It confirmed my mantra that Patrick Warburton should be in everything.

Heh. When I met Jennifer Tilley the only celebrity I grilled her about was Patrick Warburton. Woody Allen? Whatever, tell me about working with Warburton.

Have you seen The Woman Chaser with him? Based on a Charles Willeford novel. Half serious, half completely not. But in an interesting balance.

Have you seen The Woman Chaser with him?

He's a much funnier interpretive dancer than John Malkovich. And he was about the only good thing about Newsradio season 5. Except of course for, "Are you Doobie Keebler?"

Okay, so clearly when I said I'd put up my songs yesterday, what I meant was that I'd completely forget and not get them up until tonight. Anyway, I'm in the process of sending them off now. In the meantime, here be liner notes!

1. The first song you'd put on a mix tape for somebody you were attracted to AND 5. Makes you want to get high, drunk, or, if it's your druthers, dizzy & giddy from spinning around in circles

"We Both Go Down Together", The Decemberists. What's more romantic than a murder-suicide? I mean, this song is almost transcendent in its atmosphere of creepiness and doomed love. Plus, the violins! It never fails to get my heart racing.

2. A song that makes you think of BTVS that was never used on the show AND 16. Midnight driving in the rain music

"Memento Mori", Everybody Loves Irene. This could work for either the Buffy/Angel or the Buffy/Spike relationship; maybe it's best suited for the depression arc of Season 6? And it's perfect moody midnight music, as long as you don't drive off the road while listening to it.

3. Cross-genre cover song (such as a soul musician covering a country song)

"Pretty Woman", from Kal Ho Naa Ho. I kind of hate the Rod Stewart song, but this version is surprisingly fun.

4. Quotes another song, either in the music or words – bonus points if by the same artist

"As I Live and Breathe", me. I wrote this in high school, and the recording is from around the same time. It's the only song I ever wrote that I can still stand to listen to. It's about a boy I had a crush on, who died of cancer in my senior year. He played the guitar and really liked the Beatles; I remember he performed "Hide Your Love Away" for the talent show one year.

6. Features a great bridge

"Bridge of Sighs", Yao Su-Yong. This is from a lucky find, a CD titled Asian Takeaways that I found for $1 and couldn't pass up. It turned out to be full of songs like this one, pretty and appealingly retro without being too kitschy, with varying degrees of Western influence. This song is from Malaysia, but the CD also has songs from Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

7. A song released the year you turned 21 (you didn't have to know about it then)

"Children, Children", from Bat Boy. Bat Boy is by far my favorite musical of recent years. This song is sung by a Pan-like figure whose purpose in the show is to encourage our Young Lovers, and all the animals of the forest/jungle/savannah/whatever (there are giraffes, and lions, and whatnot) to Get It On. ...Come to think of it, this would work well for #1 too.

8. A song dedicated to your nemesis (or who you imagine your nemesis to be) AND 25. A song that you would sing to yourself if you were ever in a dire situation and needed it to keep going

"No Children", The Mountain Goats. I hope I never have a nemesis I hate enough to warrant singing them this song. However, it's perfect for a dire situation; it's got bucketloads of anger, bitterness, and vitriol, in one catchy, melodic package.

9. A song about committing a crime

"The Sanguinary Butcher", The Love Hall Tryst. The Love Hall Tryst is comprised of John Wesley Harding, Brian Lohmann, Nora O'Connor, and Kelly Hogan (about whom more later); their album Songs of Misfortune features lots of songs about crimes, the bloodier the better. Some are traditional British folk songs, and some are originals by Harding. This one is an original, based on a real murder that occurred in 1742.

10. A song from a tribute or charity album

"Tape Deck In His Tractor", Dottie Cormier. From the tribute album to Nashville that came out a few years ago on Mint Records, put together by Carolyn Mark (who sometimes sings with Neko Case as the Corn Sisters). It's got contributions from Neko Case and Kelly Hogan as well as people I'd never heard of before, like Dottie Cormier, nearly all of which are excellent. HIGHLY recommended.

11. (continued...)

( continues...) A song with a year in the title

"Disco 2000", Pulp. Not actually a disco song. This one reminds me of the scene from Wet Hot American Summer where they're talking about meeting up again ten years later ("What time should we meet?" "In ten years?").

12. A song about traveling

"The Next Best Western", Richard Shindell. To me, this is the quintessential American road song (okay, along with Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer's "Highway 80 (She's A Mighty Good Road"). Richard Shindell (actually, much like Dave & Tracy) has a knack for writing songs about religion that few others can touch; it's some admixture of subtlety, respect, intellect, humanism, faith, and lyrical talent.

