All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape IV

One of the oldest traditions around these here parts is the All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape, or the mixtapes in general, which haven’t been featured here since last year’s third installment of the Cannabliss Mixtape. I thought I’d return with, in my opinion, the most carefully crafted and entertaining mixtape to date. Ladies and gents, your 2009 edition, the All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape Volume IV.

Norman Blake kicks off the love-fest with his unbearably sweet version of one of the all-time classics, “You Are My Sunshine”, featured originally on the O’ Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Fab Moretti’s side project, Little Joy, contribute track two, “Brand New Start”, which is a blatant homage to the soul crooners of the sixties. Claire recently wrote about them here, and I had their debut at #13 in Zack’s ‘Hypothetical Top Albums of 2008 that Weren’t Posted Because He is a Worthless Piece of Shit’ post. Melpo Mene gives us quite possibly the most innocent and cute track on the mixtape with “I Adore You”, followed by Beirut’s masterpiece, “My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille”. Zach Condon et. al. are quickly becoming my favorite band, and his new Realpeople Holland EP has been the soundtrack to my European travels. Up next is Red Foxx’s remix of the quintessential Valentine’s day (and every other day) song, “Digital Love”, which doesn’t change much, other than the addition of a dancy-esque ending; just enough to warrant posting the song again.

The middle third of the mixtape starts with Lupe’s “Birds & the Bees”, produced by Kanye a while ago but just recently released on his new mixtape, aptly titled Unreleased. The chorus of “it’s just the birds and the bees, the her’s and the he’s, the his, the ma’ams, the sir’s and the she’s” made this track completely V-Day worthy. Up next is Passion Pit’s painfully cute “Cuddle Fuddle”, which could’ve made the mix on the title alone. Really, any track off of the Chunk of Change EP would have worked, but the “Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair” repitition pushed it over the edge. To be fair though, putting on the budding stars’ EP might just make for a better V-Day mix than any I could craft. The New Pornographer’s give us song number eight, with “Hey, Snow White”, which is an original featured on the Dark Was the Night benefit album I raved about last week. Kate Nash’s take on “Purple Rain” sets the course for the rest of the mixtape, which features three covers of older classics.

Sally Shapiro’s “He Keeps Me Alive” kicks off the final third in all of it’s neo-disco, sappy, beautiful goodness. Slow Runner contributes “Trying to Put Your Heart Back Together”, which isn’t really that lovey and gooey, but is way too gorgeous to exclude. Cat Power and The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy tackle “Dark End of the Street” and “Cupid”, doing their best to pay homage to James Carr and Sam Cooke classics. Cooke has found his way onto a V-Day mixtape one way or another three times, tying Rogue Wave, who give us their stirring cover of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday”. Styrafoamkid sends us young lovers off into the sunset with his unparalled remix of Gotye’s “Learnalilgivinanlovin'”. Derek introduced me to this eight minute euphoria-fest a while back, and ever since I have been counting down the days until I could share with you in the proper forum. What better place than the end of this joyous fourth edition of the Valentine’s Day Mixtape.

.ZIP: All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape IV [follow link] [alt. link]

MP3: 01) Norman Blake – “You Are My Sunshine”
MP3: 02) Little Joy – “Brand New Start”
MP3: 03) Melpo Mene – “I Adore You”
MP3: 04) Beirut – “My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille”
MP3: 05) Daft Punk – “Digital Love (Red Foxx’s Bmore Surprise Mix)”
MP3: 06) Lupe Fiasco – “Birds & the Bees”
MP3: 07) Passion Pit – “Cuddle Fuddle”
MP3: 08  The New Pornographers – “Hey, Snow White”
MP3: 09) Kate Nash – “Purple Rain”
MP3: 10) Sally Shapiro – “He Keeps Me Alive”
MP3: 11) Slow Runner – “Trying to Put Your Heart Back Together”
MP3: 12) Cat Power – “Dark End of the Street”
MP3: 13) Colin Meloy – “Cupid”
MP3: 14) Rogue Wave – “Everyday”
MP3: 15) Gotye – “Learnalilgivinanlovin’ (Styrafoamkid’s Summer Remix)”

Given that I am in Florence right now, I am unable to spend Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend, Claire, which is heartbreaking to say the least. I wanted to take this opportunity, then, to be a sappy cheeseball and tell her how much I love and miss her. I’ll be listening to this mix over and over today, and counting down the days until she comes to visit. Please, do me a favor and appreciate the ones you love tomorrow. Hug your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/dog/landlord/pleasure-robot/parents today and share this mixtape with them. Have a lovely day.

Love,
Zack