mixtape- february 2025

crazy month!! here's some songs

• Fantasy Baseball at the End of the World - John K. Samson

  i found out about this song via The Narcissist Cookbook's instagram story, decided to give it a listen, and enjoyed it quite a lot. it's quite a short track and there's not that much going on, but i like the way the message is articulated through the idea of thinking about fantasy baseball. i haven't listened to anything else Samson has written but i would definitely consider it
• I've Got A Feeling (Stay Lucky) - Porridge Radio

  this is mostly here because the radio have been playing it a lot but it's a good tune and sure is how february felt! there's some porridge radio that i think makes me too sad to listen to (which is a completely personal thing, if you haven't had the specific feelings and experiences i have i recommend Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To the Sky a lot) but this one doesn't so that's nice! i did originally think it was a daft punk parody but i'm fairly sure it's not
• Stewart's (Live) [2012 Remaster] - Lau

  this was recommened to me by a friend and i like it a lot, it's nice folk-bordering-on-folk-rock, i love the way the accordian and different types of strings blend with eachother in this track, but i'd recommend the whole live album that this is on, i've listened to it a lot this month. i also really like the way the track changes and progresses from the steadier tempo and simpler harmonies at the start to well, not a complete inversion but essentially the opposite of that by the end
• A Big Day for Grimley - AJJ

  i read this article about AJJ's Good Luck Everybody i think in january? which inspired me to properly focus in on it, and while there might be songs on it that i prefer, something about A Big Day for Grimley really gets me. it feels smaller and more personal (i guess it literally is) by starting with just Sean Bonnette singing and playing guitar, but then i also really enjoy the call and response parts. yes that's because i'm a choir nerd BUT ALSO because it creates that sense of community and solidarity in, getting through all these sorta horrible times. it's a fitting conclusion to an album that feels more relevant than ever
• Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar

  i've sorta known this song since it released due to "cultural osmosis" as they call it, but i finally properly listened to Not Like Us this month. i do not care for american football to the extent that i'm not entirely certain what the superbowl is, but i saw people online talking about Kendrick's half time show, so i watched it and it just, captivated something in me. admittedly in that specific moment in time i was a little out of it so that might have had an impact, but since then i've been Needing to find out more. i listened to some other Kendrick songs too, notably i listened through To Pimp A Butterfly, however due to february being such a month i don't remember it very well at all :( but regardless i think this is probably the best track to encapsulate the very sort of abstract obsession i've had in the little free time i've had this month
• As If Waltz - Geordie Greep

  Geordie Greep's The New Sound was recommended to me a while ago, but i got round to listening to it (once) in february, and wow yes it is a good album that i should listen to more, it's just intimidating to in a way? the track that stuck with me the most was As If Waltz, i think it's arguably the pinacle of the intertwining of the album's musical composition and lyrical storytelling. much more intelligent people than me could tell you much more about it, i recommend listening to the album the whole way through if you're interested
• The Great Skua - Sea Power

  i can't really talk about this one without getting slightly into some personal shit, so uh if you don't want to read that then don't keep reading this one!! i heard The Great Skua on the radio in early february (unless it was late january, who's to say), and only later realised its by the disco elysium music people so that was a neat fact!! but. they played a version of this being live in session on the radio, and i happened to hear it right around the time one of my (distant) family members was dying. i never knew him, so i wasn't grieving personally as such, and moreso worried about other people in my family. but this song... it's hard to explain which specific component of it makes me feel tearful inside but it really does, it's a very powerful song, it's, . it feels like a lot of feelings and therefore feels like the feelings i felt in that moment when i heard it. i think it's a wonderful piece of music
• The Fixer - The Bug Club

  i went to see The Bug Club live this month!! it was good although i could not see very well (small, because, hedgehog and definitely no other reason), i liked it a lot all 3 of them were very talented and and good. the fixer just happens to be the song by them that i've had on my mind the most. i don't know how well known bug club are but i do recommend a lot of their music is silly and fun, even when they're making music about more serious topics (than say, getting a haircut that is short and round) there's always a sense of whimsy to their music which i have to appreciate
• DENIAL IS A RIVER - Doechii

  not much to say here. it's a good catchy song and upbeat although not happy which i always quite enjoy. the music video was also brilliant i love the framing of a sitcom (recently watched kevin can f**k himself :p) (i have to clarify it's censored for the point of the show i can and will say fuck) it's really nicely done. the original is brilliant but i do have to shout out the animal crossing parody because that's also very enjoyable
• Like Him - Tyler, the Creator

  i love Tyler, the Creator's sound so much i love the way he writes and i feel that Like Him is a good illustration of what i like so much about his style. to me it's got a sense of 70s/80s influences (but that could just be that's the music i was raised on) while not at all trying to just be an imitation of that. both Tyler and Lola Young have really good vocal performances on this track and it's just, a really good song!! and i mean emotionally and lyrically it's so beautiful, i think it's probably one of my favourites from CHROMAKOPIA
• Star Man - David Bowie

  it's a classic for a reason i can say that much. i ended up looping this while i was doing a painting and it was probably like the 5th most peaceful moment of the month for me? it's just such a nicely written song i love the violins so much and the lyrics are good fun. i feel like it's hard to talk about such a popular song because it's Star Man everyone knows it and equally. there's a star man waiting in the sky!!! there sure is!!! this is definitely one of the more upbeat songs of this mixtape and i'm glad it's in here
• All Night Long - Lionel Richie

  this was the song played at the very end of a production i performed in this month, the rehearsals for which have been what feels like my entire life for a good few months now. it's such a specific feeling when you finish working on a show, and then it's done. and also just generally performing is wild cause, you feel like you're destroying yourself devoting all your time to this one thing, but also it matters so much and it's such a wonderful experience. i made so many friends and also just, acquaintances, and arghghgh it's hard to explain but yes. they played this song at the end and even listening back to it now it gives me the Feelings. it's a good song and i think especially so for an ending

i won't lie to you internet it was a tough month! tough couple of months to be fair, january was also difficult. but we got through it and now (at the time of writing) it's MARCH what the hell its MARCH of 2025 that's terrifying!!! and there are a lot of scary looking things ahead but there's also a good few nice ones. so we keep going