Let This Be My Annual Reminder That We Can All Be Something Bigger

Well, faithful readers, it's Fourth of July weekend, and a long weekend at that.  Always a bonus when the Fourth falls on a Monday (and when you don't have to work any of the three days).  I've been told recently that my tastes in music are a little too serious and sad and dour.  Today I've decided to change that up a bit, with a patriotic mix celebrating everything that makes July 4th great.  And no invites to all of you British artists - just for today, The Cuddle is declaring its independence from the likes of Costello, Bragg, Hitchcock, and Bowie.  We're bleeding red, white, and blue (and not in the form of the Union Jack, either... although Billy Bragg's "Take Down the Union Jack" would be appropriate here, we're going to stick to our guns!)

The 2011 Ideological Cuddle Independence Day Setlist:

1. Pixies - "The Holiday Song" - from Come On Pilgrim - We don't have to work, so it must be a holiday (or we're unemployed).  Pixies start us off with some of their trademark noise.
2. The Hold Steady - "Constructive Summer" - from Stay Positive - It would be nice to have a constructive summer, but if that doesn't work out, we've always got booze and great friends (two things that we're lucky to have in spades here at The Cuddle).
3. Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett - "Summerteeth (Live)" - A beautiful acoustic take on one of the standout tracks from Wilco's album of the same name, taken from a terrific soundboard bootleg recorded in the summer of 1999.  Not quite sure what Summerteeth are, but they sound appropriate.
4. Josh Ritter - "Snow is Gone (Live)" - from The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, 2/15/07 - The snow better be gone by July 4th.  Josh Ritter's rousing, singable anthem from 2003's Hello Starling (whose title is taken from the song) gets you up and dancing - like the crowd at Asbury Hall on July 7th - where Ritter will be performing.  You know that we'll be there.
5. Queens of the Stone Age - "Feel Good Hit of the Summer (Live)" - from Amsterdam, 2002 - Well, once the party gets rolling, it might get out of hand, and Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri are the perfect dudes to set the (eight) ball rolling.  Basically a list of the band's favorite drugs with a smattering of awesome guitar, the song might not be a feel good hit for everyone.
6. Tom Waits - "Come on Up To The House" -  from Mule Variations - Such a nice welcome by our old friend, Tom.  If Waits were throwing a 4th party, I'd sure like to be there, but it would most certainly be a strange affair.  I've been listening to a lot of Waits lately, and it wasn't easy to find a tune that would fit this setlist and not be "a grand weeper" or "a grim reaper" as his songs have been categorized.
7. Ryan Adams - "Firecracker (Live)" - live from Vega, 11/20/02 - Gotta have fireworks for an Independence Day party.
8. Ryan Adams - "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) (Live)" - from Austin City Limits, 2002 - And, inevitably, the kids are going to get out of hand and end up drunk, or high, or both.  This song encapsulates all of the folly of youth pretty perfectly.
9. Sonic Youth - "Teenage Riot" - from Daydream Nation - Once the kids are high and drunk, expect a riot.  Not to be confused with "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry (as someone so stupidly did recently... oops).  Sonic Youth represent all that is great about 80s underground rock (and I already posted Husker Du stuff a couple posts ago).  This track is legendary.
10. The Black Crowes - "She Gave Good Sunflower (Live)" - live from The Filmore West, 8/10/05 - I'll leave it to you guys to figure out what this song is about (it's the Black Crowes, take a wild guess).  Either way, an excellent summer anthem to keep the party going.  God bless The Black Crowes (and please come back for another reunion tour, we miss you already).
11. She & Him - "Bring It On Home To Me (Live)" - From KCRW, 2008 - Where there's partying, there's lovin'.  She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward for the uninitiated) do the late, great Sam Cooke proud on their version of his 1962 classic.  Just a perfect, rolling, summer song.
12. Television - "Marquee Moon" - from Marquee Moon - The moon is out, we're waiting for fireworks, and the opening guitar line of this post-punk classic kicks in.  Angular, addictive, and insistent, "Marquee Moon" is the finest statement the band ever pronounced.  It's an American classic.
13. Talking Heads - "Heaven (Live)" - from The Starlight Ballroom, Los Angeles, 1979 - "Everyone is trying to get to the bar/and the name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven" - a beautiful couplet from the masters of art rock.  David Byrne and company have tons of amazing songs.  This one is clearly one of my favorites (especially the duet version between Byrne and Tina Weymouth from the Stop Making Sense concert film).
14. Sam Cooke - "A Change Is Gonna Come" - from Ain't That Good News - From the best soul singer ever, comes his most stirring anthem.  To remind us all that it takes great sacrifice to make great change, but we can all make it happen.  The song was the b-side to "Shake" and was released posthumously a short 10 days after Cooke was tragically shot under mysterious circumstances.  The song went on to be a civil rights anthem and was used in the Obama campaign as well.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July, surrounded by friends, family, and celebration.  Remember to take some great music with you, wherever you are picnicking or grilling... and listen.