You Can Dance If You Want To: New Playlists and Giveaway Winners Announced
With 75 song suggestions from y’all, plus the rabbit holes I fell into while checking out new and old artists – so many rabbit holes – I present to you the 2019 Mix Tapes’ songs and artists that made the final cut.
I have a lot of fun checking out all the artists you recommend and I wouldn’t have the diversity of artists and styles without your help. So first and foremost, THANK YOU for creating this project with me.
Here are the 2019 playlists:
Phenomenal Woman Mix
- Home ~ Ella Eyre
- Call on Me ~ Starley
- Oh Heart ~ Tank and the Bangas
- You Have Been Loved ~ Sia
- Forever Young ~ Audra Mae and the Forest Rangers
- Helpless ~ The Regrettes
- Dream of You ~ Camila Cabello
- When I Wasn’t Watching ~ Mandy Moore
- Marry Me ~ Mahalia
- Stay High ~ Brittany Howard
- That Would Be Enough ~ Alicia Keyes
- Sorry ~ Mali-Koa
- The Storm ~ ZZ Ward
- American Pie ~ Shea Diamond
- Evergreen ~ Yebba
- To Rise You Gotta Fall ~ Nicki Bluhm
- Crowded Table ~ The Highwomen
- Came Here for Love ~ Sigala and Ella Eyre
- Cold War ~ Kiah Victoria
- Amen ~ Andra Day
Cafe Mix
- Shine Your Weary Light ~ Cris Jacobs
- Somewhere in My Heart ~ Aztec Camera
- My Own Fault ~ Manny Walters
- Another Story ~ The Head and the Heart
- The Weary Kind ~ Ryan Bingham
- Goodbye ~ The Sweeplings
- Clay Pigeons ~ Blaze Foley
- If I Go, I’m Goin ~ Gregory Alan Isakov
- Lost in the Light ~ Bahamas
- Waiting Here ~ Jake Isaac
- The Whole of the Moon ~ The Waterboys
- In a River ~ Rostam
- Bag of Bones ~ ZZ Ward
- All on My Mind ~ Anderson East
- I Am Easy to Find ~ The National
- You’re Somebody Else ~ Flora Cash
- Lisbon Love ~ Cameron Douglas
- The Tale of You and Me ~ Wild Child
Congrats to pals Darla, Mark, Eric, Tara, Peyton, August, Andy, Jessica, and Maggie who all had songs or artists selected for the final lists! And everyone who shared a suggestion gets a chance to win the playlists – TWO lucky winners selected!
*drum roll please*
This year’s winners are Lisa David Olson and Tara Eilers! Thank you for your song suggestions! May these new tunes continue to help you JAM ON!
Turn Up the Volume: New Playlists Revealed
A new year brings with it new playlists! With over 70 recommendations from you all, these are some of my favorite mix tape songs yet!
While not every song shared can make it onto the mix lists, I enjoyed checking out all the artists and songs you suggested, and I downloaded many to my own library for further listening.
Here are the songs that made it on the 2018 Phenomenal Woman and Cafe Mixes!
