By Friday night, Green Street will be filled with students walking around, or possibly stumbling around, in green clothing. Cops will be circling around like hungry sharks, ready to strike on anyone looking suspicious. Before any of that madness happens though, start your Unofficial off right and make sure to have this playlist as its soundtrack. Stay smart and listen smarter.
1 – Easily Fooled: Pavement
“…I wait all summer long, And then the winter’s long, Then it’s longer than afterwards…”
The smooth chord progression of this song would be a great way to start your Unofficial. As the remains of a late February snowstorm begin to melt away, and as the lyrics suggest, it’s a great song for being on the brink of spring.
2 – Trash Tongue Talker: Jack White
When I first heard Jack White’s first solo album, I thought he was trying too hard. The lyrics felt bunched up, almost like he was trying to jam-pack as much as he could in a given song. But after going back to his album, Blunderbuss, songs like this have changed my mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTW6yKnmO08
3 – Cigarettes & Alcohol: Oasis
I think the title pretty much sums up the selection.
4 – Somewhere: The Subways
This song shifts back and forth from grunge riffing to soft and psychedelic whispering. The song reminds me of “Where is My Mind” by the Pixies. Both are trancelike. Listening to “Somewhere” is like having the feeling when you catch yourself blankly staring at a book once you’ve studied for too long. The contrast between being edgy and relaxing fits well into this playlist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZlL58fWkc
5 – Last Chance: Jet
I have been meaning to defend Jet for some time now. When WPGU posted about the band’s breakup last year, the commenters were critical. Okay, maybe the overly testosterone driven songs like “Cold Hard Bitch” made Jet seem like brainless rockers, but I think Get Born is one of the best albums of the last 10 years. It has thoughtful songs like “Lazy Gun” and “Radio Song.” But this song, on the other hand, is quite explosive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWhYHLk_T-E
6 – End of the World: Deep Valley
Enough with all the guy bands. These two ladies rock harder. No, I don’t think this song is about the Mayans’ prediction of the end of the world. It’s about forgetting about what goes on between Monday and Friday.
7 – Best of Friends: Palma Violets
This band is getting hyped up to no end by NME Magazine. They are looking for the next big guitar band to get behind and these are their boys. I’m not sure they have the talent, but either way, this is a good song to enjoy with your friends.
8 – Off the Rails: The Likely Lads
These lads are like The Arctic Monkeys with more pop-influenced melodies. This should be the band NME is hyping up.
9 – Younger Us: Japandroids
This song is basically partying embodied in its musical form. This is about the nostalgic feeling of looking back at some of the fun times.
“Remember saying things like ‘we’ll sleep when we’re dead,’ And thinking this feeling was never gonna end”
10 – Perfect Day: Lou Reed
The marathon is finally over. It was a swell day. Now listen to this and reflect on the craziness.
