For the Record

Author: Melissa Marshall

For many worn-out MiddKids, this Tuesday will be the first time this year that they pack their bags, throw on their Northface jackets and head back to wherever they call home. And the first instinct of the mp3 generation, after they buckle their seatbelts in their mom's Subaru or slide into the window seat of their JetBlue flight, is to slip on those white ear-buds and dream of the stuffing and cranberry sauce. The journey back home, however, has many symbolic and emotional implications. It is a rediscovery of your roots, requiring an adjustment of how you view yourself as well as the place in which you grew up. Countless films and a plethora of books have been based on this notion of homecoming after a period of maturation, and it is only appropriate that you have a soundtrack worthy of such occasion. Don't fret, For the Record has taken the time to compile the artists and songs reminiscent of your late night high school drives and your roommate's complaint rock, creating a playlist both meditative and anticipatory, nostalgic and hopeful, fitting for a background of blurred trees or opaque skylines.

Track 1: "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" by The Decemberists. Filled with the lofty language and esoteric metaphors typical of the five-piece outfit from Missoula, Mont., this song's unrefined vocals and meandering melody makes it an ideal partner to pensiveness.

Track 2: "Fire Island, AK" by The Long Winters. Although front-man John Roderick already had two full-length albums under his belt when he released Putting the Days to Bed, it seems that he just finally grew into himself as a musician, and tracks such as "Fire Island, AK" are proof. With its driving bass line intense enough to match the teenage heartbeat and literate lyrics, "Fire Island, AK" is hopefully an indication of the future of the indie music scene.

Track 3: "Time" by Pink Floyd. For those of us who have parents with discerning musical taste, "Time," the brilliant Brits' magnus opus, will not only bring back memories of long family car rides, but its luminous lyrics will inspire you to suck the marrow out of life.

Track 4: "Heaven" by the Fire Theft. The most impressive release from the guys who once comprised the influential punk band Sunny Day Real Estate, "Heaven" features deliberate, emotionally-invested lyrics and a stunning vocal performance from Jeremy Enigk.

Track 5: "Come on Home" by Franz Ferdinad. Perhaps the most under-rated track from the Glasgow quartet's 2004 runaway release is "Come on Home." Besides having a fitting title, it also demonstrates the quick beats and swift tonal shifts characteristic of the hipster icons at their best.

Track 6: "Black Beauty Theme" by Danny Elfman. Composed by the man responsible for the score to Tim Burton's cult-classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas," this rare release features evocative string arrangements which will make you yearn for the summer evenings of your childhood.

Track 7: "Title Track" by Death Cab for Cutie. Although this Seattle-based band has achieved a type of god-like status among indie music critics with their 2003 release Transatlanticism and the subsequent Plans, lead-singer Ben Gibbard was at his finest during The Photo Album and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes era. "Title track," with its intimate lyrics and unpolished rhythms indicative of the band's early days, is one of the crowning achievements of Death Cab's catalogue.

Track 8: "My Iron Lung" by Radiohead. Featured on The Bends, the epic follow-up to Pablo Honey, "My Iron Lung" is a quintessential example of the glory of nineties alternative rock, speaking to those "too young to fall asleep/too cynical to speak."

Track 9: "Round Here" by The Counting Crows. Perhaps one of the most poignant ballads ever written thanks to the powerfully angst-ridden vocals of Adam Duritz, "Round Here" will make you feel infinite.

Track 10: "Konstantine" by Something Corporate. This Orange County quintet's nine minute masterpiece will immediately transport you back to the time when you could be vulnerable and invincible in the same breath. And listening to its piano-driven melody coupled with Andrew McMahon's reflective voice reminds us that, thankfully, we are not as grown-up as we would like to fancy ourselves.