Every road trip deserves a memorable soundtrack. The sounds and lyrics of our long journey through Absurdville include the artists and tracks that Melissa and I sing aloud with our boys in defiant harmony, as well as the songs I return to again and again when my posture needs inflating.

Artist: Local Natives
Album: Gorilla Manor  (2010)
Track: Airplanes

Artist: Ray Charles
Album: The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)
Track: Come Rain or Come Shine ¹

Artist: Coldplay
Album: X&Y  (2005)
Track: Fix You

Artist: Coldplay
Album: A Rush of Blood to the Head  (2002)
Track: The Scientist ²

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Backspacer  (2011)
Track: Just Breathe

Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Backspacer (2011)
Track: The Fixer

Artist: Eddie Vedder
Album: Ukulele Songs  (2011)
Track: Sleepless Nights

Artist: Eddie Vedder
Album: Into The Wild  (2007)
Track: Hard Sun

Artist: Stark
Released 2011 (Max 14yo)
Track: Looking For a Fallen Star ³

Artist: Stark
Released 2013 (Max 16yo)
Track: On and On

Artist: Stark
Released 2013 (Max 16yo)
Track: Follow That Heart

Artist: Stark
Released 2013 (Max 16yo)
Track: Suicidal Thoughts

Artist: Stark
Released 2013 (Max 16yo)
Track: Repeat (OCD)

Artist: Stark
Released 2013 (Max 16yo)
Track: Never Wanted Me

Artist: Stark
Album: Goodbye Summer, Goodbye Sleep (2014, Max 17yo)
Track: Living Is Kind Of Cool

Artist: The Lumineers
Album: The Lumineers  (2012)
Track: Stubborn Love

Artist: Bon Iver
Album: Emma, Forever Ago  (2008)
Track: For Emma

Artist: Bon Iver
Album: For Emma, Forever Ago  (2008)
Track: Skinny Love

Artist: The Ericksons
Album: The Wild  (2013)
Track: Gone Blind

Artist: Band of Horses
Album: Everything All The Time (2006)
Track: The Funeral

Artist: Alabama Shakes
Album: Sound & Color (2015)
Track: Future People

Artist: Eels
Album: Beautiful Freak  (1996)
Track: Novocaine For The Soul

Artist: Eels
Album: Wonderful Glorious  (2013)
Track: You’re My Friend

Artist: Eels
Album: Tomorrow Morning (2010)
Track: I Like the Way This is Going

Artist: Eels
Album: Hombre Lobo  (2009)
Track: Prizefighter

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Love  (2013)
Track: You’re The Only One In Your Way

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Love  (2013)
Track: Meet Me Where You’re Going

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: The Meaning of 8  (2007)
Track: Take Your Medicine

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Unplug  (2014)
Track: Breakfast With My Shadow

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus  (2005)
Track: Transistor Radio

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus  (2005)
Track: Living On The Outside Of Your Skin

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: Love (2013)
Track: It Takes A Lot

Artist: Cloud Cult
Album: The Seeker (2016)
Track: No Hell

Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Album: Hometowns  (2009)
Track: Drain The Blood

Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Album: Departing  (2011)
Track: Muscle Relaxants

Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Album: Departing  (2011)
Track: Two Lovers

Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Album: Departing  (2011)
Track: Coldest Days

Artist: The White Stripes
Album: Elephant  (2003)
Track: Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine

Artist: R.E.M.
Album: Collapse Into Now  (2011)
Track: Every Day Is Yours To Win

Artist: R.E.M.
Album: Automatic For the People (1992)
Track: Everybody Hurts

Artist: The Cinematic Orchestra
Album: Ma Fleur  (2007)
Track: To Build A Home

Artist: Chicago
Album: Chicago 16 (1982)
Track: Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away

Artist: Thundercat
Track: Them Changes

Artist:  Twenty One Pilots
Album: Regional At Best (2011)
Track: House of Gold

Artist:  Twenty One Pilots
Album: Blurryface (2015)
Track: Tear In My Heart

Artist: Elliott Smith
Album: Figure 8  (2000)
Track: Everything Reminds Me of Her

Artist: Elliott Smith
Album: Figure 8  (2000)
Track: Somebody That I Used To Know

Artist: Elliott Smith
Album: An Introduction to…Elliott Smith  (2010)
Track: Miss Misery

Artist:  Peter Wolf Crier
Album: Garden of Arms  (2011)
Track: Haunt You

Artist:  Peter Wolf Crier
Album: Inter Be (2010)
Track: Down Down Down

Artist: The Black Keys
Album: Brothers (2010)
Track: Sinister Kid

Artist: The Black Keys
Album: Brothers (2010)
Track: Sister

Artist: The Black Keys
Album: Brothers (2010)
Track: These Days

Artist: Lissie
Album: Catching a Tiger (2010)
Track: Bully

Artist: Lissie
Album: Covered Up With Flowers (2011)
Track: Nothing Else Matters

Artist:  Weezer
Album: The Kitchen Tapes (1992)
Track: Say It Ain’t So

Artist:  Weezer
Album: Weezer (2016)
Track: Endless Bummer

Artist: Angel Olsen
Album: My Woman (2016)
Track: Shut Up Kiss Me

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¹ Come Rain or Come Shine by Ray Charles was our first-dance song  at our wedding reception on June 27, 1992.

² The Scientist and Fix You by Cold Play were favorites of Melissa’s years before she became ill with chronic disease. The Scientist eventually took on all-new status when Max taught himself how to play it on the piano. Hearing this song’s melody carry throughout our house accompanied by Max’s voice brought immense joy to our sorrow.

³ Looking For a Fallen Star is an original song Max first began writing in 2010 at age 13. I remember walking up the stairs in our home and hearing the guitar strums through his bedroom door as he laid out pieces of the melody to his muffled lyrics—stopping and starting, then stopping again to adjust lyrics or the pitch of his voice. Once he was confident in the arrangement he began belting out the vocals, challenging himself for the first time at the bottom and top of his range. Then and now, this song simply makes me feel.

Sittin’ at a window no one understands
She gets up breaks the picture that brought them together
And therefore, happiness
She can’t explain why, but she does it anyway

Lost hope, beaten dreams
No one’s home to feel your pain
You can’t look for a shootin’ star
Your soul only wants a fallen one

She screams into her pillow
To fill it with her fright
She falls to the floor
With no more breath for life

Lost hope, beaten dreams
No one’s home to feel your pain
You can’t look for a shootin’ star
Your soul only wants a fallen one

It’s done for good
It’s done forever
It’s done for good
It’s done forever

Lost hope, beaten dreams
No one’s home to feel your pain
You can’t look for a shootin’ star
Your soul only wants a fallen one

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Copyright © 2020. Russ Stark. All Rights Reserved.