PLAYLIST: Summer Soundtrack -- In Flight

Given the expanse of my music collection, I am inclined to sift through it all (often out of necessity, so as not to drown) to weed out tracks that I either particularly like, which would play well with others. Hence, a looooong list of playlists, with themes that go as specific as "The Ancient Japanese Art of Karaoke," or "Black Girls (and Girls that Sound Black)", and my most requested list to date: "Lagkit" -- a collection of the stickiest, sexiest, most syrupy stuff I have.

I figured I'd start doing a thematic playlist series. And since the summer is upon us, it only makes sense to make the first few playlists about the summer.

Everyone seems to be either flying in or out of town this weekend (myself, included), and I had been listening to some of these tracks already anyway, so I'll start with a flight-themed list. Here we go.

1. "Window Seat," Erykah Badu

   So, in my mind I'm touslin'
   Back and forth 'tween here and hustlin'
   I don't wanna time travel no more
   I wanna be here, I'm thinking
   
   So can I get a window seat?
   Don't want nobody next to me
   I just want a ticket outta town
   A look around and a safe touch down

   
   
   Consider this video an urban political interpretation of your walk to the beach. Yes or no?
   
   

2.  "Fly," June Marieezy (FKJ remix)

   For obvious reasons. Albeit, this is one of those cases wherein I personally prefer the remix to the original.
   Much respect to Ms. Marieezy for property testifying to the magnificence of the Philippines, by way of her shout out, and her talent. But it took France's FKJ (French Kiwi Juice, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist whose style includes live improvisations) to really make the track effervescent, giving you "float" instead of just "fly." Plus, their chemistry both on-stage (at last month's Malasimbo Music Festival), and on record is off the charts.
   

   Wrap my head around:
   The whole world is a blast
   If you open up to magic

    Exactly.
   
   



3. "A320," Foo Fighters

   Although there's a slightly morbid undertone to this fear-of-flying anthem, doesn't the journey get a little uncomfortable sometimes anyway? Metaphorically, sometimes you are hesitant to take flight, for fear of crashing. Flying is just a risk that you have to take. The point is, you're already up there. You've already done what it takes. You're already on your way. You're already soaring.
   
   I found a fan-made video of the song, with clips from LOST to accompany it. Because, why the hell not? We have room for a little dark humor around here, hahaha!
   
   
   
   

4. "Drops of Jupiter," Train

   To anyone who flies away to find themselves, and to the ones that they leave behind. This is for you.
   
   
   
   
   

5. "505," Arctic Monkeys

   Not necessarily a "flight" song, but I'd always imagined this song to describe James Bond flying out to meet a dangerous lover of some clandestine love affair, in a secret paradise, with a surprise (*wink, wink*). On that note: Why haven't they been commissioned to do a Bond theme?

   The middle of adventure, such a perfect place to start

   
   

6. "Take Me Somewhere Nice," Mogwai

   Just. Listen.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. "Paris (Aeroplane Remix)," Friendly Fires (feat. Au Revoir Simone)

   No real reason. Just feels nice.
   
   
   
   

8. "Cry, Die, Fly," Drew ofthe Drew

   Recommended by a friend from Berklee College of Music, because they went to there together. This said friend linked this to me once when I first started learning the bass, because Drew ofthe Drew (that is right: forget the space) is one bad bassist. Also, their vocalist, Joanna Teters, has got some pipes on her, doesn't she? Bass: check. Vocals: check. Two birds, one act. Sold.
   
   I have listened to this on flights. I have to warn you: it's not easy to pretend that you don't want to sing along or play air-bass (or banjo, if you prefer) with all those people watching.
   
   
   
   

9.  "I Gotta Be More (Take Me Higher)," Al Green

   Again, not much of a reason here, except that I remember listening to Al Green on a relatively long flight once, and this is one that stuck.
   
   
   
   

10. "Curbside Prophet," Jason Mraz

    Just waiting for my rocket to come. Ties in with investing in experience (such as travel) more than your checking account, "because it all amounts to nothing in the end."
    
    

    
    

11. "Heaven," Bitter:Sweet

    Bitter:Sweet is an LA-based electronic/trip-hop band, whom I appreciate immensely because of Shanna Halligan's wispy vocals, and Kiran Shahani's penchant for Latin beats. This one's got a sticky samba groove, which all-in-all reminds of cocktail martinis and 1960s flight attendants.
    
    
    
    

12. "XO," Beyonce

    It is an interesting thing to that there was a bit of controversy around this track, when they used that little sample in the beginning of the song. It just happens to be the last spoken words that were recorded just before the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up into pieces.
    
    To me, it means flying in the dark, towards the light of a beloved place, or a lover's face. 

     

BONUS TRACK:

"I Want You," Erykah Badu

Perhaps this belongs in the to-be MOMOL Playlist that I will, of course, be putting together (or shorten, because there is a loooooong list) but I am putting this on here because this song reminds me of my first kiss. It was the height of summer, and happened right before I hopped on a flight to Bohol. Incidentally, I had just downloaded Erykah Badu's Worldwide Underground album, and this was the first song that came on. I had it on loop the whole flight, the whole weekend, and the whole month after. I still love it today, and is one of my go-tos for when I start to feel the butterflies.

What do you listen to when you're flying?