Remember Outside?
So we're going to be inside for a little bit, which gets all the harder as the sun comes out, the days get longer, and the breeze gets a little more pleasant.
I wanted to make a mixtape to make it feel a little bit more like spring on the inside while I open the windows and try to soak up as much of it as possible.
I'll be making two physical copies of April's mix, Impending Bloom, once we're allowed to leave our apartments. Hit me up, as always, if you want it. <3
Impending Bloom
Created for Outside.
*Kazumi Yasui's "Warui Kuse" isn't on streaming, so I subbed in a Jorge Ben samba song that feels spiritually similar. Listen on Mixcloud for original mix.*
April is the first month where it starts to even hint at the weather getting nice again. We might see some green on the trees soon and some flowers blooming. It sucks to be stuck inside, but I know it'll be all the more sweet when we're finally able to escape.
For Impending Bloom, I channeled a sort of earthy twee and unbridled optimism that comes with seeing a little more sun. I included a lot of music from the 60s and 70s on here, because it's always struck me as having those qualities.
I found the Spiked Candy blog in college, and it introduced me to the world of yé-yé music. I adore it. It introduced me to Françoise Hardy and France Gall and more. You'll find a bunch of songs on the mix that I'd never have found without it. Hi Christine! Thanks so much for introducing me to so much music I love.
I also took a lot of inspiration from Hayao Miyazaki films. I've been watching them a lot lately, and I really appreciate the beauty of the landscapes he creates. The stories are all beautiful, but one thing that I appreciate most about these films are the quiet parts where we just see the sky, the mountains, the fields.
I hope when you listen to this mixtape, you're able to close your eyes and feel the sun and breeze wash over you. We'll all get back outside sometime soon.
Love you all. Hope you enjoy!
Join Me: Watching Mary Chapin Carpenter's Songs From Home Instagram Series
The world leaves me feeling numb lately, but I've found a lot of comfort in Mary Chapin Carpenter's performances on Instagram. She has an optimistic, overwhelmingly calming presence (and a wonderful, old golden retriever who hangs out while she plays...every little bit helps).
Mary was a 90s country superstar and has stepped out of the mainstream limelight as radio country music has gotten...uh...really bad. But she's been releasing some absolutely wonderful records in recent years.
She's also just a good Instagram follow in general. She's got you covered on pastoral scenes and poetry and sunsets galore. It's like a balm to fight the daily onslaught of negativity elsewhere.
Watch/Listen to Mary's "Sometimes Just the Sky" (YouTube / Spotify).
RIYL: Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Joni Mitchell
Follow Mary Chapin Carpenter here.
Other Music Things I Love
(that you might love too!)
This month I figured I'd pass along some of my favorite music sites and videos. Hope you check them out and find something you like!
Radiooooo - This is a pretty awesome site that lets you pick a decade and a country and listen to a bunch of songs from that place and era. Might I recommend Malaysia in the 1960s?
Amoeba's "What's In My Bag" - This is a video series from legendary record store Amoeba in Los Angeles. They set artists, actors, etc, loose in their store to go shopping for music and movies and more and then have them unpack their bag and go through their selections. I've picked up a hundred great recommendations from here. I love it. Jason Mantzoukas has a great one.
Polyphonic's Video Essays - Polyphonic puts together some pretty great video essays about some of the most iconic music in history. I recommend diving in with "How Frank Sinatra Invented the Album".
JQBX.fm - It's like Netflix Party, but just for listening to tunes. Everyone gets to play DJ while y'all hang in the chat. Been doing this the past couple of weeks with some buds, and it's a really great way to pick up recs and just hang with friends. I'm thinking about holding some virtual Office Hours soon where we can drink good beer and listen to country music. Stay tuned.