Setlist Society

Go go go! Spring time, getting warm out, time to stop hibernating and start exercising regularly again. Post those songs that motivate you to just keep going when you're out jogging, biking, at the gym, or what have you...

I really love all of these songs, for various reasons that I figure I don't need to explain here (though I'd be happy to do so if there are any selections you're curious about). I hope that you find one or two in the list that you love as much as I do, if not more.

Sorry about the late post, but at least I got it in...

1. "City of Blinding Lights" from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2
2. "Two Weeks" from Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
3. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)" from The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
4. "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" from Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
5. "Manhattan" from Once Upon a Summertime by Blossom Dearie
6. "When I Fall in Love" from Portrait in Jazz by the Bill Evans Trio
7. "New York City (Radio Edit)" from New York City by Norah Jones & The Peter Malick Group
8. "I'm Waiting For The Man" from The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
9. "Pretty Baby" from Parallel Lines by Blondie
10. "Judy is a Punk" from Ramones by The Ramones
11. "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" from They Might Be Giants by They Might Be Giants
12. "Digital Love" from Discovery by Daft Punk
13. "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams
14. "Rhapsody in Blue" from Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris by George Gershwin, perf. Leonard Bernstein & The Columbia Symphony Orchestra
15. "Theme from New York, New York" from Trilogy: Past Present Future by Frank Sinatra
16. "The Only Living Boy in New York" from Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
17. "Seattle" from Seattle by Perry Como
    

Notes in the comments.

*Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics

How exactly do you go from Alan Jackson to T.I. in a playlist? It's not easy. But it's part of explaining the interesting combination that makes up Southern identity. I won't comment on the state of the South (because this isn't the place to politick), but suffice it to say, there're still the Alan Jackson folks, and the T.I. folks, and then people that are amalgamations of both. This setlist explains Georgia, my home, my ancestry, my youth, my present.

And, yeah, I've left out some obvious Georgia natives -- R.E.M., the B-52s, Widespread Panic, the Black Crowes. That's because they're not part of MY Georgia.



(Editor's Note: I'm super behind this week, so I didn't write out the list, and I got this up late. Sorry Lauren.)

Four years ago in London a freebird by the name of Shannon Mehner introduced me to the concept of a "comma song," which comes from the following ee cummings poem:

Obvi.

OK kiddos, this week we've got another guest blogger picking the theme. This week it's my good friend Lauren. Perhaps you saw her list from last week? Anyway, she gave me this theme a few days ago, and I've been lazy about getting it up, but here it is, in her own words:

"Pick a city, any city. Describe it in songs. The artists can be from that city (or state), they can sing about that city (or state), or the song can simply invoke a feeling or memory that you relate to a city (or state)."

So, there we go folks. Figure out your city!

This week we've got another guest list, this time from good friend and travel companion Lauren. Here's the list, check for explanations in the notes.

1. "Redemption Song" from Uprising by Bob Marley & The Wailers
2. "Police and Thieves" from Police and Thieves by Junior Murvin
3. "The Guns of Brixton" from London Calling by The Clash
4. "Alternative Ulster" from Alternative Ulster - Single by Stiff Little Fingers
5. "Kill the Poor" from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys
6. "Dissident" from Vs. by Pearl Jam
7. "Teen Age Riot" from Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
8. "The Eraser" from The Eraser by Thom Yorke
9. "Y Control" from Fever to Tell by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
10. "Bad Kids" from Good Bad Not Evil by Black Lips
11. "Fight for Your Right" from Licensed to Ill by The Beastie Boys
12. "Five Corporations" from End Hits by Fugazi
13. "Rip it Up" by Elvis Presley
14. "Ladies Love Outlaws" from Ladies Love Outlaws by Waylon Jennings
15. "Killing Floor" from The Real Folk Blues by Howlin' Wolf
16. "Lucifer" from The Black Album by Jay-Z
17. "I Shall Be Released" from To Love Somebody by Nina Simone
    

This week I decided to go easy on the ordering and just put them in (mostly) chronological order. Maybe that will be interesting. Here's the list:

