For those of you who don’t know, putting together a 2xCD Valentine’s Day mix is a bit of a tradition for me, and this year is no different…

“Love: Going around with a stomachache because somebody didn’t have the right expression on their face when you said goodnight to them.” - Mickey Rooney

For those of you who agree with the above statement by America’s Greatest Actor, I offer Bitter - fourteen songs about infidelity (#3), unrequited love (#2), break-ups (#5), love triangles (#9), missed connections, glum solitude (#13) and relationships that just aren’t any good (#1). Among the highlights: a fourteen year old Swedish girl moaning about an imbalanced relationship (#12), a Leader of the Pack ripoff that tops its inspiration for lurid melodramatic camp (#4), and a bunch of eight year old kids singing a Barry Manilow song (#7). Enjoy! Or don’t, you jerks.

Bitter:

1. Herbert - Something Isn’t Right
2. Madeline - I Left the Light On
3. Elvis Costello - High Fidelity
4. The Goodees - Condition Red
5. ABBA - Knowing Me Knowing You
6. Peanut - Thank Goodness for the Rain
7. The Langley Schools Music Project - Mandy
8. Georges Delerue - Catherine et Jim
9. Marissa Nadler - Famous Blue Raincoat
10. The Treble Boys - One Kiss
11. Mable John - Your Good Thing (Is About to End)
12. Amy Diamond - What’s In It For Me?
13. El Perro Del Mar - This Loneliness
14. Willie Nelson - Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground (live)

Bitter: http://www.myfiveyearplan.net/downloads/Bitter.zip

And for everyone else, I present Sweet, songs about love (#13), that special someone (#12), devotion (#10), marriage(#14), and all that mushy stuff. It’s not always romantic (again, #14), it’s not always tuneful (#2), but damn if its not heartfelt. Among the highlights: a song from High School Musical (#3), the horniest anthem of classic 70s power pop (#5), and a track produced by my hero, Brian Wilson (#11). And the second-best song of 2006 (#7, natch). You kids are gonna get a toothache from this mix.

Sweet:

1. Lesley Gore - Brink of Disaster
2. Vice Creams - Won’t You Be My Girl?
3. Troy and Gabriella (from High School Musical) - Breaking Free
4. The Shangri-Las - Give Him a Great Big Kiss
5. The Raspberries - Tonight
6. Escort - Starlight
7. Franz Ferdinand - L. Wells
8. Garth Brooks - Unanswered Prayers
9. Cuff Links - Tracy
10. Sally Shapiro - I’ll Be By Your Side (Rude 66 808 Remix)
11. American Spring - Fallin’ In Love
12. Mighty Sparrow - Dorothy
13. Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender
14. Drive-By Truckers - Marry Me

Sweet: http://www.myfiveyearplan.net/downloads/Sweet.zip

So choose your pick. Or pick both. They’re both great.

• BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
• « When a Clown Dies
• » Quick Updates…

• BROWSE / IN Music
• « Alice Coltrane (1937-2007)
• » Rock Show! Yay!