Three 8tracks mixtapes

Sunday, January 31, 2010

The death of the cassette tape I used to create mixtapes and CD compilations all the time, but in this era of streaming music and MP3s I had gotten out of the habit. However, since sharing user-crafted mixes online keeps getting easier (and legal) with new service providers, I thought it would be fun to start making mixtapes again.

(That reminds me: Feeling nostalgic for the days of cassette tapes? Watch the award-winning short film Mixtape by Luke Snellin. I love the moment where the kid exits his house and the Heart song kicks in. Brilliant.)

This month I evaluated various free online services for streaming music and creating social playlists. I was looking for a simple, legal way to share and discover music through online mixes. Most sites I looked at were recommendation-based radio (like Pandora and Last.fm), which was not what I wanted.

(If you want to do your own research on mixtape sites, these two articles are good starting points for further exploration: “8 Best Ways to Share ‘Mix Tapes’” (October 26, 2009) and “Social Music: Top 5 Sites to Build a Playlist” (February 9, 2009). Also see: Quarkbase.)

8tracks Anyway, after all that searching, my favorite service for creating and sharing personal mixes is 8tracks. And this weekend I got a chance to upload some MP3s to my new 8tracks account. I created three mixes of 12 songs each. The track listings are below. Most songs were released in 2008 or 2009.

What I wrote in my 8tracks profile is true: “Music is how I remember time.” Have a listen.

12 Memories: Autumn 2009
Twelve tracks including music by Camera Obscura, The Twilight Sad and Zola Jesus. Some songs I’ve been listening to since the weather turned.

  1. Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over
  2. The Duke Spirit – This Ship Was Built to Last
  3. Holopaw – Abraham Lincoln
  4. Fruit Bats – When U Love Somebody
  5. Ben Folds – You Don’t Know Me (Feat. Regina Spektor)
  6. Meiko – Boys with Girlfriends
  7. Camera Obscura – Away with Murder
  8. Zola Jesus – Sink The Dynasty
  9. Gina Young – The Boy on the Bus
  10. Bye Bye Bicycle – Footsteps (Pt. II)
  11. Noah and the Whale – The First Day of Spring
  12. Twilight Sad – At the Burnside

12 Memories: Sasquatch 2009
Twelve tracks including music by Crystal Castles, The Decemberists and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Studio songs from my favorite artists that played on Saturday at Sasquatch 2009 in Washington.

  1. The Decemberists – The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid (Feat. Shara Worden)
  2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Down Boy
  3. Crystal Castles – Courtship Dating
  4. Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
  5. Animal Collective – Fireworks
  6. DeVotchKa – Head Honcho
  7. Blind Pilot – Go On, Say It
  8. Doves – Kingdom of Rust
  9. M. Ward – Headed for a Fall
  10. Crystal Castles – Untrust Us
  11. The Decemberists – The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing (Feat. Shara Worden)
  12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Runaway

(Read my blog post about last year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival.)

12 Memories: Bumbershoot 2009
Twelve tracks including music by Metric, Mirah and Say Hi. Studio songs from my favorite artists that played on Monday at Bumbershoot 2009 in Seattle.

  1. Metric – Empty
  2. Anomie Belle – How Can I Be Sure
  3. Say Hi – Northwestern Girls
  4. Mirah – The Garden
  5. The Cave Singers – Dancing On Our Graves
  6. Soulsavers – Revival
  7. Modest Mouse – Little Motel
  8. Franz Ferdinand – Die On The Floor
  9. Mirah – Cold Cold Water (Electrosexual & Abberline)
  10. Anomie Belle – Down
  11. Say Hi – November Was White, December Was Grey
  12. Metric – Help I’m Alive

(Read my blog post about last year’s Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival.)

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