The City and Driving

The office is slow today, and I keep going outside because the sun is out, I'm wearing shorts, and all seems to be right with the world. At least enough for me to be in a good mood. So, this weather makes me think of driving in the city and on the highway and music that I like to listen to when I'm driving. In no particular order...

• Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords. One of the few hip hop records that I know well from beginning to end, because this truly is the shit. I like it better than his stuff with Wu Tang.
• Sly & the Family Stone - Greatest Hits. Normally, I'm not into compilations or greatest hits albums, but this one has all the upbeat shit that you want to hear. Don't get me wrong, "There's a Riot Goin' On" is my favorite, but that was when Sly got all bitter and jaded and junked-out. Plus the GH has "Hot Fun in the Summertime" on it. You need that. Its summatime.
• The Zombies - Odessey & Oracle. Pop psychedelia at its best. This one is dripping with summer. It makes you think of scenes in movies where kids are running through a field in the summer sun.
• The Troggs - Love is All Around. Not an album, but a song. Not all that good for driving, but it is good for summer.
• The Firebird Band - The Setting Sun & Its Satellites and The City At Night. Chris Broach, who was in Braid once upon a time has gone pop and electro and who knows what else, but this stuff is good. Both albums, and any singles you can find. Great lyrics like "red-wine stained lips and your red, red lipstick" or "drunk nights and whiskey kisses, and bruises on my neck" (both from the same song). Both albums are a little heavy on references to the the city and driving in the city.
• AC/DC - anything with Bon Scott. It will make you drive faster, I promise. Especially "Riff Raff."
• Nas - Illmatic. N.Y. State of Mind, that's all I gotta say.
• Sugar - Copper Blue. There's just something about Bob Mould's voice, and the music is so poppy.
• Jawbreaker - Dear You. I guess its halfway between a breakup album and a fuck you album. Works for me. Nothing personal to anyone reading, I just love this record.
• Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins. Pure, Beach Boys influenced pop. Let's pretend we don't exist.
• The Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic. Perfect punk rock if there is such a thing.
• Paperclip People - anything you can find. Period. Carl Craig side project. Not quite techno, but definitely electro.
• The Herbaliser - Blow Your Headphones. British hip hop acid jazz masterpiece.
• Latyrx - Muzapper's Remixes. "Lady Don't Tek No" should be bumpin' from at least one car out on the Rock every Friday night in the summer.
• Teenage Fanclub - Four Thousand, Seven Hundred Sixty-Six Seconds. Its a greatest hits, but I think its one of the most perfect pop records of all time.
• Masta P - okay, I don't give a fuck about Masta P. I just want to hear Eli say "na, nah, na, nahhhh."
• Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose. Anarchists, acoustic and electric guitars, three guys singing at once? This screams summer on the road to me. But maybe I'm weird.
• Backyard Babies - Total 13. Damn, those Swedes know how to rock out. Rock and roll always makes me think of summer. But so does some hip hop...
• Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory. Aside from my weird-assed and diverse taste, this should be on everyone's top summer records list.
• Screeching Weasel - Anthem For a New Tomorrow. More perfect pop punk.
• Descendents - Milo Goes to College. One of the best punk albums of all time in my eyes.
• MC5 - Back In the USA. It wouldn't be summer in Detroit without "Looking At You."

Okay, I could probably go on forever with this list, I'm just fuckin' around. I'll stop now. I'm sure I'll think of more later.