Playlist For The First Week Of College.

The General Specific – Band of Horses
Miss Magnolia – Matt Costa
My Hands Are Shaking – Sondre Lerche
Definition – Mos Def & Talib Kweli
Every Thought A Thought of You – mewithoutYou
Die Die Die – Avett Brothers
It Will Follow The Rain – The Tallest Man On Earth
So Comfortable – Orba Squara
Drinking, Thinking, Sinking, Feeling – Slow Club
Sunlight – Harlem Shakes
Not Tonight - Tegan and Sarah
Chelsea Hotel No 2 - Leonard Cohen
Love Song – Tilly and The Wall
I’d Rather Dance With You – Kings of Convenience
She’s The One – The Beta Band
Saint John – Cold War Kids
After Hours - The Velvet Underground
How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down? – The Silver Jews
These Days – Nico
Did I Step On Your Trumpet? – Danielson Famile
Navy Nurse – The Fiery Furnaces

Bangarang, Y’all.

If Summer Was A Super Cool Playlist On My iPod, It Would Sound Like This

Daylight – Matt & Kim
For Reverend Green – Animal Collective
Artichokes – Maps & Atlases
How The Leopard Got Its Spots – Portugal The Man
Miniature Birds – Grand Archives
Free Until They Cut Me Down – Iron & Wine
Start A War - The National
Boyz – M.I.A.
Mr. Pitiful – Matt Costa
You Can’t Say No Forever - Lacrosse
Telemarket Mishap – Dear And The Headlights
Let’s Make Out – Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Allah, Allah, Allah – MewithoutYou
The First Cut Is The Deepest - Norma Fraser
The Lime Tree - Trevor Hall
Sweet Talk – Dear And The Headlights 
Laughing With – Regina Spektor

The Minute I Hellllllllllllllld The Key.

Making yet another attempt to find something remotely appealing in the tracks of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. So far, minimal success. We’ll see.

Have ingested yet another LorTab. I’m a biggg believer in pain relief. I also anticipate criticism on my liberal usage of pain meds. When you have a scalpel taken to the palm of your right hand, then and only then will you be allowed to criticize my pain relief initiatives. That’s all.

Also, in my ongoing quest for sensory overload, I’m watching BBC America’s docuhorror Plastic Surgery Junkies. Like many before me, I’ll liken it to roadkill. It’s disgusting, but you can’t make yourself look away. The Male Barbie guy realllly bothers the snot out of me. Kind of like the Cat Lady. Who told them they looked good? What kind of doctor deems it acceptable to operate on someone that is so obviously sick? Just bugs me.

Have moved onto a few newer additions to my iTunes library — Animal Collective, Department of Eagles, and pieces of the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Here’s the part of my blog where I tell you what to do.

TRACKS WORTH HEARING
My Girls – Animal Collective
Brother Sport – Animal Collective
Grass – Animal Collective
The Purple Bottle – Animal Collective
Daily Routine – Animal Collective
Winters Love – Animal Collective
For Reverend Green – Animal Collective

Phantom Other – Department of Eagles
Waves of Rye – Department of Eagles
Floating On The Lehigh – Department of Eagles
Teenagers – Department of Eagles
No One Does It Like You – Department of Eagles
In Ear Park – Department of Eagles
Noam Chomsky Spring Break 2002 – Department of Eagles
Origin of Love – Department of Eagles

Ringa Ringa – AR Rahman, Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun
Paper Planes (DFA Remix) – M.I.A.
O…Saya – AR Rahman & M.I.A.

Think that’s all. Seriously, check ‘em out. I can’t promise a religious experience, but I guarantee you it’ll brighten your Friday.

That’s it. Love.

xxAimeeCait

I Feel It In My Fingers, I Feel It In My Toes (Feel It In My To-o-oes).

“…Christmas is all around us, it’s everywhere I go…”

Bill Nighy is SUCH a legend in Love, Actually. (It’s in my top 3 Christmas films of all time, easy. It’s also probably in my Top 10 favorite films, period. Love it.)

Anyway. You’ve all been waiting for it, and yes, the time has come… I’m releasing The Official Riverside Christmas Playlist of 2k8. Please hold back the tears of joy, if you can manage.