13. A song that does not feature a guitar or a piano as the main instrument AND 20. A song with a chorus that compels you to sing along or that you cannot not dance to

"Kiss Me Like You Mean It", The Magnetic Fields. This is probably my favorite song to sing in the shower, ever. Also, there really aren't nearly enough songs featuring mandolins in my life.

14. A song by a band that you could have, but didn't, write about for Lost in The Grooves AND 23. A song you sing (or would sing) to your pet and/or child

"Sugarbowl", Kelly Hogan. Her labelmate Neko Case gets all the press, but in some ways I prefer Kelly Hogan. She's less showy than Neko, more honest. I just wish she were more prolific. I sing this song to my cat all the time, although he's neither particularly sweet nor much of a lady. But somehow, it just fits him. Sugarbowl!

15. An upbeat song about a sad thing

"Band of Gold", Freda Payne. I became mildly obsessed with this song last fall, for no discernable reason other than that it rocks. It works well as a counterpoint to "No Children".

17. More cowbell: A song containing that essential instrument

"It's So Easy", Linda Ronstadt. I first heard this on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, and now I hear it (and "Band of Gold", actually) at work ALL THE TIME. A useful skill when working in retail is the ability to gauge whether or not the customer will appreciate you busting out with "It's so easy to fall in love!" in the middle of your transaction.

18. A song that reminds you of your first love

"You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3", Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I recently got into swing dancing (so much fun!) and realized I had very little Actual Swing Music, so I went out and got this album, one of the classics of the '90s swing revival. Listening to it, I was transported back to the summer before I left for college, when my boyfriend really loved this band, and we used to listen to it all the time. Whaddya mean it's last call?!

19. A song that references some kind of technology

"50 Special", Luna Pop. A love song to a Vespa! This was taken from a mix of Italian pop music that my friend gave me for my birthday, featuring such song titles as "Ci Vuole Un Fisico Bestiale" and "Dieci Ragazze Per Me", but "50 Special" is my favorite of the bunch.

21. A song that starts with a bassline

"Who Is He And What Is He To You", Me'Shell NdegeOcello. This slot pretty much had to go to Me'Shell NdegeOcello, one of the best bassists I know. Well, okay, I don't really know much about comparing bassists, but I do know that Me'Shell is phenomenally cool.

22. A song that relates to science

"Skullcrusher Mountain", Jonathan Coulton. I know a Buffista (maybe Betsy HP?) introduced me to Jonathan Coulton, so this seemed appropriate to include here. It is my very favorite mad scientist love song.

24. A song that haunts you

"Tony", Patty Griffin. I actually cried the first time I heard this song, and it can still suckerpunch me. Random fact: David Levithan's amazing and groundbreaking YA novel, Boy Meets Boy, was inspired by (and is dedicated to) the subject of this song. Probably most of you haven't heard of the book, but if you can get your hands (continued...)

( continues...) on it, you really should.

26. A song by a band with an awful name

"Sexual Telepathy", disappear fear. Hello to the dippy and overly-earnest (not to mention pretentiously-lower-cased) band name! But I kind of love this song.

27. A song that even when you know it's time to LEAVE the BAR someone can put on the jukebox to make you stay

"Proud", Heather Small. From the Queer as Folk Season 1 soundtrack. This song fills my heart to overflowing with joy. I can highly recommend turning it up in your car and singing along REALLY LOUD if you ever need to psych yourself up for something.

Calling all Erinaceouses!

Sparks have a new song called "Metaphor". You will love it. Someone saved me the trouble of posting a mp3: [link]

Chicks dig dig D-I-G dig dig metaphors!

Thanks for the link, Joe. Who knew Fagen would have such a similar imprinting experience with spy jazz and Peter Gunn?

Great set, Kate.

Heh. Everytime somebody posts their list my brain greedily (but stupidly) thinks, "Man! I really wish I could have that song! Oh. I can."

Every time someone posts their list my brain says, "I wonder if I could do this mix with children's songs exclusively?"

Except I *know* a lot more songs than I own. And one could get into a big argument over what constitutes a "children's song."

Every time someone posts their list my brain says, "I wonder if I could do this mix with children's songs exclusively?"

That would be really fun!

"I wonder if I could do this mix with children's songs exclusively?"

There are probably five songs on my soon to be uploaded mix that could arguably be called children's songs, so yeah.