MeFiSwap - THE SWAP BATTLE mailing deadline - This Monday, Sept. 9th!

September 5, 2013 11:57 AM

Mix Master Mefites your mailing deadline to get those swaps in the mail is in four days! I've been keeping a close ear on the email chatter, and it sounds like plenty of those tunes are already on their way. How did your mix turn out? Did you get some good mixes?

Bonus tracks:

- Keep your peeps updated if your mix will be late. Better late than never!

- If you would like an email notification when sign-ups for the next swap starts (January-ish 2014), email me.

- If a few weeks go by and you haven't heard from a member of your swapset, send me an email. I'll try to figure out what's going on and, if necessary, add a flakey moocher to the naughty list.

- I can re-send swapset assignment emails if you've lost your addresses. Email me.

posted by carsonb to MetaFilter-Related at 11:57 AM (78 comments total)

Mailing mine tonight or tomorrow (I have a friend tracking down a half-remembered song for me). Have a nice downtempo/chillout selection for my swapmates featuring some of the best female vocalists of the genre.
posted by bfranklin at 12:14 PM on September 5, 2013

Yikes! I thought the deadline was the 9th.
posted by aubilenon at 12:21 PM on September 5, 2013

I thought so, too.
posted by gauche at 12:39 PM on September 5, 2013

For sentimental reasons, my mix turned out a bit cheesy. But it’s too late to change it now: the discs were mailed last Tuesday, and at least one has reached its destination. I’ve received two mixes already (one a 2-disc extravaganza): both very enjoyable.
posted by misteraitch at 12:50 PM on September 5, 2013

I need to post my covers in the flickr pool; I ended up doing two CDs (it's a theme thing). Will try to do that tonight.

I've also gotten two of my swapmates' mixes so far - not listened to them though (although I'm eyeing the one that had road trips as a theme).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:24 PM on September 5, 2013

I need to just decide my mix is going to have an iTunes-generated cover (sorry gang), punch the buttons and assemble the packages. My musical muse came through but my art muse is failing me.
posted by immlass at 1:28 PM on September 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

When I saw this post I had a moment of stomach clenching anxiety, oh god I didn't sign up for this one did I? But no, I didn't. Phew. So that's one thing I'm not currently way behind on at least!
posted by shelleycat at 2:24 PM on September 5, 2013

Mine is going out to the Swap N Pepas tomorrow!
posted by mykescipark at 2:35 PM on September 5, 2013

There seems to be some conflicting info about the deadline -- the first MeTa post and then the initial email said the 9th (which is what I'd remembered too), but then the second email with the swap sets does say the 7th. Maybe we could go with the 9th? I had planned on finishing mine this weekend and mailing monday.
posted by advil at 3:05 PM on September 5, 2013

Sure yeah, Monday the 9th is better for me too. ;)

I think I chose the 9th to give everyone a Sunday to wrap their deals up. Then promptly forgot while writing the swapset email and reverted to the nearest Saturday.
posted by carsonb at 3:16 PM on September 5, 2013

Changed the headline to avoid confusion!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:30 PM on September 5, 2013

I just picked up padded mailers, a fresh Sharpie and a gluestick. Barring any new distractions, I should be able to get everything in the mail tomorrow. If I can get to the library, I will print out the track listings and include them in the packages. If not, I'll email the files.

The two mixes I've gotten have already been played multiple times--they feature a great combination of new stuff and artists I already know and love! I eagerly await the others!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 3:43 PM on September 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

Oh man, I thought the deadline was the 3rd. Anyways, mailed them last week. I did see that everyone else so far did liner notes and plastic CD cases, so I may need to do something different next time. (And misteraitch, I'm loving the sentimental mix. We played it yesterday morning to get ready for the first day of school and it just puts everyone in a good mood.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 6:28 PM on September 5, 2013

The incorrect send date in the title panicked me into finishing up a draft, so I am suddenly ahead of schedule. Might send a copy of my last mix too, since it felt pretty aces.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:36 PM on September 5, 2013

I sent mine this past Saturday. Waiting like a kid on Christmas morning for other mixes to come my way.
posted by mac56 at 8:14 PM on September 5, 2013

I've received one mix so far and it was featured prominently on our camping road trip to the mountains last weekend (thanks, julen!).
posted by klausman at 10:03 PM on September 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

CD #4 shattered in my CD drive while I was burning it and now I can't get the drive open. Two-part AskMe: (a) how do I get my drive open? (obvious tricks like paperclip in the paperclip hole have failed) (b) do I need a lawyer?
posted by drlith at 2:56 AM on September 6, 2013

I think I'm basically done with my accompanying essay. Tomorrow -- this is how much I care about you guys -- I'll get it proofread by a college professor with a PhD in English. Then I just have to do the layout, assemble everything, and mail it all on Monday before I catch a plane to Disneyland.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 3:42 AM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]

klausman: "I've received one mix so far and it was featured prominently on our camping road trip to the mountains last weekend (thanks, julen!)."

