The Saturday Morning Song Makes A Mixtape For An Autumn Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated my Moma’s* 50^th birthday. She, like me (or I guess it’s more me, like her) has a penchant for old, vintage, rustic, quirky, pretty things that somehow end up including an owl or a feather or inspiration from an Anthropologie catalog. And because my mom does so much selflessly for everyone else, I really wanted to throw her a beautiful party that she could just walk into. Because, well, I love her.


Wish time!

Despite a minor mix-up at the liquor store where my mind somehow insisted that the sangria called for “orange-flavored brandy” even though I had written “rum” on my list (which I of course didn’t look at once. Oh, and brandy doesn’t come flavored so I ended up looking like a confused teen buying alcohol for the first time) the party turned out great. As far as the sangria’s concerned, I purchased Grand Marnier, freaked out when I realized it was totally wrong--this was of course after I added it--kept adding random things, let it sit and then eventually ended up with a delicious drink that everyone wanted more of.

Besides my well-intentioned, but inevitably clumsy drink concoctions, one thing my mom always wants every birthday is a mixtape. She’s really into southern, acoustic, soulful, folksy music, so it’s easy for me to give her a mix she’ll love. Her favorites include Kings of Leon, Jack White, The Civil Wars and Stevie Nicks, and I couldn’t be prouder of my mother for this.

Because the overall theme of the party was this rustic autumn meets Anthropologie Fall window display, I wanted to create a mix that could easily be played at some cool person’s barn party. Even though SOMEONE (and I will find you) turned off the music yesterday (and I suspect it was so that they could better hear the football game on TV), at least my mom can add this to her collection and also enjoy it all autumn long.

Hope you guys enjoy, too!



Party owl.

The Cool Person's Barn Party Mix

 

1. Fall of '82--The Shins

2. On Your Way--Alabama Shakes

3. My Father's Father--The Civil Wars

4. Through Any Window--Wisely

5. Flowers in Your Hair--The Lumineers

6. Come Home--CHAPPO

7. Rise to Me--The Decemberists

8. Can't Hardly Wait--Justin Townes Earle

9. Astral Weeks--Van Morrison

10. Same in Any Language--My Morning Jacket

11. Shakedown on 9th Street--Ryan Adams

12. Home--Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

13. A Lack of Color--Death Cab for Cutie

14. Keep Me in Mind--Little Joy

15. Asleep at Light--DoF

16. I Don't Know What to Do--Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson

17. Where to Begin--My Morning Jacket

18. One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)--Wilco

　

　

　
*Listen, I know to a lot of you “Moma” means “Museum of Modern Art” but this is how my family spells “Mama.” I don’t care that it’s confusing for the masses, I love it and you can take it up with my Tennessee, moonshine-making, ancestors. They didn’t have time to worry about proper spelling, so step off!