Thank You Nike, Katherine and my Fairy Godmother of Good Luck.

Air Oregon

"Cannon Beach, OR" from my Team Fretz 2011 Holiday Mix

The original title of this playlist was "Audrey & Trent". I guess I had them in mind when I selected the content. I chose them because I wanted more freedom with the music I put on it, I imagined them when I listened initially to its songs. Also, I wanted to allow for questionable content and the swears. They made a good target audience. Here is the list of songs, artists and albums:

1) "Comfy in Nautica" by Panda Bear from Person Pitch 
2) "Ring the Bell" by YACHT from See Mystery Lights 
3) "Psychic City" by YACHT from See Mystery Lights 
4) "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by Discovery from LP 
5) "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Starfucker from Jupiter 
6) "Mahalo" by Ratatat from LP4 
7) "Pursuit of Happiness" by KiD CuDi from Man on the Moon 
8) "Walk in the Park" by Beach House from Teen Dream 
9) "Laura" by Girls from Album 
10) "Weird Feelings" by Male Bonding from Nothing Hurts 
11) "Swim" by Surfer Blood from Astrocoast 
12) "Nuthing But a Journal Thang" Hood Internet 
13) "Sorrow" by The National from High Violet 
14) "Untitled 3" by Panda Bear from Young Prayer 
15) "Haikuesque" by Bibio from Ambivalence Avenue 
16) "Devil in a New Dress" by Kanye West 
17) "Ready, Able" from Grizzly Bear

So it goes a little something like this. We fade into Comfy in Nautica. Panda Bear is dreamy and distant. The lyrics have a good morning optimism which makes it a true intro song. Roughly goes, You tried to remember always, to have a good time, then fades into "good time". Sounds also a throw-back to the Beach Boys. 

"Shut up boy and be a soldier" I find this line helpful when I'm just first getting into a run. A sort of "suck it up" anthem, the steady beat makes for a healthy jogging speed. 

"Goodness is having courage"

"Winning is what you want to"

I saw Panda Bear this year. He opened MFNW. They had great equipment, effects, and sound.  Video projections illustrated the soundscapes he filled into McMenamins' Crystal Ballroom. A great start. 

"You tried to remember always, just to have a good time", again fade to "good time". I like this lyric for Katherine, she does that. 

A lucky soundscape transitions with heavy foreboding waves that fades in from the background. This next song is sort of political. This printing went out to a lot of my family, the mormon siblings that I felt comfortable could handle it. "Ring the Bell" by Yacht basically goes on to explain that there is no Heaven or Hell. "It's my understanding that neither are real". It's a really F.King great song though. Gets into a great dance trance, fun, & bouncy grove. Cheering you up despite the bad news. Live for today people. 

"I grew up with fear in my heart" The God story is eternally interesting isn't it?

"Huh!"

Another great song from Yacht, song pairs by band are an important ingredient in a proper mix, I feel. I think that "Physic City" is a song with a story. The singer is going threw her life, verses of being a child, playing with friends, verses of becoming independent, optimistic in love. It's a fun one to sing people, so let it out. Get into the choir. 

Those who hang out near my ears often enough know that I love a good electronic synth that hits hard on its beats. This whole album from Discovery is well constructed, heart-felt, and fun. I get a lot of mileage out of it. “I wanna be your boyfriend” vs “I wanna boyfriend”. The lyrics have this great a-sexual plea for affection and company, heart on its sleeve.  Shows ya’ll how sappy I truly am.  

“Girl Just Want to Have Fun” This next one belongs on Audrey & Trent cause the name of this local Portland band is “Starfucker”. How do you take this band home to meet your mother? This Cindi Lauper song makes for great karaoke BTW. Great backgrounds from singer guest, Angel Deradoorian, so props. It’s just a fun poppy hit, keeps me pushing myself on a jog, good steady 4/4.

"Mahalo" by Ratatat (an all-time favorite band, classic), from their new album LP4. This Brooklyn pair/trio, often plays to the tempo of my mind. It’s ethereal and soothing. A short song without lyrics is a great break and helps transition to new sound.

“The Pursuit of Happiness” Fade, slow, long screeching synth, Kid CuDi gives his shout-out to Ratatat and brings us to his story. Chilled and confidant, I love this song; I was obsessed when I first heard it. I blogged about it even. The songs says a lot: it is so irresponsible, of a need to party for escape, living life to the fullest, being in the moment. But at what cost?