1. "Original Faubus Fables" from Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus by Charles Mingus
2. "Let's Get Together" from The Parent Trap by Hayley Mills
3. "Blowin' In The Wind" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
4. "Like a Rolling Stone" from Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
5. "Taxman" from Revolver by The Beatles
6. "Fortunate Son" from Willy and the Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
7. "Volunteers" from Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane
8. "Compared to What" from Swiss Movement by Les McCann & Eddie Harris
9. "What's Going On" from What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
10. "Think About It" from Flight of the Conchords by Flight of the Conchords
11. "Live and Let Die" from Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings
12. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" from Good Old Boys by Randy Newman
13. "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" from Rocket to Russia by The Ramones
14. "Bad Reputation" from Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
15. "Love is All Around" from Greatest Hits by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
16. "What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes" from Impeach the Precedent by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
17. "Ewok Celebration/Finale" from Return of the Jedi by John Williams

Ok, a few notes. First off, you get the version of Faubus with the lyrics that Columbia wouldn't let Mingus use. I know you have to listen to it twice, but it's a good track. It's a little known fact that the next track is an anti-cold war protest song hidden inside of a Disney movie. Think about it. #4 is my choice for Electric Dylan sticking it to the masses at Newport, among other things. #9 and #10 are a kind of parodic call and response, and one of two places where music appears out of chronology. #11 challenges the societal notion that we should live and let live, which also happens to be an excellent intro to one of my least favorite Bond flicks. I like #15 because I think it works on a couple of levels - it's both Punk and speaks to feminine empowerment (though I'm a man, so what would I know?). And finally, we've got a track that both celebrates the Rebellion's victory over the evil Man that is the Empire, and should be the anthem of those of us who want proper versions of a trilogy that we love. Enjoy. I hope I haven't inflicted too much of my strange humor on you this week.

Most of these songs tie into the stick-it-to-the-man theme in obvious ways (the Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa selections, for example), some are a a little less in-your-face (Coldplay, Monsters of Folk), and a few need a note of explanation. I've included "Back in the USSR" because here the Beatles are simultaneously paying tribute to Chuck Berry (who stuck it to the man in his own ways), parodying The Beach Boys, and supporting Russia (some say "Back in the USSR" could be taken as "Backin' the USSR," a la the 1968 campaign"I'm Backing Britain"). You gotta love the White Album. Like when they make fun of Bob Dylan's speaking/singing/mumbling habit in "Rocky Raccoon"--the guy changed folk by plugging in his guitar and introduced the Beatles to pot and still they are willing to poke fun at him on an album, he who was pretty dang good at stickin' it to the man himself? That's gutsy. And funny. But I digress. I put "Revolution 1" on here instead of "Revolution 9" for one reason:

For this week's theme I selected a variety of songs that stick it to The Man in as many various ways possible: socially, culturally, and of course politically:

1. "They" from Finally Woken by Jem
2. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" from We Gotta Get Out of This Place [single] by The Animals
3. "Gold Watch Blues" from What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid by Donovan
4. "Power to the People" from Power to the People [single] by John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Band
5. "Let Me Be" from You Baby / Let Me Be [single] by The Turtles
6. "Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock" from The Graduate by MC Lars
7. "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" from Motorcade of Generosity by Cake
8. "Pop Lie" from The Stand Ins by Okkervil River
9. "Proud" from The Bruce Lee Band by The Bruce Lee Band
10. "I Should Be Allowed to Think" from John Henry by They Might Be Giants
11. "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" from Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly
12. "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)" from Indian Reservation by Paul Revere and the Raiders
13. "Fables of Faubus" from Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
14. "For What It's Worth" from Buffalo Springfield by Buffalo Springfield
15. "A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)" from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel
16. "Talking World War III Blues" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
17. "99 Luftballons" from 99 Luftballons by Nena
18. "Zombie" from No Need to Argue by The Cranberries
19. "Prevenge" from The Spine by They Might Be Giants
20. "7 O'Clock News / Silent Night" from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel
21. "Blowin' in the Wind" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
    

The setlist opens with "They," generally suspicious of the vague and shadowy authorities that dominate the sundry aspects of our lives. 2-5 stick it to The Man socially, transitioning with track 6 into a more culturally-specific protest. 7-9 continue that cultural sticking with music-industry specific jabs. Track 10 refers to music and culture, but also provides a nice segue into the section on government--any song that starts out by quoting Allen Ginsburg has to have some anti-government angst in it.

