Mixtape Diaries, Vol. 4
I’m currently in the middle of making a new mixtape for my music blog, Green Bananas. This is the fourth in a series of diary-style blog posts documenting the mixtape-making process.
Here are the previous entries:
February 1, 2026
I’m two weeks away from Valentine’s Day and do not have enough of a handle on this mix to make my self-imposed deadline.
There are many personal things holding this up. But one of them is that I haven’t decided on the opener yet. I need to start going through these songs and linking some of them up.
A pairs with B. And D pairs with E. And C bridges the gap between B and D. A-B-C-D-E. It’s a way to kind of modularly build the mix.
Reconsidering some of these songs.
“100,000 Fireflies” by The Magnetic Fields — A little too sad, indoors-y
“I Don't Know What to Say” by The Magnetic Fields — More on target, but the sound is not as magical as “Fireflies”
“Dandelions” by Whitney— Sound is right, but content is too summery. Makes me think less of snow and more of seasonal allergies.
Starting the search for album art.
Digging back in later in the night. Opening Flickr to browse some potential album art while I listen to Echoes 1 again. First thing is to scroll through my “Faves”—which is my always-expanding collection of interesting photos. I pull out the ones that seem like they could be a fit. Once I do that, I will go back and do some more targeted searches to try and find something even more specific.
Created Echoes 2. Prepping to pull some songs over. But first I’ll sort of re-order them in the playlist—moving winners up, losers down. The first moves are always when I have 2 or 3 songs from the same artist and need to make a call on which is best.
Experimenting with ChatGPT
Note: I won’t say I’ve fully figured out how to incorporate AI into this mixtape making process of mine, but I try little experiments here and there. I also think it’s very important to keep this process as organic as possible. Algorithms are really good at recommending music. I want to elevate these mixtapes by doing what the AI cannot: connect it to the human experience.
I threw the collection into ChatGPT and asked if there were any themes in the songs that it was picking up on. It found several—including exactly what I am going for. In their words: “Love, but not at a distance. Not falling in love. Living with it.” It kind of veers off the topic a little bit here and there, but it’s a little confirmation that the thing I’m shooting for is, in fact, there.
Themes accurately identified by ChatGPT:
Love, but at a distance
Not falling in love—living with it. Longing, aftermaths, near-misses.
Romantic realism
Still searching for an opener.
Echoes 2 is 2 hours. To the untrained ear, it would seem as if I had two mixtapes on my hands here. But alas, I don’t even have one yet.
Back to Flickr
Going to be hard to find something for this one because photos of snow automatically feel cheesy.
I’m searching for something like walking through New York City. It’s night. The snow is just starting to fall. But it’s not yet accumulated. It doesn’t have to literally be that. Would probably feel corny if it was. But that’s the image in my head. I need something more abstract that still ends up communicating that feeling.
Here’s something… ?
Here’s another. It’s the right tone for what I’ve done in the past. The white is pretty striking.
“Plastic Soul” by Mondo Cosmo is a contender for opening track. But I fear it might be too corny to bear that load. Listening again, feels like something that would hit better later in the mix.
Note: I’m listening to the mix while browsing Flickr.
Serious cover art contender here. If I crop around the guy in the silly hat in the corner, I think it might be that kind of magical snow-fall thing I’m looking for.
Interesting shots from NYC.
Now thinking I might want to avoid snow all together. This mix is not very winter specific. I think it will turn people off. It’s not a downer acoustic mix. It’s much more interesting than that. It’s just cozy.
“Coffee in the Morning” by Wet could open this thing up. It has such a charming Christmas-song sound to it. And it’s short enough. Maybe it’s just a little appetizer. What’s more plain and normal than coffee in the morning? Checking the lyrics and it’s not exactly what I’m going for here. That said, I will let the mix reveal itself to me.
“Manhattan” by Cat Power could definitely open this. But is it too long?
“Take Care” by Beach House opens with that same harpsichord sound as the Magnetic Fields song I’m kicking around. It fades out and Beach House fades in. It’s a very good match. Going to link these up.
ChatGPT tells me my mix needs some Arthur Russell. Perhaps it does.
Instead of digging into his music, I end up on his Wikipedia page.
I see Jens Lekman did a tribute. I play “A Little Lost,” which features that airy finger piano sound that I also have pinned for this mix thru “Many Years Later” by Green-House.
February 2, 2026
Shower listen:
- “You’re Too Precious” by James Blake — Might not be a good fit. But the drum machine might be a little too much.
Did an A/B test with “A Little Lost” by Jens Lekman and “Many Years Later” by Green-House. Listened to Jens first and didn’t think it was going to fit, but it might if Green-House comes first. The decision to include these two songs, together, will send the mix on a certain path. Not sure if that’s the path this mix is destined to be going. way this is going.
“Whole Love” by Wilco is the right romantic sentiment, but — and this won’t make sense — the song is a daylight song. It’s not a nighttime song. Need something else like “Magnetized” or “Reservations” or “White Light” — those longer, droning ones at the end of albums.
