My Play List, Part 1

Sitting here on a UMD WAM lab computer studying for next weekend's LSAT, I decided to take a quick break to read a couple of sports columns. I pulled up the iTunes on the computer knowing that I didn't have any music loaded but hoping someone sitting nearby had some decent non-password protected songs I could listen to through iTunes' Shared function.

Digression: I love that Windows 7 commercial where the guy describes being able to listen to the same music on two different computers in his house as if it's a breakthrough technology of some kind. I bought my Mac Powerbook back in August, 2005, and have been able to do that ever since. One of the great parts of living in a several-hundred student dorm freshman year? TONS of good music available via the shared iTunes function for people who couldn't figure out how to pirate stuff.

Back to present day. I pull up iTunes, and one of the users listed in the shared function whom I know only as "Elana's Music" has essentially a "Jeff's Greatest Hits Collection." Tons of CCR, Jim Croce and Meat Loaf in the older section, supplemented by Sublime, Blink182,Weezer and Spoon (I don't have the greatest taste - I like what I like, and make no apologies.)

I can't remember where the idea comes from, but I remember watching a comedian on Comedy Central a while back do a bit about having a soundtrack for your life. As in, while you walk around and go about your daily tasks, music constantly plays, illustrating the given action, like dark, ominous tones filling the air as you push your bed away from the wall to vacuum the floor, only to discover an absolutely devastatingly huge pile of balled up gym socks you shucked off while asleep. Elana's Music insired me to create such an audio supplement for my life. What follows is my attempt to compose a sort of mix tape (I know play list is the proper terminology, but mix tape just sounds better) for my life. I've organized it by activity, with a brief explanation for each inclusion.

Beach Tracks
Santeria, by Sublime: My girlfriend (often) makes fun of me for my incredibly poor ability to divine the meaning of lyrics of songs. Part of this is because if the music beneath the lyrics is really good, I kinda tune out the lyrics. Hence this selection, about a guy wanting to track down and kill the sancho who stole his girl. Whatever. All I know is that the guitar solo midway through is stellar for summer walks on the beach.

Save Tonight, by Eagle Eye Cherry: Maybe it's because the first time I heard this, I was in the midst of spending a week at a church sleepaway camp in the hills of western Maryland. I had hit puberty a little early in terms of size, and thanks to soccer, I didn't have a massively awkward transition into my new body. What I'm trying to say is, my appeal to the opposite sex may have peaked between summer after 8th grade through Christmas break of 9th grade. Anywho, one of my counselors was REALLY into Eagle Eye Cherry, so the song became my cabin's anthem, and it sort of epitomizes summer for me.

Getting Ready Tracks
I Got a Feeling, by Black Eyed Peas: First, I feel like I've got to clarify "Getting Ready" tracks. Think GTL time. While annoying, repetitive and not exactly complex lyrically (even I understand it!), it's a solid option for getting amped up pre-getting sloppy.

Right Round, by Flo Rida: Same as above, but gets added points for its use in The Hangover. Speaking of which, The Hangover 2? Really? Even given the love Hollywood has for franchises, the decision to make this has to be the most one of the worst greenlights in the last ten years, right behind Meet Dave.

In Da Club Tracks
Yeah, by Usher, Ludacris and Dave Chappelle: This one came out my junior year and absolutely exploded, and stayed relevant through most of my senior year due to the massive success of Usher's Confessions. Also, Li'l Jon's rhythm making the booty go smack.

Ignition (Remix), by R. Kelly: Just a great club song. Good dance beat, encourages bad decisions and drinking. But more than that, it might mark Kelly's hig-point as this generation's Michael Jackson, albeit a poor man's version. The combination of the voice (just listen to "I Believe I can Fly"), chart-topping hits, and massively bad decisions (getting filmed with Sparkle's 14-year-old niece, pissing off Jay-Z, that whole "Trapped in the Closet" business.) On the other hand, bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce....

Part 2: Coming when I have some time.