flatlands: a dreamy driving mix

I made a mix, dudes and dudettes. I like it and I hope that you will like it too. It is a themed mix contingent (although not exclusively so) upon a time and a space. Drowsy summer nights driving around sleepy streets is the best time and space for this mix. Listen to "side A" while driving. "Side B" is for once you've arrived home and settled into bed listening to the rest of the mix upon your chosen listening device as you drift off to sleep.

I tried to pick songs with the beat of the road galluping beneath your tires, songs that had road-themed lyrics, songs that lulled you through a sleepless night into one of dreams. These are wistful songs that contain the kind of thoughts and emotions that only exist within those solo late-night drives. If you like the vibe of this mix, please follow it on Spotify and check out Chromatics' "Night Drive".

//  flatlands: a dreamy driving mix  //

SIDE A:
only shallow // my bloody valentine
flatlands // chelsea wolfe
where did you go // electric youth
road // nick drake
white pepper ice cream // cibo matto
protection // massive attack
sick // chelsea wolfe
listening wind // talking heads
blue // angie hart (not available on spotify mix)
roads // portishead

SIDE B:
dark star // beck
sleep // garbage
last night // lush
lament // darkher
into dust // mazzy star
lazy calm // cocteau twins
don't judge me // janelle monae
headphones // bjork
the sky is broken // moby

Chick Habit: a mix

"Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks."

This is a mix inspired by Beyonce's "Lemonade" album, one of the most moving and incredible pieces of visual art I've ever seen.

The official best audio version of this mix will be played on Friday (February 24th) radio show from 7-11pm CST. Tune in via the little player to your right, here, or on Tune In apps.

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Oh yeah, something else I did today was a "Get Ready With Me" video with my Sony Handycam camcorder in black and white. Today was the first day I put makeup on again after having a PAINFUL AF abscessed tooth last week. Watch it if ya wanna:

MixtressRae's top Pop Culture Things of 2016

Above is a playlist of my top 50 songs that I listened to this year, not including selections from Beyonce's "Lemonade" because she refuses to share (her recent music isn't on Spotify where this mix lives)! Many songs are not from this year but I listened to them alot and I like them.

Below are a few more stats of pop culture I loved the most in 2016.

Top 4 Books:

*Jem and the Holograms, Volume 1 -- This book has great art, inclusivity out the wazoo and is super fun and light and colorful.

*Porcelain // Moby -- This was a great portrait of underground dance music in NYC in the '80s. Moby created a GIGANTIC playlist with all the music he mentions in the book on Spotify in the order he mentions it and I just think that's the coolest thing ever.

*Graceling // Kristin Cashore -- Fun young adult fantasy novel that has a love story element that doesn't piss me off. That's rare. The dude is cute, cool, and respects all boundaries set by chick. The protagonist is badass and not at all annoying. She sort of reminds me of a less-damaged version of Katniss.

*Paid For // Rachel Moran -- This is an extremely painful first-person memoir about the life of a sex worker. While I recognize that her story isn't every sex worker's story, I imagine the anguish she was subjected to in her ten (? it may have been 15?) years on the streets is probably the norm in that industry. This book was really hard to read and I cried a LOT while reading it, but it gave me a perspective I think I needed to be a more empathic human. My full review here.

Top 4 Movies That Came Out in 2016:

*Deadpool -- This film is snarky, sexy, and full of references to Wham.

*Ghostbusters -- Super fun film from Paul Feig.

*The Huntsman: Winter's War -- I love badass queenly fantasy chicks being evil and this movie has two (Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt, yasssssssss). I also can't resist villains that cause havoc just by gesturing and/or flicking their wrists at things/people. That's literally my favorite method of destruction and this franchise has it in SPADES, children. There's also other chicks! And Chris Hemsworth!

*Sisters -- I was initially underwhelmed by this Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie but it gets more hilarious with every rewatch. It's funny and weird.

Top 5 Albums:

1. Drei // EMIKA -- To me, this album feels like a journey through and out of abuse. EMIKA is an artist with a big BIG range through genre. Her talents are immense. This particular album is electronic, dark, melodic, and just fucking gorgeous.

