Paradiso's MIX!

My first mix CD exchange is COMPLETE. Here's the CD I made for Nick. He was first, mainly because he was the first to say "YO! I made your CDs! What's your address?"

Yes, CDS plural. Nick couldn't fit his mix onto just ONE cd, so he made a 6! And what's even more wild is the way he organized the music. From Rufus Wainwright to Marilyn Manson in the blink of an eye, listening to the collection over the past couple days has been a pretty wild trip. One disc even starts with a Britney Spears classic, something I can't say I was anticipating. It's kept me entertained while I work not knowing what could possibly come next.


Anyone who knows this guy... No, anyone who has SEEN this guy or his car knows he is a Dave Matthews Band fan. If the fire dancer on his car doesn't give it away, the one tattooed to his leg should. We'd talked about music a bit, so I got a small idea of what he already had or might be in to and tried to build a fun CD around things I thought he may not have heard before. And, of course, threw in a DMB remix at the end for good measure. The following is a little playlist sample of some of the songs I thought he may not have already had that I included on Nick's cd. Enjoy! :)

THE BEST IDEA EVER. today.

A back story. A theory. A beginning.

SHORT STORY:

There are few things better then MIX CDs and SNAIL MAIL.
After coming up with the idea of a mix cd sharing project with a few friends last night, I'm determined to follow through with it. It's simple. You make me a CD, I make you a CD, and we snail mail it to one another!

LONG STORY:

My boyfriend Matt just had a very long talk with his grandmother this evening. She was so disappointed in her favorite American Idol, Adam, for his racy performance on an award show tonight. We don't have a TV, but curiosity got the best of me and I watched about as much as I could stand of the performance on youtube. So, here's this guy, with gobs of make-up smeared on frolicking around with a bunch of dancers clad in black leather and spikes over their undies. I'm SURE he's super talented, but the song was crap and all the fake fellatio was uncalled for (no wonder Matt's grandma wasn't impressed).

Matt tried to explain to her that the music we listen to is dictated by the television and radio. And that the television and radio is run by only a handful of companies who like to stroke one another's pocket books. It's not about art, it's about money. And, it's not our choice. It's what we're fed. So, he kindly suggested she stop eating it up and find some new tunes to hulla-hoop to. (She is an impressive hulla-hooper)

But, the questions is WHERE do you FIND super awesome music that hasn't been mass produced?

I know I have a few sweet tracks from miscellaneous sources chillin' in my iTunes library and sure my friends do too... so, why not utilize those friends as a resource? My brother and I have been making each other mix CDs for years, and I've discovered SO much killer music thanks to him. There's no telling what else I'm missing out on!

I've been a fan of the mix CD from the day my father bought me my first burner. And before that, I was a master of the mix tape. I enjoyed the art of creating a playlist, that transitioned thoughtfully between completely different genres. And the creativity in which I could decorate the covers and write on the shiny new discs. This art form is being lost to the iPod age.

So, I'm starting this blog to STAND AGAINST IT! I WANT TO MAKE MIX CDs. I want to share the tunes that create the soundtrack to my life experience and have the opportunity to listen to other people's atmospheres as well.

And JUST to kick it into ultra-old school gear, this will all be done via SNAIL MAIL. Yes. USPS will deliver my CDs to mailboxes, not inboxes. I will document my music journey via this blog and encourage others to share their music, stories, and CDs with me. :)