I love the cassette medium so much that in 2018 I started a DIY tape label. Specialized in making them one by one in my basement. I would stamp the album/artist name on them and they would come with tiny zines and some sort of artwork.
It was so much fun until the pandemic squashed it.
Here's a recent playlist of some all time favorites:
Love this, Austin - especially the Can, Eno, Cocteau Twins, and Smile you mixed in there!
On the note of mixtapes, I'd highly recommend picking up "Love is a Mix Tape" by Rob Sheffield if you haven't already. It's a beautiful - albeit sad - story of processing life and the loss of life through music.
Also, here’s a mix I made for my twin sons when they left for college. It’s basically everything I listened to when I was starting in college when my baby ears were introduced to so many news bands!
Woah... I forgot about clicking your playlist link earlier this AM and just opened up Spotify to put some music on and couldn't remember where this perfect playlist came from! You have some lucky sons to kick-off college to such a great soundtrack.
If you're not already familiar, you should check out Psymon Spine and Bodega for some up & coming bands in the same vein as a lot of this playlist - specifically LCD and Parquet Courts. They're both NY-based and out on big US + EU tours right now.
Thanks for sharing this - I know what I'll be listening to for the next 1.5hrs!
I used to make Dr Demento/Weird Al style mixtapes when i was a teen. Variouss audio clips from radio, etc, and songs. Actually more like Negativeland now that I think about it, but they weren't a thing back then.
I don't know about going back to cassettes. I have been moving some of my own recorded concerts to digital because the tapes can freeze up over time. I actually recorded one of them acting badly just to save and use as a sound effect if the need ever arises.
I used to trade tapes with a jazz musician in my class. He'd learn new to him Classical Music and I'd learn new to me jazz. Good stuff. I was so happy when I got my first Walkman.
I usually pick some holiday in a month and make a playlist for that. Here's a cut down version of my Spring playlist.
I used to love making mix tapes. Cassettes are a wonderful thing. I hope to get my old stereo equipment hooked up again and dive back into that format. The DIY Days were wonderful, when with the advent of the multi-track cassette recorders you could record an album at home and pretty cheaply have cassette copies made, a little creativity and some shrink wrap and you had an item that looked "real". When the main format for recorded music shifted away from the vinyl album there was a brief interval where indie artists such as myself could release music that could compete for attention in music magazines, record stores, etc. A wonderful time. I make mix-playlists these days. I did start one recently with songs that are important to me, have some deep connection whether nostalgic or lyrical. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PqV0JwX6wJDUNoRZLxwWS?si=05193dfd63a14d16 If someone wants to know something about me, that's a good place to start.
A few years back I was invited to join a mix-tape club where hardcore music nerds gave each other specs to follow for our mixes. The mixes were judged and the winner got bragging rights and set the specs for the next round. I won ONCE in 2019. Here are the basic specs, my mix, and a link to it:
SPECS:
The Art of the Album (by David B)
I have always loved the craft of how artists put together an album, that 45 mins of perfection. The juxtaposition of song, instrumental, fast, slow, loud/quiet. It’s a craft we all obviously appreciate but maybe a little subconsciously.
Your task
All tracks should be from different albums and artists making the ultimate long player.
8 tracks in total.
This is not a 8 favourite tracks of all time!
It’s crafting an album considering the flow and relationship of each track, the nuance and contrast of the genre, period and artist.
1979. The year I turned 12. The year I bought my first album, XTC "Drums and Wires." The year my taste in music came into its own, drifting away from The Beach Boys, Carpenters, and Bee Gees, bands my parents listened to. I didn't know music could sound like this. 1979 continued to inspire me for years—we named our first child Cairo, after The Cure's "Fire in Cairo," the song that closes out my mix. 1979, forty years away, yet timeless.
I’m having trouble pushing the record button on my cassette recorder when my fav song plays on the radio! … not from the 90s … more like the 60s 🤗😂 Party On!
1. Led Zeppelin - House of the Holy. 2. Hamilton - Original Soundtrack 3. Amy Winehouse Essentials on Apple Music. Not sure why, but when I listen to Amy Winehouse I always feel like there should be a James Bond movie on! 🤣. …. And if I actually had any of these on tape it’s is possible I could have worn them pretty thin by now! Thanks for sharing the idea and your playlists, Austin 👍🏻
I wish my teen was more into analog because making mixtapes was such a thoughtful teen/young adult experience for me in the 80s & 90s; I hate that she's missing out on this, though she uses spotify to curate playlists. It's not the same.
I think it's sad that a lot of these playlists will get lost to time, but I do like that we have a family plan now, so I'll have my son (11) make playlists for me and text them to me, and it's a way we connect. We also have a favorite radio show we listen to every Sunday that's about video game music, so I told him he should make his own playlist and send it in to the DJ. Little things like that.
Agreed all around. I recently asked my preteen if they wanted to go to the record store with me and they said "why? I can just stream it on Spotify." I thought where did I go wrong.
lol. mine enjoys trips to the record store; she owns a few albums and record player. But we don't own any cassette players, unless I can unearth my 40-year old walkman...
