Brightest Days / Sleepless Nights Mixtape

"All of your city lights turn your brightest days into sleepless nights" sings Other Lives in their song "Desert" which I couldn't legally include here, but there have been many days that I play the song just to hear those words. Taken out of context, I find myself relating those sleepless nights to some of the restless anxiety ridden ones, and other times it makes me think of missing the last subway home and enjoying the long walk home after a successful night out, the summer breeze flirting with the hem of my dress. Both scenarios encapsulate the meaning of this mix. It's not a summer mix, but rather one that characterizes the summer I've been having. It isn't the carefree summer I remember from my college years, as I'm slowly grappling and struggling to accept this "real world" I've landed in. There have been ups and downs, moments of absurdly goofy fun, long days at the beach with the best of friends, and moments spent screaming along to songs in my car just as a form of relief. This mix has songs to get lost in, songs that make you more aware than ever of the cracks in your heart, and more than a few to make you smile, maybe even laugh. Here are some of my favorite bits:

• The first five songs are just insanely good and ones that have been on repeat all week. "Unconsolable" is my new favorite confusing hook up song.
• I'm excited about a new album from Beat Radio and love when he sings "I made you a mixtape, ok it's not a tape at all, but it's full of sad songs that make summer feel like fall."
• Then there's the TV Girl EP that you'd be crazy not to get, especially since it's free. When this song comes on, the image of a topless girl with an indian headdress laying by the pool always floats to the surface. When you listen, you'll understand.
• Stone Darling is the latest 7" release from Analog Edition. What I love about this song is if you're writing a song about not missing someone, you probably are. But we've all been there, right?
• If you haven't cranked The Antlers "I don't want love" at 3am on repeat for an hour straight, you're seriously missing out, and also your neighbors probably don't hate you like mine do.
• "How'm I Gonna Get Back Home" is an absolute jam about a wild night spent over-imbibing.
• Aunt Martha is easily my new favorite band. "And quit your job that you hate so much / We'll both get by / We'll both make love / and you're here tonight, anyway / but oh, how things have changed / Now I act my age." Get their Abandoned Bedroom Sessions for free from their website.
• Allo Darlin' has been the soundtrack of my past two summers. I love the tweeness, how I can see the smoke coming from his cigarette, the frank lyrics, the image of a girl twisting a phone cord around her fingers. And god damn, I am so in love with that bass that kicks in at the end.
• "American Goldwing" is the title track of Blitzen Trapper's latest album due out in September and a perfect closing track.

Download: ZIP file

1. Ambassadors - Unconsolable [bandcamp]
2. The Middle East - Jesus Came to my Birthday Party [website]
3. Girls - Vomit [facebook]
4. Real Estate - It's Real [website]
5. Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down [website]
6. Beat Radio - Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat [bandcamp]
7. TV Girl - Lizzy Come Back to Life [bandcamp]
8. Stone Darling - I Stopped Missing You Today [bandcamp]
9. The Antlers - I Don't Want Love [website]
10. Beirut - East Harlem [website]
11. Fruit Bats - You're Too Weird [website]
12. Cataldo - Rock of Calvary [bandcamp]
13. He's My Brother She's My Sister - How'm I Gonna Get Back Home [bandcamp]
14. The Local Strangers - For Fear of Losing [bandcamp]
15. Family of the Year - Let's Go Down [website]
16. Aunt Martha - Neighbor Song [website]
17. Other Lives - For 12 [website]
18. Neighbors - Watergun [website]
19. Portugal. The Man - Got it All (This Can't Be Living Now) [website]
20. TV Girl - Benny and the Jetts
21. Allo Darlin' - My Heart is a Drummer [website]
22. Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps - Tanktop [website]
23. Aunt Martha - North
24. Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing [website]

I honestly mean it when I say that each and every one of their albums/eps are highly recommended. So you better click away on those links, there's lots more wonderful songs to discover. Enjoy.