By Collin Kornfeind
Ah, it’s a great day to be free! Our campus’ collective post-debate return to Long Island obscurity has taken full effect (and happened quicker than I could ever imagine). Now we are back to being the same ol’ Hofstra. And it’s great!
No longer are we overshadowed by media vampires, hippies playing guitars next to the Student Center, political mumbo-jumbo, Secret Service men eye-raping us on the unispan, and the endless partisan nonsense. I’m sorry if I offend anyone, but do people really think they can change the minds of the voting public by wearing an Obama button or a McCain t-shirt and jumping in the background of Chris Matthews’ barking to some no-name pundit? Is this support for the candidate? Really?
Without diving into the pointless past few weeks, I believe The University has safely returned to being who we really are: an obscure private university that most non-Islanders have never heard of, which is filled with way too many cliques, clubs, and Greeks than you can shake a stick at in Dizzy Lizard’s on a Thursday night. Ah, to be free again!
So, this week’s “Prudent Playlist” will focus on songs about happy freedom with a tinge of postpartum depression after the rape-spawned birth of our quickly-forgotten political debate. Come on, get happy!
“Dreaming of You,” The Coral A happy, ska-infused diddy about longing in blissful solitude, loving a person, yet being happy to be away from them. It’s good to be alone again, Hofstra!
“Graycoated Morning,” David & the Citizens Off their album, “Until the Sadness Is Gone”, this may be one of my favorite happy-sad songs ever. “You watch the sun make another lap/Then fall into this gap/Of nothingness.”
“All My Friends,” LCD Soundsystem – With Halloween upon us (and leaving fast), it’s time to go out with friends, be a hot mess, and truly forget about politics. Although this song is only one continuous chord, it’s concocted into seven minutes of amp, preparing you to strut out and eventually stumble home.
“Let’s Push Things Forward,” The Streets Underground British hip hop never sounded so good. Is Mike Skinner talking about music or the human condition? “They say that everything sounds the same/Then you go buy them/There’s excuses my friend/Let’s push things forward…This isn’t a track, it’s a movement/I got the settlement.”
“Life During Wartime,” Talking Heads I have a soft spot for David Byrne and, in particular, this catchy ’80s song. Since we live in a life of wartime remember? The war? I know we all feel that. “This ain’t no party/This ain’t no disco/This ain’t no foolin’ around/No time for dancin’/Or lovey-dovey/I ain’t got time for that now!”
“There She Goes, My Beautiful World,” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Another bouncy song about the happiness of letting your world walk out on you done by everyone’s favorite post-Elvis Aussie rocker. Oh, it’s so apropos!
“Leak It Out,” eMC. This playlist needs some more good hip hop and here it is with some pro-Obama love.
“My Old Ways,” Dr. Dog. This Philadelphia-based band knows how to make the old message of the importance of history sound progressive and poppy. “I don’t ever want to go back to old ways/Cheatin’ and creepin’ around/Leavin’ the dead underground.”
“Welfare Bread,” King Khan & The Shrines. Man, at this point, if you aren’t dancing around the room, this’ll put you over the edge. King Khan is a great party band with “Welfare Bread” sounding reminiscent of early Bee Gees or Sly & the Family Stone. Party on.
“Death of the Life of the Party,” Drag The River. It’s a little bit country, a little bit blues, and a lot of barroom in this song. I say it a lot, but I believe our two-party system needs to die a miserable death and that’s why I’m choosing this song to wrap up this happy list. We need more variety to create more accountability. “Democrat” and “Republican” no longer mean what they used to and we can’t have a successful democracy with two heads of the same beast. “Let’s bow our heads/And say a prayer/For the death of life of the party.”
All these songs are available to listen for free over at The Hype Machine (www.hypem.com). Keep your ears and minds open, Hofstra.