CD-R #9: Carina Taylor

So yes, I have taken a break from the CD-Rs for a little while. Winter was pretty bitter towards the end, I had an awakening moment with recognizing my depression, our apartment became infested with mice, weight was gained; there are numerous reasons I could dig up to explain the delay I suppose. There's no further need to go into those things though, and I have been able to overcome most of it (unfortunately, not quite over the mice roommates yet). The sun has been shining for a good few days now, Rachel and I have been going to the gym, I played my first show as a Seattleite, and in less than a month we will be bringing home our tiny little miniature dachshund puppy Murph to her new home in the hopefully not-so-infested apartment. Things are on the up-and-up, so it feels appropriate to pick this up again.

Enough about me: CD-R #9 belongs to my dear friend Carina Taylor. Artist, illustrator, host of the wonderful Southern California-based podcast The Living Room, and just a very kind and wonderful human being. I met Carina through our mutual friend Daniel Speer of one of my top 5 Southern California bands, Struckout. Daniel lived in Long Beach, went to CSULB, and introduced me to a really awesome community of musicians, artists, and ridiculously funny weirdos that I am happy to call my friends. If Rachel and I would've stayed in Southern California after we got married, Long Beach would've been the place. From what I gather it's starting to become a new hip hub for youngins, but I sincerely enjoyed the community of people that all lived around there. Carina and I would run into each other at shows, have funny discussions at house parties, and she had Fugue on one of the first few episodes of the Living Room. There was this whole world of art and community I felt like I had been missing out, and I was extremely happy to finally meet such wonderful and open-hearted people like Carina. It is nice to interact with a very sincere and real person, and I think from the first time we spoke to each other, it felt very natural and easy to be open and comfortable. I've found out recently that people like this are becoming more and more rare, so I honestly treasure the moments when you meet someone who is willing to help you feel welcome and appreciated. Carina is among three of my favorite artists from the Southern California area, along with Sophia Zarders and Jenny. The cool thing is that these three people all know each other and are good friends. I'm still amazed how lucky I was to fall into such an inspiring group of people that let me feel a part of it all.

Carina also has a strong eye and ear for art that is composed of real and genuine emotion. She has very real conversations with her guests on the Living Room, and her taste exemplifies this desire for the genuine and raw as well. In Carina's own words:

"I'm always afraid of making these types of lists. I always feel like they're never comprehensive enough, but even if I was able to list every song that has really truly affected me, I still probably wouldn't be satisfied. So I'll keep it brief. These are 11 songs (I tried to do 10 but, here we are). All of these songs have been dearly important to me at one point or another. These are all songs that I could show to a friend desperately hoping they like it. Hope they like it and still feel in the back of my head that they don't feel about them the same way I do. Each of these songs are deep in my core, and express a wave of a feeling. Some I'm able to yell in the car as I leave light-trails behind me down the 605 freeway, and others (other) leave me small, humbled.

These are ordered in an emotional arc ending somewhere in where I am now: tired, a little sadder, but still working. Many of these songs are memories. Some of them are people. I'll tell you, that one of them, makes me cry every single time I listen to it, filling me with such wells of grief. You probably won't feel that way, and that's hard for me. I want every one who listens to these songs to experience the depth of emotion I feel when I hear them. That's the power of this art. I hope I can make something like that someday."

As always, individual tracks are below for non-streamers:

1. DeVotchka - Queen of the Surface Streets
2. Janelle Monae - Q.U.E.E.N (feat. Erykah Badu)
3. Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
4. Struckout - KEMF
5. Do Nascimiento - Vecchio
6. Øjne - Milano/Ogni Primavera
7. Bomb the Music Industry - Fresh Attitude, Young Body
8. mewithoutYou - O, Porcupine
9. Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes
10. The Mountain Goats - Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise
11. Milo - Just Us (a reprise for Robert who has not been forgotten)

The Living Room Podcast can be found here. Many great bands have been on this podcast: Struckout, La Bella, VRIL, Leer, Young Jesus, New Balance; the list goes on and on. I will actually be a guest on the show on June 4th with my band Just, and it should be released to the masses later in June. Carina's art can be found here, and I strongly suggest contacting her regarding commissioning her for your album art, T-Shirt design, or even just a nice piece for your bedroom. It is also her birthday today, so if you know her (or even if you don't) find a way to wish her a good one!