Here's a mixtape/playlist that I put up on Spotify many years ago: MY 200 FAVORITE SONGS FROM THE 1960s. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5sKtlBH6EAeRP2MEKKXcrB Actually it's 269 songs now. My criterion for inclusion is simple: any song that I would be thrilled to listen to any time, anywhere. (Some more so than others -- like endless loop magnificent -- but they ALL qualify.)
The first few are The Ronettes, "Be My Baby"; Roy Orbison, "Crying"; and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, "The Tracks of My Tears".
I love the cassette medium so much that in 2018 I started a DIY tape label. Specialized in making them one by one in my basement. I would stamp the album/artist name on them and they would come with tiny zines and some sort of artwork.
It was so much fun until the pandemic squashed it.
Here's a recent playlist of some all time favorites:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ignTkHBH7YzPjaOnVMfsV?si=b278750203fb4016
Love this, Austin - especially the Can, Eno, Cocteau Twins, and Smile you mixed in there!
On the note of mixtapes, I'd highly recommend picking up "Love is a Mix Tape" by Rob Sheffield if you haven't already. It's a beautiful - albeit sad - story of processing life and the loss of life through music.
Wondered if I should read this! Thanks
Here's my "Pretty" playlist
Beautiful World Devo
There She Goes, My Beautiful World Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Let the Beauty Be Bob Mould
She's As Beautiful As A Foot Blue Öyster Cult
Beautiful Red Dress Laurie Anderson
Pretty Girls Don't Talk To Me Screeching Weasel
Pretty Thing Social Distortion
It Wasn't a Pretty Picture Social Distortion
Pretty Girls Mother Superior
Pretty Vacant (Album Version) Sex Pistols
Pretty Baby (2001 Digital Remaster) Blondie
Also, here’s a mix I made for my twin sons when they left for college. It’s basically everything I listened to when I was starting in college when my baby ears were introduced to so many news bands!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wDdtMHi95OqYAmhyQGDy7?si=JCpGwv7wSyuyj1Xg0hfvug&pi=u-gO-KgplZQEaU
I AM A PATIENT BOY
Woah... I forgot about clicking your playlist link earlier this AM and just opened up Spotify to put some music on and couldn't remember where this perfect playlist came from! You have some lucky sons to kick-off college to such a great soundtrack.
If you're not already familiar, you should check out Psymon Spine and Bodega for some up & coming bands in the same vein as a lot of this playlist - specifically LCD and Parquet Courts. They're both NY-based and out on big US + EU tours right now.
Thanks for sharing this - I know what I'll be listening to for the next 1.5hrs!
Thank you for the kind words. I'll check out those bands for sure. I really like the new Idles record and their song with LCD!
This playlist is a thing of beauty!
I used to make Dr Demento/Weird Al style mixtapes when i was a teen. Variouss audio clips from radio, etc, and songs. Actually more like Negativeland now that I think about it, but they weren't a thing back then.
Hell yeah. This is another thing I love about doing it with tape — for one I stuck the Windows 95 ding at the beginning just for fun
I don't know about going back to cassettes. I have been moving some of my own recorded concerts to digital because the tapes can freeze up over time. I actually recorded one of them acting badly just to save and use as a sound effect if the need ever arises.
I used to trade tapes with a jazz musician in my class. He'd learn new to him Classical Music and I'd learn new to me jazz. Good stuff. I was so happy when I got my first Walkman.
I usually pick some holiday in a month and make a playlist for that. Here's a cut down version of my Spring playlist.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/72XGmu6KZ0gMJUch5O9at1?si=bc0d5d67ce314894
Looking forward to checking out everyone's music.
I used to love making mix tapes. Cassettes are a wonderful thing. I hope to get my old stereo equipment hooked up again and dive back into that format. The DIY Days were wonderful, when with the advent of the multi-track cassette recorders you could record an album at home and pretty cheaply have cassette copies made, a little creativity and some shrink wrap and you had an item that looked "real". When the main format for recorded music shifted away from the vinyl album there was a brief interval where indie artists such as myself could release music that could compete for attention in music magazines, record stores, etc. A wonderful time. I make mix-playlists these days. I did start one recently with songs that are important to me, have some deep connection whether nostalgic or lyrical. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PqV0JwX6wJDUNoRZLxwWS?si=05193dfd63a14d16 If someone wants to know something about me, that's a good place to start.
A few years back I was invited to join a mix-tape club where hardcore music nerds gave each other specs to follow for our mixes. The mixes were judged and the winner got bragging rights and set the specs for the next round. I won ONCE in 2019. Here are the basic specs, my mix, and a link to it:
SPECS:
The Art of the Album (by David B)
I have always loved the craft of how artists put together an album, that 45 mins of perfection. The juxtaposition of song, instrumental, fast, slow, loud/quiet. It’s a craft we all obviously appreciate but maybe a little subconsciously.
