It’s pisces season, and while I don’t really know what that means, I think it’s got something to do with fresh starts. So here’s a mix that celebrates water, because there’s no better way to start over than by washing off last year’s remains.

 

Remember how googly-eyed your first big crush made you feel? How about when the world felt like it was over because they started dating someone else? Those feelings are a rite of passage for every teenager. Here are some songs that helped vinyl-era teens live through the crushing-to-crushed feelings.

I thought I’d never get over the world of hurt that followed my first breakup, but I did, with the help of some aides: time, friends, and music. Here are ten songs that bestow the cathartic power of music, and remind you to keep your chin up, because you can always chuck out the old and start new.

It’s my opinion that genius stems from misery, so even though the economy sucked in the 30s, the music was golden. Here are some tunes that helped people shake off their blues, and toss their troubles to the moon. 

I spent a good chunk of my childhood listening to Spanish ballads, so it’s no wonder that I’m now a textbook sentimentalist. Here are some tracks that mesh my fondness for twee music with the love songs of my youth.

 

Remember the days when making a mix tape for your significant other meant things were getting serious? It was basically a giveaway that you were trying to move past just holding hands and maybe make out to a couple Death Cab For Cutie songs in your room. Now that tapes and CDs aren’t really the ideal ways to listen to music anymore, the idea of making a mix for a girlfriend doesn’t get tossed around too much. But I think it’s high time that the somewhat antiquated symbol of affection was brought back. We’re all a little older than we were during the golden age of mix CD’s, so it’s easier to give songs (both old and new) deeper, more significant meanings than just looking for tracks with “love” in the title. Here’s my ideal collection of songs that cover nearly every aspect of the relationship you share with your girlfriend. Record these to a cassette for the best results, or send this as a Spotify playlist.

1. “Dear Ramona” by Parquet Courts

No matter how many weeks, months or years you’ve spent with your lady, there’s inevitably going to be aspects of her personality and psyche that you’ll simply never understand. Underneath everything, there’s a certain mystique and enigmatic aura that makes her all the more attractive. “Dear Ramona” by Parquet Courts is a slacker’s monument to those very same idiosyncrasies that inexplicably created your attraction to her in the first place.

2. “Casey” by The Menzingers

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So now that you’ve established your initial attraction to the more puzzling aspects of her personality, it’s time to refresh her memory about the big one – when you two first met. “Casey” tells the story of two punks meeting, dating, and truly valuing the time they spent together. And for all intents and purposes, this story happens to parallel you and your girl’s story almost perfectly. One of you would be waiting for the other to get off work so you can get drunk as hell and spend time with each other, since, like the song says, “it was so much easier than dealing with everything.”

3. “If I Could” by Mineral

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Aesthetic beauty has been one of the cornerstones for all relationships and sexual attractions throughout history. I mean there are plenty of other characteristics that bring people together, but there is a certain poetic quality in being able to appreciate the sheer beauty of the person you’re dating. That’s what this particular track is all about. Not only is the music itself absolutely ethereal (something Mineral was always good at) but the urgency with which singer and emo heart throb Chris Simpson delivers the vocals is sure to let your girl know how you really feel. So don’t feel bad when you’re at a loss for words trying to write a Shakespearean sonnet for your girlfriend about her unbridled grace, because Simpson couldn’t do it either. Instead he just fervently croons, “I wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, but I just stared.”

4. “Slow Show” by The National

One of the most glorious parts of a relationship is the seamless sense of comfort that slowly establishes itself between you and the other person. In a world of social status, fake personalities, and pissing contests there’s a graceful solace in the carefree, unprejudiced moments between you and your girl. This song represents every time the two of you decided to leave whatever tired, exhausted party you went to just to head home and escape the pressure felt in the company of others. The “dreamt about you for 29 years” coda should also tide over really well when she gets to it.

5. “Baby I’m An Anarchist” by Against Me!

Everyone thinks that they want to date a carbon copy of themselves as far as interests and ideals go, but that usually ends up in mundane, masturbatory conversation. The sparks truly seem to fly when two people can appreciate each other’s differences no matter how vast they are. Although this song is a political statement at it’s core, there’s a love song written somewhere in it’s heart. Hopefully the two of you can laugh about the fact that an anarchist and a liberal helds hands in Seattle in what seems like a moment of spontaneous passion only to inevitably reject each other, just how the two of you end up laughing about your weekly fight about whether to get a cat or a dog

6. “Girlfriend In A Coma” by The Smiths

It’s my belief that any girl would be mildly upset if she got a mix and there wasn’t a single song by The Smiths on it, even if it’s the one about being kinda pissed at her. But honestly, this track is a perfect representation of what being mad at your girlfriend is like. You’re mad at her but not really mad, and all you want is for her to know something’s wrong so you can talk about it and get on with your lives. The song will almost certainly just serve as a reminder of every petty disagreement the two of you have had and the inevitable make up that ensues. Leave it to Moz to admit that he wants to strangle the person he loves but not want anything to happen to them either.

7. “Come Pick Me Up” by Ryan Adams

This is it. This is the big one. This is the “Josie” for grown ups. This might be your wedding song. This might be the only song you learn to play on the guitar. “Come Pick Me Up” is hands down one of the best love songs ever written and it deserves a spot on any mix for your girl. It’s about every time you’ve been too drunk to drive and your girlfriend picks you up or stormed out of the house only to come back a couple hours later in tears. It’s pessimistic enough to be realistic and poetic enough to be truly meaningful. If things ever get really rough just make a mix with this song on it 15 times and everything will be fine.

8. “I Can Change” by LCD Soundsystem

It’s only natural that a relationship forces two people to grow and change with each other, imperceptibly adapting to the other’s needs and wants. James Murphy has always had a knack for colloquially expressing complicated emotions, and this song represents the myriad of ways that you’ve gone over the moon for your significant other. Changing a part of yourself that you’ve carefully put on display for people over the years is never easy, but sometimes all it takes is one person that makes the sacrifice worth it.

9. “Marvin’s Room” by Drake

At this point in his career I think Drake has a song that covers just about every emotion and situation that arises out of being in a relationship with a girl. Now in this particular instance it’s important not to take everything Drake seriously. He almost certainly lives a more tumultuous and sensationalized life than the average guy with a girlfriend, but the central message behind this song should be clear enough: sometimes the dude blows it and says or does something he shouldn’t have and it takes a really drunk phone call to set things right. So while you may not have had “sex four times this week,” you can definitely recall the time you had to fight the good fight to get your girl back into your arms.

10. “I Felt Your Shape” by The Microphones

This one’s tricky since it’s actually pretty sad but there’s enough imagery you can apply selectively that’ll probably mean a lot to your girlfriend. So instead of getting her a box of chocolates or a book or something, point out the lines about her winter snow, gusty blow and lava flow and you’ll pretty much be set. Additionally, this is also another good one to learn on the guitar.

In 2001, Myspace and Photobucket tarnished the term emo by making it synonymous with eyeliner and bleeding heart GIFs. But in the 90s, the music was emotive without the frills. Here are some tracks that’ll take you back to when the Kinsella brothers were moniker-hopping and belting out songs about cookie hearts and muddy slush.

Summer’s almost here, and after a gruesome winter that seemed like it’d never end, scalding heat is a welcomed change. So whip out some shorts, and after you’re done gawking at your pale legs, hit the beach. Or if you’re landlocked, put your fan on full blast, play these tunes and imagine yourself out there having fun in the warm California sun.