05 April, 2009

"One good thing about music...

"...when it hits you feel no pain."

I have recently become enamored with iTunes' Genius feature. It is a interesting concept: one push of a button and you have an instant playlist. It is really a marvelous little piece of technology, and unbelievably helpful when I am dead tired and I need an unending stream of lullabyes to cushion my dreams. Still, I miss the tactile/aural nature of creating my own playlists, and I miss the connections that arise from these endeavors. The synchronistic rarely shows its face when Genius is compiling my soundtrack. For instance, this morning I wanted a playlist crafted around "Trenchtown Rock" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The only artists that iTunes even thought of including were reggae artists or artists influenced by reggae (Jimmy Cliff, Damian Marley + Nas, Toots and the Maytals, Super Cat, Ziggy, and Bob). What about punk and ska? Fuck that, what about classical?

Here's my playlist for this morning (I dare you to guess my mood):

"Trenchtown Rock (LIVE)" - Bob Marley and the Wailers

"The Wind that Shakes the Barley/The Reel with the Beryle" - The Chieftains

"You're No God" - Laura Marling

"Slow Ride" - Foghat

"Henrietta" - The Fratellis (this song has been in all of my mixes recently. Am I feeling like a tragic character? Possibly, but I still have a sense of humor).

"Someday Baby (featuring Lyrics Born)" - R.L. Burnside

"Maggie's Farm" - Bob Dylan ("I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more...").

"Mr. Big Stuff" - Jean Knight

"Respect" - Aretha Franklin

No comments: