CD Case Inventory

My CD case doesn't see much action these days. It mostly stands on my bookshelf, wedged between The Romance of William of Palerne (ugh) and last year's planner, quietly gathering dust. (Seriously, it's kind of grey and fuzzy.) Thanks to the advent of newer music technologies, pretty much all my music lives on my computer or my mp3 player. There are a few CDs, though, that haven't made it onto either, but that I nonetheless keep around because I like them. They are for the most part too embarrassing to risk having them pop up when I put everything on shuffle, or are kept around for purely sentimental value. Anyway, here is a by no means comprehensive list of the CDs in that case that I keep around for reasons I barely know:

1) Mixes

B has been making me mixes since freshman year. E and A joined in later that same year, so it's safe to say that a sizable chunk of the discs are mixes with names like, "I wrote you a letter," and "Party like you're evil." These are all on my computer now, but I like having them physically present. Tucked into each slot is the accompanying handwritten tracklist, which I love having.

2) Good Charlotte, "The Young and the Hopeless"

Technically, this doesn't actually belong to me. My friend K left it at my house on my thirteenth birthday and moved away before I remembered to give it back to her. Listening to it brings back memories of K, who was all too briefly my best friend. She had blue hair and glasses and was generally great. Once she moved away my best friend ended up being Hayleigh, and we all know how that worked out.

3) Ani DiFranco, "Not a Pretty Girl"

Again, not actually mine. I stole it from my mom when I was around 10. It makes me think I was pretty much doomed to end up at Bryn Mawr.

4) James Blunt

I admit it. I thought "You're Beautiful" was a great song. I really did.

5) Michele Branch, "Spirit Room"

Michele Branch went to school at the same school as me back in Sedona, AZ, but graduated before I got there (I think). Teachers were always trying us to buy cheap demos of hers, and we scoffed. And then she got famous.

6) Yellowcard, "Ocean Avenue," and/or Slipknot, "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)"

There are two nearly indistinguishable burned CDs in here. One of them is Yellowcard, the other is Slipknot. I cannot for the life of me tell them apart anymore, but I know that I used to be able to see a small red smudge from when I tried to write on one, and I knew which one that was. Sometimes I pop one in expecting poppy rock with some violin, and instead I get blasted with heavy metal.

7) Eminem, "The Eminem Show"

I can't help it. Deep down, I like Eminem. I like swearing in music. I like bass. I just like it. God help me.

8) Miranda Lambert, "Kerosene"

Ah, country. I like you so much more than I should.

9) Jimmy Eat World, "Chase This Light"

I still like Jimmy Eat World, and I have ever since I heard "The Middle" on the radio in the car and had a mild revelation back in 2003.

10) Britney Spears, "Oops...I Did It Again"

I have had this since my tenth birthday. I just can't bear to get rid of it.