The mixtape (or sometimes mix tape) has been an awkward symbol of affection for many people. A story, a theme or an emotion is usually subtlety spelt out over sixty, ninety or a hundred and twenty minutes. This music art form has gained a new breath of popularity recently, with advancements in the availability of mp3s and the range of marketing available for new bands to publish their work through the Internet.

Since the introduction of the cassette tape, in 1963, and especially after the popularisation of the Sony Walkman brand in the late 1970?s, mixtapes began to appear as a way to share new or rare music with friends. The Nick Hornby publication High Fidelity and the film of the same name boosted their popularity further, and created a new wave of mixtape enthusiasts. However, the current trend tends to lean towards the medium of a mix CD, rather than a mixtape. There are the purists who would argue in favour of the mixtape. They would point out the extra time and effort it takes to make a mixtape and the look, feel and texture of a tape as opposed to a CD. These purists believe, and I?m inclined to agree with them, that a mixtape is about more than just music. Mixtapes make great gifts, and as I mentioned in the first paragraph, whilst they may not be a heart shaped box of chocolates, or a bunch of flowers, they are a gift that lingers in the heart and soul of it?s recipient. A gift you can create with enthusiasm, and devotion, a gift with meaning.

There have been and always will be countless discussions on what makes a perfect mixtape. Considering the comments I?ve just made, the perfect mixtape would be something as ineffable as love itself. It would be something personal to you, given by someone who loves you, as you do them. In music terms, there are too many rules to mention in such a short article. Of course, you need to find music that your recipient loves, and also try to fit this into your theme or message.

When creating a mixtape, your must have a strong opening, and the first song is the most important. It must set the scene and tone for the rest of the tape. The last song must also be strong and leave the listener with the full understanding of your message. This does not mean however that the tracks that make up the bulk of the tape can be any song that loosely fits the theme. They must be well thought out, with the receiver in mind. Weaker songs should be weeded out without a hint of mercy, and new songs brought in to replace them. The track listing, that is the order the songs go in, should also be crafted, so as to make the tape flow. With a traditional tape method, instead of a CD you will also have to consider side A and B and the differences between them. You might want to the tape to start mellow, and end with a rockier edge, you might want the opposite. The tracks should be placed in a way that makes them seem as if they have always belonged together.

Many people also go as far as to create cover art and inserts for their mixtape or CD, and this further wraps up the idea of creating a personal one of a kind special gift.

Leaving the idea of trying to send a message or express an emotion, there are also many other uses for the mixtape. I have already mentioned the sharing of new, upcoming music and this is a popular technique used in promoting hip hop, and DJ artists, where the mix refers to the blending of tracks into a continuous piece of music.

Mixtapes however, have the potential to be a promotional tool for any new band, with their fans creating the mixtapes of their favourite independent bands, and then passing these on to their friends. They might also include more well-known bands, with a similar style. Mixtape exchanges are a popular way to make new friends and enjoy new music at the same time.

Mixtapes provide an interesting debate about copyright theft, and this is a very real debate considering the illegal downloading of mp3 files through peer-to-peer and bit-torrent networks. This, obviously, doesn?t apply if you wrote the song yourself but even if it?s not your music, a mixtape, made for a friend or a few friends, is usually regarded as ?fair use? under the Copyright Act of 1976. This becomes a different matter, when the mix is sold or distributed to thousands of strangers. It seems, in the small scale sharing of music, and mixtapes, there is no harm.

Music after all is made so that it can be played and I think it is this idea of sharing the music that you love, with a friend or someone close to you, that will continue the current fixation of making mixtapes.

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Ed Sumner owns two music websites..

http://www.mymixtapefor.com – is a forum where you can create unique playlists, mixtapes and mix cds and the other members will help you to complete them.

http://www.musicismymiddle.com – is an online music ezine published every Wednesday (or Tuesday if you sign up), it concentrates on post-punk-electro-indie-import-emo-rock, or combinations of those genres.

They are both great fun, and free to sign up to, so take a look today..

Love Irish music? Love cats? Curl up in your favorite chair – Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers by Marc Gunn & The Dubliners’ Tabby Cats will tickle your feline fancy.

Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers is the pet project by Marc Gunn, singer-songwriter and one-half of the award-winning duo, the Brobdingnagian Bards. Full of funny feline folk music, Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers gathers popular drinking tunes and retrofits them with cat-worthy lyrics. The result is a warm and wonderful CD that sees songs such as Lord of the Dance redone as Lord of the Pounce.

Why take Irish drinking songs and rewrite them with lyrics about cats? Well, I was a big fan of Weird Al growing up, confesses Gunn, himself owned by two cats named Tiziano and Torre plus visiting rights with the tabby Jasper, from a previous relationship. When I listen to a song too often, I typically will change the lyrics. I did that with ‘Wild Rover,’ changing the claps to meows. It was all downhill from there.

The CD is also not just Irish drinking songs, Gunn points out. It’s more like a traditional Irish CD with a combination of drinking songs and Irish tunes, except the chief instrument is an autoharp and I sing about cats.

That is the beauty of Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers – the songs are part of the patchwork of American music, a culture with deep Irish roots. Marc Gunn has extensive experience as not only a recording musician but as a veteran performer in renaissance fairs and fantasy festivals. The result is a clever collection of music that appeals to not only Irish and cat lovers, but anyone who appreciates a lyrical laugh.

Japan’s Ari Koinuma, also a cat lover, produced Irish Drinking Songs For Cat Lovers. Participating musicians include Hannah Gunn and Cedric the Fiddler of the Bedlam Bards. Additional musicians include Chris Buckley, Sarah Dinan, Hamby, April Porter, Blake McCaig, and Franco Bordoni. Marc Gunn wrote all the lyrics to the classic songs.

Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and Irish music magazine publisher and promoter. Last but not least, he is poet, photographer and music business educator.