Taking a break this week. Will be back next Tuesday. For now, enjoy this version of Army of Me that sounds like a nu metal Quicksand backing up Bjork:

CD-R #8: Erick Sáenz

This CD-R speaks quite a bit to me, mostly because the more I get to know Erick, the more our musical tastes align. I felt like we would've exchanged many of mixes if we had known each other in our earlier years. Erick was working towards a new chapter of his life when I first became introduced with him, so we only had about year of knowing of each other's existence and living in the same state before he moved up north to the Monterey / Santa Cruz area. We initially met when I attended my first collective meeting at Bridgetown. I made a lot of lasting friendships by showing up to that meeting, so it's a bit of a testament to me that you can't wait for the experiences to come to you; you need to step out of your comfort zone and get yourself in opportunities to find those experiences. Erick also had a hand in booking the show where Fugue played with Darto, who easily became one of my personal favorite contemporary artists. So there's that.

Rather than being another band guy, Erick expresses himself by pen and paper, by zines, by stories from his personal life and from those around him. Erick's passion for literature as definitely inspired me to breach the surface-level for reading and really work on being an ever-ending student. Knowledge, perception, and self-expression are tools that are easily being shelved due to the instantaneous technological and informational age we find ourselves occupying, so it's easy to just get on your phone and read an article someone posted via their feed instead of doing the work and research of becoming immersed through reading and recording your thoughts and feelings. Feelings can live much longer and have a more profound effect when recorded and expressed through word and music. Memories of the past, discontent for the present, and hopefullness (or lack thereof) for the future can be immortalized when written down. Erick is someone who recognizes this, and has devoted part of himself to this cause ever since I've known him. It's definitely something I really admire, and I'm grateful he and I are able to exchange quick messages to each other about bands and zines. He is without a doubt a fan of music, and knows of the feelings and memories specific songs can evoke. In his own words:

"These are some songs that are very nostalgic. They represent nights, days, places, people, etc. etc. Some are bands I hardly listen to anymore on purpose, but if it came on I’d crank it up and sing along. Some of them are still in rotation on those endless nights when I’m drinking beer and reminiscing. They represent different eras of my life, time periods that are shaped by much more than just songs but are co-dependent on them. I’m not sure what makes music nostalgic, and I think it’s easy to get overly poetic about this stuff. Let me start again…Here are some songs that remind me of lots of different people and places. Hope you enjoy."

As always, individual tracks are below for non-streamers.

1. Joan of Arc - I Saw the Messed Blinds of My Generation
2. Loma Prieta - Trilogy 1 "Sick Cities"
3. Unwound - Envelope
4. Unbroken - In the Name of Progression
5. Minor Threat - Filler
6. Songs: Ohia - Cabwaylingo
7. Propagandhi - Back to the Motor League
8. Born Against - Well Fed Fuck
9. Funeral Diner - Direct Hit
10 . Since By Man - The Enemy
11. Cursed - Head of the Baptist
12. Converge - Locust Reign
13. The One AM Radio - I Think This Is My Exit

Erick has most been a contributing editor to Cheers From the Wasteland, an online journal series started by his partner Leslie Patron. Cheers is described as "a place-based online journal featuring writing and art from contributors who have at least one thing in common: a tie to San Jose, California," where Erick now resides. He will also be launching a zine series in April called "Saplings", so keep your eyes out for that in your little feeds.

CD-R #7: Byron Adams

#7 is a special CD-R from my friend Byron Adams. Though over 3 million people live in Orange County, the DIY artistic and music community is relatively small. Art spaces and smaller venues disappear every few years and get replaced with new ones, so you tend to start seeing the same people running from place to place, trying to find solace and community. The city of Fullerton has always one of the "not so horrible" choices in Orange County, especially since they try to provide a platform for the arts more than most cities. Through monthly artwalks, coffee shop art showings, dive bar gigs, and the occasional warehouse show that happens once and then all of the kids who ran it disappeared, I met those few and strong who were trying to make the best of what Orange County had dealt us. One of those people was Byron. I saw Byron at almost every local I went to for a while, and I even started using his attendance as a parameter of the show was going to be worthwhile or not, even though I had only spoken a word or two to him before. In a post-high school world, Byron was one of the cool kids in the blueprint my mind had created. I got to see his old band Palm Reader many times, and they were always different from most of the music around. It shared similarities with some of the bands I was in or other locals, but they always had some interesting ideas that only they would do. It was a breath of fresh air to not see just another garage rock band or another hardcore band; they were weird, and it was catchy as hell.

