Mix for a rainy day

It's been wet lately. There was a genuine thunderstorm on Saturday, complete with lightning, thunder, and flooding streets. Very impressive. Not quite the winter weather I'm used to, but a good break from the overcast chill that lingered through most of last week.

The storm gave me a great excuse to wrap some presents, address some letters, and be otherwise productive this weekend. And here's the mix that accompanied the flashes and the sound of rain hitting the windows:

1. "Nice Weather For Ducks" by Lemon Jelly
2. "Where It Never Rains" by VAST
3. "Raining Again" by Moby
4. "Rainy Day" by Guster
5. "Walk Between The Raindrops" by Donald Fagen
6. "The Gentle Rain (RJD2 Remix)" by Astrud Gilberto
7. "Where the River Flows" by Collective Soul
8. "Africa" by Toto
9. "Waterslide" by Mice Parade
10. "Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Typical rainy day songs compiled using the tried-and-true method of running a search for "rain," "weather," and such in iTunes. But I tried to mix it up. Lemon Jelly is a great starter because songs about rainy days don't have to be depressing and introspective. But if you want depressing and introspective, you've got your VAST and Guster. A little jazz from Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen leads into a jazz-electronica mix from RJD2. Some air guitar courtesy of Collective Soul, an overdramatic singalong by Toto and a little hipster indie by Mice Parade (now practice the pretentious "oh, you haven't heard of Mice Parade?" look... there, that's the one). Follow it all up with the genuinely uplifting medley by Hawaiian singer Iz, and you've got yourself a mix.

I must admit, Milli Vanilli was in the first draft of this mix. I am weak.