“Doctor’s Office Waiting Room”

Follow ChargerBulletin on Spotify

This week’s playlist strikes a nice balance between melancholic and upbeat pieces, perfect for waiting for something. I chose the doctor’s office because no one really likes being there and these songs just fit the mood: a little bit sad, but trying to remain optimistic. Unlike my other playlists, I would recommend listening to this one in order because its intensity rises and falls as it goes on.

Tom Waits is a very polarizing artist. Most people dislike his harsh growl of a singing voice, but his earlier jazz works are a little bit easier on the masses’ ears. “Christmas Card…” is one of those old “tell a story” songs. In the piece, Waits plays the character of a working girl who got incarcerated (or is at least reading her words). Throughout the piece the character is telling “Charlie” (the person the Christmas Card is addressed to) how wonderfully she is doing, raving about her new husband, but then, right in the last verse, she confesses all of her earlier words were merely a façade. She actually just wanted to ask Charlie for money because she would be eligible for parole on Valentine’s Day. It is Waits’ clever storytelling that sets this piece apart from others of a similar style.

“The Dreamer” by the Tallest Man on Earth is also featured. As an audio-engineering student, this song drives me crazy because it distorts all over the place (and not in a good or deliberate way), but as a fan of music this piece is wonderful. It’s a measly four chords played over and over on an electric guitar, but this serves as the perfect support for the gorgeous lyrics that Kristian Matsson has come up with. Pair that with his harsh, raspy (borderline caterwaul) of a voice and the listener is easily wracked with emotion.

Cake is also a group that people either love or hate, but for different reasons. I’ve heard them lumped in this odd category called “nerd-rock” with acts such as Ben Folds Five and Weezer. This can most likely be attributed to their quirky lyrics on unusual subject matter, and the way the vocalist delivers his lyrics: dry and pretty close to monotone. They’re definitely not like any other band that I’ve heard. “Stickshifts and Safteybelts,” the piece that I included in this week’s playlist, is certainly no exception. The song is incredibly short, just over two minutes, and elegant in its simplicity (shuffled snare drum, rockabilly-esque guitar and bass lines). The whole premise of the song is that the driver wants his “baby” closer to him while they’re driving, and it’s executed in a way that is just fun to listen to. A song that is easy to listen to and is a great way to cheer up the end of the playlist.