Summertime Blues

And so it's the end of the Summer. No more holidays for the forseeable future. Your close friends are either overseas or in the process of emigrating. The days are getting shorter. The last festival has come and gone. You start smoking again. You've been biting you lip behind the watercooler and it's all you can do to stop yourself from breaking down at your computer. Is there any way out of this woeful slump?

No, not really. These statements are all bold faced facts and you're just going to have to lump it. Honestly I don't think I can be of any real help at all here. But I can tell you that I am in excellent form at the moment and it is largely to do with the selection of songs I've been listening to. I know from experience that a lovely mix of cheerful summer pop balladry, mournful classics, exotic film scores and nostalgic teenage favourites is a useful companion during the summertime skids. And so I've compiled a list that fulfils all those criteria.

The first song is taken from a Won Kar Wei film called In the Mood for Love - perfect viewing for our purposes. I was so taken by it when I first saw the film that I was compelled to throw my arms around the telly and lick the screen. It's not a pleasant taste - telly - but the memory of the experience has kept me from indulging in spontaneous acts of despair since.

I've also included some uplifting summer hits by TV on the Radio, Toots & The Maytals, Sparks and a new breezy pop ballad from Yo La Tengo's new album - all are assured to reset the balance. There are some old friends in Ash and They Might be Giants to help out as well. And in the end, if you are still not satisfied, take solace in the fact that your life is nowhere near as tragic as Patsy Cline's. Just listen to her sing. Your life's not that bad is it?

As usual the songs are available in cybersist, username (clickerconspiracy) and password (mixtape) remain the same. The songs are in the files section. It was nice to hear that people enjoyed the Lost Highway tape. I'll leave it up there for another while in any case. Here is the new playlist:

1. Hua Yang De Nian Hua - Zhou Xuan
2. La Ballade de Melody Nelson - Serge Gainsbourg
3. Pocketful of Money - Jens Lekman
4. (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country - Sparks
5. Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
6. Sweet and Dandy - Toots & The Maytals
7. Beenbag Chair - Yo La Tengo
8. Wolf Like Me - TV on the Radio
9. Gone the Dream - Ash
10. Cucurrucucu Paloma - Caetano Veloso
11. Cold Wind - Arcade Fire
12. Sleep Walk - Ritchie Valens
13. Galbraith Street - Ron Sexsmith
14. You Belong to Me - Patsy Cline