Your task
All tracks should be from different albums and artists making the ultimate long player.
8 tracks in total.
This is not a 8 favourite tracks of all time!
It’s crafting an album considering the flow and relationship of each track, the nuance and contrast of the genre, period and artist.
MY MIX:
Theme: 1979
1. Suspect Device - Stiff Little Fingers
2. Fall in Love with Me - Japan
3. The 15th - Wire
4. When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty - XTC
5. She's Lost Control - Joy Division
6. Hero Worship - The B-52s
7. Plan 9 Channel 7 - The Damned
8. Fire in Cairo - The Cure
LINK:
https://open.spotify.com/user/seanthumb/playlist/09MI95To4EQO9VI0O051eV?si=tHcGn3gVQ7aKtfmA1XOU5A
MY NOTES:
1979. The year I turned 12. The year I bought my first album, XTC "Drums and Wires." The year my taste in music came into its own, drifting away from The Beach Boys, Carpenters, and Bee Gees, bands my parents listened to. I didn't know music could sound like this. 1979 continued to inspire me for years—we named our first child Cairo, after The Cure's "Fire in Cairo," the song that closes out my mix. 1979, forty years away, yet timeless.
Now I make a weekly mix for the world:
mixcloud.com/discover/play-it-as-it-lays
Hey, Austin - your Sunday blog post on meekness made me think to share this Mary Karr poem, Who the Meek Are Not: https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2013%252F05%252F30.html
The new Four Tet album is beautiful.
Did you know he keeps a running public playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uzbATYxs9V8YQi5lf89WG?si=48VuNTbAS9iVBiAPt849VA&pi=u-wotPrNQ2Rt6a
It’s definitely worth a like.
I saved this playlist a while back but I always forget about it!
This is lovely!
I’m having trouble pushing the record button on my cassette recorder when my fav song plays on the radio! … not from the 90s … more like the 60s 🤗😂 Party On!
You may enjoy this: https://twitter.com/tedgioia/status/1769124438048457040
That's hilarious! I love the part about having the songs forever 😂😂 Thank you!
I remember doing this when I was a kid!
1. Led Zeppelin - House of the Holy. 2. Hamilton - Original Soundtrack 3. Amy Winehouse Essentials on Apple Music. Not sure why, but when I listen to Amy Winehouse I always feel like there should be a James Bond movie on! 🤣. …. And if I actually had any of these on tape it’s is possible I could have worn them pretty thin by now! Thanks for sharing the idea and your playlists, Austin 👍🏻
But…I’m confused, how do you record on them? I want to do this!
Tape deck!
Same!
I wish my teen was more into analog because making mixtapes was such a thoughtful teen/young adult experience for me in the 80s & 90s; I hate that she's missing out on this, though she uses spotify to curate playlists. It's not the same.
I think it's sad that a lot of these playlists will get lost to time, but I do like that we have a family plan now, so I'll have my son (11) make playlists for me and text them to me, and it's a way we connect. We also have a favorite radio show we listen to every Sunday that's about video game music, so I told him he should make his own playlist and send it in to the DJ. Little things like that.
Oh also, we have a "car playlist" for school drop-off that everybody's allowed to add/subtract
This is great! I’ve invited students to contribute to a classroom playlist in the past, but it’s been a few years. I need to resurrect it!!
Agreed all around. I recently asked my preteen if they wanted to go to the record store with me and they said "why? I can just stream it on Spotify." I thought where did I go wrong.
lol. mine enjoys trips to the record store; she owns a few albums and record player. But we don't own any cassette players, unless I can unearth my 40-year old walkman...
Dig it out, I bet it still works!
There's a walkman somewhere in my stuff I can't find anywhere but ONE DAY!
Different times—different memories.
This is my dramatic mixtape, called Dramatisk. It's mostly for dark commutes and walking in the rain or just being outside very late and alone.
• First Love/Late Spring - Mitsky
• The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
• Pressure To Part - Julia Jacklin
• The Way We Used To Beg - Joel Alme
• Marry Me Just For Fun - Amazon
• Goodbye Horses - Q Lazzarus
• Surrender - Suicide
• Oh What A World - Rufus Wainwright
• Peace on the Rise - Chad VanGaalen
• Lonely Beuys - Man Man
• I Get Lost in You in the Summertime - Jimmy Whispers
Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0fWSfTC5Gz1ecDZRKfowiZ?si=4c40e236bc3b4477
Super idea! I used to make mixtapes decades ago.
Here's a mixtape/playlist that I put up on Spotify many years ago: MY 200 FAVORITE SONGS FROM THE 1960s. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5sKtlBH6EAeRP2MEKKXcrB Actually it's 269 songs now. My criterion for inclusion is simple: any song that I would be thrilled to listen to any time, anywhere. (Some more so than others -- like endless loop magnificent -- but they ALL qualify.)
The first few are The Ronettes, "Be My Baby"; Roy Orbison, "Crying"; and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, "The Tracks of My Tears".