Two Mormon Loves

Let me just preface this entry by saying that I am, without a doubt, very good at making mixed CDs. I have a fairly good idea most of the time of how far I can push a persons musical taste without making that person feel alienated. It’s a fairly useless talent, but I’m proud of it nonetheless. You know. When you have a crooked face, you do the best with what you have. Also, Jenn is a Mormon.

My talent has resulted in requests for countless mixes. One such request that I gladly accepted was from my friend Jenn, who is almost exclusively a Top 40s girl. While I myself have been known to dance around a Wal-Mart or two to Bruno Mars, I feel like her level of exclusivity is no way to live. After all, there is in fact a world beyond Britney Spears, and it is a glorious one. Even though I don’t necessarily like all music (*cough* Country), I feel like if it’s good within its genre, I can at least appreciate it.

The thing that I find particularly bothersome about Jenn’s lack of exploration is the fact that I’ve known Jenn for 10 years. From choir. I expect a little more adventure from someone who has been singing Requiems for the better part of her life. It was time for me to inject something new into Jenn’s life that was still reasonably palatable for her. The result: One Mormon Love: An Indie Experience.

Now, One Mormon Love is probably not even one of my best mixes, as it dealt almost exclusively with Indie music. Most of the time, I like to switch things up a little more. Regardless, it was a good mix. In fact, when driving to Seattle with Jenn, I exclaimed, “Wow, all of these songs are so good! I’m impressed!” only to be told that it was, in fact, The One Mormon Love mix I had made.

The initial reaction I got was less than satisfying. I expected to be praised for having shown Jenn a world outside of Miley Cyrus and the Disney crew. This expectation was obviously not met, as Jenn is a little shit. The only song she liked was “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman”, which is NOT an Indie song, but some hip-hop that I had added at the end to reward her for being so accepting and adventurous. In actuality, she just listened to two or three songs and skipped forward to the end for some K-Os. It appeared that I had been defeated.

One thing about me: I never lose.

Sure enough, after multiple listens, Jenn has come around to One Mormon Love with a few exceptions. In fact, she even asked me for more Indie music! It took a year, but I was victorious. Which brings us up to date. I have created Two Mormon Loves: A MORE Indie Experience. This time, I’m not going easy on her. No more Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, no more hip-hop (with the exception of Julian Smith. That’s just something I knew she’d like. I mean, c’mon! “I’m at the library where they call me a crook/ I never even pay for my library books” is some lyrical genius). I am nothing if not persistent, and I WILL wear this girl down.

What follows is a track list for Two Mormon Loves with titles and artists. Read. Listen. Appreciate my magic.

Like Dylan In The Movies- Belle and Sebastian

Decatur, Or, Round of Applause For Your Stepmother!- Sufjan Stevens

Keep Breathing- Ingrid Michaelson

Lie In Our Graves- Dave Matthews Band

For The Widows In Paradise, For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti- Sufjan Stevens

Naïve- The Kooks

Alleyways- Hey Ocean!

Season Of The Shark- Yo La Tengo

Postcards From Italy- Beirut

Mr. Maker- The Kooks

Boy With A Coin- Iron and Wine

Sensible Heart- City and Colour

La Mar- The Beautiful Girls

Silent Sigh- Badly Drawn Boy

The Blower’s Daughter- Damien Rice

Fish- Hey Ocean!

Save Your Scissors- City and Colour

How It Should Be (Sha Sha)- Ben Kweller

I’m Reading A Book- Julian Smith