Itâs that time again: JOYRIDE #2 is out in the world and along with it, your required listening. Below, a few liner notes to inform the connections, inspirations, and general music snobbery behind the scenes on JOYRIDE. But beware: SPOILERS AHEAD.
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TRACK #1:Â âEdelweissâ by Rogers and Hammerstein
Or at least the Man In The High Castle version, because weâre getting super fascist right out the gate. In the calm darkness of that crappy planet we just left, you all get to meet Jorn Abderezai. No lie, I listened to this track exclusively, on loop, for hours while writing this page. Maybe a more sinister track wouldâve been appropriate, but thereâs more in Jornâs heart than hate. Someday, youâll see it. But for now, just look in those determined eyes and listen to the calm piano. That pit in your stomach? Thatâs fear.
TRACK #2:Â âThe Only Placeâ by Best Coast
WELCOME TO SPACE YOU GUYS! To celebrate, letâs hear what is undoubtedly the theme song to JOYRIDE as a project since day one. This was the first song on the first playlist on the first writing session for Joyride. This song is responsible for Uma. I listen to it before I sit down to write any issue of this book - though I certainly replace words like âwavesâ with âstarsâ and âbabesâ with âdope tentacle alien bros.â
TRACK #3:Â âReal Thingâ by tUnE-yArDs
Equally apt soundtrack for running away from weird bug space cops and for talking through becoming the real you. Who will the Joyriders become out here in the crazy technicolor depths of space? Certainly not who they thought they WOULD become. Discovering their true selves is, in many ways, the true joy of writing this story.
TRACK #4:Â âI Know Thereâs Gonna Be Good Timesâ by Jamie xx, Young Thug, Popcaan
Because if there are strip clubs in space, they definitely play Young Thug and The xx. And because pretty much every issue of Joyride has a dance break, nowâs your chance to get up for a sec and shake that stellar booty. Just imagine youâre that fun orbital rings thing in the bottom right corner and that sloth gentleman is cheering you on.
TRACK #5:Â âBe Quiet, Mt. Heart Attackâ by Liars
Welcome to Catrinâs head. It is⌠not a fun place to be. Stay tuned for more on that in JOYRIDE #3.
TRACK #6:Â âPondâ by Spraynard
A pair as emo as Catrin and Dewydd deserve some equally emo lyrics. But see, hereâs the thing: when thereâs more than one of you being emo, itâs a lot easier to find the smile at the bottom of the barrel. Thereâs always something - or someone, or some seriously stupid outfit - thatâs gonna make you feel alive.
TRACK #7: âKlapp Klappâ by Little Dragon
Yukimi Nagano is basically Umaâs avatar on Earth, so I needed to get a track on here while Uma understands her first Big Space Concept - and decides exactly what sheâs gonna do about it. Which is nothing good.
TRACK #8:Â âSet Me Freeâ by Robin & La Bagatelle
Sometimes you just gotta set a crazy crystal-egg-space-god free to get some space cops dancing. You know how it goes. Also, this is your dance break #2. TAKE ADVANTAGE DONâT MAKE ME COME OVER THERE AND DANCE SHAME YOU
TRACK #9:Â âBrown Cowâ by Michael Stasis
No deeper meaning, I just love this as space chase music. Uma is blasting this during the chase. You can go ahead and make that canon.
TRACK #10:Â âDonât Look Backâ by The Remains
This one is, uh, pretty self-explainatory. Collin insisted it make the playlist, even though Iâm trying to keep these exceedingly modern. I didnât even argue. Sometimes a song inspires an entire issue - this one definitely owns JOYRIDE #2. Thus the title. Duh.
TRACK #11 - BONUS TRACK! -Â âShoot The Moonâ by B Random
So this oneâs a weird little story. Collin and I are friends with Brandon, the singer in B Random and former American Idol superstar. Somehow, he was unaware of the plot of Joyride - and we were unaware of the song he dropped last month that was literally the plot of Joyride. Like, this wouldâve made the #1 playlist FOR CERTAIN - so here it is, so you can share in the exceedingly strange coincidence that is two different artistic teams in two different mediums telling stories about leaving for the moon cause Earth sucks so much.
AND THATâS IT FOR THIS MONTH. A bit shorter this month, but every playlist will play by its own rules. Hope you enjoyed this one - and let me know if this issue brought to mind any songs for you!