indigo girls

Playlist #92: Lilith Fair

/ xeyeti / Leave a comment

Happy Monday morning, folks. This week’s playlist is dedicated to bands and musicians who played the old Lilith Fair tour back in the late 90s. Get ready for some strummy acoustics and some incisive social commentary!

  1. Patty Griffin, “Stolen Car”: A Bruce Springsteen cover, because why not? I love her take on this song. It’s beautiful.
  2. Sarah McLauchlan, “Adia”: Be grateful. I could’ve chosen that song that plays during the ASPCA commercials, and then you’d have all felt obligated to adopt puppies or something. But I am a benevolent god.
  3. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories, “Stay (I Missed You)”: “So I/Turned the radio on, I turned the radio up/And a singer was singing my song.” You must listen to different stations than I do, Lisa Loeb. No radio station around here is ever playing my song. Hell, most of them aren’t playing songs I even know.
  4. Indigo Girls, “Closer To Fine”: Try not to sing along with this song. I dare you.
  5. Luscious Jackson, “Why Do I Lie?”: I don’t know, singer for the band Luscious Jackson. Why do you lie?
  6. Sinead O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U”: Man, we should all be so lucky as to have our biggest single written by Prince.
  7. Melissa Ethridge, “Come To My Window”: Strummy acoustic for the win!
  8. Ani DiFranco, “Napoleon”: Angrily-played electric and the phrase “Everyone is a fucking Napoleon.” This song spoke to 19 year old Chuck in some way that bypassed the ears and hotwired my brain.
  9. Tori Amos, “Crucify”: Still the only Tori Amos song I know.
  10. PJ Harvey, “Good Fortune”: Is there a better PJ Harvey album than Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea? Seriously, I ask because I want to hear it if there is, because this album is amazing and I want more of it.

Playlist #46: Romeo and Juliet

/ xeyeti / Leave a comment

So this weekend, I was listening to an album by pianist Alan Clark. He played with Dire Straits back in the ’80s (as well as acts like Bob Dylan), and it was an album of solo piano versions of mostly Dire Straits songs. One of them was the song “Romeo and Juliet,” which is a tune I absolutely adore, and so I decided to put together a playlist this week built around that pair of star-crossed lovers. Also remember that I do have a Patreon, and I’m working on not one but two versions of March’s song!

  1. Dire Straits, “Romeo and Juliet”: “Finds a streetlight/Steps out of the shade and says somethin’ like/You and me, babe, how ’bout it?” is just one of the best lines in any song anywhere ever. And that guitar figure Knopfler picks out on what sounds like a resonator? Gorgeous.
  2. Tom Waits, “Romeo is Bleeding”: Alas, poor Romeo, he got shot while knifing a cop and is slowly dying while everyone around him remains oblivious.
  3. The Buzzcocks, “Ever Fallen In Love?” “Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t fallen in love with?” they snarl, and if that ain’t Romeo and Juliet, I don’t know what is.
  4. Duke Ellington, “The Star-Crossed Lovers (aka Pretty Girl)”: Yes, switching from the punky Buzzcocks to the jazzy Duke Ellington is a bit of tonal whiplash, but I think that’s why I like it so much.
  5. You + Me, “Love Gone Wrong”: We all know Romeo and Juliet isn’t really a love story, right? It’s about a couple of pubescent teens dumbstruck with infatuation who end up destroying both of their families (and themselves) in the process.
  6. M. Ward, “Poison Cup”: Sure, Hamlet was the play with the poison cup in it, but poison plays a major role in the final scene of this one, too, remember.
  7. Mates of State, “A Duel Will Settle This”: Mercutio vs. Tybalt is one hell of a fight, though I’m not sure it settled anything beyond that Mercutio will even use his own death to be the sassiest mofo ever.
  8. Cutting Crew, “(I Just) Died In Your Arms”: What could match the overdramatic reaction of Romeo and Juliet? An ’80s song!
  9. Indigo Girls, “Romeo and Juliet”: A cover of the Dire Straits song we started the playlist with. Almost as good as the original.
  10. Ben Harper, “Verona”: Slow, bluesy slide guitar is always some of my favorite, and it’s such a quiet, sweet song to end on.

Playlist #5

/ xeyeti / Leave a comment

Monday was our friend Lauren’s birthday, so here’s a Lauren-centric playlist to help her celebrate!

  1. Sarah Donner, “With Pride”: A song about acceptance and unicorns (or Pegasi, which I’m pretty sure is the plural of Pegasus).
  2. Waxahatchee, “Sparks Fly”: I like the simplicity of their arrangements. And the lyrics. And I think Lauren might be the only other person I know who listens to them.
  3. Cyndi Lauper, “She Bop”: I originally chose “The Goonies Are Good Enough,” but I feel Lauren would approve of this choice more.
  4. Indigo Girls, “Closer to Fine”: This one also goes on my Philosophy Playlist, which I’ll hopefully someday find more than four songs for (current list includes this song, that one Edie Brickell song, the Ben Folds Five’s “Philosphy,” and the Monty Python song about drunk philosophers).
  5. k.d. lang, “Constant Craving”: Did you know the Rolling Stones totally ripped this song off for their song “Has Anybody Seen My Baby”? It’s true! And also not as good a song as this one.
  6. The Doubleclicks, “Sensitive Badass”: Because Lauren is sensitive and she is a badass.
  7. Velvet Underground, “Candy Says”: I’m not super-familiar with the Velvet Underground, but this is a mellow tune and it’s probably about drugs. Or sex. Or sex and drugs.
  8. Dresden Dolls, “Shores of California”: There aren’t many songs that reference Oklahoma, let alone in their chorus. This one does, though.
  9. Lizzo, “Good As Hell”: I dare you to listen to this song and not want to sing along. I defy you to not dance to it. You can’t not dance to this song. This song is, in fact, good as hell.
  10. Bikini Kill, “Rebel Girl”: A thrashy, punky middle finger to the establishment and a lesbian love song for the ages. I think Lauren would approve.