Monthly Mixtape: Are We Slidin’?

How was January five and a half months long just now?

None the less, we’re cruising into February and I’ve got some tuuuuunes for ya!

And it’s a THEME. You know how I like a good theme.

My friend Trisha asked me a while back, “Are you ever going to create a country mixtape?” Well, no. Not that I don’t have an appreciation for country music. I’m just V V picky when it comes to that style. I can’t do most of current country. This . . . polished, stadium country of today. No, dude. Now, I can deeeefinitely handle Bo Burnham’s take on it, but the rest? Naw.

But this isn’t about that.

(before I move on let me say that Dolly, Hank Williams Sr. and those in the original country camp are geniuses and wonderful. okay bye.)

I can’t make you a country mixtape, but I can make you a mixtape that features the dreamy, soul wrenching pedal steel. Because let me just solve a life mystery for you all right now. You love a song but you can’t figure out what that finesse is.

It’s the pedal steel.

You listen to mostly indie music but there’s a layer to some of the songs you’re most obsessed with but you can’t articulate it.

It’s the pedal steel.

There’s a certain mood and dreaminess to a few folk tunes you have on repeat but you can’t pinpoint its brilliance.

It’s the pedal steel.

You feel me? And the beauty about pedal steel (lap steel applicable here, too!) is that it’s not just for countryish music. Indie bands, rock bands, even major pop bands have been slidin’ it (pun intended) into songs here and there to add that layer of sexy dreamy that makes our souls wither down to a pile of human goo. It’s like, the perfect puzzle piece to music. And I stand by it forever.

Also, my old band (with Aaron) is second down in the mix. (yeah I just linked out to myspace, can you handle?) Our local friend Nate Hofer is Kansas City’s master at the pedal steel, and every single person needs his talents in their earholes.

And um, the very last song on this playlist is a wildly famous song that everyone knows, but once you push the knowledge of pedal steel as one of its most prominent finesse layers, it’s a completely different song. I swear. Just you wait. You’ll see. Promise. It’ll blow you away. Like, away.

Without a moment more, I give you . . . The “Are We Slidin?” mix.

This time last year!

Two!

THREE.

FOUR? what.