2. Dream Sequins // NMESH -- This is the ultimate vaporwave. Get into it.

3. Hounds of Love // Kate Bush -- This album has been in my consciousness since I was a toddler, but this year I ripped it from my DNA, re-examined it, then stitched it back in with new understandings of its depths. I am the lamenting feminist in "Running Up That Hill". I am the blackbird in "Waking the Witch". I am the spirit in "Watching You Without Me". "Hounds of Love" is finally on Spotify. If you've never experienced this masterpiece, don't go another day without these hounds. They'll haunt you in the best possible way.

4. Art Angels // Grimes -- Truly her best achievement so far. Danceable, ethereal, dark and ballsy.

5. Long Ambients: Calm. Sleep. // Moby -- This album is hours of spacey sort-of dark ambient music Moby is giving away for free.

Top 5 Songs: 

1. My Heart Bleeds Melody // EMIKA -- I might get a tattoo based on the title of this song. I had this thought the first time I heard it, which was the first time I heard EMIKA ever. It was love at first listen. I'll let the idea gestate for a couple of years, but I'm pretty sure the words "my heart bleeds melody" need to be on my skin forever.

2. Waking the Witch // Kate Bush -- This song completely slays me. I'm basing a tattoo idea on the content of this song. I think it will end up covering my entire back with blackbirds and witchyness. It is one of my top 10 songs of all time.

3. Trust No Bitch // Junksista -- This year our husky broke out of our backyard and attacked a neighborhood dog. She was taken in by the dog police and Michael and I had to go to court on her behalf. One of the things the Animal Control guy told us was that you can't trust your dogs, ever. This song was discovered during this time period thanks to a suggestion from my friend Ruben and well, it seemed fitting.

4. Iman // Niyaz -- I think this is the most spiritual, meditative song I've ever heard. If I sit zazen/shiva/moderate-meditative-pose while listening to this song, I get real calm, yo. Reallllll calm.

5. White Pepper Ice Cream // Cibo Matto -- Have loved this song since 1996 but it was only this year that I realized it is my favorite song of all time. I don't know what else to say. It's my jam. Please listen to it if you want to hear a sound landscape that lights up my entire brain with aural nirvana.

first radio broadcast

was a total success. All my labor fruits (still with the birthing puns?) were completely worth it. A bunch of this won't make sense to a lot of my besties, but I wish to get it all out there. 

What I had to learn and endure to start this radio station was years in the making, complicated, and time-consuming. I am actually really proud of myself for sticking with the process and learning the code, the tools, and the chutzpah to get through it all and bring my mixes to the masses.

Watching television wasn't really a thing we did in my family growing up. I spent most of my childhood outside with my radio boombox.

When I was a wee child I used to tape songs from the radio on my little boombox. I later graduated to owning CDs and cassettes of my own, dubbing THEM on my little boombox. Sometime in 2001ish, my mom got a cd burner and I began making a few mix CDs alongside the mountain of cassettes that kept me company throughout the '90s. I also received a minidisc player in the early 2000s and made some minidisc mixes, though that contraption never took off. 

My early '20s saw a sadness that was reflected in a draught of mixes, but in 2009 I got an iPod and started making a lot of playlists in iTunes. Sometime that year I attempted to pull off a radio station. I did a bunch of research and started a live365 station. My first broadcast stumbled so severely that I cut it off before the end of "Tits on the Radio", my first broadcasted song. I think I didn't have enough bandwidth and didn't realize I needed to outsource the server in order to have even one listener at a time. I gave up easily.

The idea of a radio station has needled at me my entire life. In high school, I shadowed a local DJ for the day. I wasn't outgoing enough to use the opportunity to create contacts and get my foot in the door, though they were very nice to me, let me pick a lot of the music, put me on air. They liked my voice and even recorded a few promos/commercials with me.

I couldn't shake the idea of running my own station, so last week I finally jumped back into research. I found out that what I needed was a server, a streaming platform, and a source. By outsourcing your server, you can have simultaneous listeners. I signed up for live365 again, but their limitations are just too stifling. At their $15/mo plan you can upload 350MB (about 80 songs) of songs to their storage "locker" for offline playlists, but there were many rules about which songs can be played within which time periods, etc. It took hours to upload the first batch of songs that became quite repetitive after 24 hours. I had originally planned to upload a new set of songs once a week, but the process was so tedious. Further tedious was the fact that my $15/mo only bought me 10 simultaneous listeners to a live show. The service had an app, but it was laden with annoying audio ads. Though I launched this station, I abandoned it a second time in 5 years just a few days later.

