remy Zero
9. Crosses - Jose Gonzalez
10. Skinny Love - Bon Iver


you can download the mix here: sound of silence
Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).


photo credit: me

music for your ears: monday mix

This week has zoomed by. School stuff, work stuff, friends stuff. I'm not complaining. I like it busy. When my life is duller and I have less going on I get bored. It is, however, mind boggling how quickly a few days can pass. It's like dreaming while awake. Days become fused together in a time lapse haze. Yesterday already seems days ago. Tomorrow will be here before I know it. But before I go into my default rambling mode, let's just skip to the goods: this week's playlist. Enjoy.

1. Replicate - Fanfarlo

2. Tired Eyes - Young Man

3. Engine - Neutral Milk Hotel

4. Television - You Won't 

5. Decisions (feat. Yuksel Arslan) - How to Dress Well

6. Coming Down - Dum Dum Girls

7. Won't Let You Leave - Jenny O

8. Ripchord - Rilo Kiley

9. Roman Candles - Suckers

10. Definite Darkness - Cymbals Eat Guitars

You can download the mix here: dreaming while awake

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

original image source

music for your ears: monday mix, but on tuesday

The end of summer not only marks a season for change, but a season where I literally need to pinch myself not to lag a little. Having only returned to school last year, I still have to remind myself how quickly work piles up. Autumn is always the opening scene of my juggling act: studies, jobs that pay my bills, and sleep. 

I love Autumn, however. I love the change in the light, the way the air smells almost crisp, and especially the colors. Nothing beats walking to work, or school, with my ipod playing my favorite songs, watching the sky, and breathing in deeply. I almost (almost) feel it's an equal trade. Nature's way of saying "Yeah, I know life is going to be a bitch for a few months again, but here, take this. It'll sweeten the deal." (And in my head Nature sounds a bit like a cross between Julie Andrews and Whoopi Goldberg... weird? Maybe.)

Unfortunately last weeks mix was skipped (I forgot to pinch myself), but I hope this one makes up for it. Enjoy.

1. Well Ok Honey - Jenny O

2. Battery Kinzie - Fleet Foxes

3. Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise - The Avett Brothers

4. Addicted to Love - Florence + The Machine

5. You Made A Believer Out Of Me - Ruby Andrews

6. I Might - Wilco

7. Chapel Song - We Are Augustines

8. Two Cousins - Slow Club

9. Bad Kids - Black Lips

10. Little Talks - Of Monsters & Men

you can download the mix: here

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek out and support the artist (ie: buy music)

original photo credit

music for your ears: monday mix (& some comedy gold)

I really enjoyed the list that NPR's All Songs Considered put together of "Songs That Make You Feel Good." (A follow up to their list of "Songs That Make You Weep," which frankly would have been too long a list for me.)


There have always been some go-to songs for me when I need a little jump start into feeling good. Though I could have made a larger list than the one below, these are probably my top eight songs that make me feel good... and I hope they do the same for you. Enjoy.


Monday Mix
1. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
2. Feeling Good - Nina Simone
3. Good Vibrations (mono version) - The Beach Boys
4. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
5. Sunlight - Harlem Shakes
6. Punching In A Dream - The Naked and Famous
7. Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
8. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves


you can download the mix here: feel good songs
Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).


photo credit


And in the very rare cases when music can't completely get me feeling good, comedy is always my second solution. So check these out too. Bookmark them. Use them when needed.

MITCH HEDBERG


ZACH GALIFIANAKIS  -  (jump to 2:50 for my favorite character)


KATT WILLIAMS

music for your ears: monday mix

Keeping calm this week with music and shorelines.

Monday Mix

1. Never Heal Myself - Cults

2. Pushing Onlys - Woods

3. Live in Dreams - Wild Nothing

4. Heart to Tell - The Love Language

5. I Don't Want To See You Like This - The Joy Formidable

6. New York City Hotel Blues - Margot and the Nuclear So and So's

7. Rotten Apples - Voxhaul Broadcast

8. Lemon Tree - Vindan & The Zion Band

9. I'll Try Anything Once (You Only Live Once) - The Strokes

10. Hooting & Howling - Wild Beasts

You can download the mix here: MONDAY MIX

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

photo credit: me

music for your ears: monday mix

This week's mix has both old & new favorites... including my latest band crush: Cults. 

Monday Mix

1. Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire

2. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

3. I Don't Want Love - The Antlers

4. Never Quite Free - The Mountain Goats

5. Down By The Water - The Decemberists

6. Walking Far From Home - Iron & Wine

7. You Know What I Mean - Cults

8. Rabbit - Mura Mura

9. Boyfriends - Secret Cities

10. Calgary - Bon Iver

You can download the mix here: MONDAYMIX4

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

And, because I'm currently obsessed (oh, the irony): 

music for your ears: monday mix

This week's Monday Mix is a little bit longer to make up from my lack of post last week. May be one repeat in there, or two. Enjoy!

Monday Mix

1. Jesus Flag American Fish - Cuckoo Chaos

2. Just a Friend - Booker T Jones (ft. Biz Markie, Matt Berninger, & Sharon Jones)

3. Play - Correatown

4. Waiting Lessons - Air Review

5. Weekend - Smith Westerns

6. Ever Falling in Love - Times New Viking

7. I Like The Way You Walk - The Donkeys

8. When Will I See You Again - Lord Huron

9. Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye - Roberta Flack

10. Money - Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings

11. Good Fortune - Secret Knives

12. Two Against One - Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi (ft. Jack White)

13. Tokyo - California Wives

14. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

15. Sleazy (ke$ha cover) - Ben Folds

You Can Download The Mix Here: MONDAY MIX

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

music for your ears: monday mix

I don't love heatwaves. But I do love distracting myself with favorite songs... and new songs... and old songs...

Monday Music II includes:

1. I Like the Way You Walk - The Donkeys

2. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root (Please note: This is one my truly "happy" songs... Ask me why and I'd have no tangible answer for you...)

3. New Slang - The Shins

4. The Lovecats - The Cure

5. No Way - The Naked and Famous

6. We're Going to Be Friends - The White Stripes

7. Smile - Madeleine Peyroux (perfect zone-out song)

8. The Strums - The Dodos

9. Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

10. Summertime - Nina Simone

You can download the mix here: MONDAYMUSIC2

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).

*IMAGES BY ME, UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED.

music for your ears: monday mix

Monday Mix I:

1. On Feathers & Arrows (on Burnt Pine) - il gato

2. Marathon - Tennis

3. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

4. Daydreaming - Dark Dark Dark

5. I've Got This Friend - The Civil Wars

6. Go On - Elephant Revival

7. Float On - Modest Mouse

8. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

9. Punching In A Dream - The Naked and Famous

10. A Song For Dreaming - Judson Clairborne

You Can Download the Mix Here: MONDAYMUSICI

Please: If you enjoy the music, seek and out and support the artist (ie: buy music).