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With spring right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about blooming flowers, warmer temperatures and of course, dinner with friends!
Last summer I put together a mixtape called “Dinner with Friends” and the response was fantastic. I thought with the change in season coming soon, it’s time for another mixtape, this time focused on the sweet sounds of spring and all that comes with it.
So let’s get to it. Enjoy my new mixtape “Spring Dinner with Friends”.
Kicking off with a classic track, “Grazing in the Grass” by The Friends of Distinction. You may not know it from the name, but just listen to the opening of the song and you’ll recognize it instantly.
TikTok has introduced me to a number of cool artists and songs, even some classics. Later in the mixtape we get to Wings and a track off of their 1979 album Back to the Egg. “Arrow Through Me” is a light and bouncy mid-tempo tune that brings some sweet horns.
This mixtape isn’t all about classic songs and deep cuts. The latest album from Future Islands was released earlier this year and it’s fantastic. The lead single, “The Tower” is an anthemic, bass-thumping track with some serious synth behind it.
One of the most beautiful songs ever is “Bougainvillea, I Think” by Sam Outlaw. Outlaw paints a delicate story of a young man’s fondness and kindness towards an elderly neighbor and her flowers.
Before there was Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend” there was Freddie Scott and “(You) Got What I Need”. The soul groover is much different than Markie’s track. It’s a sweeter number about a girl who makes everything better.
Let’s not forget the rock and roll in this mixtape. Queen makes an appearance with the fantastic “Need Your Loving Tonight”, an infectious power pop song with enough breezy energy from the 1960s.
We close with my favorite song from The Smiths, “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Because at dinner parties, aren’t we all “young and alive”. Sure it turns quickly to one of the saddest songs The Smiths have ever recorded, but at this point in the evening, aren’t we sad that the party is winding down?
Like before this is a mixtape that can and will grow - and you can help. Feel free to send me your suggestions of songs you’d want to hear over some appetizers and drinks or the main course. Meanwhile, sit back, enjoy the meal and the music.