#mix tapes

[mixtape-edit]

more art of my boy...i miss him a lot

the world was far too cruel to you,

[amnesia-lane]

[briarberrythornedhart]

Well... That’s Settled

Cw: none. Just fluff and eventual romance

It’s Saturday. A rare Saturday where you and your co-worker Eddie both aren’t working.

You knock on Eddie’s front door. Waiting a bit and hearing nothing. You knock again.

You hear “Coming. Shit! Fuck! Coming!! shit shit… Hold your gaddam horses” from Eddie— kinda muffled.

He opens the door with a scowl … and a glint catches your eye. A sewing needle in his mouth. He pulls the needle from between his teeth, it is trailing black thread. His scowl is softening into mild surprise.

“Oh it’s you??” He says

“It’s me. You…are... sewing ?? something?”

“Got a new patch for my vest at the show last weekend.” He holds up a black patch that says ‘Sloppy Seconds’ on it. “What’s up?”

“You said you were off today, and you could help me??? But your phone was busy… and probably I should have waited but it’s nearly eleven…”

“Nono, it’s cool, c’mon in.” He holds the screen door for you with his palm, fingers spread wide. “You are always welcome at Casa Munson. Didn’t think you’d take me up on my offer s’all.”

“But, Eddie Munson, you’re my only hope.” You did your best Leia Organa and Eddie grinned at you in acknowledgement of your effort.

“So you’re saying I’m a space wizard??” He fished for the compliment with typical cocky swagger.

“I’ve seen you use the Force on people with weak minds.” You wiggled your fingers in the air.

“When?? When have I ever done that?” He laughed.

You imitated Eddie’s midwestern accent that had that Munson Family brand Tennessee honey drizzled on it. “Golly, Officer, I didn’t think I was speeding. Oh - Keith, you said you didn’t want me to close on Tuesday, you personally want to walk the deposit to the bank, remember. Nah, you don’t need to roll to detect cursed objects right now after picking up that innocent looking pendant ...?”

“Well.. my magic doesn’t work on you, anyway.” He wryly pursed his lips.

It does though. It always does.

You watch him put the needle into a pin cushion that looked like a tomato and he laid his project aside.

He bends over the couch arm to do this and you can see the bit of un-inked skin above his gray boxers where his shirt rides up and his jeans ride low.

You can see the nice curve of his butt where one of the pockets is torn and his boxers show there too and you wish to hell he wanted you back.

You sigh. That would be so nice.

He stands and looks at you with his eyebrows raised in query. “What??”

So you change the subject. “Why don’t you put patches on your jeans? They are rapidly becoming more hole than fabric. Denim isn’t supposed to be... lace.”

He grins again. “That’s just air conditioning for my knees. S’very practical.”

“Including the hole on your left ass cheek - that’s for air circulation too, is it?”

His eyes widened. He runs his hand down his butt, fingers dipping into the hole. “Shiiiiit, why didn’t anyone tell me??”

“Presumably because we were all enjoying it?” You suggested playfully.

His eyes snap to yours. “Enjoying what? Me, looking like a total dork??”

“It’s called deshibile - it’s very fashionable.”

“What are you even talking about?? You're so... aggravating sometimes, I swear to gawd!” Eddie jogs down the hallway and you follow. He tries to get a good look in the mirror by his custom Warlock - she’s so pretty - but he calls her ‘Sweetheart’ - lucky tart. “ How long were these jeans ripped to hell on my ass??!! I only have two pairs - so - you saw!! You totally saw this yesterday and you didn’t even say....”

“Your boxers are keeping you decent - you just have a ripped pocket. It’s fine - You look fine. Why do you care? Keith doesn’t care about ripped pants - like - you wear shoes to work... so you are one up on Argyle with the flip flops. Now if you went commando, that might be a problem.”

He is running his hands through his hair. “I can’t afford more jeans right now... fuuuuuuck.”

“You have sewing supplies right here - You just need another patch, Eddie - from older jeans or an old t-shirt... it would barely show - until our next pay day and then we could go thrifting together? If you want?”

“Yeah.... yeah... sorry - just went to that concert and I shouldn’t have because we needed a plumber last week and money’s tight.”

You nodded. Money is always tight. The job pays you both very little. You know why you stay (to see Eddie) - but you don’t know why Eddie doesn’t get a better job.

“Hey - I’m sorry, I said you were ‘aggravating’, man, I-I didn't mean it - I mean, you do Drive Me Insane, but I guess I kinda like it... how we joke around.” Eddie leaned his forehead into the mirror - closed his eyes. “You’re a good friend, you know?? And... and I promised to help you out. But, I kinda forget what with??”

