Vixen's Mixens: I Love You In the Fall

Although the temps today may be in the 70s, the weatherman promises as of tomorrow we will really begin experiencing the fall – which, being a New Englander, is my favorite time of year. Not just for the changing leaves, but more for the boots and sweaters (obvi.) Yup, just let me wear some boots and sweaters and I am a happy camper – throw in a scarf and blazer and I am over the moon!

Here is my lovely set of tunes to get you pumped for this new fall season of boots, booties, cardies and cowl necks: I Love You In the Fall. On this mix you will find all sorts of autumnally themed songs, such as Yo La Tengo’s Autumn Sweater, Miss Li’s Autumn Cold, and Neil Young’s Harvest. I also have a fun folky/country section which includes a great bluegrass tune by Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys called When the Golden Leaves Begin to Fall as well as Do You Love An Apple by the Secret Sisters and a countrified cover of the White Stripes’ Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground by Chris Thile. And because I love cheese with my apple pie, I had to include Barry Manilow’s Weekend In New England.

Big thanks to my brother Dylan for recommending the Black Keys’ Remember When (side A and side B) after discovering that his first choice Autumn Almanac by the Kinks was not available on Spotty. As I explained, the Kinks selection on Spotty is unfortunately very limited. However his replacement tunes do the Kinks justice!

I hope you enjoy the playlist, as well as the boots and sweaters! Next week’s theme will be: My Poppin’ Hip Hoppin’ 90s, which is a follow up to a previous playlist, My Rockin’ 90s. Get ready for some fantabulous and craptastic 90s pop!

Vixen's Mixens: What's In a Name?

What is one thing that everyone has? A name! You may like yours (I personally enjoy having the name of two awesome British queens - Victoria and Elizabeth) or hate it - but we all have to be identified by one (unless you are Prince and can be referred to by a symbol.) The theme for this week's playlist is quite simple: What's In a Name? - songs with names in the title.

When I undertook this theme I honestly underestimated the sheer amount of songs written with specific people in mind. Holy cow - just the songs with famous people's names alone was out of control. We have Houdini (Foster the People), Paul Simon (the Russian Futurists), Bonnie & Clyde (Jay-Z & Beyonce and Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot - as well as Merle Haggard!), Bill Murray (Gorillaz) and Bill Gates (Lil Wayne).

Then of course there are names that became famous because of the songs they were featured in, such as Eleanor Rigby (Aretha Franklin version - sorry but still no Beatles on Spotty), Billie Jean (Michael Jackson), Roxanne (The Police) and Janie Jones (The Clash).

I also tried to find songs that featured my loved ones names - some successfully and others not so much (sorry Christina but the only song I could find with your name was by Anthony & the Johnsons and I REFUSE to put them on my playlist.)

As there were just so many Name songs I had to line them up in alphabetical order, just like in grade school. I hope you enjoy all 7 hours! If you have a great song that features your name that did not make my playlist, let me know and I'll be sure to add it!

Next week's theme will be: I Love You In the Fall. Songs for the new season!!!! Start thinking of recommendations now!

Vixen's Mixens: Just Drive!

If you are wondering who this little guy to my left is, that is Pegasus - my little wiener Beanie Baby in Fruit of the Looms that has been my driving buddy since I got my first car!

Which leads me to my newest playlist: Just Drive! This week's theme is one we can all relate to, as we have either driven or been passengers for most of our lives. These songs are meant to be listened to on the open road, with the wind in your hair and the 5-0 on your heels. Seriously, most of these songs will get you speeding (see Lenny Kravitz's Where Are We Running which actually caused me to get pulled over).

Some of the highlights include thematically obvi choices, such as Johnny Cash's I've Been Everywhere and Willie Nelson's On the Road Again, and some new badass tunes, such as Mates of States Palomino and the Kooks' Junk of the Heart (Happy). I also have some great recommended tunes from my FB peeps, including Cake's Stickshifts and Safetybelts (from my old college buddy Marla), Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride (from my former roommate and sista 4 life Kerry), Golden Earring's Radar Love (from my fab Brit cousin Sharon) and Gorrillaz' DARE (from my hubby Roger).

Of course I rounded it all off with THE driving song of all driving songs...Drive by the Cars. I hope you all enjoy the latest mix - if you have spotty premium and a stereo input in your car you will actually be able to put this playlist to the test! Let me know how it works out.

Btw, next week's theme: What's in a Name? A mix filled with songs with names in the title. Send my your suggestions and they may make the cut!!

Vixen's Mixens: From the Vault! Bitter Melodies/Birthday Mix

Much like garbage pick-up, this week I am running a day behind due to the Labor Day holiday. First of all, let me say that I had an “epic” weekend filled with my Ponies, their respective Stallions and one fantabulous Wedding joining two fantabulous people! As you can imagine, I am still recovering from the overdose of fab. Therefore this week I am reaching into my Mixen’s vault and hitting you up with a combo playlist: Bitter Melodies/Birthday Mix.

The first half is a Bitter Melodies mix that I made for my good friend Chrissy years ago – guessing from the songs it seems to be circa 2002. Chrissy has always been one of my biggest fans (see pic) – she totally encouraged me to keep making mixes and to get over my shyness and sing in public. I’m so sad she lives in another state – however I am super happy that she just married her soul mate this summer! Chrissy is extremely down to earth, strong, and fun - but she is definitely super empathetic. This mix was totes hand crafted for her – part upbeat, part melancholy but all good! Since Spotty does not have EVERYTHING (but close to) I had to make a couple substitutions from my original. The opening song should be Pee Shy’s Mr. Whisper but alas I had to choose another girlie rock tune from the 90s – thus the Veruca Salt Volcano Girls. The other substitution is a rarity from Weezer called American Girls that is sorely missed. Instead I stuck in another similarly themed Weezer tune Keep Fishin’. The last song of this mix is New Radicals Mother We Just Can’t Get Enough. Still bummed that the band never did anything after that album.

The second mix picks up at the Chemical Brothers Piku – a song that was definitely on numerous mixes of mine from that time period (looks to be from 2000). This Birthday Mix was made for a boy! A real boy! The first mix I ever made for a boy! We met through a mutual friend in Massachusetts but it was long distance and never worked out (besides the fact that I am pretty sure he was gay.) One of our few meetings included a birthday party for him, so what else would any decent girl with a crush, no money and a cd burner do but make him a mix!? So since I did not know him super well, this mix is more about me trying to “impress” him with my diverse (see Elton John, Aterciopelados) super cool hipster (see Portishead, Groove Armada) music taste. Looking back it was probably a bit too butch for him (see Smashing Pumpkins, Toadies). There are two substitutions in this section – Spotty does not have my fave Catherine Wheel album, “Adam & Eve” which has one of their best tunes Delicious so I had to go with their other equally passionate song Heal 2. Eric Hutchinson, who went to college with me (although we were not friends or anything – I was just a quasi-stalky super fan) only has his newer material on Spotty so I could not include the amazing old school track Slow Me Down from his self produced “Songs For Nagoya”. Instead I put on Back To Where I Was, which is equally enjoyable. Just to warn you, Hutch will make an appearance on the majority of my mixes ‘cause he is my boy.

Anyhow I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. I will be returning to the vault again in the future but next week’s theme is “Just Drive” – great songs to listen to on the road. Send me your suggestions here or on twitter at @thomyorkesbadeye