The contrast between the title of the mix and the image used on the mix is the most accurate description of this month that I could make. And I swear, one of these days the mix won't be influenced by my friend Jake. Actually, no, I don't. I think at this point it's pretty much impossible.
Every song in here that references him are songs I almost sent him, but then the moment passed. But the song left an imprint that wouldn't dissipate, so onto the mix it goes.
"On Top of the World" - Imagine Dragons
I heard this song on the radio, on my way home from work one day and connected to it.
"Waiting on this for a while now, paying my dues to the dirt."
It hasn't been the easiest since moving out here, but I saved and worked for it, and it's still a point where I am heading in the exact direction I want to be.
"Sleeping With a Friend" - Neon Trees
This song is.... a lot of things. A lot of it, to put it bluntly, is that I only really sleep with friends. I need some sort of a connection with a person. It doesn't have to be seven years of best friends forever, but someone I could see myself hanging out with on a regular basis. (Not that we have to, but just, that type of connection.) And given my derpy brain, this song associates with Jake. We have this conversation off and on, both jokingly and seriously. Because we both agree that I will probably try to seduce him when he moves here. Maybe not be the smartest idea I've ever had, but you know, it definitely won't be the dumbest. And he's someone I can see being stuck in my life for the rest of his. One way or another.
"Young Blood" - The Naked and Famous
I first heard this song somewhere around the 2:30 mark and for a brief moment thought somehow it was new M83. Obviously the rest of the song negates that, but I fell in love with it nonetheless. I didn't investigate the rest of the lyrics 'til writing this, but the "can you whisper?" kept resonating every time I listened to it.
"Kaleidoscope" - Blink-182
This month had a few more downs than the average up and down month. I started getting stressed out about finances, and that triggered other less stressful things to become full blown anxiety and panic. But I kept telling myself it will pass. And everyone else kept telling me it will pass. And it's getting there. "It's a long road, to get it right..."
"Broken Bottles" - The Forecast
I completely missed this song in at first, an album I haven't been as well-versed on. I knew when I heard it that it was them, but I couldn't figure out what song it was. I wonder who can guess why this song is on here? (Sarcasm.) This is just basically every serious conversation Jake and I end up having. An unhealthy back and forth, almost. One of us (or mostly me) ends up expressing lonliness, and we keep each other company 'til it becomes manageable, and then we fail to go to bed at a reasonable time because no one knows how to say goodbye.
"Boxelder" - Motion City Soundtrack
The random memories that associate with songs never fails to amaze me. I've hung out with my friend Mike multiple times, both at my place and his, and elsewhere. I had my iTunes on shuffle one day when he came over, and some random awkward possibly awful song was playing and I skipped to the next one, which was this song and I felt that this was acceptable, and went and sat down content. No big story with this one. I'm not as familiar with this song as other MCS stuff, I don't even remember the song before or why I skipped it, but I remember this is the song that came on next that I was content with and commenced hanging out with Mike. I don't remember the songs after, either.
"Lazuli" - Beach House
I love Beach House. I don't remember what I was doing, I just know this song came on shuffle, and as soon as it got to the 30ish second mark I was like: "Yup, this is going on my mix. There needs to be more Beach House in my mixes."
"Cannibal" - Silversun Pickups
I kept catching the tail end of this song on the radio. And every time I did, I shook my fists at the sky and screamed "Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?" I loved what I heard so much, and I just wanted to hear it in its entirety. I found the video for it, with the whole song, and then basically just played it forever. It turns out this is just one new song, to go on as a bonus for a 'best of' album, which I call bullshit because I just want an entire album of songs like this. I wish I could explain to you how much passion this song instills in me when I hear it. I just want to dance and jump and scream to it at a show. I can't put it any better than that.
Honourable Mention:
"I Don't Know What To Do With My Hands" - Minor Alps
I originally listened to this song in December, when a friend from my early college days posted it on Facebook. I almost put it on the December mix, because Jake (of course.) But other than watching that video it hadn't really sunk in with me. The video was super cute, and the lyrics were great; however it just didn't keep coming back like I originally though it would. But then throughout January I kept randomly getting "I don't know what do with my hands..." trailing through my head.
"Counting Stars" - OneRepublic
This one was another radio song, that caught my attention enough to find out who it was. In the beginning it was a strong contender for the mix. But it turns out this is a radio song that gets played. And played. And played and played and played. So I didn't bump it entirely, but I couldn't willingly include it as the original eight. Ironically, although I could probably use the lyrics to attribute this song to Jake, it's not. It was just a catchy upbeat song that caught my attention randomly. Sure, there's the lyrics like "dreaming about the things we could be," but, well, I may be cheesy, but I'm not that cheesy. What really gets me are the lyrics "everything that kills me makes me feel alive." So simple of a contrast, but so great, I still get goosebumps.