The government section of the playlist comprises the rest, but is divided into two specific themes. 11-13 deal with the oppression of ethnic groups. Track 14 marks the beginning of the war section, which comprises the rest of the list, even though the song was actually inspired by clashes between unrestful youths and police in L.A. But For What It's Worth has long been used as a reminder of the anti-Vietnam protest songs, demonstrated here by Simon & Garfunkel. After that you have a couple of songs expressing trepidation at the potential for nuclear holocaust, a track by an angry Irish woman who doesn't like war in general, and a song that is almost certainly about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Wrap it up with two classics, one an ironic Christmas carol recorded in 1966, and one that offers a vague answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything.

I assumed the worst when Christina suggested a list to cope with a terrible day, week, whatever. And the worst means that there will be a few stages of coping.

First comes the need to drown out sorrow with hard-hitting riffs and licks. A little build-up at first, perhaps, but then it's drive, drive, drive. The hard-hitting sounds get more and more jaded in their lyrics, until...

Stage two completes the journey from hard-hitting sounds to hard-hitting lyrics. It's the blue phase of coping. Life is hard. I kind of feel like whining. I need a hole to just hide in. But this too shall pass into...

Stage three brings me up out of my hole and reminds me that there are lovely things that still soothe the soul. It ends with some resolve that I should go ahead and plan on getting out of bed tomorrow and try to be optimistic. Who doesn't want to feel good after going through all that?

1. "The President's Dead" from The President's Dead [single] by Okkervil River
2. "Dope Nose" from Maladriot by Weezer
3. "Flathead" from Flathead [EP] by The Fratellis
4. "Rumble in Brighton" from Guitar Slinger by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
5. "Everything Went Numb" from Everything Goes Numb by Streetlight Manifesto
6. "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin" from Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake
7. "Cabrón" from By the Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. "The Likes of You Again" from Swagger by Flogging Molly
9. "My Friends Over You" from Sticks and Stones by A New Found Glory
10. "Five Long Years" from From the Cradle by Eric Clapton
11. "Kiss with a Fist" from Lungs by Florence and the Machines
12. "The Modern Leper" from The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
13. "Mean Old World" from The Blues [Disc 1] by Eric Clapton
14. "The Pharaohs" from Middle Cyclone by Neko Case
15. "Dig Me a Hole" from Fireproof by Dawn Landes
16. "Horses on the Range" from Citsuca by Timmy Curran
17. "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King soundtrack by Howard Shore with Annie Lennox
18. "Sweetness Follows" from Automatic for the People by R.E.M.
19. "3. Saturday Night Waltz" from Rodeo by Aaron Copland
20. "Pick Yourself Up" from When I Look in Your Eyes by Diana Krall
21. "Bright Spring Morning" from Rump Shaker by Suburban Legends

In perhaps an all-too-perfect followup to Christina's guest appearance, this week's theme is "Sticking It to the Man!" Pick the songs in your playlist that best exemplify this concept, whether through lyrics, historical context, musical style... as long as you can justify how it fits the theme, it works.

After a series of weeks of frustration, disappointment, stress, heartache and sadness, things are finally looking up. Ahhhhh. Thank goodness. Thanks, specifically, to the music I turned to for a little symphonic soothing. While a hellish week might suggest angry chick rock to one and mopey emo tunes to another, as a musical panacea for all that ails me this go 'round, I've really craved a gradual progression from beautifully melancholy to happily peppy songs. Follow my progression thusly, won't you?

