Book Club for Mixtapes: Bringing People Together, One Track at a Time

As you get older, two of the hardest things to keep up with are friends and music. 

Thankfully, I found a remedy: a mix club.

A mix club is what happens when all the music geeks in one office find each other. Working together on the DreamWorks Animation series Dawn of the Croods in 2014, seven of us discovered each other’s love of music via band T-shirts and overheard Spotify choices. Our general tastes overlapped but we also had our own passions—ranging from Long Island emo to jam bands to They Might Be Giants. Also, our ages spanned from 20s to early 40s, giving us a range of reference points. Everyone had something unique to offer, so like all music lovers, our next thought was to share songs. We formed a book club for mixtapes, or a mix club. (Note: We know we didn’t invent this concept. Hell, I was in a great mix club back in the CD era. This is just how we landed on the idea.)

We started out ambitious, declaring that we’d craft one themed mix per month; like July was backyard BBQs, August was favorite last tracks from albums, and so on. Twelve tracks per mix and no repeats from other people’s mixes. It was time-consuming but so much fun, and led us down interesting musical avenues. Over time, though, life happened. Once Croods ended, we all moved on to different projects or studios. A few members lost touch, but new co-workers and friends joined as well, swelling our ranks to a steady 12 since 2019.

Now, 10 years into our club’s existence, we’re down to one mix per year, but it’s the one we love best: the year-end mix. Each of us shares a playlist that represents who you’ve been and what you loved these past 12 months. Sounds simple, but this isn’t like you slap together a playlist of your most-played songs. When I asked our members how much time each spends making their mixes, to a person, everyone answered some version of “too much.” For some, it’s because they have their own mix metrics, like for member Nate Federman, “I base my mix on the live shows I caught over the year. I found the process of making the mix and writing about it was [a] unique way to take stock of my year.” For others, it’s about creating the right auditory experience, as Mike Yank meticulously reviews every song he’s added to his playlists before “culling it down to the correct length (which I at some point got in my head needed to coincide with the year, e.g. 24 tracks for 2024), and then finally sequencing it all in a way that takes into account musical flow, balance of male and female vocals, and of course, spacing out the cover songs.” Might sound like a lot, but our club works because each of us has our own process. “I guess all of this is to say that I prepare my playlist like a serial killer plans their kill,” offers Jeff D’Elia.

Why so much effort? Because this year-end mix has evolved into our modern version of prior generations’ “life updates” newsletter that’d be included in a holiday card. “Through the years, especially because of COVID, our annual playlist evolved into a way to stay connected. They’re now usually accompanied by life updates, stories of joy and sorrow, and how music is interwoven into each of our stories,” explains Anna States. This might be what really keeps our club alive. As Grant Jossi shares, “I get everyone’s life updates, and I can actually hear how they are doing via the playlists. For myself; if it’s a playlist full of up-tempo pop, you know I’ve had a terrible year. And if it’s nothing but sad bastard music, I’ve probably been doing alright.”

We all find strength in our little community too, as Lindsey Gilbert says: “There have definitely been times that I didn’t know if I felt up for sharing my year or music—2016 and 2020 come to mind—but seeing the thread reappear in my inbox and seeing how everyone else was coping encouraged me to participate. I’ve found that no matter how difficult a year has been, the combination of music and these small communities we cultivate is what helps us through.” D’Elia adds, “It’s nice to know the ‘ups and downs’ of each other’s lives and see what we missed out on so we can check in and be there for them. And nothing heals any downs better than listening to some good music curated by your friends.”

Speaking of which, this is still a great way for us to discover new music too. “I like that our Playlist Club forces me to stay fresh. The last thing I want is calcified musical taste in my old age!” says States. It lets us keep humans in the discovery process too, as Jamie Uyeshiro points out, “It’s easy to get stuck in a music bubble since the algorithm keeps suggesting more of what you already like. Seeing other people’s lists is a great way to discover new songs I might never have come across otherwise.”

Listening to past mix club playlists as I write this, much of my current taste has been shaped by these friends. My love for Jeff Rosenstock stems from D’Elia and Jossi. Aliki Theofilopoulos is responsible for my annual current pop music primer. Even more, though, each mix makes me smile and reminisce about the person who made it and our times together. Or as States accurately summarizes, “After all this time, I can clearly see each of our personalities come across in the song choices we make. I could probably listen to each playlist blind and name who put it together. I love that.”

I love that, too. Now to finalize my 2024 mix. 

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