2002-12-17 - 2:22 a.m.

There's something inexplicably compelling about listening to music through cheap headphones.

But first, bragging!

Yeah, I handed out seven (!) mix CDs Saturday night's party--S. (from college), Molly, Molly�s S., R. (from college), the (ex) (who also got an Elliott Smith bootleg--live in Portland, OR and Princeton, NJ), C. (from Work), and xmasface (who also got a Joan Jett cigarette lighter with a magnetic back).

I felt like I was some science fiction warlord master of the universe--entrusting the seven sacred discs to the guardianship of seven trusted warriors and kings, so that their combined power might never be harnessed... for evil.

(I would have made a Lord of the Rings reference, but I�m not familiar enough, and I wouldn�t have wanted to fuck that up.)

I also did artwork--each one had a back, and an inlay with a tracklist (except the (ex), who didn�t get a tracklist, and who by the way I�m hoping doesn�t read too much into her mix, as she may be prone to do--she was over my place a couple of months ago and put about four hours worth of songs in a playlist while I was passed out, which I edited down to a smoove 80 min, so she doesn�t need a tracklist).

155 songs--it would take roughly 9 hours to listen to them all back to back. No song was used on more than one mix (which made each disc more personal, but which was also a nice little extra challenge I threw my own way).

So far, three (!) people (R. (from college), C. (from work), and Molly), independently of each other, have told me in person that their gift CD kicked ass. And Molly passed on her friend's stunned accolades, so that's four for seven.

I�m so proud of that in my heart.

When I make someone a CD, I keep the playlist on my computer--so I can rock it whenever I want to--it also helps if I make that person a new mix--so I don�t duplicate songs.

Rockin the (ex) playlist right now--Teenage Riot was a good choice for the leadoff song, and the Strokes' Hard to Explain was a pretty bold followup, if I might add, and it works. If I have time, maybe I just might post all of the song lists, so y�all can rip me off.

But headphones--not crisp, not clean, but very satisfying and also warm. Like a winter stout, or balmy, heatwave sex. The sound is so much more immediate--terrifyingly so, and you have no choice but to listen listen listen.

I could burn my fingers on headphone music, but I always forget. I�ve been looking to buy a nice pair for some time (�cause of the little girl that lives below me), and it only recently occurred to me to borrow the Roommate�s. It�s a nice crappy pair of Panasonic discman phones, and I�m totally diggin� em right now.

I�m thinkin that part of the charm of headphones is the nostalgia that comes with the don. I�m always hearkened back to those days and nights in my room, top bunk, all souls snoring but myself, listening to the top five on Jamin� 94.5 (cuidado--link also opens stupid popup), �till the batteries wore out. And they always wore out. Or playing some video games con phones. Or listening to David Lee Roth in the car. Or the Beach Boys, and hearing a background harmony I had never before noticed. Or recording some lo-fi power pop with the (ex) on my Tascam Portastudio.

This is my first headphone experience in quite awhile (I�m re-visiting Molly�s mix right now--yeah, it takes me more time than I�d like to admit to write these things sometimes). I know I have poor hearing in bars and other noisy places, but it�s excellent (knock wood), when it comes to music. I�m getting blown away by the whole stereo thing right now, and I�m getting more surprises outta some old chestnuts.

I gotta do this more often.

(Yes, the (ex)�s mix--the one she made for me--got me all teary-eyed yesterday.)