Songs for long-distance lovin'

Seems that no matter how close a relationship you've got to your significant other, you're going to spend some time apart at some point or another.

Music is of course a great way to bridge the gap for a bit.

But long-distance love mixes are fraught with peril. You've gotta vet every song on that mix or risk sending an unintended message. Example: I love story songs. But a lot of them deal with killings, sometimes of loved ones, so those tunes should probably be ruled out.

So with that in mind, here are a few time-tested favorites that come Mason-recommended:

• "This is Love" by PJ Harvey. Classic opening line here: "I can't believe that life is so complex, when I just wanna sit here and watch you undress."
  
  
• "That Purgatory Line" by the Drive-By Truckers. This is a newer song and not what you might expect from the Truckers. Bassist Shonna Tucker kind of reminds me of a low-rent Emmylou Harris or Neko Case. Good lyrical phrasing over an atmospheric sound.
  
  
• "Wait a Minute" by the Seldom Scene. Bluegrass legends take it down a notch to sing about lovers leaving to go "far away again." Sad and muted.
  
  
• "Nothing With You" or "Cheer" or any of the Descendents' pop-punk love songs. They're fun, sincere and help balance out any of the more mournful songs like "That Purgatory Line" or "Wait a Minute."
  
  
• Anything by Barry White. The funk-soul crooner's appeal is obvious: His songs practially drip with sultry sexual overtones. Barry's only flaw is that he's often a bit heavy-handed; one way to avoid that is to go with a cover. Two of my favorites are the Dirtbombs covering "I'm Qualified to Satisfy You," giving it a garage makeover, and the Afghan Whigs covering "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Baby" where singer Greg Dulli dispenses with White's smoothness, opting instead for a desperate howl that sounds like a addict craving something he's missing. Of course, sometimes you want to go for something more direct than a cover can provide. And in that case, don't be afraid to break out Barry.
  
  
• Selected songs by the Twilight Singers or the Afghan Whigs. I love both of these bands (who both include the aforementioned Dulli) for their alterna-soul sound. They say, "I grew up on grunge in the 90s, but I've got plenty of swagger and slinkiness too." They're raunchy but have a sensitive side as well. Definitely stay away from the Afghan Whigs Gentlemen album though. It's great but definitely sends the wrong message for this kind of mix.
  
  
• Selected songs from the Motown and Stax labels. It doesn't get any better than the great soul singers that were showcased on these two labels: Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas and many many many more.
  
  

Just a final note. Not every song has to be love-based, of course. I always like to include something that's relevent to the reason you're separated. If she's away at college, for instance, I might use the Descendents' "Mass Nerder," with its timeless refrain: "Gonna kick their asses in class, gonna get good grades."