Grave Songs: Chris Mikesell
Grave Songs: Chris Mikesell
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Here's a batch of songs that I would listen to if I were to die an hour from now, and a jukebox with every song known to man were placed in front of me.

These songs are ordered not by the date of their conception, but by the date of my finding (and eventual love) of them. Completely randomly, I realized that a good percentage of the songs are about being sleepy.
You should burn these songs to a CD, then stick the CD in your old jambox. In the Jambox you should record these to a cassette tape. Go in your box of old stuff and find your walkman, shame on you if you can't find it.

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  1. Smashing Pumpkins - Geek USA
    2. The year is 1993 and my friend Mike got a subscription to BMG. One of the first CDs that he got was Smashing Pumpkins' "Siamese Dreams". I was 13 and at this time, I hadn't really heard any current music other than Red Hot Chili Pepper's "What Hits". Siamese Dreams blew my 13 year old mind. I listened to the CD once a day for all of 8th grade. Geek USA is my favorite track on the CD.

  2. Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
    3. Listening to this always takes me back to the first time I saw the preformance (1994). The look on Kurt Cobain's face when he runs out of breath at the end always sends shivers (no pun intended) down my spine.
  3. Self - Superstar
    4. I got into Self because I had a BMG account in 1995 and could only find 11 cds to buy, so I picked Subliminal Plastic Motives. The funny part about all of this is I would not be making this mix if it weren't for that little decision. I met Michael off the old spongebath messageboards and would not know a single one of the people making these mixes if I hadn't bought that album.

  4. Weezer - I Just Threw Out the Love of my Dreams
    5. 1996 This is hands down my favorite Weezer song. Rachel Hayden is singing the song, and this song was supposed to be on Pinkerton, but it's on The Good Life single instead. I like to think about if Weezer had taken a turn towards this type of music that the Rentals wouldn't have existed. Thank goodness Weezer didn't make more songs like this, but also, too bad they didn't.

  5. Radish - My Guitar
    6. I saw Radish play this song on Late Night with David Letterman 1997 when I was 17 and the next day I went and bought the album. I did not know that Ben Kweller was only 15 at the time this was made, and I didn't know they were from a little town in Texas, all I knew was this song was awesome. I wish Ben Kweller would make more songs like this one these days.

  6. Beck - Satan Gave me a Taco
    7. I got Stereopathetic Soul Manure in 1997 and was Alvin's premiere source of info for Beck. This song expresses everything that I like about Beck. I enjoy low-fi non-sensical Beck, and prefer him to the hi-fi eclectic Beck.

  7. Rentals - Keep Sleeping
    8. Until next year when the new Rentals album comes out, this is my favorite Rentals song, and is on my top 5 faves.

  8. Superdrag - Sold You An Alibi
    9. I love the intro to this song, I can listen to it over and over. I was a huge Superdrag nut/fan from 1998-2001 or so. I saw the band countless times, most noteabley 5 times in 2000. One of the last times I saw them, I believe all the bandmembers knew my first name.

  9. Travis - The Line is Fine
    10. It's very hard to pick out a single favorite song from Travis. This song takes me back to when I was living in Denton in 2000, and all I ever listened to were Travis, Superdrag, and Rufus Wainwright

  10. The Promise Ring - Happiness is All the Rage
    11. Call me Emo, do whatever you must... but isn't the definition of an emo song being sad and stuff? Well, this song isn't about sadness at all. It's my favorite song by any "emo" group ever.

  11. The Anniversary - Perfectly
    12. Synth-pop at it's best, and that is what I like. Plus that part at the end when it's all do do doo dooo doodododdo. Great

  12. Reggie and the Full Effect - Thanx for Stayin'
    13. I'm a sucker for Reggie and the Full Effect's fake emo sound. This is my favorite Reggie song. I first heard of them in 2000 when my friend Will told me to buy some Get Up Kids and some Promise Ring after winning $50 at work. The record store I went to didn't have any Get Up Kids, but the little description card pointed me towards Reggie, and history was made.

  13. Frente! - Labour of Love
    14. It was hard to choose this song. I couldn't decide between this and Bizarre Love Triangle. Then I gave them both a listen and remembered this song has a sweet flute solo.

  14. Nada Surf - Dispossession (second version)


  15. Grandaddy - El Caminos in the West


  16. Brendan Benson - Jetlag
    17. I love the buildup in this song, and I love this song. I love Brendan Benson. I mean his music... I love his music....

  17. Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
    18. I know this came out in 1997, but I consider it the newest thing on my favorites list because I didn't know of Neutral Milk Hotel's existance until 2004.

©® 2006 - All copyrights belong to their respective writers / publishers / etc. Used without permission. (but I encourage you to BUY anything you like) - Artists, if you want your song removed I would be happy to contact me at cmikesell at gmail dot com. I am not doing this in an encouragement to not buy your music, this is a celebration of your music and a small sampling to show people what they need to buy. [ Hi-Res Cover (why would you download this?) ]