I've been promising my roomie from Ireland, Jamie, a mix CD for awhile. While visiting him in Florida a couple of months ago we heard a great cover of "Mack the Knife" by Ella Fitzgerald in which she didn't know all of the worlds but still made the song entertaining. Afterwards I decided a great mix for Jamie would of more contemporary female singers that I thought he would enjoy. I wrote up this tracklist for him so he could learn a little about the different artists on the CD. (I already have the entire tracklist formulated for Jamie's Girl Mix #2, so don't worry if you don't see your favorite ladies on here.)

1. Everyday is a Holiday with You – Esthero w. John Lennon
Esthero is a Canadian singer-songwriter. I’ve been a fan for a long time, but she hadn’t released a full length album since 1998 until 2005. FINALLY! This song features contributions from The Beatles’ John Lennon’s son Sean Lennon.

2. Scar – Missy Higgins
This isn’t my fave Missy Higgins song, but it is a good one and probably her most popular single. She is from Australia and a lot of my friends hate her thick accent (“strine”) but I LOVE it. Her lyrics seem to hint that she has/does switch between dating men and women and this song is a perfect example of that. The lead singer of my favorite band (jump, little children) co-wrote a number of her songs.

3. I Want You - Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata is of Italian/German/Japanese descent; however this singer-songwriter is a Chicago area musician. She was in a Chicago band for 6 years before going solo. Rachael also has some songs that hint at her bisexuality. How

4. Extraordinary Machine - Fiona Apple
One of the more well known ladies on the CD. Fiona is kind of crazy and hated by many (but in person I thought she was charming). She is well known for her MTV award show proclamation on winning her award of “the world is bullshit, and you shouldn’t model your life on what you think is cool, and what we’re wearing and what we’re saying.” Her first album was dark, culling from a past of obsessive compulsive disorder and adolescent rape. Her second album (with the longest album title EVER) was still pretty dark and made during her relationship with Magnolia director PT Anderson. This track is from her new album of the same name and has a way more upbeat and positive feel to it than any of her earlier stuff. I love the lyrics…so uplifting.

5. Sascha – Jolie Holland
This Texas native has a beautiful old style sounding folk voice that I can’t get enough of.

6. Secret Heart – Feist
Feist is a Canadian who works with a lot of Canadian groups and has recorded and toured a lot with another Canadian group – Broken Social Scene. This song is written by another of my fave Canadian musicians, Ron Sexsmith. I saw the Feist version in an online fan made movie of clips from Brokeback Mountain and fell in love…the lyrics are SO appropriate. Also, the CD that this song is featured on was recorded while Feist was living in Paris. What isn’t to love?

7. She Left on a Monday – Bic Runga
This New Zealand singer is the product of a Chinese Malaysian lounge singer and a Maori soldier on leave from Vietnam. I had a hard time picking a track, because I love all of them.

8. Breathe Me – Sia
Sia is an Australian, and the niece of Colin Hay (the lead singer of Australian Group Men at Work.) She has done work in the group Zero 7. This track was the closing song for the finale episode of the tv series Six Feet Under. One of a few songs I can claim haunts me.

9. Ready For Love – India.Arie
“A man who loves music, a man who loves arts, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart.” Sing it India! This song always gets me. India Arie is an American of West Indian and African American descent.

10. Little Bombs – Aimee Mann
Aimee is married to Michael Penn and did the majority of the songs for the movie Magnolia. This song is from he latest CD, The Forgotten Arm, which is a concept album. It tells a story about two lovers in the 70s who met at a state fair and now are on the run. This song impressed me live quite a bit.

11. A Place Called Home – Kim Richey
Kim is generally thought of as a country singer. The first time I heard this song (featured in an episode of the TV show Angel) I thought it was an Aimee Mann song.

12. Calculation Theme – Metric
Another Canadian band, and the lead singer also plays sometimes with Canadian bands Broken Social Scene and Stars.

13. The World is On Fire – Sarah McLaughlin
The most famous lady I included. This Canadian singer has a huge number of radio hits (building a mystery, adia, angel) and she founded Lilith Fair. This song is from her new album and features one of the most uplifting and inspiring music videos I’ve ever seen and made me respect her quite a lot (not that I didn’t already love her). Watch the video at www.worldonfire.ca

14. Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap
This British singer uses a lot of computers/synthesizers in her music. She is the lead singer of the group Frou Frou. This song, her first single from her most recent solo album, is one of my favorite singles of last year.

15. Evening Sun (Live) – Gemma Hayes
I had to include an Irish musician, so here she is…a lovely and peaceful live acoustic track. This song is from a CD recording of a live performance of many artists in Ireland (the CD also features a great Bic Runga song despite the fact that she isn’t Irish).