So as many of you may remember from the last time I posted one of these, with each school year and summer, I create what is essentially “soundtrack” for that time.

How these playlists come to be:

I don’t make them all at once. I let them come together over the span of time.

Songs on here are reflective of how I was feeling at a particular time. Some are random songs that came up on shuffle that felt right for the time and the mood I was in. Some were my soundtracks to a long walk. Some were just playing in the background of a really memorable night or experience.

This list IS NOT supposed to flow like a good mixtape or anything, the artists are not supposed to work together, it’s just the songs that made up my semester.

Regardless of all their origins, I can tell you a story behind each and every one of these, the songs that defined my semester. It’s 36 songs, and it’s only half the year.

Enjoy.

1. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - THE BEATLES

http://tinysong.com/6IVU

2. HERE COMES MY BABY - YO LA TENGO

http://tinysong.com/a0Io

3. AVALON OR SOMEONE VERY SIMILAR - YO LA TENGO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNhW7pqCJY8

4. DON’T YOU EVAH - SPOON

http://tinysong.com/78WI

5. TRUTH SERUM - SMOG

http://tinysong.com/8XFT

6. SHADOWS - YO LA TENGO

http://tinysong.com/3vtr

7. BOOKENDS - SIMON & GARFUNKEL

http://tinysong.com/7J77

8. YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND - YO LA TENGO

unavailable - bonus track on their new album, cover of James Taylor song

9. THERE GOES THE FEAR - DOVES

http://tinysong.com/7RgP

10. VITO’S ORDINATION SONG - SUFJAN STEVENS

http://tinysong.com/6Nv0

11. 1901 - PHOENIX

http://tinysong.com/aCVc

12. AFTER HOURS - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

http://tinysong.com/6TuA

13. ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’VE DONE - THE KILLERS

http://tinysong.com/6Ogl

14. PEER PRESSURE - JON BRION

http://tinysong.com/bNAx

15. STAY (WASTING TIME) - DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

http://tinysong.com/cyOu

16. WAKE UP - THE ARCADE FIRE

http://tinysong.com/6RzI

17. FIRST DAY OF MY LIFE - BRIGHT EYES

http://tinysong.com/6Nup

18. LAND LOCKED BLUES - BRIGHT EYES

http://tinysong.com/9Tmn

19. ABEL - THE NATIONAL

http://tinysong.com/jRm

20. SKINNY LOVE - BON IVER

http://tinysong.com/cxHy

21. AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID - WILCO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeSbvDh5buw

22. EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST - COLDPLAY

http://tinysong.com/6U2b

23. A BEAUTIFUL MESS - JASON MRAZ

http://tinysong.com/bz2a

24. YOUR EX-LOVER IS DEAD - STARS

http://tinysong.com/7nsW

25. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM - RADIOHEAD

http://tinysong.com/7ta8

26. OPTIMISTIC - RADIOHEAD

http://tinysong.com/3f3H

27. YOUR HAND IN MINE - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

http://tinysong.com/8crF

28. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH - THE ROLLING STONES

http://tinysong.com/7gBq

29. HEARTBEATS - JOSE GONZALES

http://tinysong.com/elV

30. BLUE SKIES - NOAH AND THE WHALE

http://tinysong.com/bk8h

31. BLACK LIKE ME - SPOON

http://tinysong.com/78WL

32. PACKT LIKE SARDINES IN A CRUSHED TIN BOX - RADIOHEAD

http://tinysong.com/7Von

33. FALLING SLOWLY - GLEN HANSARD AND MARKETA IRGLOVA

http://tinysong.com/7TQN

34. TWIST AND SHOUT - THE BEATLES

http://tinysong.com/caLI

35. A PUNCHUP AT A WEDDING - RADIOHEAD

http://tinysong.com/a4Tk

36. BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE - DEAN MARTIN

http://tinysong.com/8toM

I actually got a lot of friends interested in some bands with the last summer playlist, so if there’s anything on here you’ve liked, please let me know!

album cover design: me

photo credit: Kevin Cochran

I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the next semester and all that it brings.