THE POP FILTER MIXTAPE

 FOR WALLOWING IN SELF-LOATHING

I Better Be Quiet Now – Elliott Smith

There has never been a song that is more perfect for hating yourself than this song. It is full of a sentiment of things left unsaid, unfortunate things that were said and having to deal with the consequences of both. In fact, if you’re in a really good mood and you listen to this song, by about the 3 minute mark, you will begin hating yourself. This song is powerful and should only be consumed in small doeses, unless you’re Jon Cusack. At that point I’m assuming you can listen to this shit on loop for hours and just cry into your headphones. – JRN

Hurt- Johnny Cash

Lyrically the song captures a man who has years of mistakes in his past, and only remembers the misery he left in his wake. Johnny Cash’s crusty old voice captures that feeling so perfectly, especially when he promises that he’ll do nothing but let you down. More often than not, when I’m depressed it’s because I fucked up and this is the perfect song to play on repeat with the shades drawn and the lights out as I rock back and forth thinking what a piece of shit I am. And believe me, I am -MG

Broadripple Is Burning (Daytrotter version)-Margot and the Nuclear So-and-Sos

If you could actually magnetize the concept of “bummer”, put it on a record, and listen to it 30 times on loop while you looked at pictures of girls whose hearts you broke and cried into a half-empty glass of cheap whiskey, it would be this song.  It was best described as “angsty hipster heroin bullshit” by my good buddy, comedian Connor McSpadden, and I am hard pressed to disagree.  ”I’m wasted, you can taste it.  Don’t look at me that way.  I’ll be hanging from a rope.  I will haunt you like a ghost.”  Fuck, now I’m ready to shoot up and wallow like a motherfucker.-KRC

Someone Like You – Adele

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When I’m really feeling like a glutton for punishment and self loathing I put on this song. It’s beyond heartbreaking and it takes you right there. You instantly feel like you are back in that old relationship that you fucked up and now you’re pouring your heart out for everyone to hear. It even makes those past relationships that you weren’t ever really into seem depressing. You listen to this song and you’re ready to hate yourself for loving someone you can’t have. Yeah this shit is played out but just think back to the first couple of times you’ve heard it and you know what’s up. -RC

9 CRIMES-DAMIEN RICE

If you want to instantly make the self-loathing you’re soaking in increase, admit publicly that you not only know who he is, but that you enjoy Damien Rice. The simple melody of strings and piano of the song leaves a lot of space for your mind to wander around thinking about how much you suck, regardless of what it is to make you think about how much you suck. Add to that the back and forth male/female vocals whose voices end up weaving a whole melancholy vibe. Then you realize they’re telling a story of two people who used to be happy together, and are erroneously trying to make it work even though the guy tells the girl to leave him in the trash or just fucking shoot him. Just like with real life, there’s just a hint of a resolution and as the song ends you know these two are going to have the same conversation over and over, bringing up past mistakes instead of just letting it all go and moving on…. I need to go light some candles and sit in the shower for awhile.-MG

ROCKIN THE SUBURBS – BEN FOLDS

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Admittedly, my life is pretty sweet. Although it seems that I’m the only one that knows the depths of how truly great I can be, it, for the most part, keeps the self-loathing at bay. There’s only one thing that embarrasses me about me, and it’s the fact that I’m white. It’s hard for anyone who isn’t a young(ish) white male to truly understand how hard it is get through life. You don’t know what it’s like to be lame at everything you do. Not bad. Not good. Lame. You don’t know what it’s like for the entire world to accurately assume what a guilty nerd you are. You don’t know what it’s like to be male, middle class, and white. Only one man does, and his name is Ben Folds. 1B to my 1A on the list of nerdy white guys, Ben Folds accurately depicts how loathsome my self-loathing is, and then offers up a solution towards the end of the song: lamely bang your head to his lame rap-like screams. It makes for a pretty enjoyable afternoon. I just wish it wasn’t all of my afternoons. – RH

Miserable Bastard – John Popper

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This song from Popper’s short-lived solo career (during which he had a massive heart attack due to complusive overeating, and his best friend/bass player died of a drug overdose), so I think the guy knows a thing or two about self-loathing.  The lyrics form one of the first and most sinister humble-brags: “I said I’ll strip-mine into your heart/Drill deep and suck you dry/Break you down and sell your parts/For what money just can’t buy.”  It’s clear, however, from the title and the other lyrics that underneath all of this bravado is a man who hates himself for emotionally preying on the people who love him.  If the particular flavor of your self-loathing involves a deep and aggressive shame about hurting those who love you the most, this song is for you.  It’s also a little more funky, and a little less hippy jam-band than his Blues Traveler stuff, so you can safely check this out without having to endure 17 minute harmonica solos and reeking of patchouli oil. -BW