January 2012 Mix - "Good Enough For Me"

(to listen to the mix, just press the play icon above)

Other Listening Options: 8Tracks | Spotify | Rdio

It should come as no surprise, but I had fully intended to publish this mix earlier in January. Actually, I had intended to publish this in December, so I guess it's a double no surprise. Regardless, the time involved caused these 13 songs to go in some unique directions. At first I wanted it to be a greatest hits of 2011, with some refelection intothe songs that really rocked me. But then as life's events took place, other songs snuck their way in, and then as new music often does, it stuck in my head and earned slots on the mix. And so we kick off 2012's mixes with some old and some new and some that just feel right.  Not a bad way to start another year.

1. "Clean Sheets" - Descendents - I don't know how or why, but I went through a pretty major Descendents kick this past January. It's never a bad thing, just came out of nowhere as I had this song in my head for like a week.

2. "Eyes Wide Open" - Rival Schools - 2011 was a bit of a resurgance for Walter Schriefels in terms of my enjoyment and it pretty much started with this track from the Rival Schools record.  Walter probably ended up being one of the musicians I listened to the most last year.

3. "Hand Over Fist" - Wiretap Crash - So awesome to see one of my old friends from the Long Island hardcore scene rocking out with a new band. I was psyched to see that they were fun live, and recorded a pretty rad EP, with this song as my fave.

4. "St. Rosa and the Swallows" - The Thermals - Somehow I had never heard The Thermals, don't ask me how I missed them, because they're great and totally up my alley. Luckily someone showed me the way and this was the song that did it.

5. "God Loves Us" - Guided By Voices - Can't say I ever thought I'd be putting a new GBV song on a mix, and yet here I am. Add to it that the song doesn't suck! Will wonders ever cease?

6. "1313" - The Big Pink - The second record from a band after you've discovered them always seems to be a bit...less than. Luckily for me, the latest album from The Big Pink built on their previous release and is totally fun to listen to.

7. "Marathon Runner" - Yellow Ostrich - Nice how one of my favorite new band discoveries of 2011 comes out with a new song at the beginning of 2012. It's almost like they planned it. This is the first song released from their new album, which I can't wait to get my hands on.

8. "You You You You" - The 6THs - There's something about the sincerity of this song that I love. It' so simple and honest and completely what it promises to be. That's pretty special.

9. "The Slim" - Sugar - The other artist I've probably listened to the most in 2011 was Bob Mould. From Husker Du, to his solo stuff to Sugar, it's been a blast revisiting and reveling in his amazingness. I think I'm in for at least one more month though of Mould, as we build towards his show in SF in late February.

10. "To The Birds" - Suede - I still can't believe I saw Suede live again in 2011. Sure, I had to fly to England to do it, but it was worth every penny.  

11. "Man Out of Time" - Elvis Costello - I actually used this song for work on a podcast and was reminded not only how good it is, but how much fun I had discovering Elvis Costello back in college. I wish I could re-live that time...

12. "Asleep" - Stars - I recently gave the album this song came from to a friend of mine to play for her new baby. It's just...perfect.

13. "The Blower's Daughter" - Damien Rice - Another random song that popped into my head in December and stayed there until January.  It's so haunting and romantic, I adore it.

Enjoy!