Phenomenal Woman Mix
1. Falling Water ~ Maggie Rogers
2. Pegasi ~ Jesca Hoop
3. Good Thing Gone ~ Elle King
4. Shine On ~ May Erlewine
5. Hearts Beat Loud ~ Keegan DeWitt & Kiersey Clemons
6. Only Love Can Hurt Like This ~ Paloma Faith
7. Don’t Wait ~ Maipei
8. Great One ~ Jessie Reyez
9. Light On ~ Maggie Rogers
10. Dream ~ Bishop Briggs
11. Armor ~ Sara Bareilles
12. Always Remember Us This Way ~ Lady Gaga
13. She’s Got You ~ Rhiannon Giddens
14. Best Years of My Life ~ Pistol Annies
15. Space Cowboy ~ Kasey Musgraves
16. Boy Band Hero ~ Emily Kinney
17. Shadow on the Wall ~ Ruby Amanfu
18. Something American ~ Jade Bird
19. Yours ~ Ella Henderson
20. Velodrome ~ Dessa
Cafe Mix
1. Fine ~ Noah Kahan
2. Blue Ridge Mountains ~ Larkin Poe
3. Two Blue Eyes ~ Tall Heights
4. Famous ~ Serena Ryder
5. Heart of Somebody ~ Caroline Spence
6. Kings & Queens ~ Mat Kearney
7. Slow Burn ~ Kasey Musgraves
8. Us ~ James Bay
9. Hurt Somebody ~ Noah Kahan & Julia Michaels
10. Roll the Bones ~ Shakey Graves
11. Say Love ~ James TW
12. Beyond ~ Leon Bridges
13. If I Say ~ Mumford & Sons
14. Leave a Light On ~ Humbird
15. Telluride ~ The Lone Bellow
16. Stranger ~ Sawyer Fredericks
17. The Gold ~ Manchester Orchestra
18. Everytime I Hear That Song ~ Brandi Carlile
19. Unraveling ~ Frances Cone
20. Your Water ~ Parker Millsap & Sarah Jarosz
***
Now, without further ado, the winners of the mix tapes themselves, and with great gratitude for their suggestions as I used some from each of them, the 2018 mix tape collections go to Darla from She’s a Maineiac and Mark from Swinged Cat!
Until next time, keep dancing, friends!
And feel free to share more of your favorite songs below
as the search for this year’s fave tunes begins NOW!
Call for Songlists: The 2017 Mixtape Begins
You know the drill. We’re making a mixtape, people.
It’s old school. It’s outdated. Who even has a cd player anymore?
Well, my mother does. It’s a Bose. Because all old people own Boses.
Since 2007, my reoccurring christmas gift to my mother and sister is a Phenomenal Woman Mix Tape, and I rely on YOUR HELP to find the best songs to put on it. Bonus points – in the last five years, I also added a Cafe Mix for all those winter mug holding moments.
So tell me, who are the phenomenal women you’re listing to? And what coffee shop tunes are you chillin’ out with?
Two lucky commenters will win a copy of each CD!
***
Get started with these inspiring jams off last year’s CD!
Into the Wild by LP (Phenomenal Woman Mix)
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Postmodern Jukebox featuring Maiya Sykes (Phenomenal Woman Mix)
Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware (Phenomenal Woman Mix)
Unsteady by X Ambassadors (Cafe Mix)
Growing Things by Shook Twins (Cafe Mix)
Check out the full 2016 playlists here, plus 2015 and 2014 if you just wanna dance.
The Ultimate Mixtape: 2016 Edition
Hey Music Lovers,
For the past four years, I’ve called on you to share your favorite songs and musicians with me for a reoccurring nerdy gift I always give my mom and sis for Christmas. A mixtape.
Since 2007, I’ve made them a personal playlist of phenomenal women. Every song is a female musician. And the tunes are typically upbeat. It’s the kind of thing you’d play before going out, or pumping yourself up for some hours in the kitchen or cleaning. Songs that make you move.
When a need arrived to add some more mellow songs, as well as male musicians, I created the Cafe’ Mix. The songs you’d listen to while holding a mug of your favorite warm beverage and gazing out the window, or curled up on the couch while reading a book.
It has become a favorite gift of my mother and sister (partially because they are busy women who don’t have time to search for new music and don’t have smartphones yet – my sis does now though). When they get the new Phenomenal Women Mix and Cafe Mix, they play them all year long.
This is where you come in.
I need your help! Tell me your favorite songs! The ones you’ve thumbs up’d, hit replay on, shazam’d, go back to again and again when you hit “a mood”.
Tell me in the comments what your favorite song recommendations are for each album. Last year, you gave me 58 songs to listen to!
To thank you, I’ll draw two random commenters to also receive copies of the cds and post the complete lists in the New Year!
