See It Through

When I began compiling songs for my Winter Mix-Tapes this year I had no idea I would be creating a set. In the end there were just too many songs that I truly love and I couldn't bring myself to edit some of them out. There were also quite a few "sad-bastard" songs and I really didn't want my it to sound like one big pity party. Creating three separate mixes allowed me to break up some of the heavier tracks while ensuring that I didn't have to shelve anything until I break out my razor blades heavy coat again next year. That said, this playlist definitely contains some of the more weighted tracks of the three.

StereoType Winter Mix-Tape Vol. 3 :

Wait It Out

This playlist came together easier than either of the others. Sort of. It was the last to be assembled and I went back and forth on whether or not to make it a "Holiday" themed mix. In the end I felt like the beautifully sad songs that rest as the backbone of the mix didn't mesh well with the happy, "let's all celebrate" sound of the traditional Holiday tracks and I ended up giving them a home all their own. After removing all the traditionally festive tracks I was left with five or so songs I knew had to be on the list. I quickly went to work combing through my music library to find songs to flush out the rest of the playlist, determined to create something of substance and not just those five original tracks and a bunch of "filler."

When I had finished with the initial selection process and began to actually compile the final playlist I was so pleasantly surprised by how little work I actually had to do. Most of the tracks made it on the mix in the order in which they were added originally. Usually it takes me several hours (read: days weeks) to get them all in just the right order. It was great, but still missing something. That one song I usually reserve for the number seven slot. My favorite of the mix. It wasn't until I got to spend some time with my wonderful friend Daniel that I was fortunate to have the song fall into my lap. In truth I've been stealing tracks from him for years but this time I decided it bears mentioning as this particular track perfectly completes the album. So thank you, Daniel, I truly love that song. Since I'm being so generous, I should probably mention that another friend, Miguel, suggested two tracks that I used and absolutely love as well.

So that's it. The not so short story of how this mix came to be and the people who helped me create it. I hope you enjoy it.

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My friend Daniel's site: Not Indie Enough For You. He doesn't update often, but when he does it's oh so very good.

Release The Hounds.

The second volume in my Winter Mix-Tape set was actually the first to be compiled. One of the things I struggle with when trying to compile mixes in the colder months is my tendency to make them sound like a break up letter or worse, suicide notes. Now, admittedly I get a little down when the skies turn grey and there is no green anywhere around me, but to listen to my first several attempts at Winter mixes would have you thinking I'm clinically depressed.

This year I desperately wanted to create mixes that, although have a base theme of my feelings in the Winter time, could be listend to throughout the year without bringing me down. But How?

StereoType Winter Mix-Tape Vol. 2 :

The Hunt

Then I remembered the piano cover version of the bouncy, pop confection that is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" that Greg Laswell put out a couple of years ago. Talk about a re-imagining. He took one of the most bubbly, bright pop songs I can think of and turned it into something that is both absolutely beautiful and incredibly somber. That's exactly what I needed. There were several songs in my collection that fit the bill perfectly. Interspersed with some wonderful new tracks that have a bit of a darker tinge and this mix came together quite easily. It's a blend of gorgeous, heart-string plucking acoustic tunes with silky, seductive electro. There's dirty, guitar driven alternative inter-laced with dark and biting trip-hop. Pulsing, relentless remixes juxtaposed by effortless, ghostly covers. It is both romantic and heart-breaking. Beautiful and dangerous. Both predator and prey. I'm so very much in love with this mix. I hope you will be, too. Enjoy.

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Deep Breaths

Winter's at full pace and I'm doing all I can to ward off the inevitable sadness I always seem to feel around this time of year. At least the Winter gives me the opportunity to funnel some of that sadness into mixes of gorgeous music I can't bring myself to listen to during other times in the year. Inspired by three images I found I decided to create a set of mixes for Winter much like I do for the Summer months. I hope you love them like I love them. Like a cozy blanket. Like the warm sun shining on my face as I look at the barren trees through my window. Like the hug you desperately needed but didn't have to ask for.

