Music for a desert island...

To be honest, there are things you will not find in Yap. Music stores being one of them. Cheap high speed Internet access being another. And while I love the local traditional music and dances, I do need my regular fix of rock music.

So... I have been trying to fill my iPod Nano with music to last me through a year in Yap.

While 8 GB of storage might sound like a lot, I've realized I face some hard decisions on what to bring.

First, the essential classics:

Everything by The Greatest Rock'n Roll Band in the World - The Supersuckers - including three live shows, Junkyard Dogs and the Eddie Spaghetti solo albums (one positive side of this trip having been a bit delayed is that I will get to see the Supersuckers at Debaser on April 1st after all).

A heap of songs from Perssons Pack, Afghan Whigs, Teenage Fanclub, Neko Case, Luke Haines, Swervedriver and The Posies.

Substantial amounts of Arcade Fire (still not convinced about the new one - something is missing), Dinosaur Jr, Television, Jayhawks, Blondie, Fatboy, Kirsty McCall, Godfathers, Thin Lizzy, Fluke, Sparks, Southside Johnny, Lloyd Cole, Grandaddy, Redd Kross, Mink DeVille, Love And Rockets and Matthew Sweet.

Select prime cuts from Danielle Dax, Gotan Project, The Distillers, The Goops, Bolan/T.Rex, The Only Ones, The Nomads, Willie Alexander, The Donnas, Psychedelic Furs, etc.

Etc...

Only allowed myself one Springsteen bootleg - Summertime Bruce/Agora 78. It's not the best sounding one and as it is from -78 there are a lot of future classics missing, but... it's one long party and it makes me smile.

Moving on to some newer stuff:

I really like the latest Amy Winehouse album, Back To Black. A modern Nina Simone. With lots of attitude. Just listen to You Know I Am No Good - if you don't love it, you have no soul. Amy also made a hilarious guest appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, currently the funniest TV program ever. You can find it in low quality on YouTube and in high quality as torrents.

2 Bit Pie is the new project from Mike Bryant and Jon Fugler of Fluke fame. While not Fluke, it is an evolution of Fluke, so if you liked Fluke and you have evolved as well, you will love it.

Grinderman, the new project from Nick Cave. Primal rock. Excellent in small doses. Also - made me realize I need to make room for Let Love In, No More Shall We Part and Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

Last but not least, the best Swedish debut album since... ever. Some of you might have encountered Annika Norlin through Hello Saferide. Säkert! is her new project, where she sings in Swedish. Or to be more precise, in Jämtländska... a dialect from the northern part of Sweden (where I happen to have been born...). Imagine early Kirsty McCall in northern Swedish with lyrics to die for/to. Or just listen to Vi kommer att dö samtidigt.

That's it and a full iPod at the moment, but I keep realizing that there are other essential things that I have to get in there (The Jam, Ian Dury, Cheap Trick, Heart, Ramones, etc) as well as new stuff that should be coming up before I leave. And what is up with the new Matthew Sweet album?!

See you at Debaser on April 1st!

Next up - Books for a desert island...