Thank you all so much for your input. I’ve missed you. Here’s to making the new year…well, phenomenal!
***
Song Ideas to Get You Started:
Phenomenal Women Mix
Wolf by First Aid Kit
Knots by Lisa Hannigan
Wild Young Hearts by the Noisettes
Cafe Mix
Fare Thee Well by Marcus Mumford and Oscar Isaac
Heart Beats by Johnnyswim
You and Me by Sara Watkins
Phenomenal Woman Mix Revealed and Winners Announced!
Hey fellow songsters!
Thank you all so much for the many music suggestions for the phenomenal woman and cafe mix cds this season! You fantastic people gave me 58 songs to check out!
I had a literal dance party listening to all the tunes you shared.
So it’s time to reveal the final playlists aaaaaand the cd winners!!
Check em out! Did your favorite bands and musicians make the cut?
***
Congratulations to this year’s winners of the mix cds –
Amy Kennedy Fosseen and Julie Glover!!!
Happy jamming, ladies!
***
Phenomenal Woman Mix
1. Little Red Wagon – Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound
2. Wherever is Your Heart – Brandi Carlile
3. Flashlight – Jessie J
4. Dangerous Days – Zola Jesus
5. Burning House – Cam
6. Alive – Sia
7. Night Like This – LP
8. Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift
9. Lights and Camera – Yuna
10. Glow – Ella Henderson
11. Sound of a Woman – Kiesza
12. Hold Me Down – Halsey
13. Ex’s & Oh’s – Elle King
14. Love Myself – Hailee Steinfeld
15. She’s Not Me – Jenny Lewis
16. A Change is Gonna Come – Leela Jones
17. Water Under the Bridge – Adele
18. Get Up, Get On – Jill Andrews
19. Buffalo Stars – Leila Broussard
20. Stay Gold – First Aid Kit
***
Cafe’ Mix
1. Make This Leap – The Hunts
2. Diamonds – Johnnyswim
3. Riptide – Jasmine Thompson
4. Empress – Morningsiders
5. Hold Each Other – A Great Big World
6. Accustomed to the Dark – Theresa Andersson
7. America – First Aid Kit
8. San Andreas Faultline – Sugarcane Jane
9. The Heartache Can Wait – Brandi Carlile
10. Slow Motion – Phox
11. Sinner – Jeremy Loops
12. The Crossing – Meg Hutchinson
13. The Fairest of the Seasons – Anna Nalick
14. Let No Grief – The Wild Reeds
15. Shadowplay – The Saint Johns
16. Rox in the Box – The Decemberists
17. It’s Only Me – Dessa
18. Emmylou – First Aid Kit
19. Ends of the Earth – Lord Huron
20. Gulf Coast Highway – Red Molly
21. Acid Tongue – Jenny Lewis
***
Find any new favorites?
What are you listening to now?
The Ultimate Mix CD Revealed + Giveaway Winners
I thought it was time I revealed the master playlists from the Phenomenal Woman and Cafe Mixes. Every year I create 2 mix cds as gifts for my mom and sister – a phenomenal woman mix full of upbeat dance tunes, and a cafe mix for relaxing at home. I’ve enlisted help from the blogosphere for the past several years in finding just the right tunes to add and I hosted a giveaway for those that shared ideas.
Thank you all so much for sharing your musical suggestions with me. To see all the recommendations, check out The Ultimate Mix CD Project.
Here are the winning contenders!