So far my group has been awesome about communication, and the one mix (klausman!) I've gotten is awesome: it reminded me strongly of several people I was very fond of but haven't seen for years, inspired me to look many things up (things that make me curious always please me), and will probably lead me to buy at least one new album. A success all the way around.

I can't believe I never did the swap before.
posted by julen at 8:24 AM on September 6, 2013 [3 favorites]

My mixes are mailed as of today
I have received one and an airhead
It is very good and lives in the car
posted by J0 at 10:14 AM on September 6, 2013 [2 favorites]

Augh, I've never cut it so close to the wire. Chronic pain has made it hard to sit in front of the computer with the tunes on it, and I spend FAR too much time on these things, as if I'm going to somehow come up with a cure for cancer if I just find the exact right mix of songs.

But it's done, burned, and kitted up ready to go -- thanks for the deadline change, because I need to go to a post office instead of the little mailing place near my house now that the PO no longer lets them send international mail (fuckers). The PO is definitely a lot harder to get to.

I haven't received any mixes yet but as always I'm looking forward to it with relish (and maybe ketchup and some dijon mustard). I always love the swap set names I'm in -- it's hard to beat Ghostface Swappahs, I must say.

I wasn't pleased with my mix until today. I finally listened to it and jiggled around some of the tracks until it sounded right, and now it's good. Of course as soon as I burned mine, I thought of something that really should have been included. Next time!
posted by emcat8 at 11:10 PM on September 6, 2013

I am in line at the post office RIGHT NOW.


My mix CD is just the playlist I've been putting on endless loop for the last three months for reasons that should be clear to my swap set.
posted by RainyJay at 9:43 AM on September 7, 2013

Sent mine out to the Swapset Enemy this afternoon, hope they make it in one piece.
posted by ghharr at 1:42 PM on September 7, 2013

Finished my mix this afternoon, so will send it out on Monday. Surprisingly, it turned out to be primarily a mix of recent releases plus a good handful of tracks from the late '60s/early '70s; only two from the '80s/'90s, which is usually more of my emphasis. Too miserable and spacey in our current heatwave to write full liner notes (sorry, Karlos the Jackal!), but I did include additional track details.
posted by scody at 4:05 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Got my first mix in the mail today (thanks mykescipark!). Mine are packaged up and ready to be sent out Monday. Didn't get a chance for fancy cover art or anything, but I think the music speaks for itself.
posted by fishmasta at 5:13 PM on September 7, 2013

Ironically, after getting serious and doing all the burning and artwork on Wednesday night, I drove right past the post office the next day because I was happily singing along to the extra copy I'd made for myself. (well that, and I was excited to get home and drink a beer in the bath).

But I'm happy to see several of my swapsetters commenting here that they'll be sending theirs out on Monday, as will I.
posted by mannequito at 12:24 AM on September 8, 2013

I got terrified just now when my computer said my mix wouldn't fit on the disc. Turns out I had selected a wrong song. Which means I'm back in business and don't have to play with the hand-written (not by me but by a mefite!) inserts.

The first copy just finished and everything should be out tomorrow!
posted by mountmccabe at 2:11 PM on September 8, 2013

I've received one mix so far, but I have resisted opening it until I could get my act together. But I have, and everything is post-marked and ready to be mailed out tomorrow!
posted by likeatoaster at 4:08 PM on September 8, 2013

Sent mine out AGES ago. Well, it seems like it anyway. Due to living in Australia, haven't gotten any yet. Can I blame Tony Abbott?

drlith, you are in my swapset! I have no advice to offer you re the shattered CD in CD-ROM drive (though very much sympathy). If all else fails, could you try Dropbox? digdoug's CD broke when he was taking it out of the CD case (beware) and I am presently trying to upload my swapmix to Dropbox for him. He's uploaded his as well. Could be a backup solution?
posted by Athanassiel at 6:49 AM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sent mine out to the Swapset Enemy this afternoon, hope they make it in one piece.

