rob thomas

Playlist #149

/ xeyeti / Leave a comment

Happy Monday, folks. We’re into March now, which means my birthday is coming up (and what better way to celebrate than to buy one of my books or listen to one of my albums?). Anyway, here’s this week’s playlist.

  1. Hurray for the Riff Raff, “Colossus of Roads”: I probably made a mistake listening to this album first of all of their albums, because none of the rest of their stuff sounds like this. It’s folky and country and Americana and mostly acoustic, and it makes me want to put more slide guitar in my own songs.
  2. Big Star, “Thirteen”: No song has ever encapsulated what it feels like to be a teenager better than this.
  3. Paula Cole, “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone”: Where, indeed?
  4. Phil Collins, “The Roof is Leaking”: Possibly the best song about cold homesteaders the 1980s ever produced.
  5. Rhiannon Giddens and Iron & Wine, “Forever Young”: Who loves a Bob Dylan cover? Iron & Wine loves a Bob Dylan cover. And Rhiannon Giddens. And me.
  6. Rob Thomas, “Streetcorner Symphony”: I will be the first to admit that Rob Thomas does not create what you would call “good” music. It is disposable and forgettable. It adds nothing to one’s life. But damn, while the song is playing, it is everything you ever wanted a song to be.
  7. Shannon McNally, “Bring It On Home”: What can I say, I like it when I hear covers of old blues standards.
  8. Thom Yorke, “And It Rained All Night”: Do you ever get the feeling that maybe all of Thom Yorke’s problems could be solved if he just got a little bit more sun?
  9. The Yardbirds, “For Your Love”: Yeah, it’s a Yardbirds song without a guitar solo, which feels a bit like blasphemy, but it’s still a damn good song.
  10. Waxahatchee, “Oxbow”: Hey, they have a new album coming out this year, don’t they? I’mma listen to that.

Playlist #118

/ xeyeti / Leave a comment

Happy Monday, folks! Hard to believe we’re already at the end of July. School will be starting again soon, as I’m sure your desperate and terrified children can attest to. Anyway, here’s a playlist to get you through those hot summer days.

  1. Andrew Bird, “Mancey”: “M, as in Mancy.”
  2. Jimmy Eat World, “A Praise Chorus (feat. Davey Vonbohlen)”: A song that references everything from “Crimson and Clover” to They Might Be Giants’ “Don’t Let’s Start.” All in just over four minutes.
  3. Elastica, “Stutter”: Punky song about Damon Albarn’s erectile dysfunction (it’s true!).
  4. Paul McCartney, “Every Night”: For every clunker or half-finished song idea that’s barely more than a demo on his self-titled, DIY album, there’s a gem like this one.
  5. Drive-By Truckers, “Danko/Manuel”: Who doesn’t love songs about the Band?
  6. Stevie Wonder, “Pastime Paradise”: Ever wonder where Coolio got the sample for “Gangsta’s Paradise?” It’s from this song.
  7. Simon & Garfunkel, “A Hazy Shade Of Winter”: I, for one, am done with this ridiculous heat and ready for winter to return.
  8. Rob Thomas, “Streetcorner Symphony”: I have a completely unironic love for this guy’s music. I can’t explain why.
  9. The Gaslight Anthem, “Say I Won’t (Recognize)”: From an early EP by the band, where they’re still trying to find their footing and figure out who they are as a band (they’re a punk band with delusions of Springsteen. That is as awesome as it sounds).
  10. Sinead O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U”: Is it the obvious pick from this artist? Yes, yes it is. Is it still just an absolute stone-cold classic of a song that everyone should listen to and enjoy at every available opportunity? Yes, yes it is.