Experimenting with openers:
Tried “We’ve Been Had” as the opener, but I don’t think it sets the right tone.
“Coffee In The Morning” has a very abrupt ending. I think it almost transitions best into “Incident on 57th Street,” but otherwise I don’t think the songs pair well together.
“Simple Times” by Frank LoCrasto has the right sound, but it’s a little too long for the opener. I don’t think people would hang in. It might not even have a home on this mix because I can’t see it anywhere other than the opener, come to think of it.
Moving beyond just the openers:
Making some hard cuts to try and get some clarity: “Real Love” and “New Love Cassette” are out.
“Manhattan” could pair with “You’re Too Precious.”
Noticed that Mondo Cosmo has a cover of “Bittersweet Symphony” which is actually exactly the kind of song that could fit in this playlist. The source of the sample, however, might be perfect. “The Last Time” by Andrew Oldham Orchestra.
Not going to make the deadline for this thing. It’s just not really coalescing yet. I think I’m missing two or three pieces — I just don’t know what they are.
I’m thinking that it’s harder to meaningfully string the songs together when everything is a little ethereal and dreamy.
This might be a nice pair: “Me & Magdalena” with “Valleys (My Love)”
Making Echoes 3.
Going to just pull out the songs that I think are great.
Still coming in at 1 hour 20 min.
“Northern Sky” by Nick Drake feels like it’s sticking out so I pull up its radio station and notice some Richard Hawley and remember that this mix has no Richard Hawley.
Added Richard Hawley’s “Precious Sight” to the mix.
Maybe this mix just needs to get small. Fewer, but longer songs. Less dynamic.
This Foxwarren song, “Dance,” is throwing me off a little bit. I think it’s too slow? Going back to their album from last year, 2, which is full of this ethereal production. Now I’m thinking “Wings” might be the right way to go.
Trying this as a little run:
- I think this run works:
But these three songs alone are pushing 15 minutes. This may have to be its own movement in the mix.
Something about these songs: they’re kind of daydreamy. They ponder. They ask questions.
Listening tonight with headphones. Suddenly, “Many Years Later” by Green-House feels too harsh on my poor ears. It’s out. And consequently “A Little Lost” by Jens Lekman is also probably out.
And, here here is Echoes 4:
- Culled it even further. It’s now down to one hour. Must hew and hone even more. I would guess at least another two or three of these songs are going to get dropped or swapped.
February 3, 2026
Cold morning in Los Angeles. Listened in the car. Helped set the tone.
- Might want to add something from the Eternal Sunshine score.
Working on a new opening run:
- Coffee In The Morning — Wet
- AUATC — Bon Iver
- Love Takes Miles — Cameron Winter
- Wings — Foxwarren
- Plastic Soul — Mondo Cozmo
- Simple Times — Frank LoCrasto
“Simple Times” might be a little much in this slot.
Listening to “Manhattan” again. Reminding me that it’s really a nice table-setting song and should probably come earlier in the mix. It’s also keyed me in on something else: this mix is very New York. Maybe I should lean into that.
Listening to “Magnetized” by Wilco. It’s a really good fit because it gets into some bed/sleep imagery which plays into the dreaminess theme that’s building here. But more importantly, the song ends on almost exactly the same droning tone that “Love Takes Miles” begins with. This sort of thing is so compelling to me that I will almost automatically sequence these songs together.
- Test run: It sounds great. Also, I like how these two parts play together:
“I sleep underneath a picture that I keep of you next to me.”
“Love will call, when you’ve got enough under your arms.”
“Simple Times” is feeling more like an interlude now, if anything.
Trying “Manhattan” in the three spot after “Coffee” and “AUATC”… But it doesn’t really run into “Magnetized” very well.
This little run is working well, but I need to find something that can play out of “Northern Sky”.
- I might have to pull “Real Love” by Beach House back in here for flow purposes. Works really well, I think. Also flows nicely into the “Theme” from Eternal Sunshine. But now the mix is going down a slightly more somber route.
- Looking for that missing ingredient. Thinking The National, or better yet EL VY, might be the answer. “No Time To Crank The Sun” perhaps? … Eh, they’re all a little too intense for this mix.
February 4, 2026
Some more notes:
Simple times doesn’t work as the second song. I think there’s a high likelihood that this song will be a little bit of a turnoff for people. If it’s gonna stay, it has to be earned and come in later on in the mix.
I need some sort of connective tissue between “AUATC” and “Magnetized.” Perhaps it’s… (Note: Note’s trailed off.)
Researching what the production style is called that Bon Iver often employs. If there’s a name for it, it might be easier to research artists who play in that world. Tape decay? Pitch drift? Not having much luck here, but I like both “pitch” and “drift” as words to play with for a potential title.
Digging into his producers on the track: Jim-E Stack and BJ Burton.
February 6, 2026
Death in the family. The deadline must pass. ✱
More on mixtapes: