While I’ll be hanging around campus for fall break, Skyping with the fam and bench-reading like an elderly person, many of you at the College of William and Mary are heading home to enjoy fall break. Whether you’ll be driving yourself home, or revvin’ up the old loser cruiser for the first time since August, it can’t be argued that the Tribe is hitting the road this weekend.
Should you be one of the lucky vacationers among us, allow me to affect the soundtrack of your weekend with my mix, “Tribe Drives.” So turn up the speakers, roll down the windows, show me some air guitar (stoplights only, please), and if I may borrow from Rihanna, “Shut up and drive!”
1. ”Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root”
Remember that song from “Matilda” that made you so happy you thought you were going pee your pants? I’m kicking off the playlist with some African-infused feel-good.
2. ”Love Save the Empty – Erin McCarley”
While this song may cater more to the lady readers, I won’t make assumptions. It’s poppy for sure, and a typical “last three minutes of a chick-flick” tune, but it’ll make you want to roll the windows down and sing along.
3. ”I Am Not a Robot – Marina and the Diamonds”
This is a favorite band of mine. Somehow Marina hasn’t hit it big yet, but I give it a year. I’ll call it quirky pop, but leading lady Marina Diamandis’ style is unparalleled. She’s not available on iTunes yet, but if you can find her somewhere else for legal purchase, please let me know!
4. ”Cherry Lips (Go baby Go) – Garbage”
Garbage typically gives you rock-alternative sound, poppy vocals and bizarre lyrics, but I dig — definitely road trip worthy.
5. ”Dancing Shoes – Arctic Monkeys”
Here’s some upbeat alternative for those of you who love memorable band names and men with British accents.
6. ”Twice as Hard – The Black Crowes”
If anyone else out there wakes up every morning wishing they’d caught more of the ’90s rock era, I would highly recommend that you pick up their greatest hits album.
7. ”Another Travelin’ Song – Bright Eyes”
Bright Eyes is modern folk at its absolute greatest. (Sidenote: if you love Bright Eyes, don’t forget that Connor Oberst, Yim Yames, M. Ward and Mike Mogis just released their “Monsters of Folk” album on September 22.)
8. ”God’s Country – Ani DiFranco”
Okay, so not everybody’s a folk lover. I’m a big girl and I can take it, but I’d say Difranco’s always worth a listen. She’s a genre on her own but she’s got an alternative-folk-punk thing going on, and I could talk Ani for hours, but I’ll let ya’ll check her out for yourselves.
9. ”Australia – The Shins”
This one’s a classic, if you like weird-ass lyrics and incredible music. (Sidenote: if you dig “The Shins,” I would highly recommend the song “Caring is Creepy” as well, not for road trips, but check it out.)
10. ”Careful – Paramore”
Check out this song off of their new album “Brand New Eyes.” I’d call it accessible alternative — its lyrics swing more to the pop side, and sometimes Paramore gives me old-school Avril Lavigne vibes, but this song is wicked cool.
11. “Heartbeat – Scouting For Girls”
Indie pop rock, feel-good lyrics, catchy tune, it’s been stuck in my head since August. Anyone else sing to your steering wheel? Just me? It’s all good. If you’re out there, this is the song for you.
12. ”Bittersweet – Sick of Sarah”
“Sick of Sarah” is basically Tegan and Sara with an “h” on the name and some angst on the side. Quality tune.
13. ”Speak Slow – Tegan and Sara”
Speaking of Tegan and Sara, the Canadian alternative duo is another personal favorite of mine, and this song is such a highway jam.
14. ”Yr Mangled heart – The Gossip”
Such an incredible sound. Front woman Beth Ditto is energy personified, and the band’s self-proclaimed punk-soul-experimental sound is perfection.
15. ”Let’s Dance to Joy Division – The Wombats”
More fun accents coming at you from the U.K.! Ironic lyrics from the mouths of European rockers as we near the end.
16. ”Drumming Song – Florence + The Machine”
I am a huge fan of Florence + The Machine, and they’re hitting it big on the alternative scene these days. A friend recommended this song to me this week and I haven’t stopped listening.
Being the mellow music lover that I am, I can’t help supplementing the drive tunes with a mini-mix for those of you hanging here on campus with me! These songs are super relaxed, so if you’re planning on napping in the Sunken Garden or lying in a canoe on Matoaka for a few hours, bring these along. They’re what I’ll be jamming out to this week. Enjoy!
1. Bon Iver: “Woods”
2. Cat Power: “The Greatest”
3. Don Ross: “Klimbim”
4. Erin Mckeown: “Easy Baby”
5. Holly Miranda: “Sleep on Fire”
6. The Jealous Girlfriends: “Diffusive Dreaming”
7. Natalia Zukerman: “Only Trees”
8. Panic Ensemble: “Spring in Your Heart”
9. Rachael Cantu: “Devil’s Thunder”
10. Regina Spektor: “Flyin’”
11. Rufus Wainwright: “Oh What A World”
12. This is the Kit: “Tangled Walker”
13. Vandaveer: “Woolgathering”