I am a sucker for a good mixed CD. I love to give them and I love to get them. I love how a certain song can make you feel more upbeat (I listened to a lot of Prince when I was training for the Twin Cities 10 Mile) and certain songs can make you feel melancholy (I listened to a lot of Sinead O’Connor after a five-year relationship ended). Certain songs can transport you back to your prom (“Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton), your wedding (“Power of Two” by the Indigo Girls and “Hey Ya!” by Outkast), college (anything by the BoDeans or Dave Matthews Band), a favorite vacation (“Toes” by Zac Brown Band), a fun weekend with girlfriends (too many to count!).
It has become standard for me to make mixes titled “College Reunion 2011” (with requests from everyone) or a more general “2011 Mix” (with a wide range of music, old and new) or a more personalized mix for Holly or Mom or Trish or Tonya or Julie or whoever expresses an interest.
In the spirit of giving this holiday season, I thought I would confer with my good friend Jeremy (the biggest local music buff I know) and provide you with a mix of local artists. Minnesota has such a rich, interesting, diverse music scene (with so much history!)—I wouldn’t be surprised if you discovered your new favorite song (or band) here.
Minnesota Mix
“Raspberry Beret” – Prince
“Singing In My Sleep” – Semisonic
“I’ll Be You” – The Replacements
“Somebody to Shove” – Soul Asylum
“Save it for a Rainy Day” – The Jayhawks
“Wait So Long” – Motion City Soundtrack (covering Trampled by Turtles)
“Where is my mind” – Trampled by Turtles (covering Pixies)
“Lay Your Cards Out” – Polica
“Palace” – Dessa
“California Part II” – Mason Jennings
“Badaboom” – Tapes N Tapes
“Armoured Cars” – Solid Gold
“I Shall be Released” – Bob Dylan
“A girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard” – Jeremy Messersmith
“Candy Machine Gun” – Haley Bonar
“Gameshow Host” – Doomtree
You can hear many of these songs on 89.3 The Current, and if you want to create this mix for those long car rides this holiday season (or any time you want to have good local music on hand), here’s a link to iTunes.
Who is your favorite local artist? What song would you recommend? I’m always looking to add to my music collection!