StereoType Winter Mix-Tape Vol. 1 :

Awake

The first in the trio is actually the second mix I had complete. I decided to release it first because it's of a slightly brighter feeling than perhaps the others. I tried to keep some of the heavier stuff in check with a bit of optimism. By using a remix of a particularly weighted song or pairing a darker track with something that has a nice bounce to it. All in all I hoped to achieve something that has some mass to it but doesn't feel like a backpack full of lead. Like a long, deep breath of cold winter air through your nostrils. Something to wake you up. Remind you you're alive.


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Vol. 2 Coming Very Soon.

Hark!

It's been 3 years since I last produced a Holiday mix and honestly I could stand to wait a little longer. I'm not big on Holiday music and considering the place I work has been playing it since the day after Thanksgiving this mix-tape almost didn't happen at all. I think it's the repetition that I don't care for. The fact that there are only so many Christmas songs out there being covered and covered with little variation really seems to bother me. (Meanwhile I just found my new favorite song last night and downloaded it, 6 remixes and a cover, so maybe that argument doesn't really hold water.)

Somehow I managed to find some fresh Holiday themed (and a few not so) songs, along with some repeats that I really do like and put them all together for your enjoyment. Because lord knows I won't be breaking any of these songs out again for at least 3 more years. I hope you have a wonderful Holiday and that you know you are loved.

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All Mixed Up

Word on the street is that it's snowing on the east coast already while it's still in the low 80s here in northern California so it's no wonder I've been lagging on getting my Fall mix-tape out. Truthfully I have been lagging on even getting it started. With the weather so beautiful I've been kind of stuck in Summertime music mode. I finally sat down the other night to lay out the rough playlist and then came back to it a few days later and it all came together really effortlessly. It's a nice mix of cool beats and terrific energy to help keep you moving until the Winter cold slows you down. Sorry, east coast, but you guys jumped the gun. Maybe these songs can help you out of the early winter rut. Enjoy.

Polaris


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Falling Short

September is here but so far no signs of Autumn. I guess a proper Fall mixtape will just have to wait. In the meantime I offer up a sort of transitional mix to give you time to air out your favorite pair of jeans and hoodie. This mix includes bits of crisp alternative, college dorm hip hop, earthy indie, preppy pop tracks and a little bit of shimmer from the fading Summer to help ease you into the new season. It may sound like there's a lot going on here but I, for one, love to layer. Enjoy

Starstruck



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*Be sure to have gapless album checked in iTunes to ensure proper playback.

Just The Ten Of Us

Summer is ending but I simply cannot seem to let it go. What began as a simple wish to put out a fun Summer mixtape quickly spiraled into obsessing over compiling a cohesive set of mixes. It got to work in late winter and by the end of June all eight SOS 2011 mixes had been released. The funny things about that is since I started working on them so far before Summer, when the actually season arrived I was already listening to other great music. Rather than wait another whole year before sharing these tunes I figures what's one more SOS mix? Well I can't have nine mixes. So I've decided to round the season out with an even ten.
SOS Issue 10 contains some of my favorite new finds (plus some old favorites) and I'm really pleased with the way it sounds. I really hope you enjoy listening to these as much as I have loved creating them. So while the days start to grow shorter, keep your Summer burning bright, we've still got the soundtrack covered.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 10 : Dusk




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The Long Goodbye

I feel like one of those pro ball players who comes out of retirement like 12 times. That's a thing, right? Maybe Cher being on her farewell tour for the past twenty odd year is a more appropriate analogy. Either way I feel like I wasn't fooling anybody, mister sister. So here's the deal. I had originally set out to do a Summer mixtape set. I was going to do four. Then in the process of selecting album artwork I couldn't quite bring myself to narrow my choices down below eight images I was completely in love with. I thought surely eight was too many but upon the compiling process I discovered I had more than enough great music to fill those mixes without compromising quality. After I had posted the final mix I found that I still had a grip of great tunes that I simply couldn't let sit by the wayside for yet another year. Turns out eight isn't enough. So in my free time I began composing a couple additions to the original SOS 2011 set. There really isn't much that hasn't been said about Summer and the music that inspires this season for me so I will simply say that these are songs that I absolutely love that I absolutely couldn't wait to share with you. I hope you like them as well. Please to enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 9 : Float



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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 10.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

You'll Wish That Summer Could Always Be Here.