ghharr, I just got your mix today! I haven't listened yet (saving it for a long road trip later this week) but the track listings look very enticing...
posted by aka burlap at 3:24 PM on September 9, 2013

There's been a lot of 'Augh! I'm almost done! But not going to make the deadline' on the email channel the past few days, so I extended the mailing deadline (which was today, or Saturday depending on who you believe) to Saturday, September 14th. Cool?
posted by carsonb at 3:26 PM on September 9, 2013

Mine are in the mail. If you're in my swap group and reading this (and it's not clear from the tracklisting or title), the theme was cover songs ripped from vinyl.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:44 PM on September 9, 2013

I sent my mixes out Thursday, and have recieved one in the mail so far. I'm going to go listen to it right now! Thanks Jermsplan.
posted by pelican at 3:45 PM on September 9, 2013

I got two in the mail today! Very well done - makes me wish I'd spent more time on mine...
posted by koucha at 3:47 PM on September 9, 2013

It turned out at the last minute that a bunch of my blanks were bad (they were pretty old) and now I don't even trust the ones that worked, so I'm glad to have a few extra days.
posted by aubilenon at 4:38 PM on September 9, 2013

Whew, thanks for the extension! I've received two mixes so far.
posted by snorkmaiden at 4:40 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've received 4 already. Ya'll rock.
posted by DigDoug at 4:57 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Awwww snorkmaiden! I was so hoping I'd get my mixes prior to 3 weeks in Europe starting.... Tomorrow. But its OK I just realized I have no way of playing CDs in Europe... Or anywhere other than my car or desktop pc. stupid tablets.
posted by chasles at 5:04 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sent to the 2Swaps. A little rushed but satisfying. And I do like things that are downtempo/chillout-y, so I am excited. (Also! Fiddle-dee-doos! Your mixes were quite aces, and I'm sorry if I did not properly express that fact.)
posted by Going To Maine at 5:10 PM on September 9, 2013

audio disc departed saturday
please hurry and receive I hunger
posted by charred husk at 5:12 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Mine went out a week ago, and I just received paper rabies' mix today! Eagerly awaiting others to arrive!
posted by LN at 5:37 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've received 4 mixes so far! They are all great and this whole process has been grand fun.
posted by Jacob G at 6:23 PM on September 9, 2013

I just put my cover images up in the Flickr Mefi Swap Cover Pool.

I went with a nautical theme this time, and ended up with a double disc: Fair Sails and Dark Seas.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:43 PM on September 9, 2013

I sent mine out today! It took 45 minutes in the special circle of hell that is the line at a major sorting facility post office, but it is complete. I'm looking forward to receiving the others very much.
posted by Fig at 7:13 PM on September 9, 2013

Oh man, there's a flickr group for coverart... now I feel extra shame for just doing a track listing.
posted by DigDoug at 8:28 PM on September 9, 2013

I got my US ones in the mail today but not the Int'l ones because I didn't realize they reduced the hours at the formerly late night PO. Of course I already received mixes from my Int'l swap set members. I hope you will forgive me for taking advantage of the deadline extension. The mixes are done, I promise :-)
posted by amapolaroja at 8:32 PM on September 9, 2013

Also, I can only go to the PO on Mondays and Fridays because of my work schedule and I was under the weather today. First thing on Friday the int'l mixes will be in the mail.
posted by amapolaroja at 9:51 PM on September 9, 2013

I extended the mailing deadline (which was today, or Saturday depending on who you believe) to Saturday, September 14th.

Now you tell us! *grinds teeth*
posted by glasseyes at 2:31 AM on September 10, 2013

Sent mine last Monday (the 2nd), looks like one MeFite across the world already got theirs :)
posted by fraula at 3:09 AM on September 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ooh, sorry, chasles! Maybe I'll upload it somewhere and email a sneaky non-CD link for you.
posted by snorkmaiden at 8:56 AM on September 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Anyone want an extra? I'd be happy to send some out (and trade more) :)

Mine are going out today.
posted by Madamina at 10:16 AM on September 10, 2013

EmpressCallipygos: "I just put my cover images up in the Flickr Mefi Swap Cover Pool."

Now that I know this exists I'll put mine up. Front* and Back.

