Liner Notes

Soundscape #81: “In Paris They Simply Stared When I Spoke To Them In French” — Mark Twain

Paris is many things. The very word conjures images of romance, of spring, of blooms, of love. But when you are physically in Paris, you are more likely to remember the dog shit, the piss smell everywhere, the labyrinthine metro stations where directions can stop anywhere they damn well please and even if they were to point you back to where you came, well, c’est trop mal.

Nice and Warm in Centre Pompidou, April 1, 2008.

The language thing is actually not as big a problem as I thought it would be. Sure, it sucks not to be able to eavesdrop overhear what people are saying on the metro just for a little bit of drama but it’s really not that big a deal. I can order in broken french; I can ask where the toilets are and the most important phrase of all, “parlez-vous anglais, si’l vous plaît?” The big deal, however, is the price of everything… everything is expensive in Paris. Water costs like €3.00 for a big bottle (that’s like $6.50), a small croissant costs €1.50 and the trains…oh man, they cost €1.50 per trip, even if you are just alighting a station away or 10. It’s nuts!

But there’s something about Paris that draws you in, even with the high prices, the language, the piss and the shit. You’ve gotta love her for who she is, all haute fashion and ghetto grime. So while I’m trying not to twist my ankle sidestepping the dog shit on the cobblestoned streets looking for accordion-filled corners, I know that even if I were to just look up for a moment at the streets, the buildings, the people, la Seine, I would be sure to find something beautiful and magical.

download

Playlist:
1. (0:00) The Go! Team - My World (Proof Of Youth)
2. (2:10) Beirut - Nantes (The Flying Club Cup)
3. (6:02) Headlights - On April 2 (Some Racing, Some Stopping)
4. (8:37) The Clientele - I Hope I Know You (God Save The Clientele)
5. (11:56) Malajube - La Monogamie (Trompe-L’oeil)
6. (16:54) Cat Power - Empty Shell (The Greatest)
7. (19:57) She And Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? (Volume One)
8. (22:29) Feist - Tout Doucement (Let It Die)
9. (24:57) The Delgados - Coming In From The Cold (Hate)
10. (28:36) The Weakerthans - Left & Leaving (Left & Leaving)
11. (33:20) Yo La Tengo - Don’t Say A Word (Hot Chicken #2) (Electr-O-Pura)