Lost In Americana

For the most part, television and I don't get along... this is something I've said before. However, I still watch television on occasion. I just kicked a bad Law & Order repeat habit, actually, thanks for asking.

Mostly, though, the only TV I watch is stuff on DVD my friends force on me, literally. Quite literally. James pretty much kicked me out of his house a couple of weeks ago and threw the DVD of the first season of Lost at me. Well, for television, it was pretty good. (They'll screw it up before they're done with it... that's the curse of all television -- going on for too long. But that's a different story altogether...)

Being a guy who doesn't watch much TV, and doesn't listen to the non-NPR radio hardly at all, I'm completely surprised when I dip my toe back into that asinine, purile pool of mediocrity and get a tingle -- of something good. Specifically, I'm amazed at how Americana and Americana-inspired music can work its way subversively into some of these shows. I'd say it was a conspiracy if I wasn't so damn happy about it. This isn't anything new, I've mentioned this before, specfically about a couple of Joss Whedon shows -- Buffy and Firefly. But on primetime on a major channel? What?

So, if you're a Google-surfer searching for "songs on lost tv show" or something similar and you ended up here, listen up -- What you're hearing is called Americana music. I can hear you now, "But I don't like country music, Larry." *smack* Shaddup, kid! Straighten up and listen good, dammit... This is for your own good, so you better take your freakin' medicine!

Of the six or seven songs played in the entire first season, almost all of them are Americana music. Actually, I think all of the songs that weren't specifically written to fit into the story are all Americana songs, and all available on iTunes. Ahem.

So here goes... here's my Lost playlist for season one.

Wash Away (reprise) by Joe Purdy
This gentle, rolling, river-rolls-on song is by far the best of this list. If you had to listen to only one, make it this one. It's a strange mix of Nick Drake and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. (You know who I'm talking about... that beautiful Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World medley sang over ukelele... go look it up!) Joe was a hard man to track down. He's not on AllMusic and barely on Amazon. His own website has nothing but pictures. I had to track down his MySpace page to learn he was from Arkansas, grew up playing Bluegrass with his dad (Doc Watson and Tony Rice!), and now lives and writes songs in L.A. I highly recommend this song.

Delicate by Damien Rice
Why oh why didn't I ever buy O by Damien Rice? I've heard from tons of my friends that it's great. Why didn't I? Oh man, the anguish. Anyway, this sad, slow, still slightly Nick-Drake-ish song is my second chance. I can redeem myself by getting the album still. Man, this song is beautiful. (It's also a great point in the story of the show when Hurley's disc-man batteries finally go dead. Pretty funny to see.)

Leavin' On Your Mind by Patsy Cline
"Do they listen to Patsy Cline in Canada?" "They listen to Patsy Cline everywhere." Indeed they do. I don't think there's a single voice that epitomizes the soul of country as much as Miss Patsy Cline. This song is a classic in country sound, classy, twangy, lonely, and hurting. And it's on primetime. This isn't the little snippet that Joss Whedon teased us with on Buffy years ago as a joke. This song is front and center for a couple of minutes during an important part of the story. No back seat here.

Are You Sure by Willie Nelson
A scratchy old recording, lonely and soulful. Classic Willie, and one of the best vocal renditions I've ever heard him do. 100% country here, folks. No question. Again, this song is featured prominently, not hidden in the background. Good country on primetime, huh? How does that work?

I Shall Not Walk Alone by The Blind Boys of Alabama
Traditional Black Gospel? Tastefully done? Amazingly soulful, beautiful? On primetime television??? Thank you, Lord! I've heard of The Blind Boys of Alabama a lot, but I have to admit, until this episode, I don't think I'd ever heard them. I never dreamed I'd have my musical tastes expanded by a primetime ABC show. Crazy.

So there you have it. If you have a friend that likes the show, sit down and watch an episode with them. Point out a song and help ease them into listening to more of this music. Use a website to help you figure out which episodes have which songs. (I highly recommend the third episode, Tabula Rasa, since it has both the excellent Joe Purdy and country-riffic Patty Cline songs.) Take your friends that think they don't like Americana and show them, from their own television show, what it really sounds like.

And to whichever record exec thought this up... put this music in place... thank you. I respect your taste, and I think adding this style of music lends your stories credibility. I'm not sure how, but they seem more real, because of the trueness of this music. (Oh, and whoever you were, I hope you find another job somewhere. After looking at the song list for Season 2... evidently they changed their tactics. They let you go? Sorry!)