Photo courtesy of Smashing Magazine & Alejandro Pratto

Officially a day late on this new initiative (I suppose you can call something a new initiative if you’ve done something two months in a row, right?) but February is a short month so we could also argue that I’m getting it in a ‘normal’ month with at least a day to spare, right? Glass half full and denial, bitches.

Anyway, February – when I was in town – was all rain, all the time. And I hate the rain. Actually, let me emphasize – I ABHOR THE RAIN. I could tell anecdotes of me refusing to go to class in the rain in college but that would paint me as lazy (which I’m not) when instead it’s just the ephemeral affect of the rain that’s like a wet blanket…TO MY SOUL. I blame Cleveland; you can too. Usually I justify the overactive SF precipitation by saying that at least it’s snowing in Tahoe, but since I haven’t been there yet this year, that excuse hasn’t worked either. As for the ‘laying lazily in bed while the rain gently patters outside’ argument, doesn’t work either. Trust me, I’ve tried. 

This isn’t to say that February was bad, per se; in fact, it was a really great month. I spent the first two weeks on the road, and then staked a claim – rain or not – to pack my suitcase away for a few weeks, at least until March rears its ugly travel head. But as I was trying to come up with a theme for this month’s mix, I saw this photograph and couldn’t think of a better fit.

So this month brings together a lot of new music, starting off with the insanely catchy ‘Crown on the Ground’ by Sleigh Bells, who I can’t wait to see at SXSW. It was right on the border of addictive and annoying – kind of like that guy you somehow ended up dating for a few months even though he was mediocre in bed (you were bored, that must have been it!) – but for now, I’m stickin’ with this song, hindsight be damned. Moving right along to one of the standout tracks from Yeasayer’s recent album and into my “Nothing Like You” from Frightened Rabbit’s new album and my (second) most-anticipated release of 2010. (Second because I have heard an advance copy and it’s SOLID, and because I’m still obsessed with The National.) Then we head back to an old favorite, The Rat, from The Walkmen, who are playing our party, The Bigg Digg Shindigg, in Austin on March 13th (AWW YEAH!)

Some other standouts: “Funeral Singers”, yet another track that comes courtesy of Jay who introduced me to Califone. “Walk in the Park” by Beach House, “Breathe Me” by Sia, which – though a few years old and overplayed in the indie scene after it was featured on Six Feet Under – still moves me, as well as “Astair” by Matt Costa, which I heard on Chuck. You know, Zachary Levi’s show. WHO I LOVE.

I ended this mix with another track by The Walkmen, “In The New Year”, as it seemed fitting. Good things are happening all around me, and while the raindrops are still falling here in the beginning of March, this felt anthemic to days and weeks ahead. The Walkmen say it best: 

“I know that it’s true, it’s gonna be a good year.”

Download February TwentyTen, yo: The Mixtape

1. Crown on the Ground – Sleigh Bells
2. ONE – Yeasayer
3. Nothing Like You – Frightened Rabbit
4. The Rat – The Walkmen
5. Finish Line – Fanfarlo
6. Funeral Singers – Califone
7. What’s It In For? – Avi Buffalo
8. Walk in the Park – Beach House
9. Odessa – Caribou
10. Into My Mind – Death Valley Sleepers
11. World Sick – Broken Social Scene
12. Stars – The xx
13. Superstar – Sonic Youth
14. Breathe Me – Sia
15. Astair – Matt Costa
16. He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You – The Delta Mirror
17. In The New Year – The Walkmen