Are you good at making mix tapes? If so let’s chat because I’m so tragically not. I never fully understood or put into practice all of the so-called fundamentals necessary for arranging (with High Fidelity level fanaticism) music into painstaking order with proper beats per minute perfectly balanced with obscure tracks and tongue in cheek references. Also, I’m dating myself by even referencing the word “tapes.” You can’t even call them mix CDs anymore. Honestly, when was the last time you bought an actual honest-to-goodness CD that wasn’t impulse shopped from the counter at Starbucks while you clutched a latte and stared at a Top Pot Doughnut with longing?
So, yes, when it comes to mix tapes, CDs or playlists I am utterly hopeless but wow do I love it when someone else makes a mix for me. CK has actually made quite a few during our relationship including my all time favorite collection of songs known simply as the “Dinner Party” playlist. I’m not certain but I’m pretty sure this thing has been kicking around since 2008 (possibly 2007) when CK made it for — you guessed right — a dinner party at our apartment. I still listen to this mix all the time. If you want to check it out you can hear it and even subscribe on Spotify.
Let’s face it though…that sucker is four years old so it’s probably time for an update. So last night I grilled CK on the finer points of playlist creation. The conversation went something like this:
Erin: I need to make a new playlist. How do I do that so it’s good and not lame and full of bad music that no one likes?
CK: Well, start by pulling songs that you like.
Erin: I don’t know what I like.
CK. [Exasperated] Check your frequently played items in Spotify.
Erin [Grumbling] Argh! This says my fifth most listened to artist is Justin Bieber. How is that even possible?!?! Stupid Top 40 playlists! Ugh. That’s so embarrassing.
Obviously things digressed from there but essentially what I learned from CK was to just throw in all the songs you like and then you can pare it down and rearrange afterwards. I also found out that it matters how songs end and begin and that connecting like endings with similarly beginning songs is a good thing. Who knew you can’t just jam Mariah Carey into Carly Simon? Not me. So after a little hunting and gathering and a lot of borrowing from my Revenge playlist (yes, I have a playlist of all the songs from the TV show) I managed to create a new mix for soirees at my house. So without further adieu I present to you the very not creatively named Cocktail Hour Mix 2012. Now who wants a Manhattan?
http://open.spotify.com/user/erinnichols/playlist/1WcTDExS5rb9W4qgj7sfJz