Hard Wired, my fourth book, came out last summer. As was the case with my first and third books — The Scar Boys and Life in a Fishbowl — a book tour was planned. (There was no book tour for my second book, Scar Girl, but that’s a story for another time.) I was to visit schools and bookstores in several parts of the country.
But then…
A pandemic.
A stay at home order.
A lock down.
No book tour. No school visits. No bookstore events. No airplane flights, hotel room nights, or angry bar fights. (I’ve never actually been in an angry bar fight, but lists of three work better than lists of two when telling a story, and I needed something that rhymed.)
And, importantly, no book tour playlist.
I made playlists for both The Scar Boys book tour and the Life in a Fishbowl book tour. The music kept me grounded while on the road, and creating and sharing those lists brought me back to the days of making cassette mix tapes, an art now largely lost.
While it’s too late to tour for Hard Wired (you don’t get to tour in support of books that have been out for books that have been out 9 months), I can still make a playlist, right? Right.
So, with great pleasure, I present you the Hard Wired Book Tour that Never Was, Playlist.
I started with a pandemic theme, but quickly went astray. In the end, I decided to do what I always do when making a mix — go with songs I like, songs that mean something to me (sometimes something only I know), and songs that still feel relevant, even if many of them are older. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
The List:
It’s the End of the World (R.E.M.) — Ok, sure, this is an obvious opening song for a world catastrophe mix. It works for pandemics, natural disasters, politics, and more. I also once got a speeding ticket going 65 in a 40, simply because I was grooving to this song while behind the wheel. (Plus, there’s that whole connection to Peter Buck thing…)
We Will Become Silhouettes (The Shins cover of the Postal Service song) — Another really good end of the world song, though this one is, I think, supposed to be about a nuclear holocaust.
I’m So Tired (Beatles) — Because, you know, I am. All the time. This, along with “Dear Prudence,” are two of my favorite John Lennon songs.
We Oughta Be Drinking (Sheryl Crow) — This became a go-to favorite of mine during the pandemic. It’s off of Sheryl Crow’s really excellent country album, Feels Like Home.
Must’ve Been Drunk (Merle Haggard) — Sometimes playlists need good segues, and this is one of them. Thanks to my friend Eileen Powers for introducing me to this song years ago.
Fri?end (Kate Nash) — I just love Kate Nash and this whole album (Girl Talk). This song is infectious, in a really good way.
I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will be Forever) (Stevie Wonder) — The soundtrack to High Fidelity is a top five all-time soundtrack. (See what I did there?) And this is one of my favorite songs from the film. Plus, you can never go wrong with Stevie Wonder.
My Stunning Mystery Companion (Jackson Browne) — Because Jackson Browne.
Shop with Books In (The Bookshop Band) — You would think this list would include Awake, the song The Bookshop Band wrote inspired by Hard Wired. As much as I love that song, I love this even one more. I can listen to it over and over again. (The video, linked from the song title, is really charming, too.) Plus, every book tour playlist — even for book tours that never happened — should include at least one song about books.
Yeah Yeah Oi Oi (Infant Sorrow) — Get Him to the Greek is a top ten all-time favorite film of mine. Part of the reason is the music. Just like Stillwater in Almost Famous, the music written for the fictitious band in HF, Infant Sorrow, is perfect.
Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) — It was, is, and will always be the perfect pop song. If you don’t sing along to this, go to urgent care and have them check for a pulse.
Pleasant Sounds (Jessica Seidel with Len Vlahos) — Yeah. I included one of my own songs. I know. Tacky. I’ve written hundreds of songs over the long course of my life, and this is one of the best. This simple, low tech recording of a guitar and vocal, featuring my friend Jess’s beautiful voice, just works. It’s something I’m proud of, and it makes me happy to hear it…I hope that’s okay. (The track is linked from the song title.)
Mary Mary (Run DMC) — A few years ago Kristen and I had the good fortune and great pleasure to meet Daryl McDaniel of Run DMC. Anyone who was alive in the 80s listened to and fell in love with Run DMC, the two of us included. This is probably my favorite track of theirs.
Running to Stand Still (U2) –– One of my favorite U2 songs off one of the best albums ever recorded, and another song I learned on the piano during the pandemic.
Oh Sweet Nuthin (Velvet Underground) — Another nice segue moment, and one of my favorite Velvet Underground songs. Wait. I think this was on the High Fidelity soundtrack, too! Wasn’t it?
Wetsuit (The Vaccines) — Of course I was going to include something from The Vaccines. I mean, duh.
Carry On (F.U.N.) — Since the first few songs on the playlist are about the end of the world, I thought I should end (as this pandemic seems to be ending) on a more hopeful note. These final four songs, staring with “Carry On,” make me feel like everything is going to be okay.
Toes (Zac Brown Band) –I love, love, love Zac Brown’s voice. And I love the message here… life is good today.
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (Noah and the Whale) — I bought this album at a record shop in London years ago. I asked the clerk to sell me records from really good bands that maybe weren’t as popular in the U.S. Among others, she handed me Last Night on Earth by Noah and the Whale. SUCH a good record.
Ray of Light (Madonna) — Wait. What? Len is ending his playlist with…Madonna? YES! The groove in this song is infectious, and I would argue the vocal — raw and stretched to the edge of her range — is Madonna’s all-time best. I’m not the biggest Madonna fan overall, but this is a great, great track, and a perfect ending to this mix. And yeah, way down there at the end of the tunnel, there is a ray of light. I just hope it’s not another train.