Categories
MusicMusic Features

Kissing Booth’s Valentine’s Day Mixtape

As Flagpole noted in our year-end roundup in December, “Two of Athens’ strongest singer-songwriters are also Athens’ strongest power couple.” What we didn’t mention then is that those songwriters—Erin Lovett, who performs and records as Four Eyes, and Patrick Brick, who does the same as Futo—are not only romantic partners but creative ones. Their collaborative project, Kissing Booth, just released its latest EP, a charming five-song effort called Year of the Dragon, Year of the Dog.

In honor of that release and the upcoming holiday, we invited Lovett and Brick to compile a playlist featuring 12 of their favorite love songs. Read all about it below, as you stream along. [Gabe Vodicka]

Side A by Patrick Brick

1. Labi Siffre “Bless the Telephone”

Call your loved ones! Tell them they are your loved ones! Smile at a flower, and pet the smallest animal in your vicinity!

2. Frank Ocean “White Ferrari”

Buy a white Ferrari with your trust fund money, and take your significant other for a ride in it. Don’t speak to each other, but make sure you drive very, very fast. The sun is setting, and you told your rich parents you’d be home for dinner.

3. Kim Jung Mi “Your Dream”

I hope y’all speak Korean. If you can, and if this song is as romantic as it sounds, come find me. Tell me what she says. I don’t want to look it up.

4. David Byrne “Everyone’s in Love With You”

Sometimes your partner is better than you at everything, and everyone likes her more, and when they invite you places you wonder if it’s just so they can hang out with her, but know she wouldn’t go if you weren’t also invited.

5. Ted Hawkins “Sorry You’re Sick”

I would do a lil’ goof for this one too, but dang, I just don’t think I’ve got it in me. This song is pretty sad and endearing and great.

6. Leonard Cohen “True Love Leaves No Traces”

RIP LEONARD, THIS WORLD IS GARBAGE, AND I MISS YOU DEARLY.

Side B by Erin Lovett

7. Tracy Chapman “Fast Car”

Try this relationship-building exercise: Stare into your partner’s eyes. “Fast Car” plays quietly in the background. Repeat to each other, simultaneously: “Be someone. Be someone. Be someone.” Do this until someone gets frustrated and quits. This person is the loser.

8. Cat Stevens “Don’t Be Shy”

Patrick and I have an age difference of several years, so on our first Halloween together, we went as Harold and Maude to make everyone uncomfortable. I also have very fond memories of driving around in my first car, listening to the two-CD Cat Stevens Gold set my mom bought me for my 16th birthday.

9. Vashti Bunyan “I’d Like to Walk Around in Your Mind”

Can you believe Vashti Bunyan remained virtually unknown for nearly 30 years after recording Just Another Diamond Day? How can you ever quit your dreams knowing that? We all have different timelines. Success, love, money, fame… these things find us when we’re ready. Even knowing that, I still delete anything I post on Facebook that doesn’t get a like within five minutes. I guess I’ve got a lot of growing to do.

10. of Montreal “Neat Little Domestic Life”

It’s easy to fall in love with someone you can create beautiful art with—a true partner and collaborator, a muse and a friend, someone whose passions ignite your own as you both encourage and compete with each other’s wild endeavors. But at the end of the day, maybe you really just want someone who will go to Target with you for just one thing. Get you a partner that can do both.

11. The Magnetic Fields “Andrew in Drag”

We’ve all fallen for drag queens. For me, it was Sharon Needles in Season Four of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” (For Patrick, it was Alaska Thunderfuck; we are a house divided.) When Patrick and I first started dating, a bitter ex called him a teenage queen, and it stuck. Keep it spicy: Subvert your genders. Patrick still looks better than me in a dress. He’s the only girl I’ll ever love—my teenage queen.

12. Santigold ”Can’t Get Enough of Myself”

Here is a love song for loving yourself. You are awesome. Whether you are single, paired off or “other,” love on yourself a little bit this Valentine’s Day. Buy yourself something nice. Feel guilty for spending the money. Wonder if your idea of self-care is really just toxic capitalism. Feel worse. Drink. You are beautiful.

RELATED ARTICLES BY AUTHOR