Making a mixtape in January is always a challenge, especially after compiling all of your favorites into a “Best of…” from the year prior. Thankfully, some great music has come out already this year, including Cold War Kids’ new record, which is a lot more arena-rockish than in the past (produced by Kings of Leon’s producer, and it shows) but I love it. A few other faves are “Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous, a New Zealand band that sounds like ol’ school MGMT (read: back when they were good), “Blow it Up” by The Vaccines (you’ll hear a lot more about this band in 2011) and “Poor in Love” by Destroyer, whose album comes out soon. And of course Frightened Rabbit’s “The Wrestle”, a track off of last year’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks, which I will go on record to say that it gets better and better with every listen. Which, given the fact that my play count just on my work computer exceeds 100, means it’s pretty phenomenal.

Download bittersweet between my teeth: January 2011 Mix – ENJOY!

1. Louder Than Ever – Cold War Kids
2. Don’t Carry It All – The Decemberists
3. The Wrestle – Frightened Rabbit
4. Young Blood – The Naked and Famous
5. Into the Sun – The Static Jacks
6. Bang Pop – Free Energy
7. Blow It Up – The Vaccines 
8. Gold – Slowwave
9. MoneyGrabber – Fitz & the Tantrums
10. We Used to Wait – Arcade Fire
11. Poor In Love – Destroyer
12. Change of Time – Josh Ritter
13. My Old Brittle Bones – Dreamend
14. Heavy In Your Arms – Florence + The Machine
15. Fire To The Ground (featuring Matt Berninger) – The Forms
16. Birds – The Submarines
17. State of Our Affairs (Daytrotter Session) – Mt. Desolation 
18. Dead Hearts – Stars
19. I’ll Try Anything Once – The Strokes 

For the past three years, I’ve made a “Best Of…” mix, ending the year by looking back & reflecting on the songs that meant the most to me. I didn’t subscribe to the rule that they had to be released in that year, just that they were the soundtrack of my last twelve months. I would spend weeks thinking about this, first making a list of the songs that I remembered listening to the most. Then I would go back through DailyTuneage (which sadly, is anything but Daily these days), looking at Last.fm logs and iTunes play counts and end up with hundreds of songs that I loved. Far too many to fit on one CD (which is my limit, for those of you who still listen to things like that) so I’d often create a B-Side Mix that were a few that just missed making the list.

This year, I decided it wasn’t enough, and set out to complete monthly “Best of” Mixes, which I was successful in doing, save for May & June when I was all busy and HAPPY or something equally annoying, which now irks my Type-A self as I really, really wanted to have twelve complete months of what I was listening to. (I’ll try better this year, promise. As for the happy? Working on that, too.) But when it came to the end of the year, my December Mix was as challenging as ever to compile, but my Best of 2010? Much easier. I simply reviewed my monthly “Best Of” mixes, checked a few other songs that I was into, and then made the difficult choice of deciding what songs made were deemed the Best of the Best. And, unlike years past, I put them in chronological order instead of my MasterMixMaking Algorithm™, which totally doesn’t exist but would be super if it did. And so for the last week, I’ve been listening to this mix, and taking a literal chronological trip down memory lane, which I’ll share with you now.

1. Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons (JANUARY): I remember first hearing about them in late December, courtesy of my friend Jake, who sent me this song and I was instantly in love, trying to find the album (which was only available in the UK) and listening nonstop. It made my January mix, and over the last twelve months it’s become more and more fitting with some of the lyrics. (Yep. You know which ones I’m talking about.) And since then, they’ve found HUGE success, selling out venues galore. (I saw them 3x; once at Slim’s in SF, once at Lollapalooza and a third time at their last paid North American show at Terminal5 in NYC. They’re great performers.) So maybe you heard them here first…that would be nice. 

2. Broken Horse – Freelance Whales (JANUARY): Not sure how I found out about these guys, but I did, and I’m so glad I did. A lot of people gravitated towards their “Generator” songs, or “Hannah” (which is my second-favorite) but for me, this sad, slow ballad resonated most. Though I got to see them a few times as well, the one I think back on most was at Rickshaw Stop on a Friday in San Francisco in the midst of one of the more confusing months of my life. (Commonly referred to as “August”.) Still love this song, though.

