Our Valentine's Day playlist contest winner!

Audiofile is pleased to announce that Doug Kamin, with his tightly structured and expertly chosen batch of songs, is the winner of the Valentine's Day playlist contest. Yay, Doug! You'll see from his dedication, that Mr. Kamin is a man who takes his mix making very, very seriously. Thank you to Doug and to all the other contestants.

One practical tip before you start listening: As Matador Records doesn't allow deep linking, the links for the songs by Laura Cantrell and Belle and Sebastian lead you to their respective Matador Web pages -- you can download them from there. And now, Doug's mix:

"I'm in Love With a Time That Never Took Place (That's Easy to Trace)"

A mix should have a story arc, especially a Valentine's-themed mix. It needs conflict and resolution, symbolism and realism. The title of my V-Day mix is taken from the final track, Paul Westerberg's "As Far as I Know." Our greatest valentine is the idea of a valentine -- the ideal that never really happened or ever will happen. I couldn't find a legal MP3 of the Replacements' "Valentine," but I can at least quote it here: "When you wish upon a star, that turns into a plane..."

This mixtape is dedicated to the songwriters that made me -- and continue to make me -- an obsessive fan and mix maker. Thank you (I guess?) to this nowhere-near-exhaustive list: Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, Paul Heaton, Paul Westerberg and Josh Rouse.

1. "Proceed With Caution," the New Amsterdams
2. "Get Your Curse," His Name Is Alive
3. "14th Street," Laura Cantrell
4. "Goodbye," the Postmarks
5. "Memory Lane," Elliott Smith
6. "Lily One," Matt Pond PA
7. "Crazy for Leaving," Catfish Haven
8. "Always for You," the Album Leaf
9. "You Can Never Hold Back Spring," Tom Waits
10. "Another Sunny Day," Belle and Sebastian
11. "I Am John," Loney, Dear
12. "As Far as I Know," Paul Westerberg