My Mom always told me the best way to get a girl naked is through music. Okay, she never said that, it’s more like, “When are you gonna find a girl and settle down.” “Gosh Mom, I’m fuckin’ trying my best here!”
But it is hard, I have high standards. And those standards come most into play upon the meeting of a girl who will one day be forced to read my every Muffin article. And it is with that idea that I present you:
Love Mixtape #2 – Songs To Explain How You Met
Let’s get this mix started off right – the meeting with a mix tape itself! Granted, you aren’t exactly meeting someone if you are already making them mix tapes. But maybe you have a pen pal, I don’t know.
I think I’ll take a hint from one of the most successful love mix tapes…ever. And that would have to be Passion Pit’s remarkable story of turning a tape he made for his girlfriend into a ridiculous music career. Let’s use something from that original cd, Chunk of Change.
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I know this is kind of a made-for-television-movie sort of move, but what about the supermarket? And I live right behind a Whole Foods in Santa Monica, California – can you imagine how many hot chicks are cruising around in there?
What’s the move? Easy. It may be a bit 1950, but you’re minding you’re own business when you end up walking straight towards someone cute. You move left, so do they, right, they follow. After a bit of back and forth you say, “Shall we dance?” And then fuckin’ Discovery comes blasting through the PA system and you do – yeah!
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This one is for the coffee shop meeting. But we’re talking you and the girl (or boy) across the room both realize you’re in a Starbucks about to waste a day sitting on a laptop. Your eyes meet, the plan needs no words as you toss your Frapps in the air and rush out into the city together.
It doesn’t really matter where you are heading, but you’re getting the fuck out – Boston style (the band)!
And this is a Matt Costa song from his first, and best album. God, his first album was so good.
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Before turning into a straight soul man, Robin Thicke started his career with the genre bending A Beautiful World. I was definitely sad to see this style go as I still think of this as one of the most overlooked albums of all time.
Let’s make this one simple though. You’re at a house party and spot one of your friends friends from across the room. You get kinda drunk and end up on the guest’s master bed, and as the song says, “over and over and over again.”
Robin Thicke – Flowers in Bloom
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This next one is going to have to be a meeting at a cool hipster bar. You know the one I’m talking about. It might be at the top of a hotel, there is a DJ tucked away in a corner wearing a beanie even though its ninety degrees. The way people are dressed you can’t tell if they are heading to a music festival or you’ve slipped into 1955.
You end up talking to the hippest of the hipsters. And you both slightly bob your heads to the XX remix that drowns out your meaningless conversation.
Florence + the Machine – You’ve Got the Love (XX Remix)
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I have a t-shirt that I ordered from the Asthmatic Kitty shop that was designed by Sufjan Stevens. However, this t-shirt does not say Sufjan Stevens anywhere on it. So the plan is that basically one day a girl will walk up to me and say, “OMG, I love Sufjan!” To which I will reply, “We’re going to Vegas honey and getting married!”
Sufjan doesn’t have a lot of songs that are necessarily romantic (and if you think he does listen to them again but replace the love interest in your mind with Jesus), but his music plays as excellent background music to laying in the grass, looking at the stars, and speaking in whispers.
Sufjan Stevens – The Dress Looks Nice On You
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I saw Meiko at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles a year or so ago, and she was amazing. I was a fan of her music at the time, but I had no idea she was hot. And yet, there she was being hot, strumming a guitar, and singing her music.
I think you know where this one is going. You’re at a show watching one of your favorite artists, sipping on a brew. After the show you notice the singer is hanging out by the merch booth, you say you liked the show, they say, “Thanks! I like your t-shirt, Sufjan?”
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Another great place to meet when you’re in our line of business is at the local record store. And I’m sorry for those of you who don’t live in a metropolitan area and all of your record stores dried up a few years ago.
And if you’re going to meet in a record store – it has to be in the act of grabbing for the most obscure, but Juno soundtrack worthy album. And for that, we’re going to need a little Half-Handed Cloud.
Half-Handed Cloud – Can’t Even Breathe On My Own Hand
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It is always best to end a love mix tape on a slow beat. Pair that with the following…
Occasionally I will initiate an argument with a stranger about what is the ‘Led Zeppelin’ of our generation. As in, what is the band when we look back will be THE band that we can align ourselves with. My answer is always the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. And no one ever completely agrees with this stance. But I’m hoping, one day, when I ask a cute girl what she thinks, she will have an immediate response, “Chilli Peppers obviously!”
Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Porcelain
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If you liked this article you should check out the first Love Mixtape.
I love the Discovery Grocery Store Fantasy the best!
If I saw a guy grab any half-handed cloud album at a record shop, I might propose immediately. If I don’t meet John Ringhofer and propose to him before, that is.
Nice mixtape.
Lots of sexual chocolate on there.
Porrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-sliiiiiiiiiin is so freaking dope that it really bothers me that it sounds like a six year-old recorded and mixed it.
There is soooo much compression on the vocal. And, why does said over-compressed vocal need to be so far out in the mix when the song is so light and acoustic?
If you speak to anyone from the Chili Pepper’s camp, have them send me the Pro Tools session so I can mix the song down correctly.
SIDEBAR: Don’t EVER go to school for music engineering. It ruins everything.
If and when I make a movie about my life (possible title: Train Approaching) I am using the Discovery-grocery-store sequence to show how I met Mrs. Train – regardless of whether it is true or not.
@#3 – I have to disagree with every word that follows “is so freakin dope”.
really nice mixtapes. when’s the 3rd one coming out? STOKED.
aw this is a cute mixtape. was looking for matt costa’s sunshine but yellow taxi is also good!
really enjoyed the songs. i agree with the rhcp statement, and know what you mean about people not wanting to give them much credit.
Yes, I have a fellow believer!
Steffi, you are right, Sunshine is the more appropriate song. But you gotta remember this is a mix and his little intro at the beginning would ruin the momentum.
Nice job Frank.
great read, ’nuff said.
Great stuff in the first 2 mixtapes…where’s number 3 already???