The SBC Community Mixtape #10

[HawkbitAlpha]

Now that Winter Wrap-Up is behind is, and spring is officially here to stay in the States, it's time to start planting the seeds of the next SBC Community Mixtape, y'all! As you know, this is the series of threads where we all get together to throw our own ingredients into a musical blender. Think of it like making Pokeblocks, but a lot noisier. I hope you're prepared to tap into your inner Vivaldi this time, as our theme is:

THE FOUR SEASONS

Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Only the Avatar, master of all four sea-- wait, what am I writing? [cough] Anyway! I brought up Vivaldi to reference (what else but) his most famous work: the Four Seasons suite, which perfectly represents what we're going for this time. Do you have any songs in mind that relate to the weather, and/or the times of year with which it comes? Or maybe you just want to reminisce about all of the smooth jazz you've heard from watching the Weather Channel's Local on the 8s? Either way, that's what we want this time. Make it rain... or snow... or burn... one of those!

As always, the rules:

• Length limits per person: you have a total of 30 minutes worth of music to play with. (This site is great for calculating the times.)
• Try to post your submissions using a Spotify playlist. If this is not possible for you, at least make sure that all of your submissions are available on Spotify.
• Joke/troll entries can and most likely will be excluded.
• No repeat entries (can't submit the same thing as somebody else).
• Most of all: have fun with it!

Tentative deadline for submissions is next Saturday, April 29th. Until then, I'm going back to eyeballing my local weather radar map - you can never be too safe!

[Jjs Goodman]

 

[Steel Sponge]

 

[SBManiac]

Spoiler

1. “Rainy Day” - Coldplay

Recorded during the sessions for Viva la Vida (arguably Coldplay’s best album), this upbeat pop number represents spring for me due to its lyrical focus on, well, rainy days, represented well by the watery flange on Chris Martin’s vocals on the song’s verses and bridge. The playful keyboard melodies, funky guitar riffs, and warm strings evoke an invigorating walk on a brisk spring day, rainy or otherwise.

2. “This Life” - Vampire Weekend

This Vampire Weekend song admittedly reminds me of both spring and summer due to me playing it on repeat when I was vacationing in the Dominican Republic, a country well-known for its tropical climate, with my family back in May 2019. While the song is mostly about the complexities of romance, there is mention of nature and weather in the lyrics (rain, sand/shores, trees/forest), as well as an exclamation referencing a religious figure associated with rebirth and renewal, much like the season of spring (“Oh, Christ!”). Even if that sounds like a stretch, the chipper guitars, rubbery bass line, and sweet backing vocals from Danielle Haim make me want to frolic in a field of sunflowers!

3. “Deadbeat Summer” - Neon Indian

And now for something more laid-back and chill for our first true summer pick! For some reason, I get serious Regular Show/Steven Universe vibes from this Neon Indian track: just hanging out with your homies, wasting the humid days away playing Mario Kart together with the A/C blasting on the one hand; and riding your bike or rollerblading on the boardwalk to get some fried desserts (funnel cake, anyone?) and a milkshake on the other. The woozy sample of Todd Rundgren’s “Izzat Love?” making the backbone of the song, the cheerful whistling of the lead synths in the chorus, and Alan Palomo’s “slacker-fuzz” guitar playing throughout make for an impeccable summer vibe. Sorry Prez, but “Heat Waves” has got nothing on this!

4. “Surf Wax America” - Weezer

This Beach Boys-inspired rocker has always been a highlight for me on the band’s much-beloved Blue Album. The song’s topic, going out to the beach and catching some tasty waves, definitely matches what I think of summer, even if I’ve never actually gone surfing in the 20-odd years I’ve lived in a beach town. It’s just a really fun track with a monster hook, and sometimes that’s all you need.

5. “Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy” - Fall Out Boy

Picking songs for the fall, or autumn, season was certainly difficult as I’m not super sure what exactly makes for an “autumnal” vibe for a song, but I hope this and my next pick will suffice.

Excluding the titular pun of the phrase “grand theft auto” from police jargon, the autumnal vibe I get from this pop-punk classic (the song is 20 years old this year, I think the word “classic” should fit it by now) is some scrawny Hot Topic kid feeling super jealous of his high school’s star quarterback for going with the cheerleader he asked out to the freshman homecoming dance (who obviously rejected him) and is angrily scribbling down his frustrations in his journal in the most petty and angst-ridden way possible. (To be fair, I recently spent around $200 on Hot Topic merch, so I’m also taking shots at myself here.) Then again, what more could you expect, or want, from a band who on the first song off this album sang “Stop burning bridges and drive off of them?” It’s goofy and adolescent, which is exactly how I like my pop-punk.

6. “No One Knows My Plan” - They Might Be Giants

Y’all knew my boys in TMBG were gonna make it on one of these playlists sooner or later, and I’m happy to announce that this bop from their 1994 album John Henry is up to the task! Sure, there is the explicit mention of “burning autumn leaves” in the lyrics, but there’s also the scholarly reference to the Allegory of the Cave by Plato, “the Greek guy,” as well as the narrator of the song most likely being a serial killer or some other kind of deranged criminal. In other words, this song reminds me of fall because I’ve been going to school long enough to associate anything academic with that time of year in the case of the reference to Plato, while the subject of the song wouldn’t too be out of place as the villain in a low-budget horror movie/“true crime” drama that would be shown on TV around Halloween. The blistering guitar solo by Robert Quine in the bridge also brings to mind jumping in bunches of freshly fallen leaves, only to light them all on fire when you’re done.

7. “Sketch for Winter” - The Durutti Column

This brief, reverb-drenched instrumental by guitarist Vini Reilly, aka the mastermind behind post-punk outfit The Durutti Column, brings to mind bare trees, frozen lakes, and early winter sunsets. Very contemplative, making you reflect on the passing of time in just about two and a half minutes. Simple, yet quite effective. Also makes for great studying music.

8. “Stephanie Says” - The Velvet Underground

An outtake from the Velvets’ second album White Light/White Heat, this melancholic gem reflects the frigid bitterness of winter through its subject, the lonely and isolated Stephanie. With twinkling keyboards, weeping strings, and gentle guitar picking, the band creates a poignant portrait of someone who feels used and unappreciated by those around her—even if it’s “all in her mind”—perhaps to the point of being suicidal (“She’s not afraid to die…”). The song reminds me of a snow-covered Central Park during a blizzard, people shuffling about lonely and lost (much like a similar song by the Velvets, “Sunday Morning”), with more than a touch of seasonal depression. “It’s so cold in Alaska,” indeed.

So here's my entry for this mixtape! The descriptions I have for each track are getting kind of long now, so they're in the spoiler tag above if anyone is interested in reading them.

TL;DR: I decided to go for a "four seasons" angle instead of focusing exclusively on weather. Tracks 1 and 2 are spring; 3 and 4 are summer; 5 and 6 are fall/autumn; and 7 and 8 are winter. Link to my playlist is below:

 

[HawkbitAlpha]

Since I completely forgot to post reminders of when this was closing, I'm extending the submissions deadline to this Saturday, the 6th.

[HawkbitAlpha]

Boop.