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

(Cross-posted, sorry if you've already seen it, etc etc etc. ♥)

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 five years have been downloadable zip files, and this year is no exception. These are songs -- frequently but not necessarily released in 2010 -- that meant something to me this year, for various reasons, and they are for you. The whole shebang is available as a zip file [here] (110MB, .zip).

Happy holidays, happy 2010, happy music sharing -- whatever floats your boat. This is from me to you. 2010 ended up being not half bad.

1. [the Drive-By Truckers -- "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So"] now one day it's gonna be "i told you so"/i'm all full up from the shit i was fed


2. [the Gaslight Anthem -- "The Diamond Street Church Choir"] and who who who does it better than we do


3. [Two Cow Garage -- "My Great Gatsby"] this is not an alibi, baby, this is who i am


4. [Tim Barry -- "Thing of the Past"] i've been lit up before and i've bounced right back/made mistakes and i've learned to laugh/tonight i'm getting drunk and simply living


5. [Frank Turner -- "Photosynthesis"] i won't sit down, i won't shut up/most of all, yeah, i won't grow up


6. [Glossary -- "No Guarantee"] i laughed and said "i won’t stop now but there's no guarantee."


7. [Frightened Rabbit -- "Living In Colour"] i, i am weathered by the winter of mixed drinks


8. [Superchunk -- "Learned To Surf"] i can't hold my breath anymore/i stopped swimming and learned to surf


9. [Eels -- "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)"] do you know what it's like to care too much/'bout someone that you're never going to get to touch?


10. [Dr. Dog -- "Later"] but i can't sit around and wait/can't sit around and wait for you


11. [The National -- "Bloodbuzz Ohio"] i never thought about home when i thought about love


12. [Ha Ha Tonka -- "Close Every Valve To Your Bleeding Heart"] thick skinned, hard headed/you're better off closing every valve to your bleeding heart


13. [Bright Eyes -- "Southern State"] so now you are giving advice as if you had the right to use a word like love


14. [Ryan Bingham -- "The Weary Kind"] pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try


15. [The Old Ceremony -- "Wither On The Vine"] and i don't want to wither on the vine


16. [Vic Chestnutt -- "Flirted With You All My Life"] but i found out with time that/really, i was not ready


17. [Good Old War -- "That's Some Dream"] i know everyone would want me to say/that i'm not afraid to be alone/i'm gonna live, i'm alright/i'm gonna die, it's alright, i'm okay


18. [Josh Ritter -- "Lantern"] if there's a book of jubilations/we'll have to write it for ourselves

I am really bad at posting these days, but as always: if you download this, this is always a good place to say hi, even if it's the only time you do all year.

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 five years have been downloadable zip files, and this year is no exception. These are songs -- primarily but not necessarily released in 2009 -- that meant something to me this year, for various reasons, and they are for you. The whole shebang is available as a zip file [here] (90MB, .zip). (I didn't upload the tracks individually this year; sorry! I just ran out of time.)

Happy holidays, happy 2009, happy music sharing -- whatever floats your boat. This is from me to you. 2009 was basically a year of one step forward, two enormous punches in the face back, but despite all that, I was pretty fucking happy. So.

( the lead in other people's dreams )

If you haven't commented in a while and you download this, now is a good time to say hi to me. I'm just saying.

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.

( still holding on to rock and roll )

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.

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 three 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, and the whole shebang is available as a zip file [here]. The individual tracks will stay up 'til New Year's or so, the zip until it expires.

Happy holidays, happy 2007, happy music sharing -- whatever floats your boat. This is from me to you. 2007 pretty much blew goats, but one way it didn't was musically, and that's what this is about. xoxoxo.

( we've all got our junk )

Even if you never again comment in my journal, this would be a really great post for you to say hi on, whether or not you're downloading. I'm just sayin'. I promise I don't bite hard.

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 two 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, and the whole shebang is available as a zip file [here]. the individually tracks are down now, but the zip will be available for at least another month.

happy holidays, happy 2006, happy music sharing -- whatever floats your boat. this is from me to you. xoxo.

( the very special 2006 minervacat christmas mix: the universe is shaped exactly like the earth )

my senior year of high school, i started making a mix tape at christmas - the annual tape usually covered songs i'd listened to that year, songs that i felt summed up the year, stuff from new albums i'd bought that year, blah blah blah fishcakes.

i've been doing it ever since. sometimes the mix got made and never got distributed to people, which is due only to my immense laziness. sometimes i actually managed to burn three dozen copies and mail them out on time. it goes both ways. but! thanks to yousendit.com & the almighty internets, i've got a great new way to distribute the mix.

so here it is, in one convenient zip file (um, that's 66MB, so dialup users, beware). the track list is behind the cut; the file is available for download here (mirror one - mirror two - mirror three). it's at yousendit, so click on the link and then download the file from the yousendit page. make a playlist and listen to it on winamp! burn it to a cd! ignore it altogether! whatever floats your boat.

(if you do download, comment so i can reupload if necessary; but i will be out of town all weekend, so get it while it's hot! and if you live in the research triangle metro area and would prefer a burned copy, just let me know; megan, i'm looking at you and your dialup.)

this is the minervacat holiday two-thousand five mix: writers of unpopular fiction are trying to drink more. enjoy it. ♥

( the holiday mix two-thousand five: writers of unpopular fiction are trying to drink more )

happy holidays, kids.

my senior year of high school, i started making a mix tape at christmas - the annual tape usually covered songs i'd listened to that year, songs that i felt summed up the year, stuff from new albums i'd bought that year.

i've been doing it ever since. sometimes the mix gets made and never gets distributed to people, which is due only to my laziness. sometimes i actually manage to burn three dozen copies and mail them out on time. it goes both ways. but! thanks to yousendit.com, i've got a great new way to distribute the mix.

so here it is, in one convenient zip file (um, that's 60MB big, so dialup users, beware). the track list is behind the cut; the file is available for download here. it's at yousendit, so click on the link and then download the file from the yousendit page. make a playlist and listen to it on winamp! burn it to a cd! ignore it altogether! whatever floats your boat.

this is the minervacat christmas two-thousand four mix: drunk with the only saints i know. enjoy it. ♥

( the christmas mix two-thousand four: drunk with the only saints i know )

(if the link dies, let me know and i'll reupload it. i will, however, be gone from thursday to tuesday, so if it dies then, you'll just have to wait. get it while it's hot!)