Sort of in the vein ofCassette from My Ex, I found a mixtape I made during a very transitional period of my life (both musically & emotionally) and I thought I’d post the songs, in order, for old time’s sake. I can still remember how I was feeling when I made this tape, and it wasn’t good. But the music is…at least some of it. It’s kind of a schizophrenic mixtape and, were I to make it now, I’d be more selective and find a better flow. And for sure there’s music in my collection now that I didn’t have then which would be better for how I was feeling then. Ah, well, live and learn.

There were some songs that worked, The Old 97′s Timebomb, for example. (Which is not the same as Rancid’s Timebomb, I assure you.)

I titled the tape “Oops there goes another year, oops there goes another pint of beer,” which is a lyric from Billy Bragg’s Greetings To The New Brunette (Shirley) which is one of my all-time favorite songs.

My favorite lyrics from that song are these:
I’m celebrating my love for you
With a pint of beer and a new tattoo
And if you haven’t noticed yet
I’m more impressionable when my cement is wet

Politics and pregnancy
Are debated as we empty our glasses
And how I love those evening classes

Billy Bragg pretty much rules.

Side A
The White Stripes – Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)
Dillinger Four – Our Science is Tight
Endless Struggle – Gold Old Days
Taking Back Sunday – Cute Without the “e”
Nirvana – Son of a Gun
Common Rider – Classics of Love
The Transplants – Weight on My Mind
The Pixies – Debaser
The Pretenders – Back on the Chain Gang
Fabulous Disaster – Short Fuse
Jurassic 5 – What’s Golden
The Blood Hound Gang – You’re Pretty When I’m Drunk
Sublime – Waiting for My Ruca
Big Dumb Face – Duke Lion

Side B
They Might Be Giants – We Want A Rock
Old 97s – Timebomb
Ultimate Fakebook – Soaked In Cinnamon
Justin Sane – Never Want To Leave Home
Billy Bragg – Shirley
$wingin Utter$ – Devious Means
Distillers – Sick of it All
Ramones – Swallow My Pride
The Beastie Boys – Gratitude
The White Stripes – I’m Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman
Frogpond – I Did
U.S. Bombs – Contract
Bouncing Souls – Manthem
Less Than Jake – Look What Happened

This is your brain on Hogs.

Listen to an interview with Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson of the Magnetic Fields fromNPR.

If you Google Claudia Gonson, incidentally, you come across herentryat Cassette from my Exwhich is an outstanding site. From their about section, “They were into you, so they made you a tape. Today you don’t have a cassette player, but you still can’t toss that mix. We share the stories and the soundtrack to your earliest loves.”

For the record, I still have a cassette player. (Two, actually.)

The Magnetic Fields are playingThe Pageantin St. Louis, Missouri on March 6th.

Of course,St. Vincent will be playingThe Bottlenecktomorrow, and I’m going.

This is your brain on Hogs.