Mixtapes and Fenix*TX

Recently I've had a thing for actually listening to the lyrics of songs because I was trying to make a mix tape for someone and I was following Rob Gordon's advice:

Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all you're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing... The making of a great compilation tape is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules.

So I saw High Fidelity years ago, but I have always kept that in mind when contemplating the making of mixtapes. So for this particular mix tape, I have some songs which, theoretically, mean something to the person I was making the mix tape for ( they mean something to me b/c of her). But I wanted some songs which she might not have heard but would like. I was trying to use Mixtape by Brand New because it's about making a mixtape. But I'm not bitter and it is so that was a no go. Then there was a song by Blink182 on Cheshire Cat that I thought conveyed my feelings well, but being Blink, it was way sketchy. I really liked Jude Law and a Semester Abroad too because she's going on study abroad next fall and the chorus is awesome, but once again I'm not bitter and the verses are pretty freaking bitter. So pretty much only the chorus works for me. Then I thought, maybe I'm being too cliched, putting a song called Mix Tape on a mix tape and another song about study abroad. I just started to think that the whole thing was a bit sketchy and that I needed some awesomely creative songs. And then, to complicate things, while I was making this mixtape, things changed between us, so now, I've got to rethink things.



So I've had the self titled Fenix*TX album for a while now. And while I like some of the songs on it... I could never get too enthused about it cause about halfway through it gets way wierd. It does remind me a lot of American Pie I think, but it's been a while since I've seen that, so I might be confused. A couple days ago I had the opportunity to 'acquire' Lechuza- their second album. And while I haven't been able to listen to the whole thing, but so far I've been way impressed. I liked the sound and I approved of the lyrics (at least what I heard-it has a parental advisory, but I didn't hear anything which would merit that, so, who knows). Anywho- I really identified with Tearjerker so check it out and holler back with your thoughts:

Picture's on the wall just waiting there to fall
Still remind me that painful holiday can almost hear you say
Please don't miss me too long
What did I do wrong
Could've sung a different song you were my tune
Make my heart believe a want is not a need
And I'm all right without you
The days go by the nights don't change
The stars still spell out your name
I will wait for you
The world has let me down
Is it you're just not around
I've lost my reason all the memories
Every smile you gave to me you can keep them
The days go by the nights don't change
The stars still spell out your name
I will wait for you
I will wait for you
I will wait for you
I will wait for you
I will wait for you
days go by
And still I will wait for you

So mostly, I really like lyrics for mix tapes when they don't say anything that I don't want them to say. I think this one does that. it says what I want it to without saying anything undesirable. That said, I really don't get the painful holiday line, but maybe I'm just being obtuse.