I’ve had it in my mind to compile an iTunes playlist with my essentials: the songs that I don’t just enjoy or appreciate, but that have played a salient role in my personal, aesthetic, or emotional development. I don’t know that it will ever be something that I finish, but it’s been a worthwhile exercise so far. Thiese aren’t really the tracks I put out too early in a mix tape relationship: those are a different beast altogether. These are the songs that I turn to when I don’t have to be cool. Or can’t be cool. So either way that’s a good chunk of time. Here’s the dame so far, in all her no particular order twenty track glory:
1. Cosmic Dancer – T.Rex
2. Needle in the Hay – Elliot Smith
3. Chelsea Hotel #2 – Leonard Cohen
4. I Don’t Blame You – Cat Power
5. The Guns of Brixton – The Clash
6. Helplessly Hoping – CSN&Y
7. Some Things Last a Long Time – Daniel Johnston
8. Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio
9. I’ve Been Thinking – Handsome Boy Modeling School
10. Flesh – David Gray
11. If She Wants Me – Belle & Sebastian
12. Buckets of Rain – Bob Dylan
13. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over – Jeff Buckley
14. Holland, 1945 – Neutral Milk Hotel
15. Where Is My Mind? – The Pixies
16. The Needle and the Damage Done – Neil Young
17. Somedays – Regina Spektor
18. Natural Disaster (Live) – Loudon Wainwright III
19. Track 4 [Untitled] – Sigor Ros
20. Street Hassel – Lou Reed
