Stars - Heart
‘What the Snowman Learned About Love’ was my NYU roommate’s favorite track, a fact he surprised me with after I’d had this record on repeat for a couple weeks in the financial district. ‘Life Effect’ was my goddamn anthem through one of the more epic phases of a troubled relationship, and then I went and saw these kids play Webster Hall. My definitive New York record, for better or for worse.
Magnetic Fields - 69 Loves Songs Vol. 1
One memorable night alone in the apartment as winter turned into spring. ‘Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side’ cranked up extra loud and the front door cracked open, praying that some roving band of affable hipsters would hear the siren song and befriend me. Instead I think I folded pants and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to a pizza and cold hands and a brilliant view. I connected with this album in the city and will probably never lose that; it’s been with me all year.
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Spring. First listen was one of those 94 minute spin workouts I used to have for training at Palladium. For my cycling season that never materialized (at least on the road). Back when I was a vegetarian. It was catchy then and it caught me all through the spring. Dance, dance, dance. Saw these Scotsmen, too, and froze my toes so bad that I couldn’t hardly walk to the Times Square Starbucks to warm up.
Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch
Burned for me by Ally Milligan. What more needs to be said? It took me a month to put this record on my computer and another several weeks to really give it a listen, but there is a flashbulb moment, crossing La Guardia Place towards Bobst, stepping my foot into traffic and hearing ‘Poor Little Rich Boy’ in a more visceral way than anything I’d known. This record was basically a constant on my commutes to Palo Alto through the summer. “WALKA-WALKA-WALKA…”
Magnetic Fields - i
‘It’s Only Time’ is actually the song that comes up with the house lights at the end of a 2004 bootleg of Jenny Lewis playing a solo show in L.A. I fell in love with the song, but put this entire record into increasing rotation as 2006 wore on. I always seem to listen to it straight through - something about the coherent beauty of it all. ‘I Don’t Really Love You Anymore’ has meant so many things to me about so many different women in my life in the last six months, I don’t know where I’d be without it.
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Big fat Regina Spektor kick carried into the fall semester and then Lauren and Chelsea (’my girls’ at 124) discovered this through me and it became a house staple. We all love her. I saw her play the Avalon. I gave Soviet Kitsch to half of Trunk. So much Regina under the molded tin ceiling of our kitchen.
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
I’m not ashamed to admit that I am completely enthralled by everything the Decemberists release. Do I love big archaic words and fanciful stories? Absolutely. Do they make me work to appreciate their pop? Absolutely not. But it’s so much fun and I just loved this record. Refused to let Cam or Carlo play it for me this summer, then I missed the boat when it was legitimately released. ‘Sons & Daughters’ sounded so spetacular over the Diesel speakers and it’s still one of my most played tracks on the album.
Camera Obscura - Let’s Get Out of this Country
This was the girls’ summer anthem and felt for so much of the semester like something I’d just missed out on. Had to pick something for the hostess of honor at Lauren’s 21st birthday party, though, and the choice was obvious. This was study music piped down from upstairs, this was party music from Chelsea’s stately desk. This was our Alpha and Omega, what they shared and what I came to feel a part of when we three settled into the most beautiful rhythym at the end of the semester. Then the record came from my own computer and kept on playing in the December chill of California to warm me up and remind me of what I had to look forward to back east.
Honorable Mentions
Peter, Bjorn, & John - Writer’s Block
I realized this was my anthem for fall somewhere around the twelfth play. ‘I happily have to disagree’ was my line in November, for some reason. Playing this and ‘Crane Wife 1 & 2′ on Tuesday evening rides back and forth from The Guidance Center what seems like every week. To and from work, to and from campus, this is biking music and one of those defining albums.
Kate Bush - The Whole Story
Shit, this is a compilation, but it went into the disc changer of the Passat after I’d had a rather protracted love affair with Kate for several months. She became my go-to record when driving, and things just took off from there. Old favorite ‘Wuthering Heights’ took a back seat to ‘Hounds of Love,’ ‘Breathing,’ and who knows what else. I love you, Kate!
