a country between us

May 20, 2006 6:56 PM

songs about/featuring d.c./l.a?

I'm in DC, he's in LA. I'd like to make a mix that celebrates our respective cities with maybe a touch of wistfullness.

For DC I've got:

Magnetic Fields - Washington, DC
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Tonight
Lutricia McNeal - Washington
and... that's it


For LA I've got:

Gary Jules - Downtown Los Angeles
Bram Van 3000 - Drinking in LA
M. Doughty - No Peace Los Angeles
The Decemberists - Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Atmosphere - Los Angeles
Dizzy X - Lost Angeles
Beth Hart - LA Song


I know the Red Hot Chili Peppers sing often about locations in and around LA, but the boy is not a fan.

Suggestions?

posted by ilikecookies to media & arts (28 comments total)

Folk Implosion - E.Z. L.A.
posted by arco at 7:02 PM on May 20, 2006

RHCP - Under The Bridge, no?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:08 PM on May 20, 2006

Er, for LA, even.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:08 PM on May 20, 2006

Lyle Lovett — L.A. County
Pavement — Unfair
posted by drewbeck at 7:13 PM on May 20, 2006

[Not to take the fun out of the thread, but there is always this list.]
posted by samh23 at 7:14 PM on May 20, 2006

"Los Angeles" by Frank Black
posted by jacobm at 7:16 PM on May 20, 2006

"To Live and Die in L.A." by 2Pac and
"Ode to L.A." by the Raveonettes (and Ronnie Spector)
posted by maxreax at 7:18 PM on May 20, 2006

More Los Angeles songs:
Randy Newman -- I Love LA
Soul Coughing -- Screenwriter's Blues (excellent!!)
Tom Petty -- Freefallin' (cliche, but...)
posted by pmbuko at 7:19 PM on May 20, 2006

LA:
Death Cab for Cutie - Why You'd Want to Live Here
Soul Coughing - Screenwriter's Blues
Tom Waits mentions a bunch of Los Angeles locations throughout the album "Nighthawks at the Diner."

Of course, Songs about Los Angeles. Gotta love that plucky little site.

Drawing a blank on DC though.
posted by donpedro at 7:21 PM on May 20, 2006

Aw damnit.
posted by donpedro at 7:22 PM on May 20, 2006

This might help you for DC: the DCist votes for a DC anthem, part 1 and part 2.
posted by jacobm at 7:25 PM on May 20, 2006

Here's a list that DCist came up with when they were trying to find a DC anthem:

"Come to Washington," by Lincoln Ross
"Chocolate City," by Parliament
"Washington, DC," by Magnetic Fields
"Washington, DC," by Johnny Cohen
"Rock Creek Park," The Blackbyrds
"Bustin' Loose," by Chuck Brown
"DC Will Do That To You," by Smart Went Crazy
"DC Fight Song," by Federal City Five
"Come Down to DC," by Army of Me
"Banned in DC," by Bad Brains
"The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," by The Postal Service
"You're My Miss Washington, DC," by Nation of Ulysses
"Mount Pleasant," by Tuscadero
"Mount Pleasant Isn't," by The Evens
"Walter Reed," by Michael Penn
"District Divided," by Darkest Hour
posted by amarynth at 7:28 PM on May 20, 2006

Los Angeles by X
LA Woman by the Doors
posted by NoMich at 7:29 PM on May 20, 2006

And that's what I get for not hitting "preview".
posted by amarynth at 7:29 PM on May 20, 2006

Songs about Washington
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 7:30 PM on May 20, 2006

The Magnetic Fields song about DC is wonderful, I'd forgotten about it. In case it helps you narrow down from the Wikipedia list of LA songs, I happen to think that Beck's "Qué Onda Güero" es lo máximo güey.
posted by donpedro at 7:43 PM on May 20, 2006

LA songs were asked about a couple months ago.
posted by team lowkey at 7:44 PM on May 20, 2006

Without searching too hard, DC:

Mogwai - Sad DC
Q And Not U - And The Washington Monument Blinks Goodnight
M. Ward - Four Hours In Washington
Broadcast - America's Boy

Otherwise, pillage this AskMefi thread on music from Washington DC.
posted by rfordh at 7:46 PM on May 20, 2006

amarynth, it's good to see michael penn's name here.

"Moving to LA" by art brut is hilarous.
posted by scarylarry at 7:46 PM on May 20, 2006

*by hilarious I mean 'wistful.'
posted by scarylarry at 7:48 PM on May 20, 2006

Strangely enough, the first 2 songs I thought of that name-check LA are about getting the hell out of LA. Don't know if that would work, but "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" both feature LA prominently.
posted by .kobayashi. at 8:12 PM on May 20, 2006

Adolescents - LA Girl
Tool - Aenima
posted by hooves at 8:55 PM on May 20, 2006

California Dreaming - Mamas and Papas

Has the line "I'd be safe and warm, if I was in LA".
posted by zaebiz at 9:55 PM on May 20, 2006

There is a spectacularly beautiful song called Los Angeles by Morten Harket, the singer from a-ha. If you're interested, but can't find it, contact me.
posted by edlundart at 10:09 PM on May 20, 2006

How about using the theme music and tick-tock sound effect from 24*? With its frequent cross-cutting between CTU in LA and the White House, 24's distinctive music is emblematic of both cities.
*Theme player at upper right; scroll down for soundtrack downloading link.
posted by rob511 at 1:21 AM on May 21, 2006

For Los Angeles, I'd recommend Here Come The Choppers by Loudon Wainwright. A musical tour through the Mid-Wilshire district.
posted by herc at 6:41 AM on May 21, 2006

Postcards From LA by Joshua Kadison (warning: schmaltzy soft rock). Who knew, so many DC songs?
posted by Rash at 8:26 AM on May 21, 2006

Above pretty much exhausted my suggestions, but I can add "High-Watt Glow" by MK Ultra.
posted by mzurer at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2006