Since high school, at the end of every academic year I compile a playlist that ties together particular moments, moods, and memories.  Summing up my senior, and last, year as a student through music was particularly challenging because I felt a responsibility to make this the best representation of the influences from my experiences and peers. This is as much for me as it is for everyone else with whom I crossed paths.

 
It's one continuous track, because ideally you can listen to it in one sitting, preferably on an hour long drive down the shore this summer. 

1. "Devil in Your Eyes" by MiniBoone 
Celebrate the Joy of Life. You Laugh. You Cry. Everybody has to die. 

I met Marielle at SXSW who told me about MiniBoone, her fiancé's band. She was there photographing and treating the festival like a job (a freakin' awesome job) just like I was for blogging. She radiated a positive energy and I made it a point to follow up on her PR plug.  When I listened to MiniBoone I couldn't believe they weren't already a buzz band. Since coming back to Jersey and checking out their live shows, they have been a staple at The Get Down because I really believe in their talent. 

2. "Fa-Fa-Fayo Technology" 50 cent v. Datarock by DJ Stv Slv (4:01)
The smoke's got the club all hazy, spotlights don't do you justice, baby.

My favorite track by one of my two favorite DJs who are The Hood Internet. This song was introduced me on a mix made for me by Kate Bellody, a music major and '09 graduated. This was the pulse of my summer, which drew me deep into the art of mash-ups and kept me dancing throughout senior year.

3. "Birthday Furs" Jeremiah v. The Handsome Furs by DJ ABX (7:38)
Get ready for action, Don't be astounded.

My friends and I would go into several ridiculous dance breaks every time "Birthday Sex" was heard, though there are many remixes of this song, my favorite was done by ABX of The Hood Internet. They get a double dose on the playlists because their mash-ups were my go-to songs for every party and they truly made SXSW unforgettable for me. 

4. "Go Gone" by Estelle (9:37)
I'm bigger and stronger, Guess I'll go faster, And you're never gonna get in my way.

I have always loved Estelle, but her live performance in Austin was probably the most energetic show of the festival. The crowd was packed in tight to see her up-close and personal on the small stage, of which her band took up every inch. She was fierce: talking to the audience as if they were old friends, cursings, telling stories then breaking into songs. It was plain to see this was her dream come true and I loved watching her perform particularly this song.

5. "Bang" by Rye Rye (13:04)
Move to the beat, do the two-step swing. 

Girl Power is a bit of theme here and this young female from Baltimore, Rye Rye, a packs powerful punch because her pace and clarity is untouchable compared to many rappers out now. I finally got to see her perform at SXSW after she dropped out of ALL Points West. However, the real reason why this show was so important to me is because I met Bob Boilen, my future Internship Supervisor, for the second time while waiting for Rye Rye to start. Fate, right?

6. "Got A Thing On My Mind" by Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings (16:36)
I ain't layin' down till I get my dues.

I had a hard time picking a track from my role models, but ultimately I went with one of their most "James Brown" sounding songs. This kind of vintage, big, loud and fast music is my favorite and I have to thank one of my closets friends from school, Mike Taddeo, for letting me tag along to a Sharon Jones show earlier in the fall. Seeing the band perform live made me fall even deeper in love with soul music.

7. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" by Lady Gaga (19:24)
Bang bang, We're beautiful and dirty rich.

She had a big year herself, but her role on the playlist is mostly due to  another close friend, Joey Lewandowski, and his unwavering love for her. He made me appreciate her Top 40 gems and I even performed "Bad Romance" at the Launch Party. I opted, however, to go with this deep track from The Fame because it's her funkiest.

8. "American Boy" by Estelle ft. Kanye West (22:07)
 Walkin' that walk, talk that slick talk.

This track has been a favorite since it was first released and probably my best song I ever performed with my shortly lived band, who are truly the top three musicians I know. I never had so much fun in my life than when I got to jam and make music with the group of guys I dub The Power Trio.

9. "The High Road" by Broken Bells (26:02)
A detour in your new life, tell all your friends goodbye.

By now you may have guessed that my SXSW experience shaped this playlist greatly, but Broken Bells is here for the message in the lyrics and the medium of which I was first exposed to this band. Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton streamed an exclusive first listen through their program All Songs Considered, which is where I will be interning this summer.

10. "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley (29:49)
Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright. 

This song, and the next few, are  here purely for the optimism and encouraging words that I want every graduate to take with them as they leave college.

11. "Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer (32:47)
Now the world can be an unfair place at times, But your lows will have their compliment of highs. And if anyone should cheat you, take advantage of, or beat you raise your head, and wear your wounds with pride. 

This was one of my first Flashlight videos on The Get Down, when I noticed people were actually paying attention to what I was posting.  

12. "Airplane" by Local Natives (36:37)
I love it all, so much I call and I want you back. 

They stopped me in my tracks at SXSW, where I had to see them perform twice. This song brings on nostalgia with gripping harmonies and drums. I'll be honest, the chorus makes me teary eyed.

13. "Let Your Love Grow Tall" by Passion Pit (40:27)
Tall as the grass in the meadow or the dunes on the shore. Like the buildings in the city and your children on the floor. 

I will always regret missing their late night set at Bonnaroo, especially after finally buying their MP3s in the winter and hearing this song. I remember playing it back while driving on very chilly winter evening and thinking, "I can't wait to blast this song during a spring day as I ride down the highway with the windows down." I hope you do the same.

14. "World Sick" by Broken Social Scene (43:55)
I get world sick every time I take a step.

This is a song who's guitar licks and production deliver intense sweeping waves of emotions. The chorus builds to a point of cathartic release that may not be the most uplifting, but it's good to face this kind of feeling especially when life is about to radically change.

15. "Blue Skies" by Ella Fitzgerald (49:45)
Never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things going so right. 

I refuse to leave anyone without a sense of hope, so i had to follow up Broken Social Scene immediately with Blue Skies. I sang this song in my Technique for Singers class, which was the first time I felt like my voice was spot on and meant for this piece. Also, it was performed right after SXSW when everything seemed to be falling into place.

16. "Home" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros (53:27)
We laugh until we think we’ll die, Barefoot on a summer night, Nothin’ new is sweeter than with you. 

I know this song thanks to Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk Concert, which all of my roommates gathered around my laptop to watch. We were blown away by this song and I always think of the afternoon where the sun peaked in through the blinds and we heard this song performed from the very spot I will be working. On top of that, my friends of 5B, and my extended roommates, made a video montage of our friends with this song in the background. 

17. "Baby" by Justin Bieber (58:26)
 Baby, Baby, Baby, I thought you'd always be mine.

This is the biggest pop song on the charts right now, but it also stems from the vintage doo-wop soul style that I mentioned earlier. At first I could not stand this tween pop idol, but Joey Lewandowski brought me to my senses. I remember changing my opinion completely when my roommate, Emma McLaughlin, and I succumbed to the catchiness as we sang at the top of our lungs while driving one night. She attempted to count how many times the word "baby" was sung, while I analyzed how much Bieber reminds me of little Michael Jackson.

In those 17 tracks, I present to you my senior year. I'll be happy to burn a copy (where you can skip through the tracks) for anyone who didn't receive a CD already. Congratulations, Class of 2010, this song goes out to you.