Byron is by far one of the kindest people I had ever met. Even if I was being a bit awkward in our conversation, he always could make you feel welcomed in his presence, and what you were saying was actually being listened to. Any social gathering was always better accompanied by his laugh and wit. He's one of those people who made it easy to believe that he couldn't have a bad day. Those who suffer from melancholy have to become good at hiding our scars, our wounds, the affected parts of our hearts and minds. I have to deal with this on a pretty regular basis, and I know Byron has to go through it as well. This current world everyone has to occupy is growing stranger and stranger, and this American sphere is all the stranger. We must find our way through it that makes sense, and we must try to stand and represent the change we want to be brought about; we also need those times to reflect and look in though, to work through the challenges in our hearts. Music can help us through both sides of the aisle, and Byron explains in his own words how this works for him as well:

"When first presented with the idea of making a mix tape, I feel like my mind had jumped to potential places I could go. Sharing a story of growth, meaningful music with memories I had with friends, music that was loud, angry, disturbing, danceable music. Instead what happened was this. These songs represent deep and private stories from my experience, each one represents a different shift in my life that altered my surroundings. The transitions from influences of my environment, I call them my 'hidden songs', because I’ve listened to them without knowing other people in my life who my have also been into these artist. There is a common theme within this mix tape which are the feelings of being separate, isolated, alone and having a sense of longing. These feelings are things I consistently find myself in and these songs are ones that have frequented these episodes throughout my life from my early youth, to the present."

As always, the tracks below are for the non-Spotify-ers. Two of the songs are not on Spotify, so I have included them below and marked them with "*".


1. The Books - A Little Longing Goes Away
2. Josephine Foster - Little Life
3. Essential Logic - Martian Man
4. Aphid Ant Constructions - The Window Watch*
5. Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan - Sasong
6. Deerhoof - Chatterboxes
7. Watercolor Painting - Telephone Wires*
8. Mr. Twin Sister - Daniel
9. Polar Goldie Cats - Mrs. Owl
10. Former Ghost - Unfolding
11. Black Marble - Limitations
12. Blood Orange - Champagne Coast
13. French Kicks - Sex Tourists
14. Grouper - Alien Observer
15. Hugh - I Can’t Figure You Out
16. The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You
17. Mount Eerie, Julie Doiron - O My Heart
18. His Clancyness - Misinterpret My Words
19. Helado Negro - Invisible Heartbeat
20. Nearly Oratorio - Veracity
21. Broadcast - Come on Let’s Go

You can listen to Palm Reader's tape "Unlucky" by clicking on this here link.

Though we need need some moments alone to work through internal struggles, don't ever let the ones you love feel alone. I just needed to say that.

CD-R #6: Tomas L. Acosta (Moxiebeat, New Ruin, SHUT EYE, among others)

A day late, but all the more worth it: the sixth CD-R is one by one of the Inland Empire's finest, Tomas Acosta. In my youth, I was not a fan of the Inland Empire. Being from Orange County, I thought it was too far, too out of the way, and too desolate. For those who are not familiar with Southern California geography, the I.E. is a region made up of eastern LA County, southwestern San Bernardino County, and western Riverside County. From my hometown of Yorba Linda, it was about a half hour drive. Honestly, not that far out of the way, but for some reason, I grew a vague disliking to the area for many years. It wasn't until I was 19 and saw Ian MacKaye do a Q&A at UC Riverside that I started to shift my opinion of the area. I finally realized the gem that it was when I started seeing the bands from there. Moxiebeat was one that absolutely floored me. To this day one of the five loudest bands I've seen, Moxiebeat pummeled any room they played in to the ground with blunt volume and razor-like attacks. Behind the two guitar amp stacks and the two bass amp fridges sat a dude on a clear acrylic drumset, holding this insane ship together. I didn't really get to know Tomas until Fugue started playing with his other band SHUT EYE, but I felt a real kinship when I started to see the bands we shared nerdom to. Again, Tomas is someone that I probably could've been friends with a lot earlier if I had just gotten over to myself and gone to more shows out in the I.E. in my teens.

I like all of Tomas' bands quite a bit, and when I found out he and I went to the same Paul McCartney concert at Dodgers Stadium in 2014, I knew we had more and more in common. He's my regular go-to for guitar equipment, and it helps that he's at one time owned every guitar I've had an interest in. He's an example of a person who loves music for the sake of it, even if the payoff isn't necessarily in the way you'd hope. He and I met through our bands playing together, and in my opinion it's my favorite way to meet people. I have met amazing people through playing music, and the music lays the foundation for a connection to last for years to come. Playing music isn't necessarily unique nowadays, but you'll make friends that probably never would have if you didn't.

In Tomas' own words on his CD-R:

"Here's some songs... by a regular assed guy. But who and why isn't important. Music to me has always been key. It's been there since before I literally could actually remember and I've always thought that it could be anything you make it. Powerful, sad, funny, groovy, druggy, sober, paranoid, straight laced, political and even sometimes offensive. Playing music has always been something I've done almost out of habit, even if it isn't the best for me. It's why we stay at shitty jobs for too long so we don't have to worry about starting a new one and losing paid time off. It's why we drive 300 miles for 50 dollars. Sometimes it's not sane and sometimes it is, here's some songs that you might like but you also might hate. Take as needed..."

As always, below are the individual tracks for you non-Spotify-ers

1. Colour Revolt - Mattress Underwater
2. The Jesus Lizard - Nub
3. Migos - T-Shirt
4. The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual
5. Autolux - Junk For Code
6. Slayer - Piece By Piece
7. George Harrison - Wah-Wah
8. Starflyer 59 - When I Learn To Sing
9. Discover America - There Is No Dana
10. Melvins - Honey Bucket
11. The Notorious B.I.G. - What's Beef
12. Blonde Redhead - Bipolar
13. Fugazi - Epic Problem
14. Sonic Youth - Schizophrenia
15. Craft - Earth A Raging Blaze
16. My Bloody Valentine - What You Want
17. The Cure - High
18. Hum - I Hate It Too

You can here Moxiebeat here. You can hear New Ruin here. You can hear SHUT EYE here.

Photo by Wayne Ballard.

CD-R #5: Erica Shultz (VRIL)

On this St. Valentine's Day, CD-R #5 is curated by friend Erica Shultz who is the vocalist for the Southern California band VRIL. I played with VRIL a handful of times with what seemed like a different lineup every show. VRIL had a very intense delivery every show, but for whatever reason they didn't land with me the first few times I saw them. The energy was there, but it was a bit of a shotgun blast, hitting me in different degrees throughout their set. It wasn't until they locked in the lineup after Erica took over vocals and Daniel Torres on bass that the shotgun blast turned into a megaton shotblast with blunt force, almost like walking into a snowstorm of volume and distortion. Erica's vocals finally brought this band together, cutting through the loudness of the instruments with a laser-beam consistency, really making the band that much more intense and ferocious. The first time I talked to Erica was after one of VRIL's sets, and we conversed about the weird world of graphic design jobs and related on being in the corporate realm by day and screaming your head off in the sweaty DIY spaces by night. It was nice to meet someone who was also trying to find the balance of "career life" and being a member of the creative world of punk/DIY ethos, music, and art. It's a weird place to be, but it's reassuring to know others who have a foot in both worlds, trying to figure it out as well. I'm grateful for Erica also fighting through the ongoing issue of punk and hardcore being an unofficial boys club. Her vocals and performance honestly is better than 75% of most punk/hardcore vocalists I see these days, and you can tell this isn't a half-assed passion for her. Singing for a band like VRIL takes a lot out of you physically and emotionally, but she has been consistently excellent every time I've seen them. Most dudes are dying halfway through. The world of DIY and punk belongs to anyone who is willing to be a constructive part of it, and I'm glad Erica and VRIL are bringing about a positive change from the mundane of a male-dominated realm. They are definitely one of the bands I miss seeing consistently in Southern California, and I do wish I had taken more time to hang out with Erica. I appreciate her honesty and sincerity in the few words she has provided with her CD-R, feeling like the music and passions she as an affinity for are either frivolous or were provided from a male influence:

"An anxiety sets in when I think about publicizing my music taste. Flashbacks of countless dudes belittling whatever I'm playing in my car or assuming it was introduced to me by a guy if it's remotely enjoyable. Although I haven't listened to many of these bands lately, they've helped shape how I currently think about and appreciate music. This playlist represents different moments in my life: coming up through the Sacramento/Bay Area hardcore scene, touring extensively with Broadway Calls, and wanting nothing more than to sing as passionately and loud as Bette Midler in my 5th grade musical theater group."

As always, the individual tracks are provided below:

1. Killing The Dream - Blame the Architects
2. Final Fight - Day 53
3. The Cardigans - Erase / Rewind
4. Dangers - The Tiki House
5. Gather - Crimson Dawn
6. Broadway Calls - Meet Me At Washington Park
7. 108 - Declarations On A Grave
8. Heavens To Betsy - Terrorist
9. Brand New - Seventy Times 7
10. Walls of Jericho - All Hail the Dead
11. Hole - Doll Parts
12. Look Back And Laugh - This Cost We Absorb
13. Joshua Fit For Battle - Sleepwalkers Guide
14. The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good
15. Unbroken - Absentee Debate
16. Giant - Stories
17. The Hope Conspiracy - Departed
18. Punch - No Such Thing As A Stupid Question
19. Dystopia - Father's Gun
20. The Evens - Shelter Two
21. Set It Straight - Hourglass
22. Bette Midler - Beast of Burden

Check out VRIL's EP "No Traditions" here.

Photo by Wayne Ballard.

CD-R #4: Jeremy Stith (Fury, Layman, Gem)

CD-R #4 is by good friend and fellow Yorba Linda native, Jeremy Stith. Jeremy went to high school with a circle of kids I got to know through my friends Madison and Jake Brown, but it was at a house show at Jake's house that I got introduced to Jeremy musically. It was his band Layman's first or second show, and they were just a two piece at the time with Jeremy on drums and Christopher Torres on guitar/vocals. They covered Brian Stew by Green Day, which normally was a big underground indie rock no-no, but the roughness of it was so endearing that I couldn't help but smile and bop my head along. Through out the years, Jeremy as a musician and as a person has been really good at catching people off-guard and tweaking the social rules in music scenes around Southern California. His band Fury has caught quite a bit of attention and respect in the hardcore scene over the past 3 or so years, but Jeremy has never really fit himself into the stencil of being a hardcore kid. He shows that through his antics on stage, his quiet and mellow demeanor, and through his musical taste. I have had the honor of sharing the stage with Layman many times, and I can full-heartedly say that they are one of my current bands. They have transformed from that rough two-piece playing in the Browns' living room into a ever-evolving foursome, complete with Janey and Max Riech. It's always a treat to see them because they are a prime example of a band that keeps getting better and better, and they just make me happy. Even the melancholy songs make my heart happy and hurt at the same time. One of the biggest reasons I had them be my wedding band (besides being a band of some of my greatest friends) is that I knew they would bring that happiness with them, and they did. Jeremy's mix is no different: from Orleans to One Last Wish, each track brings about a positive feeling in one way or another. In Jerm's own words:

"I didn't have any themes or goals for this group of songs and it isn't until this last minute before sending it to Garrett that I'm able to analyze and find some common thread (a lot of love songs...).
Really, these are just songs that I'll catch myself listening to on repeat for days and days. I would've included Thirteen by Big Star had Jeremy [Leasure of New Balance] not already had it in his list. I've been obsessed with the entire Subway (1985) original soundtrack and had I been given an unlimited amount of time, the mix probably would've just been that soundtrack. Music is really crazy."

As always, you can find links to the individual tracks below:

1. INXS - Don't Change
2. Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
3. Teenage Cool Kids - Landlocked State
4. Brian Eno - St. Elmo's Fire
5. Bruce Springsteen - I'm Goin' Down
6. U2 - "40"
7. One Last Wish - My Better Half
8. Éric Serra - Racked Animal
9. Orleans - Still The One
10. Alex G - Harvey
11. Superdrag - Feeling Like I Do
12. Wings - Silly Love Songs
13. The Delfonics - La-La Means I Love You
14. Sonny Rollins - Paradox
15. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
16. Guided By Voices - Chasing Heather Crazy
17. Éric Serra - Pretext
18. Firefall - You Are The Woman
19. Chairmen Of The Board - Give Me Just A Little More Time
20. Bauhaus - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
21. Arthur Simms & Éric Serra - It's Only Mystery

Listen to Fury's LP "Paramount" here. Listen to Layman's most recent EP "Blue Mind" here. Listen to Gem's debut 7" single "Sugar High/Spinner" here.

