This week I took a sweet romantic stroll down memory lane with a big old CD case that I happened upon whilst cleaning my apartment. Other than being startled by the big scary spider that jumped out of it, I had a fun time leafing through the pages and seeing some of the odd CDs I have collected over the years. I had a strange habit in college that I only share with you now because you have earned my trust, and because if you betray that trust an evil witch named Berthilda will come through your window at night while you are sleeping and bite your nose off. Got it? Good. You see, I would randomly find burned CDs at parties in couch cushions, out in the street, or in the ashtray outside of my apartment, for example. You know, places you wouldn’t expect to find CDs. So I kind of collected them, just wanting to hear what other people might be listening to. The funniest parts to me were usually what people would name their mixes, or the out-of-place songs I would find on them. Here are some of my favorites:
D’s Mix – Shwing!
17 of the 18 songs on this CD are what I expected — hip-hop “party” songs (Jay-Z, Outkast, Ludacris, etc). Then there’s this:
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Glen Campbell – “Rhinestone Cowboy”
Possible Original Owner:
Bonus! Radiohead’s cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPsxCl8zshE
Sanibel Mix – Spring Break ’03 HOT
Nothing out of the ordinary here, pretty much a spring break CD, but I know Josh secretly likes this song. You’ve been exposed!
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Bone Thugs N Harmony – “Ghetto Cowboy”
Possible Original Owner:
Barb’s Mix
Barb must have been feeling pretty aggro when she made her mix. Lots of Staind, Disturbed, and Linkin Park (is a roller coaster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-nChX_0HMY ). I guess it could have been a workout mix, that would at least make sense, because this is on it:
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Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
Bonus! I just kind of like this song and it was on Barb’s mix. Lucky me and lucky you!:
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SR-71 – “Right Now”
Possible Original Owner:
Found in Trash (Volumes 1-4)
Newsflash! I found this untitled collection in the trash. I washed them, and I think they were on the very top. Believe me or not on that one (I wouldn’t!). These are some of my favorite found CDs because they are so completely random. The first song on the first disc is some weird techno mix, then it jumps to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles”, then over to a techno remix of Dave Mathew’s “Crash”, to Blink 182′s “Dumpweed”, takes a left turn at Enriqe Inglesias’s “You Can’t Escape My Love”, stops at John Maher’s house (acoustic “Your Body is a Wonderland”), and eventually ends up on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Dreamer”. If I had to pick one song to sum up the series it would be:
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Avril Lavigne – “Complicated” (Now the most popular song on NGCO!)
And here’s the “Your Body is a Wonderland” for kicks. I like this a lot more than I should. Probably I’m douchier than I think.
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John Maher “Your Body is a Wonderland” (Acoustic)
Possible Original Owners:
Bonus!
This is amazing. Is the title a reference to the legendary “That’s not your bike?” I hope so. I sort of miss the mix CD days. Ah, college. There was nothing like finding an unnamed CD in your car and trying to figure out who left it there. I think I had a few arguments with you, T, about that. “That’s not mine, I would never put THAT song on there”, etc. The naming of a mix CD was a big part of it. I always loved showing off what songs I put on CDs. My preference was for brand new cutting edge stuff mixed with older, more obscure semi-forgotten songs. I like that “Rhinestone Cowboy” gets some love. I like the Radiohead version. (Higher quality download, plz!) Speaking of Bone Thugz, I bought tha “Tha Crossroads” single way back in the day. The cover was almost all black, but there was a white parental advisory label in the corner. I filled it in with a black Sharpie so my peeps wouldn’t know. (It was the B-Side that had the dirty swears, not “Tha Crossroads”. I never actually listened to the B-side.) Sorry, anyway Mom! Linkin Park IS a rollercoaster! And also terrible! I know you remember “The Eye of the Tiger” from football! I still like “Complicated” and I don’t even care who knows it! Avril got me through some late nights in Ames. (Don’t ask!) I am anti-John Mayer. Sorry. He sounds like he is coughing up a hairball when he sings. Oh yeah, and his songs suck! O-Town is awesome. My mama thinks I’m lazy, my friends all think I’m crazy! LOLZ! Throw in a body like Jennifer(?) Like Halle B! You got it! You got it! You got my liquid (sorry everybody!) dream!
Best post from Tyler yet!
Linkin Park seems dangerous and scary, but they are really safe for family fun.
Tyler- this is your best post yet… Between reading this and my newborn nephew, it’s been a pretty good day!
Sorry, I was logged in as Josh before… but really it’s Emily
Josh- Yes, I was referencing “That’s not your bike!” I’m sure we probably did have some disputes about mix CDs. The problem was that sometimes you get in there and just try to fill them up, not always really wanting all of the songs that end up on it. I still can’t believe Espinosa did O-Town back then. Classic!
AARON! – No, no, no. I’m not feeling it now, brother.
Emily – I know the whole fam is busy with the new baby, so I really do appreciate that you took the time to read and comment!
SMELL YA LATER!
Your posts just keep getting funnier, Tyler – even when I was reading this last night during labor! I completely forgot about the Linkin Park video – hilarious! And nothing beats you and Josh singin’ O-town. Great bonus.
SR-71:Right Now will always hold a special place in my heart…for various polyamorous reasons.
Teflon Listens to:
William Burroughs-”We’re all here…we’re all here to go…what did you expect…FROM ME???”
Damian Marley-ademonicsubcultureindulgence “Welcome to Jamrock”
Paris, Immortal Technique
Fiery Furnaces
MOGWAI
and since typing polyamorous…polyamorous by breaking benjamin…lame by lamewest
love to Ziggies old and (brand)new
*out
Nice post, Holmes. I’m liking the “Possible Original Owner” bonus on this entry, especially a passed-out LiLo. Good stuff. This post also whips up a little curiosity to go back and analyze the psychology behind the couple of mixtapes that are in my collection that I believe originally belonged to you. I’m also going to regularly insert the term “aggro” into my vocab, thanks to you. Loves.
Peace.