OC Weekly Staff Mixtape Picks

Sarah Tomlinson The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York,” If I Should Fall From Grace With God(Island, 1988): “An obvious holiday favorite, sure, but I got into the Pogues because my mom was a big fan of their music, so this song has been a classic at my house for years. I can’t hear the opening piano melody without thinking about being home in Maine with my family, sitting by the woodfire and dishing on pop culture. When I was in my early 20s, my then-boyfriend was in a band that covered this song, so it also brings back fun (if vague) memories of getting drunk and singing along with a bunch of kids in a dingy punk club in Portland, Oregon.”