After many more hours of research I discovered a radio server that was free and could stream live to 200 simultaneous listeners. At the free level, it's only available on flash-based browsers with a very '90s look, but it works like a dream alongside a computer program called "nicecast" (which is a whole other story about figuring out how to configure it) which is serving as my streaming conduit between the server and the source (iTunes, microphone, record player, wherever the music is coming from). THEN I found out Nicecast only streams an hour at a time at their free level, after which I'd have to pay a $60 licensing fee. I'd have had to use this program with live365 as well so not only would I be paying $15/mo for a limited and clunky radio experience, but then I'd have to shell out an additional $60 as well. Radio is essssspensive, yo.

I elected to use the free server and pay the $60 licensing fee. Then I decided I really HAVE to be able to stream in a non-flash way. I have to be available on apps, so today I paid for a "pro" account on My Radio Stream which was only $17 for 3 months. 

Then I started the research process on how to get your station listed on a website that hosts directories. I chose a service called Tune In, and have filled out forms to list my station with them. I have to wait 48 hours for them to judge me worthy, which I really hope they do, and then Mixtress Radio will be on apps (Tune In Radio is the app, which will hopefully have me in their directory by Sunday or Monday, if all goes as planned).

Today, I've been "on the air" since 4pm and it is now after 8. I've loved every minute of it. I am so happy. During the course of the broadcast, I only had about 4 listeners total, but I'm not even upset. I know my listeners will grow and even if they don't...I'll scream into the void unheard for a long time before the excitement wears off and I wonder why no one likes me.

When I started the YouTube channel I told myself I'd make 10 videos and if I didn't have 25 subscribers by that time, I'd quit. My plan for the radio station is thus: if I regularly average 5 listeners per show (Fridays from 4p-8p CST) I will continue broadcasting after my three months of "pro" broadcasting status is up.

For now, I am over the moon. So excited to share all my cheesy playlists live with the world. 

Self-Promotion

I'm kinda terrible at it. I do have a few things that I'm doing with my creative life. I feel kind of good about the things I'm doing. I realize that the name Mixtress Rae is in like a LOT of places (and it's all ME!), but I don't really tell people about it. I am actually starting to get a few followers in some of these places.

Today is a day in which the output of words I type feels juvenile, like the words I typed years ago. It's a regression day, but I still need to get my words in for April's CampNaNoWriMo, so I type on. I need to get about 1500 words a day the last three days of the month to hit my goal. That's a LOT, if you want quality...but wait, I don't do QUALITY work. Pfffft.

I'm going to use this opportunity of having no desire to think about the damn TV shows, just for one day, to get some words in promoting myself. Without further adieu/word dribble, I give you...the places on the internet that MixtressRae hath infiltrated:

Instagram: instagram.com/mixtressrae
     {Did you even know Instagram has a website now?!}

Facebook: facebook.com/mixtressrae
     {Ok, a small informational statement on Facebook. I kind of hate it. I mean, I love how useful it is and that everyone is accessible and everything, but there's just something icky about EVERYONE being at the same site all the time. I feel creepy using it sometimes. I'm a child of the '90s! I want to hide behind my username in vampire chat rooms, gawwwd! Ok, that's really just too much information. What I really mean to say is that for some strange reason Facebook repulses me so I don't use it that much. I deleted it from my phone a couple of weeks ago. I do still have the messenger app, however, so if you ever need me to see something on Facebook, MSG it to me and I'll get it.}

Tumblr: mixtressrae.tumblr.com
     {Tumblr is the place that I spend most of my online-time. I don't post a lot of original content here, but I reblog cute gifs of kittens and feminist rants a lot.}

YouTube: youtube.com/user/mixtressrae/videos
     {This is where I'm posting my ASMR videos. I've made a deal with myself that if I don't have 25 subscribers a few days after posting my tenth video, I'll stop. I've got three more videos to shoot and only have 19 subscribers. If you please, check out my channel and subscribe if you like it. Thanks!}

Last.fm: last.fm/user/mixtressrae
     {This is the place where you can see ALL my music stats, almost everything I've listened to in the last 4 years! What, that doesn't sound exciting to you? Why not? I wanna know what YOU listen to! Seriously, if you have a lastFM, tell me!}

I also have a zine called Chickweed. You can submit entries for the next issue until about May 15th via mixtressrae@yahoo.com. I don't yet have a theme...I think the next one will be a lot of ranting and vadge-talk, as per the usual. The next issue will be out June 1st! Yeayyyyy! If you want to give me money for the production of my zine, there's a PayPal donate button to the right somewhere.

