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Trail Mix

As Diana and I prepare for a few days out of town together this weekend, I'm putting the finishing touches on something I originally planned to be a one-disc affair: a roadtrip mix. But this is me, Mr. Oh Wait There's That Song That I'd Love to Hear Too. So, it's now a four-disc set.

Add to the pile is a David Garza compilation and (hopefully) a disc of stuff Diana wants to hear, and we're pretty set for driving around Arkansas for a few days.

A band I keep coming back to with this mix set is the one and only, Fleet Foxes. I still think the praise for their debut album was a little exaggerated when it was released, but there are some really, really pretty songs on it . . . even if I can't help but think of My Morning Jacket. (To deal with such, I've thrown in MMJ songs on the discs that feature the Fleet Foxes.)

Since I've only seen Arkansas in pictures and heard about it from friends, I expect to see lots of hills and mountains. In turn, I put a lot of songs that would fit sunset drives around mountains, like MMJ's "Golden" and Bruce Springsteen's "Tomorrow Never Knows."

As much as I love some good chaotic metal or punk, for the sake of time, I've opted out of that stuff. I still can't forget driving back from Austin one year and listening to face to face's self-titled album almost four times in a row. Punk rock is great, but not with albums that are less than a half-hour on a five-hour drive.

So, here's to a good mix to a new place.

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