Here’s a Bunch of Songs, including Toxicity by System of a Down

A 2013 Mixtape playlist – a “Bunch of Songs” - featuring Toxicity by a System of a Down, Icona Pop, and yes, even Kanye West. A playlist for those who have to grow-up, but need to keep the spark of youth burning within.

Mixtape Playlist #35: A Bunch of Songs (2013)

#	YEAR	Song Title	Artist	Album
1	1996	All Same in the End	Sublime	Sublime
2	1982	I Ran (So Far Away)	A Flock of Seagulls	A Flock of Seagulls
3	1998	Ddevil	System of a Down	System of a Down
4	2001	Toxicity	System of a Down	Toxicity
5	1996	Message to Harry Manback	Tool	Aenima
6	1969	Whipping Post	The Allman Brothers Band	The Allman Brothers Band
7	1998	Sheep Go to Heaven	Cake	Prolonging the Magic
8	1995	Queen of the Air	Everclear	Sparkle & Fade
9	2011	Lonely Boy	The Black Keys	El Camino
10	2012	Rise to the Sun	Alabama Shakes	Boys & Girls
11	2013	Miracle Mile	Cold War Kids	Dear Miss Lonelyhearts
12	2000	Mr. E's Beautiful Blues	Eels	Daisies of the Galaxy
13	2001	Whatever Happened to my Rock n' Roll?	Black Rebel Motorcycle Club	BRMC
14	2012	I Love It	Icona Pop	Icona Pop
15	1999	Cha Cha Cha (Go Remix)	Jimmy Luxury	Go Soundtrack
16	2002	Tales of Kidd Drunkadelic	People Under the Stairs	O.S.T
17	2006	The Doctor and the Kidd	People Under the Stairs	Stepfather
18	2009	Weed	People Under the Stairs	Carried Away
19	2002	Acid Raindrops	People Under the Stairs	O.S.T
20	2004	We Don't Care	Kanye West	The College Dropout
21	2002	Thin Line	Jurassic 5	Power in Numbers

In 2013, I was thrust into the shape of a 9–5 life. College had ended, the world had snapped into something more rigid, and suddenly I was raising a toddler while trying to pretend I was an employee worthy enough of a decent wage. Every morning felt like a negotiation between who I was supposed to be and who I still wanted to be. That tension is what shaped this mix, the soundtrack of a young parent trying to keep the fire alive while the world kept handing down paperwork.

The mix, or playlist, opens with Sublime’s “All Same in the End”, a song that felt like a shrug and a snarl. Then comes “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls, the perfect anthem for someone wanted to run away so bad, but definitely could not due to an obligation to their child. And then there’s “Toxicity” – hitting all the sharp edges while exemplifying compressed frustration. That was the anger: the part of me that resented how quickly freedom had been replaced by fluorescent lights, deadlines, and the quiet pressure to be stable for someone else.

But the mix doesn’t stay angry. Cake’s “Sheep Go to Heaven” and “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys start to loosen the grip. There’s humor, bounce, and a little swagger. Then Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll” comes in like a reminder that creativity isn’t dead. This was the blooming stage, the acceptance stage, when you carry the pieces of who you were into who you’re becoming.

And then the final stage: letting go, in an entirely reckless way. Icona Pop’s “I Love It” is pure catharsis. People Under the Stairs’ “Weed” brings in that laid‑back energy, the reminder that life doesn’t have to be all structure. And Kanye’s “We Don’t Care” closes it out with a smirk, a middle finger, and a sense of relief. It’s the sound of someone who has accepted responsibilities but refuses to erase the parts of themselves that still want to play.

The whole mix is a snapshot of the tug‑of‑war between duty and desire, exhaustion and creativity, adulthood and the flickers of youth that yearn to still burn. It’s messy, loud, contradictory, and exactly what that season of life felt like.