3. Ring Ring – Sleigh Bells (MARCH): I first brought y’all Sleigh Bells back in February with the insanely catchy song ‘Crown on the Ground’ (which I just embarrassingly saw that I used the exact same adjectives to describe it then…THIS, friends, is why I’m not a music writer) and while I still love it, I ended up listening to “Ring Ring” a bit more. Note that I had their pre-release, and this is the original version of the song; on their full album it is called “Rill Rill and frankly, I think the newer version loses some of its awesome. I saw them at SXSW – dragged Ryan, Prager and Charlie to an NPR showcase and made them stay all afternoon waiting for their set (the $1 PBR’s didn’t hurt) and despite some technical issues, was one of the best shows I saw all week.

4. The Loneliness and the Scream – Frightened Rabbit (MARCH): Oh yes, Frightened Rabbit, you know I love y’all. And when I first posted this link back in March, I hadn’t yet met Scott and Grant and Billy and Andy and Gordy. I just loved this song, and couldn’t wait to hear it in person, as it was off their upcoming album, “The Winter of Mixed Drinks”. I loved that it was orchestral, and thought it would resonate well in concert. (It SO does.) So this song makes me think of how fortunate I was to get to meet and get to know this fantastically talented band this year…from a Twitter @reply to helping coordinate an acoustic show here in SF (and have Revision3 film it in all its glory!) to seeing them backstage repeatedly…yeah. I’m beyond lucky for these experiences, but also to have found good friends in these guys. 

5. Bear – The Antlers (MARCH): Found out about The Antlers first from Jay Parkinson, who linked me to the beautiful and haunting song, Kettering (which was on my Best of 2009 Mix). Got to see them open for The National during Lollapalooza at The House of Blues in Chicago…a fight broke out (read: drunken assholes) but I was with dear friends and was so happy to finally be seeing them live.

6. Fixed – Stars (JULY): The first song I heard off of their new album, the whole of which I don’t think I’ve played enough, even though I did get to see them three times and hang out with them backstage at Lollapalooza. The line – which I think I actually have wrong – “After when I’m caught, touch turns into fisticuffs, It’s all in your head, wonder if I’m fixed or cuffed.” – hit home in mid-July. What happens when you fall right back into what you were dreading the most? 

7. Breakneck Speed – Tokyo Police Club (JULY): I didn’t listen to this album as much as I should have, but this song & “Tessellate” both stood out. Got to meet them at Lollapalooza, and see them a few times, including at that same show at Rickshaw Stop with Freelance Whales. Already talked about that, so…next.

8. Stranded – The Walkmen (AUGUST): First time I met The Walkmen, they were nice enough, but had no desire to be my BFF and hang out and do shots with me. (Not that, err, I tried.) I had them play the Digg party at SXSW, and the first time I heard this song was from side-stage as they previewed their new album, Lisbon. I later found out that they were nervous, playing many of these songs that weren’t fully released until the late Summer for the first time in front of an audience. I then got to see them at Lollapalooza, and as chance will have it, ran into Hamilton at the Wine Bar before seeing them at The Fillmore in September. Still my favorite song off the album, probably because of the horn section. I love me a horn section (not a euphemism.)

9. You Were a Kindness (Unreleased) – The National (AUGUST): I can’t speak about this song…still too much. Just know it was released on the very day that I needed it to, that I heard it on a live recording, spent over an hour trying to download it, and transcribed every lyric.  “Why would you shatter someone like me?”stood out, probably because the song – and the time that it described – very nearly did. Note that this version was off the remastered “High Violet”, which (spoiler alert!) was tied for my best album of 2010.

10. Truth – Alexander (SEPTEMBER): Yet another one that I tracked down from the Internet…heard it on Sirius XMU and the amount of Boolean searches in creative ways, trying to yield this gem, is embarrassing. But alas, found what may be the only copy of this track, as it was only given to Sirius XMU and still isn’t yet released. Other music nerds feel the same way, and can’t wait for Alex Ebert – the frontman of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (who I got to see side-stage from Austin City Limits!) – to release his new album. Apparently it will be on it.

11. Ready to Start – Arcade Fire (AUGUST): Oopsie. My magical plan to list these in order of month was foiled by this last-minute addition. August, September…same diff, right? Anyway, I SAW Arcade Fire in September at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, which was an awesome show…I hadn’t seen them since four years previous at the same venue. Calexico opened, and they were pretty good, but didn’t hold a candle to Arcade Fire, which many said produced the best album of the year. (It was up there, but no cigar.) Incidentally, they opened the show with this song.