Phenomenal Woman Mix:
1. Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
2. Hideaway by Kiesza
3. Mother and Father by Broods
4. His Gorgeousness by The Shoe
5. Tough Love by Jessie Ware
6. Ghost by Ella Henderson
7. My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit
8. The Chain by Brandi Carlile
9. Knots by Lisa Hannigan
10. Gun by CHVRCHES
11. Coffee by Sylvan Esso
12. Wings by Birdy
13. Safe & Sound by Savannah Berry
14. Pompeii by Jasmine Thompson
15. Wolf by First Aid Kit
16. Last Bus Out by Jillette Johnson
17. Spectrum by Florence + the Machine
18. Beating Heart by Ellie Goulding
19. Higher by Lia Ices
20. Rockstar by Emily Kinney
21. Enough by The Mrs.
*****
Cafe Mix:
1. Paper Cup by The Shoe
2. Long Way Off by Gungor
3. Fare Thee Well by Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford
4. Kids by Emily Kinney
5. Stay With Me by Bernhoft
6. Michigan by The Milk Carton Kids
7. Li’l Red Riding Hood by Laura Gibson
8. Just Another Day by Stacey Earle
9. I See Fire by Ed Sheeran
10. Come Out Wherever You Are by Paul Cook & The Chronicles
11. Like a Dream by Francis and the Lights
12. Woodstock by Joni Mitchell
13. Somebody That I Used to Know by Madilyn Bailey & Jake Coco
14. Mull of Kintyre by Wings
15. Be Not So Fearful by A.C. Newman
16. Shadow on the Wall by Brandi Carlile
17. Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars
18. 18th of December by The Deep Dark Woods
19. You and Me by You + Me
20. Go To Sleep by The Avett Brothers
*****
There are the ultimate playlists! Happy listening.
And the winners of the cd giveaway are…
Lauralynn Elliott and Susan Dahlstrom
Congrats ladies!
***
What were your favorite tunes of the past year?
Find any new favorites from these playlists?
The Ultimate Mix CD Project 2014
Hey Peeps!
With Christmas just a month away, I’ve got to get cracking on my go to gift for my mum and sis.
The Ultimate Mix CD Project
Since 2007 I’ve given them each a Phenomenal Women’s Mix CD, a compilation of all female artists and the songs are usually upbeat and dance-worthy. A few years ago I added in what I call a Cafe’ Mix – mellow music for hanging at home and which allows male and female artists. Since 2012, I’ve enlisted YOUR help with creating those awesome playlists.
I need your brilliant ideas again now!
And to thank you, I’ll pick 2 commenters at random to win copies of the 2 cds!
I’m guessing no one wants my fake NaNo album – created in a black hole of stress rage. I called it Blames it On the Hormones.
No takers? None? Ok.
Then here are some ideas to get you thinking about types of songs to suggest!
*****
For the Phenomenal Women Mix:
My Silver Lining ~ First Aid Kit
This is the song I keep playing on repeat. Lurve!
Hideaway ~ Kiesza
She did this music video in one take. One take!!!
Enough ~ The Mrs
The ladies behind the magic talking mirror. Had to be included!
For the Cafe’ Mix:
Paper Cup ~ The Shoe
Did you know actress Jena Malone has a band? And it’s awesome! This video is flippin’ weird, but I love this song, and every other song on their debut album I’m Okay.
Poison & Wine ~ The Civil Wars
Haunting and beautiful. Hurt and yet thankful. Haven’t we all felt this way at some point?
Stay With Me ~ Bernhoft
A great male addition to my mix. Love the song, and hadn’t heard much buzz about him before, but found this song via my Songza app.
*****
What do you think of these tunes so far?
What other songs should I add? Share your favorites!
The Ultimate Mix Tape Saga Continues
Hey fellow music lovers! I had so much fun chatting with you guys about music that I want more of it! I’m sharing with you some of my favorite music finds from the suggestions YOU left last blog, and asking you for MORE! I know, I’m so greedy. But you guys are a wealth of titillating tuneage!
If you’re just tuning in, I’m in the works of creating 2 mix cd’s for my mom for Christmas. For the past 5 years, I’ve made her a phenomenal woman mix. And I’m working on 2012’s now! But I’ve found so much great music, I’m taking some of the folksier ones and making a Cafe’ Mix as well.
Many of you named artists I already knew and loved. I thought, for those curious minds, I’d share the playlist from 2011’s Phenomenal Woman Mix!
