Riding On Roadways' Theme Songs!

Now that that big peice of work on Rainier Ave is out the door, let's try something a little different, shall we? Here are two songs that get pretty heavy rotation at la Casa di Oil. Hope you enjoy them!

Cars, by the Desperate Bicycles (really! would I make a name like that up?)

this is actually the cover of the band's second single, "Cars" is featured on their third.

It's London, 1977. Inspired by the Buzzcocks self-released first single some punks started a band and kinda invented DIY music. Couple years into it they record "Cars." 30 years later, the future Lady Oil sets the track up as the ringtone whenever her new boyfriend calls. Since, like the song, he's always going on and on about only two subjects "I Hate Cars," and "I Love Bikes!"

This song speaks to me, clearly. It says: I know the world thinks all this driving business is a-okay, but the world is wrong. Cars rule the landscape and that causes all measure of death and unhappiness.

"I hate cars! Enemy cars! Washing up in your metal box, you might as well be from Mars! I hate cars! Killer Cars! Kills more people than any disease watch out or they'll strike you dead!"

Luckily there is hope. The person with the eyes to see the depressing state we are in can take comfort that at least the world does contain bikes. The song switches on a dime,

"I love bikes! Beautiful bikes. Clean and lovely and...something, something...in the end they've just gotta be right!"

Great song. Wish I knew the lyrics. Here it is used in a Chicago Critical Mass video from a couple of years ago. Looks like a nice ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Y6R6lhbUo

Utopian Futures, by Tin Tree Factory

gosh, this is a good band! click on the cover to download all their stuff from Archive.org, for free!

I have loved this song since I first heard it on "Dream Warriors," it helps that I know the band and they are righteous, wonderful folks. Two of them played at our wedding!

In "Utopian Futures," I hear: that a better world is being built within the wreckage of the old... that hope is possible and a that being dissatisfied with how the world is now can be a healthy motivator to build the world you seek to live in... that we don't need to wait for political revolution, we are the revolution when we dream it together... mmm, just imagine this:

"There's nobody living by the clock And every door is left unlocked 'cause property died all alone and capitalism lost its home There's plenty of fresh air here in town And plants are growing on the cars And all of the streets are used for dancing And at night you see all the stars"

and aren't you excited to live:

"Here where we share all that we've won Here where we grieve for what is lost Here where the children grow with names they chose and genders all their own"

The incredible Kimya Dawson closes her most recent album, "Thunderthighs," with a touching cover of, "Utopian Futures." It's not the only song from that album I've put on repeat and cried to, thinking about the future and Little Oil's journey into it.

Here's a video of the Olympia Free Choir singing their blessed hearts out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UMLIFxH2R8

Happy Listening, Nice People!