1. "Both Sides Now" from Hits by Joni Mitchell - If you've ever seen "Love Actually", you will also remember the scene where Emma Thompson listens to this song alone in her bedroom after realizing that her husband is cheating on her. Thompson's heartbreaking performance coupled w/ Joni's mournful song...well, if you haven't seen it, it says it all.
2. "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" from Strict Joy (Deluxe Edition) by The Swell Season (originally written/performed by The Frames) - I just love the last 2 lines - "There's a bad bone inside of me. All my troubles started there." The lyrics of this entire song are perfect, actually. I've definitely had this one on repeat in the last few weeks. I love you, Glen.
3. "Hallelujah" from Grace (Legacy Edition) by Jeff Buckley - Heartbreaking, slow, and beautiful. Amen.
4. "Fake Plastic Trees" from The Bends by Radiohead - This song has always made me kind of weep inside. Perfect for the days when you're feeling like weeping on the outside too.
5. "Breakable" from Girls and Boys by Ingrid Michaelson - Picking up tempo here. Simple lyrics, but easily very relatable. And sometimes I feel like a breakable girl.
6. "Way I Am" from The American by Martin Sexton - Progressing into the feel good section here. Martin's voice does things for me that penicillin never will.
7. "The Flower Duet" from Lakme by Leo Delibes - Mmmmm. Close your eyes and listen to this one. I actually can't listen to this duet without involuntarily closing my eyes.
8. "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini - Transportation to a beautiful place...probably Italy. This may or may not have something to do w/ the movie "A Room With A View".
9. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from Alone in IZ World by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - No matter how many times you've heard this one, tell me it doesn't make you smile.
10. "Sweet Disposition" from (500) Days of Summer Soundtrack by Temper Trap - The opening of this song forces my eyes closed and utterly transports me. As silly as it might sound, it makes me feel like I'm floating. I love that.
11. "This Too Shall Pass" from Of the Blue Colour of the Sky by OkGo - Because every so often we need full, orchestral reminders that this too SHALL pass! Also, if you've never seen the most recent video for this song...it is pure genius and will add another smile to your face.
12. "Little Secrets" from Manners by Passion Pit - Just a few weeks ago when I was having a really rotten day, a friend shared this one with me and it instantly made me smile from the inside out...and may have poured out of my eyes a little bit.
13. "Bohemian Rhapsody" from Classic Queen by Queen - Entering the "sing along as loud as you can" section! I dare you to try NOT to sing along!
14. "Island in the Sun" from Weezer [Green Album] by Weezer - I thought of including any number of other Weezer songs, but I just really loved the feeling of being on a holiday. Go ahead. Take a musical holiday from your problems for 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
15. "Lollipop" from Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika - Jared, thanks for reminding me of this song. I love it and I love Mika's infectious peppiness. Also, this has some pretty apt lyrics.
    
16. "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" from Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - VW never fails to infuse me with some much needed pep and feelgoodery. I could have included Paul Simon, because he often has the same effect, but I thought I'd give VW a shout out.
17. "Diner" from Black Sheep by Martin Sexton - Because Martin is just too good NOT to include twice. And doesn't this happy little ditty make you start moving in your chair or beating your knee/desk along w/ the beat?
18. "Chelsea Morning" from Hits by Joni Mitchell - The worst is over and you can wake up to your own Chelsea Morning. Who doesn't want to feel the sun pour in like butterscotch and stick to all your senses? Mmmm. Thank you, Joni, for being able to express my melancholy and my happiness!
19. "Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road by The Beatles - Cue The Beatles. Joni asked for the sun and here it comes.

Are you smiling yet? You should be.

Yeah, so, like Amanda, some of these songs require certain context for me to listen to them in the manner of the theme. Also, some of these songs I don't really listen to in said context much anymore -- but included them because they have been songs I've used in the past.

I also confess that sometimes it's not the lyrics of the song that I need to hear, it's usually the music style... Anyways, enjoy!

1. "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" from (500) Days of Summer - Music From the Motion Picture by The Smiths
2. "Everything You Want" from Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon
3. "Bulletproof" from (iTunes Single of the Week) by La Roux
4. "Superman (It's Not Easy)" from America Town by Five for Fighting
5. "Climbing the Walls" from The Else by They Might Be Giants
6. "Cyclops Rock" from Mink Car by They Might Be Giants
7. "Love On the Rocks" from The Jazz Singer by Neil Diamond
8. "Reasons" from Not Without a Fight by New Found Glory
9. "Nothing Else Matters" from Metallica by Metallica
10. "If You Could Only See" from Lemon Parade by Tonic
11. "Sonny" from Sticks and Stones by New Found Glory
12. "Goodbye" from It Means Everything by Save Ferris
13. "Cheer Up" from Cheer Up! by Reel Big Fish
14. "Señor Burns" from Songs in the Key of Springfield by Tito Puente
15. "When Your Lover Has Gone" from The Summit: In Concert by Frank Sinatra
16. "What Kind of Fool Am I?" from The Summit: In Concert by Sammy Davis, Jr.
17. "Just a Girl" from Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt
18. "9 Years" from The Ska That Broke the Camel's Back by Button Hooked
19. "Bad Days" from Batman Forever by The Flaming Lips
20. "I Want More" from Suburban Legends by Suburban Legends
21. "If It Was Up to Me" from Fire the Cannons by Jet Lag Gemini
22. "You Can't Hurry Love" from Phil Collins: Hits by Phil Collins

A couple notes about the grooveshark playlist: #'s 15 and 16 above are different from what's in the playlist, but close enough to give you an idea (I like MY version of the Frank Sinatra song a lot better... The Sammy Davis, Jr. one is comparable but still not quite as good, either). "9 Years" is a track from some old roommates' ska band and hopefully Jared will have that e-mailed out to the group soon.

