Pretty indie folk music!+Country/bluegrass/anti-folk/alternative/pop/indie pop for a mix tape for my friends!?

Question

I'm making a collection of mix CDs for my friends for Christmas, birthday presents, & going-away-to-college/start-a-new-life presents. :) My plan to stay in touch with my friends once we scatter across the US to go to university is this: to make mixtapes and send them to each other in the mail, along with some letters/poems, other little gifts (maybe with a mini care package, candy, or a good book?)

I already made one mix CD for one of my friends, to the theme of lovely, relaxing, calming music.
Track List:
1. Asleep by The Smiths
2. Bloom by The Paper Kites
3. Calendar Girl by Stars
4. Delicate by Damien Rice
5. Dream by Priscilla Ahn
6. Every Single Night by Fiona Apple
7. Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg
8. Find My Way Back Home by Priscilla Ahn
9. First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
10. The Gambler by fun.
11. Heart by Stars
12. Home by Gabrielle Aplin
13. Icarus by The Staves (featuring Keaton Henson)
14. The King and All of His Men by Wolf Gang
15. Lights by Melanie Martinez (cover of Ellie Goulding’s song, Lights)
16. Little House by Amanda Seyfried
17. Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons
18. Mexico by The Staves
19. When You Grow Up by Priscilla Ahn
20. Youth by Daughter

For these CDs, I'd like to change it up a little. Some CDs I'm thinking of now are "New beginnings"(for when we go off on our own ways to college),
"Loud & upbeat or Alternative" (Fall Out Boy, Paramore),
"calming folk" (Kina Grannis, The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson (or the cover by Caroline Pennell), maybe even some songs by Ellie Goulding),
"Indie pop/country/upbeat folk" (Mumford & Sons, "Wagon Wheel", Vienna Teng, Of Monsters & Men, Wolf Gang, Jenny O., Avett Brothers, maybe The Band Perry),
"weird, awesome, and happy go-lucky" (Owl City, San Cisco, "Offbeat" by Clara C, Marie the redCat, Regina Spektor's "Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)"...the "weird" part applies to songs defying categorization by Kimbra and Fiona Apple!),
"vintage" (Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, something by Postmodern Jukebox), and
"Anti-folk" (think: Regina Spektor, Jaymay, and even Fiona Apple),
"fairy tales" (Songs like Snow White by Jaymay),
"moody" (for break-ups and fall-outs and sadness/depression...songs by Stars, probably...and if angry, Paramore),

and lastly... (this one might just be my favorite mix tape!) Seasons! I already have one song in mind for that mixtape: Autumn Fallin' by Jaymay. :) and maybe....Ne Me Quitte Pas/Don't Leave Me by Regina Spektor (for winter).
I'd love to make an entire Christmas song mix tape, but I don't know any good obscure Christmas songs other than some Michael Buble songs and Colbie Caillat's Christmas songs. I don't like the traditional ones that much.

I might even mix in some Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra (jazz/Broadway/swing isn't one of the topics, but I adore their voices so I might just mix it in) and Postmodern Jukebox-style songs.

These mixtapes will probably take many years to collect. But I want to make some now, for this Christmas season, for some of my friends :) And what better way to find music quickly than to ask for recommendations? I know I have quite a wide taste in music, but if we have any overlap in liking any of the genres listed, recommend some songs to me!

I should also think of making a mix CD (it's weird saying mix CD instead of mixtape!) for movies/tv show theme songs. I could totally use At Least It Was Here (Community Theme song), Psych theme song, Hey Beautiful (HIMYM theme song).The Office, Sherlock and Doctor Who themes....

I also adore Coldplay/Amy Winehouse/Christina Aguilera/Maroon 5/Gotye/Fun/Sublime/Nirvana/Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco/Ed Sheeran/One Republic/Bon Iver/Vampire Weekend... covers of songs from The Voice, (I love Jacquie Lee, Melanie Martinez, Caroline Pennell, Juhi, Nic Hawk, Holly Henry, Josiah Hawley, Midas Whale, Cole Vosbury, Sarah Simmons...) so if there are any voices that sound like those or any covers of songs from The Voice are totally fine too. I would add those to the mixtape. :) oh and I'm also okay with adding song covers from Youtube singers like Kina Grannis, Alex G, etc.

I don't want to reuse songs or artists too much, so I need your guys' help finding new artists/bands/songs!!! :D (I don't listen to much R&B but I need tons of help finding good (non-rap) R&B. I like Miguel and Justin Timberlake...I think that's it for R&B. Does Kimbra count?)

(Also - don't tell anyone - sometimes my guilty pleasure is Taylor Swift okay so those songs are okay too.)

Merci & Merry Christmas!

Tiff

Answer 1

for more pretty indie folk....I suggest:



Angus Stone



Kites & Crows



Loch Lomond



Vandaveer



Horsefeathers



Breathe Owl Breathe



Bon Iver



Junip



and



Gregory Alan Isakov

Answer 2

The way you've laid out this question is pretty convoluted, you could have shortened the whole thing down to "I'm looking for some indie folk bands to put into a mixtape for my friend"

Anyway, a few of indie folk songs I would recommend checking out are:

Radical Face - Welcome Home

Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River

Woodpigeon - Robin Song

Iron & Wine - Upwards over the Mountain

Rocky Volovato - White Daisy Passing

Freelance Whales - Hannah

First Aid Kit - Lions Roar

I would listening to the entire discography of any of the artists listed if you have the time by the way

Answer 3

I don't know how you feel about old school folk, but both the Weavers and Peter, Paul and Mary put out Christmas albums.



I like the Weavers version of Go Where I Send Thee and Virgin Mary.



From Peter Paul and Mary, I like Light One Candle (but I'd prefer if I could find a version without orchestral backing) and their version of Tom Paxton's Marvelous Toy could be considered a Christmas song.



Bob Gibson's The Virgin Mary Had One Son is a pretty song, albeit very religious.



If you want something a little different, Tom Lehrer's Christmas Carol is a fun song.



I know, none of this is "indie folk" but its all worth a listen.



Another source for your Christmas mix might be country artists doing old gospel tunes. Country, folk and old gospel share the same roots.

Answer 4

cool