DOWNLOAD: The 'Happy Birthday' Mixtape, Celebrating 5 Years of Mixtape Muse

2011, surprisingly enough, marks the 5th anniversary of Mixtape Muse. For something that started as a place to post the playlists for my little 'ol college radio program, this site has grown into something I could have never imagined. To celebrate, I've created a mixtape featuring artists that have been favorites over the past five years/are friends or are simply new artists I've just recently discovered. When I began selecting tracks, I soon heard a sonic theme that sort of matched the cover art (above) -- which I, oddly enough, happened to pick out before I had even started curating the mix.

As a thank you to all you readers and supporters of Mixtape Muse, please accept this mixtape as a token of my gratitude. Download it (for free) and enjoy!

LISTEN: photocomfort - "My Mistake"

Heartbreak is such an unpleasant thing to endure. For a songwriter, it's an inspiration just as much as it is a painful feeling. It's been said that beauty can sprout from the darkest of places, blossoming out of something that appears so unfortunate and ugly. We could spend hours -- or rather days -- discussing all the great songs from the dawn of music to now that so eloquently and beautifully deal with such an unappealing thing like that of heartbreak.