Post 5: Looking for Level Ground

   So I've been on a vacation this week, spending time with my family, and it's delightful. I've somehow managed to develop even worse sleep habits than I had, and spent the last week being mobbed every twenty minutes or so by the tiny offspring of my siblings. I love spending time with my family, and it's been way too long since I saw a lot of them, so it's nice to be able to spend a week sort of leveling out my psyche, not thinking about a job or responsibilities, and it's left me thinking about some of the stuff I listen to when I'm looking for serenity. These are the songs I listen to when I've just spent an hour on the phone trying to figure out what happened to my car, or after a bad day at work, or (most often) whenever I feel like it, because these songs are great.

   First up: New Slang by the Shins. I realized last week that I have not mentioned the Shins yet, which is a colossal oversight that I really ought to have dealt with much sooner than this. The Shins are, if not one of my favorite current bands, then at least a really good current band who are worth listening to, and New Slang is a great introduction to their stuff. Actually, New Slang is apparently how a lot of people first ran into the Shins; there's a (actually pretty good) scene in Garden State where a character is sort of shanghaied into listening to the song with the line "It'll change your life, I swear", and after listening to it, you can't help but agree. It's the kind of song that sounds like driving in early summer with your windows rolled down, right after a rainstorm lets up. It's the kind of song that promises that eventually, somehow, things will get better.

   In a similar vein, The Golden Age by Beck is so good, you guys. I absolutely adore Beck, and fully intend to gush about him in-depth at a later date, but for now I'll just settle for saying that Golden Age will heal your soul when you feel broken. Like New Slang, it conjures a very vivid picture for me when I listen to it, but in this case it's less driving, and more sitting on a beach at sunset, staring out at the Atlantic Ocean contemplatively. It sounds like someone who had their heart broken, but knows that the pain can't last forever, and wants to remind other people about that fact.

   Sundance Kid by Sam Roberts Band, on the other hand, sends a rather different tone. I've never actually spent a lot of time to sit down and analyze the lyrics, and I'm not sure I want to. This is one of the songs where I 'm happy with the translation that I have, and I don't really want to be corrected if it's not what the band meant to say when they wrote it. For me, it's all about how sometimes, you're just screwed, and nothing can change that. And when that's the case, all you can really do is accept the fact and go out as gracefully as possible. It may be morbid, but I find the idea comforting, especially during exam week.

   This next song is one of my universal panaceas: Around the World, by Daft Punk. It makes everything better. I don't know if I've mentioned Daft Punk in any posts yet, but if I haven't, the trend won't last. Daft Punk is amazing, and Around the World is one of my favorite songs by them. Now, let me clarify some things here. I realize that not everyone enjoys house music, or techno, or electronica in general. that's fine, and everyone has the right to their own opinion. Furthermore, I realize that on the first listen, Around the World might seem boring and repetitive. Well, it is definitely repetitive, but PLEASE, I beg of you, don't discount it automatically simply because of that. Around the World is a really, really good song. I can talk for a long time about how and why it's a good song, but don't take my word for it. Listen to it. It isn't for everyone, but I promise that if you are willing to listen to it, you won't regret it. Daft Punk can soothe the savage beats (pun very much intended).

And lastly, this is a song from my early, early childhood. I actually forgot about this song up until a couple of years ago, when my brother Evan sent it to me. It's called Celestial Soda Pop, and I know it because it was on a mix tape that belonged to my brother Bryan (I have a lot of siblings). Anyway, it's this sort of ambient, proto-trance piece that was made in 1984, back when people were just inventing dinking around on keyboards, and it's GREAT. Go listen to it! I have nothing constructive to say about it, I just really like the song and find it helpful when I want to calm down.

And lastliest of all, here's a bonus song! I found this last week, and have had it stuck in my head pretty much constantly since then. In all honesty, I cannot remember ever hearing a song that came anywhere near to being as catchy as Get Dancin' by Disco Tex and Sex-o-Lettes (nor can I think of a more incredible name for a band). This song may kill me, but I cannot fault it. It's simply too perfect to exist in a broken world.