for as long as i can remember, i've been an album-listener. i was born during the age of transition between LPs and cassettes and am notoriously slow at adopting new technology. during my teenage years, i built my music collection with CDs, but it was almost always with an album orientation: all or nothing. when i eventually caved and got iTunes and an iPod, i rarely used the 'shuffle' function and mostly listened to the same albums i had on my CD shelf as albums.
lately, i find myself using shuffle more often. albums just seem too overwhelming these days. my brain is too tired after a day of firefighting at work and fending off the negativity in the industry. sometimes i just want to hit the button and have someone/thing else do the work.
this morning, i woke up earlier than expected and had breakfast and coffee with the laptop open and iTunes on shuffle. i realized that while i respect the shuffle function, often it will shuffle to something that doesn't quite fit with the song prior, or will cue up a song that triggers a memory or feeling that's out of place. so i intervene and hit the 'skip' button.
but there are some songs that no matter what mood i'm in, no matter what song came before them, that i never, ever skip. this morning's unskippables:
1) The Replacements, "Can't Hardly Wait"
2) The Constantines, "On To You"
3) Sleater-Kinney, "Get Up"
4) The Distillers, "The Hunger"
5) Stiff Little Fingers, "Alternative Ulster"
6) Radiohead, "Talk Show Host"
7) Electrelane, "To The East"
(cross-posted from tumblr)
