The Bicycle Diaries: Where is my tape deck when I need it?

It's a GREY DAY here in Minneapolis. I know most people aren't too thrilled when they look out the window to a cloudy,rainy day. But here in the Minne, rain isn't so bad. Rain means it is not cold enough to snow. In April, rain means the trees and plants will start budding and the grass will get green again. For people like me, rain also means the sand, salt, glass and other gross stuff in the bikelane will also be washed away, along with all the long underwear, mittens, wool socks of winter riding.

In my youth, Rain meant it was time to make a mixed tape. When you are 13, can't drive, don't feel like going to another movie, or Mayfair mall, you have to come up with your own indoor fun. Being a big music dork since i can remember, I often took a rainy day as a chance to make a solid mixed tape.

Which leads me to something i hope to do every so often, and that is lay out the tracks to a mixed tape. We will call this one
Thunder Only Happens When it's Raining (Cayla's mix Vol.I) Keep in mind that for me, properly placing your songs in the perfect order really makes or breaks a mix. However, this is just my suggestion for a Friday rainy day mix.

1. Watch the Wave-Taken by Trees. (I saw these guys about a month ago and they have a way of taking you away from whatever dark venue you are in and casting you off to some beautiful place filled with seaside shanties and bonfires and carefree faces willing to share a drink with you.)

2. Dreams-Fleetwood Mac (who doesn't love Fleetwood Mac? I find most mixed are better when Stevie Nicks involved. enough said)

3. Cast A Hook in Me-Laura Veirs (To tell you the truth, I don't know her whole collection of music. Not even close. But about 2 or 3 years ago this song popped onto my Pandora station and i have been hooked ever since. get it...like she cast a hook in me...I'm so funny)

4. The Con-Tegan And Sara (this is only the beginning of me mentioning T&S in this blog. I love them with my whole heart. They write amazing lyrics that are very in tune with holding the audiences attention, having the listener feel like they can relate, while still telling their own personal stories. PLUS, their songs are catchy, their drummer is rad, and they are the hottest twin lesbians i have ever seen!)

5. Generation 2nd floor-Freelance Whales (this is another new song/band for me. I need to buy their album-weathervanes-when it comes out in May. I find this song to be amazing and every time I hear it, it makes me feel good. Why not add it to a rainy day mix)

6. Lover of Mine-Beach House (There is something so smooth and dreamy yet driving about this band. The consistent synthy main lick on the keys is hypnotising (IMHO). I mean, their name is Beach House. Use your imagination about the way their music makes me/anyone feel. If i could bottle up the perfect Minnesota early summer evening, I think this song would be part of it....somehow)

7. PYT-Michael Jackson (i love to add old MJ to mixes. there is a nostalgia connected with old skool MJ-no matter who you are-there is at least one Michael Jackson song that makes you tap your toe, nod your head, or in my case, get up and start dancing. PYT is up there on my Michael favorites.)

8.Mushaboom-Feist (I have no idea why this song seems appropriate for this mix, but it does. It is the kind of song that keep the energy going from one great highlight of a mix to another. and that is sort of the purpose here, but it is more than a filler. It is Feist being all catchy like.)

9. The Rat-The Walkmen (When I first heard this song it was a dark and stormy summer night back in 2004. It brought out about a hundred different emotions and seemed to almost sync up with the storm that was thrashing around me. For that memory, I add this song to the mix.)

10. On Directing-Tegan and Sara (Usually I try not to put the same band twice on a mix, but when a band is constantly on my mind or I have just seen them live, or both-in this case, they get to be put on a mix twice. I think this may be my favorite song from their new album-SAINTHOOD. give the album a listen. I promise you will like at least one song.)

11. 2080-Yeasayer (their debut album is amazing-all our cymbals-and their new sophomore album is also amazing, but in a pretty different way, at least for me. This song could be put on any mix tape and it would fit. I heard it the other day for the first time in about 6-8 months and I fell in love with it all over again. It also holds some special memories for me, so that always helps.)

12. Elevator Love Song- Stars (Every time I hear this song I cry. every. time. I can't help it. it is beautiful and heartbreaking and moving and more. take a second listen to the lyrics. hell, take a second listen to the guitar work. It matches this weather, I think.)

13. Fences-Phoenix (Phoenix put out the best pop album of the last decade when they released Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Top to bottom, this album is great. But Fences has a certain groove to it that sort of moves away from the rest of the happily-poppy album. And that is why it fits into this mix.)

14. Life Like Weeks-Modest Mouse (I know, I know...this song is long and kind of a downer, but frankly, Modest Mouse is all about being sort of bittersweet, underdog music, which is why I love it. Plus, Isaac Brock really knows how to tell it like it is(or he used to...). I think this epic little ditty is a good way to end a mix. In fact i like ending mixes with longer songs, because i know not everyone is interested in spending 7 minutes on one song every time they listen to a mix. and in the spirit of mixed TAPES, rather than mixed Cd's, i figure it is easier to just press stop sometime in there then fast forward.)