Monday Mixtape
"I’m meeting my woman, you are waving to my girl.”
Welcome to 2024 and the first Monday Mixtape of the year!! Admittedly, I am a week behind, but I spent most of New Year’s Day rotting in bed (a combination of the dread of going back to work after several days off and the side effects of my time of the month) so I couldn’t be bothered to do anything. :)
But we’re back baby! We’re starting the year off with a weird mix — I’ve got some newbies, oldies, classics, etc.
If you haven’t followed the playlist on Spotify, you can find it HERE (or below, if you’re reading this in the Substack app or on your desktop).
As always, if you’re reading this and the playlist above ^ doesn’t match what I’m writing about in the rest of this post, you might be reading an old post or the playlist may need a few minutes to refresh. Archived tracks from past playlists will live on the Monday Mixtape Archive found here!
Without further ado, here’s what’s in the rotation this month:
Out To Pasture by Good Morning
The strings in the beginning, geez!! I don’t think Good Morning has put out a SINGLE track that I have disliked. It’s the kind of music that I associate with feeling loved and taken care of — having someone call you to see how you’re doing, bringing you your favorite snack or drink at work during their lunch break. It’s whimsical yet a little gloomy like a rainy day you don’t seem to mind.
“Now that my glory days are over
And I spent all my blessings as they came
It’s time to put me out to pasture
And pray for the rain
Well I guess this must weigh on you heavy
But know it comes with zero shame
I’m headed out to meet my maker but he stood me up again
Seems I’m stuck capturing that same feeling
But I received good news today
Still I’m inclined towards songs of sadness and days washed down the drain”
Powers by boygenius
Plenty of you probably know this. I’d be surprised if you didn’t, but if you haven’t — what a treat! This is not the first time I’ve had boygenius on the playlist and it certainly won’t be the last (I’m still playing “Cool About It” nonstop).
I also keep thinking about how the only one of the trio I really listened to prior to their album the record was Lucy Dacus (love her). I knew Phoebe and Julien were talented, too, but I never gave them much attention. Now I’m a certified #fangirl for each of them, solo careers and all.
“How did it start? Did I fall into a nuclear reactor?
Crawl out with acid skin or somethin' worse
A hostile alien ambassador?
Or am I simply another of the universe's failed experiments?
Either way, I have been wonderin' just how it is (How it is)
I have never heard (Never heard) the tale of how I got my powers”
Whispered Words by Holdan
I included Holdan’s song “Mood” in a previous post, and though I adore that song…this one tops it. It’s like butter. The vocals, instrumentation, and visuals in the music video are stunning. It makes me want to slow dance with the love of my life. ♥
“She once was mine back in 95
She’ll chew you up and drop you like a dime
At least that’s what it felt like at the time
Whispered words
That I heard
The more you love the more I hurt
Nothing ever hurts quite like the first”
That’s The Way It Is by Céline Dion
I heard this on a “2000s-throwbacks-for-the-girlies” playlist the other day and it brought me straight back to my childhood. How is this song 25 YEARS OLD?? The lyrics and vocals are insane. I think this could bring my spirits up on any sad day. It’s the quintessential 2000s sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs car jam.
“So don't surrender, 'cause you can win
In this thing called love
When you want it the most
There's no easy way out
When you're ready to go
And your heart's left in doubt
Don't give up on your faith (don't give up on your faith)
Love comes to those who believe it
And that's the way it is”
Waving To My Girl by Winten
I don’t even remember how this came to me (I wish I did so I could give credit!!) but I think it may have just appeared in a dream….it feels like it!
This is the first I’ve heard of Winten, and her recent album (also titled Waving To My Girl) is so beautiful. With song topics ranging from letting love go, life and death, self-betrayal, and more. It’s almost as if Molly Burch and Maple Glider had a baby and named her Bridgette Winten. :)
“Are we having the time of our lives?
In her garden, I watched my mother cry
You are the gift and I hold the apple to your eye
I see it green and you see it blind
Oh, darling, don’t fuss,
I will say goodbye before the show
Please don’t call my bluff
Every time I’m walking out the door
If you’re ready, I can take it, I still love you like I did before
I’m meeting my woman, you are waving to my girl”
Get Gone by Fiona Apple
I think 2024 is the year I do a deep dive on all things Fiona Apple. Let the record show I have nothing against her!! I never really had the urge or the “click” that would’ve helped me dive into her history and discography. I started watching a YouTube doc about her life and I’m already feeling so “what?!” about it (in a positive way — like an “I can’t believe I’m only now learning about her” kind of way).
“Get Gone” showed up in a mix Spotify made me a few weeks ago and I kept coming back to it for her passion and her lyrics.
“How many times can it escalate
Till it elevates to a place I can't breathe?
And I must decide, if you must deride
That I'm much obliged to up and go
I'll idealize, then realize
That it's no sacrifice because the price is paid
And there's nothing left to grieve
Fuckin' go
Cause I've done what I've could for you
And I do know what's good for me
And I'm not benefiting
Instead I'm sitting
Singing again, singing again, singing again
Sing, sing, sing again
How can I deal with this
If he won't get with this?
Am I gonna heal from this?
He won't admit to it
Nothing to figure out
I gotta get him out
It's time the truth was out
That he don't give a shit about me”
I mean…raise your hand if you’ve ever been in this position. 🙋♀️ Lmao.
You’re Not The Only One I Know by The Sundays
The Sundays…a dream. I can’t stop revisiting this album, and much like “When I’m Thinking About You” from their album Static & Silence, “You’re Not The Only One I Know” became one of those songs I instinctively played every time I wanted something to listen to. For weeks!! I’m still not tired of it.
“You're not the only one that I know
But I'm far too proud to talk to you any day
So I say I'm in love with the world
And what is so wrong with voicing a doubt
When I'm on my own
It's perfectly fine to sleep in a chair
From Monday 'til Saturday
And what is so wrong with talking out loud
When I'm all alone”
Also, how precious is this comment user @ibuprofenPill (lol) left under the video…I love nostalgia.
Hope you enjoy. 😊 Happy listening!
-Pam