listen up: fall asleep with your headphones on

Here is a new mixtape for your listening pleasure. It’s kind of a cheat as it’s 1.25 years old, but most of you have never heard it before. It’s called Fall Asleep With Your Headphones On and I made it for my friend Tim (though it is about someone else entirely). It is an excellent breakup playlist.


Fall Asleep With Your Headphones On
01| Death Cab for Cutie – Marching Bands of Manhattan
02| The Postal Service – Brand New Colony
03| Frou Frou – Let Go
04| Brand New – Jaws Theme Swimming
05| Matt Pond PA – The Summer Is Coming
06| Between the Buried and Me – Colorblind
07| The Honorary Title – Everything I Once Had
08| Dashboard Confessional – Remember to Breathe
09| Rocky Votolato – Suicide Medicine
10| Colin Hay – I Just Don’t Think That I’ll Ever Get Over You
11| Motion City Soundtrack – My Favorite Accident (acoustic)
12| Fall Out Boy – Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner (acoustic)
13| Saves the Day – Take Our Cars Now
14| Ted Leo – Since U Been Gone
15| Rhett Miller – Your Nervous Heart
16| Ben Lee – How To Survive A Broken Heart
17| The Beatles – You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
18| Jamie Cullum – High & Dry
19| The Format – A Mess to Be Made
20| Dog’s Eye View – Umbrella

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we’ve all got wood and nails

The Devil and God are raging inside Brand New, and I think the Devil is winning. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me is the dark to Deja Entendu‘s…light isn’t the right word, because that album is depressing as hell…let’s put it this way: TDAGARIM is Deja‘s slightly less attractive but still totally appealing younger brother.

In a musical culture that is currently driven by singles (albeit via the Now! That’s What I Call Music series and iTunes as opposed to actually picking something up at the record store), Brand New goes against the grain, making a cohesive piece of rock goodness. Themes of faith, loss thereof, self-doubt, and personal failure pop up throughout the album. It doesn’t create a direct storyline, but the songs all make sense in the context of one another.

There are several instances of loud interrupting soft, fast taking over slow, and quiet musings versus angry rants, all playing into the feel of two opposing forces being at play. The songs range from acoustic to loud rockers, emo to an almost 90s-ish feel (does the chorus to “Luca” remind anyone else of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Breaking the Girl” in a weird way? anyone?), with a prime example of range being the sixth track, “You Won’t Know”. The beginning sounds like it could have been a track on Deja, but halfway through you think it could have been on Your Favorite Weapon. It is, I believe, the missing link. Rejoice.

Standout tracks include “Archers” and my favorite, “Jesus Christ”. The former is one of the few uptempo rockers on the album, while the latter best captures the themes of the album with its truly fantastic lyrics.

While it may take a few listens to acclimate yourself to the record, it’s worth giving it a shot. As I mentioned previously it’s no Deja Entendu, but few things ever will be.

our very first mixtape

A Winter Passing

01| Peace and Hate by The Submarines

02| It’s Happening by Number One Fan

03| Polaris by Jimmy Eat World

04| This Modern Love by Bloc Party

05| Lullaby by The Cure

06| Comptine D’un Autre Ete: Lapres Midi by Yann Tiersen

07| 9 Crimes by Damien Rice

08| The Scientist by Johnette Napolitano and Danny Lohner

09| I Know You Are But What Am I? by Mogwai

10| Hot Summers Nuclear Winters by The Meteah Strike

11| Jesus Christ by Brand New

12| Monachetti by Further Seems Forever

13| Textbook by We Are Scientists

14| Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind

15| Your Hand In Mine by Explosions In The Sky