I'm not going to lie, this was one challenging list. I'll explain myself at the bottom.

1. "Amazing Grace" from The Gang's All Here by Dropkick Murphys
2. "Rock and Roll" from Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
3. "Hanging on the Telephone" from Parallel Lines by Blondie
4. "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" from Whatever & Ever Amen by Ben Folds Five
5. "Tessie" from Tessie - EP by Dropkick Murphys
6. "The Distance" from Fashion Nugget by Cake
7. "Sinnerman" from Pastel Blues by Nina Simone
8. "Country Mile" from Let's Get Out of This Country by Camera Obscura
9. "Waterloo Sunset" from Something Else by the Kinks by The Kinks
10. "Beast of Burden" from Some Girls by The Rolling Stones
11. "These Days" from Chelsea Girl by Nico
12. "Linger" from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? by The Cranberries
13. "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" from Transcendental Highway by Colin Hay
14. "No Woman No Cry" from Legend by Bob Marley & The Wailers
15. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" from Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths
16. "Whole Wide World" from Wreckless Eric by Wreckless Eric
17. "My Lament" from Evanescence by The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra
18. "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVIII: Andante Cantabile" from Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On a Theme of Paganini composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff and preformed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, dir. Arthur Rubinstein
19. "Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road by The Beatles
20. "Buonanotte Fiorellino" from Rimmel by Francesco De Gregori

So, when it comes to music helping me through the hard times there are mainly two ways it works - either by letting me live vicariously through it, or by calming me and helping me to clear my mind. When I'm in the mood for one form of treatment, I'm usually not in the other, but in this list I've tried to make them play nicely. It shouldn't be hard to figure out where I'm going in this list - get the bad feelings out, hit the inevitable post-rockout crash, and clear my mind. It even ends on a happy note. Consider it therapy on a disc. More notes in the comments.

This musical panacea theme is a tricky one, I think, because the context of my disappointment or frustration totally determines what music I listen to, so I just picked a specific context to work with: love.

I propose we the contributors vote for which track was the worst of the worst. The boniest skeleton. The guiltiest pleasure.

Two rules:

1. Everyone gets three votes.
2. No voting for any of your own.

Put your votes in the comments of this post to keep them consolidated.

And to make this a true interlude (and in light of the prominence of boy bands in this week's posts), please enjoy this tritest of trite songs:

Shannon is taking a bye this week, so we have Christina filling in with a guest theme:

Ya know when you've had the day or week from hell and you feel like screaming, crying, shaving your head and joining a monastery, punching something (or someone), or just going to sleep for a long, long time? You, my friends, are not alone. If you're anything like me, you may occasionally feel like wallowing in all that self-pity, frustration, and sorrow. Other times you have so much anger or frustrated energy that you need help releasing it. Time for a little music therapy with the perfect panacea playlist! Let's hear yours. Who are your musical shamans? No one is the same, so I'm looking forward to a group of setlists as broad and varied as the emotional spectrum. Let's dance/sing/scream it out.

I contend that I'm still cool, just busy. And here's my list - every shameful bit.

1. "Doctor Jones" from Aquarium by Aqua
2. "C'est la Vie" from B*Witched by B*Witched
3. "I Just Want You To Know" from Never Gone by The Backstreet Boys
4. "Toxic" from In The Zone by Britney Spears
5. "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú) from Mi Reflejo by Christina Aguilera
6. "Hello" from Can't Slow Down by Lionel Ritchie
7. "I Want You" from Savage Garden by Savage Garden
8. "Wannabe" from Spice Girls by Spice Girls
9. "In The Navy" from The Best of the Village People by The Village People
10. "Woo Hoo" from Bomb the Twist by The 5.6.7.8's
11. "Put Your Records On" from Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae
12. "We Are The World" from We Are The World - Single by USA for Africa
13. "Fly" from Floored by Sugar Ray
14. "Hung Up" from Confessions On a Dance Floor by Madonna
15. "Stay (I Missed You)" from Tails by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
16. "Waiting On the World to Change" from Continuum by John Mayer
17. "A Little Respect" from The Innocents by Erasure
18. "Escapar" from Escape by Enrique Iglesias
19. "Not Ready to Make Nice" from Taking the Long Way by The Dixie Chicks
20. "Tubthumping" from Tubthumper by Chumbawamba

I didn't bother to order these this week. You'll find notes in the comments, once I have time to get them there.