*The artish typo was pointed out to me, but too late to change on my mailings, so there it will remain forever.
posted by zinon at 1:19 PM on September 10, 2013

ensured imbrogno audio disc made well

made pictures of process
posted by charred husk at 2:48 PM on September 10, 2013

Got mine out on the seventh and have received two so far. Both of the mixes are stellar and well thought out. I wish I had the additional week to put together copious liner notes to go with my cover art. For the past few months I've been obsessing over that certain kind of French pop music with female vocals from the 1960s that makes you want to put together a room of period decor and furniture so you can properly listen to it. This is the thing that I shared with my swapset. I hope it doesn't prove too irritating/cliche. Also hope my poor non-US swapmate doesn't see it and harrumph because there's five billion French oldies channels to choose from on the radio so, like, what's the point of this cd?

Then again, if I knew I had an extra week I would have punted again and been in the same position this coming weekend.
posted by Fezboy! at 4:07 PM on September 10, 2013 [3 favorites]

Oh, yeah, Spotify links for the curious (I sent my mixes out a bit over a week ago, so it's safe, I think):

Disc 1, Fair Sails.
Disc 2, Dark Seas.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:32 PM on September 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Fezboy!, I'd pay cash money for a copy of that mix....
posted by pasici at 5:55 PM on September 10, 2013

Here's my CD cover.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:30 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

Chasles' mix just arrived, woo hoo!
posted by LN at 8:01 AM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

My CDs went out last Saturday and my swapset has had time to get them, so here is a link to cover art and Dropbox download link: Mind.

Tracklist:

1. I’ve Got Something on My Mind by The Left Banke
2. Claudine Lounges Chiklet Chic by Rebecca Gates and The Consortium
3. The Lady Don’t Mind by Talking Heads
4. Conditioned Soul by Eurythmics
5. Heaven Is In Your Mind by Traffic
6. Change Your Mind by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
7. Mind by Talking Heads
8. Take A Giant Step by The Monkees
9. Read My Mind (Like Rebel Diamonds Mix) by The Killers
10. Trouble in Mind by Preservation Hall Jazz Band w/ Richie Havens
11. It Never Entered My Mind by Bud Powell
12. Stillness Of The Mind from the OST from the film A Single Man
13. What Goes On by The Velvet Underground
14. Too Much On My Mind by The Kinks

And Fezboy! and I worked out a swap and his mix is every bit as good as I thought it would be.
posted by pasici at 9:35 AM on September 15, 2013

Sent my Power Pop mixes out on Monday on my way out of town. Hopefully they've been arriving all right. Here is the cover.

I've burnt a few extras so if anyone else wants a trade let me know. Yes, I finished my essay.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 3:46 PM on September 15, 2013

I was finally able to listen to ghharr's mix yesterday while driving, and it was really terrific - I enjoyed it very much! My mix is out too, should have hit mailboxes in the US by now. Cover, blog writeup.
posted by gemmy at 7:08 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Just finished that one this morning. You're next, gemmy. I'm looking forward to it after reading the writeup you sent along.

Also, I'm sorry.
I didn't have time to make and add all the things I had planned so the CD was mostly an ugly mess.
posted by charred husk at 9:20 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

Finally mailed the CDs this morning. I hope my swapmates can appreciate a bold, yet disciplined sleeve design that only Microsoft PowerPoint makes possible.
posted by Nomyte at 10:17 AM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sent my Power Pop mixes out on Monday on my way out of town.

Woo, great selection!
posted by mykescipark at 4:06 PM on September 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

Thank you! Your mix looks awesome, too. There's a lot of my college radio days in there.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 4:59 PM on September 16, 2013

And I can confirm that swapping with pasici outside of the confines of the assigned swap groups is an opportunity that one should take advantage of. This is a great mix and the cover art is pretty stellar too.

Also, since my swappers should have all received their copies by now, here's my track list with download links if'n anyone else is interested. Not to preclude additional swaps if you'd like to trade physical media by the by, because I'm still down with that activity too.
posted by Fezboy! at 7:56 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

I think my mix should now have reached even my furthest-flung swapmates in the super-friendly Kid 'n Swaps - so I'll share the details with anybody else who might be interested. My idea was to make a mix where each track represented a square on the Monopoly board. Except there are 40 squares - too many for a CD or for a legible cover. So I knocked the number down to 24 and designed my own "best of" Monopoly board to list them. Since I'm British Monopoly means "London" and each song represents a street, a station or a utility from that city - plus some liberties with the corner spaces. There are many songs about London - but I lent a little heavily on TimeOut's list of the 100 best songs . Here is the cover for "Swapopoly" and here are the tracks. Apologies to Parker/Hasbro for the butchery.
posted by rongorongo at 3:33 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Amazing concept and execution, rongorongo!

