Brent's Finite Playlist

I've always been a mix-tape maker.

You know what I'm talking about, right? A stack of albums, a couple or three hours, a turntable/cassette combo, and an idea. Like "driving fast & windows down" (kicked off with AC/DC's "Highway to Hell"--obvious & cliche, to be sure, but I maintain that still holds up). Or "make-out songs" (weirdly, I included Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." Weirdly, at the time of the compilation, I had no car to make out in or girl to make out with). I even made my future wife a five-volume set of "Fundamental Tunes" (which I'd have zero reservation of putting INXS in with a prominent local band called "Mr. Resistor & The Incapacitators) as I had access to a fraternity full of albums, cassettes, turntable/cassette--AND cassette to cassette--combos, hours to burn and ideas. The joy of the 90-minute TDK noise reducing cassette, man. You have no idea.

iTunes has streamlined this process. You can just simply create a new playlist, drag & drop from your library, and it takes about 20 minutes. 23 if you burn it to CD for car playing (my hoopty doesn't have Mp3 capability and that little transmitter has trouble in the city) options. The hardest trick it to keep it to 80 minutes for the burn capacity.

And, today I'm in this weird mood that needs a playlist. All at once I'm bummed out, yet hopeful. I'm tired, but jittery. Creative, but predictably so. Excited, but bored. Restless, but peaceful. Alert, but unfocused. All sorts of competing emotions & thoughts that contradict.

Those of us who are musically centered know that this is precisely the mood that demands a playlist. It's the only antidote.

So, here's my Emotional Joust Playlist: (*note to the reader: I know many of you will have no idea of some of these songs, so listen to the blips at the iTunes store for full effect*)

"Something Is Not Right With Me"--the Cold War Kids
"Summer Babe (Winter Version)"--Pavement
"Strange"--R.E.M.
"It's a Shame About Ray"--the Lemonheads
"Offend in Every Way"--the White Stripes
"True"--Concrete Blonde
"Far Behind"--Eddie Vedder
"Trail of Tears"--Guadalcanal Diary
"Friend, You've Got to Fall"--Husker Du
"Miss Narco"--Mr. Resistor & the Incapacitators
"Four Flights Up"--Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
"Beginning to See the Light"--the Velvet Underground
"Grey in L.A."--Loudon Wainwright III
"Circadian Rhythm"--Son Volt
"Baby Shambles"--Love as Laughter
"Ghost of Corporate Future"--Regina Spektor
"Whole Wide World"--Wreckless Eric
"Whiskey"--Raliegh

Yeah.

That should do it.

18 songs & 58 minutes of mood agreeing goodness.