Downbeat.fm Vol. 5 Track 2

Mike Rastiello

11 Mar 2024 — 2 min read

Do you ever hear a song and get instantly transported in time? I have a handful of songs like that, and the big ones are all from when I was 14-16 or so. That’s the time in life when you are trying to figure out who you are. Maybe you still are trying to figure that out. But for me, nothing has been as eye-opening and transformative for me as music.

I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like... Books, records, films—these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the fuckin' truth - Rob Gordon, High Fidelity

Good books, movies, and music make us think, transport us, and, most importantly, challenge us. My favorite time for music was the '90s, there was so much happening in music then, and I couldn't get it into my ears fast enough.

One of my all-time favorite songs is Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) by the Deftones. The song and the video have been burned into my brain for 27 years. I can't hear this song and not think of myself as a 16-year-old kid hearing it for the first time. Headbanging along with my friends, recording a clip of as my outgoing answering machine message, and watching 15-second clips of the music video online using Real Player because that's all our slow-ass internet speeds could handle. This was almost a decade before YouTube would be a thing.

What songs transport you in time?

February's Playlist

This month’s playlist features Parquet Courts, Jim James, Pavement, Sidney Gish, Destroy Boys, Palomino Blond, Marcy Playground, and more!

Listen to this month’s playlist on

Apple Music

Spotify

Quick Listening and Other Links

I was a huge fan of the new Billy Joel song, and when I saw the video, it blew me away again.

Legendary New Jersey music venue The Stone Pony celebrated its 50th anniversary in early February. I still have not seen a show at this venue. I need to remedy that.

A screenshot of Tracy Chapman performing at the Grammys.

Tracy Chapman played her amazing song "Fast Car" at the Grammys this year and got a (much deserved) wonderful welcome from the crowd. That country guy was there too, but meh.

A screenshot of a text thread that shows a headline "Despite fears of a 'fourth wave' scientists express hope for the future" and the person who sent it asked if it was about ska. — We can only hope.

Why Does Twitter Think That Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’ Is About ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton? Now, this is a conspiracy theory I can get behind.