“People told me slow my roll I'm screaming out fuck that

Imma do just what I want lookin’ ahead no turnin’ back”

Pretty defiant, I like the feeling captured here, responding rebelliously. The chorus is great too. “I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold, I'll be fine once I get it, I'll be good”

There’s a duality that he talks about, the rational to living this way. It justifies itself. He talks about the terrors, the costs of living at that speed, that much experience. “You don’t really care about the trails of tomorrow, rather lay awake in a bed full of sorrow”, so hung over! The ends justify, “I’ll be fine once I get it, I’ll be good”

And then Mike Stroud wails out all slow with that absolutely sick guitar solo, holding his restraint with perfect execution, dynamic playing. This song will get in your head tho, so be careful. A good anthem for my peers and me.

Don’t you just love the recording of CuDi's near crash out in a bathroom, why did I… so much… ahhhh! Justice. Glamour.

“Walk in the Park” I wanted to cheer things back up with Beach House; a feel good go-to for me and Katherine. Victoria Legrand's vocals are so good, her range is great. She croons from this misty distance. She picks up her pace, her breathing, getting louder. Tells a story of a relationship. “More, you want more, you tell me more, only time could love you more” Patience in love, perspective and pacing.

 “Laura” by Girls out of San Francisco. These guys have some great show videos online, a sunny rooftop performance. This song is about friendship and really does make me think of my own sister, Laura Fretz Streeter. LoFi background choir closes out the singer, setting us up really well for the next song, the clear guitar scales down, lets us off right into the well needed bass intro of "Weird Feelings"

In great company, I saw Male Bonding for free thru Nike’s Sneak and Destroy shows at the Wonder Ballroom during MFNW. Also there that night? Surfer Blood. These two rock jams got me through '10 summer, great drumming. They remind me of the music I listened to in High School, shout out to you Johnny. Punk and epic indie. 

"Lucid afternoon dream
Cosmopolitan scene.
Look at what's in store for me.
Heads will turn in disbelief"

"Swim" has these great moments of endurance, simple licks held out long, "Swim to reach the end" lasts to a scream for that final push. This summer was great, this pair remind of that. We fall into this soundscape to feedback then...

Ahhrg! More synth and dance beat education to snap out of the sunny fade of Surfer Blood. We've now got the genius producing of Mark Richardson schooling us. He works with the ever classy, Class Actress; it sets up the rapping prowess of Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg perfectly, Death Row baby! Good rap gots ta represent on a full well rounded mix. Enjoy the groove. Such a good ride. This track is a remix by Hood Internet, I think. I found it for free on SoundCloud.com, be responsible ya'll.  

Heart feeling heavy ever? Need a good cry? Listen to this zenith of summer melody called "Sorrow". The National, played at '10 MFNW. The gentle bedroom voice of singer Matt Berninger cries over the end of some lover, obsessive love in grief. Good stuff. 

Their MFNW show was held on Sunday at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland. I was broke this summer and made a pack with myself to see as many shows as I could with the least amount of money. I stood on the wall of a jewelry store leaning up against one of its windows with my neighbor, Kandis. I watched over temporary fencing and the largest crowd I'd seen that weekend. It was the closing act of the festival. I could see the musicians just barely, I had a good view of their canopy equipment and it made for a great light-show. The sound reacted well against the buildings surrounding the square. I ended that amazing, fun and musical weekend having spent less than $70, and that included my libations. Lucky with a plan.  

Panda Bear again represents with a simple, cheery melody that help wipe tears if Berninger really got to you. 

"Haikuesque" by producer Bibio. I have a lot of respect for this guy, his album is really dynamic, it's a great mix of different styles and tempo. I ran a lot to his music. This song cools you off all sweet and dreamy, and acts as a kind of last song of the traditional album. A sort of scary soundscape echoes voices, speaking in of church, bells fade in, usher completion. 

Then silence, a nice place to switch off if you don't want to get seduced by the dirty mouth of Kayne West. "Devil In A New Dress" This album is so incredible. Please look up the half hour movie he made. The entire project is well received, huge, honest about failures and ego. It's also exactly as advertised: a dark, twisted fantasy. The album came to the scene late, but it was so loud. I didn't need that much time to know it deserved its place at the end of my year. Anger and determination my friends, failure makes you stronger. Then it cuts out mid groove, which is no way to kick a cd out of your stereo.

So I thought, what feeling should be last? Gotta pick that groove back up, good drums right away. Harps string a Hope with the unique breathy vocals from Grizzly Bear.  Audrey introduced this album into my life. I'd heard a bit about them and a few of their songs before she emailed Veckatimest to me, but this blew me away and galvanized my summer. Department of Eagles, another of their projects, was a great listen for summer '09. Thanks Luke.

"Ready Able" Surely we'll be alright, for what's coming next, for the new year, people I know. That's all of you who own a copy of this. I miss you, you are on my mind. I think of so much, so often, of all of you. 

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