My contribution is actually a team effort with my fiancé, Pete. We put together all of our current favorite songs, or, as I like to say, all the songs that burst right out of the speakers for me. These are songs we can listen to over and over and have in fact been listening to a lot since we started making this mix for you guys about two months ago!

SIDE A:

Zvezda Rok-n-Roll
This song comes off the “Everything Is Illuminated” soundtrack (great movie if you haven’t seen it). There is something a little bit hilarious and very fantastic about the energy of the song.

Innacity
We have been the lucky recipients of a lot of music shared by our friends. We found Colossus on a mix a friend of Pete’s sent us with over 7 albums of artists we’d never heard of. (I appreciated Andrea’s post about how much music is out there we’ve never even heard of) This song manages to bridge hip-hop and jazz effortlessly.

La Ritournelle
I found this artist while living in Paris. For a few months, this song was playing in every “cool” café in the city and I finally inquired about it and bought the disc myself. Sebastien Tellier’s album Politics is really eclectic and this is the only song on the album that deeply resonates with me.

Darlie Kea Lemang
This song comes from an album called “Township Swing, Jazz: Vol. 1.” How we would love to get our hands on Volume 2!! It is swing music that used to be played in the townships in South Africa in the 1950s.

The Outer Banks
This is another song we got from a friend. I love the mood it sets.

Breathe Me
Speaking of songs in ads, this one just showed up in a movie preview and I think in a commercial also. However, we found this album a few months ago while we were searching for another artist on the iTunes Music Store (we have found a lot of music that way!) Sia is the lead singer for the band Zero7. She joined forces for a re-mix of “Breathe Me” with Ulrich Schnauss who kicks off Side B of this mix.

Honeyed Out
This artist is a close friend of ours. I just love this tune.

Hide and Seek
Also from a mix from a friend. There is debate as to whether the song is entirely a-cappella--thoughts?

SIDE B
Nobody’s Home
Ulrich Schnauss was one of the 7 new artists on the same mP3 mix with Colossus. All of his music tends to sound a lot like this tune and he has clearly been heavily influenced by U2. Pete cannot get enough of this artist despite the fact that it’s a bit cheesy. It sets a nice mood, though!

Cheryl Tweedy
We actually found this artist while listening to All Songs Considered and thought about not including it on this mix given the audience. However, I think it’s awesome and insisted, so…

He Lays in the Reins
Iron and Wine was the first artist who I’d heard perform “Such Great Heights” (see Jamie’s mix) The deal was sealed for this song to be on this mix when my 7 year old niece admitted to thinking it was “pretty cool.” I love the combination of Calexico’s vocals with the Iron and Wine sound. The whole album (In The Reins) is awesome.

D’Ror Yikra
This song comes from a compilation CD called Siddharta put out by the Buddha Bar restaurants in Paris. Oi-Va-Voi is someone we had heard and loved earlier but had had trouble getting our hands on. This song stands out among the rest on the 2 disc album.

Peanut Dreams
Another tune from a friend. A new favorite.

Something Pretty
I found this song on the iTunes Music Store. But I have to admit that it was on the Music From the O.C. Soundtrack. Unlikely perhaps, but it became the song that reminds me most of time that Pete and I met and got together. It’s a sentimental choice.

You Ex-Lover is Dead
Artist #3 from the 7 artist master mix from our friend. Another tune we simply love.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
The Postal Service has been VERY popular so far. I wonder what the stats are from the other clubs about repeat artists.

Doubletree
Jeffrey Foucault is married to Kris Delmhorst (“Honeyed Out”) and also a good friend of ours. I love his voice!

Lullaby 101
The perfect end to any album. We hope we’ve lulled you right to sleep.