THE CLASSICS
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
Frosty The Snowman – Jimmy Durante
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
Jingle Bells – Frank Sinatra
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) – The Nat King Cole Trio
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Dean Martin
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear – Frank Sinatra
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) – Doris Day
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Perry Como
Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
Christmas In New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
Mele Kelikimaka – Bing Crosby
Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
‘Zat You, Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong
Sleigh Ride – Ella Fitzgerald
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Silver Bells – Bing Crosby

MODERN CLASSICS
Merry Christmas, Baby – Otis Redding
Please Come Home For Christmas – The Eagles
I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevey
Step Into Christmas – Elton John
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
What Child Is This? – Vince Guaraldi Trio
Please Come Home For Christmas – Aaron Neville
You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Dr. Seuss
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Johnny Mathis
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – The Jackson 5
What Christmas Means To Me – Stevie Wonder
Skating – Vince Guaraldi Trio
Little St. Nick – The Beach Boys
Father Christmas – The Kinks
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Christmas – The Who
All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
River – Joni Mitchell
Do You Hear What I Hear? – The Carpenters
Christmastime Is Here – Vince Guaraldi Trio
Merry Christmas, Darling – The Carpenters
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Bruce Springsteen

NEW CHRISTMAS FAVORITES
Christmas Is All Around – Billy Mack (Bill Nighy)
Joy To The World – Sufjan Stevens
Christmas Is Going To The Dogs – The Eels
Must’ve Been Ol’ Santa Claus – Harry Connick, Jr.
White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes
I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Josh Groban
Mary’s Little Boy Child – Harry Connick, Jr.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Sufjan Stevens
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
Christmas In Hollis – Run DMC
The Heartache Can Wait – Brandi Carlile
That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! – Sufjan Stevens
Winter – Joshua Radin
Little Drummer Boy (Black Forest Version) – Iain Archer
Christmas Is Coming Soon – Blitzen Trapper
Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time – Sufjan Stevens
No Christmas For Me – Zee Avi
Christmas – Rogue Wave
All That I Want – The Weepies
December – Regina Spektor
Come On! Let’s Boogey To The Elf Dance! – Sufjan Stevens
Cold White Christmas – Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
The Winter Song – Eisley
Frosty The Snowman – Fiona Apple
Mele Kelikimaka – Luke
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – The Thrills
Santa Baby – Everclear
Little Drummer Boy – The Dandy Warhols
Have Yourself A Bitter Little Christmas – David Ford
White Christmas - Amazing Pilots
Christmas In Prison – Emmy The Great featuring Lightspeed Champion
Ding! Dong! – Sufjan Stevens

If this doesn’t put you in the Christmas mood… you’re a lost cause. Merry Christmas, darling(s).

xxAimeeCait

Songs I’d Drive To… If My New Nickname Weren’t “Crash”.