12. Love is All I Am – Dawes (OCTOBER): I feel it’s time to go on record and publicly declare to Taylor [Dawes’ lead singer] that I am not, in fact, stalking him. Despite much evidence to the contrary. I first met him backstage for Frightened Rabbit during Lollapalooza; then saw him when they played the next week at The California Academy of Sciences, and he gave me the hugest hug. Then saw him the NEXT day at Outside Lands here in SF, where we chatted for a bit; then front stage at Austin City Limits & in the Artist Lounge there. I will also go on record and say that Taylor is one of the most gracious & kind musicians that I’ve seen with his fans…so friendly. (Also, pretty hunky.) But enough about my non-stalking…back to the music. This song was another one whose lyrics offered the words that I was looking for when I needed a way to articulate something difficult. So thanks, Taylor, for that. And for not issuing a restraining order.

13. Fader – Temper Trap (SEPTEMBER): Damnit, I did it again. Apparently the Fall was a whole August-September-October mishmash of awesome songs. Which I’m fine with…Autumn was good for me. I *needed* this Autumn…it was the first steps in finding the way back home. (More on that to come…) I got to meet the guys from Temper Trap – Melbourne-ians, at that (and we know I love me some Aussies) at Lollapalooza, and saw ’em again at Outside Lands. “Sweet Disposition” was one of my favorite songs from last year, and both this (and “Love Lost”) made Best Of mixes this year.

14. I Walked – Sufjan Stevens (SEPTEMBER): I love Sufjan. LOVE. Saw him a few years back at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, and he had inflatable Superman dolls fly down from the ceiling during “The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts”. Sadly, I was traveling during his jaunt to SF, so he’s one of only two bands on this mix that I missed seeing live this year. This song still made the mix, based on the fact that I listened to it on repeat for nearly a week. (Might be blasphemous saying it, but the full album didn’t resonate with me as much as it did with some of my friends.)

15. Terrible Love (Alternate Version) – The National (NOVEMBER): Last year, I was obsessed with “About Today”. I listened to it over and over again, to numb myself through a horrible breakup. I had just started listening to the band in earnest; two of my close guy friends were huge fans, and I started 2010 rediscovering the awesomeness that was “Boxer” and their eponymous first LP. So when we got a pre-release of “High Violet”, this year’s release (that many agree is the best album of 2010), I was anxious to hear it and to love it. And it didn’t disappoint…I think I have listened to this record (both digitally, and on vinyl) more than any other one. I definitely saw them more than any other band; I flew to LA in May and saw them two nights in a row; saw them at House of Blues Chicago, then the next night went side-stage and saw them in front of 50,000 people; caught them at Austin City Limits (yep, side-stage again) and finally at Treasure Island Music Fest. SIX TIMES. Anyway, this song was one that grew on me; when they released the remastered version in November, it fast became my favorite on the album, as this version plays up the horn section more than the original, which concentrates heavily on the drums. I’d embarrass myself if I told you how often I listened to it, but I’ll put it this way: I have it on a vinyl single. Yep.

16. FootShooter – Frightened Rabbit (NOVEMBER): Another album that was amazing from the get-go, but somehow still grew on me (especially after I heard it on vinyl) was Frightened Rabbit’s “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” – it’s cheerier than their highly-lauded “Midnight Organ Fight” but I think features their talent a bit more. I don’t want to call it mature – though it is – as that takes away from the brutal honesty that are featured in their lyrics that fans love. This song, in fact, is about Scott being “vocal when [he’s] loaded”. BRILLIANT. Alas, tied for Best Album of 2010.

17. Dirty Cartoons – Menomena (DECEMBER): First listened to this album in Jay’s back garden in Williamsburg. Buddy (his dog) was running around, it was a warm – but not hot – Autumn night, and we were sharing a bottle of wine after a lovely dinner. I had heard that this album was good but WOW. It blew me away. Sounded like three or four different bands – ones that I love – all compiled into one. I’ve since purchased it on vinyl, and HIGHLY suggest you do too. I missed seeing them in SF (they were playing the same night as Arcade Fire) but it’s highly on my 2011 to-do list as I hear I’d be blown away.