Photo by Kiabad Meza.

CD-R #3: Justin Conway (Merry Christmas, Tiny Lungs)

   

CD-R #3 has been provided by friend Justin Conway, who though I have only been around a few times in person, has always been a a favorite person of mine to spend time with. I feel if Justin and I would have met earlier on in our lives, we could have been better friends and probably would played music together in some sort of fashion. He and I did a similar thing of moving to a new place, away from our hometowns and our community of friends and family, and starting a "new life" in a place where you hardly know anyone. I feel some sort of comradery in that way. Though they dropped a show they were supposed to play with Fugue, his band Tiny Lungs was in a similar vein of idealism and emotion. Seeing Merry Christmas at the first year of the Lauren Records' curated Growing Up Is Dumb fest was one of my favorite performances that weekend, mostly because they played one of their longest songs in front of a giant American flag; it was meant to stick I suppose. "America" and "American" aren't the easiest words to give and receive these days, but in my own strange mind, Justin's music (both what he made and what I knew he was a fan of) reminds me of this sort of America that isn't what we see on the surface, but in the pockets of kids from suburban neighborhoods looking for something to keep them busy on a summer weeknight. I don't even know if Justin likes Bruce Springsteen, but when I finally started listing to Bruce Springsteen on my own accord, I thought to myself, "Justin would be proud".

In his own words: "Some of my closest friends in the world are very knowledgable music connoisseurs, I however am not. I barely even like music, but this is a collection of songs that made an impact on my life in some way or another. I honestly doubt anyone will enjoy it, but its definitely best experienced later in the evening after drinking 4 or 5 bourbons by yourself, right as you're about to open the living room window to smoke a cigarette, right before that moment where you start texting your friends how much you miss them, not realizing you've done this the past 3 days in a row."

Justin also included a track-by-track breakdown of what the songs mean to him. You can find that here. As always, here are the individual tracks below if Spotify aint your thing:


1. Lee Moses - Bad Girl
2. Novi Split - New Kids
3. Arthur Russell - I Couldn't Say It To Your Face
4. Guided By Voices - Club Molluska
5. No Win - Carbar
6. Big Star - Jesus Christ (Demo)
7. Jason Anderson - Christmas
8. Novi Split - Hollow Notes
9. Aislers Set - Chicago New York
10. Belle and Sebastian - Like Dylan in the Movies
11. Joyce Manor - Over Before It Began
12. Mo Troper - After The Movies
13. The Replacements - Here Comes A Regular
14. Tony Molina - No One Told He
15. Townes Van Zandt - Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel
16. Dear Nora - You Are 26
17. Bright Eyes - Going For The Gold
18. Bright Eyes - Feb. 15th
19. Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness
20. Merry Christmas - A Round for the Merchant Marines

CD-R #2: Omar Romero (Heritage Unit, Dream Caste, among others)

  

This CD-R was curated by friend Omar Romero, who I briefly shared the stage with in the band Dream Caste. Dream Caste was one of my favorite bands I've played in, and I wish I didn't take it for granted at the time. If there's one thing I've learned while being friends with Omar, it has been the level of appreciation and desire he has for the searching and hunting for music that is not easily found from the surface. Those who know him know of his fandom to real emo and real screamo throughout the ages, but in my eyes, the dedication he has to immersing into a genre and the community/history surrounding it in a way brings about this mantle of historian. He'll find a band, then he will break it down by the members of that band, search for other bands those members were in, investigate influences mentioned in interviews with said members, scour linear notes and thank you sections in 7" inserts for other bands and individuals; this research goes beyond the casual listener's process. This process is fed by the organic cycle of the music lifting up the participant, and then the participant lifting up the music for others to hear. It doesn't matter if you like the music or not; I just think it's important to take notice of songs and bands helping and boosting someone up through the bright and the dark times. In Omar's own words:

"I made mix CDs for myself when I was younger to keep me company. I used them to help me ride my Huffy around the gated complex in Garden Grove because the gates were my boundaries and the only way to dissolve them was with music. I listened to them whenever I could because I had to distract myself from feeling ignored. I shared them with people so the songs would transform in ways that could not be done so on my own. I burned these CDs because I wanted to cover up the memories that tainted the songs I used to love with memories I wanted to keep. These are songs that bend time. They are to suspend you. The flowers outside stop aging, the milk stops curdling, sulfur compounds keep their distance, adhesives keep their hold, and every scent you pass by pulses at your senses more starkly than before. These are the songs that carry me through time."

