these july afternoons leave me nostalgic and searching for a gorgeous anthem that can convey the heady days of the early 90s in southern illinois.
something bittersweet without being melancholy; purposeful but not pretentious; something that reminds you of a young lad just learning to drive; behind the wheel of a dull beige citation. the exhilaration, those first tentative steps into the blue expansive waters of freedom; not too deep at first, mind you, just comfortable but gazing ahead... what would be playing on the poorly designed vertical am/fm radio in this boy's chariot of adolescence? what song would carry him down country roads in the summer of 1992? it would be so difficult for a song of today to recreate those complicated times, but i'm sure you can find it. we're counting on you.
I have to admit that I was excited by the prospect of filling a request. It was an idea I had thought of suggesting earlier but never acted upon. I prefer a little interaction, you may have noticed.
Instead of just putting up the request though, I'm going to make it a sort of theme... "Music for that 16 year old in the Chevy Citation".
First track: McLusky's "She Will Only Bring You Happiness". This has always reminded me of Pavement's "Cut Your Hair"; but it's got that pessimistic and sarcastic vibe that McLusky (now broken up) were great for. Of course you've also got the around singing at the end. I'd explain that more but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't heard the track. I'll just say it's humorous to me now, and I know it would have been just as funny for me when I was 16.
I've included the second track (Art Brut's "Moving to LA") because it has an Axl Rose reference, and at age 16 we were all about Axl Rose. The whole Art Brut album is sort of cheeky like this track, so if that's your kind of thing I highly recommend picking it up.
Track three, Chinese Firedrill, is from Mike Watt's alternative music superstar all star team album "Ballhog Or Tugboat". This album had guest appearances from everyone from Henry Rollins to Mike D (you can read more about that here) and has always been a closet favorite of mine. Of course I discovered this around the age of 16, and only really knew about it because I was a fan of Eddie Vedder, and he appears on the album. Of course Watt is perhaps better known as a member of The Minutemen, but I didn't discover them really until maybe two years ago.
I think maybe Chinese Firedrill fits the request best. Though I don't know how this would have sounded through a sideways stereo*, it isn't exactly Pearl Jam either, which was the first thing that came to mind when I read Jason's comment.
I still listen to Pearl Jam alot, actually.
*Interesting Note: I believe Jon Schmitt also knows about sideways radios... I seems like maybe he had a car with one. I also almost ended up with an Oldsmobile Firenza, which also had the sideways radio. How does a car designer come up with a dash that doesn't have room for a traditional radio? We will probably never know.
1 comment:
jon here yes I also had a chevy citation when i was 16-17. it was lovingly refered to as "tapioca" by me and all my pals. it was a endearingly ugly tan color and the liscence plate was TPA 462, where the tapioca moniker came from. I then flipped it on the back roads before school one day. I blame the crash on Mr. Lusk. I have my reasons. I also blame it on a girl names ahhhh whats her name?? I think Christy something or other. She lived in the huge lot with a dyed pond and other needless rich people stuff near to the Wolfe residence. She ran into me, thus directing me into the gully. Ahhh, my citation was sweet.
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