Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The mix CD

For the past four or five years, since the wondrous invention of iTunes, I have taken to giving my parents, in addition to their individual Christmas gifts, a mix CD. I usually plug some stuff on it I know they already like, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, that sort of thing. But the real purpose of the disk is to expose them to music I'm enjoying. I guess I have some strange hope that they'll fall in love with, say, Okkervil River.

It's a thin line to walk. I mean, I want them to listen to the CD and to like it, obviously, but I also want them to discover something new, something they won't hear on their "light and easy" radio stations. So I try to find stuff that works for them, songs that aren't too abrasive, that aren't too loud. Bouncy works. Peppy works. A slight country twang works. The trouble is figuring out what the limits are. For example, I really love the recent Portishead and Bloc Party albums, but there's absolutely no way I can see my folks giving them a chance. It just isn't their music (I learned this lesson a few years ago. I thought the introduction of the Danger Mouse/Jay-Z Gray Album, which used elements of The Beatles White Albumwould somehow make them look at rap differently. Needless to say, it didn't really work.).

I just have this vision that, one day, my Dad (his name is Jim) will be in his office, humming the tune of M.I.A's "Jimmy," which makes an appearance on this year's CD (I was going to add it to last year's, but, honestly, I thought he'd be too afraid of it). Or, that listening to some Carla Bruni will make my Mom more interested in rediscovering her French, a language she solely spoke until the age of three.

So far, I've had only minor success. My Mom really liked Kings of Convenience, which lead to her getting one of their albums. Outside of that, though, I think I've only gotten an "A" for effort.

But I keep plugging away. One day, another song will work, I can feel it. And then my parents will be the hippest 60-somethings in town.

Here's the line-up I'm playing with for this year:

Gobbledigook - Sigur Ros
Kim & Jessie - M83
Quelqu'un M'a Dit - Carla Bruni
Texas 71 - Magnolia Electric Co.
When Your Mind's Made Up - Glen Hansard
Crying - TV On The Radio
Jimmy - M.I.A.
Belles - The Gutter Twins
Pop Lie - Okkervil River
Room To Rock - Matthew Sweet
Afterglow (Of Your Love) - The Small Faces
Mansion On The Hill - Bruce Springsteen
Just Like A Woman - Bob Dylan
Down The Line - Jose Gonzalez
In Field & Town - Hayden
Made In The Dark - Hot Chip
I Shall Be Released - Wilco w/Fleet Foxes

1 comment:

Seannessy said...

ooooh! What a great idea! Maybe you can make me one too since nowadays my music listening consists of the typical gay scene pop and dance! I hardly listen to real music anymore and it's so sad!