Since high school I have been making a yearly mix cd of songs/bands that I've been listening to all year for some friends at home. I usually would burn a big pile of copies and give them out to friends- it's a fun little gift to give people.

Since I've been in London for the past week, I've been annoying the other hotel patrons by playing these songs over and over again, but I finally finished this year's edition of The Chrismukkah (what, it's a good word) Mix, and I thought you guys might be interested too. Merry Christmas, team droolycat!

(Those of us who frequently follow my posts might recognize some of these tunes - sorry for posting them repeatedly!)

tracklist
01 i didn't see it coming - belle & sebastian
02 miami - foals
03 good intentions paving co - joanna newsom
04 someone great - lcd soundsystem
05 i heard it through the grapevine - the slits
06 john, i'm only dancing - david bowie
07 tighten up - the black keys
08 12:51 - the strokes
09 inspiration information - sharon jones & the dap-kings
10 one - yeasayer
11 not in love (ft. robert smith) - crystal castles
12 used to be - beach house
13 all the wine - the national
14 abel - the national
15 snowfall - esquivel

download the chrismukkah mix 2010 here

If all things go to plan, tomorrow i am booked on flight #3 back to the States. This Time Tomorrow is one of my favorite songs about flying:

i hope i make it home sometime this year! wish me luck...

Snowy Mix

Snow! It is finally here, and while it may not accumulate to much, at least it feels like winter finally. I think the mixes we make for wintertimes are sometimes the best ones. I remember winter 2007 when I came home from my first semester of college, I got in a very wonderful Animal Collective (Sung Tongs + Feels)  cocoon, complimented by some eccentric retro pop. Actually, I've never really left that mode. Anyway, if you can't go out because of the weather, might as well listen to fantastic music. What music makes you feel comfy, cozy, warm-all-over? 
Warning about this playlist: I've been really into Bollywood music lately...

Extra: Beach House just released this new track, "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun", what do we think? I was completely in love with Beach House last winter, but I think I'm done with them now...? Love Victoria's voice, but I need something new, I don't know what. 

GET ME BACK TO MY CONTINENT

As you may have heard, the UK is experiencing an extreme weather event (six inches of snow, not the 2 feet they're making it sound like) which is causing airports to shut down, flights canceled, etc. Basically nobody can get anywhere. I've been trying to get back to the states since Saturday - I had no problem getting from Glasgow to London, but then I sat on a plane on the tarmac for 3 hours while we waited to be de-iced, and then that flight was canceled, despite the fact that we had just sat there for 3 hours. Long story short, everything was canceled or overbooked indefinitely, so I got myself on another flight from London > Paris > Boston for the 21st, but then my flight from London > Paris was canceled. Everyone's trying to get back home, so all buses and trains anywhere are booked until sometime into next year. Luckily I was able to cancel my flight from Paris to Boston. I am now booked on a third flight from London to NYC on Christmas Day.

Thankfully I am not still sitting in Heathrow Hell (the below picture is 100% true - those are people sleeping under tinfoil for warmth)

but rather in a hotel in Windsor, London - with all my bags, a bed, and a shower. I am VERY grateful to be here (I've been here since Saturday night) - it was a good plan to get a hotel room after I got myself on a new flight; shortly thereafter I was kicked out of Heathrow itself. More people kept showing up, and if you had alternate plans you were being asked to leave to make way for more people.

But in the meantime i present to you my ANTHEM OF HEATHROW HELL 2010

YES.

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy with Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly from Will Ferrell

Merry Christmas?

Janelle Monae!

Check this woman out. Janelle Monae, you may have heard her single "Tightrope" which features Big Boi of Outkast fame. I actually saw Ms. Monae live in Summer 2009, when she opened for No Doubt. Well, I was expecting Gwen Stefani to steal the show fashion-wise, but Janelle put up a stiff competition with her awesome bouffant and retro menswear outfit. And she can sing!

I have been playing "Cold War" over and over in my car, what a great driving song. My favorite part is how just when you think it is just another 2010 pop song...two minutes in some guitar action blows in out of nowhere and carries the whole thing away. Thank god, some pop stars still like guitars. I mean, yeah, I can dig some electro beats, but I'll take some classic Queen over Lady Gaga any day.

If only to wish Janelle a belated birthday, (it was yesterday, December 1st!) have a listen to "Cold War", and definitely check out her website to listen to her entire album, The Archandroid (originally released May 2010). Ugh, I just think she is the coolest. Her and Lady Gaga should probably battle, and then the both of them should unite and lock Ke$ha away somewhere where we never have to hear her again. While on the subject, I'm not concerned about The Bieber, he's pretty much doomed anyway.