52 Weeks of Mixtapes

Week 11

Mar 26, 2024

Welcome back to 52 Weeks of Mixtapes, my second music series for The Low Major.

Every Sunday - unless it’s a week where I’m getting out and enjoying the world (oops!) - I’ll publish a mixtape of music centered around something - a feeling, a time, a person, a place. We’re running on vibes here. Each playlist cover will be a photo or an edit that’s my own work. This shit’s organic.

Two (self-imposed) rules for this project:

Each mixtape will never be more than an hour - usually in that 45-60 minute space, long enough to run with it, but I’m not gonna brute-force any level of length. Quality over quantity, as they say.

I’m also going to try to avoid reusing artists within the same mixtape and tracks within the same month. Sometimes songs are good enough that it’d be silly to not touch on them again, so you might see some old friends.

I’ll link to the playlist, talk a little bit (like, one sentence) about each track, their ordering and why they were included, and that’ll be all. Pretty simple, and hopefully enjoyable for you.

snowed in

shoveling at 11pm, hot chocolate, and late march weather in minnesota

1 | Sheep | Mt. Joy | 3:43

I love the perceived space within this track - the fluttering guitar really adds a ton of depth to what could otherwise be a very flat little tune.

2 | Winter Is for Kierkegaard | Tyler Lyle | 3:51

A little more rollicking, but an aptly-named and well-built tune for the season and the weather we’ve been having.

3 | Oblivions | The National | 4:13

Few artists are more strongly associated with winter than The National are.

4 | Get Along | Slow Hollows | 3:49

I love the pan flute here that opens the song. Immediately sets a very nice little tone to the track.

5 | Babylon | David Gray | 4:25

Reminds me of the Omnitheater at the Science Museum of Minnesota. I don’t know why, because it’s actually a Dave Mathews Band song that I’m pretty sure I have in my head. Anyways.

6 | I Will Follow You Into the Dark | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:09

I love this track. Beautifully Sufjan-esque, but with that touch that only Death Cab can add.

7 | Midnight | Coldplay | 4:54

One of Coldplay’s best songs they ever put out.

8 | Enough for Now | Ethan Gruska feat. Phoebe Bridgers | 3:16

A lot of great Phoebe picks that could’ve gone in here, but this feature with Ethan Gruska has always stuck in my head, so I jumped at the opportunity to use it.

9 | Lost in the Dream | The War on Drugs | 4:09

Another classic group that perfectly embodies the sound I like to go for in winter.

10 | Waking on a Pretty Day | Kurt Vile | 9:31

It’s a long song, but every time I wake up and don’t feel like getting out of bed, this one sticks in my head. Felt perfect for a slow winter morning where the mattress beckons more than usual.

11 | Blue Skies | Noah and the Whale | 4:08

This is a little more rock-adjacent than most of what I’ve heard from them, and it’s leagues better.

Enjoy the list! I’ll see y’all soon.