Grad School Playlist: Year One I was inspired by Rachel and later Carrie and Caitlin to post my grad school playlist. Since I'm a big fan of the album format, I focus on albums rather than songs. It's roughly chronological.

Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple
You may know it from: My ranting and raving about how fantastic it is.
Favorite songs: "Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)", "Not About Love"
Favorite moment: Apple's punctuated, biting delivery during the drastic tempo change in "Not About Love"

This is the only genuinely new album on this list. This was definitely my favorite album first semester. Every time I listen to it I find new evidence of Apple's ingenuity. Equal parts beautiful and clever.


Tidal, Fiona Apple
You may know it from: "Criminal," Apple's breakout single
Favorite songs: "Sleep to Dream," "Carrion"
Favorite moment: The thunderous drums at the opening of "Sleep to Dream"

This is the ultimate break-up album. It passes through all the necessary phases: anger ("Sleep to Dream"), depression ("Sullen Girl"), and ultimately closure ("Carrion"). These songs guided me through a really depressing winter. I really like how "Carrion" starts mellow but builds to something really powerful by the end. It's like Apple rediscovered her stentorian voice. I was listening to it when I realized everything was going to be alright.


The Beatles (The White Album), The Beatles
You may know it from: Uh...The Beatles?
Favorite songs: "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "Rocky Raccoon"
Favorite moment: The "Shoot, shoot, bang, bang"s at the end of "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

Second semester was a total British Invasion for me. A lot of Beatles songs came my way but the White Album takes the cake.


Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Live), David Bowie
You may know it from: "Space Oddity," the tragic story of Major Tom
Favorite songs: "Moonage Daydream", the "Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud/All the Young Dudes/Oh! You Pretty Things" medley
Favorite moment: Bowie surprises audience and band alike by publicly breaking up the band before the final song -- because that's what Ziggy did!

Ziggy-era Bowie blows my mind! This live album is fantastic, both because it offers that vital energy that is absent in the pristine studio recordings, and because it covers all the necessary bases - drawing on material from Bowie's three greatest Rock & Roll achievements: Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Aladdin Sane.


Midnite Vultures, Beck
You may know it from: "Debra" and her sister Jenny from JCPenney
Favorite songs: "Nicotine & Gravy", "Mixed Bizniz"
Favorite moment: Beck pulls out all the stops on "Broken Train" - coming on strong with "Tell me, what's your zip code baby?" and purring "Did you ever let a cowboy sit on your lap?"

I bet Beck gets all the hot chicks. That's why I decided to take this page from his book. Fresh pack of gum at the ready, I'm prepared to take on the dating world. Seriously though, this album is the craziest, funnest album I own. Hands down. 2:44 PM