18. The Way Back Home – Band of Horses (DECEMBER): I think this may have been my highest-anticipated album of 2010 after seeing them at SXSW, and hate to say it, but didn’t hit home with me that much. The songs were all catchy, and sure, I played it a bit in the Spring, but it didn’t have that sticking factor that makes you want to listen to it on repeat, as “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” or “High Violet” did. Yet there were a few standouts, and my favorite song off the album was this ballad. I didn’t listen to it in earnest until the last few weeks of the year, but as 2010 came to a close, it fit. Made sense. Was like a contented sigh after a year of ups and downs, of emotion both high and low, a subtle tying up of loose ends.

~

And so I named my Best of 2010 after this last track, “The Way Back Home.” It was the closing song to this retrospective, my year in music, the year I’ve learned more about myself than any other. Also the year where I’ve seen more shows than any other, was lucky enough to meet some of my favorite bands in person, and developed a love for records in all of their vinyl amazingness. I feel at home, finally, after traveling more than I thought possible – at least in terms of maintaining my sanity – and as I head into 2011, I’m genuinely excited about the days and months to come. I’ve made my way back home, and I intend to stay.

So please, enjoy my musical retrospective, and here’s to making many more amazing memories, set to your own personal soundtrack, in the year ahead.

——————

Not enough? Fine, fine. I’m a giver. Enjoy the past few years in tuneage. (But don’t forget to please, PLEASE buy music. You’re supporting amazing artists like these, who our lives would be so boring and silent and unfulfilled without.)

* Best of 2009
* Best of 2008
* B-Sides: Best of 2008
* Best of 2007 

As I write this, rain is hitting the windowpanes behind me. It’s late December, and cars outside are splashing through the puddles, telltale signs that Winter has descended upon San Francisco. New friends here aren’t yet used to the rain, and I understand…I remember my first winter here, wondering where the snow was (read: Tahoe), wondering why it had to rain EVERY SINGLE DAY. (Answer? To make Tahoe so wonderful.) Yet it makes you weary, this weather that we have, being cold and damp and after a few days of constant downpours, the drops hitting the windowpane aren’t soothing anymore, but constricting. Limiting. It’s easy to go a little stir-crazy in San Francisco in the Winter, and that’s why we so often count the days until weekends appear, stuffing into cars with heaters blaring for the at-least three-hour ride to Tahoe, which makes it all worth it. Or get away to where they have ‘real’ Winters, i.e., New York, which is smack dab in the midst of a Snowpocalypse, as they’re calling it these days.

But whatever the Winter brings, wherever you are, it’s a time of endings. Closing doors. Waiting for windows to open, or waiting for you to open them yourself. People reflect back on the year past so often during this time of the year – none more so than the week between Christmas and New Years, as it is right now – and anticipate the year ahead, bringing with it a promise of reinvigoration. Rebirth. New beginnings. The chance to start fresh, close the door on last year’s mistakes and get ready to make new ones instead. It’s an exciting time, yet that week or so approaching it, when work is quiet, when friends and family are traveling, when the rain hits the windowpanes, seems like a chance for you to catch your breath and get ready for the days to come.

December 2010 was a complete whirlwind for me; a ton of travel, parties, celebrations, new goals, fun projects, and a chance to get caught up and reprioritize. Focus on what’s important. And who. And in a lot of ways, the ‘who’ is actually ‘you’. We too often put others before ourselves, and I hate that the word ‘selfish’ has negative connotations. There needs to be a new reclaiming of that word…’selfish’. Because it’s not putting yourself first at the expense or exclusion of others, as the definition says, but sometimes it’s reconfiguring the balance. Making sure you’re being good to yourself AND others, as kindness needs to be devoted to both. And one of the best ways to be kind to yourself is to be kind to others…finding something bigger than you that you can help with – as I energetically embraced with TheTwelveDaysofGiving campaign I held to benefit charity: water. It grounds you, reminds you what really matters, especially during the craziness of the Holidays. And knowing that this is good for you, THAT’S the type of selfishness that is important. That we should embrace and foster. And share.