Well this is it. The sun is shining and summer is in full swing. Just in time for the final release of SOS 2011.

SOS 8 brings a little of the lazier, hazier side of things together with some more vivid, energetic tracks. It's like a beautiful foggy sky with the hot sun shining brightly just behind the dim waiting to burn off the haze. Every now and again a bit of that radiance breaks through the clouds and flash warms your face. There are tracks that swoon like a lullaby and others that serve to remind you to get up and move before this life passes you by. I really quite enjoy the duality SOS 8 has to offer. I sincerely hope you will , too. Whichever side suits you better try to savor your summer and remember to live your life, we've got the soundtrack covered. Enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 8 : Crush



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Go Out And See What You Can Find

Every day I drive about 40 miles through winding back roads cut into the sprawling amber hillside on my way to and from work. Although I generally despise my commute I've come to at least appreciate the time I get to spend with myself and my thoughts. I also appreciate the fact that I get a chance to listen to music, distraction free. I love listening to music. All the time. But let's face it, that DVR isn't going to watch itself. Listening to music while I drive around allows me the opportunity to put an album on that I'm unfamiliar with and after 2 or 3 listens all the way though I'm singing right along.

I highly suggest putting SOS Issue 7 on the next time you're out and about. Especially if you've no particular destination in mind. Grab your keys, roll down all the windows, let the warm air rush your face and get lost, we've got the soundtrack covered. Enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 7 : Embers




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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 8.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

But At Night It's A Different World.

I'm a night owl in general but there's something about the air after dark in the Summertime that makes it nearly impossible for me to rest. The heat from the day has finally subsided and the evening air is charged with all of that energy escaping back into the atmosphere. It smells incredible, kinetic. Habit tells me it's time to lay down and sleep, yet my mind is telling me to get up and go. I could run for miles. SOS issue 6 walks the same line, with songs that encourage both behaviors. There are tracks here that will soothe you like a gentle lullaby while others sound more like a double shot of redbull. So when you're lying in bed at 1am counting the hours you'll get if you fall asleep right. this. moment. or you're on you're third cup of coffee, refusing to let sleep have all of your precious free time, this mix is for you. Get your Summertime insomnia started, we've got the soundtrack covered.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 6 : Echoes




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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 7.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

In The Evening When The Day Is Through

This was supposed to go out yesterday and I apologize for it being late. You see, I have this old filling in my tooth that I believe may be infected and it is sending the most painful sensation all the way through my jaw. I've never felt anything quite like this before. I may or may not be hopped up on painkillers as I type. So to quote the incredible Purple One, "forgive me if it goes astray." That said I bring you the next installment of SOS 2011, Driftwood. It's a little less high energy than some of the others. Feels more like a cool summer dusk. Perfect for your favorite hoodie and an old pair of jeans by the bonfire. So grab the graham crackers and get the marshmallows toasting, we've got the soundtrack covered. (That may be the painkillers talking.) At anyrate, enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 5 : Driftwood




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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 6.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

If Everybody Had An Ocean Across The U.S.A.

Finally after several days of rain the sun is a shining. Got up to 80 degrees yesterday! That's certainly more like it. Perfect time for the next issue of SOS 2011. This mix contains a string of some of my very favorites in the entire set (This is probably not the last time I will say that.) I highly suggest you listen to it oceanside, and if you don't have the means (or the awesome advantage of living in California) then at least play it poolside. It's beachy and dancey and all around fun. So frolic about or dance in your seat. At the shore or just waiting for the weekend. Get things moving and heat things up. Enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 4 : Sway




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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 5.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

We Were At The Beach, Everybody Had Matching Towels

One day my beautiful friend Katie found this rock, drew a picture of a seascape on it and gave it to me. It is truly one of my favorite things ever.



