LTF Playlist: The OC Soundtrack

Over the past few months, I have spent many of my free moments visiting Orange County, Calif., via the magic of DVD boxed set. I realize I'm a couple of years late on the obsession with Seth, Summer, Ryan and Marissa, but that's okay, because the very best part of the show - the music - has held up extremely well.

From an indie lover's standpoint, the OC might be the best television soundtrack ever conceived, and I don't just mean the several volumes issued as "official" soundtracks on CD. I mean that every song chosen to run in the series was great and deserves its own spotlight. There are classics that have been woefully overlooked and mainstream music that was largely misunderstood. There are cutting-edge bands that ran on the series 2 years ago or 4 years ago that are just now beginning to get the airplay they deserve. There is Journey.

So in the interest of paying homage to this most seminal TV music lineup, I have compiled a new LTF Playlist: The OC Soundtrack.

It's such an extensive catalog that I'm still adding to the playlist, but I have enough to get you started, including songs by the Eels, Jem, Mazzy Star, Thicke, Fountains of Wayne, Guster, Iron and Wine, and Seth's absolute favorite band - Death Cab for Cutie, among many others.

Just click the player at right and give it a spin! (And check back as I continue to update the playlist!)

Oh, and...: For more music from the OC, visit www.musicfromtheoc.com and listen to 6 different mixes, including mix 6, which features indie bands covering the songs of other indie bands.

LTF Playlist: Summer Punkish

So I think we can all agree that the "Midwinter Melancholy" playlist way overstayed its welcome. Time for something new, something fun, something... summery.

The "Summer Punkish" playlist (in the right sidebar) was created with California sunshine in mind. When the weather's warm, I love a soundtrack where kinetic punk meets shimmering pop. Somewhat reminiscent of the soundtrack of the OC or shows on the WB (may it rest in peace.)

Artists include Finger Eleven, Good Charlotte, Cake, Soul Coughing, Fall Out Boy, Green Day and the All-American Rejects - many bands I wouldn't necessarily choose to listen to on their own. But put them all together, and you've got the perfect soundtrack for soaking up some sun, driving with the top down, and just generally feeling like a teenager enjoying summer break again.

Enjoy!

LTF playlist: Mid-winter melancholy

Reason number 4 billion and 20 why I love the internet: when you're suffering from mid-winter ennui so severe you can barely blog, the internet will give you just the kick in the pants you need to get inspired about something again.

Case in point: a few months ago, I started a FineTune playlist of songs I had heard on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," but I only got about five songs into it before I got distracted by something else and moved on. The playlist sat there untouched. Well, this morning, FineTune finally got fed up with that state of affairs and decided to finish the playlist on its own (using its "I'm Lazy" autofill technology.) The result is the perfect soundtrack to the mid-winter blahs.

You'll hear A Fine Frenzy, Death Cab for Cutie, Snow Patrol, Earlimart, Iron and Wine and plenty more - emphasis on melodic and melancholy.

I've added it at right - click the player to listen.

LTF Playlist: Best of 2007

Remember back in the beginning of the year when my motto was "I heart 2007"? Well, now that we're in the home stretch, I can say with some authority that it has been a pretty good year for music. As the year-end lists start rolling in, I thought a new playlist might be a good idea, so with a lot of help from Paste's "Best of 2007" issue (I know, I'm obsessed right now,) I made a a new LTF Playlist that hits a lot of the highlights from the past 11 months. Artists include Amy Winehouse, Bright Eyes, Bruce Springsteen, Feist, Iron and Wine, Josh Ritter, PJ Harvey, the Shins... and yes, even Kanye West made it on there.

Cue it up at right and see if you find something new to love. I bet you will!

Happy Birthday Lost Things Found!!!

One year ago today, I put finger to keyboard, drafted a loose mission statement and started the music blog we have all come to love - Lost Things Found. One hundred and twenty-seven posts later, it's time to celebrate that milestone with a customized LTF playlist! Click the FineTune player to the right to hear a sampling of songs I've blogged about in the first year of this little project. Everything from Cee-Lo to Sara Bareilles to Fountains of Wayne - from Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone to Spoon and Wilco. And everything in between.

I set out with this project to highlight music that I think is exceptional in one way or another, music I think more people should hear and love. And in doing that, I ended up with a pretty great playlist. So cue up the player and enjoy!

And here's to another year of beautiful, inspiring, exceptional music.

A Song a Day

For the past year, I've been getting a daily e-mail from Page-A-Day Calendars with a different song recommmendation on it every day. I've compiled about 50 of the suggestions into a new LTF playlist, at right.

It's a pretty eclectic assortment of classic jazz, early rock 'n roll, vintage independent releases from the 80s and 90s and very current stuff, from Andy Williams to Bowling for Soup to Brian Eno to Buddy Holly. (And those are just the first four artists.) I guarantee you'll discover a song you've never heard before in this mix. Enjoy!

TV on the Playlist

It's time for a new LTF playlist (at right.) This one's called TV on the Playlist, because it was inspired by my newfound love of the ABC ensemble drama Brothers & Sisters. The soundtrack is mostly mellow and acoustic, very heavy on the album closers. To round it out, I've included some songs from a former television love of mine, ABC's spy drama Alias, using the logic that many of the people who used to work on Alias now work on Brothers & Sisters.

Artists include Chantal Kreviazuk, Depeche Mode, Lucinda Williams, Nina Simone, Ray LaMontagne, and Jonny Lang, among many others. So flip through and find something new to love!

(And if you're curious, ABC airs Brothers & Sisters at 10/9C on Sunday nights or you can watch a few episodes on demand on their Web site. Check it out!)

Where Cold War Kids meet Prince

I've posted a new LTF playlist at right - this one's called "Inspired by Bigelow" because I compiled it from a playlist distributed by upscale apothecary C.O. Bigelow Chemist. The list's compilers - Dineh Mohajer and Jeanne Chavez - seem to have combined 80s New Wave and cutting-edge indie rock. You'll hear Prince and New Order next to Arctic Monkeys and the Raveonettes, Joy Divison and the Smiths next to The Eels and Editors.

So sit back, flip through the jukebox and enjoy!

Something new at LTF

Exciting news here at Lost Things Found - I finally figured out how to post my FineTune player to the blog, so now you can listen to the official LTF playlist. (It's to the right of this post; just click "Play.") Granted, the current playlist is called "The Ides of Indie Soul," because I made it in mid-March. But I still think you'll find it enjoyable.

As the title implies, it's got a soul theme running throughout, but I mixed in a handful of unexpected indie and new-soul as well. Everything on here is 100 percent LTF-approved, so enjoy and let me know what you think!