Some friends and I recently spent a long weekend on Shelter Island to escape the heat, humidity, and sticky subway cars of New York. We had been told by several reliable sources that although the island was just a short ferry ride from the Hamptons , it was a more relaxed, chill scene. (More on that claim in an upcoming post.)
To get the ladies in the mood, I whipped up a playlist (you can download the iMix, if you're interested.)
1. "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones
I know it's corny, but I couldn't resist. And it is a great roadtrip song.
2. "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" by Spoon
From my favorite album of the summer. I defy you to keep your body still or not smile while listening to it.
3. "Who the Cap Fit" by Bob Marley
You can throw out that old college tape of "Legend" now. It's overdone. This is classic Marley.
4. "Nuestras Demadas" by B-Side Players
I love a song that mixes a lollygagging sound with rebellious lyrics that condemn the "financial rats of Babylon."
5. "Misunderstanding" by Electric Soft Parade
The band's out of Brighton, England, so it's no surprise that they know how to make beach-resort-friendly tunes.
6. "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z (featuring UGK)
Not really my style, but it had to be included for any possible yacht-party invites.
7. "Soledad" by Jorge Drexler
Perfect for sipping a mojito on the beach while watching the sun set.
8. "Plasticities" by Andrew Bird
No real reason to include this … other than the fact this guy is so good, it’s scary.
9. "Walk in My Shoes" by Emily King featuring Notorious B.I.G. *
An up-and-coming artist from New York. I like to think of it as a modern girls' "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."
*This full version (with salty lyrics) is hard to come by, but the radio edit is on iTunes.
10. "Ragoo" by Kings of Leon
There's something so "let's ditch sixth period and drive around" about these guys.
11. "Koop Island Blues" by Koop
This track simply has "relax" written all over it.
12. "Mozambique" by Bob Dylan
This always reminds me of escaping. I also love the disparity between Dylan's craggy, uneven delivery and Emmylou Harris' silky-smooth backup.
13. "Closer" by Travis
Another good one for sunsets.
14. "Oh My God, Whatever, Etc." by Ryan Adams
Say what you will, but Adams has a knack for churning out apparently throwaway, slacker songs that unfold into complex and beautiful classics.
15. "Slit Skirts" by Pete Townsend
It boggles my mind when he is absent from very short lists of amazing songwriter/guitarists/vocalists. A must-have.
16. "Out on the Weekend" (Neil Young cover) as performed by Girls In Hawaii *
One of my favorites from "Harvest." Plus, it's nice to hear a bunch of young Belgian guys singing a Southern California classic.
* This is unavailable to buy, but you can listen to it from an archived live session here.
I love Mozambique and Out On The Weekend! I'll have to check out that cover.
Posted by: Jessica | Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 11:30 AM