To commemorate New Year’s Eve 2007. To spruce up that $7 Brut. To make your body move. To get you laid–or, at the very least, paint a backdrop for a sweet kiss when the ball drops.

These are the things we’re going to try to do for you by building this mix. In Volume 1 Eric laid generic ground rules for producing a quality mix tape. This edition will outline the themes we’ll use to inspire this mix, and explore the criteria for selecting just the right tunes.

As the opening hook infers, the theme of this mix is a New Year’s eve in 60 minutes or less. Eric and I will map our ideal New Year’s Eve in song. We agreed that this occasion model three essential characteristics, and so our mix will be arranged in three parts:

1. Class
2. Dance
3. A little romance

And, as Mr. Atienza pointed out, we’re looking for a smooth, natural progression from start to finish. Let me break it down for you:

Let’s make believe that we are wealthy for just this once.^*

The Class partition will set the tone for the night. When I imagine New Year’s Eve, I think Art Deco dance hall, black tie, white dresses, shimmering bodies, softlens, champagne. This mix will find the refinement of white-glove dancing in the precluded corners of contemporary music. This could mean a Benny Goodman-RJD2 mashup, or it could mean Arvo Pärt’s Alina.

Don’t let the Gibbard quote fool you: this first panel of our NYE tryptich is not about pretense. It’s about reaching beyond your means and doing things you never would do. 2008 is the Titanic, and she’s going down. You’ve got your best tux on–so, uh, now what?

All we need is a drummer for people who only need a beat. I’m gonna add a little guitar and make it easy to move your feet.^†

After a few drinks, you’ll be ready to let loose. We want to help you hit the dance floor. The Dance partition will feature songs with a range of tempos designed to get in your bones. Four-on-the-floor, New Jack, indie dance, Britney Spears. I’m hoping to have something for everyone here, but the key is a seamless beat.

And we’ll take a right guid-willie waught…^‡

Isn’t it sad? I’m twenty-two and I’ve only had one real New Year’s kiss. Maybe that’s why I’m so hung up on locking lips when the calendar runs out…

At any rate, everybody loves a New Year’s Kiss, and what better way to seduce that cute brunette in the bad dress than with a few good sexy tunes? We want to bring A Little Romance to your night–and we don’t want none of that Jodeci junk–we’re going for the gold on this one. If we’ve done our job right, you’ll be celebrating the New Year on Montevideo time.

I need say no more. Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for the next installment of the Listen In mixtape series, courtesy of Eric Atienza. Happy listening!

^*From Death Cab for Cutie’s “The New Year” (appropriate, eh?)
^†From Sly and the Family Stone, “Dance to the Music”
^‡From “Auld Lang Syne.” It means “we’ll take a drink to goodwill.” …What? What did you think it meant? You’re so nasty! (That’s what we’re looking for.)

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