Remix: Sunny Bike Ride

I am shamelessly exploiting this weather. Like, seriously, nearly 20 degrees in March? You bet I've broken out the skirts and sockless flats like it's anyone's business. Rocking a pair of shades and power-walking in the sunshine is one of the best parts of summertime. And rediscovering last year's Sunny Bike Ride mixtape is perhaps one of the best things I could have done, giving me the perfect good-mood walking soundtrack.

There is everything you need in here – a little funk, a little nostalgia, a little twang, and an incredible Charles Manson song. SERIOUSLY. If you haven't listened yet and you're feeling cool vibes, download it and take on the road. Walk it, drive it, park it, but give it a good ol' sunshiny date.

Sunny Bike Ride

1. Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) – The Hombres

2. Oogum Boogum – Brenton Wood

3. Two of Us – The Beatles

4. Brand New Key – Melanie

5. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

6. Carey – Joni Mitchell

7. Summer Breeze – Seals & Croft

8. My Baby and Me – The Kodaks

9. Jack the Ripper – Link Wray

10. How's Your New Love Treating You – Debonaires

11. Sweet Thing – Van Morrison

12. Frankie & Johnnie – Les Paul & Mary Ford

13. Look at Your Game Girl – Charles Manson

Edited to add: I spoke too soon! It's -10 today! NOOOOOO.

Mixtape: Faux-Winter Blues

It's been a while since we've shared what we're listening to, and the first day of March is as good a day as any. It's cold out there, and kind of snowy. Are we finally getting the winter that never came? I sure hope not. Here are the songs I've been listening to while trudging through the half-snow, wearing my second-warmest winter jacket, curling up in bed, and hiding from the elements.

Faux-winter blues

photo by Dan Epstein

Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison

White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Undergorund

Stay Away - Charli XCX 

You Hit Me Where It Hurt Me - Alice Clark

Pourquoi Pas Moi - Stella

All Around and Away We Go - Twin Sister

Paradisco - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Strollin After Dark - The Shades

I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes - Slim Whitman

Taboo - Gene Summers

Life and Soul of the Party - Mally Page

Ramona - Craft Spells

A Real Hero - College (feat. Electric Youth)

Editions of You - Roxy Music

Long Distance Lover - Fanny 

DOWNLOAD HERE!!!

Mixtape: Mouse Ear Swagger

So I'm back! I survived the wonderful world of Walt Disney, and made it back with a heap of great memories, delightful photos, and a lot more freckles. No seriously, my freckles have freckles.

Homegirl G and me, post-Tower of Terror ride

Getting that last blast of 35 degree weather was a nice swan song for summer, and after the week I had just before leaving, I needed a good, relaxing vacation (emergency stays and last minute changes and work overloads, oh my!)

Memory lane

When I get a chance to catch my breath, I'll do a followup to the rules for doing Disney right, but for now, here's our mixtape for the trip. There's a lot of sugary pop, a lot of cool jamz, and a lot of good ol' fashioned fun. You'll recognize many songs from my 6 tracks to rot your brain to post from a while back, but what can I say—I don't like to challenge myself musically that often, and now you can rot your brain on the road. Just go with it bros, download and enjoy away.

Mouse Ear Swagger

1. Two of Us – The Beatles

2. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

3. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry

4. What Ever Happened – The Strokes

5. Gucci Gucci – Kreayshawn

6. Moves like Jagger (feat. Christina Aguilera) – Maroon 5

7. Touch the Sky – Kanye West

8. Gotta Have It – Kanye West & Jay-Z

9. Hypnotize U – N.E.R.D.

10. Too Close – Next

11. Ignition (Remix) – R. Kelly

12. Inside Out – Britney Spears

13. Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) – Rihanna

14. E.T. – Katy Perry

15. Power – Kanye West

16. Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson) – Kanye West & Jay-Z

17. Rocket Man – Elton John

18. Laura – Ricky Nelson

(I got the album artwork image here.)

Mixtape: FM Radio

There's big stuff going down on the homefront, but first, a mixtape for you.