1. "Party in the U.S.A." from The Time of Our Lives (EP) by Miley Cyrus
2. "Gonna Make You Sweat" from Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory
3. "Hard Habit to Break" from Chicago 17 by Chicago
4. "Are You Giving the Least to Those Who Matter Most?" from Sound Tracks by Michael McLean
5. "Karma Chameleon" from Colour by Numbers by Boy George and the Culture Club
6. "Weekend in New England" from This One's for You by Barry Manilow
7. "Rock Lobster" from Rock Lobster (single) by The B-52's
8. "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" from White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (single) by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
9. "In the Navy" from In the Navy (single) by The Village People
10. "Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof" from Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof by Travis Tritt
11. "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" from God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies
12. "Mormon Rap" from Mormons Are Crazy by Walter Hayes Band

Make sure you check the comments. One of them includes a link to the "Mormon Rap."

1. "Girl You Know It's True" from Milli Vanilli: Greatest Hits by Milli Vanilli
2. "Phantom of the Opera (Remix)" (Unknown Source)
3. "Bring Me To Life" from Fallen by Evanescence
4. "I Am A Paleontologist" from Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants
5. "Heut ist mein Tag" from Jasmin by Blumchen
6. "Every Other Time" from Life is Good by LFO
7. "I'm On a Boat" from I'm On a Boat (Single) by The Lonely Island
8. "Turtle Power" from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Original Soundtrack by Partners in Kryme
9. "Yo No Soy Esa Mujer" from Paulina by Paulina Rubio
   
10. "Poetically Pathetic" from The Possibility and the Promise by Amber Pacific
11. "It's All About the Pentiums" from Running With Scissors by Weird Al Yankovic
12. "Gettin Jiggy Wit It" from Big Willie Style by Will Smith
13. "Wunderkind" from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Alanis Morissette
14. "It's Gonna Be Me" from No Strings Attached by *NSYNC
15. "Heaven" from Heaven by DJ Sammy and Yanou
16. "Bastian's Happy Flight" from The Never Ending Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Klaus Doldinger
    

For #1 is a remix. I actually prefer the original, but it's not an option. I'd have the song itself if iTunes would get some real Milli Vanilli music already.

#4 isn't THAT guilty of a pleasure, but given that it's on an album geared toward kids and I get a kick out of it, I feel like it belongs. #10 is mostly a guilty pleasure because the band describes themselves as emo rock, which makes me uncomfortable.

I waited a week to post the new theme because I figured people were still getting back into the swing of posting. Looks like it mostly worked, and we got four out of six posts up!

While you enjoy everyone's traveling setlists, start compiling the guilty pleasures and the past follies that are hiding in your music collection. We've all got them.

These setlists might be a little shorter than usual, but that's okay. I'm sure we'll all enjoy seeing a glimpse into the shadowy corners of everyone's iTunes.

I don't really have a ton of songs that I would call normal road trip/travel tunes, so instead I picked music that always makes me think of specific travels I've made over the course of my life.

1. "Green River" from Chronicle: 20 Greatest Hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival
2. "Thunderbird" from The Spine by They Might Be Giants
3. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" from My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations by The Temptations
4. "Endless Love" from Number 1's: Diana Ross & The Supremes by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
5. "Hey Jude" from Mono Masters, vol. 2 by The Beatles
6. "Mr. Roboto" from The Best of Styx by Styx
7. "The Beatles, pt. 2" from The Very Best of Stars on 45 by Stars on 45
8. "Take a Letter Maria" from R.B. Greaves by R.B. Greaves
9. "Your Guts (I Hate 'Em)" from We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy by Reel Big Fish
10. "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" from The Summit: In Concert by Frank Sinatra
11. "The Way You Look Tonight" from My Best Friend's Wedding by Tony Bennett
12. "I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)" from Good Morning Revival by Good Charlotte
13. "I Will Survive" from Fashion Nugget by Cake
14. "Hi de Ho Man" from The Scat Song by Cab Calloway

Note that the Sinatra recording I have is from their live album as opposed to the studio version in the Grooveshark playlist.