Furr – Blitzen Trapper
I love love love Blitzen Trapper. (Understatement much.) I love new folk. Download everything you can find by these guys.
Downpour – Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile is my latest favorite female artist. I don’t have many of these — I don’t know what it is, I just don’t respond as well to female vocals, but I can’t be bothered to attempt to figure that one out at the moment. Her voice drags the empathy right out of you.
Basin Street Blues – Kid Koala
I’m particularly excited about this discovery. I went digging through the track listings for my favorite episodes of Skins. If you haven’t heard of Skins, I apologize. Admittedly, it’s a horrifically trashy show on the BBC. But it also allows me my own glimpse (albeit fictional) into Bristol’s youth culture, and the soundtrack is killer. This track is an updated spin (no pun intended) on a New Orleans jazz standard. You owe it to yourself to hear this one.
New York, I Love You (But You’re Bringin’ Me Down) – LCD Soundsystem
Another Skins track — it’s my favorite kind of melancholy.
1922 Blues – Charlie Parr
Everybody needs a little bluegrass in their daily lives, and Charlie Parr is an absolute legend. Hard times seem a bit better when they’re sung over a catchy bit of finger picking.
Lay Lady Lay – Magnet
So, a confession: I can’t stand Bob Dylan’s original recording of this song. His voice in his later recordings just doesn’t do it for me. Give me young, yodeling Dylan, nottt crusty old snarling Dylan. Gag. So I was fully prepared to dislike this song when a friend recommended it to me, but I was pleasantly surprised and quite enjoyed this version of the track.
Herculean – The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Pistol – Dustin Kensrue
Raw, acoustic, folk magic. Kinda Ryan Adams meets Jeff Tweedy? Yeah, somethin’ like that. The lyrics are the best — “I love how you curse when I wake you up/And sweetly demand that I fill your cup/I follow your cool gun powder glare/Honey, you lay me bare“ – an honest man expressin’ his love for his beloved battle ax of a sweetheart.
You Make Me Weak At The Knees – Electrelane
Playful, sweet piano instrumental. Gradually builds momentum, remains interesting to the last trill.
Sun It Rises - Fleet Foxes
Anything the Fleet Foxes do is magic. The harmony (duh) is tight, haunting and gogeous. The tone of their guitars is so gloriously warm… it all blends just right. You should hear it.
Fake Empire – The National
Low, smoky, mature vocals, haunting piano riff. Mournful in a helpless kind of way.
Pull Me Out Alive – Kaki King
One of the few tracks I’ve heard by Ms. King in which she actually sings. Anything she does is gorgeous; it’s interesting to hear her vocals, which are basic, nothing extraordinary, but solid.
Theme from Skins - Fat Segal
Another gem gleaned from Skins. Fat Segal is their staff composer, and everything he writes is a work of genius. Fresh, dynamic, and relentlessly catchy. You’ll hum it later, promise.
Knife – Grizzly Bear
Sedative, yes, but pleasantly sedative.
Signs – Bloc Party
Yayyyy new Bloc Party. I’m a sucker for bells, and this track features a steady
I Wanna Be Your Dog – Iggy Pop & The Stooges
Iggggggggy Pop! You just need to hear it. It’s an essential for your music library.
Electro-Socket Blues – Rogue Wave
This one is from Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist Soundtrack.
Bryn – Vampire Weekend
Didn’t listen to this Vampire Weekend track when I initially fell for the prepsters from upstate New York; only recently has this track grown on me.
Artifact – DJ Shadow
It’s a getaway song.
Get Your Snack On – Amon Tobin
Go On, Say It – Blind Pilot

Oh my goooooodness. I know I’m always excited about the music I put up in these playlists, but I’m particularly excited about this one. Each and every track is so wholly satisfying. I promise I’ll elaborate later — it’s something worth doing when I have all my brain cells functioning properly.

The official Riverside Christmas 2K8 playlist is comin’ soon… I’m in the process of piecing it together. It’s a work in progress. Can’t put something like that together in one sitting, it requires a little more finesse. And with that, I must depart — I need sleep.

I’ll add notes regarding individual tracks in this list. You musttt check them out. It’s essential.

xxAimeeCait

Songs For The Sleepless; Lullabies For The Listless.

Miss Spiritual Tramp – Blitzen Trapper
Noah’s Ark – CocoRosie
You Remind Me Of Something (The Glory Goes) – Bonnie Prince Billy
Two Bodies, One Heart – Noah And The Whale
Walk The Line – The Tallest Man On Earth
One Of These Things First - Nick Drake
Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show
Honey Pie – The Beatles
Piazza, New York Catcher – Belle & Sebastian
Hotel Chelsea Nights – Ryan Adams
Is This Love? – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Reckless – Tilly And The Wall
Travel Song – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Goods – Mates of State
Innocent Son – Fleet Foxes
Don’t Forget To Breathe – Beulah
Two Way Monologue - Sondre Lerche
Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk - Rufus Wainwright
California – Rogue Wave
Anthems For A Seventeen-Year-Old Girl – Broken Social Scene
I Don’t Blame You – Cat Power
I Summon You – Spoon
Misread – Kings of Convenience
These Days – Nico

Fidgeting. Nico always makes me cry.

xxAimeeCait

Songs For Tuesday.

Playing With Pink Noise - Kaki King
Jesus And The Devil - David Karsten Daniels
Middle Distance Runner – Sea Wolf
Help Me – Joni Mitchell
Furr – Blitzen Trapper
Strange Fruit – Billie Holliday
Things Go Up – Seasick Steve
Our Swords – Band of Horses
Ragged Wood – Fleet Foxes
Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens
Kiss Me Again - Jessica Lea Mayfield
Fumble – Architecture In Helsinki
Comes A Time – Neil Young
Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks
Country Sad Ballad Man - Blur
Pity And Fear – Death Cab for Cutie
Only At Home – Elliot Brood
All Of My Days – Alexi Murdoch

I’m off to Bible study with Joe… y’all know I need a ‘handler’…

xxAimeeCait

Songs for Shiver-Inducing Sundays in November.