“Because I didn’t say. Because it’s a secret.”

“Oh! Covert mission, huh?” Eddie turned with - well it wasn’t elegance but it was beautiful just the same. He clapped his large hands together and rubbed them up and down with glee. “What are we up to?”

“I’m making a mix tape. For a guy I like. And I know you have the perfect set up to record on.”

“For a guy??”

“Yeah - I’m into them - dudes - in general.” you snarked. “Girls aren’t out of the question , but I do tend to go for...”

“I know-ah. I mean. You wanna use my equipment - and my music, I assume??”

“Some of it.” You nodded at Eddie. Eddie has a great music collection.

“My stuff... To court some loser...”

“He’s not a loser. He’s perfect.”

“No guy is perfect, I guarantee you.”

“He’s handsome. He’s kind and generous. He’s funny... on purpose. He has these lips...”

“Stop - I do not want to hear about his lips. Where’d you even meet him? At...”

“You know - around Hawkins...” You cut him off before he can ask ‘at work?’ and you’d have to come up with some crazy lie.

“You sure he’s single?? Maybe he’s dating half of Hawkins?? Maybe he’s gay?” Eddie is not looking at you - he’s flipping through records in a milk crate.

“Maybe he is all of those things - or he’s not into me at all - or maybe he’s not into anyone - that’s why I’m making the mix. I can tell him I like him in the j-card and in the musical subtext - if he’s not into me and can never be - we can just be friends. I’ll die a little, but that’s okay - every day we die a little more, right?”

“Morbid. But, accurate.” Eddie turned back to you. “Okay - I said I’d help you and I’ll help you - but we are making two mix tapes. One to express your interest in this guy - who probably doesn’t deserve you by the way. And one for you. Just for you. Deal?” He asks this like he’s the one convincing you of this project. Your idea - your excuse to spend time with Eddie - as much as you can finagle.

“Deal.” You go to shake on it and Eddie stops and spits in his right palm first. He checks you to see if you are grossed out. By his saliva?? No. Opposite really. “So - not a blood pact?” You kid and spit as delicately as you can into your palm - hold it out for him as brave as you can be. He grins, shakes it. You try not to think about your spit combined on your hands. Fail utterly at that.

“Okay... tell me about this Paragon of ‘Manly’ Virtue...” Eddie rolls his eyes.

“You said you didn’t want to hear about his kissable lips, his pretty eyes, his nice ass...”

“God! Stop - I didn’t know you were so fucking horny!! I meant his musical tastes.”

“He’s beautiful and I am an appreciator of his physical attributes. He’s not just a piece of meat though... he’s also got a great voice... and he’s very clever...”

“And you’re what - gonna only put really horned up slutty music on this tape and probably sleep with him immediately - you Can’t!! I mean, don’t - he might have crabs or something. You gotta be more careful.”

“He’s probably not going to like me back, but if he asks me on a date I’ll be sure to ask him point blank if he has crabs, first thing.”

“I’m just sayin’ maybe get to know him a bit before you offer your... body.”

“Okay - noted - Hmmm - ‘Horned up Slut Music’ What’s that filed under in your milk crates system ‘H’ or “S’?? Wait - did you just mean SKA?”

Eddie pushed into your shoulder with his, playfully, and was unusually quiet for a while. Picking up records and tapes and showing you song titles. Gently steering you away from anything that sounded like a Direct proposition for sex with the ‘mystery guy’.

Finally stopping you. “Now you’ve got 97 minutes of music, you’ve got to edit.”

“I thought we were making two mix tapes?’

“I’m making the second one. You have enough on your mind with mr. wonderful. When he breaks your heart you can listen to my mix and cry on my shoulder, and I’ll go kick his ass sideways.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t ask you to do that.” You looked down in your lap.

Eddie put two fingers under your chin and lifted your eyes to meet his. “Is he...like... is he so much better than me?” His voice broke a bit on the end.

You couldn’t speak - why wouldn’t words come out??

Eddie sounded put out but his eyes weren’t mad. “Like, other than the lips and the ass... or whatever - what’s he got that I don’t?”

You kinda... launched into his lap. You absolutely kissed him with tongue right off.

Eddie scootched like a crab into his bed - pulling you with him. Kissing you back.

“Am I a close second? You could settle for me, I’m kinda okay with that, considering the kiss you just laid on me didn’t feel like second prize.” Eddie looked so sweetly befuddled. “I do not have crabs and I’m not secretly dating anyone and I’ve been into you since day one.”

