I work for my college newspaper, the CPJ. Last week at about 2am we realized we had a full page of A&E to fill up. A few poems and a music review later, I had a half a page to play with, so I wrote an article entitled "I Hate Valentine's Day (but I love mixtapes!)". It was quite fun. I wrote about how much this holiday sucks if you're single, how great a mixtape can be for a gift, and how a mixtape can also be great therapy if you're 'as bitter about this commercialize holiday as I am'.

After a bit of ranting and raving and explaining how to make a perfect mix tape, I put the "I'm sorry Casey" mixtape in the paper as an example of a 'drink, think about exboyfriend, listen to music, smile, cry, drink more' mixtape, and then concocted a slightly more bitter one.

Titled simply the 'anti-valentine's day mixtape', the titles themselves show a nice story line (I elaborated a bit with an entertaining personal narrative in the details box). It's all the type of music you wouldn't expect to hear on a loving, affectionate mixtape. Since it's fairly short, and I was using a 90 minute tape when I put this together, I put some Sunn0))) and Merzbow on the B-side to 'calm your nerves'. (The A side was mixed together, fitting into the 45 minutes I had to play with).

I made this tape and am giving it out to quite a few of my single friends for Valentine's day. I also got allot of positive comments from readers of the CPJ regarding my article, I think I may have inspired a few more people to start making them!

The cover art is my friend Andy, with a bit of chocolate syrup on him.
I figure the whole "shot through the chest" photo works with the anti-heart day mix.

Well, I suppose since I only have one friend on the MTC, Ezra, I should make him a mix. I have a few stacked up for him, ready to be mailed out, but have yet to do so.

I don't see Ezra very often, but talk to him on the occasion and have allot in common in regards to our musical taste. He's my un-official 'show buddy' and one of the only people I know who will break into an abandoned building with me and hide from bums.

For this mix, I decided to stick to genres that we both like (mostly post rock instrumentalish stuff, with a bit of idm/electronic) and either things that he introduced me to or I introduced him to.

Ezra, I will mail you those mixes eventually.. I have to make a huge post office run one of these days. And we're going to both the EITS shows.

The cover art fits because we both draw trees. His are much better than mine though.

My roommate is scared of 'screamy' music. Usually, I'm quite accepting of the requests of my roomates (ie.. keep your music down after 11pm), but the "ummm... can you play that allot softer?" in response to an Amanda Woodward lp at 1pm on a fairly low volume is a bit much. So, I decided to make an ultimate mix tape to play only when he is passed out on the couch asleep in the middle of the day. (Have I mentioned that he sleeps on our couch for days on end and a friend even made a short film/biography starring him about an insomnia that has hallucinations?).

Anyways, back to the mixtape. It makes his eyes go wide, his speech slow to an inaudible speed, and usually makes him leave the house. Horrible, yes I know, but at the same time... oh so entertaining! And all of these are songs I like, so all the better for me.

The cover art is the wonderful view I have out my bedroom window. I was even nice enough to let the roommate have the room that doesn't look into a brick wall and I'm still getting shafted and forced to play my music quietly.

After a two year (or so) relationship, my man and I broke up... on not so good terms.

This is an apology mixtape I made for him which I never gave to him. I couldn't get up the nerve to even drop it in the mail, it said so much.

oh, the original tape was a 120 min one, so I had to cut a few of the instrumental pieces out to make it fit. Here's the original track listing: 1. Sur Le Fil – Amelie Soundtrack
2. Pitter Patter Goes My Heart – Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It in People
3. Close to Perfect – Homesick for Space – s/t
4. Always Love – Nada Surf – The Weight is a Gift
5. Ode to Ocean – Karl Blau – Beneath Waves
6. The Awful Truth of Loving – Rainer Maria – Long Knives Drawn
7. Misery is a Butterfly – Blonde Redhead – Misery is a Butterfly
8. The Argument – The Appleseed Cast – Low Level Owl Vol. II
9. The Big Fight – Stars – Set Yourself on Fire
10. Her Disappearing Theme – Broken Social Scene – To Be You And Me
11. Pink and Brown – The Headphones – s/t
12. Give Up – Okay – High Road
13. Untitled – I Have Dreams – Demo
14. Acid Food – Mogwai – Mr. Beast
15. Spiralling (with Devandra Banhart) – Antony and the Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now
16. What I Can Manage – Gregor Samsa – 55:12
17. We’re Both So Sorry – Mirah – C’mon Miracle
18. I Felt Your Shape – The Microphones – The Glow, Pt. 2
19. Monkey – Low – The Great Destroyer
20. The Smoke Will Lead You Home – Logh – A Sunset Panorama
21. Fade Into You – Pedro The Lion – Mazzy Star Cover
22. Sorry – The Wind-Up Bird – Valentine’s Day Mix 2005
23. Tho You Are Gone I Still Often Walk With You – A Silver Mt. Zion – Born Into Trouble
24. Hang On To Each Other – A Silver Mt. Zion – Horses In the Sky

i hate mornings. i really do. in fact, i try and not wake up before 2pm unless i really have to. this is for those few days that i'm forced to open my eyes in the early dawn hours of the day.

Yeah, so for once my ipod's shuffle function served me well. Enjoy, it's slightly random, but hey, that's what an ipod does.