For the last 12 years, ever since Hannah was born in fact, I’ve gone to the effort of preparing a year end music mix. What’s been nice about this tradition is that I only populate the mix with songs that have somehow “informed” the year.

For instance, songs might have gotten a lot of airplay because someone would repeatedly ask for it (This would pertain to “Hurt Me Tomorrow” for Ben, “Big Blue Wave” for Hannah, or that Carolina Liar song for Kate). Some of these songs would get a lot of airplay because it was something related to certain family activities: like Hannah hoping to use “It’s Only Life” for choir auditions, playing it over and over again, and then discovering that those notes were really tough to hit!

Still others make it into our family history in more interesting ways. “Airbag” for instance is now not just a radiohead song, but has actually made it into the lexicon in my household. Basically, we now say the word when we refer to the overplaying of a song, as in “Ben has now officially airbagged that K’naan song”).

Anyway, most of the songs on this mix are somewhere on this blog somewhere, and I’ve tried to provide links accordingly. Take a peek, click, listen and hope you enjoy. As well, I’d love to hear recommendations for songs that could make the 2013 mix.

– – –

– – –

01. Christmas Lights – Coldplay *
02. Let’s Fall In Love – Mother Mother
03. Things You Think (feat. Pomplamoose) – Ben Folds & Nick Hornby
04. Hello Sadness – Los Campesinos!
05. I’m On Fire – Whitehorse
06. Welcome (Acoustic) – Hey Rosetta!
07. Working Together – Gonzales
08. Wild Goose – M. Ward
09. Photosynthesis – Frank Turner
10. Airbag – Radiohead
11. ABC- Jackson 5 *
12. Show Me What I’m Looking for – Carolina Liar *
13. I’ve got a new friend – The Civil Wars
14. Nothing Is Anything (Without You) – Wintersleep
15. It’s Only Life – The Shins
16. Fight to Keep – Monsters Calling Home
17. Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It – Ben Folds Five
18. Big Blue Wave – Hey Ocean!
19. Hurt Me Tomorrow – K’naan *
20. Let Your Heart Hold Fast – Fort Atlantic *

– In which Ben has been drawing lots of comic books
– In which Hannah is now une élève à l’ècole Diefenbaker
– In which Kate and Dave are finally loving the dog (sometimes).