Monday, July 19, 2010

Footnote to FIRST TOUR POST (Playlists #1)

Here's some anthropological data.

The BACK STORY: while driving in the van on tour we listen to lots (to the millionth power) of music. For this 4 month tour, I filled up the empty space left on my 160G Ipod with music I've been meaning to listen to/music I feel like I should like/music that other people have recommended/etc. thus guaranteeing that our drives will always have unique and intriguing soundtracks.

The DATA:

Yesterday we had a monster of a drive: Davis, CA to Portland, OR. For the first few hours we just listened to radio because my Ipod mysteriously erased itself before we left. (Thank you APPLE.)

We also used Ben's mini-Ipod for a bit and listened to Aquemeni by Outkast (editors note: this album was thought provoking when contemplated in the context of WEIRD AMERICA) as well as some choice Motown cuts.

After getting dinner in Ashland, OR my Ipod had been fulled restored and we began passing it around and adding songs to the 'On The Go' playlist. The following is the play list we all created for the drive from Ashland, OR (depart approx. 9 pm) to Porland, OR (arrive approx 3 am).

Playlist order:
AJ
GRANT
BEN
RYAN
TOM
PAT

Round 1) No Theme/Random Songs

  • Berkeley Mews - The Kinks (Note: Pat and I, Archaeology Johnson, kinda think this song is FUCKING AMAZING.)
  • Computer Love - Zapp and Roger
  • Octopus - Syd Barrett
  • Solitude is Bliss - Tame Impala
  • Only In Dreams - Weezer
  • Everything Counts - Depeche Mode

Round 2) Theme: Britannia (2 full rotations)

  • Instant Party (Circles) - The Who
  • Melody - Serge Gainsbourg (note: Mr. Gainsbourg is DEFINITIVELY FRENCH. Grant was harassed ruggedly for this selection)
  • War Pigs - Black Sabbath
  • Cry Baby Cry (Anthology Version) - The Beatles
  • Lauft.. Heisst Das es lauft oder es kommt bald.. lauft - Faust (note: a cursory look at the title will demonstrate that it is DEFINITIVELY GERMAN. Tombo suffered a similar fate as Grant.)
  • Disorder (Live) - Joy Division
  • Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Mary Poppins (note: I intended to pick "Feed the Birds", also from Mary Poppins, but the labeling was wrong for some reason. It was really intense hearing this song blast out of the stereo when I was expecting the other song. But still, any way you slice it, it doesn't get more British than this, does it? Commentary, Claire Lester?)
  • I'm So Glad - Cream
  • Jimmy - M.I.A.
  • Suspended in Gaffa - Kate Bush (note: Pat just calls her "Bush". As in, "Oh, is this 'Bush' we're listening to? --- AWESOME")
  • Anarchy in the U.K. - The Sex Pistols
  • Rocket Man - Elton John

Round 3) Theme: Africa (note: this playlist in general was kind of an embarrassment. once again, Grant and Tom are the main culprits... something about "Chain of Fools" and "Black or White" in this context feels.... WRONG. We swear Africa, we really like you and do in fact think very highly of you.)

  • Wubit - Mulatu Astatke
  • Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
  • Africa Tree - The Residents
  • Tell Me Something Good - Lee "Scratch" Perry
  • Black or White - Michael Jackson
  • Timbindy - Ali Farke Toure

Round 4) Theme: Spooky

  • From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea - The Cure
  • On The Tweek Again - Primus
  • Hesitation Blues - Ledbelly
  • Synchronicity 2 - The Police
  • Dancing Gods - Silver Apples
  • O'Malley's Bar - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (note: Grant hated this song. The song was at least 17 minutes long. Grant kept saying, "Is this STILL Nick CACA?")

Round 5) Theme: The 1990s

  • I Hate Myself and I Want To Die - Nirvana
  • J.A.R. - Green Day
  • Arc Arsenal - At The Drive-In
  • Rhinosaur - Soundgarden
  • Aneurysm - Nirvana
  • Losing My Religion - REM (Note: Doubling the acoustic guitar with a mandolin makes it sound SWEET.)

After this point, we rounded out the drive by listening to the U.K. version of the first Clash album, Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (starting from "Tombstone Blues").

Assignment:

WHAT IS THE PATTERN?!?!?!?

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