That’s bombast – how would I know a classic? We grew up on the cusp of the classics – Led Zepplin, The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd. We saw Rush go New Wave. We complained Grunge was just imitating the classics. EDM took over. Rap went mainstream. There may not be any more classics – Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky but music did stop. It went to the people. And look what we did with it.
Below is a collection of playlists I’ve curated over the years. All worked on for months, searching for the right transition, the right track that fits in the theme and sometimes challenges the listener. These are not to be played in the background but on the road or around a fire, with beer in hand. These are not random playlists. From tech to joints to hard rock, if you enjoy music, you should find things you know and enjoy, but my goal is to surprise you with something new.
Chillbilly Music was an early one. Made for a road trip to see my friend Jay outside Peoria, actually Chillicothe. Jay once ask me, “Do you know what they call hillbillies from Chillicothe? Chill Billies.” This is my tribute to that kind of indie rock Jay and I like. George Ezra’s classic ‘Budapest’, some deeper cuts from the mainstream – Tom Petty and Foo Fighters. We find my growing appreciation for Hozier and Spoon, and ending with Black Key’s blazing guitar solo soaked ‘Weight of Love’ and escorted out of the building with The War on Drugs’ sonically perpetually falling ‘Under Pressure’.
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Song To Stare At A Fire With isn’t clever. It is exactly what the title says: songs to listen to at the end of an evening when the fire is low, with the help of a few beers, we contemplate our existence. ‘Spirit’ long ago summed up that question for me. We journey through controversial questions until we get to the biggest – why are we here? And in the end, where do we go? Will religion guide us? do we journey this ancient road along? I don’t know the answer except, like life, this playlist ends. I add to this playlist as I find appropriate songs.
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Just a Whistle Away was an assignment. Betsy and Phil had just moved to Weyauwega, and rather than complain about the local feature, Phil embraced it and asked for a playlist of songs about trains. While I worked on the order of the songs, I think this playlist also works well when shuffled, due to its length and variety of genres. Clearly, trains have long been a topic for our current-day minstrels.
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When I Was A Kid answers the question, “Did they really walk uphill in the snow on the way to and FROM school?” The answer is “no,” but these are the songs a kid in a Northern Suburb of Chicago in high school from ’76 to ’81 listened. Besides the mainstream tracks you will find on any playlist based on this time period by the likes of AC/DC, Bad Company, The Cars, The Knack, Gary Numan, Boz Scaggs, etc. There are local/mid-west artists like Duke Jupiter, The Rockets, The Romatics, Shoes. Chocked full of one hit wonders, the only thing missing is the Ford Galaxie 500 they were played from. While time was taken on the order, this list works well on shuffle.
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All This Machinery came from a basic theme – songs about the music industry. Researching, gathering suggestions from Facebook friends, and drawing on personal knowledge made this a fun playlist to put together. Tracks form mini-themes, but I think this one also works well on shuffle.
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Waba’s Playlist of Ultra Modern Rock is my attempt to create a classic tech/rock playlist. An improvement on an earlier alt-rock playlist (‘In Our Trembling Lows’) focuses more on tech, swinging from old tech (Fatboy Slim, Crysal Method & Grandaddy), to rock (Incubus, Stabbing Westward, Ministry), to just alt-rock (Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, Car Seat Headrest). Trying to dispel that techno/EDM/House is something new. Pick your label if you want, I don’t. Also trying to break the short-trend, let the beat run on.
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Where To Begin? is the first playlist I made for one of my kids, Naomi. I can listen to new artists and tell if this would be in Naomi’s ‘ wheelhouse’ (to use a boomer term). She loves indie rock. I remember her going to a Front Bottom’s show at Hard Rock Cafe downtown. This is my attempt to share what she likes crossed with what I thought she would like. From her Set It Off, Hot Mulligan, Fit For Rivals; to our Skillet, Sleep Token, Ghost, Five Finger Death Punch; to my Violent J, NF, HARDY. Wasn’t surprised we both discovered CORPSE, My Chemical Romance or blackbear. Ended with Staind’s Zoe Jane we used for our Father Daughter dance at her wedding.
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Let a Person Feel Like Someone is my playlist for black music. Until I stopped buying CDs, Kendrick Lamar, Weeknd, Black Eyed Peas and Andersen .Paak were all on my buy lists. I recognize ‘black music’ may not be appropriate, but this is a collection of tracks by artists who are black. So this isn’t ‘black music’, it has rap, dance, pop, blues, easy listening, country, jazz done by artists who some would consider of African heritage. And I don’t know where they are from. It was a way to share great songs by Tyla and Rema, who are from Africa; important artists like 2 Pac, Rihanna, Dr. Dre, Ms. Lauryn Hill; and new discoveries like Michael Kiwanuka, Lil Yachty, Joyner Lucas. Artists sharing their perspectives.
(or the Apple Music version)