Femme Fatal Summertime Mix (Part I)

Here in Southern California, we spend a lot of time on the road. While driving is often a chore, especially in bumper to bumper traffic, I figure I may as well enjoy it. Part of turning a commuter expedition into a summer past time is having the right music for the road. If you saw me on the freeway, I’d be singing my head off and completely in a zone.

To wit, I present to you a Femme Fatal Summertime Mix. Some people think creating the perfect mix is a science. I’m a firm believer in trusting the way the music feels. When the mix is for driving, it’s important to have fun, upbeat tunes that I can sing along to and even possibly rock out a little bit. It’s also fun to play with genre combinations, themes and song transition. The whole idea with a mix is to create a mood for a moment.

The mix is quite long with commentary included so I will break it down into several posts over the rest of the week.

And without further ado…

1. “Emotions” – Mariah Carey
There is something about this song that invokes driving down the coast with the top down. No particular destination in mind, just a drive for the sake of driving. I love how Mariah used to use her voice and show off her range. I have fond memories associated with this song and I thought it was a great way to start off the mix.

2. “Put Your Records On” – Corinne Bailey Rae
The glistening guitar, the fly-away feeling of the chorus. This song also invokes nostalgia, but in a way that is classic and timeless. Don’t you just think about swinging, swimming, riding a bike, and drinking ice tea on the porch when you hear this song? It’s a good song to listen to on a drive to the beach too.

3. “The Way” – Jill Scott
Sometimes a smooth groove is just what the Dr ordered. This song is always a hit when you and your girlfriends are hanging out dishing over wine. It’s also great for helping to maintain a mellow mood when you realize that it’s going to take two hours to make a 30 min drive.