Survey Says...

I don't know about you, but when I compile mix CDs, I usually have a particular song that I always use as my opener. Back in college, this was a Luna song called California. It was chill, catchy, engaging—a perfect intro. But it also got dated pretty quickly. Sometimes this tendency varies, and it's just that I'll have a song that must be in the mix somewhere. Rudie Can't Fail is a good example; Kriston started quizzing me to make sure I knew that the Clash had even written another song. Then I started opening all my CDs with Le Tigre's Deceptacon, which is so over, I know, but you just can't beat that intro. Anyway, I'm sick to death of it, and I find myself suddenly bereft of mix CD must-haves.

So, my musical ingenues? What are your mix CD essentials de jour?