DIY: The perfect Valentine’s mix CD

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t bought with a platinum credit card, but are made with your own two hands. While roses, chocolates and stuffed animals are great Valentine’s Day gifts for your significant other, a mixtape or CD with some thoughtful songs will last longer and make a memory on your special day. The gift of music is inexpensive and speaks volumes about how you feel about someone, whether they are a platonic friend or a romantic interest.

For a friend, burn a CD with your new favorite songs and give the gift of awesome music. I would suggest Sharon Van Etten’s “Serpents” and Jack White’s “Love Is Blindness” to start off the mix. Other good tracks that would make excellent gifts for friends include “One of These Days” by The Mike Brown Band and “Whirring” by Joy Formidable. If you and your friend particularly like a certain song, find a remix of it and burn it on the CD as an homage to your friendship.  Add a few of your favorite songs that they might not have heard, and you’ll have made a gift that your friend will never forget and won’t stop listening to for weeks.

Making a mixtape for a romantic partner will require a little more effort because the meanings behind each song will have to be appropriate to how you feel. Consider each song carefully, because striking a balance between sweet and not overly sappy is difficult to achieve. A great song for a romantic mix tape is “Strange and Beautiful” by Aqualung. The song is romantic but not saccharine, and is beautifully composed. The song is relatively unpopular, and because of this, you will have the opportunity to introduce your significant other to some new music. Another suitable track is “Requiem on the Water” by Imperial Mammoth. A folksy, acoustic song, the lead vocals are soft and relaxing, the perfect combination for a romantic compilation. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” is a unique love song for a mixtape, due to the humorous elements of Morissey’s lyrics. Similarly, “Do You Remember the First Time” by Pulp is a romantic reminiscence about a first love that could bring you and your significant other back to some good memories. Generally, romantic songs from famous artists like Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles are always a good choice for a mix CD, and depending on your valentine’s taste, you can pick an artist or genre they might enjoy. After adding a few new tracks and some classic love songs, mix some of your old favorites onto the CD and you’ll have a perfect Valentine’s Day mix.