Break-up Mix Tape

Magnetic Fields - I don't want to get over you

Atmosphere - Fuck You Lucy

The Dials - Bye Bye Bye Bye Baby

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Hi Dear

Pavement - Box Elder (live)

The Cure - Pictures of You


I am in my mid-20s. And in all my years of human schooling, no one ever mentioned this odd last phase of puberty, which leads me to believe that, in fact, puberty never ends. The body never stops bloating and tightening in odd, unwelcomed places, with no care for purpose or need. This is surely the beginging of the end, and like all people faced with an abyss, everyone I know is either digging in, fleeing away, or jumping off. What do I mean? Marriage, that oddly masochistic impulse to trade fear and uncertainty for irritation and boredom. As many, many, of my same-aged friends, family and aquaintances are jumping up to announce their loving nuptuals, almost as many are cutting and running. Changing cities, careers, continents, and breaking up romantic dynasties. Big break ups. The kinds where apartment and record collections are involved. Even dogs and house plants. Recently, a friend who has held three relationships in the past year announced, on facebook (the future of the abyss), his plans for marriage this month. That same week, my "promising" rock n' roll band was rocked n' rolled by a breakup between drummer and singer, the breakup of a 3 year union of bass drum and vocal melody, leaving me bandless and jaded.

Well, I say, why face this crossroads when you can just stay up all night and listen to records? Breakups, general disillusion, and heartache have been the driving force of pop since time eternal. Every crooner has probably thrown in their opinion on the matter, but some of course do it better than others. Like a spread of horribly depressing options, the following hopeless souls each provide a different stance on the breakup, and the best path through the newly single world. As you can hear, there's a fine line between cartharsis and obsession.

Magnetic Fields - I don't want to get over you

No one does obsession like Stephen Merchant. And his strategy's pretty air tight, they can't can't really leave you if you just never, ever, ever let go. They're gone, so make that lack the nucleus of your life, and the hollow outline formed becomes a close 2nd to the real deal! Nifty!

Atmosphere - Fuck You Lucy

Next strategy, anger. Pigeon-holing Atmosphere's Slug (Sean Daley) as an angst rapper would do discredit to his broad philisophical wanderings, but ex and baby's moma "Lucy Ford" has been a central dynamo on most of his albums. Here, the spite is white hot as Slug shows us that you really can't love someone unless you really fucking hate them.

The Dials - Bye Bye Bye Bye Baby


The girls from Chicago's The Dials sneer with self-pity as they tell us they don't even care that we're leaving. Fuck your new girlfriend, and fuck California. You can't hurt me if I don't care, right, even if I actually do care a whole fucking lot. Isn't that what punk is all about?


Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - Hi Dear

Jonathan Richman doesn't let rejection get him down. He'll just show up at your house everyday, snapping his fingers, until you admit that he's completely adorable, and go "rock a little" with him. Like an abused puppy...

Pavement - Box Elder (live)

"It was the way that you smiled, that made me know at once, that I had to get the fuck out of this town" Stephen Malkmus sings on the live cut from the second disc of Slanted and Enchanted: Luxe and Redux. Sometimes you just know. And then you get on the next bus for Missouri.

The Cure - Pictures of You

Perhaps not so much obsession, as and endless remembrance. One thing you can say about hearbreak and loss, it made for some extremely beautiful 1980's pop songs. Once again, hats off to Robert Smith.