aubreysabala.com - blissfully living in a state of denial

[a]way with words: aubs' dec 2011 mix

I did it. It was a lofty goal, and many months I thought there was no way I was going to find the time to post another mix. "Who's going to miss this?" I'd think. "Maybe I'll just wait for next month." But instead, I somehow made it a priority to get all twelve of these suckers out, albeit usually a few weeks late. Because it's important to me. This discovery of new music, but moreover, the sharing of this music with others.

I don't know how many of you are downloading these or listening to them on Spotify or RDIO. But I do knokw that throughout the last twelve months, I've received so many emails, @replies, texts, and even met people in person who have enjoyed these mixes. And that makes it all worth it. I hope you've found a new favorite song, learned about a new artist, and have gone to a live show you wouldn't have otherwise. I know I have.

I'm not sure what next year will bring. Without my commute (hurrah!) and the stylings of Sirius XMU (you hear that, Jake Fogelnest?) finding new music is a lot more difficult than it was when I was held captive in my car for nearly 2.5 hours a day. Spotify and RDIO have helped with this, and I'm finding myself having to ask for recommendations and seek out new music from friends. So a monthly mix for 2012? We'll see. I'm setting other resolutions and doing other things that will require a lot of diligence and time. I'll definitely still continue to share music, but not sure it will be on a strictly monthly basis as it was this past year. But we'll see. I continue to surprise myself.

So this month, December 2011. It's always the hardest one, esp. since I still need to curate my "Best of 2011 Mix" (I have one more day, for those of you who are calendar-obsessed.) It was particularly difficult as I just didn't listen to a ton of new music. As such, you'll see some of my life-long favorites on here, such as "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens and "Bookends" by Simon and Garfunkel. I've randomly heard both of these songs while out & about this blustery month, and made a mental note to listen to them more often. Which I've done. Then there's some 'new to me' songs (such as "The Killer" by The Twilight Singers and "What Jail is Like" (shoutout to Sean Garrett & Charlie Love for their recos) by The Afghan Whigs. But yes, there's still some new ditties; "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men is poppily delectable by this Icelandic group, and there are TWO new songs by The National because I just couldn't decide if I liked "I Need My Girl" more or less than "Rylan". (You get 'em both.) The rest, I'll let you discover for yourself. 

Thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing your music with me, and as always, please support these amazing artists by purchasing their music (on MP3 AND Vinyl!) and attending their shows.

Happy 2011, everyone. It's been quite a year. Thanks for being here with me.

Download [a]way with words: aubs' dec. 2011 mix

1. Little Talks: Of Monsters and Men
2. Born to Lose: Sleigh Bells
3. Civilian: Wye Oak
4. Caring is Creepy: The Shins
5. Long Distance Call: Phoenix
6. The Killer: The Twilight Singers
7. Come to the City: War on Drugs
8. I Need my Girl: The National
9. Born to Die: Lana Del Ray
10. What Jail is Like: The Afghan Whigs
11. We Own the Sky: M83
12. Shake it Out (Acoustic): Florence + The Machine
13. Rylan: The National
14. The Good Night: The Submarines
15. Swim Club: The Cave Singers
16. Father and Son: Cat Stevens
17. Bookends Theme: Simon and Garfunkel

reeling through an endless fall: aubs' november 2011 mix

I had queued up this whole extensive post about life and love and happiness and contentment and what that all means. It was very existential and introspective and, well, too much for this. So instead I've queued up some emo bullshit on Spotify and am amusing myself through those instead of tackling this subject for today.

SO. Here's the November Mix. No commentary given this month...trust me, you're welcome.

1. Somebody I Used To Know - Gotye
2. All The Umbrellas in London - The Magnetic Fields
3. Humboldt's Gift - Black Swan Green
4. Trailer Trash (Demo) - Modest Mouse
5. Shake it Out - Florence + The Machine
6. Fire - The Moth and the Mirror
7. Cruiser - Red House Painters
8. Spaceman - The Killers
9. True Loves - Hooray for Earth
10. Coffee - Motel Motel
11. Powered Wig Machine -  Desert Sessions
12. No One's Gonna Love You - Cee-Lo Green
13. Perth - Bon Iver
14. Rivers and Roads - The Head and the Heart
15. New York - Blind Pilot 

Spotify & RDIO, minus a few of the best songs, sadly.

standing still to move ahead: aubs' october 2011 mix

New York is a city of movement. We walk faster here. We put our little white earbuds in our ears, moving to the beat of our own soundtrack, often immune to the song of the city. The noise that the subway makes when it whirrs past you, the sound of the expletives when you've missed the train by 30 seconds. It's a fast-paced city, this one, and I feel like I haven't stopped moving since I moved here six weeks ago. There's always somewhere to go, always something to be doing. 

I'm trying to slow down. To look up. To see the skyline and the water towers and the windows with all those people (ALL. THOSE. PEOPLE!) and to listen to the soundtrack of this city. Of my new home. To adapt to the pace, but to let myself be comfortable with my own one as well. 

