Valentine’s Day Mix Tape 101: 43 Love Songs, 49 Anti-Love Songs & Some Videos!

In the process of creating the Valentine’s mix tape, a few Autostraddlers confessed that this year their Valentine’s Day will probs be less about love song dedications and more about sitting out the front of their ex-lovers house, seranading them with the Kaiser Chief’s “Every Day I Love You Less And Less” via their sub woofer. Which is why we’ve also created a special B Side of anti-love songs for those of you who have a different sort of mix tape in mind.

Valentine’s Day Mix Tape B Sides: The Anti-Love Tracks

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TECHNOSTRADDLE EDITOR TAYLOR:
Lucinda Williams – “Ventura”
Best with a broken heart & too many empty bottles of whiskey.

PJ Harvey – “Long Snake Moan”
Everything is fucked, let’s have angry sex.

Ryan Adams – “Come Pick Me Up”
Fuck, this breakup just got messy.

Neko Case – “Twist the Knife”
I’m spurned but hell, I’m honest.

Neko Case – “This Tornado Loves You”
It’s Understandable You Filed That Restraining Order.

MUSIC EDITOR CRYSTAL:
A Perfect Circle – “3 Libras”
A girl gave me this song on a mix tape once and it did not feel good. It’s a kick in the gut.

Jeff Buckley – “The Last Goodbye”
Just flat out heart-wrenching.

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Jay-Z – “99 Problems”
“If you’re having girl problems I feel bad for you son, but I got 99 problems and a bitch ain’t one.” Just shake it off.

Hunter Valentine – “Jimmy Dean”
“I don’t want to make love, I want to fuck with abandon. I don’t want no sweet valentine, I want a shot of jack to forget this time.” The way this girl sings is so hot that you’ll forget about whoever you’re moping over.

AUDIOSTRADDLE WRITER EMILY:
Bright Eyes – “It’s Cool, We Can Still Be Friends”
This song should come with a warning: May make you want to fucking kill yourself.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RIESE:
Chris Pureka – “Momentary Thief “
“I’ll tell you what/I’ll save you the trouble of running away/yeah I’m already at the door/and I stole this moment for me.”

Fiona Apple – “Paper Bag” & “Get Gone” but really all of “When the Pawn.”
“‘You got your game, made your shot, and you got away / With a lot, but I’m not turned-on/ So put away that meat you’re selling /Cuz I do know what’s good for me-
/ And I’ve done what I could for you/ But you’re not benefiting… it’s time the truth is out that he don’t give a shit about me.”

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Liz Phair – “Fuck and Run”
This was good to sing in the 90’s when you didn’t want to have feelings. Then in the ’00s maybe you realized that there were feelings in this song, like that she actually wanted a boyfriend to win her over. So then it has many layers, like a cake.

Dar Williams – “As Cool as I Am”
It’s happy but it’s about moving on: “So you’re leaving/you can find out how much better things can get/and if it helps/I’d say I feel a little worse than I did when we met/so when you find someone else/you can try again/it might work next time.”

Hilary Duff – “So Yesterday”
If you sing it over and over and over again it starts to feel true!

Shiny Toy Guns – “Don’t Cry Out
It’s such a simple phrase, I should’ve thought of it myself — “I don’t get you, I can’t forget what you’ve forgotten” — but I didn’t, they did, and they sang it; and it was wholly, completely, entirely literally true.

Ani DiFranco – Dilate
“I just want you to live up to / the image of you I create / I see you and I’m so unsatisfied / I see you and I dilate.”

ASSOCIATE EDITOR SARAH:
Rilo Kiley – “A Man / Me / Then Jim”
It’s partially about suicide, which is a lot. But it’s also beautiful. And one time Jenny Lewis looked right at me while she sang the best part, and I almost passed out in the front row.

The Mountain Goats – Woke Up New
It’s about waking up the first day after a breakup. Surprisingly hopeful, given the subject.

The Postal Service – “Nothing Better”
Obvs.

