I’ve put together a playlist for my novel Strictly Analog–songs that would either fit the mood of some of the scenes or that go along with the story. I’ve linked the tracks to other cites where you can listen (mostly YouTube). Think of it as the soundtrack for the book:
1. Charles Mingus. “II B.S./Haitian Fight Song“–a great jazz instrumental that fits the gritty tone of Tex Lomax’s narrative as well as the gritty feeling of the city.
2. Tom Waits. “Lie to Me.” A lot of people lie to Ted, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He lives for this sort of thing. Occasionally, he tells a few lies himself.
3. Adam and His Nuclear Rockets. “Call Shout Scream.” There’s a scene where Ted is listening to Morrocabilly music–Arabic rockabilly. I haven’t been able to find any such animal, but this is a great example of Croatian Rockabilly. A good substitute.
4. The Electric Prunes. “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night.” In the nightclub scene, I expect there would be a whole variety of music, probably some techno. Even so, this song, definitely not techno, does a pretty good job of capturing the psychedelic mood of the futuristic version of altering one’s reality.
5. Hank Williams. “Ramblin Man.” Williams’ eerie, haunting song captures nicely the sort of guy who lives on the fringes and turns his back on societal norms–a guy like Ted Lomax or the hacker fringe dwellers he finds himself dealing with.
6. Billy Bragg & Wilco. “California Stars.” It is a California novel, after all, and this song with lyrics by Woody Guthrie nicely captures the other side of the California dream–the sort of dream that never quite comes true, a dream of longing and safety that’s just out of reach. Nicely captures some the unspoken things about the main character and the people he runs with.
7. Eddie and the Showmen. “Squad Car.” Even though there’s nothing related to surf culture in the book, this song still fits–reminiscent both of car chases and run-ins with the authorities, both of which do happen in the book.
8. Blackstrap Molasses. “The Only One That Can Keep Me Warm.” Yeah, there’s a bit of a love story brewing under the surface throughout this book. I think this song fits it.
9. Sons and Daughters. “Awkward Duet.” There are a lot of awkward moments of interplay between characters–between Ted and Philly, Ted and Sonny, Ted and Amy, Ted and Miles. Hey! They all involve Ted. This could fit many of those moments.
10. Los Lobos. “Arizona Skies.” If you think of the book as a movie, this would be the perfect music for the closing credits and the moments leading up to them.
Thanks for reading and listening. If you haven’t read the book, maybe this will pique your curiosity. And if you have read it, maybe you can think of other playlists or songs that would fit.
Richard Levesque 