I have this playlist on my laptop called “Mix: Home Listening.” It’s currently at 1,331 songs. When our family is just hanging around the house, or especially when Kristi and I cook, we put that playlist on shuffle and just hope for the best. Well, not really, since everything in that playlist is hand-picked.

There are some evenings when my wife and I will look at each other and just wish we could have that same mix of music that just came up to enjoy later on. So, some time ago, I started keeping track of some of the evenings we really liked and I started making mixes of them for the car or just to re-play. We don’t replay them often, but since I have several of them, I thought: why not share them with my Holiday at the Sea online friends and family.

I do pick the first song but from then on out, it’s all shuffle. We’ve been making these mixes about an hour to an hour-and-a-half since that’s what will fit on a blank CD. So, it has to be on shuffle and play good songs for at least an hour. If I skip a song, then the whole mix is thrown out.

I’m not sure how many of these mixes I will end up posting, but I’ve got several ready to go, so I figured that now is as good a time as any. I hope you enjoy and that these songs accompany as many good family times for you as they have for us.

Enjoy.

1. “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

2. “Pump It Up” by Elvis Costello

3. “Swing Wide The Glimmering Gates” by Andrew Osenga

4. “When It Don’t Come Easy” by Patty Griffin

5. “This Tornado Loves You” by Neko Case

6. “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes

7. “The Last Of The Famous International Playboys” by Morrissey

8. “Carry Me Ohio” by Sun Kil Moon

9. “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop

10. “Silence Kit” by Pavement

11. “Welcome to Struggleville” by Vigilantes of Love

12. “Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold” by Townes Van Zandt

13. “Blanket of Ghosts” by Dustin Kenstrue

14. “Distress Signal” by Jeremy Casella

15. “Lincoln Town” by John Hiatt

16. “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” by Gregory Alan Isakov

17. “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” by John Prine

18. “Narcissus Soaking Wet” by Chris Robinson Brotherhood

19. “Be Thankful” by Jackie Mittoo

20. “Funeral Singers” by Califone

21. “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” by Jeff Tweedy

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