It is also the inspiration for SOS 2011. When I began working on them a few months ago I really didn't have a plan of attack. I knew I wanted a set of fun music. Music that made me feel good. That made me think of all of the things I love about the Summer. Then one day I was looking for something in a box and instead came across this rock. It brought up incredibly fond memories from the times when we were younger and I would visit her at college in beautiful San Luis Obispo. That nostalgic feeling carried over heavily into SOS 2011. Probably more so on this next playlist than any of the others. Even though it is the third in the set, I had many of these songs chosen before any of the other mixes began to take shape. That said it very well may be my favorite of the bunch. It's a wonderful combination of old favorites and current jams that keeps me docked in the now while I dip my toes in the then.

Turns out she's moving back to SLO while her boyfriend attends the same college she did and although I am sad they're moving three hours away, I cannot wait to play this mix on the long drive to make new Summer memories with them.

So grab your sunglasses, fill up the tank and get your road trip started, we've got the soundtrack covered. Enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 3 : Somersault



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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 4.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

It's Too Hot to Handle So I Gotta Get Up and Go

Here we go again.

Part Two in my Eight Part Summer Madness.
More great music to get you in the mood for the impending heat. Even if it is currently raining where you are. In California. In June. But I digress. Maybe if we all listen hard enough it will force the great weather out of hiding. So wherever you are grab your sunblock (or umbrella) and head outside. Get your Summer started, I've got the soundtrack covered. Please to enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 2 : Sunblind



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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 3.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

To Hit You and Get You Equipped for the Summer Time

I have been tirelessly working on my annual Summra-times playlists and I am incredibly happy that they are all nearly complete. All eight of them. What? I had a lot of music to share this time around.

June is right around the corner and if the effing climate hasn't been irrevocably screwed then the weather should begin to warm up anytime now. It cannot come quickly enough for my tastes. I must be cold blooded because all I want to do is lay out in the sun and get to work on replenishing my Vitamin D.

That said I've been hard at work creating playlists that are sure to be the soundtrack to all your Summertime activities. There's a generous blend of genres on each mix ensuring that the energy doesn't ever plateau or go stale. Ranging from contemporary pop hits to indie darling alternative, driving dance tracks to chillout electronic beats, there's certainly something here for everyone's taste.

Youth and young energy seem to be a recurring trend on these lists and are echoed in the choice to use some of my favorite tracks from my own days as a teen paired with some of the best in new, young talent out there today. The result is a sound that blends both fresh, current styles with timeless tunes from years past.

So grab your friends, some beer, your iPod and just enjoy the beach, the party, the road trip down the coast. We've got your soundtrack covered. Enjoy.

StereoType presents Songs Of Summer 2011

Issue 1 : Sea Legs




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Coming Soon, SOS Issue 2.

(Remember to have Gapless Album checked in iTunes for proper playback)

Nothing Can Take Away These Blues

It seems I only update this blog to bring you mix tapes as of late. Oh well. Today I bring you my Spring 2011 mixtape in the hopes that it will actually bring about the spring. It's been nothing but dreary days and thunderstorms in my neck of the woods for weeks and I'm beyond over it. This kind of weather seriously brings me down. It's all I can do not to put "Nothing Compares 2 U" on repeat and stay in my sweats all day. Well thankfully I've resisted those urges at least long enough to assemble some songs for the impending warmer days. When the sky is blue, the grass is green and everything is new and fresh again ....




Enjoy

Like Falling in Love

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Because I'm Selfish Like That.

I had mixed this down almost a month ago and couldn't for the life of me decide upon a name or album art so it never got posted. I got frustrated trying to force it so I set it aside. Then work began compiling for spring and summer posts and I almost forgot to post it altogether. That's not to say I don't adore this mix. I do. It's just a little heavier than the bubblegum I've been immersing myself in as of late. It's got tracks by The xx, Lissie, Band of Skulls, Pink Nasty and Warpaint. It sounds like a warm drink (that's been spiked) on a frigid day. It's what I would listen to if I was snowed into my home like half of my friends back east. Enjoy.



(A sincere thank you to whomever created this image. I appreciate it.)

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