So during the last month of this year – which I will reflect upon in much greater detail tomorrow when I post my “Best of 2010” post & mix – I included songs that were with me on my trips to New York, Cleveland, Denver and back to San Francisco. They’re the songs that I’ll be taking with me as I head to New York again for New Years, the town that has been so good to me during a year of recalibration, this past year of letting go. And so I wanted to honor that with two tracks with the same name: This Year. One is by The Mountain Goats; the other, by Hurricane Bells. They’re the first and the last tracks on the Mix, and set the stage for The Best of 2010 compilation and the forthcoming January Mix. 

As for the name: Winter Winds. I thought about including the Mumford & Sons track by this name, but actually prefer the lyrics of “The Cave”, which is included, a bit more. Yet it seemed fitting for the name of December 2010, so, there it is.

And for a minor Type-A regret of mine, I’m really irked at myself for missing both May and June 2010 for the mixes. The thought of having a full year of the songs that I was listening to, as a way to reflect and remember, is so lovely. But alas, that was during a pretty non-stop period of new jobs and new loves and new experiences, and it fell by the wayside. Next year I’ll do better, I promise.

And so I hope you enjoy “Winter Winds: December 2010 Mix” as much as I’ve enjoyed curating these mixes all year. 

1. This Year: The Mountain Goats
2. I Can’t Stand: Zola Jesus
3. Acid Reign: Violens
4. All Yr Songs: Diamond Rings
5. Freak Out: Tapes ‘n Tapes
6. Stamp: The Rural Alberta Advantage
7. Not in Love (featuring Robert Smith): Crystal Castles
8. Runaway (featuring Pusha T): Kanye West
9. Teenage Dream: Katy Perry
10. Block after Block: Matt & Kim
11. You Oughta Know: Das Racist
12. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains): Arcade Fire
13. Missed the Boat: Modest Mouse
14. Shell Games: Bright Eyes
15. I Do Not Care For the Winter Sun: Beach House
16. The Cave: Mumford & Sons
17. This Year: Hurricane Bells 

Yeah yeah. I’m late in posting this. Nothing to see here…

But MUCH to listen to. Since I’m 17 days delinquent with this post, I’ll keep it short and say that my November Mix rocks. It was actually finished well into November, but things have been that crazy that it remains top of my “To-Do” list and seventeen days late is truly a travesty. ALAS, here you go…”Last Leaf: Aubs’ November 2010 Mix“

1. Dog Days are Over: Florence + The Machine
2. Kites: Geographer
3. My Body: Young the Giant
4. Fashion Party: Das Racist
5. Hard To Explain: The Strokes
6. Smother: The Interns
7. Girls With Accents: Fences
8. Holland, 1945: Neutral Milk Hotel
9. Last Summer: Pete Yorn
10. Waterfall: The Fresh & Onlys
11. Foot Shooter: Frightened Rabbit
12. Madder Red: Yeasayer
13. Anyone’s Ghost (Sirius XMU Sessions): The National
14. Last Leaf: OK Go
15. Dreamer: Tiny Vipers
16. Excuses: The Morning Benders
17. I Do: Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s
18. Winter Bones (live): Stars

Last Leaf

OK Go | Myspace Music Videos

OK Go has done it again. Their latest video was recorded using stop motion…ON BURNT TOAST. Doesn't hurt that the song is beautiful, and seasonally fitting, to boot.

So here we are, two days into November, which means I’m right on time for posting my October Mix. Really, internets, I’m not usually THIS much of a slacker. It’s just that I like to post the mix of the music I’m most listening to THAT MONTH which, you know, takes most of the month. Without fail, there’s always a few late additions, and this month is no exception. 

Standouts for October include ‘Big Wave’ by Jenny & Johnny (you know, Jenny Lewis and her darling fiance Jonathan Rice, who I saw at a private party during the Democratic National Convention and wow, they’re great.) While all y’all are chatting about the new LCD Soundsystem, I’m still hooked on their older track, ‘Someone Great’ because HOT DAMN, those lyrics hurt my soul. I spent FAR TOO LONG trying to rip the audio from a live version of ‘Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl’ because I saw Emily Haines perform it live at SXSW and someone else did it at Treasure Island this past month, and let’s just say that Emily’s version blew the other one out of the water. Also, it’s widely documented that I have a girlcrush on her. There’s also some older songs that I had to include, like Damien Rice’s ‘Lonelily’ (another soul crusher) and this version of DeVotchka’s ‘How It Ends’ that is really, really hard to find on the Interwebs if you have lost it. (Suffice it to say, my old external hard drives got some trolling.) AND, for your listening previewing pleasure, ‘Lover of the Light’, which I anticipate will be my favorite new song whenever Mumford & Sons release their new album. (Yep, unreleased. GO SEE THEM LIVE, they don’t disappoint.) 

