A Bay Area music / urban planning blog
This is an alternately twangy-and-laid-back and groovy-and-danceable and noisy-and-unhinged playlist this month. Just press play and treat yourself to the perfect mix for having your mind blown by the vastness of the night sky as you get ready to hit the clubs for a night of ranging against the machine.
It’s going to take more time to let these songs rattle around in my noggin. But there’s potential. Listen for yourself to this month’s playlist.
OK, so you might argue the Oakland alt-rock quartet is overplaying the “endearingly awkward” schtick. But those melodic riffs? The casual Teenage Fanclub mention in album PR write-up? The goofy DIY music videos? That genuinely funny bio (“internationally ignored song stylists”)? Objection overruled!
On this day in which we honor America’s greatest advocate for nonviolent protest—and in honor of the recent withdrawal of troops from Iraq—I present 14 Anti-War Songs for the 21st Century for your listening enjoyment/outrage.
In a category usually dominated by schmaltzy duets, it’s a pleasure to see a stompin’, southern gothic, traditionalist shit-kicker like “Barton Hollow” nominated.
The big hit of the evening was unquestionably “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” by Das Racist, as remixed by Oakland DJ Wallpaper. I had guests coming up to me all night asking me what that song was and where I’d found it. I guess they don’t read Pitchfork.
Like a lot of people, music got me through that week.
Obviously, I’m not the first person to come up with the idea for a Rapture playlist, but I’ll take advantage of any opportunity to talk about what an awesome album “Bone Machine” is.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending the presentation celebrating San Francisco’s selection as the venue for the 34th America’s Cup. (You can read…