MIXTAPE: Tax Day

Posted by Jim Shearer on April 15th

I know I’ve been going crazy with these mixtapes lately, but I couldn’t resist dropping one on Tax Day. If you’re franticly rushing around trying to finish your tax return, let this playlist of songs bring down your stress levels (take a deep breath, everything’s gonna be okay):

1. “Tax Man,” The Beatles
The Beatles have a song for everything, huh? I can’t wait for the next walrus or submarine-related mixtape that I’m going to make. I guarantee you’ll hear this as the background song on at least four local news stories today.

2. “Mo Money Mo Problems,” The Notorious B.I.G. (feat. Mase and Puff Daddy)
True. Mo money also means you’ll have a hell of a lot more taxes to pay.

3. “I Might Be Wrong,” Radiohead
The feeling I had whenever my wife and I did taxes on our own. By the way, not only is today Tax Day, but it’s also guitarist, Ed O’Brien’s, birthday. Since he’s from England he can enjoy his b-day in peace, where there are no stressful tax ramifications on April 15.

4. “What You Waiting For?” Gwen Stefani
There’s a double meaning for my selection choice of this song. First of all, I never understood how anyone could wait until the last day to file their taxes, hence the song choice: “What You Waiting For?” But, did you also know that this song was co-written by Linda Perry? Just like Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, she was also born on April 15.

5. “Taxing,” Seaweed
Tax season is “taxing,” but even without the tax-related song title (which makes it a perfect choice for my mix), this track is an early 90’s, pacific northwest, punk-rock treat.

6. “One Trillion Dollars,” Anti-Flag
A sad reminder where a lot of that tax money goes–and how it could’ve been better spent.

7. “Too Much To Think About,” B-52’s
That’s why instead of thinking about taxes, think about this little nugget of information: Fifty-seven years ago today, the B-52 aircraft–which inspired the name of the hairdo, that inspired the name of the band–made its maiden flight. (Sorry, maybe that is too much to think about.)

8. “I’m Broken,” Pantera
What most of us feel like after filing a tax return.

9. “All These Things I’ve Done,” The Killers
Yes, and make sure you have W2s for ’em all.

10. “Zero,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Here’s hoping that you get a lot of these tacked on to the end of your tax refund.