In The Mix

a big, hearty welcome to burt young (aka paulie) the latest celebrity to join my list. burt was kicking it at the baggage claim outside the jetblue terminal of burbank airport last thursday evening. my brother and i spotted him as we were waiting for his (my brother’s) luggage.

the rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. the majority of it spent watching football and season 2 of the wire.

i also finally got around to seeing pan’s labyrinth, which was, as i expected, outstanding. had i managed to see it prior to compiling my top ten list it would have definitely earned a place of recognition. anyways, as you might guess, i would highly recommend it.

i also just finished reading an outstanding book called “love is a mixtape” by rob sheffield, a music journalist who writes for rollingstone and other music-oriented publications. the book is an account of how music has played a role in his life, specifically in regards to his relationship with his now deceased wife renee who died 5 years after they were married (at the age of 31).

anyways, along with being a touching statement about love and loss, the book also talks about and made me think about the fact that (sadly) the mixtape is basically an extinct relic from a time long ago.

sure, we still have ipod playlists, which are definitely the modern equivalent. but i think, at the risk of sounding like a character from high fidelity, that there is something to be said about the lack of care and consideration that goes into compiling an ipod playlist as opposed to a mixtape.

mostly this would be due to the fact that a playlist doesn’t require you to make your selections with the same restrictions (and therefore the same skill and precision) that a tape does (i.e. 45 min per side).

that said, i am making it a goal of mine for the upcoming year to compile monthly “mixtapes.” now, granted, these will still be done on and for my ipod, but i plan to craft them in the same way that one would a tape. meaning that i will try and break them down so that they (the playlist) doesn’t exceed 90 min, and so that they could also be further seperated into two 45 min sides (or perhaps i may opt for the cd route - meaning 80min run times and (obviously) only one side — the reasoning behind this choice would be to preserve the “tapes” in a format other than just on my ipod for posterity’s sake).

in a way that is very similar to (some of) my reasonings behind starting this blog a year ago, i think that monthly mixtapes will (some years from now) prove not only insightful, but also enjoyable in a nostalgiac sense allowing me to look back on and see how certain songs were playing a part in my life during this time.