AUDIOSTRADDLE WRITER COREY:
Jimmy Eat World – “Hear You Me”
To help you get over someone you lost.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR LANEIA:
Thao + The Get Down Stay Down – “Easy”
Sad people dance, too!

Jessica Lea Mayfield – “We’ve Never Lied”
Stinging and honest. I’m sad just thinking about it. Damn.

Third Eye Blind – “How’s It Gonna Be”
“How’s it gonna be / when you don’t know me anymore.” #wallow

No Doubt – “Ex Girlfriend” or “Don’t Speak”
Pick one. Are you indignant and sassy? “Ex Girlfriend” is for you. Are you a little sad for real? Feel it in your bones? “Don’t Speak” is your jam.

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Rolling Stones – “Angie”
Baby let’s just cry. Get it all out. They can’t say we never tried.

The Muffs – “Red Eyed Troll”
This was my favorite high school breakup / angsty song! Lots of screaming.

FILM & TV EDITOR LOLA:
Beyoncé – “Irreplaceable”
You don’t wanna treat me right? YOUR LOSS, SUCKA!

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Atmosphere – “Fuck You Lucy”
I like songs that say ‘fuck’ a lot when I’m bitter. Sometimes you just wanna shout “FUCK YOU” to love.

Mariah Carey – “Shake It Off”
Bad break-up? You’re better off anyway. Mariah Carey always makes things better for me.

The Ataris – “The Last Song I Will Ever Write About A Girl”
While my adolescent skater punk days are (mostly) behind me, shouting “GIRLS ARE FUCKING EVIL” is still necessary sometimes.

The Mountain Goats – “No Children”
Vehemently hating your spouse has never sounded so upbeat and catchy! Seriously, the lyrics to this are genius.

AUDIOSTRADDLE BLOGGER JESS G:
The Clash – “Train In Vain (Stand By Me”)
Shake it out and dance up a frenzy to this classic by The Clash. A catchy and upbeat chorus is juxtaposed with lyrics of loneliness and abandonment.

The Decemberists- “The Engine Driver”
For the poet in all of us, Colin Meloy offers this tune featuring some of his most beautifully crafted lyrics. If you’re trying to get over her and can’t, discover emotional solidarity here: “And I’ve written pages upon pages / Trying to rid you from my bones.”

INTERN [HOT] LAURA:
Blessid Union of Souls – “Light In Your Eyes“
I heard this song for the first time since, like, 1999 a few weeks ago and was reminded about everything that was great about the last ’90s. Oh yeah, and it’s about breaking up and stuff.

Rihanna – “Hard”
Speaking from experience, the best time to listen to this song is when you’re angry and dressed up in heels [or kicks or however you roll] because then you can stomp around and think thoughts like “fuck the man! and also you!” when you see the person you’re mad at. It is very empowering.

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Ingrid Michaelson – “Sort Of”
Guys, “my love’s too big for you” is such a not fun feeling but Ingrid’s so cute about it. No sane person would ever break her heart, you know?

AUDIOSTRADDLE BLOGGER ISABELLE::
Belle and Sebastian – “I Don’t Love Anyone”
Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris – “Love Hurts”
Bob Dylan – “It Ain’t Me, Babe”
Band of Horses – “No One’s Gonna Love You”
Elliott Smith – “Somebody That I Used To Know”

AUDIOSTRADDLE BLOGGER KARMEN:
The Cinematic Orchestra – “To Build A Home”
Hands down one of the most beautifully orchestrated, heart-wrenching, excruciatingly loving, beautifully sang song that I’ve ever heard. Listen to it. It’s close to perfect.

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – “When Your Mind’s Made Up”
Everyone has felt abandoned by the one they love. This is the perfect song to drive and cry about it to.

Rachael Yamagata – “Even So”
Written by a woman who broke her own heart by cheating on the only man she loved and who loved her in return. Get ready to feel.

Tegan and Sara – “Call It Off”
“Call, break my own heart”…