For those of you who like to read with music, or just need musical accompaniment in their lives, here’s my Monkey Around “Soundtrack.” I don’t listen to music when I write (I need the quiet in my head to hear the rhythm and music of the language) but I thought it would be fun to “match” scenes or sequences with songs. Scroll down below the embed for “liner notes” explaining each song.
Liner notes:
- Goh Nakamura’s “Somewhere” is one of my favorite songs from this Bay Area singer/songwriter and active member of Maya’s (and my) arts community. “Somewhere” to me is an invocation of imagination and storytime and magic, and the perfect song to open such a story on.
- Scrabbel is another member of our arts community and a terrific Asian American band. “California Plates'” reference to unstable ground and shifting tectonic plates is a very Bay Area moment, and also a great analogy for an inciting incident in this city/region.
- Navicula’s “Harimau! Harimau!” is the story of an Indonesian tiger, and also a slightly sad comment on a weretiger’s death so far away from home.
- A Grain of Sand is widely considered the first Asian American pop album and “We Are the Children” is its most famous track. Chris, Nobuko, and Charlie created our community’s first hippie protest song, and I like to think that Monkey Around exists in the same tradition. I also like to think it helped inspire the creation of Inscrutable: Asian by Occident.
- “Eye of the Tiger” is one of Maya’s favorite songs from childhood, which is why she had the ringtone kicking around in her phone, waiting for the perfect person to apply it to (Tez.)
- If Chucha were to pick her own theme song, it would undoubtedly be “Soy Yo”.
- If Asian America were to pick Chucha’s theme song, it would be Fanny’s “Hey Bulldog.” (Fanny is the first Asian American-woman-led rock band, if not the first Asian American-led rock band entirely.)
- The song “Grant Avenue” from the first Broadway musical about Asian America, Flower Drum Song, is problematic, as is the entire play. Especially the line about “the girl” being a “tasty dish,” as well as the bit about “being in Hong Kong” when you’re in Chinatown. *Cringe* But it’s the perfect accompaniment for the scene with the weretigers in their tchotchke shop on Grant Ave.
- “Twentieth Century Fox” is sung about a sexy woman, and that’s also appropriate as a ringtone for Todd.
- “Double Fisted” by Asian American-ish local band The Invisible Cities (also part of Maya’s and my community) is the ultimate drinking song, IMHO, especially as a relationship is also hinted at.
- The real Todd, music editor of Hyphen magazine (the model for Inscrutable) has declared, on the record, “Bizarre Love Triangle” the Asian American national anthem. Played by Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele maestro and other model for Todd Wakahisa, makes this the perfect soundtrack song for Todd’s flirtation at the bar with Maya.
- The next two songs, from Asian Crisis and Maneesh the Twister, along with the Jake Shimabukuro, Scrabbel, and Invisible Cities tracks, are to give you a vague idea of what Todd’s band, Cerberus, might sound like, given the mix of instruments and styles Cerberus mashes up.
- “Aaje Tumhe Yaad Kiya” although I have no idea what it means, is also poor Aahil’s theme song.
- “Nagual.” That’s the note.
- “Cough Syrup” is Tez’s lament. Also, sung by an Asian American!
- “blue and borderlined” by Cynthia Lin, another wonderful Asian American artist in our community, is the song for Tez and Maya dreaming about running away and traveling around the world.
- “Sweet Disposition” is Tez and Maya’s moment song. Also sung by a diasporic Asian!
- The classic “Ooh Child” is Maya’s ring tone for Ayo, because it’s Ayo’s favorite song. Also what Maya wants to say to Tez, but is too Maya to do.
- I’ve taken some liberties with the meaning of Thao (also Bay Area) & The Get Down Stay Down’s “Temple” to make it the soundtrack of the chaos of the Occupy camp clearing protest.
- The awesome Linda Lindas’ cover of “Rebel Girl” is Maya’s theme song during the protest. It’s also how Maya and Baby genuinely feel about each other, when they aren’t fighting … and even when they are.
- The second song on this playlist by The Invisible Cities. I have no idea what “Bulldozer’s” about, but the lyrics “here come all your friends at the front door” plus “bulldozer, your heart knows my crash course” make this the perfect song for the Inscrutable team to come together and protest.
- “Nagual Power” is obviously Tez kicking some ass, and also becoming the guardian of the Bay Area.
- The awesome Linda Lindas again. “Never Say Never” and …
- … Deerhoof’s (also Asian American-led!) “Freedom Highway” are the music for the general strike and march on the Port of Oakland.