It’s been too long since I published a blog post. Too long. And so I’m getting back into the groove by writing about something you all apparently want to read about: My music selections. The post I published just over a year about listing the five songs that help me get up in the morning is by far my most popular post. Let’s see if we can top that, shall we? Last Friday I travelled to Coos Bay for Flux on an exploratory expedition for our Tale of Two Oregons project. The drive was mostly unremarkable until I made it to the coast. Whereas Eugene was rife with fog and overcast, the weather at the beach was absolutely perfect.
Sunshine. No wind. Sixty degrees. I’m pretty sure that’s why everyone — myself included — was in an incredible mood on the streets of Coos Bay. Maybe my mood was bolstered by the fact that I was listening to some pretty bitchin’ tunes courtesy of Fox McCloud (also known as my phone.) Here are the standouts:
1. “Hell” — Tegan and Sara, Sainthood
If you know me, you’ve probably heard me rant about how much I love Tegan and Sara’s newest album, Heartthrob. It certainly got a lot of play on my way to the coast, but when it came time to hit shuffle and “Hell” came on, it reminded me of just how much fun it is to take those hairpin coastal highway turns above the speed limit. You can’t help but hit the gas pedal when these gals are crooning about the mean streets of Canada and its apparent sanitation issues.
2. “Time Bomb” — The Format, Dog Problems
This track has a similar effect on me as the Tegan and Sara song above, except whereas “Hell” just makes me want to blaze down the highway, “Time Bomb” gets me to dance in my car and sing along at the top of my lungs. I’m not kidding about that — not even a little. It also came on at the perfect time during my trip. I heard the opening lyrics just as I caught my first glimpse of the Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge with the sun shining brightly into my ’02 Toyota Corolla. Quick note on the embedded video: I stopped looking for an officially hosted stream when I came across this love letter to the band because, let’s face it, The Format was much more fun than fun. could ever hope to be and this is a fitting tribute.
3. “Jukebox Breakdown” — Saves the Day, Stay What You Are
I dare you to listen to this song and resist the urge to tap your toes to the rhythm. It’s been a mainstay of my travelling playlists for just this reason. I can’t tell you how many times this song has kept me awake during a long, dull drive (I’m looking at you, Portland.) It’s even better now that the band is much more active after a four-year break. Listen and enjoy.
4. “Dance with the Devil” — The Sounds, Something to Die For
I’ve got to be honest: The thing that I love the most about this song is that it includes all of the cool keyboard schemes I messed around with in grade school during the week that we got to play with a bunch of Casios. Remember that? The teacher would give you all a music book you were supposed to learn from but you just spent the whole half hour making that awesome dinosaur sound and trying to recreate the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme. Plus, The Sounds are just awesome.
5. “Road Song” — Steel Train, Twilight Tales from the Praires of the Sun
We all know how much I love Steel Train, so of course I’m including a song that’s literally about travelling on this playlist. One of my favorite things about the legacy of this song within the band is that it’s one of the few pre-Trampoline tracks they’ll ever play live. And when they do it’s with Jack Antonoff on one guitar and the rest of the band huddled around him doing it a capella style. The audience will chime in as soon as it starts and, well, it’s just a great show. Here’s footage of that to prove it (the song itself starts at 4:45.) In the meantime, here’s the actual track:
I’ll admit: I sometimes have abstract titles for my blog posts. But here’s the inspiration behind this one. I named it after two different tracks on the Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy V soundtracks. They make their first appearances when you’re about ready to really embark on your adventure.
edercampuzano 