“Eddie, you are the guy.”

He blinked.

“You made me a mix?” Eddie’s pretty eyes got a twinkle in them. “But the messaging is so vague - how will I know if you are really attracted to me when you didn’t use any music to indicate a deep lust for my person.”

“You’ll just have to read the j-card.” You teased back.

[meetmeinthesandbox]

That time I made Dave Grohl a couple of mix tapes.

[lol-jackles]

What do you think about that scene when Dean gifted Castiel a mixtape? Hellers claim it's romantic and that's the song John and Mary fell in love together with.

I don't think it's romantic but I never got the point of that mixtape scene.

Thank you.

The point of the mixtape scene is for Cas to have an excuse to enter Dean's room in order to steal the Colt. If it was romantic as hellers claim, Cas wouldn't need an excuse to show up at Dean's room in the first place.

Another reason why it's not a romantic gesture because Dean was sharing one of his old mixtapes of his own favorite music. We've seen Dean's pile of mixtapes since season 1. Dean did not create a new mixtape solely for Castiel.  Any Gen X kid will tell you that making a mix tape for their crush involves using music that their crush likes.  If the writers wanted to make that scene romantic, Dean would have told Cas he made the mix with stuff he (Cas) likes, which says he was paying attention to who Cas is.  But of course that scene didn’t exist because romance does not exist between the two.

Repeat after me kids, it is not romantic to give someone a mixtape of your own favorite music.  

Why did Dean give Cas a mixtape in the first place? It’s called a conversation stimulator, to quote High Fidelity’s Monday morning mix tape scene between Jack Black and John Cusack.  Dean was trying to introduce one of his music collections to Castiel because his “people skill are rusty”.  The goal is to give Castiel something to talk about to him and Sam. 

Lastly, mix tapes are a MUST for road trips because radio stations varies widely and would come in and out of reception, and there was no XM radio that had national coverage for the genres you liked.  So of course, Dean would have piles of mixtapes.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The King Timahoe Radio Hour, Vol. 1: Where No One Stands Alone

For your weekend listening pleasure, something highly unusual and highly recommended. This fascinating mix was shared with me recently and — for a limited time — I'm sharing it with you! It's an hour-long sampling of sound recordings that were given to the President of the United States by members of the general public between 1969 and 1974. Gospel, bluegrass, classical — and an extended journey into utterly strange and unknown zones. Let's hope there are more volumes in the future. 

“Kiya” by the Conti Family from the album The Fabulous Conti Family.

“Where No One Stands Alone” by The Harr Family from the album I Dreamed I Saw America On Her Knees. Sung by the three oldest Harr sisters, this vocal performance could have made even Elvis blush. 

“New Dixon County Blues” by The Toe River Valley Boys from the album Toe River Country. Recorded in Tobaccoville, North Carolina, November 1968. 

“Same Road” by The Evangels from the album I’ve Been to Calvary. Written by Dottie Rambo.

“On the Sunny Banks” by The Reba Smith Family from the album When Jesus Breaks the Morning. Recorded in Midfield, Alabama. Another song written by Dottie Rambo. 

“Eggs and Marrowbone” by Winifred Smith from the album Folk Songs of the South As Sung By Winifred Smith. We’re on the banks of the river again but this time things are less sunny. 

“Walking My Lord Up Calvary's Hill” by The Southlanders from the album Alpha and Omega. “So sad was his face that the birds stopped their singing.”

“Frankie Silver” by The Toe River Valley Boys from the album Toe River Country. 

“He” by The Mexia State School Sunshine Group from the album Sunshine in My Heart. Written and recorded originally by Al Hibbler in 1955. This version features vocals by Jerry Ellis. The birds must have stopped singing to listen to this child’s beautiful performance. 

“You Don’t Love God If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor” by The Harr Family from the album I Dreamed I Saw America On Her Knees. 

“How Do I Get Into Your Heart” by Beryl Middleton from the album Hello, I’m Beryl Middleton. Written for Beryl by Janice Weaver. 

“Georgie Girl” by The Fairfax High School band.

“Funky Ology” by Ervin Hamlin. This is an excerpt from the 2-hour cassette tape recording. 

“Lament” by Peggy Stuart Coolidge from an untitled acetate disc. 

“Georgie Girl” by The United States Army Band. 

[hymnsandhearses]

Okay, it was actually just one boy in particular. Circa 1994.

[fallensapphires]

Media: Cassettes

Tonight, I feel like my whole body is made out of memories. I'm a mix-tape, a cassette that's been rewound so many times you can hear the fingerprints smudged on the tape.