Phenomenal Woman Mix 2011
- Lights by Ellie Goulding
- Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine
- With or Without You by Sarah Darling
- Never Forget You by the Noisettes
- Pride and Joy by Brandi Carlile
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by Amy Winehouse
- Waves and the Both of Us by Charlotte Sometimes
- All Your Life by The Band Perry
- Sweet Ride by Courtney Jaye
- When I Look At You by Miley Cyrus
- Don’t Stop by Gin Wigmore
- Everybody by V.V. Brown
- Little Lie by Lindi Ortega
- The Treehouse Song by Ane Brun
- On the Run by Tina Dico
- Shake it Out by Florence + the Machine
- Crazy Amazing by V.V. Brown
- Sing You Home by Xenia
- Tightrope by Janelle Monae
- Here I Go Again by Audra Mae
I’m going to extend the mix tape contest through this weekend too. I’ll be randomly picking 3 commenters between this post and the previous Mix Tape blog for a chance at one of the following,or heck, ALL OF THE ABOVE!
- a chance to do a guest post about their guilty pleasure
- a guest post from me on a topic TBD
- a mix cd of tunes selected just for you!
My favorite recommendations for the Cafe’ Mix so far:
Werewolf by Fiona Apple (recommended by Eric)
An all too true poetic encounter of some relationships. Been way too long since I listened to Fiona.
If Love is a Red Dress by Maria McKee (recommended by Dawn)
This song is great, and apparently on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack! Quentin Tarantino marathon anyone?
My favorite recommendations for the Phenomenal Woman Mix so far:
The Only Place by Best Coast (recommended by Mark)
Is this song in a commercial? I could swear I’d heard it before, which made it instantly catchy and awesome!
Glorious by Stephanie Mabey (power ballad recommended by Julie)
Beautiful! Just beautiful! And for fun, you seriously all need to check out Mabey’s tune, The Zombie Song – it’s a riot!
Next to Me by Emeli Sande’ (artist recommended by Victoria)
Victoria does a Sunday Songs post and this week she featured Emeli Sande’ covering John Lennon’s Imagine, which is also great, but I loved this original tune by her.
Beast of Burden by Bette Midler (Julie gets a second nod after I saw THIS VIDEO!)
Don’t you want to watch this video every day for the rest of your life?!
Ok folks, there’s some of the high contenders so far! Don’t forget to comment, comment, comment below! Please leave as many female artists/bands as possible! Three lucky winners to be announced on monday’s blog where I also introduce a special guest music star!
The Ultimate Mix Tape…For My Mom
Hey Everyone! This Guilty Pleasures Friday, we’re doing something a little different. I’m asking for your help and recommendations for a present for my mom!
Every holiday I give my mom a Phenomenal Woman Mix as one of her Christmas gifts and this year I’m finding lots of tunes, but in really different styles. So I’ve decided to give her both a “Cafe’ Mix” and a Phenomenal Woman Mix (upbeat music that makes you sing in the car or dance to).
So now, I’m about halfway through both and I need suggestions!
I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite music finds for the two compilations, and would love to hear your ideas for additional songs to go on either cd!
Aaaaaand:
I thought we needed a fun contest!
I will pick 3 commenters at random who will win their choice of the following:
- a chance to do a guest post about their guilty pleasure
- a guest post from me on a topic TBD
- a mix cd of tunes selected just for you!
Let the jam begin!
Here’s some of the tunes for the Cafe’ Mix so far:
Where’d All the Living Go – Imaginary Cities
Never Quit Loving You – Jill Barber
You and Me – Sara Watkins
Tunes for the Phenomenal Woman Mix:
Let Me Out – Imelda May
Wild Young Hearts – The Noisettes
My Heart – The Ettes
Blue Bird – Lindi Ortega
Did you notice a trend?
All recommendations should be female artists please! That’s what makes it a phenomenal women mix!
Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Did you find some new tunes you like too?
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 