As for the title of this month’s mix, “An Ocean Not to Break”, that comes from the lyrics of ‘Terrible Love’, The National’s song that leaves me breathless every time they end their concert with it. Which – after seeing them SIX TIMES this year (read: obsessed), was a lot.

So here it is for your downloading pleasure, “An Ocean Not To Break: Aubs’ Oct. 2010 Mix”. May it accompany you as you notice the changes in the air…the evenings getting colder, the days shorter, and leaves underfoot.

1. Angela Surf City – The Walkmen
2. Wait  Up (Boots of Danger) – Tokyo Police Club
3. Jesus – Dom
4. Big Wave – Jenny & Johnny
5. Autumn Sweater – Yo La Tengo
6. Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club
7. Someone Great – LCD Soundsystem
8. Wicked Blood – Sea Wolf
9. Love Lost – The Temper Trap
10. Lover of the Light – Mumford & Sons
11. Lonelily – Damien Rice
12. You Will Leave a Mark – A Silent Film
13. Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl (live) – Broken Social Scene featuring Emily Haines
14. The Lengths – The Black Keys
15. INTIL – Menomena
16. Terrible Love – The National
17. How it Ends – DeVotchka 

Here in San Francisco, we don’t get what you’d call a ‘typical’ summer. Our June/July/August are usually quite mild (read: really damned cold), at least in comparison to the rest of the country. While not rainy, which I appreciate, I have a REALLY hard time getting used to having to wear a scarf & cashmere sweater within 90 days of my June 8th birthday. Adding insult to injury is the fog – ugh. Even if it’s clear out and the temps miraculously raise past 65 degrees, by night the fog comes rolling in…while it’s beautiful and often breathtaking to witness, walking around at 7pm with spitting rain misting your face & frizzing your hair is a stark contrast to the Midwest and East Coast summers I knew for 27 years. Not sure I’ll ever really get used to it, partly because we need to have SOMETHING to complain about here. 

But this past weekend, well, it was a delight. We finally – at the end of September – were the recipients of a heatwave. (And of course we bitched about that, since us air-conditionless folks apparently had a hard time sleeping.) Everyone can just shut right up about that; it was heavenly in the “too hot to drive with my convertible top down but I’m SO doing it anyway” sort of way. I’ll prefer to be far too warm to freezing any day. And so this weekend we went to the beach. My friend Steph had a birthday bonfire, and for the first time in the five years I’ve lived in San Francisco, I donned a bathing suit on Ocean Beach. Yes, you read that correctly: I busted out my teeny green bikini IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS. (Mom, if you’re reading this, you may want to stop now: I didn’t even wear a cover up. I know. You’ve SO failed with me. I’m sorry I’m a shame to the family.) And we played bocce, which I’m good at up until the third drink, at which point I’m absolutely terrible and should just sit my bikini-clad ass back down and become an athletic supporter instead. So I did. And we gathered and chatted and watched the sun set…the photo above that I’m using for this month’s Mixtape artwork was taken there, and it makes me happy. Content. Peaceful, even. Because even though the days are getting shorter and shorter – it’s officially Fall, after all – we were granted a few days of warmth. Of careless afternoons with sand in between our toes. We were given the California that everyone who isn’t from here assumes we always have. 

This month’s mix is a tribute to that change in season…the smell of wood burning on a brisk night, the embers glowing warm, bidding summer adieu. I’m excited to be heading back to the East Coast a few times in the coming weeks to experience the true feeling of Fall, and look to my cozy sweaters not as a hinderance, but instead a comfortable return to what I grew up knowing. Instead of going through the reasons behind all of the songs I chose, I’ll let this month’s mix speak for itself. Download it here, and as always, please enjoy.

