One-Mind Tracks: Musical Tour of the U.S.

In celebration of the 4th of July, this blog and the One-Mind Tracks radio show are going on a musical tour of the U.S.A. I mean, the blog will stay where it is, but the songs will provide musical journey (or something cheezy like that).

America by Simon and Garfunkel
I figured we should open with an overview. Simon and Garfunkel describe a trip across the U.S., hitchhiking and riding a Greyhound bus.

Boston by Augustana
Augustana's most popular song from 2005 makes reference to Boston, Massachusetts.

New York City by They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants provided this cover of a gorgeous Cub song that is a love song about two people as well as a love song to New York, New York.

Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John
Elton John suggested the title "Philadelphia Freedom" to his lyricist Bernie Taupin after John became friends with tennis coach Billie Jean King. The lyrics of the song, however, were more inspired by the bicentennial, and the music attributed to the "Philadelphia sound" such as The Delphonics and The Spinners.

Florida by Push Kings
A band originally from Boston sing this fun tune about Florida.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence
Over to Georgia for this dark tune about the hanging of an innocent man by Californian Vicki Lawrence.

Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
John Denver played a show with Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff who had written a song they were going to try to get Johnny Cash to sing. They decided to let Denver hear it, thankfully for both West Virginia and Denver himself.

My City Was Gone by The Pretenders
Chrissie Hynde laments about the Akron, Ohio that changed in her absence.

Chicago by Sufjan Stevens
Over to Illinois for this sweet track by Sufjan Stevens.

Kentucky Woman by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond wrote this track about the groupies at a Kentucky show.

Graceland by Paul Simon
The title track off of Paul Simon's 1986 album explores Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, which Simon visited after his separation from wife Carrie Fisher.

Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn
Still in Tennessee, Marc Cohn sings about his trip to Memphis as well as Graceland.

Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd
A band from Florida sings the praises of Alabama.

House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
The most popular version of an old blues track by a British band references New Orleans, Louisiana's unfortunate patronage.

Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry
Katy Perry sings a song of Las Vegas, Nevada where anything can happen and you must just accept it as fate.

California by Phantom Planet
A tale of returning to California which is credited in part to Al Jolson, who sang a song called "California, Here I Come" (although he is only a co-author of the song).

Walking in L.A. by Missing Persons
Nobody walks in Los Angeles, California.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose? by Dionne Warwick
Catchy tune about finding (or not finding) success in California.

Oregon Girl by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
In the vein of "California Girls," "Oregon Girl" sings the praises of women from Oregon.

Hello Seattle by Owl City
Despite being from Minnesota, Adam Young has said he considers this song about Seattle, Washington to be a track most representative of the type of music he wants to make.

Private Idaho by The B-52's
In this track, Idaho is code for paranoia.

Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys
To close much the way we started, here's another overview of the U.S. by The Beach Boys.




Any More? I'd love to hear them.

And if you live in the area of Marion, Ohio, be sure to catch most of this playlist Thursday night at 7 on One-Mind Tracks on 97.5 WDIF.

Seasonal Music Roundup: Summer Songs

It's just over a week into summer and the temperature in my area has already shot above one-hundred degrees. I'm not sure how much of a damper this will put on the ability to frolic this year, but it's certainly a good indicator that the season is upon us. I am an irresponsible blog-runner in that I have not yet given you an awesome playlist of recommended songs for the summer. Bad me. But now (a week late, I know), I have risen to the occasion and would like to present you with a summer playlist. Not all of these songs have to do with summer directly, many were just chosen for mood they seem to convey or the tempo (explanations after the image).

"All Summer" by Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Rostam of Vampire Weekend
This track was released for free a couple of years ago to promote Converse shoes. It's still available on the website, and I happen to think it's a solid song.

"Wild Young Hearts" by Noisettes
With a similar feel and energy to that of "All Summer," "Wild Young Hearts" is a great tune for jumping around in the sunniest season.

"Summer Day" by Coconut Records (featuring Kirsten Dunst)
Much more down-tempo, this song is better to listen to whilst lazing about drinking lemonade and whining about how hot it is.

"Weather With You" by Crowded House
Crowded House tends to have a spring/summer sound to them, but this song definitely feels summery to me. The song is about creating your own mood or "weather," so I suppose it suits whatever season you want it to.

"Summer Trippin'" by Push Kings
The all-but-vanished 90s band Push Kings are survived by Carrick Moore Gerety's more recent band Everybody Else, but should not be forgotten. I feel like this particular song has a lot in common with Crowded House, and has all the fun of a 90s pop song without the pain of being a typical 90s pop song.

"Oregon Girl" by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
A play on 60s surf songs like "California Girls," "Oregon Girl" is a great summery song for those who know that there are also attractive girls in states apart from California.

"Afternoons With David Hockney" by Miniature Tigers
This is a track from Miniature Tigers' latest album. I picked this song as more of a mood song. It has a floating, lazy feel to it that I think suits a summer playlist.

"Super Sunshine" by Tom Milsom
Talented multi-instrumentalist and Youtuber Tom Milsom presented this track on the first of his Explorers albums. It's a fun and intricate piece that can be purchased here.

"Run" by Ben Kweller
Ignoring the obvious grammatical errors, this is really a good tune. The feel of freedom and ease lends itself well to a summer playlist.

"Bloodshot Days" by The Crookes
This is a rather sad song, but I still feel like the instrumentals fit the playlist. I guess we just have to assume that summer isn't all pleasant frolicking.

"King's Highway" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
A far more optimistic song than its predecessor, this song always makes me feel hopeful.

"Be Born" by Tally Hall
I chose this pleasantly lazy song about an unborn child because it's a perfect melody for a summer day whether you catch the meaning or not.

"Sunshine, Lollipops, And Rainbows" by Lesley Gore 
By an artist who could truly convey the innocence and happiness of young love, this is a tune that can make you very happy and optimistic if you let it.

"All Summer Long" by The Beach Boys
Like them or not, The Beach Boys sure do go hand-in-hand with summer.

"Sunny Girlfriend" by The Monkees
Michael Nesmith sings of a manic-pixie-dream-girl in a song that is pleasant and upbeat.

"Holiday" by Vampire Weekend

The oft-used-in-commercials "Holiday," like many Vampire Weekend songs, is great for warm weather. The video is quite nice too:

"Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks

The moods of the lyrics and music match up perfectly in this tale of a lazy day in the life of a man who finds himself recently unentangled.

"Good Day Sunshine" by The Beatles

The Beatles sing about sunshine from time to time, but the effect is never as unapologetically optimistic as in "Good Day Sunshine."

"The Summer" by Coconut Records

Jason Schwartzman presents another fun summer song. Really, most Coconut Records songs are reminiscent of summer, but this one is blatant about it.

"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
I close this playlist with another track from the most summer-centric band of all time.


Other suggestions? Drop me a comment.