This mix began as a Halloween party mix (complete with “Monster Mash”) and then morphed into something weirder and scarier, I think: a mix of songs (mostly) about being crazy — maybe even psychotically! —  in love. (The more you listen to love songs the more you realize, “Man, this person is not well!”)

These mixes usually begin with what I call “seed songs” — a song that you kind of want to build a whole mix around. In this case it was the Sonics’ “Psycho” and Girls’ “Lust for Life,” which I couldn’t get out of my head for weeks. I also found that picture of Frankenstein’s monster with the little girl by the lake and these lyrics became more relevant: “I wish I had a father / And maybe then I would’ve turned out right / But now I’m just crazy / I’m totally mad…”

Another thing I learned from this mix: I really build theses mixes based on vibe, so if I have a band that captures the vibe I’m going for, I can use their influences to build up variety in the mix. For example, The Cramps’ “psychobilly” thing is what I wanted for the first side, so I simply searched “cramps influences” and got this Apple playlist that had more of the sort of stuff I was going for. Having the original versions of songs the Cramps covered (like Charlie Feathers’ “Can’t Hardly Stand It”) just thickens the stew, so to speak. (Same for searching for “Creedence covers” — this playlist popped up.)

I filled the tiny gaps on each side with Uncle Monty’s “I mean to have you, even if it must be burglary!” monologue from Withnail & I and a snippet of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Love is Not All.”

You can listen to the mix on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.