music mix 04: midnight in a perfect world

happy fall everyone! this change of seasons is my favorite. autumn is very romantic, don't you think? one last, blazing fire of colors before the cold, darkness of winter. i've compiled a new music mix inspired by that. it is dramatic and moody and a bit more mellow than previous playlists (1/2/3), but it's cozy in a way too. there's nice balance of soft sounds and cool beats, which suit a silent foggy morning equally as well as a dwindling golden afternoon. so whether you want to stay in, wrap your hands around a warm mug, and watch leaves dance their way to the ground or you feel like layering up for a walk in the woods, this is your soundtrack.

i'm reallllly into #10. the nostalgia, the heartache. gets me every time. i would also like to draw your attention to the song titles which, were not considered in their selection but fit perfectly because well, halloween. and speaking of that, #2 could totally be dracula's theme song.

click on the link below to stream the music, i really hope you enjoy it!

spotify | mix 04
01. amerimaka - thievery corporation
02. too afraid to love you - the black keys
03. ghost of city life - alberta cross
04. anti-pioneer - feist
05. holdin' on - citizen cope
06. nothing in my way - keane
07. no difference - everything but the girl
08. midnight in a perfect world - dj shadow
09. wires and watchtowers - thievery corporation
10. bloodstream - stateless
11.  the greatest - cat powers

each of these songs belongs in the fall, but they don't naturally come together as a whole so it was challenging arranging them in a way that was cohesive. while finalizing the playlist, i asked andy how he'd transition from thievery corp to the black keys and he said he wasn't sure the two belonged on the same list. but they DO! so to prove my point, i blatantly put one right after the other. 
but i'm curious, how do you put music compilations together? do you just throw the songs on a list or do think long and hard about the order?

music mix 03: rule my world

the title of this playlist might as well be kings of convenience since half the songs on this mix are theirs. but what can i say, the kings and i are having a moment... which has been lingering ever since spotify introduced us weeks ago. they're not a new band, but they're new to me {*sigh* such is my musical foresight}. but really, who wants to be that person that brags about knowing a band "before they got big"? i think it's way cooler to be the person who still likes a bands even [decades] after they got big. at least, that is how i justify my lag in social trends.

anyway, this playlist is much like lazy summer days: easy, breezy. it's got the mellow, wistful vibe i've been wanting to rock out to these days. and by "rock out" i mean gently swaying in a hammock or porch swing. so pour yourself a glass of sun tea and enjoy!

spotify | mix 03
01. the girl from back then - kings of convenience
02. so sorry - feist
03. anonanimal - andrew bird
04. peacetime resistance - kings of convenience
05. boat behind - kings of convenience
06. the bend - real estate
07. yet again - grizzly bear
08. rule my world - kings of convenience
09. mykonos - fleet foxes
10. mrs. cold - kings of convenience
11. know-how - kings of convenience
12. the limit to your love - feist
13. try - sidsel endresen / bugge wesseltoft

music mix 02: street joy

you know those weekends you decide to fully embrace? the ones where you put off everything that needs to be done so you can do everything you want to do and instead of waking up early, you sleep in? or maybe you don't sleep in and you get up early anyway because you told your husband you wanted to learn to fish and he held you to it, so you spend the day wading in a river, scaring the trout one bad cast after next. the point is, you missed that short window of cool morning temperatures and have to wait until after the heat of the day to get your run in {which you're sort of dragging your feet about doing}.

that is when you load this playlist onto your ipod, put one foot in front of the other, and zone out. each song has the relaxed, easy sound of an early summer evening when the is sun sinking into the horizon. the bluesy riffs and lazy sounds of the slide guitar make me think of sitting on the porch and drinking something refreshing, like a juicy marg. this mix will take you there - a sort of mental "pre-game", if you will. it's the perfect way to cap off a self-indulgent weekend.

happy listening!

*yes, that is my handsome husband fly fishing with our son strapped to his chest pictured above. meanwhile, i almost got swept away by the current trying to capture the shot {he's got the skills and coordination i can only dream of}.*

spotify | mix 02
01. turn blue - black keys
02. street joy - white denim
03. things are changin' - gary clark jr
04. fool for you - alice smith
05. grass is greener - st paul & the broken bones
06. be mine - alabama shakes
07. keep your hands off her- the black keys
08. red house -jimi hendrix
09. broken bones & pocket change - st paul & the broken bones
10. cherrywine - hozier
11. outro -  gary clark jr
12. daisy -  stone temple pilots

music mix 01: keep your eyes ahead

this is the first of a series of running mixes i'm going to be sharing with you. if running is not your thing, that's ok. most of the music i run to gives me a feeling of forward movement so the playlists could easily work as soundtracks for a leisurely bike ride or a weekend drive - basically any situation where you have the wind in your face and can just cruise.

because most the miles i log are done outdoors, a lot of what i like to listen to is inspired by my surroundings. i tend to compile mixes based on a specific feeling or mood i get from the current season. this particular mix expresses the transition of seasons from end of winter to early spring. it's airy and bright, with a dreamy undertone. most of the songs begin a lot like early spring mornings: soft and cool, then warm into lively beats.

i've been listening to this mix for weeks, but since the weather's been so cool this year, it still totally fits my state of mind. the first song always makes me want to take a deep breath and let out a cathartic ahhhhh - it's a great way to start off a run. 

feel free to listen + enjoy via the links below.

spotify | mix 01
01. lights out, words gone - bombay bycicle club
02. nocturene - wild nothing
03. easy - real estate
04. origins - tennis
05. burning - the whitest boy alive
06. back seat - atlas genius
07. 505 - arctic monkeys
08. shadow - wild nothing
09. sweet disposition - the temper trap
10. keep your eyes ahead - the helio sequence
11. red eyes - the war on drugs
12. green aisles - real estate
13. i will sing you songs - my morning jacket