I get obsessed with albums. Not singles. One reason why iTunes bums me out.
Some albums I get hooked on have strong connections to the place where I listen to them. Living in New York, these were a few albums that perfectly fit the City:
Turn on the Bright Lights (Interpol)
1969: Velvet Underground Live (Velvets!)
Exile on Main Street (Stones)
Let It Bleed (Stones)
Sketches of Spain (Miles Davis)
Any Lake Trout show (ok, not an album…)
Blueprint (Jay-Z)
So what albums fit the walks, drives and coffee shops of Capitol Hill and greater Seattle? Not necessarily local bands, but music that fits the vibe of the town. Here’s my start:
After the Gold Rush (Neil Young)
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (Spiritualized)
41 (Swell)
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Oracular Spectacular (MGMT)
A strange mix I guess. Is NYC the rock and Capitol Hill the roll? What would you add?
p.s. will give my second old copy of 41 to the first commenter who wants it…
I’m not seeing a single local band on there. I know you mentioned not necessarily local bands, but one or two might have rounded that out a bit.
maybe you could add one :) or two. James is (relatively) new in town.
He’s not Seattle, but Elliott Smith probably belongs on the list. I’ll take XO.
stevie ray’s cover of little wing. i listen to it everywhere i walk.
Albums are just a marketing construct (and have declined for 7 out of the last 8 years). It’s all about the single for me, and as such, here is my Capitol Hill 2008 sound track:
(1) Michelle Plays Ping Pong by Daisy Daisy (first heard on Electrobox, C89.5’s Friday night program)
(2) Murderers by John Frusciante (first heard on KEXP over a year ago, but didn’t start playing it heavily until this year)
(3) Angels Sound Like Bottle Rockets by Truckasaurus (local band!, saw ’em perform outside Grey Gallery a couple months go)
(4) Dressed to Digress by Boy Crisis (Brooklyn band, but they’d fit right in here)
(5) Vanished by Crystal Castles (Saw ’em at Chop Suey this year)
(6) GoodTime by Brazilian Girls (first heard on KEXP this year)
(7) Kiss Me Again by Jessica Lea Mayfield (KEXP song of the day blog, #703)
(8) Little Bit by Lykke Li (first heard on KEXP back in April)
(9) Mirando by Ratatat (first heard on KEXP around June, but had to leave caphill to see ’em at the Showbox in Octoberish)
(10) Ice Cream by Muscles (first heard on KEXP on a cold, dreary morning and it was an instant pick me up)
Can I just have the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack as my soundtrack? Just for today? Not local, I guess, but it’s fun and it’s been playing at Harvard Exit for like 8 months now . . .
Black Hole Sun (really the whole Singles soundtrack, right?)
Anything by Harvey Danger.
Modest Mouse: Moon/Antarctica
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
The whole album is great but if you start with Rainy Day you pretty much got yourself the best strollin’ music around, especially if its raining. Jimi rarely referenced his Seattle roots but I’m pretty sure this was a tribute to them.
Marketing construct? Dude! Read the story of Exile on Main Street — it’s practically a way of life! ;) Nice list though — don’t know most of those tracks, will go check ’em out.
3 albums have been my soundtrack as I walk to work for the last month
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Glasvegas – self titled
Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills
Boikej, I’ll totally take you up on the offer of the Swell/41 album. The review on Amazon makes it sound great.
For me, I’d add Stereolab (Jenny Ondoline) and Sleater-Kinney (Dig Me Out) and Gang of Four… all excellent music to walk to, and S-K was localish!
I have some sort of attachment to these albums and the hill, so they’re more personal choices. Mostly stuff I’ve been into in the past year too. I fell in love with Dear Science while eating at the Honey Hole, I love that they tend to play entire albums and not just a shuffle of tracks. It’s a great atmosphere to take in an album.
David Bowie – Low
Brian Eno – Another Green World
DJ Shadow – Endtroducing
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
No Age – Nouns
Panda Bear – Person Pinch
TV On The Radio – Dear Science
Portishead – Third
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Fleet Foxes – self titled
As you can see from this list, I spent my hey days here in the 90’s, and I think Capitol Hill is all about female vocals.
Juned – Every Night for You
PJ Harvey – Dry
Lush – Gala
Th’ Faith Healers – Lido
Tricky – Maxinquaye
Sonic Youth – Dirty
Sonic Youth – Goo
Portishead – Dummy
blue scholars – joe metro
botch – afghamistam
carissa’s weird – blankets stare
mazzy star – flowers in december
calexico – the book and the canal
mogwai – take me somewhere nice
four tet – slow jam
burial – broken home
I’ll second that! Since moving here, I’ve spent at least 3 solid months running around the hill to the beats of MIA.
Sea wolf – leaves in the river
andrew bird – noble beast (I know, I know…it isn’t out yet)
tindersticks – the hungry saw
bon iver
the middle east – sounds of the middle east
bonny “prince” billy – i see a darkness
gza/genius – liquid swords
…and various mixtapes. Oh que but!
You got it — I’ll reach you via your blog and set up a meet-up!