Over the years I’ve created various playlists. Sometimes as gifts, sometimes to capture concert events, sometimes just because.
I like to share most of them – like mix tapes! They started out as collections of songs I enjoy/like and have now become an annual tradition where I share the songs I’ve purchased/loved throughout the year.
Playlists
The links to listen and download are not working. I’m shifting to a new music server which doesn’t support publishing playlists that don’t require authentication (yet).
2022 – Get Off My Lawn, Spotify
This mix came together relatively easily. The mix is named thusly because it is an old-school mix of songs that break most of the rules I’d usually follow. Forget trying to weave slow and fast songs into a pleasing pace. First half is fast, second is slow. Forget keeping tracks snappy and short. There’s a 13+ minute track at the end here. Forget tossing away instrumentals. End the mix with 2 (kinda). This mix works, but only because I say it does. And Spotify would never create such a weird mix (or so I assume, I don’t use Spotify).
Plus, this year, I “discovered” a local band named Actors and much of my favourite music from the year revolved around them, so it was fun weeding things down, as I get to enjoy a lot of good music.
2021 – This Is Fine
Another year of so much music. Over 6 hours of selections – the best songs from the albums I bought. This Is Fine speaks to how our COVID-driven lives are creating new normals. It leverages the trope of the person in a dire situation convincing themselves that everything is fine.
2020 – Abominable Crown
What a year. I bought a LOT of music during the pandemic. Both as a salve but also as a way to support artists financially. I ended up buying a lot of music I might not have otherwise, so as I went through the hundreds of new songs to select a few for the mix, I had a lot of hard decisions to make. Some albums just never made it to the mix even though some of the songs are so great. I still have a director’s cut I could publish some day 🙂
2019 – Cover Your Eyes
2019 I was swamped in Trumpism, inequality, racial injustice – all before the pandemic hit! A mix of songs to help you cover your eyes like a turtle, or an ostrich.
2018 – Key Cores
A collection of songs that helped me see and remember my core beliefs, either with specific songs or artists in general. An attempt at a pick-me-up mix.
2017 – In Order of Appearance
A mix tape of songs I’d purchased in 2017, sequenced in the order I bought them.
2016 – Honkin’ Saxamaphones
A mix of songs that feature saxophones in some important way. Named from a classic Homer Simpson moment.
2015 – Supposed To Be Up
I started this mix by trying to find cheerful and fun songs. It didn’t turn out that way, hence the title.
2013 – Voices In My Head
Songs I tend to find myself singing along to. They stick in my head like glue.
2012 – The Longest Day Ever
A mix tape celebrating my brother’s 40th birthday. The name references the fact that he was born on the longest day of the year. Can’t find a reference for that now 🙂 Each song was picked to reflect a fact about a day during that year.
2011 – Up & Down
A mix tape of songs that showcase swings from sad to joyous, a rollercoaster mix.
2009 – Gear Down
A mix tape attempting to slow things down. Probably didn’t slow it down enough.
2007 – Resonance
A collection of songs that just … resonate with me, all the way back to teen years.
2007 – If You Like
Originally a mix tape with the idea of taking popular artists and finding alternates in my collection, that someone who liked <popular artist> would probably enjoy <unknown artist>.
2006 – Home, Grown
An album of 100% Canadian music. I was exploring CBC Radio 3 a lot at the time and heard a lot of new Canadian talent through it. This is a showcase of things I enjoyed.
2005 – Let’s Go
A mix tape celebrating the marriage of my friends, Nathalie and Marty
2005 – Kilroy
This was originally distributed by CD, and on it I included interstitial spoken word read by a robot. It pretends to be a menacing controlling robot who knows what’s best for you silly humans. I’m such a nerd. I’ve just (Dec 2020) recovered a CD version of this, so I was able to rip the spoken parts and add it to the playlist, restoring it to its full force.
2004 – Something Old, Something New, Something
A mix tape for Darcy’s 30th Birthday.
2003 – Greg’s Mix
A mix I made for my cousin-in-law Greg.
2002 – Thinking Out Loud (2 Disks)
A collection of songs I gifted to Alisa on Valentine’s Day, taking 2 disks to amass them all. And this was after I tried trimming it down. Songs I thought she might enjoy, as I listen to a lot of music and this was a chance for me to enjoy them out loud, as it were.
2002 – Summer’s Chill
A mix tape for friends. It refers to the second half of our summers, where the sun continues to shine but there’s a new chill in the air.
2001 – Wedding Disk
This was a gift we gave to all people who came or who were invited to our wedding. We actually ran out of the CDs at the time and I still have a ToDo to go back and make more CDs and send them out to those who missed out. Ouch!
2001 – Valentines
A mix I gave Alisa for Valentines while we were engaged.
2000 – Wanderlust
A mix I gifted to my friend Marty as he departed on a world trip.
Unknown Years
Mixes I’ve lost track of when I made them. If you know – please let me know too!
bez
I suspect this was made for XMas 2004, or maybe 2005/6. Alisa and I visited Russian in 2004, and for some reason the word bez really stuck in my mind (Russian for “without” e.g. borscht bez myaca). So I made a mix of songs that I thought dealt with or spoke to the concept of “without”
Sadwist
A mix of songs that capture a sense of being sad and wistful at the same time.
Concerts
I’m collecting playlists of concerts I’ve attended.
2019-11-26: Thievery Corporation at the Commodore Ballroom
Note: Work in progress!
After a long pause on concerts I opted to go enjoy a concert. This was a great one. I recorded 5 second clips of every song and am still working through them to collect the right songs and order.
2012-04-07: James at the Commodore Ballroom
This was the first concert for the original lineup of James since the 90’s, the first concert of their tour. It was a bit rough and the crowd really, really annoyed me. I was a tall guy who showed up 2 hours early to get a spot front and centre. Everyone behind me complained once they showed up and stood behind me. Too bad, show up early too suckas. The moshing was a bit rough behind me and at times I had to brace myself against the stage to avoid being pushed over. One guy in particular really liked to bang into me.
I like to remember the moments where Tim literally looked at me, nodded his respect for my patience, and sang his songs. I remember that really happening 😉
~1994: Morphine at the Town Pump
Darcy and I attended a Morphine concert and it was glorious. I recall Dana blowing into 2 saxes simultaneously playing two parts. Blew my mind. I grabbed the playlist off the stage after the show when it was obvious the band didn’t want it. Literally the playlist Mark was reading from. Took a picture of it last year and recycled it.
