spring break mixtape

It seems like Spring Break really starts a week or two before the actual vacation commences. We're already mentally prepping our schedules and agendas for the lapse in fun, sun and trips around Florida. Though, it seems with every Spring Break, I always retrospectively make a mix of songs I was really into during that week-long vacation. Last year, I was knee-deep into punk and garage rock from the likes of Minor Threat and The Seeds, with a borderline obsession with Yo La Tengo's I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One. But It was always assembled after the fact.

This year I've been given the privilege of making a Spring Break mix and, yes, it might not be the songs I'll be blasting in my car or my home stereo, but it's a compilation of music that essentially sounds "springy" and should probably get the proper airplay that others might be more inclined to get.

1. Happy Birthday - Girls FM
This song is really the highlight of Happy Birthday's self-titled debut off of Sub Pop, set to come out March 16. It's a perfectly crafted tune with equal parts garage, grunge, 90s alternative and bubblegum pop. It's got sing-a-long potential and has a great chorus.

2. Smith Westerns - Dreams
This Chicago all-boy band can do wonders to the soul if played on a period of downers. Channeling early-Beatles songwriting and lo-fi garage panache, Smith Westerns provide a perfect wave of beachy pop for the break.

3. Wavves - So Bored
After various fistfights and nervous breakdowns, Nathan from Wavves kinda kept a low profile these past couple of months. He hooked up with Hella's Zach Hill to invert the already-loud Wavves sound to epic heights of monster no-fi with powerhouse percussion. So Bored is a pretty honest portrayal of slacker conduct, the kind of behavior one would show during Spring Break. It also sounds amazing when the sun is hitting your face from outside of your house.

4. Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
I've written about them before and I still don't feel they've become redundant. Jail La La is just all kinds of fun.

5. Pavement - Shady Lane
Classic Indie/Alternative rock band actually just reunited to play a huge tour and fan favorite Shady Lane is just the ultimate definition of indie rock. I'm a bit biased because I first heard this song two years ago during spring break and just fell head over heels for Pavement.

6. Galaxie 500 - Snowstorm
You kind of need a slow jam if you're providing a soundtrack for someone's spring break. This song is filled with intense reverb and all types of nostalgia tones. Make sure to fall in love with someone to this song during your break.

7. Javelin - Lindsay Brohan
This group of producers pretty much cut and paste samples and drum beats to make some of the best electronic/hip-hop work around. Aside from the fact that the song title is awesome and silly, the song is just very chill and ringing of disco.

8. Toro Y Moi - Causers of This
Reminds me of what Zach Morris would be playing in his convertible during Spring Break.

9. Memory Tapes - Stop Talking
This whole album is actually just really infatuating. It's a mix of the "chill wave" genre, which really never gets old to me, and shoegaze elements from the likes of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. This one is good to listen to because it fits right in with a lot of the stuff coming down for Winter Music Conference, which is soon.

You can download the mix here: http://www.mediafire.com/?zmynz0h2y1t