I am impressed by a lot of what I have seen here and will be sure to keep up with this swap (this is my first go around.)

I have also received two mixes and am planning to listen on this weekend's road trip.
posted by mountmccabe at 5:17 AM on September 18, 2013

Working link to the Swapopoly mix mentioned above
posted by rongorongo at 10:07 AM on September 18, 2013

So I got a mix of askmefi common thread inspired songs. It's, if you'll pardon my French, fucking brilliant. Like it's so good I'm mad.


Paper rabies you complete me.
posted by chasles at 3:19 PM on September 18, 2013

rongorongo: My idea was to make a mix where each track represented a square on the Monopoly board.

I was lucky enough to get one of these, and it was/is amazing. My mix was themed around soul music from Memphis and Africa.

I have another mix I wasn't able to finish in time - it was perhaps a little over-ambitious. Members of the Kid 'n' Swaps may find a little something extra arriving in their mailboxes in the next few months.
posted by curious.jp at 5:14 PM on September 18, 2013

Hoping my swapmates have all received their CDs. This mix I went for a decrescendo that's the inverse of your standard electronic set -- it starts with a bang, then slowly backs off the energy into some excellence that is well suited for a comfortable chair and a glass of scotch.

1) The Sumbarines – 1940 (Amplive Remix)

2) Jem – Come on Closer

3) Bitter:Sweet – Dirty Laundry

4) Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground

5) Garbage – The Trick is to Keep Breathing

6) Thievery Corporation – Un Simple Histoire

7) Zero 7 – In the Waiting Line

8) Massive Attack – Black Milk

9) Elsiane – Across the Stream

10) Bjork – Possibly Maybe

11) Sia – Breathe Me

12) Halou – Honeythief

13) Hooverphonic – 2Wicky

14) Supreme Beings of Leisure – Last Girl on Earth

15) Morcheeba – Trigger Hippie

16) Portishead – Glory Box (Live)

17) Mazzy Star – Into Dust
posted by bfranklin at 7:26 PM on September 18, 2013

Got some more mixes from my fellow Ghostface Swappahs today, including one from kreestar all the way from South Africa! Everything so far is really good and I just love discovering new artists this way.

I need to get my cover up and the songs for DL but I have to bang out a job right now. I'd much rather listen to more music.
posted by emcat8 at 10:52 PM on September 20, 2013

What my mix lacked in originally and coolness, charred husk's disk more than made up for it. In spades. Unsettling music/spoken word/etc. from an unlabeled, no track list CD in a generic case for a trance disk of some kind. Not sure I can listen to some of it again. Wow, just wow. Thank you for spicing up my day!
posted by gemmy at 12:55 PM on September 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

I put together a Grooveshark playlist that's mostly identical to the mix I mailed to my swapmates.
posted by Nomyte at 4:25 PM on September 21, 2013

I think I've received all my mixes now, thanks swapset Enemy!

charred husk: I think I will play yours on repeat to scare trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
posted by ghharr at 7:31 AM on September 23, 2013

Here is my Radio mix on Spotify
posted by amapolaroja at 9:38 PM on September 23, 2013

Here's my tracklist. I went with a general theme of artists from Tennessee, or who had lived in Tennessee, or wrote a song about Tennessee. Plus a couple that I just wanted to include.

1. This Train – Elder Samuel Patterson & The Christian Crusaders
2. Don’t Get Old – J. Roddy Walston & The Business
3. Don’t Bring Me Down – The Ettes
4. Tennessee Flat Top Box – Johnny Cash
5. Funnel of Love (feat. The Cramps) – Wanda Jackson
6. Diy2k – Pujol
7. I Was Born Blue – Swamp Dogg
8. The Great Atomic Power – The Louvin Brothers
9. Country Life – Jeff the Brotherhood
10. Daddy Drove a Hearse – Penicillin Baby
11. Why Can’t I Be Like Other Girls? – Marshall Chapman
12. Sweet Thang – Turbo Fruits
13. Cal-Speed – Los Straitjackets
14. Tennessee – Silver Jews
15. The Race is On – George Jones
16. That’s How I Got To Memphis – Natural Child
17. Cover Me Up – Jason Isbell
18. Give You What I Got – Wendy Rene
19. You and Your Sister – Chris Bell
20. To the River – James Wallace & The Naked Light
21. Bidin’ My Time – Black Diamond Heavies
posted by ghharr at 5:52 AM on September 25, 2013