Dan In Real Life – Sondre Lerche
White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
Stealing Kisses – Lori McKenna
Title & Registration – Death Cab for Cutie
Where In The World Are You – Great Lake Swimmers
Jesus Loves Me – CocoRosie
Cosmia – Joanna Newsom
Ripchord – Rilo Kiley
The Dangling Conversation – Simon & Garfunkel
Casimir Pulaski Day – Sufjan Stevens
Cursed Sleep – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
River – Joni Mitchell
The Wolves (Act I And II) – Bon Iver
Yellow Spider – mewithoutYou
Urge For Going – Joni Mitchell
No Envy, No Fear – Joshua Radin
Simple Life – The Weepies
Middle Distance Runner – Sea Wolf
Black River Killer – Blitzen Trapper
Bartender – Regina Spektor
Easier – Grizzly Bear
I Feel Like Going Home – Yo La Tengo
The Cure For Pain – Jon Foreman
Ocean Of Noise – The Arcade Fire
Roll Away Your Stone – Mumford & Sons
Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy

Mm. Love.

xxAimeeCait

Wade In The Water… Again.

Meet my boy Gustav.

3 years later and here we are... again.

It’s eerie, yeah?

I don’t really know what to do with myself, not living in south Louisiana during hurricane season… it feels strange. Granted, we’re savin’ money by not needing to go and grab emergency supplies (just in case), but even that was kind of fun. Louisianians were built to withstand hurricanes… we’re tougher than the average bear. Or maybe we’re just more in love with our home than most. I dunno. I do know that I miss hurricanes. They were just another part of our culture. Yes, problematic & crazy destructive at times, but nevertheless part of our story.

My logical reaction to a major event like a (potential) hurricane is a blog post and a playlist. So here you go.

Hurricane Season 2K8

Hurricane – Something Corporate
Beautiful Disaster - 311
It’s Whatever – Lil Boosie
Like A Hurricane – Neil Young
Rain – Priscilla Ahn
Hurricane – Bob Dylan
Callin’ Baton Rouge – Garth Brooks
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan
Float On - Ben Lee
Walkin’ To New Orleans – Fats Domino
Black River - Amos Lee
All These People - Harry Connick, Jr.
When The Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin
Yes We Can - Lee Dorsey
Storm Coming – Gnarls Barkley
Who’ll Stop The Rain? – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Watchin’ The River Flow – Bob Dylan
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans – Harry Connick, Jr.
City Rain, City Streets – Ryan Adams
Didn’t It Rain – Mahalia Jackson
Price of Gasoline – Bloc Party
King of New Orleans – Better Than Ezra
Dry The Rain – The Beta Band
This Is An Emergency – The Pigeon Detectives
The Storm Is Passing Over – Delois Barrett Campbell
Waters of Nazareth – Justice
Louisiana Woman Mississippi Man – Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn
Flashlight Fight - The Go! Team
Blowing In The Wind – Bob Dylan
Wade In The Water – The Staple Singers
Ay Bay Bay – Hurricane Chris

So it’s a bit epic, yeah, but it’s an epic thing, a hurricane. Obviously a lot of cheese present here, but deal with it. It’s good stuff.

Missing everybody in South Louisiana… prayin’ for y’all as the storm season intensifies.

xx AimeeCait

Songs For Late Summer Rainstorms That Aren’t As Bad As They Could Be.

Stormy Weather – Django Reinhardt
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head – Johnny Mathis
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall - Bob Dylan
Feel Like Rain – Motion City Soundtrack
The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
Raindrops - Regina Spektor
Blue Eyes Cryin’ In The Rain – Willie Nelson
Shelter From The Storm – Bob Dylan
Let It Rain – Tilly and The Wall
Have You Ever Seen The Rain? – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Bob Dylan
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
Wade In The Water – The Staple Singers
Down In The Flood – Bob Dylan
Riders On The Storm – The Doors
Fool In The Rain – Led Zeppelin
Rainy Days – Ryan Adams
Dry The Rain – The Beta Band

It’s pretty much the ultimate rainy day playlist. This I know. Something there for everyone… it’s lovely.

I’m off… big important things need to get done, and who do you think is gonna do ‘em if not me?

xxAimeeCait