I won't individually label which song reminds me of which trip, but let's just say that among these memories are a trip to CO with Amanda and Baida, my most recent trip to DC, some Duck Beach, and NYC. Enjoy!

• "American Girl" from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Where The Streets Have No Name" from The Joshua Tree by U2
• "I Get Around" from All Summer Long by The Beach Boys
• "Rebel Rouser" from Have 'Twangy' Guitar Will Travel by Duane Eddy
• "She Wolf" from She Wolf by Shakira
• "Eleanor" from The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands by The Turtles
• "Jessica" from Brothers and Sisters by The Allman Brothers Band
• "Colorado" from A Sky Underground by Paper Bird
• "Graceland" from Graceland by Paul Simon
• "When I Go" from When I Go - Single by Slow Club
• "Skinny Love" from For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
• "On and On" from The Sound by Mackintosh Braun
• "Stepping Stone" from Rockferry by Duffy
• "Summer Wind" from Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra
• "Jolene" from Jolene by Dolly Parton
• "Search and Destroy" from Raw Power by The Stooges
• "Fortunate Son" from Willy and the Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Don't Stop Belevin'" from Escape by Journey
• "Sexual Healing" from Midnight Love by Marvin Gaye
• "It's All Too Much" from Yellow Submarine by The Beatles
• "America" from The Jazz Singer by Neil Diamond
• "Knight Rider Theme" by Stu Phillips
  

There's no getting around it, my list is a roadtrip in a nutshell. When picking the songs, I took in to account several factors, including Americana, a sense of movement, sing-a-long-itude, and handshakefulness. OK, so I've been watching a lot of 30 Rock lately. Basically, it starts out as exciting and fun as any roadtrip, with great songs to sing along to and to encourage you to do some speeding, silly pop song of the moment included (this will become the anthem of the trip whether you like it or not). After a few long jams and odes to our nation, the trip transitions into the part where everyone has decided it would be better to sleep than to keep you company (usually around Idaho). Inevitably, you begin to join them, and decide to wake everyone up with some hard hitting stuff, followed by the requisite power ballad. As soon as those two kids in the back seat (you know who you are) begin to display a bit too much affection for a small car, you call on Marvin to embarrass them out of their sinful ways. Once the palate is cleansed, everyone sings along to the guilty pleasure song of the trip that serves to bind the group together with a secret shame, like conspirators in a murder plot as the black Camaro that is your trip fades into the sunset.

Here's my list--some explicitly about places, some that just seem like they'd be great to listen to while away from home. And track 16 is one of my new favorite songs of all time. This was definitely a fun mix to make. Enjoy!

1. "No Repy" from Beatles for Sale by The Beatles
2. "Mystery Train" from I Forgot to Remember to Forget (single) by Elvis Presley
3. "Route 66" from Route 66 (single) by Nat King Cole
4. "Diner" from Black Sheep by Martin Sexton
5. "Express Crossing" from Jump Start and Jazz by Wynton Marsalis
6. "Hobo Blues" from Thicker than Water by G. Love & Special Sauce
7. "America" from Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
8. "Freight Train Blues" from Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
9. "Roll My Blues" from Catalpa by Jolie Holland
10. "Southern Cross" from Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills, and Nash
11. "Five State Drive" from Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake
12. "Chicago" from Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens
13. "Hearts and Bones" from Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon
14. "Wagon Wheel" from O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show
15. "Never Did No Wanderin' " from A Mighty Wind by The New Main Street Singers
16. "I'm a Steady Rollin' Man" by Robert Johnson
17. "Wandering Boy" from Soon Be Time by Bruce Molsky
18. "Sweet City Woman" from Sweet City Woman by The Stampeders
19. "So Long to the Red River Valley" from Timeless by The Quebe Sisters Band
20. "Black Water" from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits by The Doobie Brothers
21. "Take the 'A' Train" from Study in Brown by Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet
22. "King of the Road" from King of the Road (single) by Roger Miller

The first track is an homage to the immortal Stars on Long Play cassette released by the group Stars on 45. That tape was a staple of Gillins family road trips for as long as I can remember. The rest of the tracks are either songs that have to do with traveling, or songs that make me feel like driving, or maybe both. A lot of songs about trains and a lot that have the word "blues" in the title. Hmm.

Also, I just realized that Shark already used Less Than Jake's "Five State Drive" in another playlist, but I offer no apology. It's a great highway driving song.

And since it seems like we've all been on vacation for a while, this week's theme is Traveling Music!