Another semester at UW means another season of Paper Radio, bringing more soundtracks for your everyday life. New readers, listen up. The idea here is pretty simple, and it is something you’ve probably done before when putting together a playlist or mix CD. Nearly every scenario you could possibly encounter in life can play out to a certain soundtrack, sometimes to change the tone, and sometimes to enhance what’s already there. Different types of songs have their own purposes, which can in turn affect the other songs on the daily soundtrack.
Whether the songs operate under a lyrical theme or contribute to a general mood, a playlist lets you capitalize on that unity free of effort, and nothing beats the satisfaction of a perfect mix. In a nutshell, I make playlists with songs handpicked and ordered for your own inspiration. Yes, order matters too.
The songs here in “Paper Radio” are suggestions – hopefully fresh ones – to start up a list. And no playlist is ever complete, especially not with five songs. But hey, I have a word limit. This week, UW’s first full week of classes, waking up day after day to an alarm clock’s death screech could get old fast.
But like most things, a dose of the right tunes can make it more bearable. Think of it as a morning mix, a breakfast blend, or some other AM alliteration. From waking up, to leaving the house, a smooth morning is what you need to start the day off on a good chord. I’d like to call these songs a substitute for a morning coffee, but believe I won’t be the one testing that claim.
“The Lemon of Pink, Pt. 2” – The Books Waking up
The last thing anyone wants to do is hit the books. But, trust me, these Books are different. Record-skip repetition at the intro could be said to simulate a triple-snoozed alarm clock, if I’m desperate to work in the morning theme, but I highly doubt that’s what this duo had in mind. In reality, it begins a choppy, not sloppy, instrumental to stimulate the mind bright and early.
Stitching together all kinds of loops, from spoken words to swiftly picked guitars, The Books manage to hover a calm, cool air above borderline chaos. If you’re less of a morning person who needs a gentler awakening, “Pt. 1” of the same name has a similar feel, but much more subdued. Don’t blame me if you feel groggy after a listen.
“Leprechauns Arise” – Bassnectar
The morning is still too young to follow any heavy lyrics, so a continuation of instrumentals comes at you courtesy of Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar. It’s hard to believe something from this DJ could be listenable in the morning, unless we’re talking about the small hours.
Then again, this is Bassnectar. He writes the rules. Maybe this track was inspired by sheer convenience. Think about it, you can party to one album all night, then wake up to the same without even changing discs. The gently upbeat fairytale sound leaves time for a stretch, yawn and eye rub combo. Then it takes a more beat-driven turn, (this is a DJ, after all), accompanied by some hip hop vocals. Just like that, the rhythm is set to transition into the next track from Curren$y.
“Breakfast” – Curren$y
After the whole Bassnectar build-up, the last thing I want to do is kill the vibe. Thankfully, Curren$y steps in to keep the ball rolling. It’s my favorite part of the morning. It’s “Breakfast” time. So how does a Lil’ Wayne protege with roots in Louisiana and Long Beach make his way onto a list otherwise dominated by music that is, well, anything but? There is no straight answer, but a listen to the song might shed some light.
Go ahead, open the blinds to the trumpeting, jazzed-out hooks that will stay with you all day. I should mention, the originality slows down from there. Don’t even worry if you tune out Curren$y’s words (apologies to the Moneyman, his flow isn’t bad). For this one, vocal agility comes before lyrical insight.
“Little Kids” – Deerhunter
Now that you are wide awake, it’s safe to slow the tempo a bit as you ease into the day. In this mesmerizer, they go easy on you at first, but that is just so Deerhunter can launch a noise assault. The atmosphere gets thick as quicksand, and it pulls you in the same way. By the end of the song, you are acclimated to the background noise so even a busy city will sound like an open park. After that experience, get ready to regain your cool.
“My Mood Swings” – Elvis Costello
Smooth-strutting rhythm, that’s what this Elvis Costello gem is all about. Tell me, who doesn’t like an extra ego boost on their first step outside? Released on the soundtrack for the “The Big Lebowski,” this has got to be the Dude’s morning errand song. Now, tell me, who doesn’t want to be like the Dude?
OK, maybe just in some ways. If you want to get a piece of that cool for a minute, try this track out on a bright morning on State. At the very least, it’s the next best thing to a cup of java for adding a stride in your step. This is how great days begin.
Joe Nistler ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in Italian and journalism.