Ok, self-promotion over!

New Wave.

New Wave is a genre of music I am very familiar with, so it was the most joyful of challenges to accept when my coworker/friend Evan asked for a mix. This is what I LIVE for, children. My nickname isn't "mixtress" for nothin'. I truly thrive on making mixes. Thanks to Evan for the idea and ANYONE reading this, feel free to request a mix via comment or email (mixtressrae@yahoo.com).

I agonized for almost a week on the order of this mix. I knew from the beginning that it would have to be a two-discer, but I didn't know how to put it together or what to name it. Last night, it came to me via two amazing Tears for Fears songs on the mix:

"Mad World" and
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"

They were sitting right next to each other on the mix and I knew that wasn't right at all, but it gave me the idea for the title of the mixes and how I would separate them from disc to disc. The first disc would represent the earlier part of the genre (1977-1983) when the Cold War was more of a theme and the music was darker overall. This portion of the mix overlaps with punk a bit and the songs within are sometimes referred to as post-punk. Disc one would be named "Mad World". Disc two would represent the later chunk of new wave (1983-1988) when it morphed into a lot more dancey beats. The songs you remember from the credits of '80s movies are on this disc and it's called "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". The YouTube playlist above is both discs in one and is missing one track that isn't on YouTube, one my dad and I made with his synthesizers before I was old enough to remember the experience. Below is a terrible quality version of that song which I am afraid is the only version in existence? Depends on if I find it in my dad's tapes later on and upload a better version.

tracklist

My top five songs on the mix (in order of appearance):

Only a Lad // Oingo Boingo

The Safety Dance // Men Without Hats

Shout // Tears for Fears

The Walk // The Cure

How Soon is Now // The Smiths

For further New Wave listening I suggest:

Songza's "Dark Side of the Synth"

SomaFM's "Underground '80s"

Digitally Imported's "Future Synthpop"

top five playlists/radio stations on the internet.

I enjoy calling myself a writer, laughable as that assertion seems on any given day in which I binge-watch The Office, read trashy horror novels, or do anything but put pen to paper or fingers to keys. When I finally get beyond the distractions, in order to really knuckle down on a writing sesh, I need music, naturally. 

These are the top five playlists/internet radio stations I listen to while working:

Drone Zone --

somaFM’s description: Served best chilled, safe with most medications. Atmospheric textures with minimal beats.

my recommended usage: I’ve mentioned this station before. It is heaven if you like very minimal ambience in your background work music. You could also take a bath while listening, or fall asleep, not at the same time! Emphasis on the word minimal. 

find it: somafm.com/dronezone 

-or-

find the soma fm app on your smahhht phone

Psybient --

Songza’s description: Also referred to as psychill, psybient is a genre of electronic music heavily influenced by world music and psychedelic sounds. Wherever you are, these songs will take you somewhere else.

my recommended usage: This playlist reminds me of the cheesy psychedelic weirdness my dad used to make on his synthesizers. It provides a general background hum of electronic soundscapes. Good for scifi/fantasy writing or just zoning out, man.

find it: songza.com/listen/psybient-songza 

-or-

seriously you guys, I have told you about Songza multiple times now. You NEED this app if you don’t already have it. Don’t argue with me. You will love it more than all your other music apps. You don’t have to be obsessed with electronic music like me. It has every genre, it’s free, and the ads are visual instead of aural. Songza is perfection. Don’t make me tell you again.

“no one receiving” --

This is my personal Pandora station based on Brian Eno’s song of the same name.

my recommended usage: Brian Eno is like THE pioneer of ambient electronic music. If you require a background hum that’s a little less drone than “Drone Zone”, look no further than basing your own Pandora station on this or any of your favorite ambient tunes.

find it: DIY or listen to my specifics here: no one receiving.

