when i was eight years old, i received a pink panasonic cassette boombox for my birthday. it could play cassettes and record songs from the radio, as well as ambient audio from a built-in mic.

i listened to music on this pink cassette boombox before i started playing in bands and rounded out my tastes with songs that were not on the radio. it was before i learned that people could be judged for the music they liked and that my r&b slow jam playlist was an embarrassment to the indie rock establishment.

these songs bring back memories of spin the bottle, co-ed slumber parties, pen pal romances, first dances, talent show sing-alongs* and unrequited crushes at summer camps in los angeles and taiwan. at nights, we would pass around a lone cassette walkman, much as a group of college kids might furtively circulate a bottle of jack daniels, and listen to mixtapes of songs we had captured from the radio.

anyway, i’m not embarrassed anymore. i laughed a lot while making this playlist for you. enjoy.

x annie

01 swv – weak 02
tlc – what about your friends?
03 janet jackson – where are you now?
04 boyz ii men – water runs dry
05 en vogue – giving him something he can feel
06 salt n’ pepa – shoop
07 janet jackson – if
08 tlc – baby baby baby
09 paperboy – ditty
10 snoop doggy dogg – what’s my name?
11 dj freaky and mc nas d – gold diggin’ girls

Things That Scare Me Niko Case
Is There A Ghost Band of Horses
There is a Ghost Marianne Faithful
Your Ghost Kristin Hersh
Climbing Up The Walls Radiohead
Not to touch the earth The Doors
Running Up That Hill Kate Bush
City of Refuge Nick Cave & Bad Seeds
Keep on Running Cat Power
Where the Wild Things Are Patrick Watson
I Scare Myself Rosin Lovin
Too Afraid to Love You Black Keys
Naked Cousin PJ Harvey
Short Way Home The Builders & The Butchers
Quattro Calexico
Watcha Gonna Do Michael Sheehy
Running Gun Blues David Bowie
Gutless Hole
Run Me Down The Black Keys
Running Scared Nick Cave & Bad Seeds

Silver Soul Beach House
San Fran Kids of 88
Dream home Unouomedude
Young Girl Dawn Landes
Blue Blood Foals
Squealing Pigs Admiral Follow
Crazy Mad Bird Talk
Killin Kind Sharkspeed
Madder Red Yeasayer
Chop & Change The Black Keys
Oh My God Cults
The Accidental Modern Rivals
Hotel Three Blind Wolves
Never Been Alone The Cutaways
Ghost Under Rocks Ra Ra Riot
Here Sometimes Blonde Redhead
Howse Built Around Your Voice The Darcys
Aint No Grave Johnny Cash
As A Ghost Horse Feathers
You See My LIght Jamie Lidell

Paris, Texas Rycooder
Walking in my Sleep Alabama3
Chicken Stew Part 1 Geoff Mulduar
Delia’s Psychedelic Walk 2 Delslia Derby Shire
OK Chicago Resonance
Auf Der Flucht Falco
Le Marche De Limoges The Swingle Singers
Sacred Child The Silencers
Run Fay Run Isaac Hayes
Pier Pressure Telsco Del Rey
Como Poden Ethan James
Quality (Quality’s Theme) Nelson Ridpee
I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind The Doors
Dead Presidents Theme Danny Elfman
Hiding All the Way Nick Cave & The Seeds
Rub Out Jeff Britton
Black Glove Goose
NYPD Blue The Sippo Wits
Air Raid GTR The Go Team
Courage Brian Eno
Something Big Tom Petty
Everyday I have to Cry Ike & Tina Turner
Tiwin Peaks Angelo Badamenti