My mixtape form a few weeks ago, Sunny Bike Ride, was called "the best hits of AM radio" by my boyfriend. Yes, I guess my taste tends to skew a little vintage. So I decided to do a followup mixtape, inspired by some of my favourite hits from FM radio.

I had to cut so many songs to get this little set, because I just wanted to include everything from the past 15 years. My goal was a mix of songs that you already know all the lyrics to, and are just rarin' for radio singalongs. It harkens back to the glory years of pop and hip hop, the late 90s/early 00s. Even when I'm trying to be modern I'm not, I guess.

Mixtape: Sunny Bike Ride

It's an all new music mix, fresh off the presses for you cool cats and kittens.

My idea when making this one was that feeling you've got on a warm sunny bike ride, a car ride to the beach or walking to meet your friends in the park. A general sense of good weather, sunshine and anticipation, if you will. And damned if this isn't one of my favourite mixtapes ever assembled, a collection of some of the best songs my ears have ever laid lobe too. Perennial faves, standouts that remind me of a specific era (70s Music Explosion, hollah!), and a couple that routinely make my heart leap (Born to Run, I'm looking at you).

 Sunny Bike Ride

1. Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) – The Hombres

2. Oogum Boogum – Brenton Wood

3. Two of Us – The Beatles

4. Brand New Key – Melanie

5. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

6. Carey – Joni Mitchell

7. Summer Breeze – Seals & Croft

8. My Baby and Me – The Kodaks

9. Jack the Ripper – Link Wray

10. How's Your New Love Treating You – Debonaires

11. Sweet Thing – Van Morrison

12. Frankie & Johnnie – Les Paul & Mary Ford

13. Look at Your Game Girl – Charles Manson

Download it, upload it to your music device of choice (let's be real, your iPod), and take it out on some sunshine adventures, why dontcha.

April Mix: Oh Woman, Oh Why + Chiaroscuro

So we discovered this cool little music streaming service called 8tracks, were you can create and stream music mixes really easily. The only catches are you can't have more than two tracks by the same artist or from the same album, and it has to be longer than eight tracks long.

The other night, the night of our roomie dinner, we decided to have a go at it and try making a mix each, based on a lovely image by photographer/artist Ellen Rogers. In particular, Solipsism. We limited ourselves to 8 tracks each (tricky!), and didn't discuss any of our choices with each other, making this a gut-reaction response to the artwork.

Our takes below!

Laura:

I looked at this picture and saw the carnivalesque: the use of selective lighting is almost like a spotlight, trapping these girls in the middle of a circus ring. Rogers' use of chemicals and other elements of the dark room gives an old fashioned feel to her photos, which I also see mimicked in the hair and makeup of the models. I see them as gymnasts or contortionists from the '30s, sisters at the circus.







Amanda:

First impressions that shaped the mix: contrasting light and dark, Bergman's Persona, séances, Lynch's Lost Highway, womanhood, growing pains, with a hint of danger. The image brought to mind a sense of things moving a little too quickly, of getting caught up in something you don't understand. 'Chiaroscuro' was my go-to phrase when choosing tracks, so it stuck as the title. I hope 8tracks doesn't mix up the order—finding the right balance was tricky with these picks!

Still from Persona via

We also have a version you can download, if you want to take the mixes on the road. Find it HERE.

SPRING, COME BACK!

DOWNLOAD THE BURGUNDY GIRLS' NEW SPRING MIX

You'll like it... I promise!

                      1. This Must Be Where Pies Go When They Die - Kyle MacLachlan

                      2. Sunglasses After Dawn - Dwight Pullen

                      3. Let England Shake - PJ Harvey

                      4. Let Her Go - Strawberry Switchblade

                      5. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - Prince

                      6. Planet Queen - T. Rex

                      7. Kissin' Cousins - Elvis Presley

                      8. Sweet Georgie Lee Brown - Jackie Lee Cochran

                      9. Tennessee Waltz - Les Paul & Mary Ford

                     10. Here, There, and Everywhere - The Beatles

                     11. Audrey's Dance - Twin Peaks OS

                     12. Barstool Blues - Neil Young

                     13. Marie's the Name - Elvis Presley

                     14. Hawaii - No Joy