i may be a bird in a cage but at least it's your cage

I've been making what I call a Christmas mix -- that is, not holiday songs but a mix made at the holidays -- since 1997; first they were tapes, then for a few years cds, and finally, in the digital age, the last four years have been downloadable zip files, and this year is no exception. These are songs that meant something to me this year, for various reasons, and they are for you. Behind the tag are the songs, each available individually in .mp3, and the whole shebang is available as a zip file [here] (107MB, .zip). The individual tracks will stay up 'til New Year's or so, the zip until it expires.

Happy holidays, happy 2008, happy music sharing -- whatever floats your boat. This is from me to you. 2008 wasn't a half-bad year. I'm not sure this mix says that, but if nothing else, I think it's hopeful.

1. [Tres Tangled Truckers -- "Last Christmas Sucked ... Thanks For Bringing It Up"] last christmas sucked, thanks for bringing it up/i didn't get anything i wanted/mama burnt the duck, my sister still sucks/but she's drinking, so she's a little bit better than she was the year before this¹
   
   
2. [Ryan Adams -- "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc."] i'm open all night and customers come to stay/and everybody tips, but not enough to knock me over
   
   
3. [Jason Isbell -- "The Magician"] they know it's what i do, but never who i am/never who i am
   
   
4. [The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir -- "Then And Not A Moment Before"] and really what did you expect?
   
   
5. [Panic at the Disco -- "She's A Handsome Woman"] grab your hat and fetch your camera/film the world before it happens
   
   
6. [Mike Doughty -- "Put It Down"] heart of my heart, got to leave you today/you don’t love me and you won’t understand
   
   
7. [Mason Jennings -- "Never Knew Your Name"] i’ve been loving you forever but i never knew your name
   
   
8. [Conor Oberst -- "Sausalito"] there's no sorrow that the sun's not going to help
   
   
9. [The National -- "Slow Show"] and i dreamed about you for twenty nine years before i found you
   
   
10. [The Teenage Prayers -- "Dreams of the South"] surrounded by pledges of faith and a dream of the south
    
    
11. [Langhorne Slim -- "Diamonds and Gold"] it's all right to change your style/it's all right to smile/it's all right to get a little happy along the way
    
    
12. [The Mountain Goats -- "Sax Rohmer #1"] and i am coming home to you/if it's the last thing that i do
    
    
13. [The Hush Sound -- "That's Okay"] until someone loves you, i'll keep you safe
    
    
14. [The Roadside Graves -- "West Coast"] i got a heart that won't quit, won't break/no matter what you do
    
    
15. [Drive-By Truckers -- "Self Destructive Zones"] caught between a generation dying from its habits/and another thinking rock and roll was new
    
    
16. [The Old Ceremony -- "Papers In Order"] i've got my papers in order, gonna find me a new love/gonna find me a new love now
    
    
17. [Glossary -- "Blood On The Knobs"] so wake me up when we get to where we're playing tonight/so i can call my family and tell them i'm still alive
    
    
18. [Centro-matic -- "Twenty-four"] so i’m calling all the ones that i have loved/heroes, confidants and all my enemies/hold it strong a little longer, that’s the key
    
    
19. [the Hold Steady -- "Stay Positive"] you gotta stay positive

1: this is not a real song. this is caitlin cary (late of whiskeytown), jason isbell (late of the drive-by truckers), and kevn kinney (late of drivin' and cryin') fucking around before a joint show in late '05, but it makes me laugh every time i hear it, and the title alone is worth inclusion.


If you haven't said hi to me this year and you grab this, it's a good chance to say hi. I'm just saying. Happy holidays, happy December, stay warm and stay positive.