|
User
Reviews 9
Approval 98%
Soundoffs 9
News Articles 7
Band Edits + Tags 0
Album Edits 2
Album Ratings 303
Objectivity 62%
Last Active 08-01-17 1:00 am
Joined 09-25-13
Review Comments 573
| Driving across Washington State
A few days ago I had to make one of my favorite drives: Eastern to Western Washington. I started near the Idaho border and finished near Bothell, WA. The car I drove didn't have an aux cable, so I had to rely on CDs from high school and college to get me through. | | 1 |  | Blur
Parklife
I started off in a snowy town just off of the Idaho border at around 8:00 AM. To wake myself up, I put on one of the least early-morning appropriate tracks there are. I rolled up to the gas station on the "ah-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh" part of Girls & Boys, which was embarrassing.
The drive begins with a long cruise through the city of Spokane, which is the second largest in Washington state. The city is a slightly blue dot in a sea of red-voting cities, which is a huge contrast to the western half of the state. The city is characterized by Spokane Falls, its cable car system, and two large smokestacks that are vestigial remnants of its industrial history that has since been turned into a restaurant called The Steam Plant. Another historical location is Riverfront Park, which contains the skeleton of a massive tent from Expo '74. Leaving the city, we enter the vast, empty brushlands of central Washington. As the soaring guitar solo in This Is A Low blared, I reached the final treeline. | | 2 |  | Jon Foreman
Fall and Winter
I only had the Winter disc, so that's what I listened to as I passed by the small city of Ritzville. A popular gas stop for travelers and truckers, this city is the last outpost before Spokane. My car was doing well on fuel at this point, so I continued on. The region becomes more desert-like from this point on, with prominent rock outcrops between sparse vegetation. To the left is Sprague Lake, a large body of water that reflects the sun like a desert mirage in the summer.
I hadn't listened to this EP in quite some time, and was surprised by how much I liked it. Behind Your Eyes was a favorite of mine for practicing fingerpicking patterns, and Learning How To Die is still surprisingly affecting. The tone obviously fit the snowy mood as well. | | 3 |  | Circa Survive
Violent Waves
The next major town along I-90 is Moses Lake, which has a prominent water tower and a golf course that runs alongside the freeway. Moses Lake is central to a large agricultural region, and this is highlighted by names of crops that are posted on signs along the edge of the freeway. I stopped in Moses Lake for gas, espresso, and chicken nuggets. Burger King sold ten nuggets for $1.50, but they're so much worse than I remember.
This album is an exhausting listen. The band says that it was designed to sound like a live experience, but this translates to dark, flat atmosphere that isn't as engaging as other works. The songs do translate well to a live setting, though. The Lottery made a particular impact for me when I saw the band in Seattle a few years ago. As the record closed with a scratchy, skipping I'll Find A Way, I reached Washington's most geologically striking feature. | | 4 |  | Blur
Blur
The Columbia River Basalts, or CRBs, are a massive formation of flood basalts. This group was created by a collection of basalts ranging from about 5 to 17 million years ago. Central Washington is geologically defined by these exposed basalt groups and overlying sediments left behind by the Missoula Floods. The CRBs are best exposed at the Gorge, which is a massive fluvially eroded river valley with steep stone walls and a long rigid-frame bridge crossing. After this area lies the city of Ellensburg, which contains Central Washington University. While this is another popular fuel stop, I choose to pass by and head to Thorp, which is the home of the Thorp Mill, a huge fruit and antigue stand.
This record is my favorite Blur album and perhaps favorite album of all. Beetlebum is one of the most endearing and lovable songs I can think of, and it's the album that I most associate with this particular drive. If you haven't heard it yet, I encourage you to give it a try. | | 5 |  | Cap'n Jazz
Analphabetapolothology
I choose to stop at Thorp Mill for the antiques, records and CDs, and the best honeycrisp apples in the world. On my return trip two days later, I would pick up a copy of Radiohead's Amnesiac. Today however, I bought an apple and was on my way. This is the transition point between Eastern and Western Washington, and the last stop before Snoqualmie Pass. The Pass cuts through the Cascade Mountains and has the potential to shut down traffic during the winter months, segregating the two halves of the state. Today, the only problem was some wet roadways and tight conditions, but I have had some rough moments in this area before.
I only had disc one of this collection, but the frenzy combined with a delicious apple was still enough to keep me awake at this point. Oh Messy Life and the cover of Take On Me are the only tracks that truly stick with me on this record, but the whole experience is worth the price of admission every time. The record finished up as I entered greater Seattle. | | 6 |  | Graham Coxon
The Kiss of the Morning
The city of Seattle lies along I-5, but there is an eastern split along I-405 that gives access to a variety of wealthy tech cities such as Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland. These cities are home to many big names such as Microsoft and Nintendo. I headed north up 405 to my final destination.
This is one of my more subjective favorite records. While Coxon's yelpy voice and sometimes poor lyricism can be grating, I find the whole thing very endearing. The closer, Good Times, is one of the most tender and twee breakup songs I know, but still manages to seem credible.
As I pulled up to a small coffee shop in Bothell to meet up with my partner, the record had long finished. This drive marked a big turning point in my life, as it has many times in the past. Traveling to other parts of the world has made me realize how special this state is. Thanks for reading this for so long, if anyone did! | |
MonotoneMop
02.01.17 | I'm going the exact same drive again tomorrow, so please send me recs. I'm sick of these albums. | Trebor.
02.01.17 | early Modest Mouse is the best driving music | Calc
02.01.17 | I LIVE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON OMGOMGOMGOMG | Calc
02.01.17 | but seriously a car without an aux cable is pointless, get over to car toys or best buy and spend 50 bucks. | MonotoneMop
02.01.17 | I've lived in a few places around there. What area?
Yeah, I was borrowing someone's car for the snow, but tomorrow I'll be driving mine, which has an aux cable. | Calc
02.01.17 | oh good, I live in Tacoma. work on Ft. Lewis and in Seattle. | Calc
02.01.17 | it is a very beautiful drive over the mountains though you're completely right | MonotoneMop
02.02.17 | How is that commute? I've lived on the peninsula, in Seattle, Spokane, and the Bellingham area, so I consider myself an alumni. | SandwichBubble
02.02.17 | Live for long drives.
Pulp - Different Class
Mae - The Everglow
Hey Mercedes - Everynight Fire Works
Braid - Frame & Canvas | bungy
02.02.17 | Thorp has a record store? | MonotoneMop
02.03.17 | Thorp Mill (that huge fruit and antiques shop you can see by the freeway) sells vintage records and CDs on the second floor. | bungy
02.04.17 | cool, thanks | DamnVanne
02.04.17 | I live over here in western Washington too. Ive been around a bit and the only other place in the US I would live is Colorado | Atari
02.04.17 | Oh hey I'm from Spokane | bungy
02.04.17 | I've lived in Renton/Wenatchee/Spokane.
hoping to be in Spokane with my dad if Gonzaga's basketball team makes the final four. |
|