1. Islands/Love the Way You Lie – The Pretty Reckless (live)
2. Success – Interpol
3. Blue as Your Blood – The Walkmen
4. I Walked – Sufjan Stevens
5. Truth – Alexander
6. Let’s Get Out Of Here – Les Savy Fav
7. Cameras – Matt & Kim
8. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance – Black Kids
9. Felicia – The Constellations
10. Too Dramatic – Ra Ra Riot
11. This Too Shall Pass – OK Go
12. Fader – The Temper Trap
13. Airplanes – B.o.B
14. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
15. I Was Thinking… – Gauntlet Hair
16. Marathon – Tennis
17. Burial – Miike Snow
18. Crossfire – Brandon Flowers (Live at KROQ)
19. Help I’m Alive – Metric (Daytrotter Session)
20. Curs in the Weeds – Horse Feathers (Daytrotter Session) 

Every month when I make these mixes, I find it to be such a cathartic output of all that’s happening around me. And the music reflects it (just listen to my Best of 2010 mix to remember that it was coming after an AWFUL few months. Hi, Depression Central.) And this month, well, it’s had its ups & downs. Which is basically the understatement of the year. From the amazing, lifechanging experience that was Lollapalooza to the lull afterwards, I feel like August 2010 ebbed and flowed like no other. And as it comes to a close in less than 24 hours, I sense this is somewhat of a turning point for me. There was August, and then there was everything after. Thus the title, with all due respect to Counting Crows for the inspiration (and throwing in one of my favorite songs of theirs to pay homage.)

Now, to the songs.

August is the end of the summer for many of you; for us in San Francisco, it’s usually the beginning of the nicest few months of weather. So I wanted to make mention of that; I’ve included two songs – All Summer, a remix by Converse (yep, the shoe people) and Sleep All Summer, a glorious duet between Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and The National that makes me weep with delight. The general vibe of the mix is pretty upbeat – I challenge you to find something poppier and catchier than the new potty-mouthed Cee-Lo song ‘F*ck You’ – but there’s also some slower, more orchestral tracks, like The Walkmen’s first single – Stranded – off their upcoming album. My favorite physician-turned-design junkie, Jay Parkinson, turned me on to the new Menomena album, which I HIGHLY urge you all to get. He’s right – it’s going to be one of the best of the year. And we know my obsession with The National; You Were a Kindness is the yet unreleased single that was included in a live in-studio session in Minneapolis. (I love it so much I transcribed all the lyrics. Is there anything more tragic yet gloriously authentic than admitting that you’re a ‘confident wreck’? Methinks no.) By the time I release these mixes, I’m usually sick of the songs on them; this month, however, I’ve been playing it on repeat. Download it yourself and hopefully you’ll feel the same way.

1. All Summer: KiD CUdI, Rostam Batmanglij & Bethany Constantino
2. Ready to Start: Arcade Fire
3. What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way): Wolf Parade
4. Next Girl: The Black Keys
5. Boy: Ra Ra Riot
6. Animal: Neon Trees
7. F*ck You: Cee-Lo Green
8. Oh My God: Cults
9. Solitude is Bliss: Tame Impala
10. Stranded: The Walkmen
11. Queen Black Acid: Menomena
12. Sleep All Summer: St. Vincent and The National
13. Heart Skipped a Beat: The xx
14. Love is All I Am: Dawes
15. Have You Seen Me Lately: Counting Crows
16. You Were a Kindness: The National
17. West Coast: Coconut Records
18. In The Aeroplane Over the Sea: Neutral Milk Hotel

PS: That awesome photo that serves as this month’s album art was taken from sidestage at Lollapalooza. It’s Scott of Frightened Rabbit singing an acoustic version of Poke, which gives me chillbumps everytime I think of it.

We all know that Frightened Rabbit is one of my all-time favorite bands (and not only b/c they’re seriously some of the nicest guys in the world. And make phenomenally crass jokes, sometimes involving Koalas.) I got to know them last Spring via a chance Twitter ‘meeting’ (turns out the Gordy had a dentist named Aubrey, was a Digg fan and also thinks *MY* phenomenally crass jokes are funny. WIN.) and saw them live at Webster Hall in NYC. After the show, and after quite a few vodka+ sodas, we decided to throw another show during their trip in SF. I texted my friend Ryan, head of programming at Revision3, and said “We’re going to do something AWESOME.”

We were right.

(Fast forward to the 48-minute mark to hear them cover one of my other favorite songs, “Fake Empire” from The National.)