Music My Parents Might Like

I've been meaning to do this for a while. I've made a little compilation (or "mixtape" if you're a hipster) for my dad and mum.

My parents had a profound impact on my musical preferences. It took me a while to start listening to music that didn't conform to their taste. In college I rapidly expanded my aural horizons, and during the holidays I occasionally attempted to get them to listen to what I had picked up. At some point I gave up, despite my success in getting them to appreciate The Grateful Dead's American Beauty, and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. I recall playing OK Computer in the car once. My mother found it soporific and sad. Which it is. But she didn't like it.

Here's my playlist. Some of these songs are obviously chosen to suit the children of the sixties, but some transcend their era. Or at least I'd like to think so.

1. Findlay Brown - Don't You Know I Love You
2. The Shins - New Slang
3. Elbow - Leaders of the Free World
4. Dido - Mary's in India
5. David Gray - The One I Love
6. Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping
7. Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
8. Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good
9. Neutral Milk Hotel - King of Carrot Flowers - Part One
10. Interpol - NYC
11. The White Stripes - You've Got Her In Your Pocket
12. Youth Group - Under the Underpass
13. Regina Spektor - Field Below
14. Coldplay - The Scientist
15. Oasis - Who Feels Love
16. The Killers - Read My Mind
17. Wolf Parade - This Heart's On Fire
18. The Decemberists - Sons and Daughters

You can dowload the whole album here.

If music were food

Let's delve right into this subjectivity thing.

If bands were food, what kind of food would they be?

We'll include drinks. Some things are too bitter to chew, but they can be swigged with a minimum wincing. Like tequila. No that you can chew tequila. Er.



So anyway. Off the top of my head:

The early Beatles (pre-Rubber Soul) - Biscuits. Cookies. Simple, sweet, and perfect.

The psychedelic Beatles - Increasingly elaborate confectionery. Fringe gourmet. Like chocolate covered chillies.

The Rolling Stones - Hooch. Moonshine. Country Liquor. Toddy.

Pink Floyd - Scotch. (I'm thinking The Dark Side of the Moon.)

Oasis - BEER!!

Nirvana - Blood. Salty and delicious.

Simon & Garfunkel - Fragrant herbal tea.

ABBA - American chocolate.

Radiohead - Tasty bile? Hee hee. I have no clue.

Led Zeppelin - Steak. Fortified wine. Or maybe "Lembas" bread from The Lord of the Rings. And then, as the seventies wore on... fruit. Often stale fruit.

Cake - cake.

The White Stripes - Red and white candy (obviously). With a hint of cinnamon.

The Grateful Dead - Apple pie. Spiked with magic mushrooms.





We can do this for genres too.

Heavy metal in general - heavy metals.

Disco - Sticky sweet cocktails. Some are good; most are awful.



I could go on forever. But I won't.

People, contribute in the commentspace! Feel free to disagree with me, of course. One man's halal is another man's kosher, after all.

Pete Doherty had a cheap Indian guitar!

Could it have been a Givson? Hee hee.

Check out Pete Doherty interviewing Paul McCartney in OMM. A genuinely charming interview.

In Rainbows

This could be a swan song. This could be a grand finale.

It's Radiohead, so who knows?

Listen to it.

So Here We Are

For me, listening to music and travelling go hand in hand. No matter the type of transportation (boats/ships aside) or the distance to destination, I must absolutely listen to music. This has been the case ever since I was little; more specifically, when my parents got their first car after coming Stateside. It all started with listening to cassette tapes of Chinese (and the occasional Western) artists my parents love/d, some of which I came to love myself. That eventually progressed into listening to my walkman, then CD player, and then the ol' ipod.

While driving or being a passenger in a car, particularly, there's just something about watching the landscape pass me by, especially if it's accompanied by the perfect song. It may be the music, the lyrics, or both that make every turn, every place more...alive? So unmitigatedly indescribable. Regardless, there is nothing else like it.

Here are a few travelling favorites:

Nick Drake - Pink Moon
I actually discovered the music of Nick Drake from this commercial (my favorite), which pretty much sums up the point I made. I love listening to this, especially at sunset/night.

Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came
Mellow song that's perfect for travelling past less populated areas/farm areas or for a smooth drive.

Cat Power - The Greatest
For a cloudy or dreary day or when particularly thoughtful.

The Postal Service - Clark Gable
The beat of this song gives turns more of a whimsical feel and almost seems to push you forward. But I really added this because I love this song and especially this one lyric: "And I want life in every word to the extent that it's aburd."

Bloc Party - So Here We Are
Perfect for listening at night in a city or some place with a lot of lights in the distance.