Above is a YouTube playlist of the tracks, and below is a track-by-track breakdown, including a song by Pines that isn't on YouTube.

1. Kickball - Skinny Dipping (ABCDEFGHIJKickball)

2. Pines - Maybe If You Get A Tattoo You’ll Remember (Pines)

3. 1994! - Thank All You Guy Helpening (Fckyrhed)

4. Sleepytime Trio - 30 Equals (Plus 6000)

5. Bucket Full of Teeth - Capital Distracts and Imprisons (IV)

6. Daniel Striped Tiger - Nonstop (Teenage Cool Kids/Daniel Striped Tiger)

7. Regulator Watts - Eleven (the Aesthetics of No-Drag)

8. Ugly Lovers - Sister (Drought)

9. Boilermaker - Breach (In Wallace’s Shadow)

10. Boys Life - Calendar Year (Departures and Landfalls)

11. Akron/Family - Lumen (Akron/Family)

12. Arthur Russell - Lucky Cloud (World of Echo)

13. Hop Along, Queen Ansleis - Workers (Freshman Year)

14. Sound Providers - Braggin and Boasting ft. Little Brother (An Evening with the Sound Providers)

15. the Replacements - Androgynous (Let it Be)

16. Stina Nordenstam - the Man with the Gun (Dynamite)

17. Stephen Steinbrink - Call You Later (Condensed Nothing)

18. Abner Jay - I’m So Depressed (Terrible Comedy Blues)

19. Abilene - the Bombardier (Abilene)

20. Mt. Gigantic - a Bee (Gleanings and Gatherings)

21. 7 Year Rabbit Cycle - Skin of Ash (Wind Machine)

22. yyu - You Care (You Care)

For extra listening, check out Omar's growing YouTube playlist documentation of music within and connected to the genre of real emo.

Also, here is Everything Made Obsolete by Heritage Unit and A Calmer Room by Dream Caste

CD-R #1: Jeremy Leasure & Brittany Beppu (New Balance)

Might as well start off the first CD-R with longtime friend Jeremy and his main squeeze and other half of New Balance, Brittany. Compiling their songs in a collaborative effort, many of the artists have been influencial in the creation of New Balance's debut EP, Thoughts of Future Hindsight, and on the forthcoming full-length. In their own words: 

"We wanted to have subject matter that people could connect to on a very basic human level. Whether that is the way Alex Chilton speaks so sweetly about young love in Thirteen or Audrey Hepburn really displays the longing found in the lyrics to Moon River. In a time when so much chaos surrounds us, it is good to be reminded of some of the basic traits that we all share. Love, in all it's complexities, most prominently. Hopefully there are themes throughout these songs that help in some way or another." 

Here are the individual tracks, if Spotify ain't your thing:

1. Audrey Hepburn - Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany's)

2. The Velvet Underground - I Found A Reason (Loaded)

3. Bifrost Arts - Bonhoeffer's Prayer, feat. Molly Parden (He Will Not Cry Out: Anthology of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Vol. 2)

4. The Weather Station - Know It To See It (All Of It Was Mine)

5. Townes Van Zandt - Be Here to Love Me (Our Mother The Mountain)

6. Joni Mitchell - California (Blue)

7. Laura Marling - I Was An Eagle (Once I Was An Eagle)

8. Chet Baker - I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes) (Let's Get Lost: The Best Of Chet Baker Sings)

9. Santo & Johnny - Sleep Walk (Santo & Johnny)

10. Dirty Projectors - Impregnable Question (Swing Lo Magellan)

11. Judy Garland - The Boy Next Door, "Meet Me In St. Lous" (The Complete Decca Masters)

12. Cab Calloway - St. James Infirmary (Jukebox Hits 1930 - 1950)

13. Paul Simon - She Moves On (The Rhythm of The Saints)

14. Ella Fitzgerald - Angel Eyes (In Person)

15. Big Star - Thirteen (#1 Record)

16. Scott Walker - Duchess (Scott 4)

17. My Brightest Diamond - I Have Never Loved Someone (All Things Will Unwind)

Click here to listen to New Balance's debut EP, Thoughts of Future Hindsight