The New Year is almost here. The season of year end mixes is upon us! My mix is a reflection of MY 2011, containing the tracks and artists that had an impact on me, regardless of when a song was released. For those who want to know about how my year went, I have accompanying stories of why each track was chosen. For those of you just trolling for inspiring new music, I’m sure you can find that too!

Enjoy!!

1. “Michigan” – The Milk Carton Kids

 

I believe that Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are the most inspired pairing since Paul Simon met Art Garfunkel. This year, my favorite duo made it official and christened themselves a “band” with the name The Milk Carton Kids. Along with the christening, they released an album, Prolouge. “Michigan” is the first track on the album and it took me a solid week to listen to the rest of the CD because I couldn’t move past this song! This year, I saw The Milk Carton Kids at every opportunity. Their unique combination of sad, yet beautiful tunes with gut-busting banter and deadpan humor makes for a show experience unlike any other.

 

 

~ Kristen