My laptop power adapter is out of service which means that instead of clipping on my shuffle in the morning, I have to lug around my iPod classic. This didn't turn out to be a totally unnecessary hassle though. I've been listening to the Best of Asian BBQ--all 27 playlists--and revisited many good songs I've forgotten about. After roughly 27 hours of re-listening, I've come to this conclusion: my best playlist was my first.
There are many reasons. First, the show back then was sans-Juhee thus sans-talking. The flow of this show was absolutely killer. Second, since it was the very first, I had my entire library to choose from and didn't have to care about replaying music. These were, and some of then still are, my favorite songs ever. Here it is--"The Blender", unofficially "Chill on Friday Nights with Wenli," the precursor to Asian BBQ Hour with Wenli and Juhee, the very first show, and the best.
P L A Y L I S T 11/2/07 :
The first show,
the first flow.1.
Sondre Lerche - Dead Passengers
By far my favorite Sondre song. Ever. At his concert in New York, Sondre said that he was going to name the album
Faces Down after this song, but heard a myth that albums named after a song on the album will bomb. I don't know where he got that from, but he quickly got over it when with his next album,
Phantom Punch. Sondre wrote
Faces Down while he was still in high school. You know what I was doing in high school? Discovering Sondre. Anyway, my point is I'm astounded anyone could write such beautiful music when he was that young, but Sondre, you never disappoint. Swoon. I can't wait for the next album coming soon!
2.
Jens Lekman - A Postcard to Nina
Favorite Norweigian followed by favorite Swede. I had gotten his album,
Night Falls Over Kortedala, half-a-day before playing it. Admittingly, I never gave his other music much of a chance, just wrote it off as some odd-sounding foreign music Brittany gave me (sorry Brittany, I was so wrong!). The entire album was so catchy, but this one stuck out the most at that time. Believe it or not, this is a true story, retold at his concert in D.C. He really rode on a party bus to Berlin, which took about 23 hours. He really met with Nina's father. Then, he really did move to New York, not Sweden. Some people's lives are just so interesting.
3.
Feist - One Evening
I dedicated this song to Serena because she loves Feist. I love Feist too, but I needed to grab listeners somehow. Feist always intersts me. Her voice is not particularly astounding, no vocal acrobatics or anything, but that is what makes it pleasing to listen to. It is pure and gentle. I hope I get to see Feist in concert one day.
4.
Kings of Convenience - Love Is No Big Truth
Kings of Convenience is usually ultra mellow with not much of a beat. But this song doesn't even use any percussion and its beat is sick! I wish they will get back together some day but in the meantime, I'll listen to Erlend Øye and keep dreaming.
5.
Wilco - When You Wake Up Feeling Old
6.
Beck - Strange Apparition
Beck said in an interview that "Strange Apparition" almost didn't make it off the editing room floor. Boy, I'm so happy he didn't make that mistake. This song makes the entire album listenable. The only four good things about
The Information were this song, "Think I'm In Love," the flow of the songs, and the DIY album cover with stickers. The flow would not be the same without this song because it gives it some breathing room between the other recorded byproducts of acid trips. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this album was somewhat of a disappointment. Not to mention the next one was a disappointment as well. Nevertheless, Beck is still my favorite artist.
7.
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
8.
The Decemberists - Summersong
9.
The Shins - Girl Sailor
10.
Peter Bjorn and John - Let's Call It Off
11.
Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver
May I just mention I'm not a huge Interpol fan? Their songs are too gritty for me. But, I saw they played this song on
The Hills once (DO NOT judge me--you know you'd watch it when it's on too) and it just stuck. Also, my friend Camille always plays Interpol in her car so it kind of reminds me of short summers at home.
12.
Franz Ferdinand - Tell Her Tonight
Franz Ferdinand, where have you gone? Why can't you recreate the magic of your first album? This song is solid--enough groove, enough cool, enough attitude. Perfect.
13.
The Killers - Change Your Mind
I really like this song because it sounds happy. Honestly, it makes me feel happy so I played it. Also, the segue from "Tell Her Tonight" to "Change Your Mind" was
killer, wink wink.
14.
Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Amy Winehouse: so much talent matched by drugs and hair. I really liked this song and the entire album. I think Mark Ronson did a great job producing. I wish Amy would be on the mend, get her shit together, and sing for realz.
15.
Lily Allen - LDN
For my first show, I wanted to end it on a positive note. This song is light, summery, and happy, though it's not the happiest in content. Talya first played it for me back in freshman year and I hated it. But, I got home and Camille, who just got home from LDN, played it and it was a different story. Yes, I'm capricious and I know it (by the way, "capricious" is a GRE vocabulary word).
P.S. Thanks to Chris for letting me borrow his adapter so I could write this post.