This mix is the one that I've been listening to with my own little white earbuds when I succumb to the status quo. Or when it's all getting to be too much, and need to drown out the rest of the world. Enjoy.

Download standing still to move ahead: aubs' october 2011 mix

1. How Much More - Stars
2. Lost and Found - Phoenix
3. Rhodesia - Manor
4. The Lie - Bad Veins
5. Up All Night - Blink 182
6. Take Me Out to the Coast - Waters
7. Your Past Life as a Blast - Okkervil River
8. Twenty Miles to NH Part 2 - The National
9. Blue Jeans - Lana Del Ray
10. Without Permission - Caroline Martin
11. Ghosts that we Love - Mumford and Sons
12. Green Aisles - Real Estate
13. No Love - Hooray for Earth
14. Save Me - Ryan Adams
15. Soothe Me - Yuck
16. Don't Stop - The Dodos 

Spiralling: Aubs' September 2011 Mix

On my last day in SF, I made sure to do something extremely important: Upload this mix to my server. Because, you see, I realized I wouldn't have a computer for a few weeks and seriously wanted to get ahead of my game. FOR ONCE. Alas, here we are, approaching mid-October, and you know what they say about best-laid plans. (They say I should stop making them.)

Regardless, this mix was thrown together a bit more quickly than ones in the past, and I don't even have one song queued up on the October mix. (UPDATE: Since I started this draft yesterday, I know have two. That's progress, friends.) September, as it often is, was a whirlwind. Leaving my job. Traveling. Packing. Reconnecting with people. Moving 3000 miles away. You know, your typical month. And yet there's some of my favorite songs on this mix. It's a good mix of new releases and older classics...Elliott Smith's Waltz #2 still pervades my soul, so I included a live version of it. Atlas Genius' single, "Trojans", is being widely touted as a new hit from this Australian band (and you know how I feel about Australians. In case you don't, the word "addicted" comes to mind.) Death Cab for Cutie ended their show at the Hollywood Bowl with Transatlanticism, and I've yet to stop thinking about it. As for Fade Into You, well, it's always given me goosebumps too. 

I've recently realized how much I've been introduced to new music through the amazing DJs on Sirius XMU, especially Jake Fogelnest and Josiah. Without a car these days, I'm going to need to be more active in music discovery, so if you all have suggestions on what you're digging lately, leave 'em in the comments, Tweet me at @aubs or email 'em to me.

In the meantime, enjoy my (belated as usual) monthly mix for September: Spiralling.

1. This is Why We Fight: The Decemberists
2. Spiralling: Keane
3. All I Ever Wanted: The Airborne Toxic Event
4. Balance: Future Islands
5. Boys Around Here: Fences
6.  You Said: The Horrors
7. Still New: Smith Westerns
8. Morning Thought: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
9. My Mistakes: Eleanor Friedberger
10. The Look: Metronomy
11. Midnight City: M83
12. Time Won't Let Me Go: The Bravery
13. Trojans: Atlas Genius
14. Video Games: Lana Del Ray
15. Transatlanticism: Death Cab for Cutie
16. Waltz #2 (live): Elliott Smith
17. Fade Into You: Mazzy Star 

...Everything After: Aubs' August 2011 Mix

Last August, I was in the midst of a transition. I knew that a few things in my life were about to change; there were these impending life moments where I anticipated that, whichever way it turned out, good or bad, there was no going back. 

I was right. It wasn't nearly as angsty or horrible or painful as I had thought - or perhaps time numbs that pain - but I look back to last year and think "Yeah, August...that was one hell of a month." And so I called the mix, with a nod to Adam Duritz & his magnificent dreds, "August...and everything after."

Fast forward twelve months and damn, here I am again, reliving history. This past August was, without a doubt, the month where I made more huge lifechanging decisions than ever before. Big ones, people, HUGE. Exciting and terrifying and unprecendented and awesome and, well, I'm not yet revealing them, but all in due time. ALL IN DUE TIME. 

And so like last year's mix, I return to the same thought that it's a defining time. And since this is being posted late (shocker!) and August has come & gone in a blaze of post-Mercury-retrograde glory, I'm simply titling it: ...Everything After. The songs all have special meanings for me, but for this month, I'll let them invoke their own stories for you. ENJOY.

1. For The One: WATERS
2. Teenage Wristband: The Twilight Singers
3. Woods: The Rosebuds
4. Lions in Cages: Wolf Gang
5. Junk of the Heart (Happy): The Kooks
6. Closer: Kings of Leon
7. Simple Math: Manchester Orchestra
8. Lucky Now: Ryan Adams
9. Lost In My Mind: The Head and the Heart
10. Fuck This Place: Frightened Rabbit
11. Strictly Game: Harlem Shakes
12. Turning Tables: Adele
13. Beth/Rest (Solo Piano Version): Bon Iver
14. Jar of Hearts (Live at Ocean Way Studios): Christina Perri
15. Wishing Song: The Airborne Toxic Event
16. Foreground: Grizzly Bear
17. Weather of a Killing Kind: The Tallest Man on Earth