Witchy Thug Grrrl Pop --

Songza’s description: Spooky female vocals over southern-rap-influenced electronic music distinguish this playlist, with plenty of noise-pop, chiptune, and hip hop mixed in for good measure. It’s purple lipstick music to read Jezebel to.

my recommended usage: I’ve been listening to this playlist a lot while writing for Camp NaNoWriMo (July is a National Novel Writing Month and I’m getting my word count up on my novel--shut up.). It can get a bit distracting, because the beats are intense and scary at times, but that’s the sort of bone-jangle I like accompanying my creativity. Not for the faint of heart, but if you like Santigold mixing with your Grimes and Crystal Castles, you can handle it.

find it: songza.com/listen/witchy-thug-grrrl-pop-songza 

-or-

*ahem* that app you were supposed to download like five minutes (or months) ago. Oh, and if you don’t know what Jezebel is, it’s this rawkin’ feminist blog. Check that out too.

Slow Motion Disco --

Songza’s description: Inspired by pioneering DJs, leftfield disco, and the spacier side of synth-driven music, modern-day disco producers slow down the BPMs and explore hypnotic, psychedelic moods that move both the mind and the body.

my recommended usage: I use this playlist during my celebratory struts around the neighborhood with my husky and/or shepherd after I’ve successfully written something for a specified block of time. The vibe has the perfect walking rhythm to it in the way that “Stayin’ Alive” does, but the music is nothing like that. It’s spacier and more inspired. The songs are long without being boring, allowing you to get lost in a sweaty summer walkabout, after your work is done, of course.

find it: songza.com/listen/slow-motion-disco

-or-

say it with me: get the damn app and experience a heightened-to-the-divine music app love. 

tell me how much you love Songza here: mixtressrae@yahoo.com

How to make a mix: 3 indispensable rules.

As I insist upon calling myself MixtressRae, I dare say I know my way around a mix.  I’ve been pressing record/play on tape decks since the tender age of waiting for songs to come on the radio; they have to be numbering in the several hundreds at this point.  Not all of my mixes were great, of course.  Some of them were really dreadful...nay, many of them are dreadful, if you take into account the times my mix’s recipients have played/enjoyed my mixes.  All this to say, I am only an authority on mixes if you decide me to be, and I hope the sheer volume of mixes I’ve created these past two decades will recommend me to advise you on this very worthy pursuit:

Rule #1 -- Find a reason/theme for your mix.  Do you want a workout mix, a love dedication mix, or just a drivin’ around summer night mix?  The reason is what drives the emotions in a mix...even if that reason is just “songs I like right now”.  I used to have a mix called “songs I’m ashamed to like” before I learned to be ashamed of nothing...mostly.

Rule #2 -- Decide a length for your mix.  If you’re not, as you probably aren’t, using a cassette or a CD, mp3 playlists can be daunting without an expiration within a reasonable listening duration, and you need one especially if you are intending to give your mix to others.  One can’t expect a person to listen to something longer than an hour and a half, in my experience.  If you’re making a mix for an exercise routine, make it as long as your routine.  If you’re making a makeout mix, consider the phase of your relationship and time it accordingly.  Of course, if you ARE making a mix for cassette or CD, your time is already set and working within the confines of sides on a cassette is a finesse that will be appreciated by your mix’s lucky beneficiary, if they have ANY sense whatsoever.

Rule #3 -- Pick a song order (if an order doesn’t show itself to you organically).  There are many ways to do this.  If you want to make it really easy, order the songs by length (shortest to longest or vise versa) or chronology, or even by alphabet.  If you want something a bit more evocative, I’ve found that it helps to start with excitement: high beats per minute and something joyous/rawk-us.  Then, make track 2 even MORE exciting, take it down a notch on track 3, and continue to play with emotions throughout with at least a 4 or 5 track wind-down at the end...personally, I think a really good mix ends in a nap, but only if they sleep when you tell them to sleep, gosh darn it!

Disregard all of the above, and any other rules on mixes if they don’t suit you.  MAKE MIXES FOR YOU, and no one else.  Make them to your liking, not only because people are exceedingly under-appreciative of mixes in general, but also, if you aren’t putting your heart (and freakin’ rhythm ‘n’ soul!) into your mixes, they REALLY won’t be appreciated, so do what you want always and worry not how they will be received/perceived.  I always make mixes for me and if they involve thoughts of another, I give that person a copy and hope they listen/love it as much as I do.

You have it within you: go forth and follow your rockin’ psyche, mixters and mixtresses!